Pickups arrived for this build, was looking at Seymour Duncan Distortion Mayhem set on Thomman at £82. Wanted something a little more bluesy for the neck though, checked Amazon and found a used Hot Rodded set (Jazz neck/JB bridge) for £77.
Amazon Warehouse deal, not used at all, box is a bit scratched and the box clasp is broken but the pickups are new and untouched, bargaindata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/575/575300-a3a1ab529fabb1ab847d746f627965a0.jpg
Still using factory made neck for now, thinking of making my own at some point but this one feels nice and will do for now. Surprised to see Jinho Korea stamped on back of tuners, they make Wilkinson and Grovers found on most Korean guitars.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578126-0e86e5f275d1fa3c7792e09edbcb939e.jpg
Pre-drilled holes were quite small so I splintered the dowels instead of drilling out to fit, filled holes with glue and tightly packed, lightly hammered in, cut and sanded flat.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578129-f2a2587bd18759abeae7df437dc292f0.jpg
Drilled a couple of holes, checked everything was still inline, all good so carried on.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578130-d531ea7a4bef28e2081ee07309779cac.jpg
Wanted to do a quick test but forgot a couple of things, channel for the pickup wires to the electrics cavity for one//static.avforums.com/styles/avf/smilies/facepalm.gif.
Started drilling from top/bridge pup cavity but couldn't get a good angle, cavities are quite far apart and I think it would've ended up going through the back of guitar if I continued. Ended up using the jack socket hole to get a better angle, managed to drill without going through surface of guitar.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578131-cb2a7dae8c5582477bd7d13c7010f061.jpg
Tight fit but enough room for both pickup wires and ground wire (other hole I forgot), easier to drill into bridge pup cavity and route it that way than directly into controls cavity.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578132-b7f8ebaccd38806a3f6162aa9a8a1827.jpg
Using this build to experiment with the finish, common trick with figured wood like flame maple is to dye black first, sand back and re-dye with colour. Not much grain pattern on the front but going to try it anyway, can always spray it black if it looks baddata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
No going back now! poplar soaked up the dye but seemed to sit on top of the maple and walnut. Didn't expect the maple to take any but should've wet the wood first to help it absorption, saturated it with a second coat.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578139-5448ded10af14d8fdadef188d22ad12b.jpg
Wiped off excess, worked well with the iroko grain on the back, looks great close up
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578140-9dafcc9473ac8ed166ef10303e21e33c.jpg
Lots of sandpaper and red raw fingers, took ages to sand back the end grain on the top/bottom of sides.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/578/578141-61b444cb96d30a546b7fa96f15ddbc83.jpg
Looks a bit patchy in places but I was kind of expecting that, once colour dyed it should look nice, bloody hope so after all that sanding!data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7. Tested red dye on a scrap piece and it looked a bit plain, plus it was a bit bright on the light poplar. Hoping this black coat will darken it and add some contrast/shading when done.
Just want to get it done now, eating into my spare time, barely had time to play guitar in the last month!
Done the colour coat, looked awesome when I started brushing it on... until I wiped off the excess, too much water not enough dye.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/579/579712-3c568d910b3fb541cde1f1236f323a7f.jpg
Added more red dye and a bit of black to darken it, couldn't understand why the back of the middle middle section was taking colour but not the front until I noticed glue residue.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/579/579713-80868afe603866116f4a9d1a42bfd3fe.jpg
2nd picture in first post of this thread, can see a layer of glue on the walnut/maple sandwich acting like a waterproof coat, must have missed some when sanding flat, sanded back that section and added a few more coats....
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/579/579714-708028f61c8da09a4f9b8b8d1190b3f0.jpg
Yeah, notice the colour is now a pinkish purpledata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7<same colour as that smilie! Not exactly sure what happened there. Had some old black and blue Liberon palette wood dyes that I poured into glass jars a while back, there's good chance I mixed some blue in with the black at some pointdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7. Thought the black layer had a bluish tinge when I sanded back.
