Metal Pickup for a Custom made Guitar

[stu__r]

Walnut. Defined and strong with a tight but full low end and very soulfull and ressonant right through the tonal range.

I mean i dont play metal but i have a walnut guitar (body and neck) and i know it is what you just asked for realy  :D  .

Thats my view anyhow.

[ztevie]

Sorry, I missed the flemed maple top in the spec... Why have a flamed top if you're not gonna use transparent color... :roll:

Mahogany has sustain and it sings too. I personally just haven't played an all-mahogany with really tight bass...
Remember, there are as many combinations as there are woods, so that's not an easy question. Also, there are probably different tonal qualities between different mahogany types, and even between pieces.
You could always combine a neck with a harder, brighter tone wood, like maple, with body wings of a wood that would warm up the brightness some.

Another luthier told me, when I was asking about maple neck with mahogany wings, that the mahogany wouldn't give me the tight bass I wanted...
Ask the Rek guys what they think, describe the tone you want and they will surely have some suggestions for you.
But if you like mahogany guitars, go for it! I mean, it's not guaranteed you'd like the tone I'm after so I'd feel kind of guilty down-talking mahogany here if that's what you really want. For me, I'd like something different...
All-mahogany LesPauls don't sound very bad either? :lol:

A standard metal axe has a maple neck, with a body of something else.... I think Alder is very common, but some has Basswood, Ash, Mahogany...
The Rek guys has lots of exotic woods, like acajou, sapeli, acacia, sapeli, badi, padouk, hornbeam, merbau.... Well, I don't know what half of them look like...
Also, a ebony fretboard is brighter than rosewood, so there are other things playing a role too besides body wood...

Walnut sounds interesting, but isn't it kinda heavy weighted?

[stu__r]

It can be tho my Organic standard that is solid walnut (and is my main player btw) is just under 4 kg.......not that heavy at all.

Its a stunning looking wood as well imo.



Walnut just seems like it would fit the bill and if you wanted to get an even punchier sound you could have a walnut body with a maple top of course.

[Jappse]

Thanks ztevie, dont feel bad down-talking mahogany, ive just begun to realize how ignorant ive been when it comes to woods. Im gonna check with REK about woods, ive set myself on either walnut (thanks stu__r) or korina (god bless my soul, EXPENSIVE), but still not sure.

And then ill talk to Tim, and get his point of view again. But ztevie, what wood did you get for your guitar??

[ztevie]

Its a stunning looking wood as well imo.

Yeah, that walnut looks awesome! Great for clear laquer...
Not so great for a transparent color though because of it's darkness? If you for example laquer it with green it would be very dark I'd guess?
But imagine a colored top with the back of walnut body clear laquered?
But, I've gotta ask: Is that wooden inlay on the fretboard? Don't you have a pic of the fretboard to see it more in detail? I'm thinking of having a tribal-like wooden inlay on my guitar.

[stu__r]

The fretboard is macassar ebony so its naturaly stipped....

Theres a more straightly striped slice that was used on one of my other guitars.
 

A close up of the board on another guitar in the same macassar ebony but again with the more wavey pattern.

Yeh walnut isnt realy any use for putting a colour over but then neather is mahogany.....But with a maple top and a trans colour over the whole guitar it would look similar to most guitars finished like that.

[ztevie]

Thanks ztevie, dont feel bad down-talking mahogany, ive just begun to realize how ignorant ive been when it comes to woods. Im gonna check with REK about woods, ive set myself on either walnut (thanks stu__r) or korina (god bless my soul, EXPENSIVE), but still not sure.

And then ill talk to Tim, and get his point of view again. But ztevie, what wood did you get for your guitar??

I gave them a tonal description and was suggested a piece of elm they had. Neck is Maple and Wenge, 5 piece...
Elm is not very often used in guitars but they said they had used it in other guitars and that it would suit the tone I wanted...
I also talked with a swedish luthier who said that the right piece of elm is very underestimated as a guitar wood. I trust them so I chose that...
I basically took a chance, and hope it's ok...

I think I'm after a more cold, not so organic metal sound as you are, judging by the description of bands you mentioned, so I think a warmer wood would be more suitable for you...
I suggest you tell them your tonal description without mentioning any woods yourself, and see what they come up with...

[ztevie]

Macassar ebony, huh...?
Looks great! I could have sworn it was a wooden inlay from the first pic I looked at, haha... :lol:

[stu__r]

Hehe no just macassar ebony no inlay other than pearl dots going on there.

Its my fave fretboard material by far....

[dave_mc]

[You're right, I agree...
These polish luthiers are also very good at giving advice about tonal qualities of different woods, and which woods will sound good together...
They've even talked me out of some things I suggested because they didn't think it would sound great, even if the guitar would have cost me more.

that's the kind of service you want!  :D

[Jappse]

This is what ive decided so far:


Either a set maple neck, with a VERY good body wood. ex: Walnut. And a carved maple top

OR, neck-thru maple with a soft wood as "wings" and a maple top.

OR, neck-thu walnut with a maple top.

Sooo hard to choose...