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MuffinPunch

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Posts posted by MuffinPunch

  1. Looks great I love this whole project! I was wondering how are you planing to to do the graphics themselves?

    Thanks BigJim! I havent completely decided on how Im doing the graphics just yet. Most likely I will print it out on vinyl and glue it on after primer, then shoot black on the back and transition the burst, then clear. Originally I was thinking canvas, but the surface is so coarse and the image wouldn't be quite so crisp.

    KpCrash: \m/ :D

  2. Dude, I didnt relize it until now, but I totally ripped off your HS design! Sorry man, it was completely unintentional. Mike kept telling me that I was using your HS, but I just wrote him off in denial, until I took a minute to actually go back ant look at your builds. I always thought yours looked like it was derived from a PRS with a more aggressive upper spike area. I thought I was being clever taking the Ibanez reverse 6-in-line HS shape and converting it into a 3+3 (4+3 in the case of my 7) with a little added agression to the point. Turnes out yours and mine are pretty much the same, with the only obvious difference being that the spike on mine is more dominant and central to the HS whereas yours is slightly more subtle and biased to the left... To be fair though, even if I made an exact copy of yours, it would never look near as good as the ones you do.

    100_5214-1.jpgIMG_2801Large.jpg

  3. By the way, does anyone have any advice in leveling the inlays after gluing them in on a compound radiused fretboard? I bought these pre-radiused and I dont wanna sand it down when I go to level the dot inlays. Thanks in advance!

    The build is looking nice. Sucks about the router bit incident. I wouldn't give up on that body...it can be patched. I had a similar incident when building my ash thinline. If you didn't know that it happened, you would never pick it out.

    On the inlays, I would use a small flat file that fits between the fret slots and work parallel to them...across the fretboard. That way if you do alter things a hair, it won't affect the fret slots and should maintain the compound radius.

    Peace,

    Mark

    Cool! Thanks! Thats next on the agenda. Got a bit more done today with this one. Got the pick guards cut. The blue one is actually clear acrylic with protective film over it. The black one is PVC, which apparently is pretty toxic if you cut it with laser. It turned out alright but the heat from the beam caused a couple of little "melt" spots that look a little tacky. I will just use clear acrylic for both and paint the back of the black one. Same with the trem cavity covers.

    100_5400.jpg

    I also tried my hand at carving a neck on a piece of cutoff from one of the cores. About 20 min. into I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it. I feel relatively confident that I will be able to do a half decent job now. With a bit more care of course.

    100_5401.jpg100_5402.jpg

    Then I threw together a quick mockup of all my progress and parts thus far.

    100_5406.jpg

    I ordered a licensed FR from Guitar Fetish the other day, so hopefully that will suffice for the time being. Should be here later this week. Besides that I pretty much have everything I need to complete these puppies! The SCs are cheap, plastic, Chinese made place holders for the moment. I got 4 of them for like $20. I'd rather have a completed, crappy sounding guitar that can be upgraded later than to have an unfinished guitar lying around for who-knows-how-long. Ill probably end up changing out all of the hardware for nicer stuff eventually, but for now they will be lookers/silent shredders. I do plan on installing real DiMarzios in the bridge at least. Im looking into a Super D for one, and a D Activator for the other, or I could just use the Evo 2 I got for another project... we'll see.

  4. Looking good, might be a little bit tricky to get the finish on the body dead level with the insert, but shouldn't be too hard, what colour is this going to be?

    Thanks Muzz, I agree. Im going to finish the body before I finish the core, so If need be I can trim it down just a hair before oiling it. What color? Black of course! Im debating whether or not to add a little gold fleck into the mix, but I really just want the body to frame the core and not really stand out too much.

  5. Thanks, but I didnt ask... Anyway show me a body design that doesnt combine elements of existing guitars. There are really only a handful of body shapes out there that work as a guitar. Im not going to school to be a guitar designer, Im actually studying automotive and powersports design. This is just a way for me to use the school facilities to do my builds and get college credit simultaneously. Im not "hoping" for publicity, and I couldnt really care less whether or not I get any at all. But as I pointed out, its just the nature of my school. Who am I to tell the school board that they cant display work i created using their equipment and recieved credit for? I just want to keep my bases covered in case... If it weren't for credit coming into the picture, this design would have remained an near exact copy of the SHRGR1Z. I just love that guitar.

    By the way, what did you mean by O.P.I?

  6. I kinda want to... but why make the most awesome looking guitar (and probably playing and sounding) ive made, to just sit there? When i can easily sell it for quite a bit if it comes out as planned?

    That would be a really easy question for me to answer. Isnt it enough just to own something awesome? Something coveted by others? Even if you only use it on occasion? Consider how much care and time you put into it. Can you think of anyone who deserves to own your care and time more than you? Money is just paper. An expression of your talent and emotion is priceless. Sorry to get all philosophical on you, but I just imagine that your work is consistently under appreciated by whoever ends up with it. You will have a much greater appreciation for it that someone else and I think at least ONE of your guitars deserves that. You sound like you really like this one, so why not? You obviously will make more, so if you find yo like a later model even better, sell this one and youve already got its replacement.