Was going for worn cherry or wine red but deep purple sounds cooldata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/579/579715-78a41908d9efedee7fede13fa3001258.jpg
Final finish will be teak oil and wax, done a few layers of shellac sanding sealer, just enough to stop me sanding through when I fine sand/polish (bound to end up with the odd sand-through anyway, always happensdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7). Sanded the headstock and dyed that as well, was going to add a simple BC Rich 'R' logo decal but think I'll just leave it blank and oil/wax it.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/579/579716-8d06cfa393f837f0d1e71abd1ed9856c.jpg
Want to keep as much of the grain pattern as possible on the back, bit like an Ibanez weathered finish.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/579/579717-39a82566df9294204b4a1f01cea8bce6.jpg
Funny how the front is now darker than the back, think the oily iroko stopped the dye from soaking in as much as the poplar but the grain is a lot nicer.
This guitar finish is a bit of an experiment for another build I started ages ago. Used the same woods but iroko on the front (bought in bulk at the time). Grain pattern is gorgeous but doesn't stand out unless the light catches it.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/579/579726-afaa52c80d30541f979fb110be36b396.jpg
Thinking of dying that one blue but it will probably turn out green or some other weird colour data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7. As long as the black dye brings out the grain I don't care what the final colour looks like, got to be better than the murky brown finish it has at the moment!
Must be down to personal taste as I think that finish looks gorgeous, not 'murky' at all to my eyes. Some serious skill with these hand made projects of yours. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Thanks, I liked the finish on the Wrath at the time but can barely seen the grain unless you angle it to the light. Usually in a rush to try it out and just slap a few clear coats ondata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
I'd like to redo it so the grain really pops out, iroko top is 20mm thick so has a nice 3D effect when moved back and forth. Could just dye it black and sand back so the grain is more prominent, colouring with current build is going well so might as well try a different colour dye whilst I'm at it.
Done a couple of videos with the wrath earlier this year, can see what I mean by flat murky brown look when it's viewed face on, webcam quality video probably doesn't help though.
Clean (attempt at Hendrix's Hear My Train Coming)
Lead/Distortion (Jamming along to The Shield theme tune)
Pickups were EMG-HZs in the videos, not the best sounding (excuses, excuses...data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) sounds a lot nicer with current 59/JB set but still going to take apart once this build is done, need at least one guitar in parts to tinker withdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7.
I came to the conclusion with dyes you are dependent on how the wood takes the dye. It worked well for me with blue but I couldn't get the black to burst successfully, it went murky as you say
When I looked into it the guys who had the most success at the 3D effect used thinned nitro laquer built up in layers using a spray gun. Like the candy coats using one colour (metallic gold/silver) over another (red). So a base grain colour (eg black, dark green) with thin coats of the main colour (eg blue) using a final clear coats for finishing.
Thought about doing a burst to cover the sides but I quite like the contrast now it's dyed.
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/580/580005-c714818a8aa491160d5df67dd00ddbc7.jpg
Need to fine sand a few dull spots and wax but it's pretty much done now. There's a small tearout hole on side of horn, if I was doing a solid colour I'd fill it, not worth trying to fix it at this stage. Sure I'll make bigger dents than that after playing it!
Don't know if the teak oil made a difference, but the colour doesn't look as purple today
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/580/580006-d1c0d7fd208c6b716844f374dcaa948f.jpg
More like burgundydata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/580/580007-48e16e5093b5f8fb8b37f50fa81324d9.jpg
Really pleased with the back
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/580/580008-45ec01db42b3a8b5b8da0f19142a81d2.jpg
Hardly any grain but really shows from dying black before colour
https://www.avforums.com/data/attachments/580/580009-efce8aa5b59acd324bdb112e9f1d0cd0.jpg
Can't wait to see what the Wrath will look like using same method.
Just about finished this build, managed to knacker one of the lugs on the mini switch when soldering the neck pickup, one for splitting, so both pups work fine in humbucker mode. Rarely used splitting but got a couple of spare DPDT switches so I'm going to redo the electrics when I get time.
Main thing is I can get a sound of out it. Really happy with how it plays, neck feels nice, weighs around 8.5lbs, seymour duncans sound great, yeah, it's a pretty decent all round player.
Quick demo, going with the christmas spirit and all that. Kinda got the main riffs down, improv leads are pretty much just pentatonics with passing notes.
Great sounding and well played data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
The reflected light doesn't do the guitar justice though mate. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7