My first custom guitar

EXshad · #1 10-30-2011, 10:26 PM

In April of this year, I decided to go ahead and make my first custom guitar. My friend knew some named Tim on ebay (timbo81) who could make custom guitar bodies at an insanely low price. $400 was all it cost for me to get a black korina, 2-piece body with a genuine birdseye maple top. So I gambled and bought it. I also got a stunning, high-grade birdseye maple neck with a standard thin contour, compound radius, and 6150 frets. I also decided to use a Crunch Lab humbucker for the bridge (it's my favorite humbucker) and 2 Dimarzio fast tracks, at a friend's advice. I've never used them before, but I just thought "what the hell" and went for it. I also used Dimarzio components and had it painted by an airbrushing genius. My friend, who's an absolutely genius guitar tech, helped assemble it.

Finally, after months of complications and deliberation, it is complete.

Without further adieu, I present my first custom guitar:

As you can see, I opted for a deep green to teal burst, and in person, it is hands down THE cleanest burst I have ever seen on a guitar, the fade from green to teal is just flawless. The tone is unreal; in the neck, it's warm, think, yet has the articulation of a Strat pickup. In the middle, it sounds almost Yngwie-like, and in the bridge... well, it's a Crunch Lab. And it's a reason why it's my favorite humbucker of all time.

The volume and tone knobs also double as push/pull pots, engaging some really unique features. When the switch is in the bridge position, and the volume pot is pulled up, it switches the bridge pickup from series to parallel. However, in positions 1 through 4, when the tone pot is pulled, all the coils are split. This means that in position one and three, rather than being the full Fast Track pickup, only one coil is active. It triggers a really unique effect, preserving the original tone of the pickups, but removing the added bass and mids that the fast tracks provide, really making them sound like vintage strat pickups. The hum is also nearly non-existent. In positions 2 and 4, instead of simply being both humbuckers working together, it's one coil from each pickup working together. This is such a great option, as you can switch from a Les Paul sound to a Strat sound in these positions with the pull of a pot.

Obviously, I love this guitar, and it feels really cool to be one of those members who has a custom

I'd love to hear what you guys think! I will be posting sound samples sometime this week, and give you guys a sample of what each position sounds like!

Also, if you guys wanna see more pics of the beast, here's a link to my photobucket: http://s993.photobucket.com/albums/af60/exshad/

Thanks guys

LonePhantom · #2 10-30-2011, 10:37 PM

Nice axe, congratulations.

AlaskaBat · #3 10-30-2011, 10:46 PM

Simply stunning! Looks like the Carvin Dragonburst finish.

EXshad · #4 10-30-2011, 10:54 PM

It was actually inspired by that, but this burst has much more subtly to it. The blend between the colors is unreal

Definitely my favorite burst yet.

nezcar · #5 10-30-2011, 11:08 PM

Nice

Job well done

GUITARMAGEDDON · #6 10-30-2011, 11:41 PM

sweet!! I like the control setup and the strat style input jack. what bridge is that?

RGTFanatic · #7 10-30-2011, 11:46 PM

Great Job Man........ you had a great vision, and your friends really came through in helping you out. I hope your as proud of them as you are the guitar!!

Beautiful guitar Bro........I dig the fact that you kept the korina natural, it needs to be seen in it's natural form to be fully appreciated.

Ryc

Jamm'n Jimmy · #8 10-31-2011, 05:25 AM

Very nice, great choice of colors.

chrisf · #9 10-31-2011, 06:48 AM

Bravo! Bravo! That is a beautiful guitar in more ways than one. May I ask how much you have invested?

DaylightDies · #10 10-31-2011, 07:29 AM

Very nice instrument! Whomever did the finish did an amazing job, it's beautiful! And the choice of pup colors is perfect - flawless victory!

Shockme.au · #11 10-31-2011, 07:32 AM

Congrats on a beautiful guitar, you should be proud!

IbanezDaemon · #12 10-31-2011, 07:39 AM

Beautiful guitar, great job!!!!!

**jim777** · #13 11-01-2011, 11:35 AM

Beautiful axe, play it in health

EXshad · #14 11-13-2011, 10:43 PM

Quote:

sweet!! I like the control setup and the strat style input jack. what bridge is that?

Thanks

It's a Wilkinson tremolo - incredibly stable with the Planet Wave locking tuners. It's not recessed though, so it's the perfect middle ground between a floating and fixed tremolo system.

Quote:

Bravo! Bravo! That is a beautiful guitar in more ways than one. May I ask how much you have invested?

No prob! The finish, on the neck and body, was $300. The body itself cost $400. The neck was on sale at Warmoth.com, and I snagged it for I believe $170 (A FRIGGIN' STEAL). The electronics and other miscellaneous crap probably comes in at another $200. And the truss-rod cover that I'm getting put on with my name engraved in it will be $50. So yeah, I think I got a on the whole thing. Counting the prices I just gave you and the extra help I got to assemble it, it cost about $1200 - my most expensive guitar. It's the last one I'll be needing forever :P

Anyhow, tone samples will come soon, once I get it back from getting fitted for the custom truss rod cover :P