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Southbound

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Everything posted by Southbound

  1. If you wanna do it like Eddie did it it's simple! Don't forget he was really just a kid doin a hack job on a crappy guitar. The fact that he became famous and is an awesome player don't mean he had some magic gift for guitar modding. Just follow what was written in that article: Rip it's guts out, use a chisel to make the bridge pu cavity big enough for a PAF, put a PAF in there wire it up with a 500k volume pot put a brass nut on it (don't forget to lube!) paint it with a black rattle can, mask it off and paint it with a white rattle can and make a pick guard from a black piece of plastic The orig. just has the standard cheap fender style trem (I'm assuming just like on your guiitar now) If you want the the next version just take off the pick guard mask it off again and paint it with a red rattle can and put a Floyd and a locking nut on it (you need to learn a thing or two to make this step) most important of all don't forget to put a knob with the word Tone on the Volume control!
  2. Explorer for the Metal stance Tele for kickin back and playin the blues Thunderbird for playing bass in a Metal stance and Stingray for playing Funky head boppin bass
  3. wow! ok, at first I was thinkin... give 'em a chance. Maybe they have something to offer. Then I saw the videos!?!? again...wow! Rarely do you hear somebody rattle on about something without saying anything! Did he REALLY say that because the frets are bigger the "fat bit" of your finger doesn't touch the fretboard and that is why you get more sustain?! I'll say it again...wow!
  4. Hey Rick, I can't say I've read both books but I have read the Melvin Hiscock one and there are few things that strike me as advantages to this one imparticular: It not only teaches you how to build "a" guitar (3 in fact) it teaches you how to build "any" guitar. Most of the guys (many of them top quality builders) here have read and know it's contents cover to cover and that means you can quote it and ask questions and such and the guys will know exactly what your talking about. Once you've read a few chapters you'll find that Template's are the easy part (you can design them yourself or get them off the net real easy. The hard part is understanding what you're trying to acheive. Melvin is great for that. anyway...that's my 2 cents!
  5. I'm with Resto! Leave that baby alone. The yellowing on the scratch plate is just there to remind you that she's a REAL orginal. Don't let anyone convince you to refinish it or buff out the scratches or bleach the pickguard...all those things are bad ideas on a classic like that. Wipe her down with a rag and put her back in a case under the bed. If you're gonna start playing again get something else for bashing around on and only bring her out on special occasions (not went your drunk...that's went the dings seem to majically apear!). Wait and see what she's worth on you 60th birthday...you'll be glad ya did. She's a beauty! I wish I had one just like it.
  6. It's not bad but I think it needs more skulls! Nah jokin', wicked guitar man. A metalheads dream.
  7. hey thanks for the Tutorial...nice and simple, gives me confidence that it's not that hard. Much appreciated. (nice guitar too )
  8. I was torn between 2 and 3. I went for the slightly brighter one (3). I agree mostly with what Wez said, only I ended up chosing the 3rd. I thought 1 had the least "life" but was still a perfectly OK sound. I actually thought 2 sounded the best on it's own (particularly clean) But I try to consider what it will sound like in the context of a band and I just got the feeling that 3 would slice through a rhythm section a little better (maybe I'd roll off some highs or use a neck PU setting for a clean solo piece like an intro..I'm sure alot of that would depend on the room you find yourself in from gig to gig as well).
  9. hey Xan, if you haven't decided on the headstock yet... I like your usual head stock...maybe you could adapt that into a 3x3. It might like cool (and just a little out of the ordinary) with 3 on the straight edge and 3 on the curved edge. I'm imagining somewhere between the "usual" one and the Jackson. You may need to frig with the overall downward angle a bit so the bottom 3 strings don't angle to far south. But hey, it's a thought (and you did ask for some )
  10. mate! Search the forum (there's a search button in the top right corner), lots of the guys on this site are great teachers (not me, I'm a newbie too) but it's a bit disrespectful to ask them to give up there time to retype all the info they've already given out on other threads when all you have to do is 5 or 10 minutes of searching to find just about everthing you could ever want to know about building a guitar. I hardly ever ask questions cos I find that most can be answered with a quick search, there's so much greta info here. Use it.
