So, here goes nothing. For a few months now, I've been collecting parts for a complete custom build of parts for an Ibanez Jem. Well, maybe not as much a "build" in the true sense of the word, as it's more like an assembly of parts with some painting thrown in.
Parts I went with:
* Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge, Cosmo Black
* Evo pickup set (DP158/159 and ISCV2)
* Pearloid pick guard
* Mint green Volume and Tone (not 100% sure of this yet)
* VLX91- pickup selector/splitter
* Alpha pots
* Gotoh locking tuners, Cosmo Black
* Göldo Back Box, 2 of them
The color I chose, cause I wanted a blue guitar but still a bit close to Mr Vai's axe, is old Fender color Sonic Blue.
Started off with a neck built by Perle Guitars in the US, then went on to order an alder body from him as well as I screwed up trying to "Vai"-ify my old RG321 body.
The wooden parts were quite rough and required some work. For example, there was a crack of about 2 cm next to a knot in the neck which required filling with epoxy, as well as a messy hole for one of the locking-nut screw holes in the back. Fixed this with epoxy as well, not a major deal.
However, I still have not figured out how to fix the sloppy nut slot, and don't really feel like using a half shim for it, so I think I'm just gonna try my best and file the slot flush on both sides.
Here is a picture of the first time I got the body and neck together, and I also tried fitting the Edge Lo-Pro on there with some strings:
Pickups in the pick guard:
And some mock up shots of the thing painted, but nothing attached.
Would you like me to keep posting about this project?
12:th of September Update
Got some parts today, so here's a few more pictures. For these I brought out my DSLR and shot raw so I could color correct. Hopefully you'll get a better picture of the color/finish I'm going for, but you can also see the flaws in the finish.
Bare in mind, I have not yet layed the finishing color coat on the body, and there is no trace of clear coat on it as well, as I'm still waiting for more spray cans so I can get a better finish inside the input hole as well as clean up the trem route.
Here we go:
It's a blue guitar dammit
Better picture of the pickguard, here with what I think will be the final plastic parts (there is a small chance I will use a tele dome knob for tone pot, but I feel it's a bit Evo wannabe)
My scalloping of the neck (filed through the marker on the bass side, 21 st fret)
(Slighty out of focus) close-up of the incredible neck made by Perle Guitars
Because of a post only allowing 10 pics, the images will unfortunately be posted separately throughout the thread. I'll try and Index the posts in this first post when I'm getting close to finish the thread, but at the moment I'm not really having issues with excessive responses in the thread, so finding my build posts should be easy.
Parts I went with:
* Ibanez Lo-Pro Edge, Cosmo Black
* Evo pickup set (DP158/159 and ISCV2)
* Pearloid pick guard
* Mint green Volume and Tone (not 100% sure of this yet)
* VLX91- pickup selector/splitter
* Alpha pots
* Gotoh locking tuners, Cosmo Black
* Göldo Back Box, 2 of them
The color I chose, cause I wanted a blue guitar but still a bit close to Mr Vai's axe, is old Fender color Sonic Blue.
Started off with a neck built by Perle Guitars in the US, then went on to order an alder body from him as well as I screwed up trying to "Vai"-ify my old RG321 body.
The wooden parts were quite rough and required some work. For example, there was a crack of about 2 cm next to a knot in the neck which required filling with epoxy, as well as a messy hole for one of the locking-nut screw holes in the back. Fixed this with epoxy as well, not a major deal.
However, I still have not figured out how to fix the sloppy nut slot, and don't really feel like using a half shim for it, so I think I'm just gonna try my best and file the slot flush on both sides.
Here is a picture of the first time I got the body and neck together, and I also tried fitting the Edge Lo-Pro on there with some strings:
Pickups in the pick guard:
And some mock up shots of the thing painted, but nothing attached.
Would you like me to keep posting about this project?
12:th of September Update
Got some parts today, so here's a few more pictures. For these I brought out my DSLR and shot raw so I could color correct. Hopefully you'll get a better picture of the color/finish I'm going for, but you can also see the flaws in the finish.
Bare in mind, I have not yet layed the finishing color coat on the body, and there is no trace of clear coat on it as well, as I'm still waiting for more spray cans so I can get a better finish inside the input hole as well as clean up the trem route.
Here we go:
It's a blue guitar dammit
Better picture of the pickguard, here with what I think will be the final plastic parts (there is a small chance I will use a tele dome knob for tone pot, but I feel it's a bit Evo wannabe)
My scalloping of the neck (filed through the marker on the bass side, 21 st fret)
(Slighty out of focus) close-up of the incredible neck made by Perle Guitars
Because of a post only allowing 10 pics, the images will unfortunately be posted separately throughout the thread. I'll try and Index the posts in this first post when I'm getting close to finish the thread, but at the moment I'm not really having issues with excessive responses in the thread, so finding my build posts should be easy.