GregP

I loves the P-90s, but hate the noise. I wonder how much I'd get for the Seymour Duncan P-90s (not Duncan Designed) in my Godin? I'd rather have the P-100's, as I do a lot of recording in front of a CRT monitor. Greg

If "grain filler" didn't mean anything to him, I doubt much of that post did. OK, I don't know anything about finishes, but I know what grain filler is, so I'll describe it: If you look at your wood, depending on the kind of wood it is, there will be little "holes" (or "pores" if you have a Swedish-to-English dictionary) in it. If you just try to paint over top of that, you will always be able to see little bumps in your paint job. SO, people fill in the little holes with a special substance/putty/glue called "grain filler" which makes the surface flat, and elminates the little holes. If you go to a wood/hardware store, they will know what you are talking about. Some people on Project guitar do not use traditional "grain filler" because it actually changes size over time, shrinking a bit. There are a variety of things our members use, including CA, which I don't know what that stands for, but it's basically a type of glue. Hope that helps a bit. Somebody else feel free to correct what I've said and provide missing details. Greg

Great to hear some audio examples!! At this point in time, the unrefined beast is still producing some unmusical sounds, but ultimately it sounds like (er, this time, literally!) you're making good headway! I'll continue watching this thread with great interest. Greg

I voted Korina (which is also called Limba). I don't have proof. I don't have anecdotes. But I had a "Vote!" button. Well, OK, a mini-anecdote. When deciding on a wood for my current (only, so far) project, I did some research, and a number of people on this forum suggested that it was one of the best-- allegedly similar to mahogany in character, but with a bit more of a sweet high end. Sounded like a winner to me. (oh, and Ed Roman swears by it if I remember right. <chuckle> ) Greg

No way would anybody try to sue you for using it on your own guitar. The only time they even COULD sue is if you had it as a selling point for a commercial guitar. And if you're planning on selling the guitar, you'd roll the $75 into the cost price of the guitar and pay the good chap! A lawsuit would have to prove that you co-opted the design for personal gain, or that your using the fanned fret system damages his company's ability to make a profit. (and "he's out the $75 profit from the license I didn't pay for!" doesn't count) Greg

The answer is "Yes". I was interested in the system and wrote to the company, getting some VERY nice replies from the marketing manager (name escapes me right now). In a nutshell, the conversation covered: -You can't get a discounted or free license just because it's for personal use; the main reason for this is that the licenses ARE their business. Most fanned-fret necks are made third-party after purchasing the license. -However, you DO get one-on-one conversations with the man himself, as part of the licensing fee -They prefer "one-string" bridges/saddles (ie. each string has its own separate mini-bridge, dunno the technical term) not only for the ease of intonating and setting up, but because there is less string "cross-talk" that way for clearer articulation; however, normal bridges should work if care is taken. There was more, but I can't remember offhand. The guy seemed more interested in 'spreading the word' of the system rather than making a profit. Many of his suggestions were made that would have resulted in NO PROFIT for his company whatsoever! That kind of candid response was appreciated, and I respect the company even more now. There are a couple of older threads on the subject if you do a search that contain some good information, including many theories on accomplishing it without a license (it's a really basic theory...) and opinions on its feel/response. Greg

I can certain see and respect your point of view. However, I could still see myself using veneer for certain things. <waits for tom-foolery and smart-assed comments! > Greg

I'm amazed that there are guitar players who would even CONSIDER looks over playability! Not to say looks aren't important to a certain degree... but at the end of the day it HAS to be about playability! Greg

Or, buy that lot of 37 pickups Brian posted the other day. ;-) JK... some great ideas here. Greg

You said it. I tried to set up the nail, but you hammered it home. Greg

Shrill / Muddy was my favourite, along with Canada / USA; the former had more wit, but the latter is something we Canucks would get a kick out of. If/when I do my dad's LP, I'm going to make a custom doughnut for sure... it's weird how there's a simple mod like this that I'd never even thought of before. Greg

I'm quite glad to see a stricter set of rules. I may be a neophyte myself (and hence not a part of the 'guitar-building community' in a trial-by-fire way just ye)t, but I also welcome the opportunity to see growth. In the previous environment, I didn't see any positive growth coming, though I was still happy with the status quo. Ie. I didn't DISLIKE anything that was going on, but I didn't see it as the avenue toward gaining the respect of new members. Yeah, I took part in some of the vulgarities from time to time, and I'm no angel. But ultimately I'm happier with this. Good move, Brian! Greg

