So what's with the strip of wood along the lower horn? (at least that's what it looks like to me)
So what's with the strip of wood along the lower horn? (at least that's what it looks like to me)
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
Learn something new every day...
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
I think the lovely thing is how very workmanlike the guitar is. Not pretty, but instantly recognisable. The modifications and tweaks produced the whole 'SuperStrat' series of guitars. He wax-potted his own pickup for the original version, butchered from a Gibson 335 I believe, but constantly tinkered with it and changed the pickup several times until it was retired in the mid-80's.
My own version of it, although far from a perfect copy, just 'feels' right. the worn body and unfinished neck give it a really tactile feel, and the Floyd flat on the body means that tuning is very stable. Adjusting the action is of course a pain - you have to remove the neck and shim it! EVH apparently used a Fender 'Heavy' pick to get it right, mine needed one of those and a few layers of Al foil to get it perfect.
The neck and body are also not a matched pair, originally being bought separately from Boogie Bodies in CA (they are not fender bits). The 2- piece ash body was a second because it had a big ugly knot in the timber! The Neck has a Tele profile end, leaving a gap in the joint. To be correct you need the screwdriver truss rod adjustment in the heel end, mine has the conventional headstock adjuster.
Anyhow, back to work
Little bit more done yesterday, got the through-string bass ferrules in, as well as the first of the rear reflectors (including the broken one!)
Here's a picture of my EVH guitar, been super useful as a reference. it has a coil tap humbucker and a functional front pickup (hence the small 3-way switch):
Here's the ferrules. Even drilling from both sides with a drill press I struggle to get them in a perfect line, but they aren't too bad, and if they are off a little it only adds to the ambience...
Just as well Eddie could play like hell...
'cause he would have gone hungry trying to make it as a guitar repairer!
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
Indeed! The weird thing is much of the crude repairs and rough mods were made when he was wealthy and famous, he just loved that one guitar.
He designed some very tidy looking instruments too, but none as famous as that one rough instrument, but what a sound it made!
The dummy pickup was to fool people trying to rip his ‘brown sound’
I'm loving the attention to detail with your builds. Great stuff.
PitBull Builds: FVB-4, LP-1SS, FBM-1, AG-2, TB-4, SSCM-1, TLA-1, TL-1TB, STA-1HT, DSCM-1 Truckster, ST-1, STA-1, MBM-1.
Scratch Builds: Pine Explorer, Axe Bass, Mr Scary, Scratchy Tele's.
The little voices in my head keep telling me "build more guitars"
I haven't tried the ones on your list, but I have a set of Epic Custom Shop "Black Golds" in a P-bass. They sound great. A little more top-end than the strictly vintage, I think owing to the quarter-pounder magnets. Great pups and a great value. As good a p-bass pickup as I have heard for all around.Originally Posted by Andyxlh
https://epiccustomshop.com/product/b...ld-for-p-bass/
Not sure about shipping to AUS, but it will be hard to find a hand-wound pickup cheaper anywhere. It's also sort of cool to exchange email with the guy who is actually winding your pickups.
I have set of EMG Geezer Butler pickups in another bass.
https://www.emgpickups.com/gzr-p.html
These are passive EMGs with Alnico magnets, and just sound awesome if you want a vintage rock or blues sound. I have the P+J set and they are nicely balanced and dead quiet. A P-bass pup from any decent maker should be quiet, but the J-pup in these is equally quiet solo'd. Included in the price is the wiring harness with solderless connectors, so this is about as easy as it gets.
Last edited by fender3x; 12-09-2021 at 07:03 AM.
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