Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: MDV on February 18, 2009, 01:11:24 PM

Title: Composite body guitars
Post by: MDV on February 18, 2009, 01:11:24 PM
Anyone got any pics?

Me and Bob are talking about using a composite body design JS/Horizon/curvy superstrat, but pics of layered bodies are hard to find! (i.e. cant find ANY!)
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: gwEm on February 18, 2009, 01:43:41 PM
carbon composite?

http://buildingtheergonomicguitar.com/2008/12/lbg-carbon-graphite-composite-guitar.html
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: WezV on February 18, 2009, 01:55:53 PM
is composite materials what we are talking about?   or a shape thats a composite of other models?

because my first thoughst were the same as gwems.. must have steinbergers on the brain ;)
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: Philly Q on February 18, 2009, 02:11:05 PM
What about something like Conklin do with their "melted" muliti-timber bodies?


http://www.conklinguitars.com/innovations_information.html (http://www.conklinguitars.com/innovations_information.html)
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: dheim on February 18, 2009, 02:16:07 PM
What about something like Conklin do with their "melted" muliti-timber bodies?


http://www.conklinguitars.com/innovations_information.html (http://www.conklinguitars.com/innovations_information.html)

they're beutiful!
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: Bob Johnson on February 18, 2009, 06:19:14 PM
Jerry Garcia had a guitar with a Tiger inlay in the body top that had a body and various other parts made of layered (composite) tonewoods and I was trying to find some pics of it to show Mark. Since this type of construction is frequently used in bass guitars I thought it might be interesting to explore the possibilities with a long scale guitar. The basic proposition is that this type of structure has a lower resonant frequency which would be ideal for a longer scale. There are loads of pics out there that purport to be replicas of the Jerry Garcia Tiger but none of them have a body and headstock laminated from Maple and (I think) purpleheart like the one I saw many years ago.
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: gwEm on February 18, 2009, 06:23:36 PM
Flying V2 then...

http://www.flying-v.ch/pics/marcs/v2.htm
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: Bob Johnson on February 18, 2009, 06:30:19 PM
OK Mark got it. these are pics of basses using composite (timber) bodies.
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: WezV on February 18, 2009, 07:01:00 PM
cool, the old hippy sandwich!!

a couple of my older guitars were done with layered 3 or 5 piece bodies.  i did do one that was mainly maple and purpleheart with a thin lacewood top.. it went a bit wrong so i ended up spraying it blue
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/complete%20guitars/wv15.jpg)

tonally it was nice and actually ended up being my main guitar for a long time.  it was a nicely balanced mix, a strong top-end but not harsh or ice-picky
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: JustBecos on February 18, 2009, 07:36:41 PM
The only non bass I can think of this this. Hope it doesn't put you off

 :roll:
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: Bob Johnson on February 18, 2009, 08:04:04 PM
cool, the old hippy sandwich!!

a couple of my older guitars were done with layered 3 or 5 piece bodies.  i did do one that was mainly maple and purpleheart with a thin lacewood top.. it went a bit wrong so i ended up spraying it blue
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/complete%20guitars/wv15.jpg)

tonally it was nice and actually ended up being my main guitar for a long time.  it was a nicely balanced mix, a strong top-end but not harsh or ice-picky

C'mon Wez; what went wrong then?
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: WezV on February 18, 2009, 08:09:20 PM
finishing issues... one of the reasons i ship them out now :D  to be honest it could have been saved but i decided to go another way as i wasnt enjoying the look of the lacewood


the only jarring thing about the chespeake is the fact so far they have only used figured maple to do it

imagine it with no scratchplate, the face veneer being something dark like wenge or mac ebony and the wood behind being something plain but grainy

its potentially a tasty design if you strip away the layers of bling

anyway, the best thing about layered bodies is carving them - very satisfying
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: MDV on February 18, 2009, 08:11:08 PM
That first bass looks awesome

The second one closer to what I had in mind

The bottom left conklin is fantastic (the least figured I know, but (bob must be sick of this by now!) the black and red woods look awesome together!)