  11. WOW! I'm doing almost exactly the same thing! I have an old Hondo LP copy that is a flat top and I've run it through a thicknesser and I'll putting a drop on it. My top will be a book matched pair and I'll be doing a dark sunburst finish. I'll also be putting a new set of pickups in it. As for your questions, as a newbie myself I wont answer any just cos I don't feel qualified yet I will say this though, expect to get some resistance to this project from a few blokes cos it's not exactly the easiest or the most sensible way to to do it. AND don't expect it to be as straight forward as a dropping a top on, painiting it and playing it. You well need to consider important things like neck angle since the thickness of the guitar will effect the height at which your bridge is gonna sit in relation to the depth of the neck pocket. If this is something you haven't considered or you're not across all the details of neck angle there is some great info pinned on this forum to help you work it out. I'd also say if you're just going for a new look that's cool, but if you're hoping its gonna sound better, it probably wont unless you wack some pickups in it that are specific to the era you're going for. The last thing I'd say is that I thought the carve top on all the LP's of that era were made of maple (mahogany body/maple top)(I MIGHT BE WRONG!). You mentioned you had the Mahogany to laminate to your body. Without a maple top your LP probably wont sound much like a '50's LP. Just something to consider. (I should note that my one is gonna have Australian Blackwood top NOT a maple top...but then I'm not trying to emulate the '50 sound, I'm going for something a little different). Good luck with it...I'll be watching with interest. I'll be posting a thread for my own rebuild pretty soon maybe we can learn a thing or two from each other.
  12. Well guys, I just found the answer to all my problems! I did sooo many google searches for MusicMan string spacings and the answer was on the EB FAQ page all the time! Don't you hate that! So, in case you're interested... The string spacing for a 4string Stingray is 3/4" which is the same as the the Fender bridges and heaps of others (or maybe they are 19mm which is 0.05mm different...eh? close enough to the same for this discussion anyway) soooo, that means it's pretty much standard string spacing anyway. Therefore my options are greatly increased from what I was thinking. Apparently it's the 5string which has a less coventional spacing so no worries until I start the 5 string version in a few months. Thanks guys..Jon, I hadn't considered the unslotted option...it will be something to consider for the future cheers, SB
  13. Hey Fellas, I'm designing a bass and Iwant to use a Nordstrand MM4.2 pickup at the bridge. I'm wondering how much string spacing will effect the performance of the pickup. In other words, how accurately to the strings need to sit over the poles? I'm trying to work out what bridge would be best suited for the job. I'm thinking something like a Badass which I believe has spacing like a Pbass (19mm) which is different to the Stingray (which I I haven't eben able to find out the spacing for! If anyone can enlighten me it would be much appreciated) but I don't know if the difference in spacing will effect the pickups performance. I don't want to use a bridge with variable spacing if I can help it. Can anyone give me any help on this one? Should have said before: incase you didn't know Nordstrand MM4.2's are based on the pre EB MusicMan pickups in a Stingray
  14. Geez man that looks great! I'm planning a LP rebuild for my first project where I'm gonna put a new top on... For me IT'S ABOUT THE TOP! and if mine comes out 1/2 as good as this I'll be stoked. Really nice work mate.
  15. yep, explorer for me too. Seems it deserved a mention in the list since it's so popular I also like the Thunderbird headstock as well that's why my guitars will have a design that's somewhere between the 2 and be the greatest headstock of all time
  16. My fav. is the gibson 500t bridge PU in my Explorer...so grunty and cutting. I also like DiMazio dp100 bridge and DiMazio Tone Zone neck for my LP...for that Ace Freeley, Vinnie Moore late Seventies early Eighties sound. I love the bridge PU in the '52 tele but I think it's more a function of placement and the brass bridge saddles that make it sound like it does(played teles with newer bridge designs and just felt they lost a lot of that classic sound) ...it's just the same PU as all the early strats have in all 3 positions as far as I know. Since no ones mentioned basses yet I thought I'd give props to the awesome MusicMan humbucker neck PU/pre amp combo in the Stingrays...just brilliant, clean powerful and versitile.
