I've been wanting to make my own guitar body for a while now, but I finally feel up to the challenge. I think I'll use all the parts off my fake strat and make a real neat guitar out of it. I want to make it scratchplate-less, so all the work done from the back of the guitar. I also want it to be really light for long practicing or gigs, but also strong so it doesn't break when you put it down a little rough.... :?
But are there any snags, anything I have to look out for or beware of? What kind of wood is best for what I want? And what tools would be best to do the work with? Or anything else I missed...
Thanks in advance! 8)
Ben
I used alder on mine.. fairly light compared to maple but has less sustain.
when looking for wood.. i had to find a piece 2" thick.. because i didn't have access to a planer so i couldn't plane down 2 pieces and fit them together.
make sure to measure lots of times before you drill / route for the bridge.. this is crucial if you want to get the intonation right.
you could always pick up a book from amazon .. i think a few of the books even have plans for the jig's you'll need for p-up routing.
Chris
You're a brave man. 8)
That is a very challenging thing to try to do with rudimentary woodworking tools. I know that some people who visit here have made the own guitar bodies. I know Eric Hensel made his own and one of those two guys on runoffgroove built their own, too. I have also seen a lot of other people's websites describing how they made their own.
Have you considered buying an unfinished body from Warmoth or similar place? I think you can get custom made bodies in almost any kind of wood. Just playing devil's advocate again...
If you want an awesome premade body, check out http://www.usacustomguitars.com/. Tommy is a helluva guy.
If you really want to do it yourself, then more power to you! I think it would be fun if you have the right tools and are good at measuring and have a steady hand.
What kind of tone are you after? I've been wanting to build my own Les Paul type guitar with a sweet chunk of Mahagony and a beautiful flame maple carved top.
If you are talking a strat or tele, the traditional tonewoods are swamp ash and alder. You might have a hard time finding swamp ash in Europe. It is the same as regular ash, it is just the portion that grows under the water line and is much lighter than regular ash. Mahagony is a also a good choice for a traditional gibson type guitar. Another choice that is ok is basswood. Ibanez guitars are made mostly out of basswood. Just about any hardwood is ok though. Leo Fender's first guitar was made out of Pine.
Pine would be light. And cheap, too. Maybe you could do a trial run on a piece of pine first? Who knows, maybe you might like the pine version. :wink:
Yeah, a pine prototype might not be a bad idea. My only concern would be considering how different working with pine would be to what ever tone wood you actually end up using is. I think pine is pretty soft stuff, it would probably be closest to basswood in hardness, right?
Oops, what about poplar? Poplar used to be fairly cheap, and Fender used it in its MIM Standard line for many years. It is similar to Alder in tone.
Poplar and birch are both pretty decent in terms of tone to weight ratio. And they a little harder than pine. Pine is pretty soft. Not sure how it really would actually work for a guitar body, especially with a Floyd Rose stuck in it.
Ben, if you really want to build your own, and want light weight, I'd go with popular or basswood. Fender of Japan has been using it for years on their reissue's. Pitfalls or what to watch for? Well, I dont think you would have any electronic problems, so I'd say the wood working end will be your challenge. You've already created two problems by not wanting the pickguard. One is that the cavity rout's will be more difficult, and second, unless you go a solid color, you'll get into wood matching or bookmatching. Not what you want to do on a first build.
A strat or tele is a good choice for a build. It was originally designed for mass production on pin routing machines. You can buy or make routing jigs for every facet of body's construction. You can glue up the body and take it to a local mill and see if they'll plane it to thickness for you. What you'll need is a bandsaw, router, hand drill, and drill press. You can do it with less then that. When I built my first one, I had already been doing cabinet (furniture) making for years, and could have easily done the body with a plane, coping saw, chisels, and a handbrace. But I used jigs because I learned early that the tools that do the job the most efficiently are the proper ones for the job.
Then comes the neck...ready to build one? Know how to layout a fret board? The rule of scales? I haven't made my own necks in probably 15 years. They're so readily, and cheaply available in every style and radius, it's just not time effecient to do it yourself. It will make building a body feel like child's play. Even buying a fret board doesnt help if you can't fret one. Again, not for the first build. Luckily, you have a background in the electronic end of it. You'd have no problem there. When I built my first one, the soldering iron was the only tool that scared me. Back then, wiring looked like spagetti, cutting nut slots was more fun.
