Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: rohlfo on December 09, 2008, 07:42:40 PM
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Hi guys,
so I'm building a new guitar: explorer, walnut wood, ebony fingerboard and ebony vaneer on headstock.
I'm finding it really hard to decide/come up with something for the fingerboard and headstock.
The only idea so far which I could accept is sqaures in the fingerboard, but something a bit more for the 12th, no idea about the (tiny space) on the headstock.
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pics or it never happened - but in all seriousness seeing the shape may help with inlay inspiration
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I'll def. post picks up once it's finished. Atm it's a block of wood....building it 24/7 though so should be done in a week. If it's any help, then it'll look something like this (although with no scratch plate, and chrome metal gear and I will have chrome covered pups)
http://www.berniemarsden.co.uk/images/guitars/g2.jpg
I just think 'dots' don't really fit this guitar...
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If I ever went custom I think I'd have to get either a blank board or maybe two offset dots at the 12th. I think either would look good on an explorer as well.
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i would go for ofset dots down one edge or small blockmarkers, or even none at all... i think simple often works best on straight edged guitars
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I agree, simple is the key. I do think I'd need something on the board though..might get lost otherwise :lol:
I did think of little blocks down one side, but thinking that's quite a modern look, yet a play more old-school AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Led Zep kinda stuff....(Airbourne!) ...so not sure....
I'm also thinking something a little special on the 12th perhaps? I've always had stone inlay on my other guitars, so perhaps some simple design there?
cheers guys, like to see I'm thinking along (some) right lines! Simple, straight, down-to-earth!
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I would put, for a custom inlay, my sign or something/animal that I like... what wood is going on neck? this thing will be pretty trebly :? As far as I know, Walnut tone is not very different from Maple, just a little bit less trebly...
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the whole thing is walnut! (fingerboard ebony) so yeah, it will be somewhat trebbly, but that's a good thing since I can then get hotter pups without it becoming a dark, muddy sound which would happen quickly given the sheer mass of wood on an explorer...
as to animals, I did consider a wolf at one point, but just no idea how to get that designed/done....
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some time of diamond shaped inlays would look good i think.
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as in perfect, or slanted like the body (or in opposite slant direction!)?
good ideas - keep 'em comin'!
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For the headstock I keep thinking of something like this because of your avatar.
(http://www.cosmosmusic.com/images/product/gibson/angusheadstock.jpg)
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the whole thing is walnut! (fingerboard ebony) so yeah, it will be somewhat trebbly, but that's a good thing since I can then get hotter pups without it becoming a dark, muddy sound which would happen quickly given the sheer mass of wood on an explorer...
as to animals, I did consider a wolf at one point, but just no idea how to get that designed/done....
http://www.luthiersupply.com/pegheadinlayOurpage.html
In the middle of the page... perhaps they can do it smaller os this size can be put on 12th fret, better measure before you buy... would need to be worked, because would get to the sides frets, but can be done...
For the woods I would go for Black Korina body and Wenge or Bubinga neck, inbetween of Gibby and yours :lol:
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as in perfect, or slanted like the body (or in opposite slant direction!)?
good ideas - keep 'em comin'!
maybe some type of slanted one that kind of matches the body shape.
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On my telecaster it's about 51mm on 12th, this wolf is about 45mm...
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For the headstock I keep thinking of something like this because of your avatar.
(http://www.cosmosmusic.com/images/product/gibson/angusheadstock.jpg)
hehe, awesome! I was thinking about putting horns in somewhere, but I figured I already have those in my hands most of the time :mrgreen:
Fernando- that page is awesome, cheers! like the wolf head, might put that in the headstock since there's more room, and perhaps go back to my origional 'moon phases' motif for the fingerboard, with the full moon at 12?
Also, I did first look at black Korina, but the dealer I buy from always has random wood and the black Korina they had looked very plain and boring, whilst the Walnut bit I found was really quite nice (plus it smells gorgeous when working with it :lol:) so that tipped me into the choice...and then I thought I'd just get the neck from the same wood. Hopefully get a good aging join.
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I always liked the disappearing pyramid inlays on the Ibanez JEM's and UV's.
http://www.jemsite.com/jem/fretboard.htm
Might look good on an explorer too.
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SNOWFLAKES \o/
*
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have one guitar, just for the Christmas gigs!? once I have enough guitars to actually do that... :lol:
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My acoustic has snowflake inlays, its far nicer than dots
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My acoustic has snowflake inlays, its far nicer than dots
Snowflakes?
Apparently no two are the same!
gwEm - you gone all Christmassy/wintery on us
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they are more common than people think, I feel. It's one of the standard, alternative shapes for dots (if that makes any sense!) but I'm not feeling them in my dark, dirty, walnut explorer :P I think I may have settled for the crown inlays....gibson style inlays for a gibson style guitar....blocks looked a little to edgy...
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yeah, snowflakes are quite a traditional inlay really
blocks do work really well on explorers!
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have one guitar, just for the Christmas gigs!?
gwEm - you gone all Christmassy/wintery on us
yes, i've really got into the christmas mood!
i was searching some inlay designs earlier this month, and saw the snow flakes so i thought i'd drop it in! :) of course not as serious suggestion for the explorer, but i do think they'd look nice on the right guitar - maybe a charvel star.
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http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0961613
Not quite such a star shape snowflake
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http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0961613
Not quite such a star shape snowflake
(http://www.cbguitars.com/images/VintageBone/KennyIngram/Inlays04.jpg)
they much be a bitch to install too... but i think they'd look good on a extreme 'shape' guitar. perhaps one with a gothic matt black finish.
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I think I may have settled for the crown inlays....gibson style inlays for a gibson style guitar....blocks looked a little to edgy...
(http://www.felineguitars.com/guitar_images/Explorer%20-%20BKP%20%20Tim%20Mills/bkp-explorer-full-hor-500.jpg)
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thats a damn fine guitar there feline.
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nice look! I was convinced I'd want blocks, but then somehow went for crowns in the end. I have a pic of an exlorer with blocks, and one with crowns and was switching between them in a slide show for hours trying to choose! :lol:
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nice look! I was convinced I'd want blocks, but then somehow went for crowns in the end. I have a pic of an exlorer with blocks, and one with crowns and was switching between them in a slide show for hours trying to choose! :lol:
Show us the crowns!
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(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z295/rohlfo/ex2.jpg)
The blocks do look cool - it was a close call. I think I just felt the crowns gave a slightly more old-school vintage look rather than a new metal look (over-exagerated to try and explain choice!)
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you have to look at them with an unbiased opinion - Feline's obv. looks loads better, what with the natural wood finish on the body and such!
btw, Feline, what pups are going in there? Since mine's going to be completely Walnut I'm thinking I might even get away with BD's...?
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ahh the crowns are the trapezois thing :lol:
I was trying to figure WTF was crowns inlays :D
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ahh the crowns are the trapezois thing :lol:
I was trying to figure WTF was crowns inlays :D
haha, same thing! i was picturing some type of like three pointed thing, like a king's crown. then i noticed they were trapezoids.
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you have to look at them with an unbiased opinion - Feline's obv. looks loads better, what with the natural wood finish on the body and such!
btw, Feline, what pups are going in there? Since mine's going to be completely Walnut I'm thinking I might even get away with BD's...?
IIRC the explorer was made for Tim to try different pups in :)
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you have to look at them with an unbiased opinion - Feline's obv. looks loads better, what with the natural wood finish on the body and such!
btw, Feline, what pups are going in there? Since mine's going to be completely Walnut I'm thinking I might even get away with BD's...?
IIRC the explorer was made for Tim to try different pups in :)
erm, my turn -what's IIRC? I'm guessing this guitar works best with RR's then!
Also, I should have said about the crowns, sorry! My mate was also rather confused since he thought (actual!) crowns would look wierd/arrogant/daft on an explorer!
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you have to look at them with an unbiased opinion - Feline's obv. looks loads better, what with the natural wood finish on the body and such!
btw, Feline, what pups are going in there? Since mine's going to be completely Walnut I'm thinking I might even get away with BD's...?
IIRC the explorer was made for Tim to try different pups in :)
erm, my turn -what's IIRC? I'm guessing this guitar works best with RR's then!
Also, I should have said about the crowns, sorry! My mate was also rather confused since he thought (actual!) crowns would look wierd/arrogant/daft on an explorer!
If I recall correctly :)
In the gallery there is a picture of it with Mules with gold screws.
Looks killer
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Well I've never seen a guitar with inlays anything like this, having it done on a Custom 8, the 12th fret is a little segment of a Nostradamus picture but I thought the sloped lines to the middle of the fretboard = pretty awesome too:
(http://a691.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/54/l_8bac10d9d02976e1d6c906f0edee572a.jpg)
Have you done your inlays now though threadstarter?
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Well I've never seen a guitar with inlays anything like this, having it done on a Custom 8, the 12th fret is a little segment of a Nostradamus picture but I thought the sloped lines to the middle of the fretboard = pretty awesome too:
(http://a691.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/54/l_8bac10d9d02976e1d6c906f0edee572a.jpg)
Have you done your inlays now though threadstarter?
wow, that looks wacky! should be awesome! Yes, due to time contraints and such I'm not doing anything too fancy and in terms of fingerboard have bought a 10-piece (24-frets) crown inlay set. They look amazing and are very figured which I think will look amazing against the ebony fingerboard and headstock veneer and walnut body :D should arrive tomorrow, so I'll put 'em in then, can't wait!
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lightning always strikes
(http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/3896719/2/istockphoto_3896719-lightning-icon-set.jpg)
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aye, I thought of that on the 12th, but then I thought that I didn't want a Harry Potter guitar.... :x
will get pics up once I get home and find a free min.
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aye, I thought of that on the 12th, but then I thought that I didn't want a Harry Potter guitar.... :x
will get pics up once I get home and find a free min.
harry potter ruins everything.