Opinions wanted

Which do you like?

  • number 1

    Votes: 10 71.4%

  • number 2

    Votes: 4 28.6%
  • Total voters
    14
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Which do you like better? The difference is very subtle, but I am having trouble deciding. I know they both need some curves faired, but I am looking for an opinion on the general contour. The pickups cavities are just there for a reference, as is the fingerboard.


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"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 

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Number 2


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"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 

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Light,

I am viewing them side by side and I am not seeing the difference. Could you enlighten me ast to waht I should be looking for???...Robert
 
It is a very subtle difference in the curve of the lower bout on the bass side.


The funny thing is, most of the people I have shown these to haven't really seen it, but all the luthier folks have seen it instantly.


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"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
They are quite similar. You might want to consider a third choice, of something like "not enough difference".

Ed
 
Here's the two superimposed - just shows to go ya, I'm no luthier. I'm surprised anyone could see it, especially not having the two images side by side to view simultaneously, and having to scroll from one to the other.
 

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crazydoc said:
Here's the two superimposed - just shows to go ya, I'm no luthier. I'm surprised anyone could see it, especially not having the two images side by side to view simultaneously, and having to scroll from one to the other.
Click to expand...


We are detail oriented people, you know. Mostly, though, it comes from spending huge amounts of time worrying about weither or not curves are fair.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
It really is night and day.

From the eyes and mind of an artist/designer..............#1 conveys a sense of balance, obviously due to the symmetry of the lower bouts. From a design point of view #2 is out of balance and essentially a flawed design...........it may work if the variation was to the bottom lower bout.

Just my humble opinion.

:cool:
 
Robert Herndon said:
Have you looked at the Warmoth Soloist Shape???...Robert
Click to expand...


You mean the Jackson body shape that Warmoth stole (as they have with all of their body shapes). I am making my own designs, not other peoples. I am trying to come up with something with the comfort of a Strat, but with a unique shape and a style (and sound) of its own. The sound I have pretty much figured out (a mahogany neck-through design, with an ash body and a maple top), but I need to work on the shape of the body. The ones I have been doing are too close to a Strat.

They sound great though. The mahogany neck-through gives the warmth and low end of a Les Paul, and the ash body wings help to give me some of the attack and brightness of a Tele. The first one of these (which you all may remember me bitching about how I damaged the top) is the best clean sounding guitar I have ever heard (that is, after all one of the things I was looking for), and it sings and crunches wonderfully when it is distorted. It is my favorite electric guitar right now. The first two proto types where OK, but the maple neck on the first one was too much work to carve, and with the alder body, it is too bright. Kind of like a maple fingerboard Strat, but much brighter. The second prototype (mahogany neck and body, with a maple top) is too much like a Les Paul, and it is no good clean. Sounded great distorted, but I could not find a good amp for it clean. The third prototype (the one I mentioned above, mahogany, ash, and maple) is just amazing.

So now that I have the sound, I am working on the shape/style, and the various little things which have to be perfect on a custom made guitar. Right now I am working on a semi-hollow version, but I started it before I finished the ash bodied one, so I used mahogany for the body. We will see how it sounds, as soon as I can get back in the spray booth in a month. My father is in there with a batch of his guitars, and as it is HIS shop, I am not allowed in there to spray color while he is doing his guitars, something to do with my spraying gold flake into the brand new 5 gallon can of lacquer 6 years ago:). I had never sprayed flake before, and I did not know that it is basically impossible to clean up. We still find gold flakes in our finishes every three or four months. Just when you think you've got it all... The bass I was spraying looks fantastic, though. Unfortunately, I am no longer allowed to spray any metallics at all, so no candy apples, and no flakes. Hell, he looks at me funny just for spraying color.


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"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
The first guitar has much cleaner lines. The second drawing looks like you were trying to do something really original and your pencil slipped. I mean the differences are subtle, but it is noticeable.

Have you ever tried to build a solid body guitar with walnut for the body. Or is it to dense and makes the guitar sound dull. It sure would be a beautiful guitar finished with clear varnish.
 
Light said:
You mean the Jackson body shape that Warmoth stole (as they have with all of their body shapes).
Click to expand...

I don't think thats a fair characterization of Warmoth.
There is a reason why they use the name "Soloist" and not get sued. Locally I have never heard bad things about them. Is there some history Im unaware of?

As far as I know they were one of the places that made replacement body and neck parts for gobs of manufacturers. They also did custom work. They got bought out by a German company a few years ago and they started pushing in a different direction. Somewhere in my attic I have a catalog from the 80's where they were licensed to Gibson parts as well. I know Ibanez tried to have them make some of the custom work but the USA Custom shop wouldn't have anything to do with it. We used to see Warmoth customs in local stores, just like kids in LA saw Boogies and JFrogs. I used to have a friend in NYC that was custom shop licensed to do EVH Strat copies and all the necks and bodies were Warmoth. I think there were some licensing problems with the shapes when they were bought out, but I seem to recall them being rebought again. For a while Fender was using the Ibanez factory for its replacement parts and cheaper models because the Ibanez factory was huge and made 1000's in the same time it took Warmoth to make 100's. I think they still make replacement necks for everyone except Ibanez and PRS type boutique guitars. But as a designer I would be a little peeved if I saw unauthorized copies or even variations made to avoid lawsuits.

As far as the shape of your bass, Id cut a sample of each and fair the body in the aft upper region to see it feels. Im not a fan of how the soloists feel even though its a very sexy design.
The guy I worked for at Momentum recording bought a Les Paul and went and re-contoured the guitar to fit his body because It didn't feel right...The only reason I play Ibanez is the way it feels. Do you have a headstock design too? What kinda color or finish are you thinking..inlays? Pictures??
I designed a few guitars in the early 90's, but I never liked anything so I never even bought a blank. Maybe after I put my Custom Roadstar2 back together I can think about a custom.

Peace,
SoMm
 
Son of Mixerman said:
I don't think thats a fair characterization of Warmoth.
Click to expand...

It was not meant as a deragatory statment. I am very fond of Warmoths work.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I prefer #1 but I gotta tell you that in the decision to purchase one over the other, it would not be a factor. Just my $.02.

rpe
 
rpe said:
I prefer #1 but I gotta tell you that in the decision to purchase one over the other, it would not be a factor. Just my $.02.

rpe
Click to expand...


No, but it is still something which I, as a builder, must consider. There are a lot of details which would not effect most people’s decision to buy a guitar, but if we are going to charge the amount of money we need to survive, then we must make our guitars as perfect as possible in every way. There is no other way to justify spending that much money on a guitar. Every detail must be right, because that is what you have the right to expect when you are paying thousands of dollars for a guitar. And there are some people out there for whom those details will make them choose not to buy the guitar.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I think what rpe was saying it that the difference did not matter much. Other factors would be much more important in a buy decision that the slight difference between the two shapes.

Things like neck shape and feel, fret style, pickup control, overall sound, sustain, hardware, options, color selection, and overall product quality.

Ed
 
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