Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Bainzy on March 13, 2007, 03:08:57 PM

Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Bainzy on March 13, 2007, 03:08:57 PM: I'm going to be building a run of 6 Les Pauls, so many simply because the wood worked out very cheap in bulk (the 4x4 neck timber and body/top all work out to roughly 3m lengths of timber). 2 are going to be for friends, and I'm just charging the basic cost of materials (wood/plastic/paint etc) to cover my costs for doing it, and one of those friends is a guy called Cameron. We've discussed what he wants his LP to look like, and I made a rough mockup:

(http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j279/bainzy007/cameronlp.jpg)

What do you guys think? After seeing Fred Gabrsek's (http://www.freddysfrets.com) work, we both decided it would be really cool to ebonise the Madagascar Rosewood and write Cameron's name on as the inlay in Chinese symbols or a phrase instead in Chinese and maybe add some other graphic designs. The placement wouldn't be the same as on that mockup, we still haven't designed anything yet for it, but any writing would be in that style and font.

Anything else that might customise the guitar too, I'd like suggestions on that :)
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: metal_god on March 13, 2007, 03:27:58 PM: hey dude how much are these gonna work out at? and have you made guitars before? :)
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Bainzy on March 13, 2007, 04:14:13 PM: Quote from: metal_god
hey dude how much are these gonna work out at? and have you made guitars before? :)

I haven't worked out the cost of the MOP and paint, but it should cost about £50 in wood, binding, inlays and frets. I'll leave it to Cameron to decide what brand of hardware/pickups he uses, although I'll explain to him the differences between them. Also yes, I have made guitars before - bodies, necks - but this is the first time I've made the whole thing at once, since these are my first set-necks.
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: _tom_ on March 13, 2007, 04:20:26 PM: If they turn out well, I may well be interested in buying one, if you fancy doing one in a vintage/creamy white :)

edit - I also agree with the people below, I dont like the inlays but as they say "the customer is always right" :P
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: greeny on March 13, 2007, 04:25:26 PM: That neck is too busy for my particular preferance, but good luck. I think I'd try one with a simple neck first to see how it turns out!
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: noodleplugerine on March 13, 2007, 04:49:35 PM: Quote from: greeny
That neck is too busy for my particular preferance, but good luck. I think I'd try one with a simple neck first to see how it turns out!
What this one said.

Would look much sleeker with dots.
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on March 13, 2007, 04:54:36 PM: Quote from: Bainzy
Quote from: metal_god
hey dude how much are these gonna work out at? and have you made guitars before? :)

I haven't worked out the cost of the MOP and paint, but it should cost about £50 in wood, binding, inlays and frets. I'll leave it to Cameron to decide what brand of hardware/pickups he uses, although I'll explain to him the differences between them. Also yes, I have made guitars before - bodies, necks - but this is the first time I've made the whole thing at once, since these are my first set-necks.

Sheesh Bainzy - where are you buying your wood, mother of pearl and stuff
And what timbers are you using at that price?
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: metal_god on March 13, 2007, 05:01:13 PM: i designed this thing so if you want to make it youve got yourself a customer

(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/metal_god69/mylespaul-1.jpg)
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Bainzy on March 13, 2007, 05:17:32 PM: Quote from: FELINEGUITARS
Sheesh Bainzy - where are you buying your wood, mother of pearl and stuff
And what timbers are you using at that price?

The chambered body and neck timber will be K/D FAS Sapele from SL Hardwoods, I bought it at 10% m/c but have had it stored for quite a while so it should be perfect next time I check m/c on it. I had to buy 6 LP's worth to get it down in price so much. The top will be canadian maple from either SL hardwoods or my local Arnold Laver, depends whether AL can do it any cheaper than the quote I got from SL. MOP will be from ebay or from some I've got stored away, I'm wondering whether to use synthetic stuff or not - I don't think he'll mind too much as long as it looks good.

