Caliban's Guitar Thread!

[Caliban]

Hi and welcome!

This is my guitar: (Gotta start somewhere :) )
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8397/kiaatwoodzh1.th.jpg (http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kiaatwoodzh1.jpg)
This is a 1000 x 210 x 50 piece of KIAAT (aka. muninga/ mninga) wood I scored from an exotic wood shop in Cape Town for R60.00 (about $8.00!!! I <3 Africa!)

After having done some research I found that Kiaat is really excellent tonally, and is used often in making kalimbas and other African instruments... It is also used by many South African luthiers who swear by it!

So it was quite a find for me - I actually just bought it because it was damn sexy!!!

It has about the density of a good Mahogany... It's also quite porous like mahogany but slightly less so, so it'll be easier to work with and have a nicer finnish I rate...

I think it'll have a nice warm tone with good mid-to-treble range... Probably like mahogany but with a bit more treble.

Man I'm in love already!

[DLR Guitars]

make sure you post pics of your progress!

[martinedwards]

Yup, that's real perty!!!

Now take your time and do it right!!!!!



(Like I'll ever listen to THAT advice!!!)

[Caliban]

Which looks better...?
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1545/whitoutsr7.th.jpg (http://img440.imageshack.us/my.php?image=whitoutsr7.jpg)
or:
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/4251/whitemidjq1.th.jpg (http://img440.imageshack.us/my.php?image=whitemidjq1.jpg)

I'm sorry, I'm really incapable of making my own decisions .. :D

[deathmedic]

the first one to me :)

[Frightcrawler]

The first one is one piece. Isn't that better?

[Caliban]

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1055/linesfj5.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=linesfj5.jpg)

I chose the white on the inside... ;) going for the 'thru-neck' look

[wackakapow]

Yeah I like the white on the inside too. If you're putting two pieces together I think it's bette to make it stylistically obvious than attempting to hide it; like an artistic honesty or something. Good choice, and what a nice piece of wood.

[FortePenance]

yeah, s'definitely a nice wood. I really don't think the neckthru look is brilliant without neck thru, but y'know it looks fairly alright. That's a pretty funky shape though with the thing at the bottom.

What specs do you have for it?

[Caliban]

specs? U mean like electronics and that?

well.. the thing is... I don't really have anything yet =?

the whole plan that sparked this project was to create a new body for an old strat-copy that I have. But now I've kinda started carving the top... so i don't know if the floating bridge will still fit/ look alright...

Another thing is that my dad told me that if this guitar turns out nicely (and if i actually finnish it lol) then the next one I make I can fit and furnish as I please and he'll pay for everything...

So the sad truth is that this one will probably just be a prototype for the next one...

BUT! I'll see...! I'll post more pics later toda when I've finnished cutting it out and you guys can tell me what you think!

[Caliban]

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/5418/cutgp0.th.jpg (http://img523.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cutgp0.jpg)

There we go... I got quite a lot done this afternoon!

I've started on the carving; it's going a lot quicker than I thought it would! But it still needs quite a bit of work to get it ship-shape...

Now that I see this guitar I realise that I'd love to put different hardware in other than the cheap stuff from my strat-copy... It's just such a waste! I'd love to put Les Paul / PRS style neck / p'up config and a fixed bridge on... The floating bridge idea just isn't working for me!

[D|s]

i like how its coming! love the wood.

haha u can use that circular cut as a cup holder :P

[DLR Guitars]

Now take your time and do it right!!!!!



(Like I'll ever listen to THAT advice!!!)

I never listen to myself when I say that either.... :D

[Caliban]

i like how its coming! love the wood.

haha u can use that circular cut as a cup holder :P
Now that's PRECISELY what I had in mind! :cool:

lol I suppose there's not much other use for it hey :D

[FortePenance]

Yeah, when I said specs I meant electrics and stuff. But y'know whatever eh?

Looks good so far. Nice cupholder.

[Caliban]

New pics!

Havn't posted in a while I know, but I have been working hard...

