Squier Affinity

Posted on April 6, 2014 by mattICT in Rebuilds | Leave a comment

Squier Affinity Stratocaster

Christmas 2012
SOLD

Model Name: Squier Affinity
Color: Arctic White
Body Material: Bass Wood
Body Shape: Stratocaster
Body Finish: White Nitrocellulose
Neck Style: 70’s CBS style headstock, oiled finish
Neck Shape: Modern “C”
Scale Length: 25.5”
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5″
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Medium
Full-body String Nut: White Plastic
Nut Width: 42 mm
Fingerboard Inlays: N/A
Side Inlays: White dot
Neck Plate: 4-bolt Standard Chrome
Pickup Configuration: HB Bridge
Bridge Pickup: Unknown Dimarzio Humbucker
Middle Pickup: N/A
Neck Pickup: N/A
Controls:

Master volume

Pickup Switching: N/A
Bridge: 6-Saddle fixed bridge
Hardware Finish: Black
Tuning Machines: Squier
Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint/Black
Control Knobs: Black knurled
Switch Tips: N/A
Unique Features:

A good friend of mine requested that I build him a white stratocaster style guitar after he had seen the ‘Duck’ guitar I built for my brother Lee. Using a spare Squier neck I had temporarily fitted to my first guitar (Encore unknown model), I just needed to source a body and use a few spares. This was not intended to be a playing guitar and was planned for a wall hanging, although I wanted it to play and sound well regardless.
After searching ebay I managed to find a cheap early 90’s Dimarzio humbucker and a thin Squier Affinity body. Utilising the spares box, I built and wired up this guitar over eggnog and Christmas music during the Christmas break.

I had decided to go for a very minimalist build, and opted for the Tom DeLonge style single Volume pot placement.

The neck is quite fast, although it would benefit from a re-fret. The unknown pickup was god-awful and reminded me very much of my first Encore guitar’s sound.

Duck Copy

Posted on February 13, 2014 by mattICT in Rebuilds | Leave a comment

LDG ‘Duck’ Stratocaster

Winter 2007 – Christmas 2009
PERSONAL COLLECTION

Model Name: LDG Stratocaster duck2
Color: Olympic White
Body Material: Alder
Body Shape: Stratocaster
Body Finish: White Nitrocellulose
Neck Style: 70’s CBS style headstock, oiled finish
Neck Shape: Modern “D”
Scale Length: 25.5”
Fingerboard: Full scalloped maple
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5″
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Medium
Full-body String Nut: White Plastic
Nut Width: 42 mm
Fingerboard Inlays: N/A
Side Inlays: White dot
Neck Plate: 4-bolt custom ‘LDG’ design
Pickup Configuration: S-S-S
Bridge Pickup: Unknown Single Coil
Middle Pickup: Unknown Single Coil
Neck Pickup: Unknown Single Coil
Controls:

Master volume
Tone 1 (Neck pickup)
Tone 2 (middle and bridge pickups)

Pickup Switching: 5-Position blade:

Bridge only
Bridge & middle
Middle only
Middle and Neck
Neck only

Bridge: 6-Saddle vintage style tremolo
Hardware Finish: Nickel/Gold
Tuning Machines: Vintage Kluson style
Pickguard: 3-Ply white
Control Knobs: Aged white plastic
Switch Tips: White
Unique Features:

Fully scalloped fingerboard
Custom designed ‘Lee Daniel Guest’ neck-plate

My first project; my brother Lee had been a fan of Yngwie Malmsteen’s since the early 90’s and we had both talked and dreamed about one day having enough money to buy one of Fender’s signature models featuring a fully scalloped fretboard. A scalloped fretboard like Yngwie uses is incredibly difficult to source on a retail guitar for less £1,000 so I decided to build my own ‘Partscaster’. The ‘Duck’ tagline refers to Yngwie Malmsteen’s original Strat copy which he scalloped himself in the late 70’s. The headstock of this guitar had a Donald Duck sticker and the nickname reference is generally used.

Sourcing components primarily through eBay, this was my first experience of creating a working guitar on a tight budget that played like a pro. I was a little green at the time and so I bought a second-hand, ready wired scratch-plate and just connected the jack-plug.
I commissioned the production of a unique neck-late featuring the owner’s signature and Nordic hammer design.

Plays very well, it’s let down slightly by the stock-pickups however. It would definitely benefit from a set of DiMarzio YJM Fury’s.
The neck, which was sourced from China, is very thick and is an acquired taste but excellent for big bluesy bends.

Muninn

Posted on February 12, 2014 by mattICT in Bespoke, guitars, portfolio, projects | Leave a comment

Raven Projects : Muninn (1 of 2)

Spring 2012 – Spring 2014
SOLD

Model Name: Muninn
Color: Anthracite
Body Material: Swamp Ash
Body Shape: MG/CR Raven
Body Finish: ‘Clear Wudtone’
Neck Material: Rock Maple
Neck Style: 3×3 Headstock, oiled finish
Neck Shape: Modern “C”
Scale Length: 24.75”
Fingerboard: Tear-drop/full scalloped maple
Fingerboard Radius: 10″
Number of Frets: 22
Fret Size: Jumbo
Full-body String Nut: Black graph-tec
Nut Width: 42 mm
Fingerboard Inlays: N/A
Side Inlays: Black dot
Neck Plate: N/A
Pickup Configuration: HB-HB
Bridge Pickup: EMG HZ4
Middle Pickup: N/A
Neck Pickup: EMG HZ4-A
Controls: Master volume, coil-splitting push-pull
Pickup Switching: 3-Position blade:

Bridge only
Bridge & neck
Neck only

Bridge: 6-Saddle, twin-pivot modern style floating tremolo
Hardware Finish: Black
Tuning Machines: Gibson ‘Tulip’ style
Pickguard: N/A
Control Knobs: Black speed-knob
Switch Tips: Black
Unique Features:

Custom abalone headstock inlay
Tear-drop’ scalloped fingerboard from frets 1 – 11
Fully scalloped fingerboard from frets 12 – 22
Coil-split function, changing humbuckers to single-coil
Machine-thread neck insert for neck-mounting
Fender locking strap buttons
Treble-bleed wiring modification

Originally planned as a single, unique design and build, I managed to get a good deal purchasing the timber and ended up with two Swamp Ash body blanks.With two potential builds, I decided to theme along the lines of Norse mythology primarily as I wanted to create a transparent black, natural finish that would enhance the figuring of the Swamp Ash grain, but also because it seemed cool. The inspiration for this colour effect was a Raven’s wing, so I decided to theme the builds as Odin’s Ravens, Muninn (memory) and Huginn (thought).The body design was the result of many long hours in consultation with Chloe, aiming for a contemporary mix of Les Paul and Super-Strat body styles whilst keeping our own unique twist. The right horn was finished with a bevelled edge for a sword-edge like emphasis and was cut deep to allow easy access to the high fret area.This guitar was designed to look and feel sharp and edgy, and so I felt it needed a very fast action. The scalloping process was arduous but worthwhile, and has resulted in a super-slick experience, excellent for both 80’s style shredding and hard SRV style blues-bends. Frets 1 – 11 have been scalloped to a tear-drop profile to allow easier bar-chord playing, while frets 12 – 22 have the more traditional full scallop made famous by artists such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai. High output passive pickups have been used to give an appropriate darkness to the sound, whilst keeping smooth tones in the Humbucker configuration. Pulling the Volume knob up into position splits the coils resulting in single-coil configuration, for a sharper more vintage sound.

” Huginn and Muninn Fly every day

over the mighty earth.

I fear for Huginn that he may not return,

yet more I fear for Muninn.”

– Odin, translated from Old Norse

Follow the design and build diary of Muninn…

Burning Sun Les Paul Diary

Posted on February 12, 2014 by mattICT in Wudtone | Leave a comment

Built and finished during an unforgettable Spring and Summer living in a converted barn in the Peak District…

: Sale image

: First inspection at home

: Ebony dye preparation

: Ebony dye testing on Raven Project off-cuts

: Worryingly BLACK

: Commissioned necks arrive from Chine (one will be for Huginn)

: 1st coat of chosen finish, Wudtone Burning Sun

: 3 coats…

: …6 coats…

: Final 9 coats with binding cleaned up with wire wool

: Time for a bottle of Old Empire

: Measurement checks for the correct Tune-o-matic and stop tail piece

: Application of final satin clear coat

: Black-nickel hardware

: Leftover Burning Sun to coat the neck

: Classic Les Paul style Tulip machine heads

: The descision was made for an arcade kill-switch: man up!

: Stepper drill bit makes sizing easy

: Neck bolted on and in alignment

: Custom Demon neckplate (2 of 3)

Burning Sun Les Paul

Posted on February 12, 2014 by mattICT in projects, Wudtone | Leave a comment

Burning Sun Les Paul

Summer 2013
SOLD

Model Name: Burning Sun LP
Color: Burning Sun
Body Material: Mahogany body, Spalted Maple top
Body Shape: Les Paul
Body Finish: Wudtone – ‘Burning Sun’
Neck Material: Rock Maple
Neck Style: Gibson style headstock, oiled finish
Neck Shape: Modern “C”
Scale Length: 25.5”
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5″
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Jumbo
Full-body String Nut: White plastic
Nut Width: 42 mm
Fingerboard Inlays: N/A
Side Inlays: Black dot
Neck Plate: 4-Bolt gold – MG ‘Demon’ custom design
Pickup Configuration: HB-HB
Bridge Pickup: Epiphone ’57 Classic with plastic cover
Middle Pickup: N/A
Neck Pickup: Epiphone ’57 Classic with plastic cover
Controls:

Volume 1 – Neck pickup
Volume 2 – Bridge pickup
Master Tone
Arcade style kill-switch

Pickup Switching: 3-way toggle
Bridge: Tune-o-matic stop-tailpiece
Hardware Finish: Black
Tuning Machines: Epiphone ‘Tulip’ style
Pickguard: N/A
Control Knobs: Black speed-knob
Switch Tips: Black

Unique Features:

Custom designed ‘MG Demon’ neck-plate
Kill-switch modification
Locking strap buttons
Treble-bleed wiring modification

This guitar body was salvaged from the manufacturer as it had a slight imperfection in the left shoulder, which had been inlaid with a mismatch piece of timber. The sponge-like spalted maple top absorbed all of the golden tones of the Wudtone Burning Sun application, and was a pleasure to apply.

I decided to add a prog-metal style kill-switch into this guitar as a prototype for one I intended to add to my own personal Les Paul. This works very well in execution for staccato-style riffs, but it just wasn’t for me so I never adopted this for my own Les Paul.

Follow the design & build diary of the ‘Burning Sun’ Les Paul…