SLushe

I am getting a guitar built from someone, well I have two guitars being built, one is taking up the majority of the budget while the other is getting the short end, and not enough to get a quilt maple top/stain job like I originally wanted. So I am contemplating ideas of putting some kind of top on it that doesnt need staining/dye work, just a clearcoat, but is also cheaper than a quilted maple top. So, What are some really good looking woods to be used as a top? I would love to get some color variants in there too, rather than like "wood" brown/natural. I was highly considering Purpleheart, Figured Redwood, Bloodwood, Camphor/Burl, Lacewood, or maybe Ebony. Anyone have any ideas? Posting pictures would really help also, esp of the above woods I mentioned to see how they'd function as a body top.

I abandoned a project, and just looking to salvage some of the money I spent in it. So I have a ZR trem for sale. Anyone want it? Its that like Chrome ibanez uses. Comes with all the parts, great condition. Looking for $200 US shipped in North America, in paypal. PM me!

Not going to argue with you guys, but just a quick point.. I never understand why people always assume someone asking a question on here is a complete moron, I understand what I will have to pay for something, I will gladly pay whatever Carvin's normal prices are, whatever Chris Woods or Doeringer and maybe builders around the world charges (HANDMADE anyone?), whatever Warmoth or Stew Mac or anyone would charge, if they could do my options. I just have no interest in dealing with Doug at this moment as I am looking for more specifics, and a BODY, which he does not make seperate, Is that too hard to understand? If I need it badly enough and cant find someone to make a body with it, I will email him, but at this point, I am trying to avoid doing the body myself at all costs, especially for any kind of bolt on/neck pocket routing. But whatever, Thanks for the help *sarcasm*.

Thanks for the reply, Warmoth/stewmac or Carvin unfortunately does not do short scale bases, from what I remember (maybe warmoth does).. I have had long lengths of conversation with Doug and well I appreciate his work, I don't think for this situation it would be best, as he (least from our last emails) charges $75 upcharge for Maple fretboards, which is what I am requiring. And I guess I'd like to be able to get a neck and body at the same place if possible, just for reasoning of not making a mistake on the routing of the neck pocket/bridge. So trying to avoid doing it myself.

I am curious to find good bass body and neck builders (professional ones) I have work being done with Christopher Woods, but hes just super hard to contact and I don't wanna bug him for another project just yet, and I emailed Doeringer and no response back. I dont really have any tools to do it myself (nor experiance, and living in a small place for college, I wouldnt have anywhere to do the work) and I dont really play much bass, just abit I am looking for a short scale bass neck, like 30 to 32" scale.. 5 string is preferred if possible. With a maple fretboard, and hopefully something other than the fender headstock. And possibly a body in like a Jackson Kelly/explorer shape, but I might be able to do that on my own if I can get a neck, but would prefer that to be made professionally. Any info is helpful, Thanks

im not worried about playing by ear, thats how i normally play anyways since i gotta switch back and forth between so many tunings.. the thing im worried about is how difficult it will be fretting a note, since the action on the fretless part is gonna be massive.. but I dont think i'll attempt it for at least another 5 months.. so ill have some time to try out a full-fretless and experiment with making the action really high and see how difficult it is to play on it.

I just bought a MTD 5 kingston bass.. so its possible to do this theory still.. just not sure if I wanna take a chance of ruining a lovely bass to do it. but maybe in 3-4 months if I get bored with it, I'll attempt it.

its very tempting.. grr

Hey, Theres a guitar im interested in buying from Music go round online, its a good price, cheaper than they normally go for, only issue is theres a crack in the scarf joint heel (its a setneck) He said it functions fine and was repaired, the only issue is you can feel the crack when you move your hands over it, but I dunno.. Heres exactly what the online rep told me about the guitar -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I had to go see my tech to get the real story on thecrack. He looked at it and explained that the type ofjoint used at the factory to attach the neck is calleda scarf joint. The heel and the neck are actually twoseparate pieces of wood to begin with. He said thatthe wood was never actually cracked open, but ratherthat the joint itself actually moves (just as the woodin any guitar expands and contracts with weather,humidity, etc.) The expanding and contracting in thiscase has caused the shell finish to crack whichexplains why the crack can be felt when you run yourfingers over it. The joint is therefore about as solidas it ever was. Does that make sense? If not, trylooking up "scarf joint" on the internet and that willgive you a visual image of what's going on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I wanna put pics up to see what you guys think.. Its a really great price and good deal hes giving me due to the crack, so im very tempted, but if its something that is just going to get worse with time, obviously thats not good.. but if it doesnt look too bad, or if its fixable by just putting afew coats of lacquer on it, that would be ideal.. Tell me what you think, THanks

no luck on it?

Hi guys. Im currently having my eyes set on 2 basses, a MTD kingston (the cheaper one, blank maple fretboard 5 string one) and a Schecter Elite 5 Im curious, which one is better in terms of like, play, sound, feel, etc. Im a guitarist, so all I really know is uhh not much about basses actually lol so give me your optionins on what one reigns supreme. The MTD is looking more likely to me at this moment, due to price, availability (schecter elite 5s are soo rare for some reason nowadays) so its most likely going to be the MTD, I have a maple fretboard fetish, unless you guys tell me the Schecter is far superior to the MTD... Any input is good, thanks.