    Out of principle, I think every guitar maker/enthusiast should own at least one guitar. Its like me obsessed with my carreer as a motorcycle designer, but not owning a motorcycle myself... Oh, I guess I see your point. :D

  7. Im coming to terms with the concept that if these guitars turn out well, its likely that they will get quite a bit of publicity, both displayed in the gallery on campus (which gets a LOT of professional traffic) as well as on-line or through other public avenues. Its just the nature of my school. So I decided if Im going to be using the same graphic identity as the Ibanez Giger, I really should appeal for permission from Mr. Giger himself. At least that way im covered, even if there was never really a possibility of him coming across this project. Its just good form isnt it? This is not a graphic design exercise for me so any artwork done by an artist other than myself used in the displaying of this project is purely superficial. I didnt figure I would need permission from Ibanez since they built their reputation by stealing the successful designs off others, and because the artwork in question is proprietary to HR Giger.

    This means I will hold off on getting the inlays cut until I hear back from Giger's rep with the OK or refusal. Its not the end of the world if I have to end up designing my own graphic and inlay. I really just wanted this to be a nod to the SHRGR1Z, since thats how this project began and has evolved so much since. Plus the time factor at this point will probably mean dot inlays and no body graphic at all if I cant use the ones I was planning on.

  8. Is that the actual bridge placement? It looks really high... Interesting little dip in the bottom of the body. I hadnt noticed that before. Is that for comfort, or did the placement of the laminates dictate that oddity? It sort of makes the lower horn look awkward IMO. It would look more balanced if you made it slightly less substantial.

    churchbass.jpg

    I know You didnt ask me for my opinion, I give it to you gratuitously anyway! I guess I just feel that if your going to take the time and make the effort to make something, you should design it a little bit.

    Edit: I was posting this as you posted that last pic. I see you have resolved some of the oddness, so never mind. Still think that lower horn could be smaller though I like the "hook".

  9. If I were you, I would have put in a Floyd Rose tremolo, but its still looking amazing, cant wait to see it finished.

    Maybe next time. I originally wanted to put in a IZ ZR, but that was before I incorporated the concept of interchangeable bodies. I still have to work out the logistics of a floyd using this theme as well.

  10. Then I took it to the next level. I began drilling holes for my pots and switch. I had to dismantle the drill press lever to get it to clear the body at that Angle.

    My output jack is angled from the top of the guitar a la Ibanez S, so I had to calculate the angle from my control cavity and jimmy rig an MDF jig for the drill press. I then used a 1/4" forsner bit to drill my pilot hole, followed up by a larger one, then a regular bit the diameter of my flush mount jack to go through. Im pretty happy with the result.

    p_00158.jpgp_00160.jpg

    A quick mockup with holes filled and core inserted. Ill be using an Ibanez S switch plate since the thickness of my guitar at that point is insufficient to house the switch within the control cavity itself. Ill be casting a clear one for the corresponding guitar.

    p_00161.jpgp_00163.jpg

    More to come! I recently came to the realization that I now have only 5 weeks left to complete the two of these!!!! Gotta work overtime for now on!

  11. Got a lot done on this one today! Firstly I drilled the TR access holes in the cores and rough cut one of them out on the band saw.

    p_00150.jpg

    After cleaning up the sides and the neck profile using the table router and my template, I took a spindle sander to the HS.

    p_00152.jpg

    A quick round over along the bottom edge of the core, and viola! A Guitar! The radius isnt quite right and needs a little hand finesse to get it to fit flush into the body cavity. But its not too bad.

    p_00154.jpg

    Its a pretty snug fit, so Ill have to sand back a bit to compensate for the finish inside the body cavity.

  12. Very little progress on this one since last update, but I did get the fretboards prepped and inlay holes drilled. More pics later when I have better progress to show.

    p_00156.jpg

    p_00155.jpg

    By the way, does anyone have any advice in leveling the inlays after gluing them in on a compound radiused fretboard? I bought these pre-radiused and I dont wanna sand it down when I go to level the dot inlays. Thanks in advance!

  13. that's one sexy guitar.

    my only niggly criticism would be that the cav cover being non-flush looks a little off.

    I cant speak for RAD, but my guess is that with this thing being so thin, recessing the cavity cover would likely creep into the space for the electronics on a model containing a selector switch. Being that this is a prototype, considerations have probably been made to account for all electronics variations in future models. Ibanez did the same thing with the thin Sabre body.

  14. Very exciting because I now can go with the original string-thru design I had conceived instead of a plain-jane hardtail Strat bridge.

    Another alternative would be to rout a recess into the top for a TOM and keep the string-thru design without angling the neck pocket. I angled my neck pocket the same way as sdshirtman though, and it was relatively simple and easy (so long as the router bearing stays intact :D )

    The neck inserts are also a good tip; I disassembled my cheapy Epiphone strat clone to discover that the neck is held on with just wood screws without inserts. I was going to do the same until I saw the inserts in your build. Keep up the work, it's pretty inspiring so far.

    I think youll find that most comercial bolt on guitar necks, even the not-so -cheap USA made Fender strats are actually screwed on the same way.

  15. IMG_0096.jpg

    Thank HEAVEN you cut straighter than you draw! Jeez! it looks like you drew that outline holding the marker between your knees! :D Just kidding man. sounds like it could be an interesting project. Personally, if I were designing an instrument to be played in church, id take a page out of ESPs book of secrets. :D

    jeune_fille_x_bronze.jpg

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