PDA

View Full Version : Offender Stealthcaster



maxaxe
12-05-2013, 09:59 AM
My second Pit Bull build has started, this time using an ST-1 kit as a basis.

The concept here is another satin black beastie inspired by the notorious Nighthawk Stealth fighter.
All black hardware, tuners & furniture etc. have been acquired and are ready to fit.
Guitar will feature a radical headstock, pitch black fretboard, moderately radical body and a few other things still swirling around in my tragic head.
Otherwise the set-up will be more or less standard Strat with 3 single coil PU's but I will most likely delete the tone controls.

Pics:

(1) Blacking the fretboard using plotter ink then polishing with carnauba wax. Note masking punch outs to preserve white position dots.
(2) The body of the matter in its first stage. It will be quite heavily chamfered before any finishing work begins.
(3) Headstock diagram - stock will be "hollow" with 3x3 tuners set at right angles to it somewhat like an old style banjo head.

More soon

Max





http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/01v45-Stealth-1.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ml01w-Stealth-2.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/oi64q-Stealth-3.jpg

WeirdBits
12-05-2013, 10:13 AM
w i c k e d

Gavin1393
12-05-2013, 12:45 PM
Nice concept guitar Max. Just be careful with that Carnuba wax....you dont want to get that on the body of the guitar before you get the paint on it!

dingobass
12-05-2013, 12:56 PM
RADICAL!

Just a few questions Max.

1. With the headstock design, what type of joins are you going to use on the additions?
2. What glue will you be using?

Brendan
12-05-2013, 12:59 PM
Woooah Max - great design - if it's anything like the black tele, everyone will be drooling over it all over again.

phloggy
12-05-2013, 11:47 PM
Oooh, this'll be interesting.

Brendan
13-05-2013, 12:08 AM
Max from the look of it, are you going to have enough wood in the headstock? The look of those tuner holes aren't leaving much wood outside.

maxaxe
13-05-2013, 03:04 AM
Thanks for all your replies folks :D

Yes Gavin - I will be careful with the wax, thanks for the reminder.

Answer to DB's questions:
At this stage I'm planning to join the headstock wooden parts with concealed pre-bent steel flat bar "biscuits" tapped & c/s bolted and set in Araldite.

Answer to Brendan's question:
The wooden "rails" are 1" (25mm) deep allowing room to side mount the tuners and impart critical strength to the headstock. See rough sketch below - I hope it helps clarify.

(I'd feel a bit silly if the 'stock slingshotted off under tension and knocked my block off)

P.S. Has anyone tried doing white based waterslide decals?

Max
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/q1504-Side-elevation.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/57tn5-Label-1.jpg

GlennGP
13-05-2013, 05:07 AM
I really love the audacity of this thing. Can't wait to see you pull this one off!

dingobass
13-05-2013, 08:24 AM
OK, one suggestion would be to not use Araldite...it becomes brittle with age!

Have you considered using dowels?

If you make them out of the Rock maple they will be as strong as steel.
You would be able to glue them in with Titebond for a permanent join :D

maxaxe
13-05-2013, 08:44 AM
Quote from dingobass on May 12, 2013, 17:24
OK, one suggestion would be to not use Araldite...it becomes brittle with age!

Have you considered using dowels?

If you make them out of the Rock maple they will be as strong as steel.
You would be able to glue them in with Titebond for a permanent join :D

Thanks DB

I had considered dowels, but was worried they might not bear the strain.
Plus I didn't know about the Araldite ageing thing.
Using dowels would be a much easier solution . . .
Where does one find Rock Maple?

Max

dingobass
13-05-2013, 08:48 AM
OH, Sorry Max, I should have mentioned that the neck and headstock is Rock Maple :P

No need to go on a mission to find some!
(If you do need some more, I have got a ton of off cuts lying around!)

Brendan
13-05-2013, 09:32 AM
Here's one for you Max...
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/09k97-Max-Axe.jpg

tigertune
14-05-2013, 08:20 AM
Love the look & sound of this project.Was the black hardware easy to source at a reasonable cost?
Carl

maxaxe
08-06-2013, 11:22 AM
Answer to Carl's question:
Yes, I found good cheap black hardware from China on Ebay.

The project:
Languishing for far too long . . . other stuff needed doing damn it all.
Made a tiny bit of progress today - roughly routed out the extended recess for the controls.
Filled in cavities & cracks with (gasp) Plastibond.
Still loads left to do - time to pull out the proverbial.

Photo below shows test fit of controls and the PU's fitted with new black covers.






http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/65zrn-002.JPG

brett40
08-06-2013, 12:17 PM
this is going to be a epic axe

Brendan
08-06-2013, 12:33 PM
Go Max!

dingobass
09-06-2013, 06:22 AM
That Axe is fully sick Maxie! :)

maxaxe
16-06-2013, 10:02 AM
A little more stealthy work . . .

Rough shaping now done ie. the heavy chamfering front & back.
A few more infills & tidying up done. Next it's time to accurately shape these while doing some minor fills.
Then for the hard yards of cleaning up said chamfers & the usual neverending sanding & prep.



http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/m35sl-008.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/6u2za-006.JPG

Brendan
16-06-2013, 10:45 AM
Looks like it is coming together for you Max!

tigertune
17-06-2013, 08:30 AM
I am liking this project a lot!
Carl

maxaxe
25-06-2013, 11:45 AM
OK started in on the headstock with revised ideas (thanks DB)

There will be dowels inserted at the joints which are the obvious weak points. And I'm keeping more of the original head maple than first envisaged - also for strength. The "head frame" is in fact 25mm deep for even more longitudinal rigidity. I will probably be incorporating recessed external bent steel flat bar bracing at the primary joints as added insurance.
Gone is the 10 degree canting, as the deep position of the tuning pegs relative to the nut should render this uneccessary.
It all looks pretty rough, but trust me - I know what I'm doing :?

