tirapop Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I think the lower horn, with that deep cutaway, just looks out of scale. When I first saw it, I thought about an Explorer with the trimmed upper horn to balance it out the long horn. You did that with your yellow guitar... it helps, but, not enough. I think it's an aspect ratio thing, the cutaway shouldn't be more than half the distance from the tip of the horn to the beginning of the radius for the waist. To that end, start with the reverse Strat. Put the standard cutout on the neck where you want for fret access, sliding the body in the direction of the bridge if necessary. Compress the lower bout (kind of like on the Gibson SG) to keep the body length reasonable. You can reduce the cutout on the short horn side, if you want to keep enough wood for the neck p/u. The balance might be a bit off... you can ballast it with batteries and electronics for a sustainer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I really sort of like the middle left one, for all I said earlier . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 The purple one...yeah, subtle changes to that one from the original outline. A straighter horn, a bit more up top and more forward...small changes...still has a reverse strat shape to it. Perhaps the yellow one's trying a bit hard...bit of a can opener there...getting towards the ill fated gibson corvus maybe. It's kind of fun now that I just have to change the lines a little any other suggestions...I'll play about with some more. I still don't mind the original in a funny kind of way...dispite it's, perhaps overly ambitious appendage... p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 You know the Dr. Seuss carved bass that's being made? Can't remember the thread's name offhand, but you know the one. 6-string neckthrough, I think. With the really 3-D looking carvings on the cutaways and headstock? I vote you do a carve like that on the lower horn, and make it look like a... Well... You know... Just kidding, please DON'T do that. (not that you would. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Actually...maybe I would...I thought of extending that lower horn, just so you guys would comprimise back to what I originally suggested... Anyhow'd...here's a few more subtle variations...on some the waist has been moved a bit. Starting to look a bit like the gibson RD...another failure! Tell me when to go back to the strat! p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Tweak the lower cutaway on the last orange one abit, not alot, but make it curve more towards the neck, i think it will look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onelastgoodbye Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I vote orange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suregork Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 orange or green/turquoise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sashimimi Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 i like the green and the pink the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willin Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 I vote green. It looks like a modest, classy version of a Gibson explorer. I can dig it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 ← Thought I'd bring the last group of variations forward since we've crossed over to page three and I don't know which is which Ok...so Green...a bit more of a fender take on the explorer. I moved the upper waist back to slightly. A strat's waist is pretty much symetrical. Since I moved the top arse out I guess I sould have done that too. The upper bout now matches that back slope more...good neck support. Orange...reshaped that upper horn to give more neck support...lower horn has been reshaped a little...widened to give a little more of a fin shape to it...less horn, more fin!! Not sure but I may have moved the lower waist back slightly on this, rather than the top...it's fairly subtle. Tweak the horn of the orange you say...a little more like the blue of pink one...or more. Actually...that would be un-tweaking...more upturned than the blue and pink? Pink....well, I couldn't resist. The First one is the original design posted. I wondered if anyone would pick it...I still think it's not so bad and it does keep the stratish references...but I also like the green and the blue is a structural improvement. For me...I still don't mind the first one but the green is an interesting, clearly fender/explorer mix. Adventurous like the explorer but a little less sharp and aggressive looking. The yellow one adds a bit of the Les Paul or traditional guitar to it. I don't mind those references either. I might have raised it up a bit...seems more in balance with the back end somehow. Otherwise...the orange one is probably, at least structually better than the original...looks a little more reversed rather than just upsidedown...and maintains the two cutaways, giving it a clearer strat reference. Think I need some more opinions...keep them coming! pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redstein Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 (edited) Looks like you've got a dozen future projects on your hands with all those neat variations However this is about a reversed Strat... You could just move the neck out a bit (and the bridge, and the pickups...), take some material off the bottom to offset the increased neck length and give more zing to the body, and relocate the controls where you want them - something like this: Not so different from a leftie 24-fret Strat, in fact - wrong scale length notwithstanding (just a quick Photoshop tweak )... Just make up your own Dali-ed up pickguard in wood, plastic... or aluminum... Edited May 18, 2005 by Redstein Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Hmmm...now that's a little wierd...but it is a reversed strat. Something to work on I guess...you've fixed the lower horn problem by shrinking the upper horn rather than add to the cutaway which caused me to get a spam shape. I wonder if some pre-vert is going to visit PG and put spam into it's search engine. I bet this thread's going to come up if you put in spam AND guitar into google...that was not my intention!!!! I'll see what happens when I play with this kind of idea a bit...thanks Redstein! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Ding ding ding! That's it! Retire the Viagracaster and move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 What...are you saying build this...it's just a cut away from a reverse alverez scoop...what's with the ding, ding, ding... We were almost getting somewhere !!!: besides I was enjoying this...and, I don't know guy's...some people'd be proud to have a lower horn like I drew Better that than no horn at all And...well... some of those explorer type can-opener shapes aren't too bad...are they?? It's all food for thought Actually, I think what Redstein has shown...and perhaps other's were trying to get me to see, is that it's not only the length of the lower horn to the top, but also the deapth of the cutaway. The cutaway being deeper on the top to the bottom gives a better reversed, strat impression...though I think that upper cut's gone a bit far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Ok to illustrate this last point...this one has got a deeper cut on top and a slightly shorter lower horn...for the intimidated! Looks like it's straying into the danelectro look now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 A couple of those designs are looking a little Schon-ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Just goes to show that there's nothing new under the sun. <laff> I respect new designs when they're successful, but in the meantime I'm just as happy with existing designs, too. If you like the Schon, I say do THAT one! Looks sweet, and you can probably do a few gentle modifications so that it's not a complete rip. I think the Schon's lower horn could use a bit more curve, too, though! They're both a bit spam-like as it stands. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Yeah, don't do a knock-off of the Schon. E.R. owns the remaining parts and probably the trademark stuff, and he'd probably sue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redstein Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Hmmm...now that's a little wierd...but it is a reversed strat. Something to work on I guess...you've fixed the lower horn problem by shrinking the upper horn rather than add to the cutaway (...) Nope All I did was move the neck out a little (2/3 frets) and therefore elongate the neck joint on the top side, which gives the illusion of a deeper cutaway - but the horns are completely untouched. The original pic: My scale-length-challenged suggestion: (As mentioned before, I also shaved off part of the body bottom to shorten the thing a bit and reflect the horns' diagonal - cuts down a bit on the 'heaviness' of the reversed body) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 A couple of those designs are looking a little Schon-ish. ← I knew I'd seen something like this before...perhaps that was it! I tell you though...If i'd posted that you would have still laughed at the horn. Works OK with the headstock I guess, but the lower bout is bigger than the top and the back curve is opposite to what I was doing. Got a bit of that can-oppener shape. I think I might tire of the schon-ish look...I'd like something with classic references. All I did was move the neck out a little (2/3 frets) and therefore elongate the neck joint on the top side, which gives the illusion of a deeper cutaway - but the horns are completely untouched. The original pic: My scale-length-challenged suggestion: ← Now there is something to Redstein's pic. It certainly has some of the vibe I'm looking for in shape. I wouldnt be doing the whole reversed scratchplate, etc. I like the way there is a bit of a point in the bottom of that back curve. The upper horn is quite a bit slimmer, than I had noticed. Partly it's the scratch plate. It's that top cutaway that let's it down as a "design". It's (looks) cut back behind the end of the neck and I'm a little concerned for the stability of the bolt on neck. I see what you mean about having just pulled the neck out (the change of bridge position would also effect the look)...I mean't that...the result was to shorten that lower horn. Perhaps all it really needs is a bit of a tweak were the upper horn just curves back a little more onto the neck. Restein's definitely retains some of the fender stratish vibe I was trying to keep...and it is a reverse strat...of sorts!! psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert_the_damned Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 I would kinda agree with the idea Redstein has created: move the neck and the bridge forward rather than moving the cut out backwards.... other than that some of the other designs you have created look very cool:D I'd probably go for the blue one out of the last lot (though I personally think the cutaway on that one could be reduced a little) a very intresting machine to put your sustainer into Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 (edited) Yeah...the blue one...something's making me think schecter....anyway, does give the neck more support! I've messed about with Redstein's mutant to correct that upper horn: And here I've blocked off the horn for a singlecut look: I've moved the scale length too. Am thinking of perhaps an all over aluminium finish though I still like the original too: In this idea the aluminium is actually inlayed into the wood...no screws, it's glued on...everything is accessed from the back...well that was that idea. Another option would be an all over aluminium front...but then you'd loose those edge roundings and curvyness of the strat...it would be more Jem like...kind of flat. psw Edited May 18, 2005 by psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 OK...like Redstein, I went back to the original strat, traced it but instead of shifting the neck forward, I shifted the top horn forward and cutaway at the lower horn. I also messed with the upper waist and the rear bottom half. I think this is the one. Theres an interesting curved cross that's made through the opposing waists and cutaways. For this I'm thinking an all over aluminium clad finish. I'll make a slight arch to the body so it's not flat like a fender and polish it to look like chrome. I might even clad the headstock face to give that a chrome look also. Basically, the intention is to make a light solid body then adhere the sheet to the top and back making a sandwich. Then I'll file the edges flush with the body outline. I'm intending to have everything back loaded (not sure how I'll do this). I've got an original Gibson humbucker (black) and will make the sustainer/neck pickup black too. I'm thinking of putting in a DIY piezo pickup as well to give an added texture to the sound. Hence all the extra knobs...vol, tone, sustainer drive, piezo vol. 2 switches for the sustainer and a piezo on/off. Then a 3 way pickup selector. Anyway, I think this is the kind of look I was going for and it's certainly improved (IMO) and given me more food for thought on it. Let me know if you think so too or even if that horns still too long! pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Looks good to me, i think you got it this time, now get of the computer and built it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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