  17. <film quote>What's a Nubian?</film quote> Nubia is an old kingdom of Africa, along the Nile it's a region that is partly in Egypt and partly in Sudan legendary for it's beautiful dark skinned woman. See the "film quotes"? I think he means this. http://www.redux.com/shmeso/Dj6mPfV20U3dzZX <edit: adult humour in the link - NSFW! sorry> OHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! well, doesn't that make me look like a TOOL! I reckon I've seen that movie about 10 times too. (Didn't notice the film quotes either) Sorry Prostheta, I guess you weren't lookin for a geography lesson! Incidently that guitar is exactly the same shade of black as Darth Vader!
  18. <film quote>What's a Nubian?</film quote> Nubia is an old kingdom of Africa, along the Nile it's a region that is partly in Egypt and partly in Sudan legendary for it's beautiful dark skinned woman.
  19. Let me start by saying I really appreciate all your advice, thanks for taking the time. Not exactly, I certainly lack a bit of confidence in the woodworking department but I'll be OK once I get started. I think it's more that I have an emotional investment in this old guitar. As I said, I've had it since I was 13. I'd be nice to turn it into something that looks pretty so I thought it would be as good a place to start as any (and I guess I'm thinking if I stuff it up, well it has always been the guitar i've experimented with so at least it went out doing what it does best. ( having me hack at it) Yeah, I have every intention of doing that, got some junk wood that I'm gonna practice on til I get my technique down. I thought that might be the case. From what I could see I thought it would be tricky. I think I'll try to remove the old fretboard from the neck and build a new one for it. Sure do!! Read it through cover to cover and then started again and have just finished it for the second time...intending to give it another read in a couple weeks just to make sure it all sinks in...been reading a lot of threads here too and watching lots of woodworking instructional vids. I am hearing what you're saying and I respect yours and Sech's opinion (2 of the many builders on this site who I aspire to be half as good as). I guess what I said about the emotional attachment is the thing that makes me want the old red battle axe to be my first build...she's been witrh me for a long I time, I think I owe it to her. Probably not the most sensible decision in the world but...what can I say, she's kinda like the little engine that could.
  20. Awesome Davo!! I love it...it looks like it wants to be played...hard! but is't got a little style and class about it too. I reckon if I saw it in a shop I'd pick it up and give it a test drive. I love everything about the look, chome knobs/black PU's, nice smooth lines with white binding to sharpen the edges a little, black hardtail with staggered ferrules, glassy finish, fender style switch NOT toggle, volute in a slightly different spot adds just a touch of uniqueness, sharp looking PU rings against a smooth lined body...WOW if this guitar was a woman she'd a beatiful Nubian princess with just a little agro If it plays like it looks it must be a killer axe (I wonder about the long distance between the bridge and the ferrules too...I like a tight responsive feel I wonder whether this might make for something a little more relaxed (especially in dropped D which this guitar looks like it wants to be played at! ) If my first build turns out half as good I'll be stoked...GOTM for my money. Makes me proud to be an Aussie, nice one Davo.
  21. GOOD POINT! Man, sometimes it so simple you just don't see it...thanks...any thoughts on the fretboard binding thing?
  22. True, but I feel that I will learn more about shaping, glueing and laminating wood by doing this mod. Sure it will be time consuming but I've got time...I don't plan to become the greatest Luthier in history for at least 20 years AND while this guitar is out of action I have a few other I can use live in the mean time. I mean, the easiest way would be to go and buy a Gibson Les Paul in the new funky finish I like but that's not what this is about...In some respects I could just grab some random bits of wood and glue them together and then shape them into random shapes but I figure I might as well get a guitar out of it in the end...besides I've had this thing since I was 13 I don't wanna chuck it in a corner because it's all to had...I owe it more than that.