Not trying to discourage you, but trying to let you know what's ahead. And building pedals and guitars is apples and oranges, make no mistake about that. Even assembling and finishing a part's guitar is not the same.
For a better idea of what your looking at, read "make you own electric guitar" by Melvyn Hiscok. Good book for total building. You have something many of us didn't have the benefit of: the internet. Go to Stew Mac's site, they have free info sheets that give specs for routing jigs and building tips. You can spend hours there. Also, go to a guitar forum like The Fender Forum, where you can get good advice most of time. Then you can make a decision. You may just want to buy a body, finish it, and assemble it.
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/body.htm
http://www.stewmac.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi/hzpi/u/HzSt0117161716131515160U0n0m130n12110m131010/hazel.cgi?action=HOME&LOC=NB
http://www.thefenderforum.com/forum/index.php?s=
http://www.projectguitar.com/
if your looking for light weight why not try laminating a few pieces of plywood? its cheap too!
for tone go with alder because its a really versatile wood, sounds lika a lot of things.
you can do this with just a few tools, maybe the most important tool you need is a router, it will bused in almost everything including neck pockets and pickup cavities. it can also be used to do the final outline for the body
wood working is real fun if you take your time. measure ten times then cut once
have fun!!!
http://home.flash.net/~guitars/
Go there for everything you'll ever need in regards to refinishing.
http://www.ruovesi.fi/yritykset/L%C3%A4mp%C3%B6puu/trans/english.htm
Another interesting material, and this is no nonsense
http://www.ruovesi.fi/yritykset/L%C3%A4mp%C3%B6puu/lmppuu.htm
(edited) another link, translations in Japan, Svenska und German :roll:
http://www.landola.fi/old_site/ttt.htm
What is interesting imho is you can give the thermal process for many different kind of wood material, be it pine, spruce, alder, ash, birch etc.
Sounds interesting...bionic kiln drying. But it sounds like the process would reduce the wood's resonance. Not good for luthiers. "Elasticity decreases", means some benefit for carpentry, not for cabinet making, where some joints are designed so three or more pieces expand and contract as one. This sounds like you have to rethink your layouts and joint types before you could reap what ever benefits it had.
With the flat meeting of everything at the neck body joint, routing a neck is easier for a strat type, with home type tools.
I did a neck angle les paul style, I left where the horn was to be put flat and square. I clamped a riser [a Less than1/2'' inch strip of wood] for the radial handsaw guide plate to rest on to provide the angle, across the body, the 'carefully cut the neck cutout into the body...actually worked good. IIRC I epoxied and clamped it in.
Ive made maple necks and honed fretboards on them. Whew....never again. I bought a fretboard from Stew Mac..alot easier, but the homemade one actually played better, I didn't trim the bought one and it was quite wide.
Doing a fret job, on a not bad neck is better bang for buck, IMO.
Creating a neck takes tools time tradesmanship etc. They have machines that make it so much easier.
My friend has a small violin bodied, full length electiric he carved/sculpted out in a meticulous reniassance fashion, A True Artists accomplishment, an excellent playing/sounding instrument, and one of the most interesting looking guitars I've ever seen, wayyy better than anything I 'threw together.
It's not at all impossibleto create a great playing, great looking, excellent sounding instrument, the way you like it.
Yes, after treatment it has different specs. If you know what you want, like good strat or les paul type end result, it´s safer to use proven materials.
But just wanted to throw that idea down, mostly because many kind of thermal treated wood material is easily available where I live at local hardware store... and it is not so expensive here... does not warp, looks nice and is non poisonous
Wow, thanks for the amazing response! 8)
The tone I'm after would be a nice fat tone with enough sustain to go around, I don't want to have to use a compressor like my current guitar. Nice an aggressive with distortion but not too whacked out to play bluesy licks every now and again. The neck I think I will just get from somewhere like eBay or the Dutch version of it or whatever, I'll keep my eyes open. I'm looking for a thin, aerofoil-shaped body à la the Ibanez JS models.
I might get an unfinished body, good idea. Thing is, I don't have a lot of cash to go around, finding a saturday job around here is nigh on impossible :x Still looking for a job though, trying my best. Maybe I'll send the music-all-in superstore an email asking for a job. That would rule, working with guitars and effects all day! Hell I can say that I can repair FX pedals 8)
OK, I have some reading to do :mrgreen:
Hi,Anno Galama used to build guitars made from a specific Cedar that is very close to Mahoganey tonewise.His guitars have incredible sustain and are very light in weight.Due to back problems he cannot build anymore but he still has wood left.He lives a 10 minute drive from my home so it wouldn`t be no problem to go over there and ask him what it would cost.
If you give the dimensions of the wood you need i can ask him what it will cost.
Also there is a place in Amsterdam where most dutch luthiers buy wood,i forgot the name but it should be in the yellow pages.
Ed
Hi EdJ,
If you're in the area and could pop by that would rule :D I'm not sure if I want to do this, after reading the tutorials it looks a lot harder than I imagined it would be... Looks like great fun though! I'm thinking of something like a strat but thinner, lighter and rounder, so if you're there ask him for a strat-sized block of wood. But don't go and make a special trip for me 8)
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Ben
Well, smoguz, if you have time and patience, I'm sure you could do it. :wink:
It's harder than it sounds, isn't it?
You are better off getting a body and finishing one for the first project. It's still enormously satisfying. I know cash is tight, but it's like the first pedal: after you get all the tools and supplies, and the actual materials, the first one cost as much as the one you were trying to copy. lol
I forgot last nite to link to the virtual guitar models. They have many popular guitars that let you plug in all kinds of colors, woods, pickguards, pu's, hardware, etc. It's great for deciding on color combos before you decide. The first link is direct, if it doesn't work, try the second. Then click on the box that says "build your dream guitar". Be prepared to lose hours playing with this. Very realistic. Build it right on the computer.
One thing, I'm not a computer whiz, but the virtual models don't let you save the image. Hopefully, someone will figure it out.
http://www.nymphusa.com/kisekae/kisekaee1.asp
http://www.nymphusa.com/tele/
(http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v156/maxlaughs/Strat/untitled.jpg)
EDIT: That's a little better. Here's a tele with a rosewood neck and bigsby tailpiece. It looks much more realistic on the screen. Try one of the Ibanez models.
(http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v156/maxlaughs/Strat/tele_1.jpg)
There it is. As much as I've used the program, you'd think I'd read the FAQ! Prtscn and open in MS Paint. So you can save all your ideas. USAG also has this on their site to help customers pick their colors and options first. Not the cheapest, but probably the best. The quality of the woods and workmanship are excellent.
Anyways, here's the above tele as it first loads up, before I customized it.
For sustain, I think you'd prefer a heavier chunk of Mahagony. USA Custom Guitars and Warmoth both make a scaled down strat type body, but it is probably out of your price range.
How about this idea, you could buy a Mighty Might body. They are fairly cheap, but not very high quality.
You might also try a body from rondomusic.com, they are only $40 US!
http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com/item.jhtml?UCIDs=850849%7C1207914&PRID=1284445
The Strat I built is in Yellow Birch.
Very heavy, but lots of sustain.
It was for a prototype body, but when I heard the result, I decided to keep it that way in place of using a lighter wood.
I just use a larger padded strap for it :wink:
I also decided to put some colored varnish on it in place of clear varnish as I wanted to do first, because the wood wasn't as nice looking as what I wanted to use first.
http://www.cobodex.qc.ca/species/yellow_birch.htm
So what it means is this: do not expect to build 2 or 3 bodies until you find one that you like... build one the way you want it right at the begining, because it could be the one you will keep. :lol:
Good luck,
Gilles
Quote from: javacodyHow about this idea, you could buy a Mighty Might body. They are fairly cheap, but not very high quality.
You might also try a body from rondomusic.com, they are only $40 US!
http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com/item.jhtml?UCIDs=850849%7C1207914&PRID=1284445
Oh, that's got the dreaded bathtub rout! :(
Who dreads it? The bathtub route is actually preferred by many guitarists. It adds quite a bit of acoustic resonance to a solid body, have you ever tried one?
Yeah, I'm actually speaking from experience, both playing, and building both types. No, they don't any resonance, they detract from it. It's not the "hollow body resonance" type thing. Think of it similar to headstocks: large headstocks and heavy tuners add sustain, not dampen it. Resonance and sustain don't always go hand in hand. Check around a little bit, I'm not the only one who doesnt like it by a long shot. And believe it or not, the bathtub rout can also cause microphonic problems, and noise interference. Three pickups suspended by only their adj. screws. The individual routs provide more protection noise wise (especially with shielding), and movement wise. You can foam line the whole bottom of the cavity to help some. Have you ever seen a pickup cavity with foam on the bottom? It's for support, it's not only the pickup's windings that can be microphonic, but the entire assembly.
