djhollowman

Just a wee heads-up to anyone interested in something similar:

This is the same kit andyt used on this build, I remember asking him about it earlier in this topic.

The kit for the inlays and fingerboard are now on half-price blow-out from the guy's eBay store:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BLOWOUT-SALE-FRETBOA...93%3A1|294%3A30

He has a few on sale there. £35 delivered to UK, for inlays and 'board. Just ordered one myself!

DJ

Oooh yes!!

Someone mention LEDs??

I have found that there is a universal constant regarding LEDs - if there is ever any uncertainty regarding whether LEDs would constitute an improvement, then the answer is invariably "yes". And rightly so!! Do it! Do it now!

I'm surprised that I've got a post in on this topic before andyt or prostheta.........

DJ

Welcome to the forums!

My first build was a seven, and I was a noob then. So I say go for it!

I also started by buying the Hiscock "bible" - believe the hype!!!

I posted this somewhere before, but....

re Hiscock's book:

1. Read it. All of it. Especially the parts you don't understand.

2. Read it again. Especially the parts you don't understand.

3. Ask relevant questions on here about the parts you don't understand.

4. See 1.

5. Consider buying a piece of wood.

....or something like that, I'm sure you get the idea by now!!

I too would advise you to draw your own plans. There are several advantages:

Experience of drawing plans - helps organise the mind and focus on details.

You can accomodate your own styles and tastes into your design.

Make your plan into templates.

Good advice from dpm99 there about not buying stuff until you need it!

Specifically regarding a seven string as opposed to a six-er, here are some things to consider:

Hardware you'll need:

7 string bridge, pickups, nut - all readily available, but needed for measurements for routs etc.

a 7th tuner (obvious I know, but they mostly come in sets of 6, so ask around and some sellers will make you up a set of seven)

ferrules, if you're using them! (Again, normally supplied in sets of six)

(My advice: buy all the hardware early, you'll need it handy for measuring at various points during the build. Many things are decided by other factors, such as heights and placements, so it helps to have as much of the bits to hand as possible!)

Also think about:

wider neck pocket necessary (if it's a bolt-on neck)

headstock design will have to accomodate a 7th tuner, and still look right!

Hope some of this helps!!

DJ

Aye, that's kinda what I thought, hence the post.

When you mentioned you got one for £25 that seemed a bargain! Was it a beater?

DJ

Apology not necessary, just trying to help!

DJ

Looking good! That neck: Warlock? Deffo some kinda Rich yeah?

DJ

I would try moving this question to the Electronics section to get more views and replies.

That Ibanez looks really good with the bass side shaped like the treble side - nice! Somewhere for the inside of the thumb to rub up against when playing the higher frets. Might incorporate that into my current project!

DJ

From this:

To this:

This Washburn is my test mule for anything I need to try, and as a result has actually become my favourite axe!!

Mods include: CNC total re-rout for Floyd trem; nut changed to locking version; Vai-style monkey grip added; DiMarzio Evo2 and mini-humbuckers added; one-off crackle paint job (which was an accident, but I loved it so I kept it!); tuners replaced with black Wilkinsons. It also has a battery compartment rout added in case I ever install active pickups or a sustainer or something.

It's made of really cheap light wood (some kind of ply) but I just love the weight balance and the feel of it. The neck is fantastic!!

Seriously, I would never part with this one. I seem to reach for it every day. I think I find it the most satisfying guitar to play that I own. It will probably continue to evolve as well.

DJ

So is that quite pricey for an S body?

I got mine for £25. West Drayton is just up the road from me (or down it) however. Shame about the trem rout :-\

...as in you'd prefer no trem rout? Like for a hard tail?

DJ

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...ME:B:SS:GB:1123

DJ

Oh man, what a dog! You can't build guitars for toffee, Andy...yuk!

WOW! It's abso-frickin'-luterly luvverly!

Where'd you find the Edge? Are those DiMarzio's from Jaden?

And, of course, have you 'd it yet???

Somebody get me paper towel......I'm drooling here........

DJ

Hmm...betcha wish now you'd painted the cavity with shielding paint before swirling??

I find shielded cavities do make quite a difference - in the room where I play most in my house is also where my pc is etc etc so I'm never far away from potential sources of hum!

DJ

Well, I guess it was Pete Townshend who made me wanna pick up a guitar in the first place.

Then I heard Billy Gibbons, and that blew me away!

From there it all went a bit metal: I always admired Adrian Smith of Maiden and Jake E. Lee from Ozzy's band because they were excellent technical players, but still very much part of a BAND.

Enter the Main Man: Steve Vai

I also feel indebted to Randy Rhoads, James Hetfield (who I realised only kinda recently has always been a massive influence on my rhythm playing!) and Joe Satriani.

I have recently really enjoyed following online and magazine lessons/tutorials from Paul Gilbert.

Of the more recent players in metal I particularly enjoy Alexi Laiho's stuff - v.inventive player!

(I would have to hold my hands up and say that, although I have respect for them all, the following players have in no conscious way interested/influenced me: Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Angus Young, Slash, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore. Sorry, that's just how it is!)

So, if I had to pick just one: Vai. No-one comes close to the range of expression he has IMHO. (But then I haven't heard every guitar player have I?? )

DJ

Reamer - get a clear pickguard, you know it makes sense!!!

EMG's in a Jem?? I looooove EMG's, but they just don't sit well with the whole Jem karma - DiMarzio's baby!!

