My custom PRS-style guitar being built

PeachyDragon · 2012-01-17T14:02:23+00:00

So MikeM stated in a nice way, that maybe I should make a topic about my guitar I'm having built rather than spamming every other thread about it. ? I was planning on doing this eventually but now is as good a time as any. I based the design of my guitar on a Hamer I own... only to see that an image of the Hamer fits PERFECTLY over an image of a Santana PRS. ? Same thing to me now. I have sorted out the general CAD drawings of the guitar and the inlays to be cut. Now I just need to sort out the final hardware choices with the Luthier in order to have him finish the CAD and cut the body shape... then take it from there. I made a PDf file with many pictures and technical specs of what I want for him as well. Here is the basic CAD drawing. Well, it's actually a fraction of the drawing... it's a VERY extensive drawing. I blurred out some inlays and details I'm changing anyway. And here is 7 of the 8 pages of the PDF I made for reference. (The 8th page contained the technical specs) Here are some of the initial specs... Might change. Chambered Mahogany Body Flame maple carved top Bolt on Neck with the first two pickups mounted on the neck. Buzz Feiten Tuning Wooden pickup rings Wooden Electronics cavity plate. Solid bridge (1 or 2 piece) Chrome Hardware Deep red or green stain for the top. Scale: 25 inches (635 millimeters) 24 frets Center of neck pickup 19.385” (492.37900 millimeters ) from the nut. Neck (width 46mm at 0 fret ... 51mm at 12th fret) Neck (string spacing 40mm at 0 fret ... 49mm at bridge) Neck Depth: 29mm at nut and 31 mm at 12th fret (huge, I know... we are going to refine this if needed) locking strap buttons Body will be roughly 47 mm thick at the edge (including the thin edge of the carved top) Maple inlays on the neck. Inlays on the headstock are still being discussed. Probably flame maple headstock cover with inlays in that. Pickup Heights Bridge pickup: Top(treble) E: 2.5mm Bottom E: 2.75mm Middle pickup: Top(treble) E: 3.0mm Bottom E: 3.25mm Neck pickup: Top(treble) E: 3.25mm Bottom E: 3.5mm Electonics: 3 Single Coil Adeson Burns Tri-sonics Pickups in series 1 tone and 1 volume with 1 bypass toggle switch for these 3 mini toggle switches (3-way) which will be off in the center position, on in the up position and on but out of phase in the down position. I've already seen the wood for the maple top. It's awesome. it's 2 thirds of a R4000 block of wood. It's not the most figured top you can get but I'm honestly more of a fan of the middle of the range flame maple.

Manfred-Klose

Really? Do tell me about your experience?

:-[ working late nights, with glue fumes and stuff you sometimes drill holes in the wrong place

but lucky i learned myself not to stay with that bad habit, and rather continue the next day

PeachyDragon

Manfred Klose wrote
Really? Do tell me about your experience?
:-[ working late nights, with glue fumes and stuff you sometimes drill holes in the wrong place

but lucky i learned myself not to stay with that bad habit, and rather continue the next day

Luckily a professional is doing it for me and my input consists mostly of saying, yes, make the cutaway
into the mahogany as well, no wait.... uhmm.... yes, do it... wait no... what do you think?... uhm, do it,
oh no wait... etc...

PeachyDragon

New pics

domhatch

pretty, peach. keep 'em comin', and keep on goin'!

PeachyDragon

Next the luthier will put in the bridge and tuning machines so we can establish whether the neck is perfect for me as is... it's chunky as hell and I like the feel of it now.

Norman86

hey hey... whats happening here??

PeachyDragon

Well, things are going well. Holes drilled for tuners and hardware....
The luthier is actually just taking a break from the guitar. ? You know how life goes.
But everything is on track

PeachyDragon

An image update

deefstes

Do like! What is the story with that bridge pickup cavity?

PeachyDragon

The bridge and middle pickup holes need to be moved. It was an oversight.
I think that because it's a 24 fretter or the scale length is different the calculation was 5mm off...
But I dnt mind that so much.

Gearhead

Can I ask the name of this pro luthier that does this for you? ???

PeachyDragon

? considering the last post about the error in cavities that question might be sarcastic. You can PM me for the name.
The error was caused because the luthier doesn't do custom work anymore and sticks to designs he has made before.
This guitar is an obvious exception so the error slipped through.

deefstes

PeachyDragon wrote ? considering the last post about the error in cavities that question might be sarcastic. You can PM me for the name.
The error was caused because the luthier doesn't do custom work anymore and sticks to designs he has made before.
This guitar is an obvious exception so the error slipped through.

Peachy, I know this has nothing to with me but I am very surprised how forgiving you are over a matter like this. Personally, I would have been livid beyond words! The fact that the luthier doesn't do custom work anymore may be a reason but it's no excuse. He knew when he took on the job that it was a custom job.

I am always amazed when I look at the work done by luthiers as their attention to detail blows me away - as it should! To be brutally honest, I find it very hard to accept that any luthier worthy of the name would perpetrate such a monumental oversight. I mean that maple top is one of THE aesthetic elements of the guitar. To mess that up would in my books be tantamount to voiding the contract.

I'm curious , what stops you from insisting that he replace the top (at the very least)? Is it just because you are such a nice guy, because he's offered you a SIGNIFICANT lowered price or because your relationship with him is more familial or friendly than professional? Dude, you're forking out big dosh here, just make sure you're not being taken for a ride.