But you know-- at the current auction price, it's worthwhile even just for the bobbins and magnets for would-be pickup builders. And yeah, of course they're cheap pickups. He says right in the auction that they're the **** (he didn't use that word!) that comes out of guitars when the pickups are replaced with after-market (ie. Seymour Duncan / DiMarzio) pickups. They're not likely great. In addition to the 'spare parts' factor, the pickup covers are already "antiqued" / "reliced"... banged up nickel covers, and funky yellow single-coil... I gotta say, at the current price ($26 when I checked) it's still a good grab. Greg

Problem being, as with many things, with PRS it was also a matter of good timing, smart marketing, and hard damn work. Without having the business acumen and insight to understand exactly "why", and not having any factual basis for this opinion: there are many more people trying to get a piece of the same pie that PRS was lucky enough to feast on. And there just isn't that much of a demand or a market for the same kind of phenomenon right now. Greg

Same chain, but I go to the one in Ottawa. Greg

All of this waiting for a hexaphonic guitar-mounted sustainer is going to be worth it.... if you share... ! But in the meantime, does anyone know how to build an e-bow replica? Greg

I have to second (third?) the opinion that the headstock doesn't match the body. Also agreed about the seated playing... you won't be able to do it... however, that's not necessarily a problem. Just play standing up. Note: The 'tone chambers' are more likely going to reduce the weight of your guitar than contribute any actual tonal qualities, but it's still a good plan. Greg

First off, I love PRS guitars, though I'm rather sick of them because they're ubiquitous now. HOWEVER, My girlfriend met me at Steve's Music the other day, and we were browsing around. Since I have plans to (eventually... like in another half a lifetime) make a PRS copy for my friend Scott, we went over to check them out. As I was explaining the difference between binding and the "fake" (to me, very attractive, "fake" is just for lack of a better word) binding used on the PRS, I noticed 2 very large blemishes. Noticeable quite easily to the naked eye, and noticeable to even a non-guitarist. These were beneath the clearcoat. They were so bad that it looked like the wood had been banged up against something and nobody bothered to smooth it out or repaint the painted portions before clear-coating. It looked worse than a factory second-- it looked like a factory third. It seemed to fly in the face of the quality control bit they showed in the factory tour video-- you know the one... where they cut up a guitar that didn't meet QC. And yet, it was still priced at $3,900 CDN. Ridiculous. Greg

I like it! Greg

Nice guitar! Welcome to the forum. We're not all nice. But we're all supportive of building guitars <chuckle>. Sorry, no real answers to your questions, but just wanted to welcome you aboard. Greg

Thanks for that tip, Setch! I'll have a look-see. Greg

I like the arches narrow and pointy as they are now. It screams Batman. Classic Batman, not George Clooney Batman. Or whoever the hell the most recent one was... Val Kilmer...? Hell, I don't remember anymore. Greg

The bit about the oval was certainly only one man's perspective. I just think a guitar looks funny without a waist, but check out Bo Diddley. Greg

Another thing to consider, if you still sort of want to think about comfort-- Take a picture off the internet of a guitar that has similar dimensions and comfort levels to what you want. You're going to get rid of almost everything about that picture, though, but it COULD serve as a launching point-- Using the neck pocket as a reference point, draw JUST the neck pocket and the 'waist' from the guitar in question. That way at least you'll know you're in good company with other successful guitars. Ie, something like this: Taking Warmoth's "LPS" (double-cut Les Paul) shape as a starting point: And then I used Paint Shop Pro to quickly rough out where the neck pocket and waist were, in another layer. I then saved the layer separately: Then, when you're deciding where to put the legs, it can be a basic starting point, with the flexibility to move it around as needed. Now, I actually don't like the ergonomics of a double-cut Les Paul even though it's probably my favourite type of guitar, so you can always pick a different symmetrical guitar as a launching point; or if it's asymmetrical (like the Beast or Warlock) you can just use the bottom half and mirror it on the top. Greg

The first revision after my last post had lost its "Batman" charm and just looked like a generic metal axe. But this newest one has regained it, and it looks more like what I was thinking of with my last suggestion. Seems to be a winner, but that's just me. Keep revising; worst case scenario, you'll come back to this one and say, "Yeah, that's the one after all." Greg