custom guitar finally ordered!

[dheim]

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



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!)



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



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



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...

[WezV]

what did you think of those schaller bridges?  not had chance to try one yet

[MDV]

'Bout goddamn time!!

They look great.

And, yeah, since ones going to be on my next legra; what are the Hannes like?

[sgmypod]

can't read make what is it...not sure on headstock but dif coloured winges I like a lot

[dheim]

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!

[dheim]

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! :)

[dheim]

make is "cicolin", a small luthier near my place...

[MDV]

Thanks. Did you notice any improvements in string differentiation between similar guitars, with and without the Hannes?

[dheim]

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!

[MDV]

:( 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?

[dheim]

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.

[MDV]

:lol:

A month is lightning fast though!

The Aurora is mid may to early june, and thats still pretty fast.

[dheim]

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?

[MDV]

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.

[dheim]

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