Bunch of new axes built
- Thread starter orpheo
- Start date
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Black korina body with carved front (no top), solid purpleheart neck shaft, indian rosewood fretboard with block inlay and maple binding, 24.75" scale & 22 frets, custom p90 pickups
That's all for March! Got two nice ones for April lined up. May will see three repairs that will take up my time fulltime, but from June till October, it's full-on custom builds! Four LP's, strat, tele, Jazzmaster, Firebird, doublecut, SG.
After that? Done
Black korina body with carved front (no top), solid purpleheart neck shaft, indian rosewood fretboard with block inlay and maple binding, 24.75" scale & 22 frets, custom p90 pickups
That's all for March! Got two nice ones for April lined up. May will see three repairs that will take up my time fulltime, but from June till October, it's full-on custom builds! Four LP's, strat, tele, Jazzmaster, Firebird, doublecut, SG.
After that? Done
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Wow those finishes just glow. Nice guitars, and really nice configurations.
Just curious, how do you pick which woods to use for what parts? For example, when you decide are you thinking of what the pickups sound like and choosing woods to accent/compliment or counter that signature to create an effect? Or do you choose more for cosmetics and only give a more general consideration of tonal character of the wood?
Also, I’ve always wondered, for multi-ply necks is there some kind of guidance for what works best, eg x number of layers is strongest but y layers allows more tonal vibration, and soft woods need to be >50% of the layers and hardest woods <30% of the overall width of the neck, or like 3/8” strip of x, 1/8” strip of y, 3/4” strip of z, 1/8” strip of y, 3/8” strip of x results in ‘some specific’ effect, etc. or is that overthinking it?
Wow those finishes just glow. Nice guitars, and really nice configurations.
Just curious, how do you pick which woods to use for what parts? For example, when you decide are you thinking of what the pickups sound like and choosing woods to accent/compliment or counter that signature to create an effect? Or do you choose more for cosmetics and only give a more general consideration of tonal character of the wood?
Also, I’ve always wondered, for multi-ply necks is there some kind of guidance for what works best, eg x number of layers is strongest but y layers allows more tonal vibration, and soft woods need to be >50% of the layers and hardest woods <30% of the overall width of the neck, or like 3/8” strip of x, 1/8” strip of y, 3/4” strip of z, 1/8” strip of y, 3/8” strip of x results in ‘some specific’ effect, etc. or is that overthinking it?
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Thanks!
It totally depends! If I wanna go with the classic "F" type sounds, I almost always gravitate towards a maple neck plus hard ash body. If it's a "G" style guitar, it's often black korina or swamp ash with a maple cap; the neck is whatever I find. A purpleheart neck will be a bit stiffer, a bit harder so it will give a slightly brighter tone than wenge for example. I posted something about tonewoods earlier today but the gist is: the species don't matter nearly as much as the thickness of the material.
More layers only makes a neck stiffer and more stable but doesn't make a guitar sound better, per se, nor does a single piece neck. I try to keep the width of the inner pieces within the width of the nut minus 10 millimeters but that's more for appearance' sake than for anything structural. I don't like the pinstripes popping out on the outside of the neck shaft when the neck shape is carved. Doesn't matter much structrually, it's just a visual thing.
I don't actually have a method to how I laminate my necks. I pick what I have, try to maximize the yield of the materials I get in so I don't have to waste as much (wood is expensive, y'all!) and that's that I guess.
Thanks!
It totally depends!
If I wanna go with the classic "F" type sounds, I almost always gravitate towards a maple neck plus hard ash body. If it's a "G" style guitar, it's often black korina or swamp ash with a maple cap; the neck is whatever I find. A purpleheart neck will be a bit stiffer, a bit harder so it will give a slightly brighter tone than wenge for example. I posted something about tonewoods earlier today but the gist is: the species don't matter nearly as much as the thickness of the material. More layers only makes a neck stiffer and more stable but doesn't make a guitar sound better, per se, nor does a single piece neck. I try to keep the width of the inner pieces within the width of the nut minus 10 millimeters but that's more for appearance' sake than for anything structural. I don't like the pinstripes popping out on the outside of the neck shaft when the neck shape is carved. Doesn't matter much structrually, it's just a visual thing.