I just need to get the pickup routs done now and the control cavities and I'm set... This whole prject hasn't actually been as much work as I expected, though I'm probably sepaking to soon, because everything seems to get more difficult lately! I'm planning to rout the pickup cavities to exactly the shape of the pickup which will be quite a menacing task, hold thumbs that I don't mess it up!! (Which I won't :cool: ...touch wood!)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7623/bodyqn4.th.jpg

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/8740/withneckke5.th.jpg (http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=withneckke5.jpg)
the neck is ugly at the moment... Gona sand it down and see if I can find a nice veneer for the headstock.

I'm currently looking for any suggestions for pickups...? I don't want to use the ones from my old strat because they really suck! I've been looking at some really nice SD pickups (Pearly Gates SH-1 i think) but they're a bit expensive... I want something quite jazzy (a humbucker)...

Open to suggestions! (and wiring schematics!)

[wackakapow]

Really nice looking axes, Caliban, totally the style I'm into. I like Alnico pickups, myself. Not cheap, but hot(heh...) and sexy.

[Caliban]

*taps fingers on tabletop, looks around boredly*

--waiting for pickups to arrive!!! :(

[FortePenance]

what pups did you get?

[Caliban]

Wahey!!! Pickups arrived 2 weeks ago...

The pickups took about 5 weeks to arrive in the end, which was probably a good thing because I was still busy writing exams - kept me from being distracted ^^

The pups are GFS: a 5-wire modern vintage (rails), and a 3 wire '59 alnico humbucker (actually wanted 5 wire, but failed to read the description thoroughly :o )

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/2796/bodyroutsoe5.jpg


Anyway, I'm mounting the neck pickup from behind - It was quite a mission routing that deep, but it's worth it because it'll look way neater than front mounting it. You can't really see it that well in the photos... It also doesn't fit properly yet - I need a smaller file to do the corners neatly. I'll post as soon as i get that done... Probably tomorrow.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5015/pups2lv1.jpg


The bridge pup was easier to rout - less accuracy required. I need to file the mounting ring down a bit (the black thing)... It's sitting a bit high at the moment.

Well, all that's left now is the control cavity, attaching the neck, all the electronics (still looking for fun schematics btw) and then sanding and finishing...

[Caliban]

I spent about 6 hours straight working on this baby today..! The more I do, the more I realise how much there is still to be done :rolleye:

This is the back of the guitar, (doh!) I routed around all the cavities so i can put covers on them all... I'm going to take my left-over wood to the circular saw and cut 4mm thick pieces and shape them to the cavities and screw them on... The cavities for the pots aren't big enough yet.. Back to the router tomorrow!!
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7480/backroutshe1.jpg

here's one with the neck pup in... looks slick!
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3073/pupsaq7.jpg

[Caliban]

Uhm... Does anyone know what finish i should use?

I want to get some before all the shops close over xmas...

I'm looking for something very natural that will bring out the grain and keep the wood healthy, but I also want it to be dirt resistant (ie. not get grimy on the places where I touch it a lot and pref wipe-able) and also bump + scratch resistant... I also want a smooth, velvety matte style!

any suggestions???

[DLR Guitars]

If you want something matte style, check out some low-gloss Tung Oil. It works awesome on the back side of necks (for my sweaty hands) and I've actually used it on a complete guitar once too. However, it won't provide the kind of ding/scratch resistance that I think you want. This give the wood a hand-rubbed feel.

[Caliban]

okay... I'm exhausted, It's 11pm and I havn't had any supper... Been working like a madman (literally) for the last 6 hours (without a break)

The good news is.... SHE IS DAMN FINE!!!!!!!!! (finished!)

I'll post pics as soon as I can find my camera...

Cheerio... She needs some playing-in :-P

[Teletubby]

cant wait!

[Ogier]

This thread is useless without pictures... :)

[DLR Guitars]

:whstl:

[P-Bass User]

Any day now, I can't wait it looks like a beaut. :toohappy:

[baudday]

sweet guitar. representin south africa over here!

