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New Decadent Guitar Project

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Brian Johnston

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Being developed by Casper Guitar Technologies. A slightly modified Vai Jem body with mirror face plate, solid silver pegs and knobs, vine of life inlay work, and much more! Some photos below to show some of the parts:

fretboard.jpg


pickguard.jpg


leafpegs.jpg


And a silver pick to match, via Timber Tones (part of their Treasure Tones collection):

TreasureTone.jpg
 
By the way, the amazing fretboard inlay is through www.luthiersupply.com . They have dozens of other styles and inlay options, and the prices are incredible considering the workmanship (all made by hand from seashells.
 
I gotta say, these projects aren't to my specific tastes, but they are immensely impressive!

I'll be parking myself here with some popcorn to watch the progress of this one. If the Alien and Hendrix guitars are anything to go by, this should be quite the piece of art! I suspect you have the bespoke guitar bug biting REAL hard huh Brian :)
 
Final guitar... this one gives me tonal qualities and elements found between the original Casper guitar built for me (not the Alien one), and the Hendrix Tribute Strat.
 
Here is the body outline (wood is mahogany)... a basic Jem shape (monkey
grip to be added) with a slight curve/change in the tail/butt end.

BodyShape.jpg
 
A color decision was made... just one solid color (a dark espresso or French
roast), metallic flake. However, under the pickguard (solid mirror-like with
laser cutouts of vines and leaves) will be a bronze metallic paint.

This decision was based on the pickguard covering much of the body, and so
adding a burst or a texture did not make sense. And there is much going on with
the pickguard, silver hardware, engraved pickup covers, etc. The luthier not
only agreed (also suggested it), but so too did the painter... an
award-winning custom car painting company... a paint finish not to be seen too
often on a guitar.
 
I always liked the looks of the Firewheel straplocks. Because the body will
be a very dark espresso, I went with the black straplocks so that they blend
into the body a bit:


StrapLocks.jpg
 
A bit of extra 'curve' work around the butt end, with the pickguard setting in place (it's a mirror pickguard, but has a protective covering over it for the time being):

BDJ3step1withguard.jpg
 
The pickup choices will be through the custom hand-made Hungarian company SublimePickups.com . The neck position will be Deep Ocean Blue; the bridge position will be Distant Land; the middle pickup will be a MiniMonster usually preserved for the bridge position in a single coil, but with it's mid position it will provide a true single tone when combined with the other pickups, rich in mids and thick. Here is a write-up of the pickups:

DISTANT LAND: Strange structure, neodymium-driven, almost-humbucker sized, noiseless pickup. The name tells all: It does not sound like a single coil, neither humbucker. Though, sweet tonal balance, and blasting, wide-range punch is awaiting for the brave who dare to play with the Distant Land. Might be an alternative for a P90, as can be fit into a dogear or a soapbar P90 cover. Play it nice, it will ring and sing...but hit it hard: the answer will not be so polite.

DEEP OCEAN BLUE: Bright and vivid hi-fi sound with soft, full lows and bell like highs. From clean sounds through biting crunch to the high-gain solos, it can do all.

MINI-MONSTER: This singlebucker family is born to raise hell, give 'em sweet distortion and they will do your every bidding. Of course they can be tamed to produce some nice cleans, especially the Minimonster Jazz at the neck, it has a soft, rounded sound with a modest bell-like ring to it. If you take a Stratocaster with three single-coils, put a Minimonster Bloody at the bridge to have a wild hugemidrange scream punch, big output and some nice singing lead sounds at your disposal. If you don't need that much power you can't go wrong with the Minimonster Crunch, it has enough in it to get that sweet legendary rock tones, it's also a perfect choice for the middle position. Thanks to their unique magnetic structure and the high-tech materials used, the Minimonsters have an unmistakable, very characteristic sound. They are really responsive to different playing styles.
 
Project still under way... some pictures to come.

The paintjob will be done by www.ripcc.com, a custom auto paint company that has been featured several times in LowRider magazine. The finish will not by typical of guitars.

The truss rod cover and back trem cover will be metal and custom engraved by
www.eddyshandengraving.com
 
I just received my solid silver Treasure Tone pick:

http://www.timber-tones-shop.com/solid-silver-plectrum-234-p.asp

OK, I know this is a costly plectrum (although it would last years longer than bags of plastic or nylon picks), but the tone and dynamics that jump out with this pick is incredible! Everything sounds more defined and in your face as it cuts through the mix better than with other picks I have tried, ranging from acrylic to various woods, to plastic, etc.

The weight of the pick also seems to help you maintain control over the strings, and it makes it easier to adjust from soft to loud playing. I had favorite plectrums in the past, but this one beats them all!
 
I think it's on the first page of this thread... a photo of the solid silver
'leaf' peg heads I'm having made for the guitar (via Argentariis.com). The
metalsmith sent me a photo of a wax model they use as a mold for casting.

LeafMaster.jpg
 
I assume this guitar will never leave your home since it costs a fortune. My Squier '51 cost less than that pick!
 
These are the custom pickups (sans middle pickup for now); engraved chrome
with a skull at the neck and my initials (BDJ) at the bridge:



pickups2.jpg




pickups1.jpg




Coming from Hungary... www.SublimePickups.com ; this guy does
incredible custom work, including 8-string guitar pickups.
 
UPDATE: Strap arrived!

Although photos of the strap were sent to me prior to shipping, I was not prepared for what I saw and felt as it came out of the box. The quality of craftsmanship, the three-dimensional texture, and the depth of color impressed me as much as any quality guitar (custom or stock) that I have seen – yes, I’m comparing the eye-popping appearance of this strap to that of a guitar! As well, I’ve purchased quality stock guitar straps, and had a few made, but Alligator Jakes have taken the meaning of ‘custom guitar strap’ to a completely different level. What I did not expect was the dual-layer of hide for added rigidity and toughness, nor the soft faux-fur padding along the inside to increase comfort while playing even the heaviest of guitars.

ADDENDUM: I was informed that the plush padding is, in fact, New Zealand lamb wool.
 
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