Rare build opportunity

[jwthompson21]

So I have been trying my hand at customizing and reworking guitars for the last 3 years. First it was a knockoff ML 6er, then it was converting my AX to a 25.5 scale Fernandes neck, and now my latest endeavor. I just got my router attachment modified to work with my dremel, and I did some testing to make sure it is capable. Then I went looking for some parts and this is what I will have...

Take one stock guitar

Subtract the body, add this (routed for 7 dims of course)

And then route and apply this hardware

and you end up with something similar to this

What I am not sure of is the finish, so I am looking for suggestions on color scheme, graphics, etc.

Wish me luck!!!!

 

[Sebastian]

That would be really interesting

After all..... Jackson !

 

[Vairocarnal]

It think the color should be equal parts red and green. Kinda like burnt orange and lime green made whoopie and didn't pull out, ya know? Not quite one but not the other...but at the same time both.

 

[thefpb2]

ghost burst would be cool

 

[jwthompson21]

I was debating whether to go green or red, so I do like a possible combination. I just looked at a ghost burst design. Maybe a red with black edges ghost burst, and do the headstock the opposite, black with red edges burst?

 

[Sebastian]

I was debating whether to go green or red, so I do like a possible combination. I just looked at a ghost burst design. Maybe a red with black edges ghost burst, and do the headstock the opposite, black with red edges burst?

Whatever you do - make a matching headstock

 

[jwthompson21]

So I think I have decided on a red body/headstock with white burst around the edges. I have not seen that combination before and think it would be awesome. I am a big fan of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" so that's what made me think of that color scheme. I had a minor setback getting the DR7, but hopefully that will be resolved this week...

 

[Sebastian]

Definitely post a lot of pics of this project

 

[jwthompson21]

Well, after a week delay, I got the goods...

Oops! that's pretty to easy to fix. Especially since the headstock will get the same treatment as the body.

Skulls, heeeheee

Considering the nastiness of the strings and the frets, it plays really well.

And the full frontal shot. The quality of the neck is somewhere between the Jackson JDR-94 and KE3 that I used to own in my young and dumb days (I would have been smart to keep both of those!) And both of those were reverse stock as well.

Hopefully I can get down to business soon on this project. I just got sick after having too much fun over the 4th holiday, so it may be another week before the real fun begins. stay tuned....

 

[Sebastian]

I love DR7's
Can't wit to see how it'll turn into King V

 

[Razzy]

I love DR7's
Can't wit to see how it'll turn into King V

I'll trade you mine for your COW

 

[jwthompson21]

Taking apart the trem to sketch the routing on the body...

Filled in the old post holes... now I know why the last guy sold this off so quick! The holes are offset by a 1/4" from being aligned with the neck

And a quick mockup of the trem and a light trace on the body. that's all I can muster for now. Gotta sleep off this cold

I apologize in advance for the 3MP cell phone cam and a lack of flash options hahah

 

[jwthompson21]

Wood filler does the trick! Just can't bump it again. I'll finish this up later, but it's starting to look good.

CAD templates for the neck pocket.

Pocket is routed...

Looking good so far

Also routed for the neck plate to sit flush with the body and give the screws some more bite in the neck. Still about 1/4" thicker than the JDR body pocket.

Fitted the locking nut base with some shims and some high density rubber on the side facing the tuners. Won't know how well the action the is until I get some strings on then may have to adjust, but looks good just eyeballing it.

Taking all the hardware out of the JDR body. Anybody looking for an archtop 7 string bridge?

And finishing the day with the pickup routings. Nice thing is the wiring holes were already cut. Only routing left is the bridge and volume pot.

I think I am going to put a push-pull volume pot on like my K7. Either/or pickup switching, I like it simple.

 

[jwthompson21]

I haven't had much free time to work on this. Plus I went back to an older guitar for some much needed maintenance.

I read another builder's thread about making the shelf for the locking nut, so I threw out my first try and made one for my neck too

Off with the shims and stupid rubber piece

Handy router time:

I routed a small piece of mahogany on one half of it, then I used a sanding wheel for the other side to make the slope. I am really surprised I didn't break it and have to start over, since I took a different approach than the other guy:

Front view:

 

[iRaiseTheDead]

damn. looking good!!
where did you get those skull knob caps?

 

[jwthompson21]

The skull knobs were on the Jackson when I bought it. Pretty cool, huh!? I put one on my ML knockoff guitar already.

SIDE NOTE: I started measuring out the scale length for placement of the bridge, and DUH! this body was routed for the short scale neck that it came with

Soooooo.... the bridge pickup routing is wrong and the trem cavity is wrong. Everything has to move back about an inch.

However, I managed to start the process last night by glueing in a 1" deep block in the trem cavity where the spring screws go in. I will post pictures as I get further into this re-work. I know I can pull this off, and it makes the project even more rewarding.

 

[synrgy]

damn. looking good!!
where did you get those skull knob caps?

skull knobs - Google Product Search

 

[jwthompson21]

Okay, another snag in my project:

First off, I apologize for the lack of pics, been too busy to document things

The width of the washburn FR nut in comparison to the original Jackson nut is about +1.5 mm. AND the trem width compared to the TOM bridge is about +3.5mm.

I put strings on the B and E saddles and positioned the bridge to align with the neck, and that is when I made this discovery. the strings sit REALLY close to the bevel on the frets. I looked at my other guitars and none of them are this close.

Any opinions on what I should do? I am afraid that when playing the strings will want to fall off the ends of the frets?

I almost want to put the guitar back together stock and look for an ibanez neck, cause I know they would accomodate the width.

 

[jwthompson21]

Well, plenty of views and no suggestions, eh? I take it upon myself to go abandon ship on the Jackson neck, and starting looking around for another neck to go with the King V body.

In the meantime, be on the lookout for a custom paint job on the DR7 body.

I will keep posting updates in this thread as I re-assemble the Jackson... stay tuned.

 

[Floody_85]

Thats a problem of converting guitars to floyds..The string spacing on the bridge is taken into account when making the neck and a floyds spacing is usually pretty different..a new neck is prob the way to go