the Williams Special

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GONZO-X

GONZO-X

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The Williams Special.



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(semi-related: my first guitar was a '75 Fender Mustang.)

i eventually commissioned this custom guitar, it is a Les paul-strat-mustang-explorer hybrid.
-built by Stan Williams, Rome Georgia

-based on the Fender Mustang scale length....also similar to brian may's red special.
-honduras mahogany body, with air cavities.
-flame maple top, 3/8" thick.
-blueprint strat body.
-2-piece flame maple neck, with ebony fingerboard.
-no truss rod, there are (2) pieces of aircraft aluminum running the length of the fretboard.
-flame veneered headstock, front, sides, and back.
-24" scale length.
-jumbo frets.
-custom inlays (mother of pearl, diamonds, with a diamond split around the center pickup.
-Kahler 2300 pro tremelo.
-(3) off/on switches
-master volume, master tone, 3rd switch now unwired- it was originally equipped with a EMG SA assembly, and the 3rd knob was the presence control. it now has (2) bill lawrence L-280's, and a duncan Little 59'r in it.
-explorer headstock.
-long tenon neck, tilt back headstock.
 
zaphod-
yummy, and pretty light weight too!

the playing at the top gets a little crowded, but if you've ever played a mandolin before, then it feels pretty natural!
 
another cool feature about this particular build, is that the flame maple, that is used for the top, neck and veneers, is from a 12' long plank- about 12'x6" thick- that came out of a 120 year old barn in illinois.
the luthier scored it, and had been saving it to do a build-
offered me the best figured part of it.
 
micter-
the aircraft aluminum bars, keep it dead straight.
25 years old, no movement yet.
 
hm...
i really don't remember.

seems to me, they were 1/4"x1/2"?
and the length of the entire fingerboard.......
 
these days, folks like USACG use graphite rods to help firm up their really thin necks, in addition to a truss.....
 
Carvin does that too!
Click to expand...

oh, i didn't realize that!

well, it makes sense.

me, i tune down a half step.....
the lesser pull on the neck, makes that sort of a non issue for me...
 
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