I hope the pics convey the plan better than words . . .



http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/azcv2-Head1.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/61nq2-Head2.JPG

Gavin1393
25-06-2013, 11:52 AM
You're a brave man Max!
What glue are you using on this project?

maxaxe
25-06-2013, 12:00 PM
/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from Gavin1393 on June 24, 2013, 20:52
You're a brave man Max!
What glue are you using on this project?

Ummmmmmm

PVA (which I know our revered DB hangs sh*t on) but this is industrial stuff I scored and the glued faces are stronger than the wood itself going from past experience.

Brendan
25-06-2013, 12:16 PM
Great work Max - go the Axe!

maxaxe
01-07-2013, 09:49 AM
A wee bit more Stealth:

Test fit up of scratch plate(s) and neck test fit.

Headstock dowels are still going in . . .
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/04u43-Steal1.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/u1535-Steal2.JPG

tigertune
01-07-2013, 11:15 AM
Wow looking very cool

Carl

phloggy
01-07-2013, 11:41 AM
This is not to my tastes, but it's looking like it's going to come out well.

Bass Guy
01-07-2013, 11:49 AM
This will be a brutality machine! Great work!

Fretworn
02-07-2013, 01:42 AM
I hope you don't have issues keeping the strings on the tuning machines once they are mounted into the void in the headstock. I just have these visions of them sliding off the end.

maxaxe
02-07-2013, 02:15 AM
I hope you don't have issues keeping the strings on the tuning machines once they are mounted into the void in the headstock. I just have these visions of them sliding off the end.

Good point Fretworn . . .

I studied the angles of the strings relative to the pegs themselves & the nut before starting work. the incidence is very small as determind by the headstock's side angles. I calculate the strings won't slip off - BUT there are contingency plans if I f**k up.

Brendan
02-07-2013, 09:24 AM
You'll take an eye out with that thing! :)

dingobass
02-07-2013, 10:29 AM
So very Metal, Max!

maxaxe
15-07-2013, 07:29 AM
At long last I've finished sanding to the point where the spray putty has gone on.
Next, as usual, more very fine sanding before the paint gets applied.

Made the decision - colour will be metallic charcoal/graphite with most likely black highlights
(lowlights?) especially where the waterslide decal will go on the 'stock. Hoping this colour scheme will work well with the all black scratch plates & hardware.

Change of name: I decided against another pun on Stratocasters and will go with the "Nighthawk" name as per the per the Stealth Fighter that inspired this effort (see pic below)

More soon, my finger is now exposed to the air . . .
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/r11u9-Putty-1.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/4d912-Putty-2.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/12vqs-Label-Nighthawk.jpg

15-07-2013, 08:19 AM
man i just come across your build ,, and i have to say its great to see someone else thats thinks out side the box and love to mod ,, its looking good ,, hope this will inspire others to do the same ,, cant wait to see the end result ,, the colour sounds nice ..

maxaxe
14-10-2013, 12:09 PM
Hello again fellow guitar dudes . . .

I've been in hibernation for 3 months now for all sorts of reasons.
I HAVE been lurking on the forum at times and observing the continually elevating standard of the builds (with awe and even a little trepidation)

I hope to finish this Nighthawk(formerly Stealthcaster)project in short order now.
I also hope it never appears on the ugly guitar thread :? :|

When this baby is finito, I plan to start? strat? on a couple of radically altered kits that probably WILL finish up in the hall of shame.

At last some progress on the NH with the metallic charcoal coats going on to the finished & pre-fitted neck & body . . .




http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/x35la-NH1.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/rbc89-NH2.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tp67w-NH3.JPG

stan
14-10-2013, 12:30 PM
looks amazing, great to see someone doing their own thing

GlennGP
15-10-2013, 12:22 AM
That is looking incredible. I really hope it sounds decent when you're finished!

Tim
15-10-2013, 11:03 AM
Very METAL ..pushing the envelope,look forward to the end product

maxaxe
31-10-2013, 01:20 PM
Finally got the thing finished (all bar setting up & intonation)
Everything seems to be aligned properly now. I had a few tribulations, but they're par for the course with modded jobbies.
Happy to report that the stings haven't slipped off those angled posts! I did fit a small bar across the lower part of the headstock to prevent the E strings from grooving/scraping the wood.

Now I suppose it's time to break out the next project . . .
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/816c6-Stealthy-004.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/01m86-Stealthy-010.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/t2lr6-Stealthy-002.JPG

pablopepper
31-10-2013, 09:31 PM
You are a crazy man, Max, beautifully, wonderfully crazy. Keep it up.

Andyport
31-10-2013, 09:47 PM
Crazy, crazy build Max...just amazing.
Incredible foresight just to come up with the concept...let alone carry it out!!
I'm such a traditionalist...this level of customizing would just plain scare me!!
Well Done.

GlennGP
31-10-2013, 10:51 PM
Gob-smackingly audacious - way, way outside the box on that one, and so well executed. Well done, that man!

stan
01-11-2013, 12:26 PM
great result!