Yup, that's right... i'm building a guitar. Not exactly from scratch, but as close as I can get without losing my fingertips to a jigsaw (so i can actually play the damn thing when it's done). As a guitarist for 20-odd years now, and a constant tweaker of all things electronic & stringed, it's a thought that's been brewing for years. FInally, a perfect situation presented itself... my two favorite guitars are a Les Paul and a Strat, but when I gig in NYC, I can't always bring more than one. Therefore, I wanted one guitar with the combined characteristics I like about both.
My perfect guitar wish list:
1. Comfortable body: Gonna go Strat-style for this, considering my Les Paul Custom can double as a boat anchor. The thick mahogany body & maple top of a LP gives a great tone, but I feel confident we can find a middle ground that has the classic LP midrange attitude, plus a wider and more balanced frequency response across the entire spectrum.
2. Comfortable neck: This is tricky... I like the feel of a Gibson neck, but also the longer scale of a Fender. The flatter Gibby radius (12") is nicer for soloing and single-note playing, but the rounder Fender radius (7.5"-9.5") is more comfy for rhythm. I'm leaning towards a Warmoth compound-radius maple neck right now.
3. Electronics: I want versatility, but not at the expense of tone. My model for this is the Suhr Guthrie Govan custom model... HSH pickup config, with some potential options. Likely going with Seymour Duncans, as I have them in two of my Gibsons and think the value for the price is the best out there. Thinking JB in the bridge, '59 neck, and an SSL-2 in the middle.
4. Hardware: The Wilkinson VS100 tremolo is the best Strat-style bridge on this planet. They might've had something better on Krypton, but neither Marlon Brando nor Christopher Reeve are around to confirm that. Schaller tuners & straplocks are also bulletproof & mandatory.
5. Aesthetics: The fun part. I have too many black guitars, so I'm going in a very different direction... Ocean Turquoise. It's an old custom car color from the '60s. My bedroom in my parents' old house was a dark teal color, and i always loved it. Still debating pick guard... possibilities are chrome, tortoise shell, or black pearl. Neck will be maple with a vintage tint, and a reverse headstock... because why the hell not?
So, there ya have it... the plans have been drawn up. Now, let's get started.
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