I don't actually have a method to how I laminate my necks. I pick what I have, try to maximize the yield of the materials I get in so I don't have to waste as much (wood is expensive, y'all!) and that's that I guess.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
80's_Metal
Underglazed Hair Metalologist
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Gosh you can even make a tele beautiful!!!
That's some top notch quality right there buddy! Keep it up!
Gosh you can even make a tele beautiful!!!
That's some top notch quality right there buddy! Keep it up!
Re: Bunch of new axes built
You are absolutely right! I used to do warmoth but as of 2013, I haven't bought a single Warmoth and started building from scratch. It took a while to get to this level, I have to admit. I do everything myself nowadays (necks, bodies, fit 'n finish, lacquering, assembly, inlay etc). However, I out-source my fretboards. It is just too cost-prohibitive to do fretboards myself. Also, if a guitar needs a maple laminate neck (like this blue LP), I have that made to my specs as well because it is just more economical. I can do it: I do all my other laminations, but the 'plain-jane' maple laminates, I have that done for me
You are absolutely right! I used to do warmoth but as of 2013, I haven't bought a single Warmoth and started building from scratch. It took a while to get to this level, I have to admit. I do everything myself nowadays (necks, bodies, fit 'n finish, lacquering, assembly, inlay etc). However, I out-source my fretboards. It is just too cost-prohibitive to do fretboards myself. Also, if a guitar needs a maple laminate neck (like this blue LP), I have that made to my specs as well because it is just more economical. I can do it: I do all my other laminations, but the 'plain-jane' maple laminates, I have that done for me
Re: Bunch of new axes built
thatś the intent!
I never cared much for a tele and I could never find what I wanted in a tele, so I started doing it myself... same with strats by the way 
thatś the intent!
I never cared much for a tele and I could never find what I wanted in a tele, so I started doing it myself... same with strats by the way 
The Dali
MeltedClockologist
Re: Bunch of new axes built
That's awesome. Are you selling these or building for your own collection? I could probably do a body, but a neck build is pretty intimidating.
You are absolutely right! I used to do warmoth but as of 2013, I haven't bought a single Warmoth and started building from scratch. It took a while to get to this level, I have to admit. I do everything myself nowadays (necks, bodies, fit 'n finish, lacquering, assembly, inlay etc). However, I out-source my fretboards. It is just too cost-prohibitive to do fretboards myself. Also, if a guitar needs a maple laminate neck (like this blue LP), I have that made to my specs as well because it is just more economical. I can do it: I do all my other laminations, but the 'plain-jane' maple laminates, I have that done for me
That's awesome. Are you selling these or building for your own collection? I could probably do a body, but a neck build is pretty intimidating.
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Some are 'for me', some are for sale. I am still trying to get my customshop-company of the ground under the moniker of Orpheo Guitars but that is moving slowly. It's only been since 2018 that I feel truly confident in my work and I'm either restoring or rebuilding or revisiting old models so they actually look the part. My axes always sounded great but getting them to look and play as amazing, that's the hard part, haha.
Interestingly, a neck isn't that difficult. A body is MUCH more difficult!!
What's difficult about a neck? Getting an even radius: you've got a straight edge for that. Cutting the slots to the correct depth: well, you've got a depth gauge on your saw, so that's easy. Leveling the frets and pressing the frets in level: you've got a fret rocker for that. The hard part of a neck is the nut, but there are aids for that too but still... a nut is hard; hard part of a neck is getting the shape even but you can do that with a rasp, files, leveling blocks and you're done. (it only becomes hard if you wanna make a bit of money out of a build and have to have a neck done under an hour ). Other than that? nothing much, really.
Why is a body so hard, then? Because the neck pocket has to be super-tight fitting but not so tight that when you bolt down or glue in a neck, the finish cracks. The difference between a perfect neck joint and junk is just the thickness of a piece of paper. Also, hard is getting the bridge lined up JUST perfectly. Sometimes, that's off center for just 0.1mm but still... it shows. That's hard. But what's super-hard, and that's what makes a body look premium or just decent, is to get all the radii perfect. All super-even, all across the body. To get the pots to be level with the top. To get the pickguard to be flat everywhere without using double sided tape (yeah I've seen that happen, haha!).