Ok, heres the pic, couldnt get a closer-up one unfortunately, but eh.. It just looks so dark at that one fret and its a line, kinda takes away from the beauty of a blank maple board..

Hey, Theres a nice MTD bass I am thinking of picking up, has a nice clear maple fretboard, but at one spot theres this streak thats dark, looks almost like a crack at first sight but guy says its not damaged, and hes going to send me better pics.. but just curious, is there any way to dye something like that to mix in better with the rest of the fretboard? For clean maple.. Thanks

I had this idea, and I've seen it done before but I would just like to know if its possible and any problems that might come up with it.. If I got a fretted bass, and took off all the frets from 12th fret to 21st fret. so the 2nd octave would be fretless, to get that jazzy soloing sound, while the first half is fretted to still stay with the rock bass sound.. Would this work well? Anyone heard of this / experimented with it?

Im looking to maybe do a bass project, and what I am looking for is a 5 string Maple fretboard bass neck, thats not a fender headstock. Is there any places to find this for under $200? Thanks

So I was planning on starting a guitar, but The whole neck making process (fretting/trussrod work/etc) is something I wanna avoid for a first project, so was hoping to get a neckthru blank made by Doug at Soulmateguitars, But unfortunately he could only complete it in septemberish, which is when I am moving, so I will get one from him but for another project later, this first project I wanted to start in mid-August and finish it by end of August (least up to paint) So I was wondering if anyone knew anywhere I can get a neckthru blank, or if anyone here could possibly make me a simple one, that can be done and shipped hopefully by mid august (August 20ish) The specs I am basically looking for are simple. 7 string Neckthru blank, locking nut, maple neck with blank maple fretboard (no fender lacquir) with 24 jumbo frets. Stainless steel frets would be nice if possible, but not nessisary. Anyone know of where I can go to get this? Stewmac wouldnt do this and Carvin hasnt been exactly helpful in my talks with them, and Doug and Terry Doeringer are backed up for at least 2 months. Any help is appreciated, thanks

well I am not a fan of that carvin dc727 shape either way, reverse or normal. So I am gonna just add a small bit of wood on the top, shape it to like an Ibanez reverse headstock, and that should be fine, even if its 4+3, it shouldnt look too bad with a quilted veneer on it. hopefully

something similar to an Ibanez Xiphos (basically jackson warrior) but not as pointy as them. The carvin headstock is ok but for those kinda guitars, I think they sould be pointing upwards more, almost like a reverse headstock of a normal jackson. Thats what looks best imo, but I will have to come up with something cool, to accomidate 4+3 tuners lol

Thanks, Nice to know its not like impossible.

Yea I been emailing Aaron from Carvin about options, and unfortunately the only headstock they can do is a DC727 on 7 string ones. No option for paddlehead even. It must be CNC'd. Yeh the headstock is ok, but I plan on adding it on a metal looking guitar so it wont fit. If it was just a strat shaped guitar, im sure it would be ok, but it wont look great on this. It will be similar to an Ibanez Xiphos shape maybe, but abit more curvy. So you can imagine how weird it would look. I wish I could use it for my Strat shaped guitar, but that one, colour options makes me really want a bloodwood fretboard, so I am going to go with another neck builder. But for the metal-shaped one, I want maple and it made asap, so dont wanna wait 4 months for a neck to be made with just the headstock shaping the only difference between the two.

Is it something that is frowned apon doing and dreaded/not many people would attempt? (like fretboard replacements) or is it just the same as inlaying a normal fretboard by hand?

Due to time restraints and needing to finish any projects before I move in september, I am trying to get a guitar started and finished by then (with exception of paint anyways) so instead of going with a custom neck builder, I might just get a blank Carvin neckthru blank. Since they can't do certain options I required for one project, I would have to do it for my other project, which I was planning on putting a custom inlay into. But if I go thru Carvin, there obviously won't be an inlay, although it should be done within 3-6 weeks (I will have 2 weeks or so before I move, to build the body/routing/etc) So what I am wondering. Is it possible to someday in the future, if I had a guitar that was already finished/strung/setup, to install some inlays into it? Would a custom inlayer be able to just take out the 2-3 frets in the spot I want, and inlay it like normal, even though its already radiused and everything? I am just trying to think for the future, if it really bothers me having a totally blank board. I understand how pricy it will be, and hoping I dont get too **** to go ahead and need it, but it may happen someday if I get bored of the guitar

I saw some bloodwood fretboards and it gives me a very creative mind. But I havent seen any actually ON a guitar. I tried a search here, nothing came up Anyone have any pictures of bloodwood fretboard guitars? Thanks

So I am considering buying a carvin neck blank.. 7 string one, but they only give the DC727 headstock option.. which would not fit my body design at all. So is it possible if I add more wood onto the headstock, and reshape it? Will it make it too weak for the string tension? I might not replace the tuning positions, but at least the shape, to make the body flow better with the headstock.. It should work, correct?

it is a neckthru so cant replace neck just like that If it was $260ish US, I would be up for that, but since It isnt looking like I can find anywhere to do it, I am not gonna buy the project guitar. Thinking of trying a Carvin neckthru blank and building the rest myself