(Actually, same question above goes to both Reamer and Andy!)

DJ

Clear just wouldn't look right since it's a front route. I'm not trying to make it a Jem - I already have one. I just really like the looks of the grip and claw. And the swirl too I guess!

And the EMG's are just soooo sensative...

Like I said, I have a Jem - so this is my own creation with a little of everything I like. I do wish I had it done on a rear route so I could use a clear pickguard. The black one I have will cover up some of the swirl. I have it sitting on it now, and it does still look cool! I might have to paint the EMG's, or have them swirled or something...might be TOO much black inthat area.

Oh yeah, I didn't notice it was a front-rout...oops! You're right then!

Get regular pup's and buy one of those black press on covers, then swirl the cover thing.

But if you have the EMG's already... I'm not sure if the outside black bit is water proof

Aesthetically that would work quite well I reckon, but it wouldn't sound like an EMG.

Swirling an EMG should be OK as long as you dip it with the back facing upwards and don't fully submerge it. If you dipped it face down, going in deep enough so you almost reach the mounting tabs then whatever bit isn't painted shouldn't be visible past the pscratchplate once it's installed anyway.

DJ

I would venture to suggest making sure you're not playing near electrical sockets or your computer monitor, or any other source of electrical interference; obviously the high gain setting only makes it all the more noticable.

DJ

Where'd you get pete's guitar?

:D

What's it in for anyway, just out of idle curiousity......

DJ

If you wish to rapidly cut the guitar sound in and out, use a momentary switch.

use the push to make button (engages both terminals on the switch).

"Make" it ground out the hot wire as I explained in post #2.

When you ground out the hot wire, it kills all sound. no hum.

all you have to do is run 2 wires (from switch to jack), you dont have to cut any existing wires out of the guitar.

Thanks! So to do as suggested above, I would buy a push to make momentary switch, then simply add one new wire going from the jack plug ground terminal to one side of the new switch, and add a second new wire going from the live terminal of the jack plug to the other side of the new switch, yes?

I am, in effect, shorting out the signal - as opposed to interrupting it?

And if I chose to do it the other way (ie. push to break switch on the live wire) it would kill the sound, but could leave the humming sound? Would that be similar to the sound you get in the background when everything's not earthed properly I suppose?

thanks again,

DJ

Yeah, I've seen Perle's stuff on eBay as well. He seems to be doing alright with it - the DNA swirl I was watching recently went pretty quick!

Reamer - get a clear pickguard, you know it makes sense!!!

EMG's in a Jem?? I looooove EMG's, but they just don't sit well with the whole Jem karma - DiMarzio's baby!!

Yeah Andy, the monkey grip should have a little flat area on the back. My Chibanez didn't have that either - it does now!

That body also looks awesome! Man, I'm so inspired to make a swirlie now!!

Tell me though - is the black in that swirl the primer showing through, or is it black paint actually in the swirl?

(Actually, same question above goes to both Reamer and Andy!)

DJ

DJ no, almost all swirls are done on a white basecoat to get the pop on the thin fluro colours. give it a go it fun

Ah thanks Andy, that's what I thought when I saw your headstock with the logo.

So the black is part of the swirl.

DJ

Yeah, I've seen Perle's stuff on eBay as well. He seems to be doing alright with it - the DNA swirl I was watching recently went pretty quick!

Reamer - get a clear pickguard, you know it makes sense!!!

EMG's in a Jem?? I looooove EMG's, but they just don't sit well with the whole Jem karma - DiMarzio's baby!!

Yeah Andy, the monkey grip should have a little flat area on the back. My Chibanez didn't have that either - it does now!

That body also looks awesome! Man, I'm so inspired to make a swirlie now!!

Tell me though - is the black in that swirl the primer showing through, or is it black paint actually in the swirl?

(Actually, same question above goes to both Reamer and Andy!)

DJ

i did some reading a while back on killswitches and form what i under stand the best one to use is a normaly open switch and have it ground the signal (just like a volume nob) it is suposed to give a little less pop and also silences your signal instead of having that unplugged humm you get with just breaking the signal.

But i haven't tryied it either way so what do i know

It would have to be a normally closed switch or else you would have to be pushing the button continuously when you're playing a tune. With a normally closed switch, it's making contact all the time until you break the signal path by pushing the button. Also, I would think that you want the type of switch that immediately springs back to a closed position vs. one that stays open/closed after it clicks - they do make both types.

Yes. Isn't that what I'm suggesting for the job - a momentary push-to-break switch? As opposed to a "non-momentary" push-to-make switch?

(I don't mean that to sound sarcastic - it's a genuine question)

DJ

Andy, is this stuff the paint you used? It's pretty expensive at almost £27 a pint! A three-colour swirl plus the reducer is gonna come to about £100!

At least I might have enough for a couple of goes at it!!

DJ

I'm thinking that chip is one of those Black Ice overdrive chips.

(And hence the BI logo?)

DJ

Which switch is best to use for a killswitch?

I want to try a killswitch onboard a guitar, as opposed to a pedal (although the theory is possibly exactly the same??)

I'm assuming I'd use a push-button momentary switch, but one where it's always ON but has a "push to break" rather than "push to make" type of operation?

Somthing like this one?

Regarding wiring it up - should I use that switch to interrupt the live wire to the jack? Is it as simple as that?

Appreciate anything helpful!

DJ