[mishmannah]

Comin' in loud n' clear from the UK.......PICS?

Uh, no pressure, though...... :D

[mjshailes]

Post some god damn photos before the angry mob comes looking for you :D

mjshailes

[Caliban]

haha lol guys i was just waiting for you to ask :)

All the cameras in the house have been AWOL for a while.. but i think i'll go scrounge one out quick... (seeing as you guys asked so nicely :D )

just a minute please!

[Caliban]

batteries... must find batteries!!!

[mjshailes]

Haha I knew if you thought the angry mod of luthers was after you that you would do something about it :p lol

mjshailes

P.S. - Find the batterys they are your precious lol

[Caliban]

/\ haha precisely!

I found some batteries too - God Bless t.v. remotes!!!

anyway...

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/7959/finished8gi.jpg

Anyway - here's the final verdict:

I absoulutely loved every second of making this guitar, and it really feels good to see it finished, because this is probably the first big project that Ihave ever finished and seen through properly right till the end! I think I surprised everyone in my family lol...

The guitar sounds really nice... Thank you guys for recommending those GFS pups! The wood (kiaat) is extremely resonant... It bucks around in my arm like a rodeo horse when I play! And the sustain is quite reasonable too, considering I have a bolt-on and am using a floating bridge...

I ended up wiring it exactly like a strat (I split the neck humbucker, thus having 3 pups and a 5-way switch)... Works quite well... Not perfect! There's hardly any difference between the two split rail-coils of the neck hum, and the inbetween position is semi-out-of-phase (which at least gives it a different sound, so it's fine!) So in the end a 3 way switch with a push-pull pot would have been a lot simpler...

I'll post some sound clips later! (once I learn how to play guitar)

[Tingly]

Wow, wow, wowee, wow, wow!

:Lust:

Yes, very lovely indeed!!!!

Congratulations on a job well done. If you can eventually play half as good as you can build, you will be a hundred million CD seller!

[mishmannah]

Haha I knew if you thought the angry mod of luthers was after you that you would do something about it :p lol


Yup thass' me.... :p



hahahha, only joking mate. WOW that wood is beautiful, and the sapwood almost looks like a neck thru lam and shape's totally organic, almost as if it belongs to the environment you've photographed it in!!!

Well done, sir!!

I hope you returned the batteries to the aforementioned remote!

[mjshailes]

Man that is purdy never let me near it or it will go missing :p That is the sex dude if u hadnt have said its a bolt on at a glance i would have said neck through.

Looks like tht spelling mistake worked out fine in the end :D go me! lol

mjshailes

[martinedwards]

yup, that turned out REALLY good looking.

why would anyone want to cover up beautiful wood with paint?

[Veritas]

Wow man...uber sexy! Great job.

[FortePenance]

Lovely. You should have made it neckthru though. :(

[Caliban]

/\ yup... I like me a neck through too! This was just the start, the next one will be a more complicated build I think...

I've been thinking of doing a lammed neck-through semi-hollow with a chambered neck... That's gona be fun to build! (should be done in the next 2-3 years or so :) )

But the next thing I'm gona be doing is building a neck for this guitar so I can put my poor crappy strat back together again :D I'm thinking of doing a lammed kiaat-pau marfim neck with a cape beech fingerboard... yummmy!

[mjshailes]

If you can make the neck so it is the same wood as the body(as in ythe way it is kiaatwith the white bit down the center) then from the front it would look like a neck through :D

mjshailes

[mishmannah]

Kiaat...I'm gonna look that one up....aha, has the same acoustic properties as Rosewood..interesting.

[P-Bass User]

Wow that looks really good. In fact it looks so good I thought I built it! ;)

[Caliban]

Damn I'm so stoked!

I took the guitar to school yesterday and the amount of compliments I received were awesome - even from the really scrutinous among the many hard to please guitar-critic friends I have!

I even had some guys asking me to do a build for them lol... I told them I'm too selfish to sell my guitars right now!