FrankenLab Experiment #6

[DrNomis_44]

@ FrankenWashie Hey, I was wondering how much it would cost me to get you to make a custom body for a spare Ibanez 24-Fret RG 270 neck that I've got here?, here's a pic of the neck:

[FrankenWashie]

TBH Doc, that's going to depend entirely on what you want to do with it.

What body timber would you want? DO you want a single blank body or can you live with two piece/multi piece?

Do you want an RG Body shape or something a bit different?

Will you be looking for hard tail or FR/ST type trem routs? if Hard tail, Through body or top load?

Direct mount PUP positions or Swimming pool + Scratch plate?

Would you want to have the raw body to finish yourself, or would you want it finished?

The more involved it is, the more its going to cost in time, which is the biggest killer.

For an African Mahogany 2 piece body, to a standard -ish RG shape, hard tail, unfinished (Sanding sealer coated) probably about $200 ish?

I'm happy to discuss further if it sounds reasonable.

[Simon Barden]

You'll certainly need to be able to do a Floyd Rose rout.

[DrNomis_44]

TBH Doc, that's going to depend entirely on what you want to do with it.

What body timber would you want? DO you want a single blank body or can you live with two piece/multi piece?

Do you want an RG Body shape or something a bit different?

Will you be looking for hard tail or FR/ST type trem routs? if Hard tail, Through body or top load?

Direct mount PUP positions or Swimming pool + Scratch plate?

Would you want to have the raw body to finish yourself, or would you want it finished?

The more involved it is, the more its going to cost in time, which is the biggest killer.

For an African Mahogany 2 piece body, to a standard -ish RG shape, hard tail, unfinished (Sanding sealer coated) probably about $200 ish?

I'm happy to discuss further if it sounds reasonable.

Well, I'm perfectly happy with it being made from two, or multiple pieces of wood, seeing as the neck is already routed and drilled to accept a Floyd Rose locking-nut and I am planning on ordering a new Floyd Rose trem for it, then it needs to be routed to accept a standard Original Floyd Rose bridge, also planning on installing two full-sized humbuckers (mounted in plastic rings which are mounted on the body) with a three-way pickup selector switch (Neck, Neck + Bridge, Bridge), and a master volume and tone configuration, I can finish the body myself so the wood doesn't have to be anything real special or have a good looking grain to it, maybe some plain Maple or Alder, I know Ibanez normally use Basswood, I was thinking of finishing the body in an opaque metallic blue paint anyway, and yeah standard RG shape.

If direct-mounting of the pickups would work-out cheaper, then I'd be happy to go that route.

I'm happy to pay at least Au$200.00 for a custom body, to buy one on eBay would easily cost me three or four times as much.


So summing-up:

* Two or more pieces of wood.

* Wood doesn't have to be anything real special, or exotic, maybe plain Maple or Alder or whichever you think is most appropriate (neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard).

* Two full-sized Humbuckers (1 Neck and 1 Bridge), can be either direct-mounted or mounted via plastic pickup rings.

* Controls 3-way Toggle switch, 1 Master Volume, 1 Master Tone, and 1 output jack.

* Body Routed for a Floyd Rose original trem bridge.

* I'm going to be finishing the body in an opaque paint from a spray can so wood grain isn't so important.


I'm also open to any suggestions too, but the main idea is to get the neck up and running as a full and functional guitar.

[Simon Barden]

And can you wait at least 2 years for it?

[DrNomis_44]

And can you wait at least 2 years for it?

Yeah, I'm not in too much of a hurry, since I can order all the hardware while I'm waiting anyway.

[FrankenWashie]

And can you wait at least 2 years for it?

The addition of the bandsaw to the lab has brought this down to 18 months. That’s a 25% reduction in processing time!

[FrankenWashie]

FYI Doc, in cleaning up today I found I have a set of templates for a standard RG shape.

I have some African mahogany and QLD maple at the moment, I also have a big chunk of Victorian ash.

I can get Euro beech at a reasonable price, but that stuff is pretty weighty.

[DrNomis_44]

FYI Doc, in cleaning up today I found I have a set of templates for a standard RG shape.

I have some African mahogany and QLD maple at the moment, I also have a big chunk of Victorian ash.

I can get Euro beech at a reasonable price, but that stuff is pretty weighty.

Oh awesome, which wood would you recommend going with then?, do you want me to send the neck to you in the post so you can take direct measurements of the neck heel so you can get the dimensions for the neck pocket?

Now that I've been thinking about it a bit more, I'd like to go with direct-mounting the two humbucking pickups to the body, it seems to me like that's going to need the least amount of routing of the top of the body to be done.

[FrankenWashie]

Oh awesome, which wood would you recommend going with then?, do you want me to send the neck to you in the post so you can take direct measurements of the neck heel so you can get the dimensions for the neck pocket?

I’ve used the African mahogany in the Something Stirs build, it’s a reasonable weight, the QLD maple is a bit lighter.
I’ve got to put a couple of blanks together from each and do a weight comparison.



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