Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 06:00:59 PM

Title: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 06:00:59 PM
i finally did it...

to cut the cost i had some "fixed" option (every model is neckthrough):

1) a gorgeous trans-red maple with walnut wings, brazilian rosewood fretboard and fender style fixed bridge

(http://www.mercatinomusicale.com/allegati/1188092.jpg)

2) an awesome satin black maple + mahogany, ebony fretboard, schaller bridge and EMGs (so a pain in the butt to swap with passives - aka BKPs!)

(http://www.mercatinomusicale.com/allegati/1188108.jpg)

3) a natural satin maple + mahogany + pao ferro fretboard with schaller and passives

(http://www.mercatinomusicale.com/allegati/1188040.jpg)

4) a natural satin wenge + swamp ash + ebony fretboard with schaller and passives

(http://www.mercatinomusicale.com/allegati/1188005.jpg)

i was almost convinced to buy the maple/mahogany natural and have the headstock painted darker (i hate maple headstocks!), but was very curious about the wenge one (and i love how wenge looks, by the way!), so i tried ALMOST extensively both of them and i discovered a couple of things...
acoustically the wenge/ash sounds a bit duller and a lot middier, almost mahogany-like but with more high mids. the maple/mahogany was abit brighter and more scooped but seemed to have more punch.

think about nailbomb and cold sweat bridge... the acoustic equivalent.

played clean through a tube fender both sounded awesome, and retained very much of their acoustic character (both guitars were equipped with duncans... JB in bridge and jazz in neck, not a bad combination). i liked more the wenge, full of hi-mids...
then i tested them in hi-gain situations, or at least it was my intention... unfortunately neither me and my luthier were able to make the mesa stiletto used for the test sound much more heavier than a marshall plexi (voice is very similar!), and quite strangely the wenge sounded harsher and brighter than the maple.
anyway i'll put a set of miracle men, and wenge gave me the instinctive impression to be the "right" guitar for them...

so i chose it! my luthier will paint the wings in darker colour (between mahogany and the worn brown usually found on SGs) because i don't like clear woods...

but as you may have come to know i'm completely insane, and i think i'll buy ANOTHER guitar, this time made of maple/mahogany in the not so distant future...
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: WezV on April 12, 2009, 06:05:03 PM
what did you think of those schaller bridges?  not had chance to try one yet
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: MDV on April 12, 2009, 06:09:18 PM
'Bout goddamn time!!

They look great.

And, yeah, since ones going to be on my next legra; what are the Hannes like?
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: sgmypod on April 12, 2009, 06:11:35 PM
can't read make what is it...not sure on headstock but dif coloured winges I like a lot
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 06:18:22 PM
the schaller feels great. i mean, it's flat, solid and smooth. and long enough to rest the right hand on it. this is my first impression, of course, but it seems more confortable than most bridges i played with... strings go through the body and the bridge itself is mounted with two huge screws that go through the whole depth of wood... sustain is very, very good. i had a very positive impression, but of course i had not much time to see any negative side!
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 06:20:27 PM
can't read make what is it...not sure on headstock but dif coloured winges I like a lot

at first headstock looked a bit strange, but i have to say that now i like it quite a lot! much more than blackmachine's.
and you haven't seen the transparent blue model! :)
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 06:21:29 PM
make is "cicolin", a small luthier near my place...
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: MDV on April 12, 2009, 06:26:59 PM
Thanks. Did you notice any improvements in string differentiation between similar guitars, with and without the Hannes?
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 06:28:19 PM
Thanks. Did you notice any improvements in string differentiation between similar guitars, with and without the Hannes?

i didn't play the red one, sorry!
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: MDV on April 12, 2009, 06:30:51 PM
:( ah well. Thanks for the info anyway. Hard to come by impartial info on these. Bobs pretty impressed with them from an engineering standpoint, but afaik he hasnt put one in a guitar yet. The rest is schallers own publicised blurb. I went with it in the end because it looks so comfortable, but I hope for better accoustic response and string seperation from it as well!

When will your guitar be ready?
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 06:34:26 PM
i don't know EXACTLY why (i'll get my les paul with my brand new mules in a couple of days so i'll ask him once again...), but he gave me geological, eonic times... he said at least a month.
i've got no hurry.


no, i have, actually.


but let's pretend not.
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: MDV on April 12, 2009, 06:39:48 PM
:lol:

A month is lightning fast though!

The Aurora is mid may to early june, and thats still pretty fast.
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 07:00:42 PM
he said AT LEAST a month, that in italy usually means two... ;) the strange thing is that your legra has to be built from scratch, while my guitar has just got to be painted!  :?

anyway what do you mean for string differentiation?
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: MDV on April 12, 2009, 07:14:39 PM
Not being painted probably shaved a month off the build time, if the MDV602 was anything to go by.

String differentiation - the seperation of the sound of each string.
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 12, 2009, 07:23:23 PM
Not being painted probably shaved a month off the build time, if the MDV602 was anything to go by.

String differentiation - the seperation of the sound of each string.

ah, ok.
i'll know more when the BLOODY GUITAR IS READY!  :P
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dave_mc on April 12, 2009, 08:32:31 PM
said it before, but those look great. :D
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: Roobubba on April 12, 2009, 11:07:11 PM
Not being painted probably shaved a month off the build time, if the MDV602 was anything to go by.

String differentiation - the seperation of the sound of each string.

ah, ok.
i'll know more when the BLOODY GUITAR IS READY!  :P

Patience, young Padawan! :)

Looking good, can't wait to see the final result!
Roo
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: Bradock PI on April 13, 2009, 12:39:45 AM
ah, ok.
i'll know more when the BLOODY GUITAR IS READY!  :P

Italian luthiers bleed over them for you, I am not sure I would like that can you get a special none bloody one?

Oh and grats they look real cool!
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: dheim on April 13, 2009, 07:25:12 AM
ah, ok.
i'll know more when the BLOODY GUITAR IS READY!  :P

Italian luthiers bleed over them for you, I am not sure I would like that can you get a special none bloody one?

Oh and grats they look real cool!

yes, it's an old tradition in italy, when a new guitar is ready the luthier takes one of the kids that try to play metallica riffs on 10 W transistors that he pretends to sell in his shop and sacrifices him to soak his new creation in his blood.
now it's illegal, but someone continues to do it the old way...

i'm a factory of bulls**t when i'm in the right mood... :P
Title: Re: custom guitar finally ordered!
Post by: Philly Q on April 13, 2009, 09:37:31 AM
i don't know EXACTLY why, but he gave me geological, eonic times... he said at least a month.

 :lol: :lol: :lol:

he said AT LEAST a month, that in italy usually means two... ;) the strange thing is that your legra has to be built from scratch, while my guitar has just got to be painted!  :?

The finish will turn out a lot better if it's given a few weeks to really dry properly before the final sanding and polishing.  Anyway, a month or two is nothing - at my age it seems like the blink of an eye!  I've waited longer than that for things to arrive in the post.  :wink: