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Post by cynical1 on Apr 13, 2024 6:38:59 GMT -5
Logical . . . but frightening. This kid appears to exhibit conspicuous political aspirations... HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Feb 27, 2024 4:03:25 GMT -5
You are correct in that the mahogany has "favorite" colors. I've seen green dye used to take some of the red out of the mahogany...but I agree that grey may be a bit of a buzz kill once completed.
How good is your luthier with wood dye? I find it to be the best way to go transparent...or achieve a subtle burst finish if that sort of thing floats your boat...like a red into an amber. The mahogany isn't going to "pop" a lot of grain detail anyway, so a hint of color might be your best path...like an aged amber or brownish red mix. You preserve all the detail of the build with out the 1970's asking for their guitar back...
Welcome to the other 50% of building a guitar...
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Feb 16, 2024 17:37:35 GMT -5
This seems like worrying about closing the barn door after all the horses have gotten out. The predominant choice now is online. The small guys have been getting stepped on for decades.
I prefer patronizing a smaller shop with a knowledgeable staff. Just wish there were more left.
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Feb 13, 2024 4:28:33 GMT -5
The best answer I have is "it depends". Standardization in the early days revolved more around what components were cheap...I mean really cheap....then how to fit them into a hole in the wood.
No voodoo or mojo was harmed or required during this process.
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Feb 7, 2024 5:49:10 GMT -5
Nah, no one has dial-up anymore, you're good...
It's looking good. It's gotta be tough waiting by now...
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Jan 31, 2024 5:00:08 GMT -5
Boltaron is a trade name...like saying Lexan when you are describing polycarbonate or Pyrex when describing borosilicate glass. Essentially, it's plastic produced by SIMONA Boltaron Inc. SIMONA Boltaron Inc. 1 General Street Newcomerstown, OH 43832 USA +1 800 342 7444 www.boltaron.com/Color aside, it's likely any CPVC plastic binding should work. HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Jan 29, 2024 16:44:59 GMT -5
No, I did not pay attention in math class...
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Dec 22, 2023 11:54:16 GMT -5
Is that a "Log" clone on the top shelf? HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Dec 21, 2023 13:11:21 GMT -5
Very pretty
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Post by cynical1 on Nov 19, 2023 5:31:33 GMT -5
Thomann getting shameless again ...and all for only around 500% more, too... Progress. HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Oct 27, 2023 9:10:41 GMT -5
I figure if they have enough complaints, they will change their screws. Well, you can wish in one hand.... Stainless steel Phillips 6-32 x 5/8" screws readily available from Fastenal. HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Oct 24, 2023 7:52:28 GMT -5
It strikes me that either you, or a bevy of your left handed friends have some nice guitars... Cedar? Hmmm... How does that sound next to the mahogany version? Would you use it again? the other cedar (salvaged from a 'steamer chest') This made me laugh. I was living in South Carolina 100 years ago when a hurricane went through the region. Lumber of any sort rose in price straight through the roof, as it usually does in those circumstances. I was at an estate sale and happened to notice two nice mahogany end tables with a few years on them. A quick head calc determined it would be cheaper to buy these tables and cannibalize them to build a guitar or bass versus buying the lumber raw...plus it had 40 years to dry out and stabilize... Ya live long enough.... Nice work, again, as usual. Thanks for sharing. HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Sept 21, 2023 15:36:36 GMT -5
You're in luck. Degrees are the same in Metric and English (old money). The only conversions would be the typical ones used for scale length and bridge\neck height. Here's what it means: It's explained here: Neck Angle Calculator ...it also has an online calculator. 2 degrees is pretty flat. 5 degrees is closer to typical, depending on bridge choice, but as long as the string height is where you want it, all is good. Does that help? Cynical One
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Post by cynical1 on Sept 14, 2023 9:32:02 GMT -5
I would first ask, what kind of shape is this piece of oak in? Is there splitting or other physical issues? How thick is this piece of wood?
Secondly, does your builder understand how hard that 100 year old piece of oak will be...and what it will likely do to their tooling?? If he does, and he's cool with it...then by all mean, use the 100 year old oak.
GC is right, a 1.75" solid Tele is going to be heavy. How much? For comparison:
Basswood average is 26.0 lbs/ft3 (415 kg/m3) Alder average is 28 lbs/ft3 (450 kg/m3) Poplar average is 29 lbs/ft3 (455 kg/m3) Swamp Ash average is 31.8 lbs/ft3 (510 kg/m3) African Mahogany average is 33.9 lbs/ft3 (545 kg/m3) Hard Maple average is 44 lbs/ft3 (705 kg/m3) White Oak average is 47 lbs/ft3 (755 kg/m3)
There are a few ways to lose a bit of weight on the body. Chambered or semi-hollow body, reduce the thickness...and cut some Strat contours into it...that'll probably shave a bit of weight off, too.
If it were me...and I did chamber it, I'd cut the blank across it's thickness and reuse the two halves...sans a routed cavity in the bottom piece.
You have an extremely dry and stable piece of wood at 100 years. I wouldn't waste any of it.
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Aug 11, 2023 12:34:06 GMT -5
This past Wednesday Robbie Robertson passed away. If you're old, you may remember him from The Band. If you followed his solo career you've already heard the 7 solo albums he's put out from 1987 to 2019. If not, I highly recommend them. He was a unique songwriter and storyteller.
I'll always remember him smoking Clapton in the Last Waltz. In fact...
Que tu Dios te acompañe, Robbie
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Jul 15, 2023 7:43:50 GMT -5
Fender LSR roller nut. Everything else is a thin shadow to it. You do have to clear out 3/32", as I recall, from in front of your traditional nut slot\shelf to fit it, but since you're not the one fitting it, your luthier should be able to knock in out in short order. It does marry you to the LSR, as your nut slot is now about 3/32" (2. something millimeters) shorter than scale...but no on ever asked me to rip one out for a bone nut...so there's that... If you can find a PLEK machine over there they are amazing...and it's not that much more expensive than a manual fret leveling\re-crown job. It is certainly more precise. It makes perfect sense on a new guitar, especially with stainless frets. For reference: In regards to water based coatings or using water as a medium in dyes for wood...there is one gotcha to using water. Using water can...and likely will...raise the grain on your wood after application. Solvent based good old V.O.C.'s (volatile organic compound) products will not raise the grain. Granted, you have to work fast, or just spray the dye using denatured alcohol as the alcohol evaporates quickly...but it never raises the grain. The only exception to that rule is if I'm doing a two stage dye job on a quilted maple. I would mix the first coat, typically black, with water. After it dried it was easier sanding it flat and creating the gradient I wanted, so the color coat would make it pop...and the color coat was always mixed with denatured alcohol. You get this effect from the process: Granted, traditional v.o.c. products do bring some baggage. At my age, though, I doubt that's what's gonna kill me. A good mask is less that your deductible for an E.R. visit, so there's that... I have one like this, but I used to do a lot of this stuff: With the neck-through design, you can still top the guitar. My personal favorite it anything quilted. Maple is the common choice, but not the only one I've seen. Anything with a pronounced burl can be sexy. Just fill the inherent voids with epoxy...which you can also color if you desire. Carve the top...drop some binding in there...pretty... I mention this, of course, as none of this is my money... Out of curiosity, what wood selections do builders recommend in Europe these days? HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Jul 14, 2023 8:03:27 GMT -5
If you can convert your drawing to verticies that a CNC router can interpret, life is good. It's all the screwing around trying to generate the model...or fixing a corrupted one...that eats up the time. Time costs more than wood...
There is a considerable investment in time building the templates and fixtures to build a guitar. The wood is cheap by comparison.
Depending where you are in Europe you have some very nice choices to build a guitar out of. Remember, Leo picked ash and maple to build his guitars because it was cheap and available in the US. There was no mojo harmed in the selection process. REPEAT, there was no mojo.
You have European or black alder, beech, birch, maple, walnut...not to mention all the exotic imported stuff you pay a left testicle for... Quiz your luthier.
Truss rods. Here's a master class topic for a forum post...
Basically, a single action truss rod only removes the bow, or counteracts the string pull...unidirectional. Dual-action truss rods can remove bow and backbow. Unless you live in a humid climate, a single action rod is probably sufficient.
