Guitar Discussion Thread V7 - More strings the better - General

I did kind of want to do an Eddie Van Halen sort of thing and custom fit my own frankenstrat together but given my level of experience I'm not so confident it'd work out well. The heaviest duty modification I don't want to have to make but will is routing. I really don't want to have to route out larger slots for pickups but I can have an expert do it.

Yeah The hardest part about building a guitar would be making the body (neck would be harder, but most people don't make their own), and since you're not doing that, it should all be fairly straightforward

[QUOTE=PwnNoobsFtw;28644333]Yeah The hardest part about building a guitar would be making the body (neck would be harder, but most people don't make their own), and since you're not doing that, it should all be fairly straightforward[/QUOTE] Measuring/planning takes up the most time, easily. If you are good enough with tools, it should go by pretty quickly, aside from drilling a few things later on that need to be much more precise.

[QUOTE=Kab2tract;28644481]Measuring/planning takes up the most time, easily. If you are good enough with tools, it should go by pretty quickly, aside from drilling a few things later on that need to be much more precise.[/QUOTE] I only have experience with handtools any DIY repair guy would have. But there's this awesome shop, Guitar Works, an hour's drive away from me. They've been in business going on 30 years I think. They have a full shop and build their own excellent quality guitars, in my opinion some of the stuff they build beats larger brands by miles. If I could buy materials and draw plans, they'd build it I'm pretty sure.

[QUOTE=Teal Moose;28644544]I only have experience with handtools any DIY repair guy would have. But there's this awesome shop, Guitar Works, an hour's drive away from me. They've been in business going on 30 years I think. They have a full shop and build their own excellent quality guitars, in my opinion some of the stuff they build beats larger brands by miles. If I could buy materials and draw plans, they'd build it I'm pretty sure.[/QUOTE] Also, some shops/hardware stores would cut out the body shape at least for a cheap price. They wouldn't do anything else other than cutting out the blank design though.

[QUOTE=Kab2tract;28644619]Also, some shops/hardware stores would cut out the body shape at least for a cheap price. They wouldn't do anything else other than cutting out the blank design though.[/QUOTE] Alright so I can't expect any beveling or routing at a Lowes or what have you. I'm guessing getting the shape cut at a hardware store and refined at a custom shop would be cheaper than ordering the whole deal at a custom shop?

[QUOTE=Teal Moose;28644327]I did kind of want to do an Eddie Van Halen sort of thing and custom fit my own frankenstrat together but given my level of experience I'm not so confident it'd work out well. The heaviest duty modification I don't want to have to make but will is routing. I really don't want to have to route out larger slots for pickups but I can have an expert do it.[/QUOTE] Have you taken the pick guard off and had a look under yet? Some guitars have 'swimming pool' routing done where it's just a big block routed out to accomodate for any type of pickup arrangement be it all humbuckers or a mix of both singles and HBs. If it has a swimming pool route then just buy the appropriate pick guard to suit what arrangement you want for pickups.

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28644749]Have you taken the pick guard off and had a look under yet? Some guitars have 'swimming pool' routing done where it's just a big block routed out to accomodate for any type of pickup arrangement be it all humbuckers or a mix of both singles and HBs. If it has a swimming pool route then just buy the appropriate pick guard to suit what arrangement you want for pickups.[/QUOTE] I'm inclined to believe that it has slots specifically routed for single coils from taking apart a squire of similar quality but I don't know. I'll check later on tonight.

[QUOTE=Teal Moose;28645217]I'm inclined to believe that it has slots specifically routed for single coils from taking apart a squire of similar quality but I don't know. I'll check later on tonight.[/QUOTE] The squier body I'm using for my build has a swimming pool route.. so you never know.

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28645337]The squier body I'm using for my build has a swimming pool route.. so you never know.[/QUOTE] Out of curiosity, what model is it and what plans do you have?

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28642470]This is why I hate guitar forums. Everyone thinks that one guy who has an opinion is narrow minded and spouting facts everywhere. By experience and association I see Ibanez as a heavier (heavier than say blues or generic rock) genre guitar, I don't think for a second every heavy guitarist aspires for an Ibanez and I certainly don't think they're solely built for that.[/QUOTE] I'm gonna go ahead and just stereotype you because you fit a good one- you're either old or fauxstolgic for a certain type of git and tone, and Ibanez tends to make things which are distinctively [i]modern[/i], so you react like an old guy to that damn hop-hip music and assume everyone who plays one grows a mullet and a black T-shirt shaped carapace. And don't spout the egalitarian nonsense 'cuz you're proven incapable of dropping the point. ~oPiNiOnS~ sure but you're looking at probably the most middle-of-the-road company with modern styling and features and calling them metal or something and to anyone that's not you it comes off as very misdirected and kinda out of touch. That's a stereotypical type of player, yes, but you picked the most random ass brand to associate them with.

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28642363]I shouldn't have picked on Metal as much, it [B][U][I]GENERALLY[/I][/U][/B] applies to a TYPE of guitarist then, not a genre. The kind that play sweep picking, want "djenty" sound, use high gain, scallop their frets, suck steve vai (or similar/relevant guitarists) dick etc And to clarify, yes i know sweep picking can be used beautifully in many genres, yes i know high gain can be used outside of this "type" of guitar playing, yes i know a lot of jazz guitarists scallop their frets, i dont think steve vai and similar are shit i just don't like them finally this is opinion[/QUOTE] Are you implying that Joe Satriani is a bad guitarist? Because honestly, that is the FIRST thing I think of when somebody asks me either if Ibanez makes anything good, or who some talented artists who use Ibanez guitars are. Also who the hell plays a scallopped Ibanez? I really want to know, for real. I'm not joking. Because the only particularly famous person I can think of that plays scallopped guitars is Yngwie J. Malmsteen, and he plays Fender Strats - hell, Fender even sells a pre-scallopped signature of his if you want to take out a mortgage for it. What this really all breaks down to is that you are an arrogant prick. Because you're set in your ways and all high and mighty about them being the "true" or "right" path, everybody else [i]has[/i] to be wrong. Have you ever once considered that many of the things you attack, other people might actually like? It's not like we're asking you to listen to splittercore or The Berzerker here...just accept the fact that maybe some people WANT a guitar that has that second octave, a thin neck, and a superstrat shape. Honestly, I think superstrats are FAR more comfortable than regular strats, though I do feel Ibanez necks are too thin for my tastes. Stop wagging your opinion around like it's superior to anybody else's.

[QUOTE=Xenocidebot;28645535]I'm gonna go ahead and just stereotype you because you fit a good one- you're either old or fauxstolgic for a certain type of git and tone, and Ibanez tends to make things which are distinctively [i]modern[/i], so you react like an old guy to that damn hop-hip music and assume everyone who plays one grows a mullet and a black T-shirt shaped carapace. And don't spout the egalitarian nonsense 'cuz you're proven incapable of dropping the point. ~oPiNiOnS~ sure but you're looking at probably the most middle-of-the-road company with modern styling and features and calling them metal or something and to anyone that's not you it comes off as very misdirected and kinda out of touch. That's a stereotypical type of player, yes, but you picked the most random ass brand to associate them with.[/QUOTE] I gotta agree here. Ibanez produces a great variety of guitars. My music teacher plays an amplified acoustic cutaway, two friends in my class play "metal" Ibanez guitars, and I play a hollowbody artcore. All in one, small class. Ibanez guitars are diverse and versatile man, just sayin'.

[QUOTE=Teal Moose;28644665]Alright so I can't expect any beveling or routing at a Lowes or what have you. I'm guessing getting the shape cut at a hardware store and refined at a custom shop would be cheaper than ordering the whole deal at a custom shop?[/QUOTE] It depends. You might be able to get them to router if you/they have templates. They might do beveling as well. It probably would be cheaper, but that also depends on what the custom shop is like.

[QUOTE=Xenocidebot;28645535]I'm gonna go ahead and just stereotype you because you fit a good one- you're either old or fauxstolgic for a certain type of git and tone, and Ibanez tends to make things which are distinctively [i]modern[/i], so you react like an old guy to that damn hop-hip music and assume everyone who plays one grows a mullet and a black T-shirt shaped carapace.[/QUOTE] Although I like a lot of guitars, I like the oldies the most. But there's nothing wrong with Ibanez. I always put them together with the, "I'm starting" and "I'm really experienced" guitar players. I haven't met anyone who was in between those groups. But then again, my logic is from friends I hang out with and guitarists I met.

[QUOTE=Kab2tract;28645770]It depends. You might be able to get them to router if you/they have templates. They might do beveling as well. It probably would be cheaper, but that also depends on what the custom shop is like.[/QUOTE] Just throwing this out there, but I [i]work[/i] at Lowe's, and we offer no such services. However, there tend to be people who are carpenters/have done carpentry work/etc that work there, particularly in the hardware, lumber, and (potentially) electrical departments. If they OFFER to do the work when they're not at Lowe's for you, then that is a possible option.

[QUOTE=Teal Moose;28645434]Out of curiosity, what model is it and what plans do you have?[/QUOTE] I don't know the model. My plans are to build a guitar. I'm repainting it on friday, buying the neck on and hardware then too and then everything else the week after. I'm building it from all seperate parts and from the ground up. I'm not cutting any wood, just buying indivudual parts to make a kind of frankenstein guitar. It'll be a strat by the end. [QUOTE=Xenocidebot;28645535]stupid shit[/QUOTE] I never said once they ARE metal guitars. Jesus H. fucking Christ. [QUOTE=SolidSnake52;28645538]Are you implying that Joe Satriani is a bad guitarist?[/QUOTE] Not at all. [QUOTE=SolidSnake52;28645538]Stop wagging your opinion around like it's superior to anybody else's.[/QUOTE] I'm not, opinions are opinions. If you disagree that's absolutely fine. By you guys saying "ogm ibazne arnt just mate for metel music or joe sachurani" you are making me look like I'm trying to state facts. I'm not doing that. I know fine well Ibanez guitars can be used for everything, I have played them and used them even for playing country music at one point because they are versatile guitars. My opinion was that in a very general, very non-negative way, they attract a lot of the same kind of guitarists. [B]Mostly. Not always and I'm only saying this through experience.[/B] I'm not going to be aggressive about this anymore. I started the topic on the wrong note. I didn't mean for it to be taken the way you dopes have taken it. It's my opinion and that's all. [B][U][I][highlight]I know Ibanez isn't just for Metal guitarists or Joe Satriani style players, I'm even shopping around for one to accomodate the more heavier blues music I play and I appreciate that not everyone that owns one is a long haired megadeth t-shirt wearing socially inept 7 string playing crank the amp completely clock-wise FUCK YEAH SLAYER guitarist.[/highlight][/I][/U][/B]

Everyone I know who plays an ibanez (WHO I FUCKING KNOW, NOT EVERYONE) play it for Paul Gilbert type shredding. I always like ibanez, they had some cool designs and high quality for cheap price.

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28646054]I don't know the model. My plans are to build a guitar. I'm repainting it on friday, buying the neck on and hardware then too and then everything else the week after. I'm building it from all seperate parts and from the ground up. I'm not cutting any wood, just buying indivudual parts to make a kind of frankenstein guitar. It'll be a strat by the end. [/QUOTE] Sounds like a fun build you got going on. Thumbs up man :) Just be careful with that squier body of yours. If you're planning on throwing on aftermarket hardware (aka Callaham, hipshot, glendale, wilkinson, etc.) most of them will pose compatibility issues with the string spacing found on Squier bodies as they are slightly different than of that you would find on a Fender. Try to find out what model body you have and do a bit of digging so that you can try and avoid this issue. That being said, I'm not quite sure if the string spacing on all models in the Squier line present this differentiation in string spacing, but I thought i'd chime in just in case because you never know. Modding is fun stuff man, it's a great side hobby to playing. Also, what type of neck were you planning to throw on? Warmoth? USAcustoms? Allparts? I'm intrigued :)

