GregP

You'd think that with the name "soapbarstrat" visible, rubberchicken would've recognized the joke. Though, in response... <pedant> the screw-holes are betwee 2/3 and then 4/5. </pedant> @ soapbar.

Looks freakin' awesome!

Sorry, Wes. I absolutely defer to you as knowing more about guitars than me... at this rate, you're likely always going to. But you do not ground "to" the bridge. The bridge is added to the ground path, it is not the ground path's destination. The ground lug of the jack is the ground path's destination. Furthermore, EMG's literature doesn't actually talk about grounding EMGs "to" the bridge. What it says is that you should remove your bridge ground if you're using EMGs, and goes on to explain (as I have already done) why this is the case. <shrug> Greg

Yay! Looks great!

jmrentis, did you follow the link to the blog? The horn thing flips up and is sort of like a lower horn, and is also turned the way I suggested-- curved along the lap.

Welcome to the forum.

Heh, yeah. There ARE ways you could recess a tailpiece, I suppose. I've yet to see anyone try because there's not much return on investment for effort and planning-- but it'd be neat to see someone give it a go.

Lots of companies do this. I like it, too. Note that you'll need string-through as you can't recess a stop tailpiece. Google for Godin LG as just one example. -- That looks great, and I agree that a burst for the flame is exactly the right choice for that body.

Yes. And I thought *I* was a bad reader.

I'm not following you on the tele/p90 thang, though. Swineshead's AMT is neither a tele nor a P90 pickup-- and Swineshead doesn't even offer tele or P90 pickups. ? Or do you mean it's only an option if you DITCH the tele/P90 idea? To be absolutely honest, I lost track of what you originally wanted. For some reason I was thinking you wanted a Hum/Single. Sorry! Backing it up a moment-- it would be tough to do what you want to do because of the way a tele bridge pickup is mounted. It'll interfere with successfully mounting both pickups close enough to the bridge to call them "bridge" pickups. One of them will end up more like a middle. While there are plenty of hum/single solutions, yours is a bit trickier. It would be tough to design a pickup to do what you want it to do, because there will inevitably be a tradeoff. My personal, humble, and not all that important opinion is that one or the other (tele or p90) single-coil in the bridge is plenty. An overwound tele pickup can often sound similar to a P90, and some tele-lovers have put P90s in their custom builds. There's a lot more overlap in the sound than there is between a humbucker and a single-coil. People have made pickups called "T-90s"... here's an example: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-T-90-pickup-for-el...0QQcmdZViewItem Now, this doesn't solve the "2 different sounds" part of the equation, but at risk of sounding redundant-- there's already so much overlap in the sound that I don't see it as being a hugely useful feature. I would bet money that you'd end up preferring one pickup over the other anyhow, after all that work. Greg Greg

There are more elegant options. For example, the EMG-89 if you want to go active-- it houses a single-coil and a humbucker in one casing. I believe the Lace Humbuckers feature 2 "single-coils", so when split, they should still sound authentic-ish. Something like Swinehead's A.M.P. is also a more elegant solution: http://www.swinesheadpickups.co.uk/amp.shtml If you truly want 2 separate pickups, the next best bet (in my opinion) is to use a single-coil-sized humbucker along with the regular single-coil. Greg

I really like what I'm seeing! For a while I got sick of PRS-style guitars. Now, I'm coming around to them again. Non-figured top helps win me over, because at the same time I got sick of PRS, I got sick of flamed and quilted maple. Excellent clean work despite the few slip-ups, and I already have confidence that you're going to have a great first build. (knock on wood to avoid jinx) Greg

Looking forward to more progress pics.

I'm too lazy to acquire the skills needed to build a guitar in my apartment. I keep meaning to go back to my dad's to do some more work, but he lives 30 mins away... I know, I know... that's not even as long as most people's morning commutes... but it seems like a pain in the butt most of the time. Greg

The thinner part that extends can also be flipped around the other way, so that the curve follows your lap. I wonder if the person in the pic is using it "wrongly", or whether it actually feels more conmfortable for them with the extension turned that way?

No doubt-- you'd have to plan out the solid-core scheme a bit better, so that you're not just sending wires all over the place and needing to redirect them. But if you have it all planned and mapped out, the stiffness would then be an asset. And depending on your approach, you wouldn't always have to twist it around the lug, either. Unlike flexible multi-strand, you can press it solidly up against the surface, making positive contact, and solder it in place. Each probably has its advantage. I think it'd be easier to wire up a tight control cavity with stiff wire, though-- IF you plan it out properly. It'd be easier to solder with the multi-strand wire if you're going to need to weave in and out of wires that are already in place. Greg

Look like awesome pickups. Your inky spalt rules. That inlay is great. Can't wait to see this one finished!

How so, Jon? Single-core wire of sufficient thickness will just bend into shape and stay put, making it easier to manipulate. Though, multi-strand wire with the right jacket would also be easy to use.

Higher resistance doesn't equal more harmonics. What's needed is good technique, and an amp that responds well to harmonic excitement. You should be able to get decent harmonics out of an acoustic... so it's even more about technique than about gear. Zakk Wylde does well with his EMG actives... Billy Gibbons does well with... well, anything you put in his hands, but primarily PAF-level humbuckers. Van Halen did well with a PAF, too... In any event, it's mainly technique. But the right pickups will help. However, the "right" pickups aren't always going to be higher resistance pickups... it just doesn't correlate that way. Higher output pickups will be more likely to excite your amp, and higher resistance pickups generally have more output. So, Metalgoth isn't totally out of left field or anything... indeed, the second part of his statement is just fine... it's just that he's attributing the harmonic generation to the DC resistance rather than the combination of 1. touch, 2. amp, 3. OUTPUT level of pickups, which in turn goes back to point 2. It might seem like a niggling point, but there are pickup technologies with far less resistance (Lace, EMG) but equal or greater output. The DC resistance can get you in the ballpark for output in traditional passive copper-coiled pickups, though.

Madness. Picture 1 looks like some sort of masking effect was used, actually. I say "looks like", fully admitting that I can't really tell what I'm seeing, and not being sure it would even work. But at any rate, it almost looks like squiggly masking was put on (with pinstriping tape or whatever), and then a satin coat was shot. So, the part that's masked off would stay shiny, and the rest would be matte, which looks different in reflected light. The net result when combined with the Lacewood itself is a 3D (4D, even! lol) look. Just a guess. And even if it's not correct, hey, that would be a pretty cool thing to try. The second one is more a standard finishing technique, no? Looks like there's some staining going on and then a high-gloss finish. The variations in the lacewood grain make it look mad-krazy where it's carved.

I never know why this forum produces year+ old threads from time to time.

Suh-weeeet!

Looks neat. I've had similar ideas before (a better "lap bar" compared to the Steinberger "brooms") but this is way out there. Awesome.

Good stuff! My only areas of criticism: - Not a fan of the jack placement, either. It's cool to try something unconventional, though - Putting the 'bridge' humbucker actually at the bridge would've given you some more tonal variation - There are some sanding/tool marks that took the dye (or didn't) and then became quite visible. More time fine-sanding before staining would've given you a nicer finish. The shape is awesome. The work you put in is only lacking some "fine" touches, but is otherwise excellent. The authority with which you presented and then completed your vision is to be commended, that's for sure. Congrats! Greg

The awesome news is that you've taken your first steps into refinishing guitars. Since my one and only attempt was a disaster, you're at least a few steps ahead of me. Learning new stuff and "going for it" rulez.