Orpheo Guitars: Guitars Giveaway!

[orpheo]

Yes, it is a Hipshot trem. Originally designed for headless guitars but I reworked into this guitar because I had some issues I wanted to have solved with this guitar.

[Gtrjunior]

I believe it's one of these:

https://www.btnmusic.co.uk/product/hipshot-headless-tremolo-system/

Yes, it is a Hipshot trem. Originally designed for headless guitars but I reworked into this guitar because I had some issues I wanted to have solved with this guitar.

Those are very cool trems.
I really dig the ones Sophia is putting out as well.

[Mincer]

In the headless world, the Hipshot is pretty respected.

[GuitarStv]

: D

This awesome thing arrived in the mail today! Only a string was broken, but it was above the locking nut so I was able to give her a super quick tune up and test. Action came super low - I think I'll need to raise it a tad for my heavy right hand. Also, there is no string retainer, which seemed a little weird for a floyded guitar . . . we'll have to see how that works out with string changes or if it needs one. Neck feels lovely . . . a touch thicker than my Charvel but very similar feel up high on the frets. I think it's got a wider heel than a regular strat like the Charvel which is great. Fret work is outstanding. Very lightly finished too. Is this an oiled neck Orpheo?

The body looks way better in person than in the crappy photos I can take, the stripes are all black sparkly and the colour is more of a purply than the red it seems to show. And, the neck joint is really nicely built - much easier to reach the high notes than on my Charvel or Jazzmaster. Looks like a reddish wood in the control cavity . . . mahogany maybe? Decent weight to the guitar at least . . . not back breaking, but not toy-like.

My guitars tend towards vintage neck/mid single coils with slightly overwound bridge, and these pickups are a little hotter than that so it'll take some getting used to. (The quarter pounder neck and mid are thick sounding!). Gimme a week or so to drag her around to play with some people and I'll post a few sound clips and more thoughts.

I figured worst case scenario I could probably sell the pickups and bridge and at least break even on shipping, but this is a very nice guitar - I don't think she's going anywhere. Seems to be fitting right in:

[eclecticsynergy]

Got mine today, sadly looking like a box of cigarettes. Apparently it split open during shipping.
Somebody tried to put it back together using a couple of pieces of clear tape but the tape didn't hold.
One side of the box also has a fairly big hole punched through it.
I left a trail of foam pieces up the street, into the building, and down the hall to my apartment.



The neck is snapped at the heel like d1dsj's, but here the neck itself split rather than separating from the body wood.
Will try to get decent pics of the break tomorrow in bright daylight; the wood is very dark.
The delicate headstock seems completely undamaged; I'm a little surprised at that.

On the plus side, I believe the neck can be repaired.
Not sure whether it could simply be glued & clamped, or if it'll need routed slots with splines glued in.
Maybe even a couple of long screws to anchor it? Will bring it to a luthier for a consultation some day.

~

Some good stuff:
Neck shape seems like it'll be very comfortable, maybe a little narrower than I'm used to
Not a lot of shoulder in back, yet it's fairly chunky. Maybe more of a U profile than the common C.
I was worried it'd be a skinny shredstick neck, but there's some nice meat here to grip.
This neck definitely has some heft, too. Haven't checked the guitar's balance on a strap yet.

Satin neckback feels like it'll be great in my hand, and the wenge fretboard is absolutely beautiful.
Body is nice and small. Finish is lovely in person, and the guitar is pretty lightweight overall.
Haven't put it on a scale yet, but I'd say well under eight pounds.
Lighter than either of my korina Explorers, perhaps not quite as light as the Moderne.

Despite the unfortunate shipping damage, I appreciate Orpheo's generosity and workmanship.
Can't wait to play it (and hear it!) but that will have to wait a while longer yet.

[Obsessive Compulsive]

The guitar shipped across the Atlantic without a hard case, I am not surprised.

[orpheo]

The guitar shipped across the Atlantic without a hard case, I am not surprised.