Alex-B-Broadway

deefstes wrote Peachy, I know this has nothing to with me but I am very surprised how forgiving you are over a matter like this. Personally, I would have been livid beyond words! The fact that the luthier doesn't do custom work anymore may be a reason but it's no excuse. He knew when he took on the job that it was a custom job.

I am always amazed when I look at the work done by luthiers as their attention to detail blows me away - as it should! To be brutally honest, I find it very hard to accept that any luthier worthy of the name would perpetrate such a monumental oversight. I mean that maple top is one of THE aesthetic elements of the guitar. To mess that up would in my books be tantamount to voiding the contract.

I'm curious , what stops you from insisting that he replace the top (at the very least)? Is it just because you are such a nice guy, because he's offered you a SIGNIFICANT lowered price or because your relationship with him is more familial or friendly than professional? Dude, you're forking out big dosh here, just make sure you're not being taken for a ride.

I agree. If I pay anyone to do something they specialize in, there's a reason I went to them in the first place - to have it done properly. Any decent luthier wouldn't allow any slip-ups out of the workshop because he should know his name will end up on the guitar.

deefstes

Alex B Broadway wrote
deefstes wrote Peachy, I know this has nothing to with me but I am very surprised how forgiving you are over a matter like this. Personally, I would have been livid beyond words! The fact that the luthier doesn't do custom work anymore may be a reason but it's no excuse. He knew when he took on the job that it was a custom job.

I am always amazed when I look at the work done by luthiers as their attention to detail blows me away - as it should! To be brutally honest, I find it very hard to accept that any luthier worthy of the name would perpetrate such a monumental oversight. I mean that maple top is one of THE aesthetic elements of the guitar. To mess that up would in my books be tantamount to voiding the contract.

I'm curious , what stops you from insisting that he replace the top (at the very least)? Is it just because you are such a nice guy, because he's offered you a SIGNIFICANT lowered price or because your relationship with him is more familial or friendly than professional? Dude, you're forking out big dosh here, just make sure you're not being taken for a ride.
I agree. If I pay anyone to do something they specialize in, there's a reason I went to them in the first place - to have it done properly. Any decent luthier wouldn't allow any slip-ups out of the workshop because he should know his name will end up on the guitar.

Good point. Before the question is answered as to whether or not the customer finds it acceptable, the luthier should first ask whether he finds it acceptable. You would think that a luthier who hopes to be seen as one of the best, would not even consider to release something with a whopper mistake like that.

PeachyDragon

Good points made. I think if it was a pure transaction I would be livid.
We are doing an exchange of services.
Generally I am super excited about playing the instrument and
his attention to detail thus far has far exceeded my own. Since I am a designer
that is saying a lot. In his field he can see things with regards to wood and finishes that
I simply wouldn't notice. The two aesthetic errors will be covered up a bit by airbrushing.

I cant wait to play the guitar. Once of the fret dots is also lightly lower and he showed it to me.
I don't mind. A custom guitar is a custom guitar. most issues cant be spotted without a ruler etc.
So as long as playability is top notch I don't mind. Many good guitars cut various corners that wouldn't
be cut on a custom job so in my opinion this guitar is already a step up.

My most expensive guitar is my Takamine Nylon Acoustic I got when I was 16. Family matter and inheritance.
Other than that I play a Epiphone black Beauty with pickups swapped and some work done. So you can understand
how I look at playability and sound first. My Epiphone has a huge crack down the finish by the bridge from years of
gigging and teaching. It's a guitar, not a holy symbol... it will get bumped and bruised and I wont like it, but it happens.
Just like the way a new car gets scratched eventually.

deefstes

PeachyDragon wroteIt's a guitar, not a holy symbol... it will get bumped and bruised and I wont like it, but it happens.
Just like the way a new car gets scratched eventually.

I sure as hell won't buy a new car that comes pre-scratched, much less if it was custom made to order. And that's if you compare this to scratches, I'm comparing it to the front wheels being in the wrong place.

But hey, I've said what I felt I had to. It's your guitar and your transaction so the only really important thing is that you are happy.

PeachyDragon wroteI think if it was a pure transaction I would be livid.
We are doing an exchange of services.

I hope the graphics design you're doing for him has a few crooked lines ?

OK, now that this is off my chest, I will eagerly follow the remainder of this project. It's still massively exciting stuff!

PeachyDragon

Lol. Those are all fair comments.
If you tap the wood the tonal response between the bass and treble side is huge. bassy on the bass side and trebly on the high side. Should have a great sound. The project should pick up speeds since the back cavity has been cut now as well.

aubs1

deefstes wrote I sure as hell won't buy a new car that comes pre-scratched, much less if it was custom made to order. And that's if you compare this to scratches, I'm comparing it to the front wheels being in the wrong place.

:roflmao:

Sorry, I just found that statement quite funny!

Ray

Peachy, you sound as though you are looking forward to this guitar. And it looks pretty to me. What I am hoping for you is that your builder sorts it out ok and that you get the instrument you are after. It sounds like you have an understanding with whoever is doing this for you. Trust and understanding. Sounds like it's there. So if you are confident then there is no need to be too worried.

« Previous Page Next Page »