Wez venables guitar build - Done and dusted!!

[WezV]

OK, Noodle has said it would be good for me to to a plank to playing photo essay on one of my builds.  I like the idea but thing we should go a stage further.  I wanted to do some projects as demo models over the summer anyway but i reckon i will let you guys dictate the way it goes - as long as nobody asks for a bloody banjo i dont mind!!

First up, shape.  I was going to go with this thing designed by my cousin but maybe make the upper bout a bit larger.  I think it would look good with a big ole chunk of chrome tele style bridge with a humbucker sized hole and another humbucker in the neck



The body wood will be this korina, slightly knotty but has a great tap-tone.



Not sure what to do for the top.  Either this splated and slightly flamed maple



or this flamed maple



All ideas welcome and i will get started on it next week!!  obviously i will have the final say

[noodleplugerine]

That splated top looks amazing!

I'd put the splated bit at the bottom and have something like a Zebrano fretboard to match it - Would look stunning with gold hardware :o

[Will]

not a fan of spalted. personally i think some nice plain wood with some grain would look good.
a pretty fingerboard would be good though! :P

[dave_mc]

i'm not a fan of spalted, to be honest, though every so often you see a great-looking spalted top. I'd go with the flame, but obviously it's up to you!

Nice body shape too.

:drink:

[Woogie]

Spalted top, ebony board, black headstock (les paul style black) and black hardware.

[WezV]

I find spalted only works well on certain shapes - but i like this set.  the flamed stuff would be nice though and will look good under a purple burst

i will post some pics of the options for neck and fretboard, it will be stuff that i have here.  Probably ziracote fretboard but i have some interesting stuff for necks i want to try out so i post pics later

hardware will probably be chrome because of keeping costs to a minimum.

I am basically after ideas for shape, scale length, wood choices for neck, pickups, hardware (nothing too expensive for this), inlay  . . .  and anthing else people can think of that they would like to see in a guitar.

obviously i expect to get a lot of ideas i will ignore( :twisted: ) - thats just the nature of the beast!!

[Dennis]

I would say a Purpleheart fretboard, the shape in the picture is nice, but an asymmetric bottom thingy would be cool to.
Why don't make the body out of 3 pieces? The middle piece the korina wood, with 2 "wings" glued to the middle piece (and with a nice strip of purpleheart between the 2 parts)

No inlay!!  :D


Does anyone have any idea how a bubinga neck would sound on a guitar?

[WezV]

well sticking with the woods i have here, no bubinga or purple heart.

here's the neck woods i can spare for this one:




from the top:

Bocote - the grain isnt pefectly aligned on this bit though.
Indian rosewood - nice and straight grained
Bloodwood - another nice blank but on the short side so no big headstocks
Zebrano- to be used as the outside laminates on 3 peice necks

I also have some flamed maple and mahogany neck laminates

And fretboards:



 
Bloodwood
Bocote
Indian rosewood x3
Grenadillo x 2
birdseye maple (acrylised)

Those are the woods we have to work with folks, although i will conside mixing up a couple of neck blanks in a laminated neck!!

[WezV]

Oh, i also have a load of ziracote fretboards coming so i maybe able to spare one of those.  Ziracote is my favorite wood for fretboards!!

[noodleplugerine]

If you're using the Spalted top I beg you to make the fretboard out of that Bocote - Would look stellar!

[WezV]

yah i was thinking they would go together well - problem is i am not keen on the colour of bocote, that peice came as part of a bulk buy.  I dont mind the bocote neck blank because its mainly dark grain but the fretboard looks a bit like vomit - it will get used for something but possibly not this

Has anyone got any other ideas on the shape - its hard to tell when something is just a template but i am still not sure about the one i have shown!!

So far i am thinking the korina body with flamed maple top. indian rosewood neck with ziracote fretboard and flamed maple binding.  No inlays because i like the look of ziracote so much - but if anyone has a cool inlay idea that could challenge me i might do it, i need a bit more practice with inlay anyway.

Purpleburst on the body with a big chrome tele bridge and direct mounted neck humbucker.  Still not sure if it would look better as a chambered design with some kind of f-hole.  

... and the big question for this forum - - what pickups would be best for the most versatile tone.  Part of me things something in burnt chrome would go well with the purpe burst!!  I also reckon a big chrome MQ or manhattan would look great in the neck!!!!

I was thinking a set-neck like a prs i.e full width neck tenon rather than a gibson style one - although i may extend it into the body further than a prs.  Again set-necks are something i havnt done as much off it is good to use this opportunity to get more experience with them.  Only done about 4-5 set-necks so far.  all but the first turned out great but it doesnt hurt to practice!!

i'm also tempted to do a purpleburst, set-neck strat so lets hear opionons on that as an alternative idea

[Transcend]

that spalted piece would be awesome on a hetfield style explorer

[noodleplugerine]

About the shape - I think the top horn is a bit too bulbous - I think you should go for a more traditional top horn with the thin sharp Eclipse-like bottom horn which you've shown in the template which looks awesome.

[WezV]

dont say that hategrowth - i keep wanting to do another explorer, but it would probably be a downsized version like the gibson x-plorer pro of the 90's.  very nice guitars!!!!

Anyway, we need to focus this in so lets vote.  

vote 1:

spalted maple top
Flamed maple top
Plain korina body with no top

Vote 2:
The shape i posted above
A strat shape
Suddenly i want to do a firebird!!
Anything else


Vote 3
State your prefered neck wood and fretboard from the selection above

Vote 4 - bridge

tele style with humbucker
tele style with tele pickup
strat hardtail style
tune-o-matic

Vote 5
Choose a cpikcup combo you belive to be truly versatile from the BKP range!!

I will give this the weekend  to see what you all reckon and go with that!!!

I dont want to do a trem guitar because trems cost more money for the quality i need on my guitars and since i am funding this one there is a budget and i cant skimp on pickups for you guys!!

[noodleplugerine]

1: spalted top
2: Shape posted above
3: Mahogany with Zebrano fingerboard or the spalted Bochote.
4: Tunomatic
5: Pair of Cold Sweats.

My sort of Artist's impression which I made up of some of the pictures you posted combined with a Les Paul neck I found on the net :P

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/noodleplugerine/Weztar.jpg

PS: Add a vote for Finish?