Kramer-Steinberger Hybrid

[SoreFingers]

Hi all, I wanted to ask you guys, all expert luthiers, if my dream project is possible and offer any helpful hints. My dream guitar is basically a Kramer Baretta body with a headless neck and a Trans-Trem. The only difference is that I want to make the guitar completely out of carbon-fibre with a thru neck for sustain to the sky and durability. I was inspired to make this guitar out of carbon fibre after I saw a video of Ned Steinberger standing on top of a Synapse demonstrating the durability of the guitar. I researched it and found out that some Steinbergers are made of carbon-fibre. Is that good tone material? I think it might be. Anyway, I love the headless design, durability (I want something that will never break) and the Trans-Trem, but I want a compact Baretta shape rather than the bulky GM and I hate the broom stick look. I know where to get a Baretta template and a carbon fibre block, so that part is thought through. I have a router, so I could do the body, pickup, electronics routes, and at least shape the neck. I need an official luthier to do the frets and fretboard and I can paint the thing myself (in my favorite color metallic teal). I will use an EMG-85 for the single bridge pickup and a 15k pot for the master volume. I could also make the Trans-Trem route myself if I get a template. I can buy a jack and wire it with the pickup and control, and also make a spot in the back of the guitar for a wireless unit to be attached. Well that's pretty much all I can think of. Did I miss anything?

[FortePenance]

Well, fretboard material, number of frets?

Sounds good. Carbon-fibre doesn't really give a warm sound but the EMG-85 does have some colouration with the preamp so it's not that big a deal?

Personally I would never go Kramer/Steinberger though. For me, Kramer was all about the phallic headstocks! :P

[SoreFingers]

Ooops, sorry. Thanks for mentioning. I would like a carbon fibre fretboard with 24 frets. 24 frets because I like playing with a double octave neck and I do a lot of tapping and harmonics, natural and artificial. The whole carbon fibre thing is because i want a guitar that will last for years and years and never break or need restoring (except paint, pickups, tremolo, frets, you know easy stuff). I don't want a guitar that'll last maybe 20 years at top playability and deteriorate slowly. And I hate changing strings the normal way, I guess you could say I'm lazy. Changing Floyd strings is a ***** and single ball strings just suck when you need a quick change, like in the middle of a gig. Besides, headstocks are heavy sometimes and most headstocks are ugly. Kramer headstocks are probably the ones I like best and most Gibson headstocks are nice, but if there is a headstock, it will only break in a matter of time. My dream is to create a guitar so durable that even Pete Townshend couldn't break it if he tried his best. I could hand build these and sell 'em, too! BTW, thanks for your help! Any other suggestions?

[wattage]

A block of CF? Rich... :p
My friends in the R/C world would go nuts if they could get block of carbon fiber (woven?).

CF isn't the best tone material, but it's like saying Strats sound good and Les Pauls sound bad. They both have a characteristic sound that some like and some the contrary (I think Strats AND LPs sound terrific). If you can pull off this project, go for it!

[mishmannah]

Welome to the forum- I pretty much know about wood, but the manufacture of CF is something I don't know about.

Good luck with your plans

[DLR Guitars]

Personally I would never go Kramer/Steinberger though. For me, Kramer was all about the phallic headstocks! :P

I agree. I'd put the headstock on there, even if it didn't really serve a purpose other than looks...

[martinedwards]

I'm not 100% on this but I THINK that CF guitars are laid up in moulds like glass fibre canoes etc. you end up with a one piece guitar

try an email to emerald guitars in Ireland and ask them. they made some spectacular custom CF beasts for Steve Vai among others

[Hitman!]

I saw on Discovery Chanel dudes making cellos with carbon fiber. I saw the whole process (i think the program was "how it's made", so...) and it do look like the glass fibre process Martin mention. It looks to be a pain in the *** to make to. You absolutely have to find a place specialized in that kind of making, you bring them a wood shaped body and neck, they make a mould and then apply carbon fiber on it. After that you have too sand it just like a wooden body.

[DLR Guitars]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_gI3chGtww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-A7K4TPT2k

I Love this show.