It came into fashion for only one, and only one reason: ease, and cheapness of manufacture. One rout can accepts all types of pickups. Absoulutely no other reason.
"Prefered by many guitarists", like who? No one goes around looking for it. Know any one that actually went to a luthier to get their strat routed to the bathtub style? Their are plenty, though, that specify the standard rout when ordering bodies.
There is no difference in sound at all. It's a construction method that can sometimes add more problems to your tone. When it does cause probems, most players aren't aware of it's effects. They think their pickups suck and replace them. You'll find that many builders and players who are aware of both types, don't like it. Leave the "mojo" crap to JRC4558's.
Hmm I found a neat-looking guitar 2nd hand for â,¬75... If the guy selling it responds to my email... :mrgreen:
That's good, what style is it? Is that like $42 US. Did you try the virtual models yet?
That's $62,50. I've got a pic of it (well a virtual model of it but OK), I'll upload that when I get round to it... here's a pic (http://www.marktplaats.nl/foto.php3?g=muziek&u=elektrgitaren&ID=24660&ret=%2Fmarkt%2Fmuziek%2Felektrgitaren%2F24660.htm%3Fret%3Dhttp%253A%2F%2Fwww.marktplaats.nl%2Fplaats.php3)of it from the guy selling it.
Looks cool to me :)
Well, like me for one. I chose to go with it after Tommy from USA Custom Guitars recommended it. I trust him as he has many, many years of building literally thousands of guitars. I would have to say he's right. I've been playing guitar for 16 years, and the Strat body he sold me is the most resonant, acoustically alive body I've ever played. That is partially do to his tone tapping personal selection method (tapping wood to find a nice acoustically resonant piece) but I've noticed that when I take my tremolo spring cover off the back of this guitar, it loses quit a bit of that acoustic ring.
(http://www.mycgiserver.com/~javacody/images/no_guts_large.jpg)
This thread isn't about which route is best, its about smoguz building a guitar, so if you want to argue this till your blue in face, lets start another thread. :)
You're right, this thread did go off topic. I was just responding to the rout subject. Tommy's tapping on the wood is nice, it's no secret that some wood is more alive than others. I'm sure he has recommended it, it allows the customer many more pickup options, and no returns. No, I haven't built thousands, but more than a few,actually built, not assembled.Afters years of cabinet making, you develop of gut feel for lively wood. My point was the "pool" rout doesn't effect the resonance that you will hear, and that the wood selection, and it's finish material will. I'm sure yours sounds sweet, but it's not because of the rout. It has mechanical advantages, not a tonal one. Guitars with both types can sound good and bad for a number of reasons. But like I said, it can sometimes lead to microphonic problems with pickup mounting.
No interest in starting another thread, it's not that big of a topic with me.
the "Arnhemse Fijnhouthandel" has a nice assortment of tonewoods for very reasonable prices. The place in Amsterdam that was mentioned is the Amsterdamse Fijnhouthandel.
Keep in mind the neck has a *big* influence on tone and mostly sustain - a great body with a cheapo neck will still disappoint.
Don't splash out on zebrano or other exotic woods on your first guitar ;)
Maple sustains like mad but weighs a ton and is very, vry bright and punchy. Mahogany is warm but "slow". I'd get a nice piece of ash. Affordable, good balance of sustain and warmth, and not too heavy.
In The Hague is a builder called Peer Dellen who also sells parts from pickups to necks at good prices. Finally there's Vox Humana in Vlaardingen (they have a site - check it out)
If you want to dig deeper later on, check out Stewart MacDonald on the web - they have a mailorder catalogue!
Ben
The first guitar you make is not likely to come out as well as you had hoped, so keep it cheap and simple. One trick that I used might work for you - if you intend to use all the parts off a fake Strat, also use the body, but buy a thin piece of maple (bookmatched for an acoustic guitar top), and completely re-surface the existing guitar body, using the current scratchplate assembly as a template for the pickups and controls. You can stain and/or polish the maple - a piece of AA maple will look great and won't cost much. The new surface can be attached carefully with epoxy resin glue. Worked for me.
The Musical Instrument Makers Forum is a good resource. They have a category for "wood and materials" and one for "tools and jigs", both of which should be helpful to you. I have lurked in the tools and jigs section mostly. occasionally a member will post a photo essay to share the jigs they have developed and the tools they are using.
