postal

A customer just called and said he wants to add this to his build. Anyone play with it lately? I searched and the info I found was from a few years ago. I dont know if the product has changed/improved, or what people recommend for a midi setup. Does it come with software? What else would be required? Any info or advice would be appreciated. Thanks all, Postal

Heaven and Hell 12/6 doubleneck. Neckthru. 25.5 scale (both) Ebony fretboards, 26 frets. 12 string neck is maple/mahog/purpleheart for strength. 6 string neck is mahog, body is alder. Emg 81/85 for both necks. 1 vol, 1 tone, 3 way pickup sw for 6 string, 3 way pickup sw for neck selector. Headstock and neck bound in aluminum. Based on Jackson double neck King V. Custom paint by "Sik Kreations".

It depends largely on experience. If people make multiples of the same guitar, they get a feel for the weight of the blank. It would depend on the size and thickness of YOUR blank, and have something to compare it to. Fender cs weighs every blank and marks the weight on the blank. Easy comparison since they're all the same dimension. Most of us make many different shapes, and blanks have to be different sizes... so I go mostly on "feel". When shopping for wood in a lumber supply, pick up several planks of similar size and compare weight- (obviously you cant do that buying stock from the net)

Mors- PM sent.

Matching heads- alu trussrod cover which matches the shape of the artwork.

A few more views of these. Bending alu around the forearm cut..... hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of fun.....

Just finished up these 2. Demon (blue) walnut/mahog neckthru with mahog body. 26 fret birdseye maple board. Soloist (purple) purpleheart/mahog neckthru with mahog body. 24 fret bloodwood board. Both- Fully bound in aluminum- 2k auto finish- Custom artwork- 1 hum, 1 vol, 1 tone.

I think getting a good amount of coats on, it gets very durable. It seems like (though I've no proof) the more coats you put on, the harder it gets. Though nothing is as durable as automotive clear. It is the toughest stuff out there. (except a "boat finish" epoxy)

Use automotive paint products. That is the best solution. Take them to someone to paint for you. Have them hit it with adhesion promoter, then clear. If you're going to do it yourself, and you're going with the generic term "laquer"... I've no tips for you except wipe it down with alcohol, or thinner, or acteone, or degreaser. (note "degreaser" doesnt mean dish soap thats "tough on grease!")

I have to disagree here. The string doesnt care what direction it's bent. 13 degrees down over the nut from headstock angle is still 13 degrees. 13 deg of "splay" to the side, is still 13 deg..... Do you think the nut cares what direction the string gets bent? 13 det down on the nut... 13 deg to the side of the nut? Now consider- A shallow headstock angle like 11, and a decent of "splay" to the tuner might be a total combined angle of 15-16-17.... Imagine for a minute. Take a piece of music wire- Stiff wire- that you can put a bend in, and it holds the bend... Bend a 17 deg angle in it... leaving 5-6" to the end- Like the bend would be the nut location, and the end of the wire is a tuner.... lay it flat on a table so the bend is to the side. This would be wide splay, with zero neck angle. Take the bent end off the table and let the tip of the wire drop down about 1 1/2" below the table top.... Now you're looking at a sizable splay, and a 13 deg neck angle.... Note that I didnt actually do the math to get the angles in my example precise... but you get the idea of what I'm talking about. And this is why I say what I quoted is wrong. Angle is ANGLE. The less angle the better, except a certain amount is necessary to stop string vibration past the nut. Headstock angle.... or side angle, is still angle, and looking at them both combined, you'll see the difference in angle between straight string pull and 13 deg head, is not VERY different from 11 deg angle with some splay. What it really comes down to, is how well the nut slots are filed. I have a 2 post modern strat bridge with 1/8" bone nut with quite a bit of splay on a 13 degree head. The strings dont hang up in the nut at all. It's a non issue. Which brings up a 2nd point.... If your idea works so well.... you wouldnt need to figure out how to lock that bridge... The only time this doesnt boil down to nut slotting properly, is using a locking nut, or a roller nut. The build does look nice though.

I think it depends primarily on the radius of the fretboard, the stiffness (relief) of the neck, and how low of an action you like. Flatter radius- doesnt "need it" as much- unless you want a really low action. Tight radius like fenders 9" and such.... frequently "choke out" with a low action... and NEED it. lots of relief- not an issue- even with a tight radius Almost no relief, and as low of an action as you can get.... Well- You can get it lower, if you ramp the frets.... Thats what I've seen.

Good suggestion but even better is to do this before fretting. I build in a slight fallout towards the end of the neck and usually achieve just over 3/32" action without too many post build adjustments. How do you achieve that accurately and reliably? Ramping frets is quick, easy and reliable. Only takes a couple minutes. Literally- like 2 min. During the build process, I'm carefull to keep the neck blank dead flat, then glue the fretboard on, radius the board and ensure it's still dead level it again. I know some people make clamping cauls for their fretboards that induce a very slight relief- is this what you're talking about?

The reply from music logic was very good and thorough. I would add, that once you install frets initially with glue... the glue builds up under the fret, and you're stuck.... if it didnt fully seat, the glue under it wont let it fully seat.... Should get the frets in, THEN glue. Steel channel is not to be trusted for fret levelling.... Find a chunk of 3/8 or 1/2" aluminum in a length you like, and take it to a machine shop to be surface ground dead flat... As to higher frets buzzing.... This is very common, especially on tighter radiused boards like fender uses. The solution is easy, though many people dont know of it. It's generally called "ramping" the frets. When you initially level the frets, *ALL* frets are supposed to be perfectly level with each other. Once thats accomplished.... using your true flat sanding block (I use surface ground aluminum) You take off more from the last frets- Keeping all those frets level to each other, but angled lower to the rest of the neck.... My block is about 7? inches long. and about 2.5" wide. I use the narrow side of the block on the 24- up scrubbing more off the frets, but putting most pressure on the 24th fret. Then I use the block lengthwise, doing the same thing again. Most pressure on 24, least pressure at the lowest fret the block touches, and scrub it some more, until every fret under the block is in a flat plane, but that plane is angle lower then the rest of the neck. So... the higher the fret, the more the frets "fall away" from the string path. It doesnt take a great deal of "ramping" to fix the high fret buzz common on tight radius boards. But it solves this common problem quickly and easily. I think everyone should be doing this... but a lot of people dont know about it.

Internet at its best! For the records, my logo was created by a professional graphist and a wonderfull friend of mine who is a Buddhist living in India, try and explain to him that he was influenced by Neal Mozer.... on second thought..... you're right.... And my advice was wrong. You are *WAY* too good to use some cheap flexcuts... Spend 5x's as much and get 2 cherries or pfeil. They're the only thing good enough to satisfy your ego apparently.... even though it took you at LEAST 4 hours too long to do a simple shallow chip carve Once again... I apologize for trying to help out a newb carver. Good luck to ya hufshmuck-

Poplar is likely too soft to use as a reliable neck. CF would probably make it doable... but if you were gonna add the expense and time of CF... *why* bother using poplar? No cost savings, and more time than a traditional hardwood neck. Unless you like making laminated necks... you could use poplar and something nice and dense to give the ridgid/strength and be fine. For solid poplar neck, I wouldnt do it. (but I do like very stiff multi lam necks.... I broke a truss rod trying to move a 9 layer wenge/zebra neck)