[QUOTE=Loompa Lord;28646506]Sounds like a fun build you got going on. Thumbs up man :) Just be careful with that squier body of yours. If you're planning on throwing on aftermarket hardware (aka Callaham, hipshot, glendale, wilkinson, etc.) most of them will pose compatibility issues with the string spacing found on Squier bodies as they are slightly different than of that you would find on a Fender. Try to find out what model body you have and do a bit of digging so that you can try and avoid this issue. That being said, I'm not quite sure if the string spacing on all models in the Squier line present this differentiation in string spacing, but I thought i'd chime in just in case because you never know. Modding is fun stuff man, it's a great side hobby to playing. Also, what type of neck were you planning to throw on? Warmoth? USAcustoms? Allparts? I'm intrigued :)[/QUOTE] I've done measurements, a 55-56mm neck will strat neck should fit as well as a typical mexican fender bridge, and i believe mexican fender machine heads will fit too. The body is Alder too and I got it fairly cheap so I'm happy with that. As for necks, It's a truely "parts" guitar, I'm buying the best but most reasonably and obviously appropriate parts I can so I have no real plans. I want to figure it all out without refering too much to websites and "standards". If I can make it work then I will. It's a learning process and I think forcing too much information into it takes away from the fun of actually building it. Keeping it simple.

I have a guitar :smug:

[QUOTE=Unreliable;28646142]Everyone I know who plays an ibanez (WHO I FUCKING KNOW, NOT EVERYONE) play it for Paul Gilbert type shredding. I always like ibanez, they had some cool designs and high quality for cheap price.[/QUOTE] No we're not being so anal about "OMG BUT U KAN ALSO PLAI DIS ON IBANZ" because it's true...we're being so anal about it because it REALLY sounds like LasGunz is being quite high-and-mighty about believing their guitars to be inherently inferior to single-coil guitars, among many other things. It's cool, not everybody has to put a special disclaimer in their messages.

I've not said that once. I personally prefer single coils for what I do when I play guitar, personally just my opinion only for me and not for anyone else to care about, just I and I only. I've said countless times now that Ibanez can be used for tons of music and that I'm even shopping around for one.. and guess what.. the ones I'm looking at have... :| :| :|:| humbuckers :O :O :O

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28646977]I've not said that once. I personally prefer single coils for what I do when I play guitar, personally just my opinion only for me and not for anyone else to care about, just I and I only. I've said countless times now that Ibanez can be used for tons of music and that I'm even shopping around for one.. and guess what.. the ones I'm looking at have... :| :| :|:| humbuckers :O :O :O[/QUOTE] Your consistent slandering of high-gain playing, of humbucker-equipped guitars, high-and-mighty sense of "lol coil-tapped isn't good enough," and not to mention with the slandering of high-gain playing, you were [i]oh-so-far[/i] off the mark in your description of it. The more gain between your guitar and the speaker cabinet, the more errors in your technique drown out your playing.

[QUOTE=SolidSnake52;28647022]The more gain between your guitar and the speaker cabinet, the more errors in your technique drown out your playing.[/QUOTE] Something I work really hard on every day. You smart fucker.

[QUOTE=Unreliable;28647040]Something I work really hard on every day. You smart fucker.[/QUOTE] Articulation: Apparently this means nothing to your typical Line 6 Spider player who thinks they're awesome because they can cover some really shitty chugchug songs by the likes of Attack Attack Or the A7X fanboys, dear god... Proper fingering: When you play stringed instruments, this is no longer just a problem you need to conquer in the bedroom.

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28646680]I've done measurements, a 55-56mm neck will strat neck should fit as well as a typical mexican fender bridge, and i believe mexican fender machine heads will fit too. The body is Alder too and I got it fairly cheap so I'm happy with that. As for necks, It's a truely "parts" guitar, I'm buying the best but most reasonably and obviously appropriate parts I can so I have no real plans. I want to figure it all out without refering too much to websites and "standards". If I can make it work then I will. It's a learning process and I think forcing too much information into it takes away from the fun of actually building it. Keeping it simple.[/QUOTE] Ah, didn't realize you were dropping a mexi bridge in it. The string holes will still be slightly off, but it's not really that big a deal after some tinkering. I was under the impression that you were going to use aftermarket which is why I just wanted to give you forewarning just in case. The body will do ya just fine. Alder is alder :). Were you thinking of pulling the potentiometers, caps, etc?

[QUOTE=SolidSnake52;28647022]Your consistent slandering of high-gain playing, of humbucker-equipped guitars, high-and-mighty sense of "lol coil-tapped isn't good enough," and not to mention with the slandering of high-gain playing, you were [i]oh-so-far[/i] off the mark in your description of it. The more gain between your guitar and the speaker cabinet, the more errors in your technique drown out your playing.[/QUOTE] I didn't slander high-gain players. I just don't [I]personally[/I] enjoy it. I said coil tapping isn't as good as the real deal and that's true.. splitting a humbucker into a single couldn't sound as good as a full on single coil. That wasn't a stab at Humbuckers, which I use from time to time, that was just straight up logic. (The same logic is "A Delay pedal build into a multi effects unit wouldn't be as good as a sole-purpose-built Delay pedal") And you're still talking at me and reacting in a way that makes what I said look high and mighty and narrow minded when it's not. This is the last time I'm clearing it up. I know X guitar brand isn't [I]just[/I] for X guitar player. I don't think X genre is superior to X genre. I don't think Single Coils are better then Humbuckers, I [I]prefer[/I] single coils but I [I]still use[/I] HBs. I don't believe [I]my opinion[/I] to be fact and if you disagree [I]that's ok[/I]. I don't think high gain has no value. I own a fucking big muff, by your logic I should think that's worse than "high gain". I don't mean any of this other than what it is at face value, My experience and opinion on it. YOU are making it out like I'm the cunt when really I've done nothing. YOU GUYS spun what I said and got annoyed by it, not me. [editline]17th March 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Loompa Lord;28647334]Were you thinking of pulling the potentiometers, caps, etc?[/QUOTE] The body is empty. I'm filling and building this thing 100% from parts, in every sense of the word. Every part of the guitar is gained through ebay, donations or whatever other means I can get them for a fair price!

[QUOTE=LasGunz;28647346]I didn't slander high-gain players. I just don't [I]personally[/I] enjoy it. I said coil tapping isn't as good as the real deal and that's true.. splitting a humbucker into a single couldn't sound as good as a full on single coil. That wasn't a stab at Humbuckers, which I use from time to time, that was just straight up logic. And you're still talking at me and reacting in a way that makes what I said look high and mighty and narrow minded when it's not. This is the last time I'm clearing it up. I know X guitar brand isn't [I]just[/I] for X guitar player. I don't think X genre is superior to X genre. I don't think Single Coils are better then Humbuckers, I [I]prefer[/I] single coils but I [I]still use[/I] HBs. I don't believe [I]my opinion[/I] to be fact and if you disagree [I]that's ok[/I]. I don't think high gain has no value. I own a fucking big muff, by your logic I should think that's worse than "high gain". I don't mean any of this other than what it is at face value, My experience and opinion on it. YOU are making it out like I'm the cunt when really I've done nothing. YOU GUYS spun what I said and got annoyed by it, not me. [editline]17th March 2011[/editline] The body is empty. I'm filling and building this thing 100% from parts, in every sense of the word. Every part of the guitar is gained through ebay, donations or whatever other means I can get them for a fair price![/QUOTE] Very cool. If you can get your hands on a switchcraft jack (which should be fairly priced, and relatively easy to obtain), I highly recommend doing so. [url]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Jacks/Switchcraft_Output_Jack.html[/url] It's one of the small upgrades that you'll thank yourself for later. I purchased one of these for a previous build and never looked back. Nice solid connection with the 1'4

[QUOTE=Loompa Lord;28647406]Very cool. If you can get your hands on a switchcraft jack (which should be fairly priced, and relatively easy to obtain), I highly recommend doing so. [url]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Jacks/Switchcraft_Output_Jack.html[/url] It's one of the small upgrades that you'll thank yourself for later. I purchased one of these for a previous build and never looked back. Nice solid connection with the 1'4[/QUOTE] What uses does it have? Bearing in mind I'm building a typical SSS or maybe HSS Stratocaster.