Drifters Exa-7 first build

[Mr.Drifter]

Soup.
So, got a 7 string explorer kit on the way.

Rough specs;
Ash body
24.75" scale
Maple neck
-below are things I asked for as custom shop additions-
Maple fretboard
Reverse headstock
Black hardware

Plans for it?
At this stage, pickup choice is changing on a weekly basis, as one day somebody will link me another cool set and I'll think that sounds rad after listening to a bunch of demos.
But otherwise;
-Paint the body Mitsubishi Stratos Grey
-Sand and oil neck (or satin clear, I dunno yet)
-Either black headstock face with grey wording OR plain maple face with grey wording (still deciding on what to put. Thinking exploder in the fender font)
-Seymour duncan black winter pickups (at this stage)
-Seymour Duncan liberator volume knob for easy swapping out
-Some form of push push tone knob for easy coil splitting. Or push pull, see how we go
-Depending on quality, replace the tuners. Would love some open gear ones, but probably not happening
-Probably replace the input jack as well.
-Probably also replace the pickup switch, depending on how it goes, and if it's black in the kit
-Black tusq nut
-Probably try and find some boutique/ low profile top quality pickup surrounds (I'm majorly picky when it comes to surrounds, and not usually a fan, but found a decent ltd with some nice looking ones in a local store)
Otherwise just body mount the pickups
-Will likely be giving the neck to a local luthier to give the frets a good loving, just to make sure it's all g (will see how it feels first/ give it a quick rock, so I can tell if it needs it)

Basically the aim for it is to be a rad metal guitar with a bit of versatility, with brutal gain sounds, and dark/ warm cleans (though dirty cleans, because I love me a bit of a bitey clean).



Will update with a pic of it just kinda slapped together when it gets here, then will slowly start working on it. I'm horribly impatient when it comes to painting and working on stuff, so this will be a challenge for me, but fingers crossed it works out

[FrankenWashie]

This sounds like a cool build Drifter, will watch with interest. I have a set of Black Winter to mount in my LP build, might have to hurry up before you beat me to mounting them!


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[JohnH]

Sounds like my kind of guitar! What kind of stuff do you play?

[Mr.Drifter]

Sounds like my kind of guitar! What kind of stuff do you play?

It varies a lot. Varies from stuff like EDEN to rhcp, metallica, dream theatre, trivium, slipknot, etc.
Basically ranges from a nice dream theatre clean (bit bitey with a nice chorus) to angry angry metal sound. Loved my 5150 III for the sounds it gave me. Hoping to bring it up eventually

[Mr.Drifter]

Yeet, it arrived


Neck seems pretty much perfect fret wise, and the fit into the neck pocket is pretty decent.
So, looks like I'll just be needing the quick release pot and a push pull tone pot, then pickups and possibly tuners. Also a switch.

Pretty happy. Got a lot of work to do, fingers crossed I can keep myself patient enough, and come out with something decent

[FrankenWashie]

That looks even sicker than it sounded!! This should be good...I shall fetch the popcorn.

[Andy40]

What a B E A S T

[Mr.Drifter]

Just put two strings on to check allignment of the neck pocket. Perfect there. Though nut has the action there at like 1km off the fretboard. Definitely going to get the tusq nut done. May as well get the frets checked out too, just to be safe

[Andy40]

Thats pretty typical, even the plastic ones need to be dropped in height. are you gonna do the fret job yourself? you might as well learn?

I used to use a pack of Stanley knife blades of various sizes as fret rockers
for the bevel i used a square piece of aluminium with double sided tape to stick on some 240 grit
I got a set of various tiny trojan files for about $10 for crowning the frets
some 0000 steel wool and metal polish for polishing frets
some blue painters tape to protect your fret board.

Heres a good clip on how to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDy7cF255dY

[Mr.Drifter]

Thats pretty typical, even the plastic ones need to be dropped in height. are you gonna do the fret job yourself? you might as well learn?

I used to use a pack of Stanley knife blades of various sizes as fret rockers
for the bevel i used a square piece of aluminium with double sided tape to stick on some 240 grit
I got a set of various tiny trojan files for about $10 for crowning the frets
some 0000 steel wool and metal polish for polishing frets
some blue painters tape to protect your fret board.

Heres a good clip on how to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDy7cF255dY

I'm just not sure I trust myself entirely to do it well. Seems like one of those jobs that if you don't do it well, it can be bad in a sense