Single action truss rods require less material to be removed when building, so if you like a thin neck profile a dual action rod may be too big to fit comfortably. Ask anyone with a Rickenbacker bass how they like a thin neck and dual action truss rod... Just don't mention the Rick bridge, though...that tends to induce a trauma response...
There are hybrid versions out there, but that's the Cliff Notes.
As far as the additional titanium, carbon fiber or graphite stiffener rods...unless you're going more than 6 strings on a guitar or 4 strings on a bass...or use excessively heavy string gauges it's probably not necessary. Again, more material is removed and less wood is left in the neck.
Typically the impregnated nuts are softer than the standard Tusq nuts. It's a trade off to reduce the friction at the nut when whammying. Roller nuts never took off, as they're a pain in the @ss to retrofit, but of you're building from scratch it's much less agony. Don't go cheap on your selection, as they tend to be proprietary in their designs, so refitting another one later re-introduces the aforementioned pain in the @ss...
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Jul 14, 2023 3:42:00 GMT -5
...I have very little knowledge about guitar building (never built one) and I have not yet decided whether I will ask a luthier to build it (most probable option) or if I will dare to try building it myself together with a friend who knows quite a lot about working with wood (he's a cabinetmaker) but also has zero experience building guitars... It'll be cheaper to find a luthier, or builder, rather than tooling up to build one guitar. There is a lot of crossover of these tools in cabinet making for certain. There are some very specific tools, fixtures and jigs used in building a guitar or bass. There is also a learning curve... Not to say it's impossible for a novice to build a nice guitar. It's just a question of calculating the odds on the first one you build...and a matter of how much you want to invest in firewood... I think you're off to a good start with the Inkscape drawings. They can be converted for CNC...although I'm not familiar with the actual process to do so. A builder using CNC will likely save you some coin over a builder who likes to freehand their work. Cherry picking from your list: - Neck-through construction, same "neck joint" shape as the CarvinAmbitious. This is one of those measure twice, cut once designs. There is no neck shim to save you here...and if the neck ever takes any damage...or twists...you have firewood. I tend to side with GC on this one...neck-throughs are over-rated based on the additional expense they tend to add to a build. - 25.00" scalePRS uses this one, too. As long as you're designing the guitar it's a matter of choice. Nice choice. - Neck width, profile and fretboard radius (12") same as the CarvinI see a trend here... Too bad Carvin split into Kiesel and quit selling kits. That would have been where I'd have steered you 4 years or so ago... - Frets material: I welcome advice, in principle stainless steel?Stainless frets are great...provided you're not the one doing the fretwork... They are as hard as they claim and a real in the @ss to level and crown. Any fretwork in the future will generally always cost you more once they find the stainless frets, too. Unless you bend strings like David Gilmour stainless frets are likely overkill. Nickel is typically more than suitable. I have used the EVO fretwire from LMII. It's in between nickel and stainless in regards to hardness. Here's the LMII description: PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Evo gold fretwire is a copper alloy (elemental composition: CuSn15Fe1Ti0.1) that has been used for years in the optical industry. It contains no nickel and therefore meets the"nickel free" European standard. It stands the test of time and can really dress up your guitar. With a Vicker's hardness of HV5/250, it is harder than our nickel/silver wire (HV5/200), but softer than the stainless (HV5/300). This wire is not plated; it is gold all the way through and retains the gold color once the frets are dressed. Installation Tip: The juncture of the tang and the crown on fretwire is not a crisp 90º angle, instead it is slightly radiused (+/- 15º) We recommend slightly beveling the edges of the fingerboard slots with a needle file so that the fretwire seats properly. This beveling also makes it possible to pull out the fretwire, if necessary, without fear of tearing up wood. A drop or so of water in the fret slot helps lubricate for easier tang entry. Fret profile is another one of those highly individual choices. I read in an interview with Leland Sklar where he talks about putting mandolin frets on a bass. Of course, I had to try it. I liked it. YMMV - Zero fretPersonally, I would try and talk you out of this if I was building it. Especially with the Floyd installed. You're likely going to "rope saw" the Hell out of it. - Graphite nutBack to the Floyd thing again... Graphite Tusk nuts are great. For a trem, I might steer you towards a roller nut, since you're already using locking tuners...and feel ambitious - Neck-through wood: I welcome advice, in principle rock maple?Accepted wisdom leans towards multiple pieces to build your neck through blank. 