Les Paul with Tele Bridge...? + hamer discussion apparently

[LazyNinja]

Why not just have maple neck on a mahogany guitar? Zack Wylde's LP has that construction I think.

[Philly Q]

im interested in this all-maple idea though... Phil- you reckon it would be that extreme?

Well, an average mahogany/maple LP Standard weighs 9 lb+, a lot of them are over 10 lb.  That's too heavy for me, but then I'm old and weak from drink.  All-maple would be a couple of pounds more than that I should think.

But you're looking at a thinner, flat-bodied guitar so the weight wouldn't be nearly that bad.  I know TO has at least one maple-bodied Strat, but I don't know if it's hard rock maple - you can also get soft maple, but I think the tonal properties are different again so that might be pointless.

[PhilKing]

Take a look at Gordon Smith guitars.  They may make exactly what you want, and you can send them BK's and they will knock off the price of the GS pickups.  They have a flattop LP with a bridge HB and I think the other options are none, single or HB for the neck.  I like their neck shape, it is almost the same as the early 60's Gibson.  I think you can also have a maple neck through if you want.

[sambo]

alright,


thanks for all that everyone-

now its just down to me doing some research and trying some stuff.

i've been recommended Gordon Smiths on a number of occasions, so i really must try and play one.



cheers for the massssses of suggestions/advice as always!


sam.

[ToneMonkey]

Sambo - Snooze you loose    Here's what I was selling. http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8037

You could always chamber the mahogany in the LP style design.  I did this for the LP DC that I was building.  If I had the moeny to finish it off, I'd tell you what it was like  :roll:

Maybe a central core of maple with a mahogany cap on either side.  I really like that look.

[sambo]

:lol:

damn i do remember that!!!

wasnt in the market for a guitar at that point though...

looks veryyyy nice- i love see-through black type finishes...

you sold it then? or just decided to keep it? :twisted:



chambered bodies have always interested me... the warmoth site has really cool pictures of the inside of a chambered body...

so what happened to this LP DC then?!

and when you say central core of maple with mahogany cap on either side-

i take it you mean neck-through?

think rob mentioned that before... its a deffinite option... that with a spalted maple cap would look awesome...

[ToneMonkey]

My folks managed to scr@p together a grand from their holiday savings (which they've been saving up for about 3 years now - they live like skivvies over here and then bog off for months walking.  They're off to Amsterdam this time (to pick up their smoke for the journey), heading north going through Denmark and Sweden until they're as far north as they can go (above Lapland), then turning round and comming back.  They're on push bikes this time though and they're leaving 2 days after the wedding).

They've lent me the money, but it needs to be back in their account in 3 months otherwise they'll cycle back over here and kick my arse.  So it might be for sale agian if I can't raise the dosh by then, lets hope I can because I love that guitar.  Along with my stereo, it's the only thing I've got worth anything.

My LP DC was all going well (chambered mahogany body and 4A quilted maple cap) but I was carving the neck and came accoss some dodgy wood so had to scr@p it.  Not got the dosh at the minute to rebuild it.  Decided to get the Ibanez Lawsuit Firebird up and running first.

What I meant by the sandwich was like this.  Not the best photo, but I love this look on an axe.  Especially with belly and arm routes  8)

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/Mantis/Solid_Mantis_Done3w.jpg

Where you from anyway Sambo?  I gather that you're not the same Sambo I talk to over at project guitar.

[WezV]

I like tele bridges and think they suit other guitar shapes really well.

Here is a korina (black limba) and maple guitar i made with a humbucker tele bridge that i particularly like:


I have also done LP Jnr's with strat style hardtail bridges and think thats a great combo that can easily be changed to accomodate a tele bridge, this was my first guitar with a BKP:



Tele bridges could be incorporated into a les paul design and still keep the carved top and a slight neck angle, it just takes carefull planning!!

Korina/limba has to be my favorite wood for bodies at the moment so i would definately recommend that.

Gordon Smiths are very nice for the money and there Cedar bodied ones might be just what you are looking for

[sambo]

well good luck with both/all (3?) of your projects then mate. rather you than me lol.

bloody interesting holiday that sounds like as well... your parents must be pretty physically fit!?

cant really see from that pic what you mean exactly... :oops: is that a thin maple stripe down the middle?


and im from hertfordshire... near stevenage/luton... ?

and nope, never been on project guitar.


cheers for the info wez! i PM'd you as well.

that ravelle-style axe is awesome.
 :)

[Dreichlift]

If it's a flat top les paul you want, solid maple wouldn't be quite so extreme as a carved top version. Also if you did want the tele bridge it'd be simple to fit.

With people talking of korina I think it's Hamer that make a korina les paul jr type guitar but I remember it being a special edition and £3000, having one custom made would be cheaper than that. Jonathan at Feline Guitars has just made a korina lp type guitar, he might be able to tell you more about how it sounds. It would certainly give your you're slightly brighter mahogany sound, a lp jr style body would help that too to a certain extent.

Also if your considering the custom route, maple tops while often used for aesthetic purposes brighten the sound of a thicker sounding body so perhaps combining a number of the suggestions in this thread may get you what you want, eg

Korina LP jr shaped body (chambered for weight?)
1/4 inch flat maple top, (at least this thick, 1/2 to 1 inch preferable)
maple neck
ebony or maple fingerboard

Heh have to stop, this could lead to some severe GAS :lol:

[sambo]

Korina LP jr shaped body (chambered for weight?)
1/4 inch flat maple top, (at least this thick, 1/2 to 1 inch preferable)
maple neck
ebony or maple fingerboard

Heh have to stop, this could lead to some severe GAS :lol:

 :lol:


i think thats it though... this seemingly endless thread... has slowly formed that draft basically... very nice indeed!


although... there is one adjustment i'd make... all ebony neck... i just reckon they look incredible...

btw- dreichlift, or anyone else- do you know if its possible to get an all ebony neck where the fretboard is the neck? im pretty sure they used to do that on some old fenders with maple...? where the fretboard and the neck were the same piece of wood?


-Korina LP junior (perhaps chambered)
-Maple/Spalted Maple top
-all ebony, fretboard-including neck

+ a couple of custom wound BKs...

now that... THAT would be amazing... no?

[Kilby]

Heheh,

Mahogany but with a little more top end than usually associated with mahogany, flat top.

How about a Gibson Melody Maker ?

Looks like some form of LP Jr is the beastie for you Sam.

Theres one of the Hamer Korina Jrs in Turnkey (just down from Denmark St). Nik Huber also does something similar (but to me it's stupid money for a back to basics guitar).

Dave_mc missed the Edwards korina Jr I saw a couple of months ago, and Tokai do a korina Jr too. The problem is theyre P90 equipped, and others would be able to advise you regarding wether routing is possible.

Get out there and try everything you can find (but leave your money at home)

[PhilKing]

Doesn't he already have a melody maker?

[sambo]

Heheh,



How about a Gibson Melody Maker ?

 :lol:  :oops:  :lol:

i know i know. but something isnt quite right about the melody maker... i want to at least compare it to other similar guitars by, as you say, getting out there and trying as many as possible.

p-90 equipped doesnt matter though...

in fact thats probably preferable.

Hamer, Edwards and Tokai you say?

my mates tokai lp is brill, want to try an edwards at some point (highly unlikely though)... and i know you and others such as Phil, and Phil(ly Q), value Hamer a lot...

thanks for the suggestions!

[sambo]

Doesn't he already have a melody maker?

 yes  :oops: