NGD: Oakland Axe Factory 8-string (I once killed a boy with a 56K modem...)

celticelk · 10-19-2011, 09:32 PM

It's here! (Check out the build thread for our previous episodes: OAF 8-string singlecut)

OK, enough of this tedious intro - on to the pics! Apologies for the quality: I have a lousy camera, the lighting was bad, I was distracted by eddies in the space-time continuum, etc.

You can't tell very well from this photo, but the neck is *very* flat.

Tone Bars!

A family snapshot. I think the Omen is feeling left out of the club....

So, a few specs:

Ash body
Maple neck and fretboard
27" scale
Lace Tone Bar pickups (the Tosin Abasi custom model)
Hipshot hardware
Recessed Dunlop strap locks
1 volume, 1 tone, 3-way switch

If you like Telecasters, you'd love this (I'm lookin' at you, Solodini!) - this is like the Telecaster that bulked up with pull-ups and squats to impress all those round-bottom bass guitar babes. The pickups have a definite single-coil P-90 character, and fabulous articulation. It's good enough that my lack of technique embarasses me, because I can't hide from it with these pickups. Back to the woodshed! The bridge pickup is especially lethal - you could seriously kill a man with barred 3rd-fret harmonics on that bridge pickup. Fortunately, the tone control is beautifully voiced, so you can just roll some highs off and avoid manslaughter charges. This thing *loves* extended jazz voicings: I played some root-7-3-#11 clusters on the low strings, and it just rang out wonderfully. Reggae skanks sound really tight as well, and you can drop down to the low strings and dub out a bassline the way no 6-string Tele ever could.

It's light - lighter than my 6-string alder/ash Yamaha tele, and way lighter than my Omen-8. And it's got fantastic acoustic resonance; I can't imagine what this would sound like if you chambered it and gave it an f-hole. By comparison, the Schecter just feels like a brick. I need to test further with distorted sounds, since my current setup is really geared for Fender blackface-type cleans, but this *feels* more like a clean-tone guitar so far. I bet it's going to eat up a cranked tube amp, though.

Tom's workmanship on this instrument is outstanding. This is perhaps the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen in person; it's definitely the best guitar I've ever owned. All the hardware is top-notch, the controls are excellent, and the whole package just feels great overall. And you can't beat the price - I'd have paid more for a production-line RG2228, and I wouldn't like it nearly so well. I'm definitely getting another one as soon as I can get the funds together.

Enough talk - back to playing!

Hollowway · 10-19-2011, 09:48 PM

Cool. I'm a big fan of Tom's work. So those Lace pups are clear, but how much do they push the amp? Can you generate pinch harmonics and stuff on them? My 10 string has some Villex pups, which are clear, but definitely lower output than my other guitars, so I have to compensate with gain, boost, etc. I am considering Lace tonebars for another build, though.

BlackMastodon · 10-19-2011, 10:14 PM

Damn, that is beautiful. And I wish you didn't tell me it was cheaper than RG2228's.

anne · 10-19-2011, 11:06 PM

Awesome shit, dude. Supergrats!

Wanna hear some tunes!

Pikka Bird · 10-20-2011, 05:28 AM

"I remember everything!!"

...?

Aanyways, yeah, I agree with everyone else so far.

mikemueller2112 · 10-20-2011, 05:48 AM

Looks great, let's hear some clips

geeman8 · 10-20-2011, 06:08 AM

Congrats man! That thing is beautiful! Been interested in one of his multiscale 8's for a while now.....

Fred the Shred · 10-20-2011, 06:19 AM

That is one of the most tasteful singlecut takes I've seen in a while - lovely stuff!

AwakenNoMore · 10-20-2011, 06:39 AM

Such a awesome guitar, very unique and beautiful! Congrats!

The Lace coil-less pickups are no joke. I have the Alumitones in one guitar, definitely a force to be reckoned with.

TimSE · 10-20-2011, 07:00 AM

Im not a tele fan but i do like that a lot! the heal is lush too

Solodini · 10-20-2011, 07:16 AM

Let us hear it then, you big tease!

urklvt · 10-20-2011, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solodini

Let us hear it then, you big tease!

Seconded!

Congrats man! That is one gorgeous guitar!

celticelk · 10-20-2011, 08:40 AM

About those clips: I don't have a good recording setup at the moment, but I could plug into my iPad and generate some stuff through Ampkit. I might even be able to dial in something djenty, as long as y'all understand that I AM NOT A METAL GUITARIST. Or, y'know, a very good guitarist in general, at least by the technical standards operative around here. I'll see what I can do over the next couple of days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollowway

Cool. I'm a big fan of Tom's work. So those Lace pups are clear, but how much do they push the amp? Can you generate pinch harmonics and stuff on them? My 10 string has some Villex pups, which are clear, but definitely lower output than my other guitars, so I have to compensate with gain, boost, etc. I am considering Lace tonebars for another build, though.

I'm not really a pinch-harmonics player, but I'll give it a shot. The output level on these seem fine to me, but then I don't usually play high-output pickups. You might PM Tom for his take on it - I imagine he has a wider perspective on the issue than I do.

isispelican · 10-20-2011, 09:02 AM

looks amazing!

celticelk · 10-20-2011, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikka Bird

"I remember everything!!"

...?

"I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday...."

Glad someone else got that reference!