5 pieces is minimum for a neck-through, IMHO. Choice is typically based on harness and tightness of grain. Keep your wood selections around the same hardness\physical properties as this makes life more predictable shaving it down. Not as big of an issue with CNC. I prefer maple, just because it's so consistent to work with and doesn't make toxic sawdust. Mahogany is another good choice for the same reasons. I would ask you about truss rod and potential stiffeners for the neck-through...but there's that learning curve rearing it's ugly head again... - Body sides wood: I welcome advice (poplar in the Carvin)I actually like poplar for a bass. Like ugly slightly harder basswood... If you're going to paint the body, I might steer you towards mahogany. Stable graining, easy to work with, not expensive and takes a finish very well. Fender liked ash, but that's a lot of wood filler for a flat finish. This is one of those questions with a lot of opinion and myth attached to the answers you receive. Personally, I feel fit and precision in construction will lend more to the overall tone and performance of an instrument than wood choice. There, I said it again... - Fretboard wood: I welcome advice, in principle ebonySource out a few smugglers and sell a lot of crack, because "real old fashioned" ebony is a fond memory for most of us. This comes down to tightness of grain and hardness. If money is no object, I would suggest snakewood. Your luthier will never return any of your phone calls again, but it is hard and beautiful. There are several different strains of "rosewood" out there. For the money, granadillo is can fit the bill...as well as keep the bill cheaper... - Gloss: I accept advice, in principle polyurethaneThis is another one of those areas where opinions run wild in the streets. This is also the part where most DIY builders run into trouble. [rant]
A hard finish is only there to protect the wood from you and the environment it inhabits. What you use is always be a trade off between cost, benefit and expertise\facilities.
[/rant] I like a wiped poly on necks. Thin the poly 50\50 with mineral spirits and wipe it. Levels very well and leaves a nice thin coat. Use a matte\semi-gloss on the back of the neck and it will feel much faster. I like lacquer on the body. It's still cheap, easy to spray, levels very well, leaves a thin coat and shines up better than any other finish for the money. Finish repairs are easier, as lacquer melts into previous coats, so no "look at me" ugly spots as can be seen in many a thick catalyst finish repair. Funny, Cygnus X-1 was the first Rush song I learned...I remember having hair back then... As you "go through the void" on this project, I would suggest a lot of research. Not just on building, but on a luthier\builder in your area. Doing this over the phone or Internet is going to remove the one thing you want from the process...that being exactly what you want from this process... They'll also want to hang onto your Carvin for a while to grab dimensions...or they should ask for it. Run from anyone who doesn't. If I glossed over something, or under-explained it, feel free to shout out. Happy Trails Cynical1
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Post by cynical1 on Jul 12, 2023 2:37:43 GMT -5
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Post by cynical1 on Jun 21, 2023 15:59:36 GMT -5
Very nice. I like how you just kept modding the guitar over time. A good neck is a good neck.
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Jun 3, 2023 7:46:25 GMT -5
...oh, and try not to get arrested. Well, that takes all the fun out of it... HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on May 28, 2023 18:27:50 GMT -5
KING: Is this really how you level this platform? Why is everyone looking at my chin?
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Post by cynical1 on May 9, 2023 15:34:07 GMT -5
Things not already mentioned, in no particular order: - Good set of screw drivers
- Good set of Allen wrenches
- Finger Ease or Fast Fret
- Chomatic tuner
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on May 8, 2023 4:15:21 GMT -5
Playing hell? I thought it was "paying hell" word·play: (ˈwərd-ˌplā) noun; the witty exploitation of the meanings and ambiguities of words, especially in puns. "so many of the jokes are based on wordplay"
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Post by cynical1 on May 7, 2023 9:54:38 GMT -5
It's funny, but when I started there was no recording what we did. Well, not in the classic sense...it was more TASCAM and pray alot...
I played Hell chasing a good recorded tone.