I have been doing this for so long now, poured so much money into it, quitting now would be flushing away all that money. So I have to make this work I have given up on the idea of ever turning a profit, but I do would like to see people knowing my brand and finding it, eventually. I know that the website is not online, but the business had a tumultuous start. My business partner quite in '17, I had a very, very bad year in '18 and only now I am seeing the light at the end of that dark tunnel all the while trying to build guitars and getting them better and better, building up a catalog and a portfolio. Once I have made all the ones I wanna make, I will launch that website. That would be, by the by, 4 years after my business partner left, which would be 8 years after I started working on my first one. How time flies.
Some are 'for me', some are for sale. I am still trying to get my customshop-company of the ground under the moniker of Orpheo Guitars but that is moving slowly. It's only been since 2018 that I feel truly confident in my work and I'm either restoring or rebuilding or revisiting old models so they actually look the part. My axes always sounded great but getting them to look and play as amazing, that's the hard part, haha.
Interestingly, a neck isn't that difficult. A body is MUCH more difficult!!
What's difficult about a neck? Getting an even radius: you've got a straight edge for that. Cutting the slots to the correct depth: well, you've got a depth gauge on your saw, so that's easy. Leveling the frets and pressing the frets in level: you've got a fret rocker for that. The hard part of a neck is the nut, but there are aids for that too but still... a nut is hard; hard part of a neck is getting the shape even but you can do that with a rasp, files, leveling blocks and you're done. (it only becomes hard if you wanna make a bit of money out of a build and have to have a neck done under an hour
). Other than that? nothing much, really. Why is a body so hard, then? Because the neck pocket has to be super-tight fitting but not so tight that when you bolt down or glue in a neck, the finish cracks. The difference between a perfect neck joint and junk is just the thickness of a piece of paper. Also, hard is getting the bridge lined up JUST perfectly. Sometimes, that's off center for just 0.1mm but still... it shows. That's hard. But what's super-hard, and that's what makes a body look premium or just decent, is to get all the radii perfect. All super-even, all across the body. To get the pots to be level with the top. To get the pickguard to be flat everywhere without using double sided tape (yeah I've seen that happen, haha!).
I have been doing this for so long now, poured so much money into it, quitting now would be flushing away all that money. So I have to make this work
I have given up on the idea of ever turning a profit, but I do would like to see people knowing my brand and finding it, eventually. I know that the website is not online, but the business had a tumultuous start. My business partner quite in '17, I had a very, very bad year in '18 and only now I am seeing the light at the end of that dark tunnel all the while trying to build guitars and getting them better and better, building up a catalog and a portfolio. Once I have made all the ones I wanna make, I will launch that website. That would be, by the by, 4 years after my business partner left, which would be 8 years after I started working on my first one. How time flies.
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Ironically, the original body was gifted to me by a friend of mine, also named Fred! I don't know how he got this body blank, though, but it's not exactly a true Tele body. If/once you see it, you see it. I got it and it was super-cupped and warped so once I leveled it, it was so thin I felt (almost) obliged to add this cocobolo top.
Then, due to circumstance, I am about to get a solid rosewood strat! That one will also get a hardtail, also get pickups that are odd (I'm thinking goldfoils), also be thinline and also get a nice top: likely ziricote.
You gotta do something with your life.
Ironically, the original body was gifted to me by a friend of mine, also named Fred! I don't know how he got this body blank, though, but it's not exactly a true Tele body. If/once you see it, you see it. I got it and it was super-cupped and warped so once I leveled it, it was so thin I felt (almost) obliged to add this cocobolo top.
Then, due to circumstance, I am about to get a solid rosewood strat! That one will also get a hardtail, also get pickups that are odd (I'm thinking goldfoils), also be thinline and also get a nice top: likely ziricote.
You gotta do something with your life.
Re: Bunch of new axes built
I tried gold knobs but it looked to p0rn0 to me. The black ones looked a bit more subdued.
Re: Bunch of new axes built
Saw that but it feels like so much work. Never wanted to take the risk
Saw that but it feels like so much work. Never wanted to take the risk
