Thanks Kevin. I just know I could say the same about your new studio...beautiful and your doing a fantastic job. The color and stonework are ace.

Thanks Janet. Fluffy....gotta say that was very funny.

Perfect Bapu.

Glad you agree Mark. Kinda strange like fate or something you contributing the pups...icing brother.

Thanks Randy. Nothing like a complete build. I've always wondered and now I know. The only reason I wouldn't recommend it is because of the power tools. Very scary for us musical type's. Focus...maximum focus.
I guess besides the satisfaction of just doing it the biggest thing I walk away with is having a neck that
was literally carved for the feel I wanted. The trick to that was having to imagine the strings were on it. I know that may sound strange but that's the way it was for me.
I didn't "think" about shapes, I shaped it to feel. The end result is a thicker "C" that ends up a "D" at 10th fret.
I didn't know (or care) while I was carving it. I had to focus on feel. Now I understand why I like the shape. When I go high my thumb likes the flat area. There's probably a name for that shape change-up but I don't know...yet.

What a day. Food, guitar, food, guitar, kids, kids, food, guitar..kids, puppy,.......
and fitting this place in, were my friends hang out ....love it!  

I hope to find out today Craig. Almost screwed up hand overplaying it during set-up. Stupid excitement.
After you read below you'll know why I can take a guess at answering your question:
I think with an amp the overdriven sound of this guitar would be excellent.
I think with an amp simulator (app) such as I use for recording it (guitar) may be "wasted" quality.


I'd like to share a little trivia for those that may be interested.

Rick Turner, a co-founder of Alembic that left due to (one of unknown amount) issue of the design for Model 1 which was the guitar we associate with Lindsey Buckingham, has interesting views of the tonewoods I used and the neck-thru design.
When he was with Alembic he believed the guitars were sterile because of the very same design and woods I used. He thought the design left out the warmth from the body.
When he designed the Model 1 he used Maple and Purpleheart laminated neck but with a "set-in" design and attached to a solid Mahogany body. ( due to the soundhole and rotating pickup design many thought it was a hollow body- it was a solid body )
Les Paul's "Black Beauty" was the staple of this sound. Warmth of a solid Mahogany body and neck-until they started putting a top-plate on the body.

What I find interesting is that somehow my choice of wood for the body along with other modifications I made added the warmth that was not in the Alembic guitar design.
One of the noticeable characteristics of my guitar is the tonal balance. Unlike the "muffed" low tones that
I'm sure the Strat players know I'm referring to, this guitar has lows that extend the frequency range and
one hears very clear lower tones. When the tones are balanced and clear they become "separated" and in that I mean it is easier to hear the tones. An example for clarification is- hearing the notes in a chord rather than just a "muddy" chord....I hope that makes sense as I'm not a sound engineer.
I know that when that tonal quality is joined with the intonation adjusted correctly a guitarist can play
barr chords all up and down the neck and they will have power, clarity and sound wonderful because they're in tune. If any reading this would like to hear an example let me know and I will post it.

The "set-in" design for attaching a neck to the body has become the most popular method and used by
many of the commercial manufacturers such as PRS.
It is easier and surely more cost effective compared to the neck-thru design.

Well naturally with this information I'm considering my next guitar to be a combination of Maple, Purpleheart and Mahogany.

Wookiee


Just drooool had a droooool listen Michael drooool sweet, warm drooool and er drooooool

 
You like this guitar then Wook
 
 
 

marcos69

SteveStrummerUK

Wookiee


Just drooool had a droooool listen Michael drooool sweet, warm drooool and er drooooool

You like this guitar then Wook

Nah, he just drools a lot.

 

 

Truly amazing.  Having done some woodworking and hanging around a friend's guitar shop, I can truly appreciate the scale of a project like this.  More than anything, congratulations are due for just having had the courage to undertake it.  That you completed it so beautifully, and it plays great too definitely entitles you to getting up on the roof of the CH and bragging all you want.

Michael,

That is truly amazing workmanship!!!

Slap some wall paint on it and call it done I reckon...

No that truly is a nice finish as it will age as cool as your favourite jeans. It also gives you an excuse to pore over it again and again in order to give it another polish.

Pickmarks = Patina

Spacey (& Bapu) - Thanks for pointing me to the new thread where I could see the finished product.  I found the old thread while searching for posts on DiMarzio pups (I'm thinking of replacing all the electronics on my old Strat and shielding it).  Since the thread just ended I feared the worst.

And I was right because you finished it and it looks magnificent and puts all us mere mortals to shame.     (Just kidding.  I'm really impressed and happy for you and hope it gives you and your heirs years and years of enjoyment.)

Thank you guys. I am proud but really just more than happy it plays. The only wood work I've ever done other than nailing boards together are two tables I built when I got married. There was some a little lumber left on the property when our was built, didn't have any money so did what I could with a couple of small power tools.
I posted these pics because the maple control cavity cover split by one of the screw holes...I tightened a little to much?...I like the purpleheart better anyway since the maple one had a different shade to it.
The down side to the guitar is that it lowered the value of all my other guitars...to me. Just no desire to play the other Strat style...oh well.

Good to see ya Cryo...and when I drank I did enjoy a beer , Groltch or something like that...made in Holland I think. It had a cool little stopper...I like that because back then sometimes, somehow, friends would drop stuff in your brew....strange brew...stopper really didn't help much.

Oh yeah, got the strap buttons on now so I'd say it's a done deal.
 

Thanks Bat!

DiMarzio- Mark W. sent me pre-wired on a pickguard. Love 'em.

I'll be messing around with finishes next summer. I plan on building
a room outback for spraying.
Mostly to learn how to spray and buff a nice finish but I'll probably
stick with oil for all that I build for myself.
More than likely I'll never touch this guitar other than playing it.
Years down the road I want to know that this is how it was when I
finished it. There's only one "first" and this is it.

I'm already getting orders and wasn't expecting that. It's hard to say
no and I'll probably be building a few for them but I sure don't want
it to turn into a job. I enjoy it to much to let that happen. 

Suweeeeet!

Very impressive.
I considered making a guitar too and then came to my senses and just moved next door to a guitar maker.
I got to exercise my real talents- drinking beer with him and schmoozing.

spacey

What was your process's for the fretwork? ( setting, filing and dressing) 

i don't build em, i play em!!
LOL


I ordered the neck from USACG complete, minus finish and nut.
the fretwork was perfect.
i didn't touch it.
i had my luthier (who built it for me) custom cut the nut to my specs.....
i ended up with a graphtec nut, since i did a tiltback headstock, to eliminate the need for the string trees.

i use .009's, super slinkys. but the nut was cut for .010's.

neck specs:
Gibson scale length neck, 22 frets, fingerboard radius, of 12". the shape of the neck is a thin "C" shape, with a .78" neck thickness at the 1st fret, up to .85 at the 13th, mother of pearl dot inlays. maple neck, pau ferro fretboard, 6150 frets, rolled edges.
vintage truss with access at face of headstock, tiltback design, 13 degrees.