[SoreFingers]

Thanks, I have a new idea. How about I buy a Steinberger headless neck of graphite from Moses Graphite and I get a place, like Warmoth, to make a carbon-graphite body with Trans-Trem route, paint the body in Metallic Teal, install EMG-85 in the bridge, and bolt the neck on? Also an S-Trem will work on the guitar in the same route as the Trans-Trem. I read up on it for hours today, which brings me to another question. If the S-Trem and Trans-Trem are completely identical, save for the intonation adjusters on the top plate of the trem, why not buy an S-Trem for $400.00 and buy Trans Trem pieces, (transposing pin, transposing arm, Trans-Trem jaws, intonation adjusters, route the top plate for intonation adjusters, yadda, yadda, yadda) and mod the S-Trem to be a Trans-Trem? I looked at a whole disassembly diagram of the Trans-Trem (on Adobe Acrobat Reader) and saw that 90% of the pieces are the same exactly. The only difference is that I would need a transposing arm, a transposing mechanism above the arm, the transposing pin, intonation screws and a slightly routed top plate, and a route for the transposing pin. I went over this meticulously for about an hour and I concluded that this would be highly probable. After all, its better than spending $700.00 for a single trem system. I think it could work, and if it does, I'll get some trem building experience. What are your opinions? Do you think this will work?

[FortePenance]

it'd work, the s trem thing. The TT is just more expensive because most people aren't tech-savvy to convert an S to a TT.

the CF thing would work too but Warmoth wouldn't route the body for you, they're pretty textbook. Try smaller luthiers like Emerald Guitars (that place martinedwards recommended).

[SoreFingers]

Thank you for telling me that the s-trem thing! I can't wait to mod it. What if I had the guitar made from graphite, or lucite? I heard about a synthetic wood substitute used for Ibanez basses, called luthite (not to be confused with lucite) I'm pretty sure. Well, thank goodness that the S-Trem mod to a T-Trem will work. If it didn't than I would probably never get my hands on a T-Trem. I'll probably go for lucite and paint the body metallic teal. Thank you very much for helping with questions. If anyone else has a suggestion please tell me, I'm open to any helpful hints!

[FortePenance]

I thought lucite would be the same as luthite? Did a quick google search, they're both made out of acrylic stuff. Carbon fiber is a lot more expensive than luthite/lucite I think but eh Joe Satriani has a guitar made from luthite and it's certainly not bad sounding.

I'm not 125% sure on the S to TT thing but it's most likely it'll work.

[mishmannah]

Shame there aren't any CF guitar kits you can build........

I have worked with carbon fibre rods to insert into guitar necks for added stiffness, and it's a bugger to sand; the stuff stinks and the splinters are evil..

[SoreFingers]

I've been thinking about the headless thing again. I heard the Steinberger guitars with headstocks and Trans-Trems transposed better. Would single ball strings and a graphite neck with a headstock (Kramer Beak style) be a better choice than going headless? If the neck had a headstock made of graphite it would not likely suffer breakage like a wooden neck even if the headstock tilted back. Besides logos look better on the head than on the body. Lucite seems very, very durable and I like it. I'm not into the see-through look but that can solved by painting the body. Plus lucite seems to have a nice sound for hard rock and metal. I'll probably paint the guitar metallic black. Also I could have Warmoth CNC route a lucite block to be a standard Strat body, rear routed, with Trans-Trem route, and a single angled humbucker. That would be the easiest way (not to mention, cheaper way) to get a synthetic material guitar custom built. I'm afraid I don't want to make my own bodies or necks from scratch yet, because I'm not that experienced. I'd rather buy the custom-made parts and put the pieces together myself anyway, until I have enough skill to make my own guitars.

[FortePenance]

Warmoth won't do a lucite body or route for TT.

Personally I think headstocks that look like phalluses (Kramer) or no headstocks are cool. Either way. :D

[SoreFingers]

Beak headstocks look like circumsized phalluses, but they are cool too. I didn't think that Warmoth was that stupid but I'm glad u told me. I'll try for a Strat body with a scoop on the lower horn, TT route, one slanted humbucker, made of lucite. Do you know any places that specialize in custom lucite bodies?

[FortePenance]

Yeah Warmoth's pretty lame, they only do 2 very boring options for 7-strings. :(

Try that place Martin suggested. Emerald Guitars. Search the local area for some luthiers too. AFAIK, Halo Guitars might make you a lucite body but I dunno.

[SoreFingers]

I'll check out some local luthiers, I don't want to sound like an ***, but Emerald is a nice place, the only problem is that it is in Ireland, and shipping to the U.S. will cost a fortune. I'll check out Halo Guitars. Thanks!