I ship guitars professionally for my work and I promise you, a gigbag or case won't do anything do curb this kind of damage. This is going to be a fun damage claim.

The Tiger-stripe HSS strat came without a case too, and I have shipped dozens of guitars without a case either. A case does practically nothing to curb this kind of damage. The box isn't just 'a bit damaged': it was snapped in half. The boxes for the V and the X were loaded fully with packing peanuts to combat impacts and the necks were fully supported. But a box that's just wrapped up like a burrito, nothing can save a guitar against that.

[orpheo]

The Tiger'stripe' HSS strat:

- no string tree because there is already a locking nut and a fairly steep downward angle after the nut towards the tuners because the recurve is greater than on a usual strat (if you take a look at 'mine' versus the Charvel, you'll see what I mean )

- The body is Spanish Cedar; a wood out of the mahogany-family.

- The neck is finished extremely lightly with a nanocoat, a ceramic polymer.

About the X: it's an ebony fretboard, not wenge

[orpheo]

And there I was, packing the points of the V and X in packing foam, fearing they'd get damaged. Clearly, I was wrong.

The V can be fixed quite easily. I have seen the photo's and other than a piece off the sidewall of the neck pocket that broke off, the snape is quite clean. A bit of titebond, some clamps and then the fun part: level the frets again because you never know what happened to the fretwork.

The X: no idea. Need to see more photos but if it is similar, it should be a fairly straight-forward fix as well.

[nexion218]

I ship guitars professionally for my work and I promise you, a gigbag or case won't do anything do curb this kind of damage. This is going to be a fun damage claim.

Just to corroborate what you said: when I last ordered a guitar from broad, I had bought a hardcase to go with it. Thomann refused to pack it in the case saying that the only way Jackson guarantees the packaging is in their original cardboard box. In which the guitar travelled from Indonesia to Germany and then to Hungary. In one piece. And it has nothing but some mild neck support from paper. The Mono gigbag you shipped in has a pretty sturdy necksupport in it. As you have said it: those packages were raped and beaten like no package should be. And it's actually quite disgusting that they are delivering it like that without a notice, acting like nothing ahppened. "Here, this is your package. Nothing wrong with it, right?"

[orpheo]

You are right helaas. I have shipped over 300 guitars since 2018 (and over 10000 (!!!) In just cardboard boxes without packing peanuts whatsoever just a cardboard support and a foam bag, while still working for Cordoba/Guild guitars. I've never seen it this badly. Or, be like this at all.

With over 13000 shipments in 10 years, i guess I kinda have a grasp on how to do it? Nop! Clearly not.

[GuitarStv]

The Tigerstripe HSS strat:

- no string tree because there is already a locking nut and a fairly steep downward angle after the nut towards the tuners because the recurve is greater than on a usual strat (if you take a look at 'mine' versus the Charvel, you'll see what I mean )

Yeah, I was wondering if that big drop from the headstock would get rid of the need for the string retainer thingie. It should make restringing slightly easier/quicker, so seems like a good thing in my books.

- The body is Spanish Cedar; a wood out of the mahogany-family.

Cool! My dad has an acoustic made of Spanish Cedar, but I didn't know that it was used for electric guitars!

- The neck is finished extremely lightly with a nanocoat, a ceramic polymer.

It certainly feels nice. Any special care instructions for it, or is it mostly invincible like poly?




Really cool guitar BTW, I was playing it all last night. Thanks again man!

[Mincer]

I can't believe they actually delivered a box looking like that. Someone should be fired.

[GuitarStv]

Holy crap! It looks like they hung the thing up in Mike Tyson's gym and let him go at it for a few rounds.

[orpheo]

The nanocoat is not a polyester; polyester cures itself. This was solvent based (based on an ammonia solvent) and dried out in the air. Just play it and keep it clean. Should be enough for this material.

Spanish cedar works like mahogany, sounds a teeni bit brighter. But smells amazinnnggggg.

That pickup, in the bridge, is a jb superdistortion hybrid. I only made 2 and this was the last. I think it was an amazing pickup. Enjoy!