I also hope to build a guitar one of these days. I worry about my fingers being near spinning router bits though. Something to think about.
Its a very friendly forum too, much like this one. You can find it here: http://www.mimf.com
I've been thinking about refinishing a foto-flame Strat that I have. I bet it would be a real PITN to do it, though. That clear finish they have on the body is pretty tough. If the wood underneath is nice enough, I wouldn't mind doing "the natural look". I don't know if I really want to mess with it, though.
BTW, another company that sells guitar bodies is Carvin. I believe that they sell Strat style bodies with bolt-on necks.
It'll be pot luck Paul. Chances are if you strip it, you'll probably find 3 unmatched pieces with not much grain pattern. Usually the best looking and matched pieces are used on the natural finish models. The rest is used on solid color models. For 3 unmatched pieces to look good, their individual grain paterns would have to be real good. Check out my natural finish Strat in the test section. The pieces don't match, but all three have good grain. I would personally match better if I'm building a natural finish.
Lately, I've seen too many poorly matched naturals, with bad grain (imperfections), using bodies that should have been done in solid color. Also alder too, which rarely cuts it natural. It seems people who do this want natural, but dont want to pay extra for a select body.
Funny, in the late 50's and early 60's when the Fender custom colors were catching on, they charged more for solids than burst's and blondes. The custom colors (solids), were actually cheaper material (wood), and labor wise. It was extra profit for Fender, Leo was no fool.
BTW, your probably talking aircraft type stripper and a heat gun to get your old finish off.
I will second the part of natural alder. If you are doing a natural finish for looks, your best bet is probably ash. It looks pretty darn sweet naturally finished.
I love the sound of Ash, it is usually the best for a natural. Some people like the tone of Alder better, it's a personal preference. Once in a while though, you can find some that's matched nicely. Right now I'm also unbutchering a basswood MIJ 72' Strat reissue body that some one put (not very well) a humbucker and a Floyd on. Not too keen on basswood. I did make a Tele out of it once, and it sounds different for sure.
EDIT: Almost forgot...Did anyone play with the virtual guitar models yet? They're both useful and a blast. :D
Yeah, I figured the wood underneath probably wouldn't be that desirable, but I was being optimistic. Heck, the cheap Strat bodies are made out of plywood for cryin' out loud! :shock:
Anyhow, my Japanese manufactured HRR Strat has three pickup cavities in it instead of the swimming pool cavity. Some people claim this is better. It would seem to be since there is a little more mass with more material being present on the body itself.
I think if I was serious about this, I would just buy a replacement body with a nice grain for staining. I'm not totally opposed to painting it a solid color, though. But I don't want to hack it up. I think it would be a replacement body in either case. Stripper fumes and heat guns don't sound like much fun to me...
Hey smoguz, maybe you could do a Bo Diddley kind of guitar - just a rectangular piece of wood with a neck stuck on it. That would be easy! :lol:
Bo knows. :D
(http://64.7.66.217/pics/bo.jpg) (http://64.7.66.217/pics/bo2.jpg)
Hey! Bo went MIDI. :D
Take care,
-Peter
Peter, there is something sick and wrong with that. I find the usage of Midi and Bo Diddly in the same sentence HIGHLY disturbing. ;)
Lol! Glad I saw him before he got his ram installed!
No one tried the vitual model yet? Way better than Unreal Tournament!
I know... it is disturbing isn't it? :?
I also thought it was "off" when Jerry Garcia went MIDI.
I played with one of those GK2As a few years back and I must admit I liked the experience.
Take care,
-Peter
Almost as weird was seeing Johnny Winter playing a Hondo headless Stein-clone. Not what you'd expect a Texas blues playing axe slinger to play, along with his Firebirds.
I've tried it fretwire, I play with it almost weekly. Its fun to throw stuff together. I wish there was one for Lesters.
Johnny Winter playing a headless guitar? I feel like I'm going to be sick. What is this world coming to? ;) I want to own a Firebird just because of him. Looks like I'm gonna hafta run out and buy a steinberger. Not!
They do have Lesters! The complete Telecaster link I gave takes to you to the main model site where they have the LP and SG.
Well, you can tell how long its been since I've been there. I've been using the USA Custom Guitars versions. Thanks for that info. I've got a new toy to play with for the next week. Thanks!
