Custom Ibanez S replacemnet bodies....Serious Intrest only.

[sworth9411]

Hey Guys Just a feeler List.

I would like to gauge serious intent to buy only for an Ibanez S Series body for a Seven...

It would be supplied with a clean slate and no routing to allow for whatever bridge you decide to go with I am trying to keep the cost ridiculously low, but I would need to get 5 to justify turning on the CNC machine and programming the body in.

At this time I will only be able to offer a clean body with no (zero routing) or as a retro fit for a RG7620 (Lo Pro) With almost any pickup combination.


Woods-
Custom Woods Available with an Upcharge… Figured Tops not available (sorry)

Mahogany
Alder
Ash
Pine

Pricing is Aprx at this point and I would need to get at least 5 guitars to make this worth it for me to turn on the machine and break even.

No Routing / Clean Slate and unfinished – Aprx $170.00 +Shipping**edit**
Routed for Lo- Pro – Aprx $260.00**edit**

This is an interest list. Sorry I can’t route for (insert Bridge type here) at this point because that completely changes my manufacturing and setup process. If the first run goes well (which I trust it will) I may offer some other options like hard tail. But at this point I need to know serious interest first. If there is enough I will produce a prototype and if it works and everyone approves I will start accepting orders based on it.

I won’t be finishing these and they will be sanded in 1000 grit sandpaper so essentially will be unfinished and no I won’t be finishing them unless it is a murder weapon style finish….(which I love to do).

P/M me for other woods as that shouldn’t be a problem as long as I can get slabs large enoughJ

****EDIT****

For anyone who wants to get an idea of actual cost on this heres my break even plan (not quite even but hopefully I can make more than a few batches and make a few dollars)...

***Edit***Cost of material Aprx 10-20$ in pre cut kiln dried slabs Also goes down significantly if I order in bulk.
Cost of programming the machine for the body style ($1100 one time charge)
Cost of operating the machine (aprx $130 per hour)
Time it take to cut start to finish (aprx 38 min per piece)
Hand Finishing and sanding $45.00 or so...(3 hours at $15.00 an hour).
Routing (aprx $120.00 depending but subject to change as I get templates...) This will be a charge for custom Routes only as I will be programming the machine for Lo-Pro with 2 Passive Humbuckers

My first run will be for the five guitars. If that goes well and the is interest I will do Five more at a slightly lower cost, and if interest conitnues the price will continue to go down.

Unfortunatley (as the thread states) I cannot compete with Sims custom shop prices (as they are very good and they obviously do more of this than I do) but hopefully with enough interest can bring cost down after the initial few guitars.

 

[Elysian]

sanding to 1000 grit is unnecissary, 400 is just perfect for wood. also, Pine?

 

[sworth9411]

apparently it is quite resonant, and also the least expensive option for me as it is readily available kiln dried and I have tons of slabs sitting in my warehouse.....if it doesnt seem viable or isnt recomended I will remove it from the options.....

 

[bulletbass man]

actually I've played a pine guitar and it was actually pretty nice. Definitely not very good with the wrong set of pickups though.

 

[Scali]

Squier has recently released the Classic Vibe Telecaster, which has a pine body. It doesn't quite sound like a real ash Telecaster, but considering the low price, it's close enough
So yea, I guess pine is a valid wood for a guitar. I guess it's in the same class as poplar, basswood and agathis. Cheap, soft, easy to manufacture, and it works as guitar tonewood.

 

[darren]

I've read that there are some European species of pine (yellow pine?) that are more similar to ash than to the soft North American lumber.

 

[Scali]

I've read that there are some European species of pine (yellow pine?) that are more similar to ash than to the soft North American lumber.

Well, the Squier I mentioned is made in China, and they probably use a local source of pine. The species they use is pretty heavy for pine, and not that soft either (I guess the American stuff is too soft to even build a guitar out of in the first place).
So yea, that Squier probably works so well because it's just the right type of pine.

 

[sworth9411]

This is imported from asia and was originally going to used for table legs......plenty hard for guitars again not an option I think most will go for but doesnt hurt to throw it on there....

 

[bulletbass man]

The guitar I played was crafted in Germany or Austria. So it's likely it was made of a european species.

 

[caughtinamosh]

Can fixed bridges fit into S bodies? I thought the arched top would prevent mounting of the likes of Hisphot fixed bridges.

 

[sworth9411]

Hip shot probably not, Tuneamatic maybe...If interest is gained and I go through the first run the second run prototype will be a string through tuneamatic for me.......that way no one wastes money but me if it fails badly

 

[TMM]

Can fixed bridges fit into S bodies? I thought the arched top would prevent mounting of the likes of Hisphot fixed bridges.

Something like a tune-o-matic would work fine, like on a Gibson (arch-top + tune-o-matic style bridge)

 

[caughtinamosh]

Yes, I thought as much - my ES335 has a tune-o-matic bridge, and it is also arch-topped. It really is a shame that flat mount bridges will not be able to fit - they are superior to tune-o-matics in almost every respect (IMO). Still, a very cool idea, and I think you'd gain a fair amount of custom.

 

[Elysian]

shouldn't be any reason you can't fashion the carve on an S body to accept a hipshot bridge.

 

[Scali]

Well, you can make it fit, I guess
I mean, if you flatten the body at the position of the bridge, you can mount a flat bridge on it. I think that shouldn't be too hard to do with a belt-sander?

 

[Elysian]

Well, you can make it fit, I guess
I mean, if you flatten the body at the position of the bridge, you can mount a flat bridge on it. I think that shouldn't be too hard to do with a belt-sander?

or you just don't carve that far up, leave a flatter area around the pickups and bridge. thats how i personally treat any of my carved top builds anyways.

 

[sworth9411]

good call didnt even think about that.....

 

[caughtinamosh]

For me, the Hipshot bridge being able to mount (or not) would be the deciding factor. If you can make the guitar compatible with the bridge and still retain it's good looks, you can pretty much count me in.

 

[jymellis]

what about a string through like the SZR?

 

[Wi77iam]

A bit pricey for my liking, especially with the exchange rate so bad at the moment. Though, I would consider one if you could do me one routed for one pickup, one volume knob and a TOM. (and maybe even a price drop)

*yeah i'm a poor guy ..