Thread: A Few Projects To Share With You

Originally Posted by RGM

Man Ethereal, you really get through a few builds!

They all look awesome, good work.

I plan to used some Vic Ash soon, sounds like it would make a good guitar for those songs for that fender tone, though i plan a 50mm carved top in my current double cut shape. One build i wouldn't mind doing is a heavily chambered Jarrah build, as you say it delivers the lows really well.

I may go out and blow some more cash on some timber tomorrow, should have an order coming from ALS next week too...it'll be like Christmas :P

Cheers RG, yep you could say I am on a mission!...I'm also very lucky in that my work allows me to "work from home" most days of the week, so I ususally get "the work" done real quick and then start building

A chambered jarrah would be really interesting.....I do remember Perry saying that it is "tonally dead" though or words to that effect after he had experimented with it somehow. As you know I put a thick Jarrah top on my first build with a Blackwood body and it was HEAVY AS!!.....really warm sound....I reckon now that Jarrah matched better with brighter woods such as QLD Maple and Vic Ash....I have another metal series coming up with a QLD Maple body and a mildly figured jarrah top...I hope that one proves my theory and provides a nice balance of bright and warm, kind of like Blackwood on it's own

I picked up about 10 Vic Ash mildly figured 19mm 2 piece carve tops from bunnies recently for about $15 each....again should match up to Blackwood very nicely.....I also like the fact that due to the colour of Vic Ash, you can kind of play with the appearance with dyes and stains etc, kind of like what they do with US Maple....a blank canvas.

Good luck on the lumber hunt RG

Originally Posted by EtherealGuitars

Cheers RG, yep you could say I am on a mission!...I'm also very lucky in that my work allows me to "work from home" most days of the week, so I ususally get "the work" done real quick and then start building

A chambered jarrah would be really interesting.....I do remember Perry saying that it is "tonally dead" though or words to that effect after he had experimented with it somehow. As you know I put a thick Jarrah top on my first build with a Blackwood body and it was HEAVY AS!!.....really warm sound....I reckon now that Jarrah matched better with brighter woods such as QLD Maple and Vic Ash....I have another metal series coming up with a QLD Maple body and a mildly figured jarrah top...I hope that one proves my theory and provides a nice balance of bright and warm, kind of like Blackwood on it's own

I picked up about 10 Vic Ash mildly figured 19mm 2 piece carve tops from bunnies recently for about $15 each....again should match up to Blackwood very nicely.....I also like the fact that due to the colour of Vic Ash, you can kind of play with the appearance with dyes and stains etc, kind of like what they do with US Maple....a blank canvas.
Good luck on the lumber hunt RG

Yeah Jarrah is certainly a back breaker...especially when it's a large piece of furniture

I had no idea bunnings had any decent sized Vic Ash, all the stuff here in S.A is much too small and crappy for any guitar applications.

Originally Posted by EtherealGuitars

Yep, nothing wrong with Vic Ash in my opinion, in fact the tone to me is similar to that of QLD Maple.....I like the Blackwood combo with it though to warm it up a bit. It would be great to hear someone more experienced comment on why mahogany is so tonally sought after, or alder, swamp ash for that matter.....I know the debate rages on and on but to my ears my Blackwood builds have more tone that my Ibanez Mahogany body with a maple carve top (SZ720FM for those interested)......my ears may be weird though . I am sure tonewood suppliers and others with vested interests would not want to such a common timber (like Vic Ash) to get a good name tonally. Anyway, I ramble......

These 3 guitars cost me between $300 and $350 per build not including tools of course. The beuaty of building your own axe I reckon.

The oil I used is a product by "ECOWOODOIL"....called "Danish Style Oil" Clear....check it out at www.ecowoodoil.com

I think the reason that Mahogany and other traditional timbers are used is because they are used by big companies and deliver consistent results when used in instrument building.

I have almost used up all of my foreign tonewood in my current builds and sold the rest to a couple of mates getting into building. I had 3 one piece Brazilian Mahogany slabs for bodies originally but i really wanted to start using aussie timbers as soon as they had gone. One thing i like about Brazilian Mahogany is that it so nice to work with.

I hope to start Victorian Ash, Queensland Maple, Blackwood and Queensland Walnut versions of my current DC shape, to gauge tone and experiment.

Great 3 entry level builds there Ethereal.
I'll look forward to hearing them and gaugeing the tonal nuances from one , to the other and also against your other builds . I'm lucky enough to see 'em every other week in the flesh so you can imagine how keen I am to hear them for the first time.
Hear them come to life and all that..............
What's you're fave to play, out of the three at the moment and why ?

And RG's right, you work bloody quick.
Well done dude. (The others are even better !!!!!!)

cheers, Stu

Originally Posted by oz tradie

Great 3 entry level builds there Ethereal.

i wouldnt call those entry level builds (im sure that wasnt what you meant but others may be confused) they look wonderfully made.

Originally Posted by black_labb

i wouldnt call those entry level builds (im sure that wasnt what you meant but others may be confused) they look wonderfully made.

That's exactly what I meant, Blacklabb. (read post #21 again please)

This is ethereal's entry level series of builds. You don't seem to know ethereal and my history goes back a long way, so take it as gospel,
Ethereal calls them that(post #21) , as I do. No disrespect to him on that, in
fact the ather way around. These being 'entry level' builds and fantastic ones at that, shows more of an indication of what the others are going to be like. Higher specs.



Cheers, Stu

Thanks for all the feedback people and yes I call them Entry Level in that they have minimal 'features' in terms of bindings, flash hardware, carve tops etc etc.....thanks though Black Labb for the positives . The next series I call Mid Level as I have graded the timbers mid range in terms of figure etc, the hardware will be a step up on this first lot, carve tops will come into play along with fretboard bindings, laminated necks, headplates etc...this has just been my way of catergorising what I am trying to do so I don't end up with a hotch potch of weird features .....the Top Level builds have the bodies and neck billets ready to go but I won't be touching them until the Mid's are done....the Mid and Top levels will all be Nitro finished also......

Shame we can't catch up tonight Oz ....although the anticipation will be high for next Friday night so we can do some tone tests . My fave to play at the moment is the double cutaway...not sure why, it is very light weight and very comfortable, well balanced, sounds very balanced also.....I like the Vic Ash brightness but so far sticking with my favourite being the warmer tone of the Blackwood. I am really keen to hear your comments after listening to them all....external feedback is so valuable, you so often miss or misinterpret things yourself. Thanks to you also for the positive feedback buddy .

Originally Posted by EtherealGuitars

I am sure tonewood suppliers and others with vested interests would not want to such a common timber (like Vic Ash) to get a good name tonally. Anyway, I ramble......

These 3 guitars cost me between $300 and $350 per build not including tools of course. The beuaty of building your own axe I reckon.

The oil I used is a product by "ECOWOODOIL"....called "Danish Style Oil" Clear....check it out at www.ecowoodoil.com

Absolutely I agree. Vic Ash is available in pretty much any timber yard here (you even bought some in Bunnies right?)... there's no way the tonewood suppliers want people knowing about its suitability.

I like that you can build an amazing nice guitar for $300. You sure can't buy an amazing nice guitar for $300 unless you do a lot of work on it yourself afterwards.

Thanks a lot for the link to Ecowoodoil. I think I might give it a go on my Flying V when I finally get around to it. I'm definately going to end up solid spraying the jazzmaster because I had to plug the holes where the original bridge and tail where, unless I come up with some grand plan of veneering the carved top

BTW, nice Ibanez you have there. I don't even need to see pics to know how it looks. What finish is yours? I have a bunch of Ibanez guitars (1990's RG340 I am rebuilding at the moment, 1994 RG470FM-TOR, 1974 2351DX Goldtop, 1983 RS315-CS Roadstar II, 1984 RS130-WH Roadstar II)

Cheers,
DJ!

Originally Posted by Hammered

Absolutely I agree. Vic Ash is available in pretty much any timber yard here (you even bought some in Bunnies right?)... there's no way the tonewood suppliers want people knowing about its suitability.

Very true, but i think you will find that at least one supplier i know of is now supplying it as back and sides and neck blanks, that being Australian Tonewoods.

Originally Posted by Hammered

Absolutely I agree. Vic Ash is available in pretty much any timber yard here (you even bought some in Bunnies right?)... there's no way the tonewood suppliers want people knowing about its suitability.

I like that you can build an amazing nice guitar for $300. You sure can't buy an amazing nice guitar for $300 unless you do a lot of work on it yourself afterwards.

Thanks a lot for the link to Ecowoodoil. I think I might give it a go on my Flying V when I finally get around to it. I'm definately going to end up solid spraying the jazzmaster because I had to plug the holes where the original bridge and tail where, unless I come up with some grand plan of veneering the carved top

BTW, nice Ibanez you have there. I don't even need to see pics to know how it looks. What finish is yours? I have a bunch of Ibanez guitars (1990's RG340 I am rebuilding at the moment, 1994 RG470FM-TOR, 1974 2351DX Goldtop, 1983 RS315-CS Roadstar II, 1984 RS130-WH Roadstar II)

Cheers,
DJ!

