Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

[mrfunnyman]

After a three year guitar playing and building hiatus, I am proud to say that I am almost done with schooling and my internship at the hospital and thus have decided to treat myself to building a guitar of my choice. So with that being said, I have decided that my first build is going to be my homage to an 80's shredder guitar.

Spec's for the body will be:
-Basswood tele body painted in Super white lacquer
-Humbucker bridge route
-Kahler tremolo
-Single volume
-Forearm and Tummy contours
-Strat neck pocket


The neck will be a Charvel San Dimas 22 fret birdseye maple neck with a strat headstock, a 12 inch fingerboard radius, thin C shaped back contour, and a shelf cut for a Flyod Rose locking nut. The neck will be unfinished, but oiled to give it some sealant.

I will be ordering both the body and neck from Musikraft and I am really stoked about this build since it has been awhile. I know the JB is a top notch choice but with my build description I've posted will a JB be overkill? So c'mon shredders give me your thoughts on my choices of wood and pickups for what I am going to be building.

 

[CTN]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

well a JB is usually the go-to for 80's metal tones. IMO it really does sound its best in an Alder body. Never heard it in a basswood body though.

Is your fretboard gonna be maple as well?

 

[mrfunnyman]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

Yes it's going to have a maple fingerboard.

 

[CTN]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

in that case, you might be able to get away with a JB in the basswood, since the all-maple neck's brightness might be tamed a bit by the basswood.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

I had a JB7 that sounded weird in a basswood RG, where the mids and low mids were prominent, thick and chewy. It was fun to play but not what I'd call an 80's shredder vibe. But that's just one data point. I'm used to a JB in alder, and a basswood guitar with a pickup that's maybe a little more scooped. Personally, I'd go with alder just because I've had more experience with it the 80's shredder context; I know several pickups right away that would do it for me. You can get what you want with either body wood, I'm sure, but I feel like the pickup choice might be a little more critical in basswood.

 

[Top-L]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

Paf Pro sounds great in Basswood. Not as hot as the JB, but its crunchy and it shreds. May be too articulate and open for your style if you are still in the big powerchord phase of playing (the paf pro has tight but not big bass) If that is the case a Super Distortion is the ticket.

If you want a more modern sound, the Evolution is great choice. Full Shred very similar to Evolution, not as modern. I have not tried it in basswood, tho. Or if you want a bassier modern Sound, the Tone Zone. That is a great basswood pickup. Basically, much of the Dimarzio catalog was made for basswood/maple guitars.

 

[epi]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

Maybe Full shred or Screamin demon may sound alright.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

Speaking of DiMarzio, the Breed neck & bridge are also awesome in a basswood/maple superstrat. (But I'm always saying that.) I think they're maybe a little on the vintage-voiced side, a little warm on the top end, for a fully indulgent 80's shredder sound. Maybe if you want to show off the blues/classic-rock roots of the genre, it would be a good thing.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

The JB is the pickup for 80s shred. It should work fine in your guitar for what you want it to do.

 

[DeathALT.]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

You could go for a Dimarzio Super Distortion. Adrian Smith has it in his Jackson sig.

 

[mrfunnyman]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

I've tried the Super Distortion numerous time and unfortunately, it's just not my cup of tea. I had one in the bridge of the EVH shark destroyer and Kurt Cobain Jaguar that I built a few years back and I didn't care for it. Out of all the Dimarzio's I've tried out, the only pickups I really liked was the Tone Zone and Air Norton set I had in EVH EBMM clone.

 

[Top-L]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

Speaking of DiMarzio, the Breed neck & bridge are also awesome in a basswood/maple superstrat. (But I'm always saying that.) I think they're maybe a little on the vintage-voiced side, a little warm on the top end, for a fully indulgent 80's shredder sound. Maybe if you want to show off the blues/classic-rock roots of the genre, it would be a good thing.

I tried the breeds in mahogony and thought they were too warm on top, exactly the same impression. I think they would be even warmer / rounder on top in basswood, but maybe not. I asked dimarzio for a pickup recommendation, I wanted a fatter PAF Pro, and they said breed. The breed looses that shreddy/trebly character. What I really wanted was a PAF Pro with more bottom.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

After a three year guitar playing and building hiatus, I am proud to say that I am almost done with schooling and my internship at the hospital and thus have decided to treat myself to building a guitar of my choice. So with that being said, I have decided that my first build is going to be my homage to an 80's shredder guitar.

Spec's for the body will be:
-Basswood tele body painted in Super white lacquer
-Humbucker bridge route
-Kahler tremolo
-Single volume
-Forearm and Tummy contours
-Strat neck pocket


The neck will be a Charvel San Dimas 22 fret birdseye maple neck with a strat headstock, a 12 inch fingerboard radius, thin C shaped back contour, and a shelf cut for a Flyod Rose locking nut. The neck will be unfinished, but oiled to give it some sealant.

I will be ordering both the body and neck from Musikraft and I am really stoked about this build since it has been awhile. I know the JB is a top notch choice but with my build description I've posted will a JB be overkill? So c'mon shredders give me your thoughts on my choices of wood and pickups for what I am going to be building.

You're basically describing my San Dimas Style 1 2H in terms of function other than having an Original Floyd and a '59 neck pickup in addition to the JB. It kills with the JB for the hot rodded '80s LA metal sound, and can also back off nicely. The neck and fretwork on Charvels is truly inspiring. :notworthy Other nice but noticeable touches are beveled fretboard edges (maple board) and direct mount pickups.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Building a shredder guitar and need some build and pickup advice

PATB-1 and of course reverse headstock :headbang: