Wood selection

[Biohazard]

Ok, before I start, I don't want to cause any arguments/heated discussions/huge conversations between wood types, but I thought i'd ask this question.

I'm getting a guitar made for me, well i'll be doing electronics etc but thats besides the point. Anyway, this body, on the front, back and sides, is going to have sheet aluminium glued to it. I've seen guitarists with metal finished guitars and I thinkg they look good (Matt Bellamy - Muse, Steve Vai, Satriani - although not aluminium, offsprings, a few others). I want a darkish sounding tone, and I thought that the aluminium will really brighten up the tone bringing lots of trebles out. So i've chosen a Kent Armstrong Motherbucker bridge p/up and a Rio Grande Punchbox p/up for neck. For the body wood, I chose mahogany (warm, dark sounding) because I thought that if I chose anything else, the aluminium would make it too trebly and not much bass/mids. Have I made a good decision or are there other options i've overseen? Thanks for any advice, sorry for the long post.

[skibum5545]

black walnut is good for a dark tone, and it also is lacking in trebles in my experience. One question though: how will the aluminum affect the wood's resonance? Might it totally kill it?

[Curtis P]

I think it would repell the sound off of it through the wood again, so it might sound tone dead, instead, why dont you do like racing stripes of metal? or sheet metal, but cut out so they look like flames, it would look killer, and if it covered most of the body, then it will still soak up the sound, and yes, use walnut

Curtis

[spirit]

Seems like you're making a Matt Bellamy tribute type guitar. If you are, Matt's aluminium guitar is made of poplar, with a birdseye mple neck and rosewood fingerboard. If you want to knoe more specs, PM me. Mahogany sounds fine though, and the reasoning is sound (i think anyway) so you should be fine.

[Biohazard]

No, it's ok, don't mean to sound big or anything but i've researched all his guitars so i know everything needed, they are my fav band so i'm no stranger to his guitars. I't doesnt kill the tone on his. It's not a matt tribute guitar as such. More people than him have aluminium. I think Vai has one, although he admited it was enspired by Matt's. Have you seen the new offspring music video, metal guitar in that. And i'm sure metallica have used one on an ocasion. Not sure, ok, Mahogany or Walnut then. Thanks.

[spirit]

Yeh, I've seen it. It's just faced with it I think. Ditto with Hetfields'. And it's ok, you don't sound big, I was just offereing. I thought you might have known all you needed/wanted, given your choice of pickups and whatnot.

On a slightly different note, have you ever seen or heard of another guitarist with as much werid stuff actually in their guitar as Matt?

[Biohazard]

I've got some of the inspiration from Matt. The punchbox pickup is going from the fact that Matt has one and it seems to sound good in the guitar hes got it in and from the Rio Grande description. But all i'm saying is that he's not the only guy with those pickups. The motherbucker, I emailed various people and they say its such a versatile pickup and can sound amazing, plus a friend has one and the harmonics scream from it. The metal was slightly inspired from Matt but also to the fact that I like wierd/shiny things, and since I can't afford chrome, aluminium seemed cool. Not many people have as many effects built in. But Matt didn't pioneer any of the in built effects stuff. Built in sustainer pickups have been going for a while. I'm also sure that radiohead guitarist had something built in, and Matt just probably expanded from this. I'm getting a Z-Vex fuzz factory which matt uses, but again this isnt just because he uses one. Have you heard a sound sample, bloody hell those things sound amazing. And I can understand why building it in is necessary (which is what i will do), because if not then you cant get the full potential out of it.

[Biohazard]

I've got some of the inspiration from Matt. The punchbox pickup is going from the fact that Matt has one and it seems to sound good in the guitar hes got it in and from the Rio Grande description. But all i'm saying is that he's not the only guy with those pickups. The motherbucker, I emailed various people and they say its such a versatile pickup and can sound amazing, plus a friend has one and the harmonics scream from it. The metal was slightly inspired from Matt but also to the fact that I like wierd/shiny things, and since I can't afford chrome, aluminium seemed cool. Not many people have as many effects built in. But Matt didn't pioneer any of the in built effects stuff. Built in sustainer pickups have been going for a while. I'm also sure that radiohead guitarist had something built in, and Matt just probably expanded from this. I'm getting a Z-Vex fuzz factory which matt uses, but again this isnt just because he uses one. Have you heard a sound sample, bloody hell those things sound amazing. And I can understand why building it in is necessary (which is what i will do), because if not then you cant get the full potential out of it.

[Biohazard]

I've got some of the inspiration from Matt. The punchbox pickup is going from the fact that Matt has one and it seems to sound good in the guitar hes got it in and from the Rio Grande description. But all i'm saying is that he's not the only guy with those pickups. The motherbucker, I emailed various people and they say its such a versatile pickup and can sound amazing, plus a friend has one and the harmonics scream from it. The metal was slightly inspired from Matt but also to the fact that I like wierd/shiny things, and since I can't afford chrome, aluminium seemed cool. Not many people have as many effects built in. But Matt didn't pioneer any of the in built effects stuff. Built in sustainer pickups have been going for a while. I'm also sure that radiohead guitarist had something built in, and Matt just probably expanded from this. I'm getting a Z-Vex fuzz factory which matt uses, but again this isnt just because he uses one. Have you heard a sound sample, bloody hell those things sound amazing. And I can understand why building it in is necessary (which is what i will do), because if not then you cant get the full potential out of it.

[Biohazard]

Omg, sorry about posting that twice, my browser failed so I wasn't sure whether it posted first then failed, sorry.

[spirit]

You actually posted 3 times, and yes I've heard the sound samples. I've also watched the video demo from the site countless times, and in fact I have it downloaded onto my computer. I'm also getting a Fuzz Factory, but I'm gonna install it in the guitar I'm making. Like you not just 'cause Matt has, but he probably gave me the idea. Looks like we're both Musers!

Oh, and I'm a part of the ZVex forum as well.

Also, the Motherbucker I've read reviews on and stuff. It must be the most versatile pickup out there, as it is in fact 2 humbuckers in one! (I reckon you probably know that, but it's for the benefit of the other people)

[frankie]

geez a trippler

[Biohazard]

Yep, two humbuckers rolled into one, for whats probably the most versatile pickup around. with 8 wires instead of four you can wire this anyway you want. Yeah i'm a part of that forum too. I also think the other pedals are genius. His probe pedals are ace. I think that octane pedal sounds great and the mamoth is really bassy and amazing. The ooh and seek wahs sound cool too.

[spirit]

Can't wait to see the new pedal. Oh, I want a Nano Head! The Super Duper and Super Hard On are cool as well, and the Lo Fi Loop Junky would be cool for doubling a riff. I really love the Mammoth though. The Fuzz Factory and the Mammoth. Beautiful.

[Biohazard]

Definately. The only thing I can think of that he should have, that he doesn't have and said he won't build because its been done too many times before, is a phase pedal. But surely he could think of some out of this world phase pedal.

[spirit]

Maybe he just doesn't like phase pedals? although, i agree. maybe a faze? a fuzz/phase! i'm a genius!

[Biohazard]

lol, he says he doesn't want to do them because they have been done too many times before, and he's right, theres loads round. But i'm sure he could come up with something extreme. I just feel that a phase pedal would finish off his collection of designs. Although obviously he will constantly be building pedals.

[spirit]

Yeh. You know about the 2 new ones coming out soon-ish, right?

[Biohazard]

Yeah I know about them

By the way, which wood is:

more lighter,

more darker sounding,

cheaper

walnut or mahogany

[spirit]

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/mahogany_african.htm

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/mahogany_american.htm

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/walnut_black.htm

[Biohazard]

Thanks for that information, i'll make a decision from that information as to whether my guitar is made from mahogany or walnut. Thanks.

[spirit]

Glad to help, but I would wait and see if anyone with experience of both woods has first hand experience.

[spirit]

http://www.warmoth.com/common/frames/guitarbodies.htm

that may help more

[VanKirk]

This guy Gigliotti guitars assembles some nice playing aluminum top guitars. I have played a couple of them and they sounded VERY good to me. He's a pretty cool guy and may be able to give you some advice.

[Biohazard]

Hey thanks VanKirk.