Cool Ibanez collection! Mine is the grey/black finish. Nice guitar. The other axe in my collection other than my own builds is an early 1980's Vantage (pre- law suit) Flying V....blue with white scratch plate....a wicked axe I picked up at cash converters for $180....with the V hard case!!!!.....oh yeah got a Maton acoustic also for the campfire ....

So I suppose the yanks are gonna buy all the Vic Ash now????

Originally Posted by EtherealGuitars

Cool Ibanez collection! Mine is the grey/black finish. Nice guitar. The other axe in my collection other than my own builds is an early 1980's Vantage (pre- law suit) Flying V....blue with white scratch plate....a wicked axe I picked up at cash converters for $180....with the V hard case!!!!.....oh yeah got a Maton acoustic also for the campfire ....

So I suppose the yanks are gonna buy all the Vic Ash now????

Cheers mate. I have had many Ibanez come and go (in fact the RG470 goes this weekend), but I will never get rid of my Roadstars... in my opinion, they are one of the best guitars Ibanez ever made. I also have a Maton acoustic, although it doesn't see much action around the campfire. Mines an older model CW80 (guitar is almost as old as me, and it could do with some work too, hasn't had a setup in many years).

I'm also familiar with the Vantage guitars. Very nice guitars and often overlooked. I once had a Vantage neck thru bass that I sold to a mate, who just turned out to be an amazing bass player. Havn't seen him in a number of years, but last I heard he was in a band with a regular sunday gig at the Espy. I forget the band name now tho.

I love Cash Converters, and pawn shops in general. Picked up some wicked bargains there over the years, including a Boss DM2 Analogue Delay for $60, and they are collectors items. I sold it on eBay to a Swedish guy a few months ago for $350. I can't walk past a pawn shop and not go in now.

Ash back & sides is certainly interesting. I wouldn't have thought that it would be that suitable for an acoustic guitar, but worth a try I guess. I imagine it would bring out a very bright sound.

In keeping to the theme about campfire acoustics, I've also got a maton.
I've got the EM-325 cutaway (lefty.)

My point is this. Timbers and their effect on sounds.

I catch up with Ethereal most weeks and we've both got Maton acoustics.
Mine has Qld Walnut back and sides whereis Ethereal has Qld maple back and sides. Both are spruce topped.

My point is just how different the sound of these two guitars produce.
The Qld maple built acoustic (Ethereals) has a fantastic , almost crystallic brightness to it which I really enjoy.

Whereas the Qld Walnut built one( Mine) has less brightness to it but just as much resonance, and I'd also qualify the tone to being quite boomy whilst definitely lacking that bitey attack I've wanted in an acoustic.

This is the main reason I've wanted to get into Aussie timbers, so things become clearer with picking certain timbers ,not just for looks, but for the tonal values that are desired.
And lets face it, no-one wants to play a guitar that doesn't sound as good as they imagine it should or could have.

Thoughts anyone? I hope this doesn't qualify as a hijack, Ethereal

cheers, Stu.

Hey Stu, i have the same guitar and you have it spot on. It seems dark but very resonant, which is the sound i preferred when choosing it.

Originally Posted by EtherealGuitars

So I suppose the yanks are gonna buy all the Vic Ash now????

Yep. If youre smart youll do what Im doing...buying up enough Aussie tonewoods to keep me going till I drop. What I don't use becomes part of my retirement package.

Originally Posted by RGM

Hey Stu, i have the same guitar and you have it spot on. It seems dark but very resonant, which is the sound i preferred when choosing it.

ive got a 72 maton cw80 and it has that crystaline brightness stu talks about - qld maple back and sides- 3 piece spruce top and a 7 piece neck - looks though they ran out of neck blanks the day they built the neck for this one and just spliced a few scaps together to make up the blank - i dont care because its got that golden sound - always reckoned that guitar beat the hell ou of any martin dreadnought i ever heard -

used to jam a lot with folkies in the 80's 90's and you could have 3 or 4 martins going but the maton would cut clean through all that boomy tone you get out of martins - the fiddles an banjos would be above me with the dreaded accordions on top -

i'll never forget going to a fiddlers convention up in yarra junction one year and they had a accordion skewered on a stake outside the main building with its entrails strewn across the ground all about - nt a very subtle message i must admit but it certainly kept them down a minimum - the year before they must have had squadrons of PA's drowning out everything except the highland pipes - which were allowed but only outside a 1 mile radiius of the camp area

i love pipes myself but i like to hear them from a hill in the distance

pretty much totally OT and apols to the OP for the HJ