Shredcow's Custom Guitar?

[ShredCow]

And so... I decided to embark on my first custom guitar project. Not a parts guitar, not a refurbished production guitar - a custom guitar. It has been a life-long (guitar-playing life) dream to own something that has been lovingly made from scratch with real hands, just for my selfish desires. Heh. And I think I would want to go with Oni Guitars.

Oni Guitars make some of the most organic, unique yet familiar guitars. I'm especially impressed with their ideas on the extended range guitar.

Check out some pictures:

I've been mighty impressed with Oni's works and I've been in discussion with him about the guitar in my head.

It will be an 8 string guitar. I figured, even if I don't play the extra 2 strings, the extra wood would mean MORE... right? I mean, more IS MORE right? Bwhaahaha... anyway, I've decided on going the simple, should-not-go-wrong route. No piezos, no midi options, no 101 switching options, no 6 coil pickups... just basic stuff. I suppose if Model #1 performs really well... then I'll consider doing a 2nd zhng-ed one.

So far, the specs we have confirmed are:

Body Wood : Black Acacia with Bocote top
Neck Wood : Black Acacia with Ziricote fretboard
Scale : 25" - 27.35" fanned
Fingerboard Rad : Flat
Frets : 26 Stainless Steel 6100s
Bridge : Oni Individual Saddles
Tuners : Gotoh SGS510Z
Electronics : 500k RSGuitarworks Superpot
500k CTS Tone control
Creation Audio Redeemer buffer
Input Jack : Non-recessed
Neck Pickup : Oni single-coil-sized humbucker
Middle Pickup : N/A
Bridge Pickup : Some killer passive thing!
Finish Color : Natural Oiled
Misc Options : No fretboard markers, only single inlay @ 12th fret
Side inlays only
String Gauge : 9 - 42, 56, 74?



If all goes as planned, I should make the order in a month or so... then it will be a nice year-long wait. So this thread should be alive for quite some time.

 

[empty71]

Sweet!!!

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

Like the words on the shirt of mr misse tees years back, "More, is still more"

Heh, be interesting for your playing i supposed. Power lah!

 

[teokiatuan]

have you tried Qtuners?they sound great on 8stringers

 

[ShredCow]

Hey malcolm... yeah, I hope it turns out sweet. Looks sweet and the reports are sweet though.

Pathein - I rem that shirt... it was like the MrMisse motto for some time. Honestly though, I don't think I have the required creativity to make full use of the 8 string - I think I just play rawk on it can liao.

have you tried Qtuners?they sound great on 8stringers

No, I have not tried Q-Tuners but based on the samples and stuff - they do sound fantastic for drive. For cleans, its sort of piezo-ish, not really my cup of tea. Also, they really do seem geared primarily for that heavy metal / rock vibe.

My current 8 string pickups have neodymium magnets like the Q-tuners but built in a more traditional manner. They sound somewhat like the clean clips on the Q-tuner site. While I am extremely pleased with the neck pup, I think I'd prefer a more traditional vibe/sound for the bridge.

For the Oni, I'd use Oni's pickups. We're currently discussing several ideas for the neck single coil.

 

[Gr3y]

It's about time this thread would appear.

 

[Whitestrat]

Wondered why you took so long...:twisted: Eh! you chickening out to go for single coil sized HB??? WEAKLING!

 

[Whitestrat]

It will be an 8 string guitar. I figured, even if I don't play the extra 2 strings, the extra wood would mean MORE... right? I mean, more IS MORE right?

I swear, if one fine day you come to me and say: "Bro, I think I'm going to start playing strats." I'm gonna sit there and laught at you for at least an hour...:mrgreen:

 

[ShredCow]

I swear, if one fine day you come to me and say: "Bro, I think I'm going to start playing strats." I'm gonna sit there and laught at you for at least an hour...:mrgreen:

Ya know... Agile has a 7 string tele....

 

[Whitestrat]

Ya know... Agile has a 7 string tele....