The only reason I'm building 2 guitars for friends without labour cost is because I needed to buy this much wood to get it cheap, and they offered to help out by giving me the cost of materials and providing me with a bit of more building practice on LP's. I don't think I'd be building any more any time soon, but thanks for the interest - if you guys want a quality custom LP built for a reasonable price, Feline is the man to do it. Right now I'm waaayyy to busy at Uni to be able to build people complete set neck guitars, and bear in mind £50 doesn't include labour cost, paint, hardware, pickups etc - these guitars will take ages to build by hand lol.
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Ratrod on March 13, 2007, 06:11:27 PM: Some more Les Paul ideas:

Burl maple:
(http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/6696/burllpgs7.jpg)

Hawaii burst:
(http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/6996/hawaiilptw6.jpg)

Real flames:
(http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/6404/hotlpcl5.jpg)
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Kilby on March 13, 2007, 06:28:14 PM: Heh, I'm a sucker for greenbursts (also purple and bluebursts too).

Have a look at the falling Maple leaves markers on Eggle guitars, they really nice looking (to me)

rob...
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Mr Ed on March 13, 2007, 06:42:38 PM: £50?! For them materials?! You must be nicking them. :lol:
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: BloodMountain on March 13, 2007, 08:26:52 PM: if it is possible to make one with that "Real Flames" finish, then i would buy one without a second glance.
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Ratrod on March 13, 2007, 08:33:06 PM: This guy can paint something like that.

http://www.killerpaint.com/gallery/index.html

Here's just one example.

(http://www.killerpaint.com/newgallery/Albums/Album21/Large/Copy_of_TRUE_FIRE_JOB__122_.jpg)
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: indysmith on March 13, 2007, 09:50:23 PM: Ratrod's designs are pretty nice there. everyone else WTF?!
Good luck bainzy! i truly admire you man - yu seem to be so talented with guitar gear. ur amp modding and guitar building at such a young age is awesome. You gotta be going places 8)
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Bainzy on March 14, 2007, 12:22:07 AM: Thanks indy! 8)

Here's another design I came up with, not for anything in particular but that program is bloody fun! I do quite like this though, the metal pickguard and aged nickel PAF's in particular:

(http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j279/bainzy007/bluelp.jpg)
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Doog on March 14, 2007, 12:28:14 AM: what program are you using to make those images?
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: maverickf1jockey on March 14, 2007, 06:46:14 AM: (http://www.killerpaint.com/newgallery/Albums/Album23/Large/LATEST_PICS__2_.jpg)
:lol:
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Ratrod on March 14, 2007, 04:28:34 PM: Quote from: Doog
what program are you using to make those images?

Have fun!

http://www.nymphusa.com/kisekae/kisekaeE1.asp
Title: Re: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: nfe on March 14, 2007, 06:53:42 PM: Quote from: Bainzy
we both decided it would be really cool to ebonise the Madagascar Rosewood and write Cameron's name on as the inlay in Chinese symbols or a phrase instead in Chinese and maybe add some other graphic designs.

Just so you and your friend know, the chinese WILL NOT say cameron, it'll just be a phonetic equivelant. Every chance it'll say angry dustbin tiger or something.
Title: Re: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Bainzy on March 14, 2007, 07:55:06 PM: Quote from: nfe
Quote from: Bainzy
we both decided it would be really cool to ebonise the Madagascar Rosewood and write Cameron's name on as the inlay in Chinese symbols or a phrase instead in Chinese and maybe add some other graphic designs.

Just so you and your friend know, the chinese WILL NOT say cameron, it'll just be a phonetic equivelant. Every chance it'll say angry dustbin tiger or something.

Cameron already knows the deal with this, his Chinese name is Ka Mei Lun, it means something like prosperity and good health and stuff.
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: noodleplugerine on March 14, 2007, 10:01:12 PM: If I was a Japanese or Chinese engraver/tatoo artist I would write something different everytime I was asked for a name design.

Could be great fun labelling people "asshole" and "I hate black people" etc without their knowing :>
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: headtheball on March 14, 2007, 11:10:36 PM: hehe...

My sis got one of those chinese tattoos done yonks ago. It looks suspiciously like the sign on the chinese right across the way from the Tatooists, but I haven't the heart to tell her.
Title: Custom Les Paul Design
Post by: Kilby on March 14, 2007, 11:21:07 PM: Quote from: noodleplugerine

Could be great fun labelling people "asshole" and "I hate black people" etc without their knowing :>

There was a tatooist in the states (Miami I think) that did precisely that peace, love & fortune became things stif like stupid white girl.

I think he got locked up and got fined an absolute fortune for tattoo removals.