8 sting attempt...

[sk3ks1s]

Hey guys. Long time creeper, first time poster. I've been wanting to do this for some time now. The ultimate goal is an 8 string. Since I have never really done any real wood working I thought I'd hone my skills on some unsuspecting pine and oak. Cut and shaped the body out of a 2"x20"x13" slab of pine. Kinda went for an Ibanez/Blackmachine thing. The neck was a pine/oak/pine combo with a Blackmachine headstock. Never got around to bolting the thing together, scoring the frets, radiusing the fretboard, routing electronics cavity, and a bunch of other stuff. But I figured I'd move on to some quasi-real wood.
Here's the practice one...

And now the beginning workings of the 8...
Specs:
walnut body (in multiple pieces 'cause that's all that Kents had...)
7 piece maple/purpleheart neck
maple fretboard
27" scale/24 frets/16" radius
bolt on
pretty much a BlackMachine copy (I lack originality + I love the design)
Hipshot bridge
haven't decided on the pickups yet
Hipshot locking tuners
2 truss rod system
... and some other stuff I can't remember now.

I have no idea what the hell I am doing, so comments, criticisms, critiques, insults, flames, and pepperoni sticks are welcome.
Thanks for lookin,
Jeff.

 

[Winspear]

Looks great...



I see no pics

 

[sk3ks1s]

Really? I'm new to this forum thing... I uploaded em via Photobucket. Am I missing something?

 

[Bananalyze]

the practice one looks pretty darn good! looking forward to seeing more progress on this.

 

[Hollowway]

the practice one looks pretty darn good! looking forward to seeing more progress on this.

Totally! Based on that I think this thing is gonna turn out sweet!

 

[Winspear]

I see it now, and the specs which I didn't see before! Looks awesome, well done

 

[777]

That body looks pretty thin, you sure pickups/electronics will actually fit in there?

Looks even thinner than a blackmachine ?

 

[sk3ks1s]

There's gonna be two slabs of walnut glued together. Each one is 13/16" thick. So with sanding and whatnot, it should end up in the 1 1/2" range... hopeully.
Also, thanks for the comments.

 

[ralphy1976]

real great stuff here. the prototype was really good actually, so i am really looking forward to seeing the final product!!!

 

[jymellis]

There's gonna be two slabs of walnut glued together. Each one is 13/16" thick. So with sanding and whatnot, it should end up in the 1 1/2" range... hopeully.
Also, thanks for the comments.

looks awesome! does your screen name have anything to do with the movie the dark crystal?

 

[Jeepers]

looking good!
that purpleheart looks SO nice

 

[ElRay]

What's your plans for the fretboard finish?

Ray

 

[sk3ks1s]

looks awesome! does your screen name have anything to do with the movie the dark crystal?

Indirectly related... my favourite SYL song, which is where Devy got it from...

And the fretboard will be a plain old maple board with no inlays (cause I don't know how to do them and I don't really want any). I'm gonna try and find a different lookin piece of maple (with streaks or dark patches or something like that).

Just ordered the bridge, tuners, and some fret wire.
Hipshot 8 string bridge (the .125 thick one in black)
Hipshot locking tuners (black)
jumbo fret wire...

 

[Nicklas]

Nice pieces of wood. I think you are doing great.

 

[Corpsegrinder88]

Hell yeah.. That is looking like a great start..

 

[sk3ks1s]

Front and back slabs... can't decide which is which (contrary to what the crayon says). Input?

Walnut sandwich with extra mayo...

Wish I had wider clamps...

Cutting tomorrow... if its nice out.

 

[avenger]

damn if it is anything like the first this could be fantastic.

 

[lctdmf]

I hope you fix up your shape a little bit before cutting that walnut, your prototype looks a little...wonky.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Bananalyze]

Front and back slabs... can't decide which is which (contrary to what the crayon says). Input?

i vote the first one should be the front..... the grain looks darker and nicer in my opinion.

 

[sk3ks1s]

I hope you fix up your shape a little bit before cutting that walnut, your prototype looks a little...wonky.

Fair enough. The first one was kinda just free handed on a whim. What do you mean by wonky though? Sloppy cuts? Uneven design? I want this one to be as close to perfect as I can get...