Ya... just TRY and wrap your thumb around that man...:twisted:

 

[eclipze]

wowwwwwwwwwwww nice axe fanned frets and multiscale guitar!!

 

[ShredCow]

Yeah, multi-scale... I've never had the experience of such a thing but it seems to be the thing for too-many-strings guitars.

Any experience?

 

[Radius_Vector]

Sex. I'd love to see how you'd wield this machine, considering that the general crowds buying 8 strings are from the METCHUL community.

 

[ShredCow]

Sex. I'd love to see how you'd wield this machine, considering that the general crowds buying 8 strings are from the METCHUL community.

Hahaha... I must tell you, the way I'm playing my current 8 string is in a segmented manner.

Play low stuff - okay, I play lower now.
Solo time or regular chords - okay, I play higher now.

I can't seem to integrate them into 1 coherent mix. Still trying.

Metal is really the easiest, and therefore most rewarding, way to do the 8 string so far...

 

[Radius_Vector]

Hahaha... I must tell you, the way I'm playing my current 8 string is in a segmented manner.

Play low stuff - okay, I play lower now.
Solo time or regular chords - okay, I play higher now.

I can't seem to integrate them into 1 coherent mix. Still trying.

Metal is really the easiest, and therefore most rewarding, way to do the 8 string so far...

Any videos?

If you're playing standard rock/jazz stuff on the low strings, note clarity, separation, etc. becomes all the more important right?

It's easy to stack on loads of distortion and just chug, but getting some nice sounds out of those top 2 strings must be an interesting task.

 

[ShredCow]

Any videos?

If you're playing standard rock/jazz stuff on the low strings, note clarity, separation, etc. becomes all the more important right?

It's easy to stack on loads of distortion and just chug, but getting some nice sounds out of those top 2 strings must be an interesting task.

Well, the vids I have are crappy stuff.

Have a listen to this - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=641337&songID=7997487
Its a line-in recording so don't expect to be awed but I took quite a bit of time to get this tone setup right. I think its quite good.

With regards to clarity and note separation - I find it not a problem on clean.

It's when dirt comes into the picture then it gets messy. Really. For such a low tuned instrument, when you oversaturate the gain, it just muds out... and it can be quite bad. However, there are still ways to get copious amounts of gain without mudding out - probably setting the right EQ and having the right speakers and stuff... just that, I'm really uninterested in going (e.g.) meshuggah.

The main problem I face is balancing the huge range. Want the low end tight? Tweak setup to sound tight... then try playing a D chord - sounds thin, small and ice-picky. Tweak setup for a nice organic warm loose tone... your low end turns into fart. Bah.

 

[Whitestrat]

The main problem I face is balancing the huge range. Want the low end tight? Tweak setup to sound tight... then try playing a D chord - sounds thin, small and ice-picky. Tweak setup for a nice organic warm loose tone... your low end turns into fart. Bah.

Then... try 2 sets of parameters lor... one set for the 2 lower strings,, another set for the top 6?

 

[ShredCow]

Then... try 2 sets of parameters lor... one set for the 2 lower strings,, another set for the top 6?

You know...

I saw this pickup.. its a passive 6 string humbucker. Wound as 2 seperate humbuckers. 6 poles sense the top 3 string, the other 6 poles sense the bottom 3 strings... 2 outputs.

Like that ah?


DON'T WANT LAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.... wah lau... I'm supposed to be known as anal but dude, not THIS anal!


Actually, after a lot of tweaking and stuff, I think its possible to get a compromise and a good one at that. Heard the clip in the link above?

 

[J-revolt]

the design reminded me of dingwall basses, sweet stuff man. And just a crazy thought, try considering playing through a bass amp? hahah

 

[Whitestrat]

You know...

I saw this pickup.. its a passive 6 string humbucker. Wound as 2 seperate humbuckers. 6 poles sense the top 3 string, the other 6 poles sense the bottom 3 strings... 2 outputs.

Like that ah?


DON'T WANT LAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.... wah lau... I'm supposed to be known as anal but dude, not THIS anal!

Hahaha... Yeah... something like that...:mrgreen: