Official Luthiers Forum!

To all who read this i want your opinions, no advice, opinions. I want a collective thought and I thought this could be fun! So answer and don't be afraid. Your opinion is YOUR opinion, not mine or anybody else. I also wanna see what people like out there (also if you dont like someone's opinion then deal with it )

What type of pickups do you favor/brand name? (do you make your own, do you prefer single coil, humbuckers?? etc..etc..)

Solid body? Carve top? hollow body? Wacky new design? etc..etc..

Types of pots, and capacitors. concentric? push-pull? regular? etc..etc..

bridge type? tremolo? hard tail? etc..etc..

neck type? binding? fret size? scale length? nut size/ string spacing? and tuning peg locations. righty reverse? lefty? regular 6-in line? etc..etc..

controls? Master knob? wire to the amp? a knob for everything? Location of the controls if any? etc..etc..

jack type even! (strat or les paul style or your own?)


You get the drill! So please answer! I really want people to give there opinion!

---------------------mine

I like solid body with my own designs, I originality. For pickups I adore humbuckers (GFS). I do wanna make my own though. For controls i like alot of tonal combos so i usually go all out, individual tone but master volume, I like concentric for tones but if there's going to be a master tone and volume id use concentric. 5 or more way switch. i prefer .22uf caps orange drop for bridge i like wraparound bridges a lot. For neck i adore a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard with 3 on each side. (bolt-on) i like jumbo frets and i really like the norm for string spacing. I prefer fender scale lengths

...

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

i was bored, i wanna hear everyone's lieks so i can learn what people look for most. If you guys do this i should be able to come up with a design that would hopefully be my prize so please answer!

lol that made me laugh but seriously i know it seems stupid but please

I like solide bodies, but also hollow and semi-hollow, depending what I want to play...

I like pots and caps who work, that's it.

I like tremolo... on strat type guitar. I like hardtail on basses and tele-typed. I like also tune-o-matic on LP style...

Neck type: Depend on the guitar, depend on the style I play, depend of the look of the rest of the guitar

Scale lenght: I like 24.75 on Gibson... 25.5 on Fender... 25 on PRS...650mm on classical

Fret Wire: I like metal frets.

I like les paul jack on les paul, tele jack on tele, strat jack on tele, and another other jack on any other guitar that i can plug a cable in.


There's no answer, dude.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

They are rare... it's my secret but i'll tell you...

I use old drill bits, and sand them to the shape of a fret.

Works pretty well. I'll make a tutorial some day.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Filippo Morelli cmon your turn lol

You don't unterstand, again, dude?

Asking 27 stupid questions at once is exactly the same than posting 27 stupid threads.

All your questions can be answered on Google in 60 seconds, or less. Or are just useless "polls".

Personal opinions, tastes and choices are... PERSONAL opinions, tastes and choices.

You can't make polls if you want, but it's not the place here. Or they have to be usefull or interesting, concerning something that haven't been discussed hundred times.

If you want opinion, ask musicians. They'll be your customers, if you become a luthier.

If you need help for building guitars, these are BOOKS, nice tutorials on the internet, luthiery school, etc...

THEN, if you're stuck... you can ask an inteliigent question here, and people will answer.

PLEASE, be respectful for the luthiers that are giving their time for you.


Try to be logic.

I hope you understand, now.

Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

i know what your getting at but if i just posted a link to a poll id get the same response. Yes it may be stupid but i cant google what you like. im genuinely trying to get the largest sample of opinions i can find. Im asking other places but this is just one. The more who respond the better. I wanna get a plan for a guitar that everyone loves. Lame I know but humor me. I believe the only way to come up with a new innovation in a guitar plan is to ask the community what they love. I would hope your not gonna lecture me on my beliefs next.

I won't

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

I did bad with the quotes, sorry. You get the point anyway.

Francis.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

You might better results asking players instead of builders.
Just a thought.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Hey Skanks,
you funny!

we all have.... many many times now, i think peoples nerves are wearing a little thin.

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~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

dude the rules.. I didn't read but I'm pretty sure its somewhere around be nice.


And no its not about me. If the sampling works i plan on 1 of 3 things. Selling it, raffling it off, or donating. I'm a Philanthropist

I'm not even joking. I'm lazy but when it comes to music i want to help better it. Music is my core in my life and I strive for a perfect sounding guitar (like all builders of them)

I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you. I know i ask "stupid questions" but we all do. I asked the questions and it's just that, opinions. If this belongs in the off topic section then ill just start the thread there if you like. I'm not trying to make you mad. Its not like I'm asking how to gut out the body. I'm not asking how to even do anything. I'm asking what does the OLF community like to do when they build guitars. Its not stupid, and yes i realize its impossible to create a guitar that everyone loves but hell I'm gonna try. Also don't think I'm just out to get rich because being rich is greed. I'd like to think my moral compass is strong. I'm just trying to make people happy. I really don't see the point of being rude about it. Now I'm not mad and if i offended you I apologize.

Answers within!



Mike

skankstro,

I couldn't answer everything in the previous post so here is the follow up. Most everyone of the regulars on this site have already been 16 and they/we understand what it is to go through that time in life. Many of us enjoyed it, and some didn't. Why not sit back, listen to the folks here that have been more than generous with their time to post replies to your threads and enjoy 16?

