8 String Fanned Fret

[Cool711]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice and direction here.

I'm a 7 string player for a couple years, but have always wanted a high A string (That's why I bought the 7, hoping to tune it up, but it didn't work).

So I'm looking for the custom route now and have enough money (for a downpayment at least, but should be enough for the guitar)

Basically, I'm looking for anyone who can help me find a luthier who can build it.
I have contacted several already, and PAS looked as if they would be perfect, but all of a sudden the guy stopped responding to my emails (tried from different addresses, but nothing) so I guess that's dead.
(Conklin was too expensive)

Here's what I'm looking for:

8 String with fanned frets
Neck through (5-7 piece Maple + Mahogany)
Mahogany wings
28 frets: Stainless steel (Fanned) (I'm looking at 23" - 25")
Rosewood Fretboard
Kahler trem (They said they can do a one off for the fanned fret)
EMG 808s in the neck and bridge
Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Stacked Humbucker for middle (If it will fit)
Locking nut
Ordinary Dot inlays with side dots
Gloss black finish
Dual Concentric Pots from EMG for each pickup
(The Middle pickup configured with 2 PA2 circuits to match the impedence)
EMG afterburner
Tap on the middle pickup.
Angled Headstock
Dual Battery compartment
Planet Waves Trim-Lock Machine Heads

Tuning: BEADGBEA

Thanks for the help.

 

[zea7]

The HSH configuration + 28 fanned frets will not fit. Also, it will be a bunch of electronic in this guitar EMG + seymour(adding preamp on it + volumn). Man, thats just too much. Why don't you call up Seymour to make you the 8 string ceramic pups that has the same output and all the characters that you need ?
Here is the direct # to the custom shop (MJ is the one who made mine)
805-964-9610-Ext 1009

For the trem...can Kahler actually taking special orders? I would luv to order one for 8 string fanned frets too. The scale on this one, 23.5-25.5 (B-A) thats cool. I like that ~

 

[Cool711]

Well, that's the thing.
My 7 has basically the same electronics, except that in the bridge there is a full sized humbucker, so I want to keep it the same.

It's actually not that much stuff.
The PA2's are very small and go along the course of the wiring, and with the concentric pots, it's basically like an ordinary fender S-S-S.

The only real "addition" is the tap and the AB

Thanks for the number, I'll need it.
But I'm die hard EMG. I love the tone, and despite what SD can do, I can't convince myself that it will sound exactly the same.

Oh yeah, and I spoke to Kahler, they said they could do it. COst would be between $700 to $900.

 

[OzzyC]

If the high A is your only reason for doing this, you can contact Gary Goodman (A member of this site.) about his .006 string, which can handle a high A at up to (I think) 30" scale

 

[Cool711]

^Well, originally it was, but now it's to get some other things I've wanted for a while, such as the fanned frets etc.
Plus, now that' I've gotten used to the low B, I don't want to lose it, so the 8 seems to be the only way to go.

But I will definately be contacting Gary to try out the string.
What is his handle?

 

[OzzyC]

Gary's Profile

 

[Cool711]

Thanks a lot.

 

[Cool711]

This is the mockup of what the PAS guy drew.
Hopefully something like this, cause I thought it was perfect.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

^ Looks like it'll be a tasty axe.

 

[Durero]

I'm working on a mod to my new Kahler 7 trem to install it on my fanned-fret 7 prototype. When I've got it done I'll post some pics - when it's finished I should be able to do the same mod for your 8 if your interested.

Cool design!

 

[zea7]

The trem is so cool man. Do you have any contacts that I can contact the guy to make me too?


How much sounds can you get in switching thoese pickups? I mean, it s so close together.

 

[Cool711]

I would seriously be interested in the Kahler mod if they say they can't do it themselves.
Thanks

Zea7: As for the guy with the Trem: This mockup was drawn by the dude at PAS guitars, but he's stopped responding to my emails, so I don't know if he's receiving any, or if it's just me
However, you can still try: www.pasguitars.com
Click "Kontact" and you'll see two email addresses. I used to use the first one.

Kahler are the other people I contacted to make the bridge, so you can go to the site at www.kahlerusa.com
Just hit "Contact" there.

 

[Nik]

It took me several seconds for it to sink in that I was looking at a fanned-fret 8-string with a trem...

Looks really awesome, good luck!

 

[ElRay]

I'm working on a mod to my new Kahler 7 trem to install it on my fanned-fret 7 prototype. When I've got it done I'll post some pics

This I've got to see. I was thinking along the lines of BuzzFree bridges (only $20 a piece) with some Bigsby-like vibrato* behind them.









*I'm experimenting with calling things by what they really are

 

[Durero]

I was thinking along the lines of BuzzFree bridges (only $20 a piece) with some Bigsby-like vibrato* behind them.

[Princess Bride] What are these BuzzFrees of which you speak?[/Princess Bride]

+1 for calling them vibratos, but I've got trem burned into my brain it's a hard habit to break

Edit: found it
http://www.buzzfreebridges.com/

 

[Diatenshi]

That guitar looks amazing, how do fanned frets and the slanted pickups change the sound? Is it just easier to play? Do you still have to tune the same to get the same sound. Since what would normaly be, say, the 25 fret, its in such a different place on the low B then it is on the high E.

How do you compensate for it being in such a different location on the neck?
Do the pickups being that slanted have an advantage/disadvantage, or is it just to make them fix with the fanned frets?

 

[Durero]

Checked out the BuzzFree Bridges Ray - very interesting. It's nice to see an alternative to the ABM single-string bridges. I think they'd need rollers to work with the Kahler though.

 

[Cool711]

That guitar looks amazing, how do fanned frets and the slanted pickups change the sound? Is it just easier to play? Do you still have to tune the same to get the same sound. Since what would normaly be, say, the 25 fret, its in such a different place on the low B then it is on the high E.

How do you compensate for it being in such a different location on the neck?
Do the pickups being that slanted have an advantage/disadvantage, or is it just to make them fix with the fanned frets?

The fanned frets allow multiple scale lengths (from nut to bridge) for each string.
Basically, the length of each string is different.
It makes it easier to tune to a high A, because on a normal scale, the string would break (unless you use really light strings).

Tuning is the same.
The pickups are slanted in order to match the fan of the frets.
(eg. Otherwise, the bass strings would sound heavier in comparison to the unwound strings)

It's not really very difficult to play, just takes a little getting used to.

 

[Diatenshi]

The fanned frets allow multiple scale lengths (from nut to bridge) for each string.
Basically, the length of each string is different.
It makes it easier to tune to a high A, because on a normal scale, the string would break (unless you use really light strings).

Tuning is the same.
The pickups are slanted in order to match the fan of the frets.
(eg. Otherwise, the bass strings would sound heavier in comparison to the unwound strings)

It's not really very difficult to play, just takes a little getting used to.

Do you only want that for high A? What if I wanted an 8 with F#BEADGBE?

 

[ScareRaven]

Holy Mama! Great axe! I wonder how it would hold up to the KxK 8-string V that I've seen around here.