Flat neck radius 6-string with floating trem

[Nyrrth]

Hi folks,

I've posted this in the "Standard Guitars" forum, but thought I should post it here in case anyone knows luthiers or companies that can customize to what I'm looking for. I've been trying to look for a 6-string guitar with some of the following specs:

- Flat neck radius 6-string guitar (ideally 20" radius, but 16-17" might be OK too, and preferably not a compound radius).

- Floyd Rose or equivalent floating tremolo.

- Jumbo frets (preferably stainless steel)

- Only bridge and neck pick-up (no middle pick-up) - this is primarily for convenience, as I've noticed that my picking occurs right around where the middle pick-up sits, and guitars that have a middle pick-up tend to come in the way (unless they can sit well below the strings).

- Ideal body wood: mahogany/alder/swamp-ash or basswood

- Ideal neck: Maple neck, ebony fretboard

I've looked around and some have come close, but no cigar. For example, the Ibanez Prestige S-5570Q is a 17" neck radius but has a middle pick-up. Carvin can make exactly what I want, but unfortunately said that the Floyd Rose trem won't be compatible with their 20" necks.

Any ideas on what I can get that matches closely to what I'm looking for?

Thanks!

 

[moshwitz]

Sup?

Give John at Doberman guitars a shout.
Doberman Guitars
He can build you what you want. His work is top shelf, and He will treat you right. You can also msg him here.

I have several things built by John, including My 'V" on his "Sample build page"
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/sevenstring-guitars/83922-ngd.html


My latest build was My Illuminatus Warrior.
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/standard-guitars/255626-my-sick-ass-new-custom-doberman.html
which among numerous custom features,,, it does have a Maple neck and Scalloped Ebony fretboard that has a Zero radius,,(Flat fretboard ) and a Floyd It is my #1 goto axe. it is just sick, and I'm a picky bastard...just ask him...he'll tell ya..

Yeah,,don't let them BS you,,,You can do whatever you want with a floyd,,all you have to do is shim the saddles to whatever radius you want them to be.

Mine being a zero radius was was easier, I ordered 6 of the same saddle and sent them to John.

Now..the locking nut is where the issue lies. IIRC floyd locknuts are all 10" radius except the R3 which is 12", and the R10 which is 15" and the 7string is also 15". the one on my Warrior was made in a machine shop out of stainless steel and is flat.

Unless you have one made, an easier solution is simply a behind the nut lock.

Anyway,,seriously,, give john a shout He'llmake it happen for you bro.
Also,,, check out this other sick build of a fanned Fret 9 string he is doing for Holloway ...Sick I tell you....
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/lu...customizations/278390-doberman-ff9-build.html



MOSHON
DAVE

 

[sehnomatic]

Carvin can make exactly what I want, but unfortunately said that the Floyd Rose trem won't be compatible with their 20" necks.

Shim the saddles, perfect guitar!

 

[immortalx]

I guess Carvin's problem is in the nut radius. If I'm not mistaken, the OFR's R8 nut has the widest radius (15") which is quite a difference from a 20" fretboard radius and they probably don't want to file the middle slots to compensate.

 

[ibanez4lifesz]

Sounds to me like the anniversary Music Man Petrucci models meet most of these specs, and have one of the best (non-locking) floating trems on the market:

- JPX is you want the jumbo frets and can live with 15" radius
- JPXI or JP12 if you want 20" radius and can live with med-jumbo frets

Good luck on the hunt!

 

[Nyrrth]

Thanks, guys. I'll take a look at Doberman as well as the Music Man. I'm also going to see what it would take to retrofit a trem on a Carvin. There's got to be a way to make it all work to make that dream guitar a reality!

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

@OP: You've spammed this initial post in like three different sections of the forum. Beware mods may crack down.

 

[TRENCHLORD]

I'd say shim it, but that's many shims on the outsides to get even close to a 20", and it might screw with the tone having so many shims under the outside saddles and none under the centers.

Couldn't one just buy some extra center saddles and run that one saddle size/height all the way across? Of course you could run the shorter saddles all the way across, but then you'd have to raise the whole base a bit higher that way, and using the taller saddles would be more overall mass as well. And then there's the nut radius to deal with also.

 

[Nyrrth]

@OP: You've spammed this initial post in like three different sections of the forum. Beware mods may crack down.

Hey, Emperor Guillotine - I actually just posted one other time in the 6-strings forum and the mods moved it. That was it, sorry about that. I wasn't sure where this belonged, hence two posts. But it looks like another user posted something like "please find me a dream guitar" which might be what you're referring to. That wasn't me I just goofed once and learnt from it!