Fun with carbon fiber...

[koshikas]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

Well the pick looks great, has amazing grip, sounds good and plays well....BUT...big but...once you get past the hard gel coating on the outside and form a bevel on the edge (which is what strikes the strings as you play) it's essentially like playing with an extra hard carbon pencil and my fingers were black with dust after just a few minutes of playing. :laughing:

other than blackish dust, does the carbon weave leave minuscule splinters in the bevel caused by wear.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

I agreed with your observation on the tips, so I see thats confirmed. I dunno, some epoxys are nearly indestructable. Wonder how that changes the tone tho. I like the cut outs he has for grips too.

Well you'd essentially be playing an epoxy pick not so much a carbon fiber one. It must change the tone but I have no idea if it's for better or worse. Since it hardens the edge it will be brighter that's about the only thing I could say for sure since I've played so many picks and just like everything guitar related, harder and more dense = brighter. Maple is brighter than basswood, steel is brighter than brass, gel picks are brighter than tortex and so on.

other than blackish dust, does the carbon weave leave minuscule splinters in the bevel caused by wear.

I didn't notice any splinters at all it seems to wear more like the graphite in a pencil but since it's a bit harder it doesn't do it crazy fast. Each layer of the carbon fiber that makes up the 1.5mm thick sheet I used to make the pick is what called prepreg which is pre-impregnated with epoxy resin before it's laid up with the other sheets and vacuum formed into one thicker flat sheet. Based on that I figured the resin would harden all aspects of the carbon fiber and dust wouldn't be an issue. It seems however that the resin doesn't soak in so much as it bonds just the top and bottom of each layer so the insides that form the bevel I made can still dust a bit.

 

[chadd]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

I think a carbon fiber pick guard can look awesome, but it has to be paired with the right colors. It goes great with that green, or matte black

Ferrari colors would probably all work good, since they're putting so much carbon fiber on their cars now.

But with sunburst and off white plastic? mmmm No.

I think you may have just given me an idea for the Graffiti yellow strat I have been planning.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

Graffiti yellow would look amazing with a carbon fiber guard!

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

^ Yep, and don't forget neon colors, especially blue and pink!!!

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

Back when I first joined this forum my main guitar was a graffiti yellow strat with a diamond plate pickguard and 3 hot rails in it, that combo worked too.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

thats wikked Bro!! I wouldnt think diamond plate would work with yellow, but yeah, it sure does! Kinda has a construction site vibe..

 

[Vengeance]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

I have a goth LP that would look great with one.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

Back when I first joined this forum my main guitar was a graffiti yellow strat with a diamond plate pickguard and 3 hot rails in it, that combo worked too.

Do you even own any unattractive looking guitars?

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

thats wikked Bro!! I wouldnt think diamond plate would work with yellow, but yeah, it sure does! Kinda has a construction site vibe..

That guitar went through 7 different changes of pickups, guards, necks, bridges etc but that was the coolest look IMO and I miss it like that. It's loooooong gone though and parted out and rebuilt with a different neck.

I have a goth LP that would look great with one.

That would be perfect. You could even do the toggle washer to match.

Do you even own any unattractive looking guitars?

If it's not cool, why bother owning it haha? That yellow strat is long gone though. I guess some people might not like my crazy big metal flake sparkle Charvel mutts but those people are just fools LOL.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Fun with carbon fiber...

If it's not cool, why bother owning it haha?

Agreed.