P90

I was poking through the "Cool Luthier Sites" thread:

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=23622

...and I was wondering... how do these folks actually SELL their guitars?

What strategies do they use... or anyone else reading this who builds and sells?

(please point me to another thread if this has been asked before)

Do you rely mainly on your website?

Anyone have an Ebay store?

Do you network with other musicians?

What about retailers? Advertsing?

Just curious.... (Thanks)

Wes... so you're saying the 3/8" piece you bought bends much easier than a comparable piece of ebony?

How does it (roughly) feel regarding *weight* compared to a similar size piece of ebony?

StewMac sells separate templates for (Strat style) neck pockets and trem routing. (The trem routing requires having the neck installed in order to make the measurements)

Does anyone sell a template which combines the neck pocket and trem routing for the top side in one piece? (so that it can be done all at once?)

Allparts only has the Schaller OFR style and the Gibson retrofit... not the FR low profile or Vintage trem.

Interesting.. thanks! (Hmmmm.. Japanese "saving face" issues? )

BTW the tallest SS fretwire on Allparts is: LT_0897-B05 (.055")

I guess StewMac's diamond fret files should handle those no problem.... but would they present any problems for thier fret cutter? (0619)

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_suppl...ret_Cutter.html

I did a search on Oak a while back, and its generally not considered a good tone-wood.

But dont tell Brian May... the neck/centerpiece of his Red Special guitar was Oak from an old fireplace mantle!

(I also found that out when searching on Oak)

If you go to the Schaller website, you'll see that they make a pretty good variety of trems, particularly their Low Profile and Vintage style trems.

http://www.schaller-guitarparts.de/1220.htm

But when I try to search for these on Google/Froogle, the retailers that seem to carry them tend to be Euro. Only the Licensed Original style Floyd trem by Schaller comes up here in the US, and its just mainly StewMac and Allparts.

Are there any US retailers that sell the *other* Schaller trems? Whats up?

To answer the original post... myself I'm very much into note bending and vibrato, so I like a very high fret. I had an Ibanez like this a few years back, and I want my next guitar to have the highest... short of scalloping! That would be the 6100's.

However, I'm also considering SS fretwire... but does anyone know why StewMac doesn't carry SS fretwire?

The tallest SS I can find... and its pretty tall... is on Allparts. (I dont have the numbers handy, but its almost like 6100)

Thanks.. it certainly makes me appreciate better what goes into making these knife-edge trems.

Getting back to the "bearing" type edge, here's a good angle pic of the Hipshot trem which claims to use that:

http://www.bassandguitar.com/images/7STGVIBCLORES.jpg

it will have to be hardened after you shape it.

Really? The tool steel isn't hard enough on its own? After grinding the 2 knife edges, I'll have to hit them with a torch?

I did a search, and that's the Vigier Excalibur.... but thats a bit more than I want to do...

http://www.vigierguitars.com/GCatalog/GIcata/trem2010.jpg

I'm just curious if Mcmasters D2 tool steel would be right for the plate with the pivots?

(and where else can I get less expensive pivot posts )

I'm just kicking around the idea of a DIY floating trem... non-locking. The pivot points I'd try to make would be similar to one of those Ibanez SAT trems which look like they have a square notch cut out on both sides of the post edge:

http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/insets/sa2160fmhs_pu.jpg

I'd try to get as much as I could from Mcmaster. I might try to make the saddles of teflon Delrin, and the block from a steel block. All the springs and screws also from Mcmaster. I'd buy a simple Fender arm and spring claw from Allparts or StewMac.

2 questions:

Would McMaster D2 tool steel be the right steel for the "top plate" whose edges have to be hard enough for the pivoting?

Does McMaster sell any screws that could be used for the posts, with that "hourglass" part at the top?

StewMac sells pivot screws, but they're $12 for just a PAIR... if not Mcmaster, does anyone else sell these screws/posts cheaper?

I was also reading thru the CNC thread pinned at the top, and apparently CNC is NOT so much used for shaping the back of the neck? These handtools (rasps, spokeshavers, etc) are actually preferred?

Wow... Excellent work! Is it just the fb, or the *whole bass* thats made out of the black phenolic?