You made a very telling statement in the post I answered previously. Here, read it. Its not like I'm asking how to gut out the body. I'm not asking how to even do anything. That is the whole point of the backlash you are currently getting. They want you to make a guitar instead of talking about making a guitar. There are two forums that I know of that have sponsored a $100 limit for building an electric guitar. It is a blast.

Remember that age 16 thing I mentioned? I considered building an electric guitar when I was 16....and never built it. I am now 59 and built my first one last year. All the time between 16 and now I could have been building guitars and having a ball....that time is gone forever. Don't let it happen to you.

Just start building.


Mike

Filippo......me or him? I actually am a preacher but not currently pastoring.

Mike

dude im trying to be nice. Im asking an opinion. nothing more, nothing less. just leave it alone if its annoying. thats what i want.

Everyone gets a certain amount of goodwill / tolerence when they join.
Silly questions, too lazy to do obvious research, wanting to be spoonfed, whatever.... 'till they abuse it and use it up! (Which will be a b*tch when you really need to know something!)
Put him on ignore.....I have.

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Dave
Milton, ON

amen.

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~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

For a well rounded electric: Mmmmm

PU's. I like Duncan as a standard, the differences between pick ups is clear and well repeated, and well described on their website. They're the best. For the serious upgrade their Antiquity stuff is insane. I love the Fralin P92's and the Lollar stuff is great.

Fretwire. I really dig the Stewmac 154 for electrics, my standard wire. The 150 is just too big.

Pots are tricky, I order mine from an amp parts supplier, knobs too. The Stuff that SM and LMI sells isn't as as smooth and a lot of times the knobs they sell don't match the knurls on the end of the pots they sell, it's weird.

Tuners: the Higher the gear ratio the better. I don't care what the buttons look like if I can get a 18:1 gear ratio in a mini that's what I'm building with.

Bone nuts. Some guys like the graphite or tusq, I just dig the tone of Bone.

Bridges. I'm turning into a trem guy, more and more. And I lean toward the modern trems, I can't look at the old strat looking trems with out thinking that they should be on a strat. And the more brass in the bridge on an electric the better. Brighter with more guts.

Wiring: I used to be a fan of a 3-way with a push-pull pot on the tone. But the more I build I've changed over to the Stewmac P-switch. It's sturdy and there's no signal loss between settings like the push-pull. Vintage wire, more signal, and break up, you just have to be careful of your grounds and signal separation.

Body shape. Doesn't matter really, single or double cut, explorer, sg, or V, to me as a builder and player the most important thing is that it balances headstock to lower bout. I don't want a bottom heavy (in a seated playing position) like a Les Paul or PRS. And I don't want it top heavy like Warmoth Bases are. I like balance and ergonomics. A lot of that can get worked out depending on where you place your waist, the material you keep around your neck joint, and how deep your belly carve is.

I won't get into whatever seems to be going on in this thread. But if your looking into electric design check out all the Electric Bass builders. Yeah I said it, Bass builders. To be honest Bass builders have pushed the limits of guitar design farther then any other guitar company, electric or acoustic. Guys like Jerzy Drozd, Ken Smith, Fodera, Carl Thompson, and Michael Tobias are my favs. Real progression of the instrument done well.

Hop that helps, as an electric builder I know what you were asking for, the above is what I like.

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Todd Lunneborg
http://www.tlguitars.com/
http://www.fretboardjournal.com/

After rereading this thread start to finish, you OLF'rs should be ashamed. If you have issues with someone PM them. Tell them off there. If this really is a kid and he's overstayed his welcome, act like the adults your supposed to be and teach rather then scold.

I'm ashamed of you guys, this is caddie eighth grade girl stuff. The high and mighty lashing out, it's just sad.

This is exactly why I don't post very often. This is not your house or your property, your not the boss and the voice of the right. Stop acting like it's your turf and this is some sort of a pi#$ing match.

I hope you see my pervious post. If you all are keen to share then answer his question like I did. Address your design process and thoughts and lay off the attitude. I actually think about the things he asked about quite often and they are valid questions to me. This is a Acoustic builder forum primarily and maybe you just don't think of electric guitar construction issues. But for those of us that do build electrics, successfully, (apparently you guys are too good for electrics) some of his Q's are just as valid and hard hitting to real electric builders as the Titebond vs Hide Glue threads. If your fed up with a guy who's asking too much too often, then PM him to dial it down and don't post this stuff in the thread.

It doesn't matter how many times he posted this, and what other threads he started that asked the uber basic questions, and where else he may have posted it. I realize it's probably merited by what I'm sensing and by the response of those who are responding so poorly... not what I would have expected from a couple of you guys. If you don't have time to answer tactfully, don't. Don't press a button and change your settings to "ignore" him (how juvenile), be a man and just do it like you do with weird Uncle Al at X-mas time... Who's always telling dirty stories in the corner to your grandma and hitting on your little brothers new girlfriend- he's 73 for goodness sakes!

All of you need to apologize, and start acting like men who care about how they sound, get off the computer and out of your heads... and egos; and go make some dust.

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Todd Lunneborg
http://www.tlguitars.com/
http://www.fretboardjournal.com/

When I put someone on "ignore", it has nothing to do with lists.

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Dave
Milton, ON