Custom Explorer time!

shreddersymphony · #1 01-23-2009, 01:25 PM

Hello folks, me thinks it's custom explorer time

. This baby has a flamed alder body w/ curly bubinga on top. The neck woods and fretboard woods are still being decided, but I'm leaning towards flame maple and brazilian rosewood respectively. It'll have locking sperzels, tonepros string-thru-body, and most likely Duncan Blackout active pickups. Without further ado here's two pics of the bod (front and back)! Any suggestions for neck or fretboard woods are of course appreciated. And if you know another two humbucker combo of great pickups (with a leaning to metal) that aren't EMGs, please suggest as well.

ColinMmmmm · #2 01-23-2009, 02:24 PM

Booo to Brazilian rosewood (I don't trust where they're getting it . . . ). Body looks great though. I think it's be sweet with a flame maple neck, no inlays.

shreddersymphony · #3 01-23-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColinMmmmm

Booo to Brazilian rosewood (I don't trust where they're getting it . . . ). Body looks great though. I think it's be sweet with a flame maple neck, no inlays.

Really? I dont know what the deal is with Brazilian now (wanna explain?) but my luthier has a stock so perhaps its from before whatever you're talking about started. Flame maple neck is probably what im going to go for cuz i need the neck to be light and figured to match the back of the bod...as for the inlays I'm going to go with a single 11th - 13th fret one, just keep it simple and classy.

ColinMmmmm · #4 01-23-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shreddersymphony

Really? I dont know what the deal is with Brazilian now (wanna explain?) but my luthier has a stock so perhaps its from before whatever you're talking about started. Flame maple neck is probably what im going to go for cuz i need the neck to be light and figured to match the back of the bod...as for the inlays I'm going to go with a single 11th - 13th fret one, just keep it simple and classy.

I'm just starting to think that harvesting species of trees/plants that aren't being properly managed (farmed) will have a detrimental impact in the long run. Especially for woods with questionable influence on the tone of an instrument. I think the high price of Brazilian rosewood is not because it's the best - but because it's rare. But I would avoid woods that I'm not certain are procured from sustainable practices, or are in plentiful supply and aren't used for much else besides guitars.

http://www.pjguitar.com/options6.htm

http://windsorplywood.com/tropical_w...ilianrose.html

shreddersymphony · #5 01-23-2009, 03:57 PM

Ahh, I gotcha. We'll see...for right now I gotta find out what kinda stuff my luthier has in stock and what he can get. I tend to like the most exotic thing possible. Anyone have other pickup suggestions besides the Blackouts I wanna try?

ColinMmmmm · #6 01-23-2009, 04:27 PM

EMG's are cool - but you'll miss out on the possibility of having that cream/black humbucker look (whick rules). What colour hardware were you going to go for?

shreddersymphony · #7 01-23-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColinMmmmm

EMG's are cool - but you'll miss out on the possibility of having that cream/black humbucker look (whick rules). What colour hardware were you going to go for?

Yeah the thing is I really don't like EMG humbuckers (love their single coils though)...I'm amongst the people who feel they sound way too sterile and cold. The cream/black aka zebra look is really cool but I feel like it doesnt work unless something else on the guitar has some cream color to it. I think I'm probably keep with all black hardware on this. I am definitely interested in the blackout pickups because they claim to be EMG power minus the sterility (I have yet to try 'em out though).

I know that I love certain passives (Dimarzio Steve Special, etc), but I don't know too much about what's available in terms of actives. I need to go check out a Schecter or something at the local guitar shop, a few of the newer models have Blackouts I believe.

EvoGiant · #8 01-23-2009, 07:25 PM

throw in a pair of X2Ns.

shreddersymphony · #9 01-23-2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvoGiant

throw in a pair of X2Ns.

I've considered that and I like how the X2N is in the bridge, but I'm not sure about how it would be in the neck. I dont have active humbuckers in any of my guitars so for the sake of experimentation/diversity I kind of wanna try some actives.

shreddersymphony · #10 01-23-2009, 09:20 PM

Any word on the D Activator pickups by the way? I've heard some good things.

shreddersymphony · #11 01-24-2009, 01:23 AM

One small bumpity-bump. Need more pickup advice

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reguv760 · #12 01-24-2009, 02:49 AM

D-Activator X bridge is sick for metal though not sure how it would work with your axe once it's complete; would definitely be closer to a clearer and bassier X2N or can also be described as an EMG81 without that "metallic compression" they seem to have. Regular D-activator's are a little bit more versatile; I like the D-Activator neck's on my S and UV7...
check into a Bare Knuckles as well since your axe is pretty much custom, why not go the extra mile and get custom pups

Reg

shreddersymphony · #13 01-24-2009, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by judasbane

D-Activator X bridge is sick for metal though not sure how it would work with your axe once it's complete; would definitely be closer to a clearer and bassier X2N or can also be described as an EMG81 without that "metallic compression" they seem to have. Regular D-activator's are a little bit more versatile; I like the D-Activator neck's on my S and UV7...
check into a Bare Knuckles as well since your axe is pretty much custom, why not go the extra mile and get custom pups

Reg

Thanks Reg. I'll check out the Activator X. You're saying it's a good idea to put the regular Activator in the neck with an Activator X in the bridge? And stuff like Bareknuckle...I have no way to try those pickups and I really dont feel like spending $140 on one humbucker. I've heard great things about them but I'm pretty particular about tone and I just don't wanna take a blind leap of faith here, lol.

reguv760 · #14 01-24-2009, 03:21 AM

Quote:

I'll check out the Activator X. You're saying it's a good idea to put the regular Activator in the neck with an Activator X in the bridge?

that's my setup on my S... D-activator neck is kinda like an EMG81 with the voicing of a Paf Pro... I ended up with the regular D-activators as I just find the look of a blade pickup in the neck position uhm... funky looking.
I took a leap of faith on a BKP ceramic warpig a couple months ago and i'm quite happy with the results on my other S; i'm definitely tempted to get a BKP neck sooner or later but i like the Norton that's on there at the moment

Reg

shreddersymphony · #15 01-24-2009, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by judasbane

that's my setup on my S... D-activator neck is kinda like an EMG81 with the voicing of a Paf Pro... I ended up with the regular D-activators as I just find the look of a blade pickup in the neck position uhm... funky looking.
I took a leap of faith on a BKP ceramic warpig a couple months ago and i'm quite happy with the results on my other S; i'm definitely tempted to get a BKP neck sooner or later but i like the Norton that's on there at the moment

Reg

Ah, cool. I have an air norton in my 2nd build and I love it. Decisions decisions...I think someone needs to invent a device that u can instantly attach pickups to (without soldering or anything), dial in your guitar's wood and your amp type and sort of get a feel for how it'll sound. That would make the whole tone hunt thing 100x easier. Whoever patents that will probably become a millionaire

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