  23. Am about i attempt tp rebuild a dodge old LP copy I have and I have a couple of question about how to go about it. Before anyone asks the "Why would you bother?" question I thought I'd get in first and say: It's a learning experience. I've had some experience with electronics but not a great deal with woodworking so I figured this would be a great place to learn some things that help me to build a "real" guitar or 10. So... Dodgy LP currently has a bolt on neck, no fretboard binding and a flat top body. It also has some wicked drill holes and roughas guts router cavities in it (me and my brother have been hacking into it putting coil taps, phase switches, onboard effects and god knows what else into it since I was 13 (I'm 36 now!)) So it pretty much is the shape of an LP and that's about it. It's is all Mahogany on the plus side (all be it made from about 6 laminates). The plan is this: Try to make it into a decent LP replica Sand it all back (done...yep I can do that much on my own) Fill in the holes and gouges on the body Thickness the top of the body and put a bookmatched Maple top on it Convert the bolt on neck to a glue in: Add and subtract some wood on the body to create the heal and appropriate neck pocket Add and subtract some wood on the neck to create heal and appropriate neck tenon Defret the fingerboard Add binding to the fingerboard Refret the fingerboard Carve the top Bind the body Finish it in a dark Honeyburst (Gibson have a new colour out at the moment they call Desertburst which is just what I wanna try to achieve) Wack on the hardware and electronics (got some sweet pickups for it, Dimazio DP100 bridge and DiMazio ToneZone for the Neck) and then Now questions.... Since I'm gonna put a top on should I plug everything up including the PU cavities so that when I route the thing I don't have to worry about lining it up with what exists underneath or leave them open and route the top and then shim the existing cavities in the body (I'm figuring the positioning will change slightly because of the carve angle)? Will it have any great effect if I DON'T use mahogany to fill the holes (thinking I might use Aussie Blackwood, will wood expansion rate have any impact here?) AND would dowl rods be acceptable to fill drill holes (about 4mm)? When binding the fretboard should I remove it completely or leave it in place (I figure I'm gonna have to create a jig to cope with the radius one way or the other)? AND if I take it slow with the router will the Rosewood servive the process? Hopefully I'll learn plenty in the process but I hope I can avoid a few mistakes by taking the advise of those more experienced than me.
  24. I agree a miked acoustic is much nicer than a piezo...then there's the difference between the way it's miked that also maes a big difference. Close miked (using a Sure SM57 or something along those lines) is no way near as good (or as you say natural sounding) as a studio mic set away from the guitar a foot or so. A good studio mic does it's best to act exactly like your ear does. That's why it sounds more "natural". Here in lies the problem. When you listen to an acoustic instrument you're hearing waves of different frequencies and amplitudes reaching you ears at different times which creates the experience. The proximity of your ear (or the mike in this case the mic) to the sounds makes a big difference. If you listen to an acoustic from any closer than a foot it doesn't sound as sweet. So even of you manage to get a really beautiful acoustic sound from your hybrib, if you're too close to the action you can't hope to use a mic (an electronic ear) to capture the "natural" sound. You simply can't grab all the tones and over tones in the right configuaration to make it sound like it would if you were a foot away from it. That's why even in an acoustic guitar you end up having to simulate (or maybe a better way of putting it is "manipulate") the sound to make it more "natural". It's definitely a tricky problem to overcome.
  25. I've been following this one cos I really like the idea of a nice hybrid guitar myself. It seems to me the aim of a hybrid is is to get 2 sounds that are traditionally produced in fundiemntally different ways. So either the instrument works in 2 totally different ways (which is presumably what Avenger is wanting to acheive) OR you get one sound the traditional way and "simulate" the other (like the electric guitar with the piezo) It's seems like the later is the infinitely more simple way to go about it. HOWEVER the thing that grates on me somewhat is that the concept of "simulation" brings to mind thoughts of synths and digital effects...I know yuk! RIGHT! Most guitarists seem to be traditionalists at heart (why do you think we'd rather have a guitar build in the 50's rather than one built yesterday with the same materials and techniques) So shouldn't we all get over ourselves and start using whatever technology creates the sound we want instead of trying to cling to the traditional ways (I'm totally guilty of this myself...I'd give my right nut for a '52 Tele instead I'm settling for spending a fortune on a '52 reissue)? In a nutshell you'll never get both the sounds without compromise..somethings gotta give. That begin the caseyou might as well simulate. So...to simulate you need to know: 1) what you want it to sound like 2) what you can produce with existing technology 3) and what the difference between the 2 is Only then can you even start to get the sound you're looking for. So my question would be: What acoustic guitar do you want to simulate (give yourself a ball park to start in)? How close can you get to it with existing technology? and what is the difference between the what you're getting from you're existing technology and the Acoustic sound you want? Then you can start to think about how to do it. (I've got my own ideas about these questions..but this ain't my thread) Sorry i haven't given you any answers with this post (I hate it when people do that to me) but I hope I've posed some new questions that might help you get where you wanna go.
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