(that would almost be the equivalent of an all-ebony bass)

I also found this while Googling, for Norplex's version "Micarta"

http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/490659

Reading the text of that, they're clearly going for the guitar (ebony) market:

The material is constructed from a high quality black paper substrate and a black phenolic resin, making it ideal for a variety of architectural and construction applications that require a pure black surface. MC844G can also be used in various functional and decorative parts on musical instruments, such as guitar finger boards and bridges, and develops a patina with age and use. Additionally, MC844G is easy to machine.

I notice a lot of higher-end guitar makers (PRS, Parker, the many small boutique builders, etc) are avoiding Floyd trems and using the simpler Fender/Wilkinson-style trems with the traditional adjustable saddles.

So Phantom comes along and makes a simple saddle that has an angled tapped hole w an allen screw that clamps the string. Good for them! It would seem a good match for these Fender/Wilkinson-style trems

http://phantomguitars.com/stringlocks.html

But Patent Pending? How can they go for a patent when Floyd has had a patent on locking trems for so long? Anyone think they'll get it?

Skip... thanks... your basses are VERY cool!

For a while I've thought about not just an ebony fretboard, but an all-ebony neck for maximum sustain... but that would be expensive, and ebony supposedly is not so stable to humidity changes. Garolite/Micarta changes that.

Wes... goto http://www.mcmaster.com/ and type "garolite" in the left frame and scroll down to garolite XX, then click around.

As best I can tell, its MUCH cheaper than ebony, and yet its about the same density as the best African ebony.

Thanks! (Micarta is used on some Martin fretboards)

Digging on Google a little more, the name "Micarta" is definitely owned by Norplex (a manufacturer)

And the "Garolite" name is owned by McMaster? (a retailer)

Hmmm.. who actually manufactures the Garolite? (Norplex? )

OK, Black Micarta is sometimes used as a substitue for ebony in fretboards. So, let me see if I have this right...

Micarta = paper-based phenolic

Bakelite is also paper-phenolic

Garolite XX is also paper-phenolic

So far, it seems mostly a matter of brand names, but Micarta = Bakelite = GaroliteXX ???

In fact, if you search for Micarta or Bakelite... on McMaster.com.... it'll send you to Garolite!

Right, so far?

Googling... the specific gravity of these 3 seems to come up around 1.35-1.4

And the best Ebonies seem to come up (spec gravity) around 1.2-1.4

Also sound about right?

Thanks.... I looked at the nuts section of StewMac and get this... they sell both the GraphTech and Slipstone/Delrin nuts... and they claim the Slipstones as "Our most "slippery" nut material." Heh.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_saddles/...Stone_Nuts.html

I also did some more digging and its plausable that the Earvana compensated nuts are also made of Delrin/Slipstone? Anyone know?

Maybe I missed it in earlier posts... but how far down would you guys make the outtermost (relief) route?

!/4"?

3/8"?

Thanks... that McMaster site is great! Acording to this page (long link)

http://www.mcmaster.com/ctlg/DisplCtlgPage...idth=817#scroll

The Delrin AF is filled w 13% PTFE (teflon) ..though I don't know how that compares to Graphtechs. The cheapest 1/8" thick piece is only $13, so I guess that would be easy to compare it to a graphtech nut.

A 1/4" thick 6"x6" is about $27, so one could get a buncha nuts and saddles outta just one piece that size.

The alternative at Mcmaster would be the PTFE Garolite? (Or would the PTFE Delrin probably be best?)

Anyone DIYers out there have any idea of what the Graphtech nuts or saddles are made of? They say "teflon impregnated polymer" -there's no graphite in those.

There's so many plastics suppliers on the 'net it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to make my own nuts if I could get a chunk of the right stuff. Likewise, DIY saddles shouldn't be too hard with the right-size saws, bits and taps.

It's mainly a matter of getting the exact stuff.

I did a Google search on "teflon impregnated polymer" but that's not much help since teflon *is* a polymer. Maybe what I need to search on is "PTFE sheet" ? I'm not sure. I found stuff like this:

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?p...howunits=inches

http://www.smallparts.com/products/descriptions/vt-vte.cfm

http://www.fluorocarbon.co.uk/sheetandtape.asp

(I'm curious about those black blocks on that last one)

Any other ideas?