CTN
The Drama Dude
Fair warning...this thread is gonna take a while. For those who didn't see the preview thread, this is essentially what I'm building: A no-holds-barred unrelenting metal machine. Simple, but brutally effective.
Here are the specs:
Finish: Going for something close to Charcoal Frost metallic. Basically a dark gray metallic with just a tiny hint of blue.
Body: KNE Guitars XStar body (alder)
Neck: bolt on, Warmoth Maple neck, Pau Ferro fretboard, no inlays (I ordered a reverse CBS neck, but I'll be shaping the headstock)
Neck profile: Thin C
Scale Length: 24.75"
Radius: 12"
Frets: 22 x 6105 - medium jumbo
Nut: Graphtech Black Tusq
Hardware colour: Chrome
Tuners: Grover mini rotomatics
Bridge: Gotoh GE103B Nashvile styled ABR-1 tune o matic (it's an ABR-1, minus retainer wire, and with longer saddle travel for better intonation)
Controls: Master Vol, Master Tone, 3-way toggle
Pickups:
-Bridge: JB8
-Neck: bridge model hot rails, in parallel
I've already bought all the other parts I need, with the exception of the paint and the decal. Just waiting for all of it to get here, which will happen in the next few weeks. BUT, I got the first of the parts today - the body, and I'm thrilled about it. I actually wasn't even expecting it until the middle of next week cuz usually it takes a full 7 business days for stuff to get here from the states. I was quite surprised that it got here in just over 5 business days.
I really gotta give it up to Mitch Yenney at KNE Guitars. He was extremely helpful answering my questions and put together a killer product. His bodies are all done on a CNC machine so they're precise, and no screwups. Even after a week of being manhandled by USPS and Canadapost, it got here with only one tiny dent on the lower rear bout, which I was very easily able to steam out. It's surprisingly light too, only about 3.7 lbs.
Obviously, still needs to be finish sanded, but other than that, Mitch did a fantastic job. For any EVH/pointy guitar lovers, he also does a bevy of jackson/charvel/kramer/frankenstein bodies, and he does bolt on explorers, non reverse firebirds, Icemans, flying Vs, king Vs, rhoads Vs, ESP rhoads Vs and dean ML bodies. Great prices too. http://www.kneguitars.com/
Check it out.
Angled neck pocket
Neck pocket again - perfect dimensions as measured with my digital calipers
Nice clean control route with all the wiring channels already drilled. I'll need to drill the pot/switch locations though.
recessed string ferrule holes for flanged ferrules.
Full rear shot - I think I might do a jackson style contoured heel, cuz it's still pretty big, even with the angled pocket.
And full frontal shot with the pickups placed. I'm gonna be using a chrome mounting ring for the bridge bucker, not this black one, and the neck pickup will be direct mounted to the body. The hot rails in the neck looks kinda funny cuz it's actually white, but I didn't want to have one black one white pickup, so I cut some pickup coil tape and placed it on top of the bobbins.
That's it for now. Next update will probably be when I receive the neck in a few weeks (hopefully less, but we'll see).
Here are the specs:
Finish: Going for something close to Charcoal Frost metallic. Basically a dark gray metallic with just a tiny hint of blue.
Body: KNE Guitars XStar body (alder)
Neck: bolt on, Warmoth Maple neck, Pau Ferro fretboard, no inlays (I ordered a reverse CBS neck, but I'll be shaping the headstock)
Neck profile: Thin C
Scale Length: 24.75"
Radius: 12"
Frets: 22 x 6105 - medium jumbo
Nut: Graphtech Black Tusq
Hardware colour: Chrome
Tuners: Grover mini rotomatics
Bridge: Gotoh GE103B Nashvile styled ABR-1 tune o matic (it's an ABR-1, minus retainer wire, and with longer saddle travel for better intonation)
Controls: Master Vol, Master Tone, 3-way toggle
Pickups:
-Bridge: JB8
-Neck: bridge model hot rails, in parallel
I've already bought all the other parts I need, with the exception of the paint and the decal. Just waiting for all of it to get here, which will happen in the next few weeks. BUT, I got the first of the parts today - the body, and I'm thrilled about it. I actually wasn't even expecting it until the middle of next week cuz usually it takes a full 7 business days for stuff to get here from the states. I was quite surprised that it got here in just over 5 business days.
I really gotta give it up to Mitch Yenney at KNE Guitars. He was extremely helpful answering my questions and put together a killer product. His bodies are all done on a CNC machine so they're precise, and no screwups. Even after a week of being manhandled by USPS and Canadapost, it got here with only one tiny dent on the lower rear bout, which I was very easily able to steam out. It's surprisingly light too, only about 3.7 lbs.
Obviously, still needs to be finish sanded, but other than that, Mitch did a fantastic job. For any EVH/pointy guitar lovers, he also does a bevy of jackson/charvel/kramer/frankenstein bodies, and he does bolt on explorers, non reverse firebirds, Icemans, flying Vs, king Vs, rhoads Vs, ESP rhoads Vs and dean ML bodies. Great prices too. http://www.kneguitars.com/
Check it out.
Angled neck pocket
Neck pocket again - perfect dimensions as measured with my digital calipers
Nice clean control route with all the wiring channels already drilled. I'll need to drill the pot/switch locations though.
recessed string ferrule holes for flanged ferrules.
Full rear shot - I think I might do a jackson style contoured heel, cuz it's still pretty big, even with the angled pocket.
And full frontal shot with the pickups placed. I'm gonna be using a chrome mounting ring for the bridge bucker, not this black one, and the neck pickup will be direct mounted to the body. The hot rails in the neck looks kinda funny cuz it's actually white, but I didn't want to have one black one white pickup, so I cut some pickup coil tape and placed it on top of the bobbins.
That's it for now. Next update will probably be when I receive the neck in a few weeks (hopefully less, but we'll see).
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