skibum5545

I guess this one goes back to the old "pine body" argument: if it works just fine, why don't you see major guitar companies coming out with soft curly maple necks on their guitars? After all, the figure is much more plentiful in soft than in hard maple, so if it's an equally valuable wood for such a purpose, it would be used as often...right? But how many guitar companies use soft curly maple for necks? Conversely, how many use hard maple? More specifically, how many don't? Obviously, companies make wood selections for many different reasons: tone, looks, stability/strength, price, and availability. Clearly, soft curly maple is superior to hard maple in looks (more common curl figure), price, and availability, so it's either tone or stability/strength that makes it unusable the companies. My guess? Both. I'm not trying to hinder innovation or "intimidate newbies into using their checkbook instead of their brains", as you so aptly put it, I'm just pointing out that the major companies with the custom shops running 24/7 have tried it, and rejected it, probably on its tone and looks, not some other reason, as is often the case with rare but tonally superior exotics. Moreover, mistahJ, if the difference in price for a single neck blank of $4 or so is too much for you, you might want to consider reevaluating how much you're planning to spend building a custom guitar. Now, as it has already been mentioned many times, laminating soft maple with a nice, hard laminate like ebony, wenge, bubinga, purpleheart, etc. will greatly improve the neck's strengh, as will adding CF rods. However, without these, the neck will likely be too weak, as you, Scott Rosenberger, and Westhemann have all pointed out. Finally, why not use hard curly maple? Obviously CudBucket already bought his soft maple, so he can still use it, provided he adds laminates/ CF rods, and is prepared to take the risk that it may be more flexible than he likes. In the future, however, I see no advantage to purposely choosing soft maple over hard, besides the price difference, which is a rather small one in the world of luthiery.

You might want to watch this quick flash video: http://www.jay-chou.org/guide/posting/Posting.htm And then employ the principles expressed therein in the future. This time, I'll do it for you: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...topic=13471&hl= That's one of quite a few.

I've got Dunlops on my bass, and love them. What is it about the Schallers that you people prefer? The Dunlops are a simple design, are easy to use, and don't fall off. What can be improved about that? Also, Dunlop makes recessed straplock "jacks". Or, you could just recess the normal ones by drilling a big enough hole, and filling the gap caused by the angled top edge with CA or optically clear epoxy.

I'm not sure what you mean by an insert, first of all. Lemme get this straight-- your intention is to make tuner buttons, so you want to find a way to have a squared-off hole in a chunk of abalone so the button will fit onto the tuner body? Seems to me, you could hammer some small brass/copper tube down to the right shape, imbed it in a round hole in the abalone, and fill the gaps with CA/epoxy. Or maybe I have no idea what you're actually talking about. Either is possible.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again-- Godin's guitar is frickin' AMAZING. And yes, I voted for it.

I still don't have a clear picture of what shop access/tools you have. The more work and time you put into it, generally speaking, the less it will cost. A body blank sure costs less than a premade body, etc. If you have the tools and the patience, build a V body that fits your Explorer hardware and neck. Then, build a replacement neck. Then replace the pickups. Voila, new guitar! So tell us, what tools do you have and know how to use?

Birch can be very beautiful; sorta in between maple and cherry, but with a nice amber color, and softer. We have mostly birch trim in our house; it makes stunning shelves or end tables, but I've never seen it used for tonewood before. Like BJPUC said, it's used very often in drums for a sharp, bright tone. It'd probably do very well as a hand drum or a snare drum. Can't hurt to try anyway. Drum building can be a fun and interesting project.

My thoughts? Do a really nice amber clear finish, and if you feel ambitious, burst it to darker transparent amber around the edges. Oh, and grainfill and sanding seal (is that a verb?) before spraying your (tinted) clearcoats.

I agree about the Bart MM HB. Great, HUGE sound, big variety of tones. With that thing, you won't need two pickups by any means. If you have the money, you'll probably want an active preamp for playing metal, etc.

Whoa... it reminds me a lot of Perry's (rhoads56) "vine" guitar in the sharp-edged carving of a gorgeous quilt! Seriously, though, that thing is so well done that it looks as if it could be carved out of marble. I assure you, my keyboard is drool-soaked. Congrats!!

Seriously, though... build him a Guit!! Goodness knows your guitar appear up to pro standards from here, and then all you need is HSH pickups of your fave variety, and a veritable aircraft control panel of controls. He wants versatile, he can have it! Also, then he can have a guitar that matches his exact wants and needs in both looks and functionality, and no matter what he wants in it, you'll surely make a profit at $1500!

Just to clarify about the headstock thing-- it needs to be however thick the tuners require; 5/8" for most. If you make it thicker for strength, you'll need to somehow create divots in which the tuners can sit.

5/8 is a pretty typical thickness; with a bass, though, thicker is better, especially when you use mahogany in the neck. My advice? Make a nice stubby cone shape headstock (thing Gibson V) 2x2 and you'll have room to work.

Carvin necks are 11 degrees, Warmoth are 13, and some custom ones go as high as 20. If you stick between 10 and 15, you can't go too far wrong. Why do you want a shallow angle, anyway?

Godin, and I say this meaning no offense to Jeremy or his beautiful guitar, but I'd still vote for your guitar over the Leviathan. I voted for it last month, and I'd do it again in a second.

Let's see... the Rock Band School where I take lessons has its monthly gig at Starbucks on April 30th, and I play in both the Cover band and the Math Metal band. My other band is playing at an All night party to celebrate the opening of the new YMCA in town; we have a 1 1/2 hour set! My final band needs to find a new drummer and then snag some more gigs (we're a ska band but our drummer refuses to play anything but hip-hop beats....)

You people and your fancy shmancy solutions... haven't you guys ever heard of duct tape?!

As much as I love theory discussions, and hate to interrupt them, you guys have to see this: http://www.kicken.com/audio/Patrick_Kicken...emvsbritney.mp3 The Oasis/GD mesh reminded me of it, and it is by far the most frightening thing I have ever heard. In fact, there is a whole new branch of science devoted to deriving theories from the existence of this phononmenon in the field of Musical Overlay Reciprocality, possibly disproving as many as three separate commonly accepted principles of Newtonian physics and myriad more theories of the modern music industry. On a side note, I wonder how it fits in to the Grand Unified Theory?

Wait... LGM mad, and bluespresence unfair? Something smells fishy.... Oh wait, it is!

Have you tried looking at www.potentiometers.com? They do custom orders; keep in mind, however, that they have a minimum order of 30 custom pots at $20 each... I guess it depends how badly you want that uncluttered look....

I was going to say something, but then Wes said it better than I could hope to. Instead, I offer this correctly capitalized and punctuated version: The great will always be mourned simply because they are no longer here to do the great things that made us love them.

I'd betcha a set neck is very possible. Give the boys at Soulmate Guitars a call; they might be able to help you out.

Hey, congrats to all three of you! It's nice to have some bass playing mods now!!

I say do the second one, but make the back side point shorter; it'll look better that way. Also, and SG-esque edge contouring, and do a satin transparent finish. Top it off with chrome hardware (including pickup rings!) and a mahogany set neck with ebony fingerboard and sterling silver tribal inlays. Go!