Here is my newest dream guitar:
(http://www.myjavaserver.com/~javacody/images/59_copy.jpg)
Nice...relic style! Heeeeres Johnny..........
(http://www.johnnywinter.net/images/slideshow/02/summer02_baltimore1.jpg)
(http://www.johnnywinter.net/images/slideshow/oldliveshots/att_live33.jpg)(http://www.johnnywinter.net/images/slideshow/oldliveshots/att_live46.jpg)
He's been using these things for years...it just dont fit with him like a Firebird!
What's the beef? "Midi" and "Bo Diddley" is one of the best rhymes ol' Bo could have come up with. :wink:
Hi smoguzbenjamin,
Here's another idea which may be helpful.
I think one of the more tricky parts when building for the first time is cutting out the neck pocket (if you intend to use a bolt on neck).
There's a little workaround to make it less difficult and that doesn't need special tools. It's to build the body pancake-wise : two slabs on top of each other. The thickness of the top slab is important because it determines how deep the neck pocket is (how deep the neck heel sinks in). To make that neck pocket you just saw a U-shape hole into the top slab that fits the heel of the neck snugly. Then join the slabs together et voilà : neck pocket is ready. Also very easy to make the body cavities and pickup holes.
What no one has mentioned so far is the Danelectro-style construction technique.
1) Take a "garbagewood" slab.
2) Cut out your desired shape.
3) Cut way all "unnecessary wood so that you end up with a sort of frame and a centre block (see those ads for Samick guitars)
4) Cut out pieces of masonite for the top and back.
5) Glue on the masonite (shiny side out).
6) Drill/route all appropriate openings.
7) Paint or laminate.
This may seem ridiculously cheap and low-end, but don't let it fool you. Those old Dano and Silvertone guitars could really rock. The nice thing is that you can bang one out in no time flat with little work, little cost, little risk to a cherished piece of wood. Hell, they are cheap enough that you can crank out a bunch of body styles and swap bodies when you feel like it; a Moderne on Tuesday and a Tele on Thursday, with a Vox Phantom on Saturday.
I made one (Tele body) that came out okay as a first experiment, though I probably should have actually traced a Tele body when I started it. I didn't want to put up with the painting, so I just bought a sheet of nice woodgrain formica at Home Depot. glued it on to the masonite, and bought a roll of white adhesive-back edging for the sides (just like Dano does).
I don't know how anyone can play a headless Steinberger. So much of my technique relies on the body of the guitar...
does anybody know where to find full plans of a tele and a les paul in autocad etc format
My choice for a solid, sustaining body would be Rock Maple. Yeah, it's heavy, but you can knuckle thump it and feel the resonance!
.....I've often wondered what with the advent of all the technical leaps in building materials for homes and playgrounds-they make some pretty impressive things when they combine sawdust with resin or plastic.....I see a lot of playground materials using this type of stuff,so why couldn't you make a mold and put together a mixture of this stuff and say,pour a guitar into a mold......I'm sure it could be done.......then,all you would have to do is finish sand it....(don't forget the extruded aluminum truss rod!)......
......I forgot to include the part about the "adhesive contact paper holographic sunburst AAAAA bookmatched mylar decal that changes colors when you play harder".........
.......with genuine imitation recycled Fender abalone 346 pick material inlay......ok, I'll stop here!........
I love the warmth of a Mahogany body but it's up to yur ear's, readup on what wood does to the tone of a instrument,
And Paul, I could'nt agree more with ya, a guitar with no headstock ?
That's like a Bicycle with no wheels, a girlfriend with no Boo, Whoops ! :lol:
Not goin there ! I'm gonna get back to my Errk Crapton midrange booster I'm tryin to build.
JD
Like I said, if you've seen Johnny Winter, it's the strangest thing to see him put down his Firebird and pick up the headless axe. It just doesn't fit him or his music. You just don't think of a Texas blues rock legend who plays with a thumbpick, using a modern design like that. But, he has no problem playing it!
Wow. A guitar without a headstock. I thought that was a camera boo-boo first... wierd. My friend has a BC Rich Warlock guitar, also without tuners on the headstock, you know, the kind of strings you clip into the top of the neck and then thye're automatically tuned kinda right. It still has a headstock.
I bought a new guitar after all. It's really neat, mahogany body, light, sunburst, the works. Oh yeah it also plays nicely. :mrgreen: