Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Will on July 30, 2009, 02:05:59 PM
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Its taken a while, and had a few hurdles to cross because of the binding and neck wood, but I think its in the final straight now...
We had an issue with spec sheet mix up, an older one was floating around when Jonathan made the neck up, and it was maple rather than mahogany. That guitar is now the one with P rails that I'm sure you have already seen.
It had a lovely subtle chevron flame underneath, but I think I prefer this one :)
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Its taken a while, and had a few hurdles to cross because of the binding and neck wood, but I think its in the final straight now...
We had an issue with spec sheet mix up, an older one was floating around when Jonathan made the neck up, and it was maple rather than mahogany.
That guitar is now the one with P rails that I'm sure you have already seen.
It had a lovely subtle chevron flame underneath, but I think I prefer this one :)
No it's not the P rail guitar - it's sat in a case waiting for me to do something to it
Don't know whether to make a Buckethead style Lion custom or to do a John Sykes style Lion Custom with Cold Sweats in it
Anyway we are making headway with Will's Lion now
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me likey - do a Cold Sweat version, that pickup RULES in a Les Paul :D
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+1 to John Sykes Style Lion
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+1 to John Sykes Style Lion
+2 - Oh my...
"If I was a rich man.... dinna... dinna... dinna.... dinna... dinna... dinna....dinna... dumm"
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Big fan of the plain top, looks great :) Don't know if I 'agree' with ebony board on a LP, however, it does look great, and from playing Johnny Macs at the meet, they play great!
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Its taken a while, and had a few hurdles to cross because of the binding and neck wood, but I think its in the final straight now...
We had an issue with spec sheet mix up, an older one was floating around when Jonathan made the neck up, and it was maple rather than mahogany.
That guitar is now the one with P rails that I'm sure you have already seen.
It had a lovely subtle chevron flame underneath, but I think I prefer this one :)
No it's not the P rail guitar - it's sat in a case waiting for me to do something to it
Don't know whether to make a Buckethead style Lion custom or to do a John Sykes style Lion Custom with Cold Sweats in it
Anyway we are making headway with Will's Lion now
ooooops! Sorry about that. Getting very confused now. I think it would be a shame to hide the top on it.
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i agree with an ebony board on almost anything ;)
(maybe not a fender)
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Big fan of the plain top, looks great :) Don't know if I 'agree' with ebony board on a LP, however, it does look great, and from playing Johnny Macs at the meet, they play great!
It's gotta be ebony on a Custom, I always think the Japanese Custom copies with rosewood boards look not-quite-right. This one looks great so far! :D
i agree with an ebony board on almost anything ;)
(maybe not a fender)
I've only ever owned one ebony-board guitar, so I'm not sure if I like it or not. But I'm considering putting together a mahogany Tele with a mahogany neck, I thought an ebony board might brighten/tighten it up a bit.
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He has been snap happy recently.
He's been sending me guitar porn as well
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LP Customs need to have ebony fingerboards imo - it gives that 'snap' to the note (faster attack).
Only ever had a Strat with an ebony board - in hindsight it probably wasn't the greatest idea as Strats can be bright at the best of times.
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I can't stop looking at the top on it!
Those Tiger photographs make the guitar look a lot better than the ebay listing, the flame has a bit more life to it IMO
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I think its pretty
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Pretty, pretty, pretty... I want one too!
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Updates? :D
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Another update, 2 requests from Fernando prompted me to finally post it ;)
Headstock inlay is done, its a slight modification of the Gibson one, just to avoid the (C) stuff
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And confirmed the pickups as Cold Sweat set, with some cream SD triple shot rings
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I do like that bookmatched "plain" top. What colour's it going to be, or are you keeping it under wraps?
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Mary Kaye. So the classic white custom, but if you look closely, the grain is visible.
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That's gonna be one smashing guitar when finished. You lucku bugger!!! I WANT ONE TOO! :D
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Mary Kaye. So the classic white custom, but if you look closely, the grain is visible.
Excellent, very tasteful! :)
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I think she is gonna be a stunner mate.
You have ticked almost every box in my dream LP/Lion spec.
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nice
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Looking good! I love my Feline Lion, I'm sure you will love yours just the same once it's completed.
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It's got hardware on and strings on too now :P
Including the triple shot pickup rings
Does look really good.
Interestingly because of a mistake made during changes of spec etc we did make another of them but with a maple neck (still ebony board), when Will had informed us that he had reverted to classic mahogany neck .
So we have a maple neck "custom" which I fancy making into a "Buckethead" style guitar
To be fair it's the standard 24.75" scale , but I liked the plain /no inlay look and all black hardware
Just not sure whether to do it in white or black
Will probably keep standard pot and switch layout but utilise a Shadow Kill pot on the tone control
Will get a piccy up real soon as I have major amounts of picture updates that need to be done on my site
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... as I have major amounts of picture updates that need to be done on my site
Yeah, I wondered when my pride & joy would take its rightful place in the pantheon of Feline greatness :)
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I can't believe the notion of a "Mary Kaye" LP has never occurred to me before, when it's plainly a fantastic notion.
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I think she is gonna be a stunner mate.
You have ticked almost every box in my dream LP/Lion spec.
That's actually a shocker, I would have thought you would want something which had more superstrat character to it?
It has quite a thick neck too, to avoid crampiness
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I adore Feline Lions but only customs... currently I can't afford one but maybe in the fullness of time. It would be very close to yours though because I love Billy Duffy's LPs most of all :P
(http://www.godsofguitar.com/images/duffy.jpg)
(http://ricky-furlani.blog.uol.com.br/images/billy.jpg)
Cool as F**k!
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Ah, I see. His is a black beauty with a stripped front though isn't it? Or Black back is what they call it?
Definitely agree with it being cool as $%&# though :D Really must put sonic temple in my car
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looking great :D
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wow! Think the Mary Kay has EVERY chance to look good! :D
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Looking great Will. Not long now :D
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It is indeed looking very tasty :D
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Just been playing it through an amp :D and it rocks!
We had it on the "guitar shaker" to bed it in for a few hours previously - forced some UFO and Whitesnake through it to get the guitar used to being all strung up and resonating as a unit - it helps settle a new guitar down quicker
The guitar has a substantial neck on it but is really comfy - I suppose it' like a 58 LP neck or a PRS wide /fat
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Just been playing it through an amp :D and it rocks!
We had it on the "guitar shaker" to bed it in for a few hours previously - forced some UFO and Whitesnake through it to get the guitar used to being all strung up and resonating as a unit - it helps settle a new guitar down quicker
The guitar has a substantial neck on it but is really comfy - I suppose it' like a 58 LP neck or a PRS wide /fat
Fat neck! :D
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forced some UFO and Whitesnake through it to get the guitar used to being all strung up and resonating as a unit - it helps settle a new guitar down quicker
Has it been scientifically proven that UFO and Whitesnake give the best results? :P :wink:
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I would prefer if it had been 'warmed up' with some lady gaga really... :P
Just cannot wait!
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I would prefer if it had been 'warmed up' with some lady gaga really... :P
Or the Hannah Montanna OST ?
forced some UFO and Whitesnake through it to get the guitar used to being all strung up and resonating as a unit - it helps settle a new guitar down quicker
Has it been scientifically proven that UFO and Whitesnake give the best results? :P :wink:
I like to use something with lots of fundamental guitar frequencies - something that will make the wood of the guitar think it's been played for a long time.
I usually like to use stuff like Led Zeppelin, Cinderella, Whitesnake, Deep Purple or other rootsy sounding stuff with either guitar or hammond organ.
Lots of low mid frequencies and sustaining notes that will be forced through the timbers by the attached transducer.
I could use a sine-wave or a signal generator and vary the frequency, but I think it's more rock and roll to use classic rock (and more convenient)
A new guitar can take 6-9 months to settle down and get played in normally - all the different bits of timber relaxing and becoming more as one . The resonance will improve and the guitar will lose that initial brashness that all new guitars seem to have.
