Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Wow, you guys have been carrying on without me here and now I got lots of catching up to do and info to process. Thanks everyone! I'll keep you posted!
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

DivebombInc said:
I've almost completed my Frankenstein Replica and I need to figure out what pickup I'm going to use now. I made the body from Swamp Ash and it's 2-Piece center seam. I made the neck from Birdseye Maple, and it has a nice old Floyd. Any suggestions? Here's a few pics. I'm missing a few key parts still, but they're on the way.
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very nice work there!!! I started making guitars myself so i could copy some of Ed's axes too.. well Ed's and Pete Townshend's... I never made a Frankenstein myself from scratch.... i've turned an old Kramer into a kind of Frankie but it was crap.... about 8 years ago i gave making my own necks and bodies a try... i love it.... but saddly i don't have a garage or work shop anymore so i'm stuck.... but seeing your Frankie work makes me want to get makeing axes again.... Guitar Making Gas!

What type of Truss rod did you use?

i have a Duncan Custom in one of my cheap MIM Strats and i could see it having the vH sound....
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

I used a Hotrod Trussrod from StewMac.

The first guitar I made was a VH Replica. I guess that's why I started too. I didn't make the body and neck on this though. The next one I did completely; it's the Franky in the second picture, but I traded it off for some equipment recently. The Bumblebee in there I still have and play the crap out of.
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Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Wow! Those are some pretty dead-on replicas. I especially like the black and yellow one -- I've always like that better than the red and white one. (Nice living room, btw. :))

- Keith
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

KGMESSIER said:
Wow! Those are some pretty dead-on replicas. I especially like the black and yellow one -- I've always like that better than the red and white one. (Nice living room, btw. :))

- Keith
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A big bunch o' + 7's:bigok:
The Black and yellow is really a cool one.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

DivebombInc said:
I used a Hotrod Trussrod from StewMac.

The first guitar I made was a VH Replica. I guess that's why I started too. I didn't make the body and neck on this though. The next one I did completely; it's the Franky in the second picture, but I traded it off for some equipment recently. The Bumblebee in there I still have and play the crap out of.
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HStickFrank_Bee.jpg
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very cool...

I had been using Warmoth Double truss rods on my home made necks.. but was going to switch over to Stew Mac's.. I want to learn how to install a vintage rod oneday.... all the rods i've done are sitting in flat routed channels under the board... i'd like to learn how to do a vintage rod in a curved slot..

i bet when your new Frankie is done many people will think it's one of the $25,000 ones when they first see it.....

I like the old Frankie you made... Always like the banana headstock.. of course by the time Ed had the Banana Kramer neck on it he was just about to retire it anyways for the 5150..

i too loved the Charvel Bee guitar.....
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

I'm still doing some vintage rods in my 1-piece necks. You have to start with a slightly up-bowed blank from what I've learned. then you route the channel to bend the rod to where it's pressure when tightened flattens the neck. Frets once pressed in also provide some outward pressure (lengthwise) on the fretboard which straightens the neck some too. There are a few variables the ultimately produce a straight neck. I learn everyday.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

DivebombInc said:
I'm still doing some vintage rods in my 1-piece necks. You have to start with a slightly up-bowed blank from what I've learned. then you route the channel to bend the rod to where it's pressure when tightened flattens the neck. Frets once pressed in also provide some outward pressure (lengthwise) on the fretboard which straightens the neck some too. There are a few variables the ultimately produce a straight neck. I learn everyday.
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now that sounds interesting... i knew frets could back bow a neck slightly but never thought a vintage rod install would do the same
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

That's not what I said. Because the vintage rod only works in one direction you have to start with a slight upbow and use the rod to pull it straight. Then if you back off the nut it allows more relief. If you don't start this way you end up with back bow and no way to loosen the nut and relieve it.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

DivebombInc said:
That's not what I said. Because the vintage rod only works in one direction you have to start with a slight upbow and use the rod to pull it straight. Then if you back off the nut it allows more relief. If you don't start this way you end up with back bow and no way to loosen the nut and relieve it.
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eyeeeeeeee.... makes sense...
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

I bet the DeMartini RTM would be a good match for a frankenstrat.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Well, Frank N. Stein II breathed his first breath last night. I have to do a few more things to complete it, but they're minor. The 3-way switch slot on the pickguard isn't cut yet and I need to do the scuffs of light blue paint on the bottom edges of the body. I haven't purchased my 78 yet so I subbed this old Schaller that looks the part. Here's a few pics from last night. I'll take better ones outside when the sun comes up.
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The pic of the reflectors is off on the color. Using the flash makes the picture too dark because of the reflectors and indoor lighting messes with the color.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Played the $25k Replica the other day and in my endless pursuit of perfection I promptly dismantled and stripped Frankenstein II.
I learned a lot about the body of this guitar by holding the EVH Replica. I knew the heal was square on the Replica but didn't do that so that's one thing I changed. The other is the pickup cavity; there are some interesting things going on in there.
Here's a picture of the neck I made for #III; I have a little bit more work to do on this like locking nut holes and overall brutalizing.
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Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

I've got an alder super strat with an all maple neck with the Invader bridge. It's a bit too bright and harsh with the all-maple neck. A rosewood board would tame it and smooth it out.

I've had a Custom/JB hybrid with Alnico 2 in it (think of higher output Custom-Custom on a similar guitar and it just dripped 80's EVH tone. Every time I'd pick it up, it just begged for old Van Halen licks.

At the least, give the Custom-Custom a try before going further and spending more.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Wasn't the original Frankie body made from Northern ash, instead of Swamp ash? (Northern Ash is much harder & heavier than Swamp ash, and is almost like hard Maple)
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

hamerfan said:
I would go a step further and take a look at the Crazy 8. All my experiences with those star pickups (APH for Slash, standard low imp Single Coils for SVR and 78 for VH) showed me that it is hard to get that trademark sound with small amateur gear. Since this guys have real top gear and better skills/force than we, you should count in some extra gain / windings / magnet power to simulate it. For instance the Texas Specials have some more inductance as the original pup of SVR. With them you get a ballsier tone and more bass, this simulates a SVR tone on a small combo better than the originals.
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+ 1 on the Crazy 8!! That brown sound early VH 1 tone is exactly the type of tone I am seeing with mine through a Marshall!! Only problem is it won't look the part so maybe a A8 Custom??
 
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Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Half of the songs on the 1st Vh album were recorded with an Ibanez Destroyer which MAY have had its original Super 70 pickups - which would be A8.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

I've heard Northern Ash for years, but I talked to someone at Fender and they said the original was Swamp. My Swamp Ash weighs more than the EVH/Fender Replica be about 2.5 lbs. The EVH/Fender Replica is made from Swamp Ash from what I've heard too.

I've got the 78 here now, but I'm going to use it in something else.
 
Re: Need to decide on a pickup for my Frankenstein

Wow, very nice stuff. So was the original a Tele heel then?
 
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