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on May 4, 2023 15:31:16 GMT -5
So ChatGPT admits it was in error? Very un-human behavior! Touche
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Post by cynical1 on May 3, 2023 7:35:18 GMT -5
I posed the same question to BARD, just out of curiosity. I even got a chart...: "Humbucking pickups are designed to cancel out noise by having two coils that are wired in opposite polarity. This means that any noise that is picked up by one coil is also picked up by the other coil, but in the opposite phase. The two signals are then subtracted from each other, which cancels out the noise.
Conductive shielding is a metal sheet that is placed inside the guitar body. This sheet acts as a Faraday cage, which blocks electromagnetic fields from reaching the pickups. This can help to reduce noise from things like power lines, fluorescent lights, and cell phones.
The main difference between the two types of noise blocking is that humbucking pickups are more effective at blocking noise that is in the same frequency range as the guitar signal. Conductive shielding is more effective at blocking noise that is at a higher frequency, such as noise from power lines.
In general, humbucking pickups are a better choice for players who need to reduce noise in a variety of situations. Conductive shielding can be a good option for players who need to reduce noise from a specific source, such as a power line.
Here is a table that summarizes the differences between humbucking pickups and conductive shielding:
Feature | Humbucking Pickups | Conductive Shielding | Type of noise blocked | Noise in the same frequency range as the guitar signal | Noise at a higher frequency | Effectiveness | More effective | Less effective | Cost | More expensive | Less expensive | Installation | More difficult | Easier |
Ultimately, the best way to reduce noise on your guitar is to use a combination of humbucking pickups and conductive shielding."
For posterity... HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on May 3, 2023 7:20:50 GMT -5
So, it's official. We now have a writer's strike in the US. The last time this happened we all wound up with reality television. I wonder what the odds are that some network exec is going to attempt to use AI to generate content? I mean, this is a producer's wet dream...no writers or actors to share the split with...hmmmm... The BBC did, too: With writers on strike, can an AI chatbot be as funny as Stephen Colbert?I tried BARD: ME: Can you tell me a joke that kills?
BARD: I'm not sure if I can tell you a joke that kills, but I can tell you a joke that is sure to get a laugh.
What do you call a fish with no eyes? Fsh!
I hope you enjoyed that joke. ME: OK, let's try a knock knock joke.
BARD: Knock knock.
Who's there?
Interrupting cow.
Interrupting cow wh--
MOOOOOO! ME: Can you give me a brief satirical comment on the current writer's strike in the US?
BARD: Sure, here is a brief satirical comment on the current writer's strike in the US:
"The writers' strike is a real tragedy. I mean, what are we going to do without new episodes of our favorite TV shows? We'll have to go back to reading books or something. It's like the world is ending.
But seriously, the writers have a point. They're not being paid fairly for their work, and they're not getting the respect they deserve. It's time for the studios to wake up and realize that writers are essential to the entertainment industry. Without them, there would be no movies, no TV shows, no books, no nothing.
So let's all support the writers in their strike. Let's show the studios that we're serious about this. We need writers, and we need them to be treated fairly.
In the meantime, I guess we can all just start writing our own stories. Who knows, maybe we'll be the next big thing."
Thoughts? HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Apr 30, 2023 7:15:50 GMT -5
I still find jazz to be the best vocal remover...
HTC1
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Post by cynical1 on Apr 27, 2023 11:59:23 GMT -5
Now that's how to disagree. I can respect that. I did gloss over it in a typical sound byte fashion...hence the ...and you caught it. The British pound is a fiat currency that's been around for over 300 years...so I wouldn't suggest buying gold or silver in a panic just yet. I have to challenge the assertion that the US "dropped" the gold standard as early as 1933. In 1944 the Bretton Woods conference tied the dollar to a fixed $35.00\oz standard, upon which all other currencies had adjustable exchange rates to said dollar. But it was Nixon who made it official, primarily due to the dollar's over valuation from the 60's through to the early 70's. To clarify, I didn't toss that one out there to tout the value, benefits or value of gold, or hard assets in general over any other investment. Nor was I tying the national debt deliberately to gold. It was to point out that the decision to place the US Dollar as a fiat currency, or rather a currency based on what people believe it to be worth, has had significant consequences...all punditry aside. Thank you for elaborating, counselor. HTC1
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