New Custom Guitar - What to get?

shreddersymphony · #1 05-09-2008, 04:19 PM

So I've decided to get a third custom guitar made (already have 2 soloist-style axes). I've narrowed it down to these 2 choices:

Ken Lawrence-type explorer, all exotic woods, neck thru, 24 frets, string thru body.

Something like this: http://www.guitarsatbmusic.com.au/es...l_kl_chech.htm (mods if I violated anything by posting the link let me know and I'll take it down immediately).

And

Les Paul style, 24 fret neck thru, string thru body, slim/thin profile.

Which do you guys think? I'm going for a "balls out metal" kinda guitar.

ColinMmmmm · #2 05-09-2008, 04:44 PM

I dunno man - I like the style of explorers - but whatever you do to the body, it'll have to have an ebony board. So metal.

shreddersymphony · #3 05-09-2008, 04:47 PM

Haha, yeah I think either of these whichever one I go for probably will have an ebony board. Its not an exotic wood by any means but it is pretty metal

Fender868 · #4 05-09-2008, 05:06 PM

Customs usually don't come with balls, since when we think of balls we can all think of two testes loosely enveloped by a nutsack. A custom is unique and usually cloned off of something someone worked really hard to make. So it never really gets balls, but a disfigured vagina. So enjoy your disfigured vagina

.

On a more serious note, the explorer shape seems pretty cool. Great guitars, but usually have a bit of neck dive. Are you comfterble with that ? If you aren't, you should look into a les paul shape, its more conventially played in the upright stance. That's what the custom thing is all about, getting a guitar that responds to your needs/

shreddersymphony · #5 05-09-2008, 06:24 PM

Indeed, Im leaning more towards the "fixed" les paul. But it seems like you have a pretty low opinion of custom guitars. Your name makes it kinda obvious why though.

. This thread however is merely for opinions on choice 1 or choice 2, or I guess another idea that I havent considered for a solid body. Let's keep it at that.

Fender868 · #6 05-09-2008, 06:47 PM

no i own two of them, i am what you call an "enlightened" musician. I don't put logo's and shapes ahead of what the instrument sounds and plays like. If the custom plays well and delivers the tone i need, il do whatever it takes to get it. Having a custom built is just as unconventional a decision as buying off the net never trying the guitar, not that this is up for debate. I was just saying that, much like disfigurations and obscure disease, customs are unique, and no one person can say that all customs bear a similar tone, whereas, when we talk of a Fender Strat or a Gibson Les Paul, we can all recall popular tones or feels that the guitars deliver. So , there you have it.

I have no low opinion, i don't play games just to pick sides dude. I play music, that's it, that's all

.

So i confirm choice 2 again

good luck custom boooi

shreddersymphony · #7 05-09-2008, 07:44 PM

Ah then i misunderstood what ya meant, my bad

. I'm leaning towards choice 2 as well, just cuz plenty of people have ken lawrence-y explorers but i dont know any one who has that kinda LP.

kspeed · #8 05-09-2008, 08:27 PM

A thin bodied LP without any weight relief or chambers would be badass. If you're going for all-out-metal, that (in my mind) implies active electronics, which may be a problem depending on just how thin you're thinking of making it. What kind of tone are you going for and how often would it be played clean?

shreddersymphony · #9 05-09-2008, 08:41 PM

Well, any guitar that I have will be played clean fairly often, but I suppose it would be played clean less than the 2 custom axes I have right now, those have dimarzio single coils and humbuckers with coil tap so I get all the cleans I could ever want out of those. And youre right, I was thinking of active electronics, possibly Duncan Blackouts. And by thin I mean like...ESP EC-1000 thin (maybe a tinnnnnny bit thinner), not S-series thin.

shreddersymphony · #10 05-09-2008, 09:04 PM

My friend also had very good experiences with Carvin active pups, might see if i can score a pair of those from 'em. Chime ins regarding active pups are welcome as well!

NickCormier · #11 05-09-2008, 09:17 PM

depends what shape you feel most comfortable with

I personally, would go for the Explorer... as I love them (and having a custom made Jackson Kelly by Chris Woods)

Les pauls are so common, =[

shreddersymphony · #12 05-09-2008, 09:29 PM

Its a common body style, but when's the last time youve seen a 24 fret slim-bodied neck thru les paul with super exotic woods?

.

shreddersymphony · #13 05-09-2008, 10:23 PM

Plus of course custom inlay and headstock and all that jazz

ET Guitars · #14 05-09-2008, 10:39 PM

If you have the time or inclination, why not design yourself whatever shape and features you deem most metal... You can do that on corel or paint or photoshop, preferably on CAD if you are able.

All the vendors have CAD and CAM capability. So either us, Jaden, Chris Woods or Legacy could possibly realise your design, given fair price and time.

Cheers,
ET

shreddersymphony · #15 05-09-2008, 10:46 PM

Ah, thanks for the advice ET but I work with a buddy of mine who's a pro luthier one on one, I usually dont deal with other vendors unless I'm looking for parts for something hes building for me (as was the case with Legacy, a neck for a body he made for me, etc). Nothing personal at all, you guys do great work, but he's a good friend of mine and gives me the best deals, and does everything by hand (no CNC stuff) which is my preference.