I just try to give the guitar a head start with this method and it seems to work pretty well
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Joking apart, it sounds a very cool idea. Do you know if any other builders use a similar approach?
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i have heard of some acoustic builders doing it... infact its sometimes recommended to leave an acoustic infront of some large speakers to help it break in - which is a slightly less efficient version of the same idea
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That's a beautiful instrument! Interesting read about the acoustics too, and the breaking in of the instruments! Lucky Will!!
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i remember reading that Yamaha in Japan have a vibration rig which simulates something like a hundred years of playing on the instrument attached to it. it's certainly an interesting idea. i think i prefer Jon's method of "injecting" hard rock into it though! :)
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i remember reading that Yamaha in Japan have a vibration rig which simulates something like a hundred years of playing on the instrument attached to it. it's certainly an interesting idea. i think i prefer Jon's method of "injecting" hard rock into it though! :)
Yeah they do, I forget what it's called but Yamaha reps and their training courses make quite a deal of it. It's actually quite impressive to AB one of the guitars treated with it with one of the untreated versions both right out the box.
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i think i prefer Jon's method of "injecting" hard rock into it though! :)
I wonder if I should take requests like a radio DJ :D
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I've tried it somewhat; breaking guitars in, that is, being impatient and wanting my new legra to be all it can be.
First, figuring that its best to set up vibrational modes that are
A: Notes and there overtones
B: between the nut and bridge, rather than randomly pumped into the guitar (as the location of the vibration matters to how anything oscilates; wheres nodal and antinodal)
I used a drill with a bit of carboard to hit the strings, not as hard as I normally do, for a few hours. It opened out in the lows and mids. Then I realised I didnt know if it was the strings or the guitar that was changing, so I switched to pink noise, high pass @ 100Hz low @2k, about 2cm from the rim of a B&W DM602 (so, it can move air, but its nothing major) and ~100db at that distance, aimed at the back of the guitar hanging by its neck. More or less the same effect from that as the drill, but it took over 20 hours.
Dont know how much play time its equivelent to, but I'm a believer in the principle (even if I only have anecdotal evidence to offer).
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I've tried it somewhat; breaking guitars in, that is, being impatient and wanting my new legra to be all it can be.
First, figuring that its best to set up vibrational modes that are
A: Notes and there overtones
B: between the nut and bridge, rather than randomly pumped into the guitar (as the location of the vibration matters to how anything oscilates; wheres nodal and antinodal)
I used a drill with a bit of carboard to hit the strings, not as hard as I normally do, for a few hours. It opened out in the lows and mids. Then I realised I didnt know if it was the strings or the guitar that was changing, so I switched to pink noise, high pass @ 100Hz low @2k, about 2cm from the rim of a B&W DM602 (so, it can move air, but its nothing major) and ~100db at that distance, aimed at the back of the guitar hanging by its neck. More or less the same effect from that as the drill, but it took over 20 hours.
Dont know how much play time its equivelent to, but I'm a believer in the principle (even if I only have anecdotal evidence to offer).
I'm guessing that with the drill +cardboard... the equivalent playing time would have been more beneficial; a few hours of lightly hitting the strings could have been better spent actually playing the instrument I would say. With the speaker setup, it seems a little more sensible, apart from the high pass at 100... Are fundamental frequencies not needed with the guitar? The same volume lower frequency would have had more vibrational effect than that of a higher frequency. The low pass I can understand, but the sub-100Hz range i'd think would be critical to get the wood vibrating.
Does it show that i'm slightly skeptical about this kind of treatment for electric guitars? :)
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:lol: And rightly so. I have no real evidence to support it.
The drill was not hitting the strings lightly, just not as hard as if I'd been doing it. Normal playing, for me at least, is not as all-out all the time (unless you play nothing but 6 string chords hitting the strings pretty hard for hours at a time).
The low end cut - I play in drop A#, which is ~116Hz. Thats the lowest fundamental the guitars going to have. Whats the point resonating the wood lower than that if that is the lowest frequency its to respond to? Besides the shelves were in part to get the main band louder without it bugging me in my sleep or the sub 100s bugging the neighbours. The guitar was vibrating to the touch pretty much everywhere for >20 hours and so were the strings. Not as strongly as with the drill, or me battering chords out, but it was nontheless.
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Oh, and changes were referenced against other guitars, and the differences between them, because I dont trust A/Bs with subtle differences with such long gaps in between. There is no doubt whatsoever to my ears that it had an effect (both methods), since it did things like go from having less low end and low mids than one guitar to more, be quite similar to another guitar in maginitude of lows and mids to decidedly more and bigger sounding. High end was pretty much unaffected (which makes sense; high frequencies and their vibrations in the wood carry much less energy with much less wide oscilations) but the low end and mids started to breathe and open out.
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I remember reading that there was one company that offered this kind of service. They had a special machine for it, I don't know if that company still exists..I've forgotten the name.
I think MDV is right; the biggest change happens in the mids and perhaps lows. An older guitar can appear warmer (some say darker); according to luthiers, this is not because there are LESS highs, it's just that the midrange rings more freely.
-Zaned
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i think i prefer Jon's method of "injecting" hard rock into it though! :)
I wonder if I should take requests like a radio DJ :D
Yeah, you could tailor it to the individual customer! :)
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I remember reading that there was one company that offered this kind of service. They had a special machine for it, I don't know if that company still exists..I've forgotten the name.
I think MDV is right; the biggest change happens in the mids and perhaps lows. An older guitar can appear warmer (some say darker); according to luthiers, this is not because there are LESS highs, it's just that the midrange rings more freely.
-Zaned
This is consistent with my experience, yes.
Edit - the guys that do this with acoustics describe greater sensitivity (sometimes) and a livelier sound. I didnt see those change.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agkvuadf_vk
:D
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Looks great! Will that stick keeps with the finish? :P
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Looks great! Will that stick keeps with the finish? :P
I will remove the making tape sticker before it goes to paint
The switches are easy once you know how
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Looks great! Will that stick keeps with the finish? :P
I will remove the making tape sticker before it goes to paint
The switches are easy once you know how
:) Was just making stupid jokes, my prefered hobby
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Looks great! Will that stick keeps with the finish? :P
I will remove the making tape sticker before it goes to paint
The switches are easy once you know how
:) Was just making stupid jokes, my prefered hobby
Ah - but the guitar may not sound as good without the sticker!
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I really want to play about with the mixes of the SD rings. Maybe bridge in parallel, with neck split, (choice of coils too) would give an interesting clean.
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I really want to play about with the mixes of the SD rings. Maybe bridge in parallel, with neck split, (choice of coils too) would give an interesting clean.
Sounds really cool, is it hard to wire?
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I really want to play about with the mixes of the SD rings. Maybe bridge in parallel, with neck split, (choice of coils too) would give an interesting clean.
Sounds really cool, is it hard to wire?
No that is the coolest thing
It is dead simple to wire in
The only thing you have to do is translate the Duncan Colour scheme to the BKP one
Solder the BKP wires to the tag on the mounting ring and take the additional wire out to the control cavity and solder in as normal - dead simple.
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Cool!
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Damn, I might have to put my warmoth project on indefinite hold and save up for some feline lion action (huge Sykes fan!!!)
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Wow, just got back* from Feline, got my hands around it finally!
It feels great, the 6000 frets are much more inspiring for legato. The tripleshots are a good bit of fun too
*I ****ing hate London / Thameslink :shock:
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Was great to see you Will
Glad you like the feel of the guitar
She is now all stripped of hardware again - waiting to be sanded smooth and sent to paint
Weekend engineering works on rail routes sucks I agree
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Its definitely worth mentioning Jonathan's Amber lion too, it has a Miracle Man in the bridge (Vitamin Q caps too) and it sounded a helluva lot different from my MM with cheapo caps. The clean had much more character.
Also a very lovely guitar :)
Just sent you a PM, Jonathan