The one thats actually closest to what I was picturing is the one justbecos put up (thanks) but it looks like a mini-guitar inside a background. So did my (rubbish) drawings. But it could be much better - i think the problem with that one is that the centre is too plain and the edge too figured. More balance needed.
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: Bob Johnson on February 18, 2009, 08:24:51 PM
Anyway it all makes the point that you can have a carved/shaped, veneered, layered, composite top without resorting to complex devices to conceal the contours; make a feature out of the layers and you wind up with something special.

It's a very nice blue Wez; that must have been some consolation :D
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: MDV on February 18, 2009, 08:30:02 PM
Anyway it all makes the point that you can have a carved/shaped, veneered, layered, composite top without resorting to complex devices to conceal the contours; make a feature out of the layers and you wind up with something special.

Indeed!
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: WezV on February 18, 2009, 08:36:01 PM
i have been looking for this one online, decided just to take a pic of the book, its a larry robinson  (famous inlay guy) guitar from the 80's

this is more how i think the PRS chesapeake should be done, but who am i to say that - i cant afford one anyway ;)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/lrinlay.jpg)
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: FernandoDuarte on February 18, 2009, 08:40:54 PM
What is on the neck of the 'blue' Wez? :D
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: MDV on February 18, 2009, 08:41:30 PM
i have been looking for this one online, decided just to take a pic of the book, its a larry robinson  (famous inlay guy) guitar from the 80's

this is more how i think the PRS chesapeake should be done, but who am i to say that - i cant afford one anyway ;)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/lrinlay.jpg)

Thats more like it. Aside from the shape, which is clearly daft. And the graphic. And a multiply body, not just with the veneer on it. Yes. Is good.
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: WezV on February 18, 2009, 08:46:31 PM
it looks like 3 layers , the black wood top looks to be about 1/8" thick - probably a spare acoustic back.   i would done it with a brighter middle layer like paduak or purpleheart that was about 1/4" and you would see some real contrast in the layers. 

Fernando - i think the neck on that one was ovankgol with santos rosewood fretboard
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: MDV on February 18, 2009, 08:59:53 PM
Barely 3 layers. Mine will be somewhat more obvious :D
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: WezV on February 18, 2009, 09:00:47 PM
good lad ;)
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: ToneMonkey on February 20, 2009, 11:50:16 AM
I have a sheet of carbon fibre in the shed.  You can't have a composite discussion without carbon fibre  :D

Was thinking of topping an axe with it (and the neck), but it may be useful for another project.
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: MDV on February 20, 2009, 02:02:03 PM
All specced up now.

Am excited *bounce bounce*
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: gingataff on February 20, 2009, 02:19:33 PM
Jerry Garcia had a guitar with a Tiger inlay in the body top that had a body and various other parts made of layered (composite) tonewoods and I was trying to find some pics of it to show Mark. Since this type of construction is frequently used in bass guitars I thought it might be interesting to explore the possibilities with a long scale guitar. The basic proposition is that this type of structure has a lower resonant frequency which would be ideal for a longer scale. There are loads of pics out there that purport to be replicas of the Jerry Garcia Tiger but none of them have a body and headstock laminated from Maple and (I think) purpleheart like the one I saw many years ago.
Here's a page with some pics of the Tiger. http://www.dozin.com/jers/guitars/tiger/info.html (http://www.dozin.com/jers/guitars/tiger/info.html)
Title: Re: Composite body guitars
Post by: Bob Johnson on February 20, 2009, 02:38:11 PM
Jerry Garcia had a guitar with a Tiger inlay in the body top that had a body and various other parts made of layered (composite) tonewoods and I was trying to find some pics of it to show Mark. Since this type of construction is frequently used in bass guitars I thought it might be interesting to explore the possibilities with a long scale guitar. The basic proposition is that this type of structure has a lower resonant frequency which would be ideal for a longer scale. There are loads of pics out there that purport to be replicas of the Jerry Garcia Tiger but none of them have a body and headstock laminated from Maple and (I think) purpleheart like the one I saw many years ago.
Here's a page with some pics of the Tiger. http://www.dozin.com/jers/guitars/tiger/info.html (http://www.dozin.com/jers/guitars/tiger/info.html)

That's the one; pity there aren't any shots of the back of the headstock that's also laminated up so the heel behind the headstock is also layered. Thanks for that. :D