Gav's Ash LP

[andrewdosborne]

Thanks Gav, I'll add this to my shopping list for SG

[stan]

looks awesome Gav, get some big pics up mate

[gavinturner]

Thanks @Stan! I'll try to do more than 25% scale of camera source from now on.

Today I leveled the frets, re-crowned and got the neck glued. Fingers crossed I did everything right with the neck - It looks fine but in the back of my mind a little voice is telling me I didn't use enough glue. I had all the surfaces covered, but there wasn't much squeeze out. Oh well, time will tell!







She is actually starting to look like something now! Next step is to get the control cavity shielded and solder on the ground wire. I don't think I'll shield the pickup cavities this time around as you forumites have been saying it changes the tone?? Cuts the highs? Am I right in thinking this? It's my first LP and I want it to sound as good as possible!! What should I do????

Once the clamp comes off the neck, I'll be waxing the fretboard with dingotone guitar wax and then starting on the electronics. I'm planning a 50s vintage wiring for this build. Why?, well, um, who knows why! Anything with "vintage" in the name has got to be better right?? Let's hear those arguments for and against! I would especially like to know if this is the right choice given I've got the Neodymium pickups. These are about as un-vintage as you can get. Let the flame war begin! Bwahaha

cheers,
Gav.

[wokkaboy]

Well done Gav she's a stunner. Sure you used enough glue, I'm the other end of the scale use way too much and got to wipe it off the finish. Interested to see the wiring diagram of the 50's vintage wiring, wonder whats different to the standard LP wiring.
Should sound awesome I have no doubts

[gavinturner]

Thanks Wokks. As far as I understand it, vintage wiring attaches the tone circuit to the output of the volume pot (that goes to the jack) instead of the input.



This is what I've read:

"The modern wiring will maintain the overall volume better when you roll down the volume but at the cost of losing a bit of high end. If you have a bright pickup that may not seem that bad of an idea, because with less volume and the same amount of treble the tone might be too piercing. On the other hand, the vintage version keeps the amount of treble the same but drops a bit in volume as soon as you roll down the tone pot."

cheers,
Gav.

[kanelangmaid]

Gav looking good. Must be getting exciting, as every new guitar build does when you first plug it in after months of bonding time.

Here's my take on the wiring. My LP is wired in the vintage fashion. The main reason I went this way was so that any adjustment in volume or tone influences both at the output. So if you want a creamy Clapton sound, you wind down the tone a fair bit which rolls off the volume as well. In the modern way your tone knob "just" changes tone (I say that lightly), volume changes volume, rather specific and not influenced together. I think with my latest project I am going to do both, on pickup one way and the other obviously the other.
In saying all this I don't really play clapton that much and utilise the effect. Also my neck pickup gets all the playing time and usually the volume and tone pots are maxed out. The only adjustment I normally make is slightly winding down the neck tone or volume when I play with both buckers in action to balance their output. I should have a added some extra winds to the bridge pickup.
The vintage way has more character where the modern way is very specific (just as you if you picked up any newish ibanez or strat). Keep in mind this is all my opinion. You also have many adjustments with amps and guitar pedals.

You should be able to get the same sounds out of your pickups it's just the way you adjust it that changes.

Ok, off the soapbox. Sorry it was so long.

[Scott J.]

Of course Vintage is better ... EVERYTHING was better back in the day! (at least that's what my dad, granddad and uncles were always telling me as kid ... and to be honest the older I get the more I realise how right they were! )

Shielding - (if your previous post didn't start a flame war then this probably will!) ... IMOH ... for single coil set-ups I'd regard shielding as pretty indispensable to cut down the noise (especially if you're running Fender schematic wiring as they've created a "ground loop" in their wiring set-up that they've never fixed to this day and which only adds to the noise picked up by the single coils) ... but if you're running humbuckers then my feeling is that shielding is more effort than what you get for the investment - after they don't call them "hum-buckers" for nothing (I.e. hum-cancelling). Of course it WILL make a difference but I reckon its so small as to be almost pointless. (now thats are bound to get a few hackles up! )

Vintage - For or Against? ... Despite all the technical advancements that have been made since rock first reared its head, I still reckon most of the best (rock) guitar tones come from good ol' low-tech days of cloth-covered wiring, over-driven tube amps and smoke-filled gigs! (cigarette and other)

... Long live the vintage!

[Scott J.]

BTW - another really great axe, Gav ... looks like this is becoming more than just a habit! (I'm rapidly running out of drool! )

... for your next build, how about going for something completely different and create a real "dog" of build! (just kidding!)

[gavinturner]

Wow thanks for the details notes @Kane and @Scott!! It is very much appreciated. You both support the conclusion that Vintage Wiring is the thing to go for. To be honest I play mostly with everything up full (because I really can't play a lick truth be told) so it's a bit of a hypothetical in that sense, but who knows in 30 years time I might actually be able to make use of my choice here today .

Thanks again guys.

@Scott, there are plenty of dogs don't you worry! Maybe just a closer inspection is required!

cheers,
Gav.

[Scott J.]

Woof woof!