Solodini · 10-20-2011, 09:21 AM

Dick metal in the face. Geez some twang, ya Dobber! That's working class Scots for "would sir oblige me with the crystalline fineries one would expect of such an instrument as yours?"

celticelk · 10-20-2011, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solodini

Dick metal in the face. Geez some twang, ya Dobber! That's working class Scots for "would sir oblige me with the crystalline fineries one would expect of such an instrument as yours?"

'Sabit Glaswegian for a posh bastard from Edinburgh, innit? =)

Solodini · 10-20-2011, 09:43 AM

Ahm fae Leith, but. A wee donder fae the docks.

awesomeaustin · 10-20-2011, 10:42 AM

Great looking guitar. Love the natural finish, Congrats

celticelk · 10-20-2011, 10:46 AM

Ah, right. =) I did a year at Aberdeen as an undergrad. Lovely people, but the Doric takes a wee while to wrap yer head around....

Solodini · 10-20-2011, 11:00 AM

I feel for you, man. I'll give Scaberdeen a miss, ta! Anyway, back on topic: clean samples nao!

daemon barbeque · 10-20-2011, 11:29 AM

Congrats man, lovely axe. Ash is my gavorit looking wood, especially when colored Light brown/yellow/green. I wish you a lot of inspirartion and fun. I also apprecitae the work of the Luthier, and would be happy if you pass our feelings to him. I am sure it would give him even more inspiration

Pikka Bird · 10-20-2011, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by celticelk

"I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday...."

Glad someone else got that reference!

I'm into a little bit of everything from Enya to Viraemia, so surely my heart beats for Meat Loaf too.

:

Randy · 10-20-2011, 02:00 PM

One thing I can say about OAF that I really like is that their guitars don't look like they're trying to do "flavor of the month" copies like a lot of smaller custom shops tend to do. Their stuff seems to really have their own identity, IMO.

celticelk · 10-20-2011, 02:01 PM

For those missing the joke:

	sevenstring guitars		sevenstring registry		photo gallery		subscription		spy

10-19-2011, 10:14 PM	#3
BlackMastodon \m/ (ﾟДﾟ) \m/ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Windsor, ON Posts: 3,219 Thanked: 12 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Damn, that is beautiful. And I wish you didn't tell me it was cheaper than RG2228's. "Metal is for Vikings; if you're not a Viking, get off the boat." - The Beard "He doesn't even like Metallica, that's how metal he is." - My friend describing my musical tastes to her friends.

10-19-2011, 11:06 PM	#4
anne No privacy hedge. Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 559 Thanked: 13 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Awesome shit, dude. Supergrats! Wanna hear some tunes! zero\|sum @ Facebook, Youtube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp

10-20-2011, 06:19 AM	#8
Fred the Shred Shrederick Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Posts: 6,067 Thanked: 118 Feedback Score: 17 reviews	That is one of the most tasteful singlecut takes I've seen in a while - lovely stuff! Buy my album, will you? My store \| CDBaby FredBrum.com Happily endorsed by Jaden Rose Guitars, DiMarzio Pickups, Gruv Gear, Sik Pik Picks, PHD Picks and Spectraflex cables

10-20-2011, 07:00 AM	#10
TimSE SS Contributor Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 4,158 Thanked: 139 Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Im not a tele fan but i do like that a lot! the heal is lush too www.facebook.com/tempusfusionband http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/to-...ll/id507292058

10-19-2011, 09:32 PM	#1
celticelk Rogue intellectual Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,759 Thanked: 15 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	NGD: Oakland Axe Factory 8-string (I once killed a boy with a 56K modem...) It's here! (Check out the build thread for our previous episodes: OAF 8-string singlecut) OK, enough of this tedious intro - on to the pics! Apologies for the quality: I have a lousy camera, the lighting was bad, I was distracted by eddies in the space-time continuum, etc. You can't tell very well from this photo, but the neck is very flat. Tone Bars! A family snapshot. I think the Omen is feeling left out of the club.... So, a few specs: Ash body Maple neck and fretboard 27" scale Lace Tone Bar pickups (the Tosin Abasi custom model) Hipshot hardware Recessed Dunlop strap locks 1 volume, 1 tone, 3-way switch If you like Telecasters, you'd love this (I'm lookin' at you, Solodini!) - this is like the Telecaster that bulked up with pull-ups and squats to impress all those round-bottom bass guitar babes. The pickups have a definite single-coil P-90 character, and fabulous articulation. It's good enough that my lack of technique embarasses me, because I can't hide from it with these pickups. Back to the woodshed! The bridge pickup is especially lethal - you could seriously kill a man with barred 3rd-fret harmonics on that bridge pickup. Fortunately, the tone control is beautifully voiced, so you can just roll some highs off and avoid manslaughter charges. This thing loves extended jazz voicings: I played some root-7-3-#11 clusters on the low strings, and it just rang out wonderfully. Reggae skanks sound really tight as well, and you can drop down to the low strings and dub out a bassline the way no 6-string Tele ever could. It's light - lighter than my 6-string alder/ash Yamaha tele, and way lighter than my Omen-8. And it's got fantastic acoustic resonance; I can't imagine what this would sound like if you chambered it and gave it an f-hole. By comparison, the Schecter just feels like a brick. I need to test further with distorted sounds, since my current setup is really geared for Fender blackface-type cleans, but this feels more like a clean-tone guitar so far. I bet it's going to eat up a cranked tube amp, though. Tom's workmanship on this instrument is outstanding. This is perhaps the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen in person; it's definitely the best guitar I've ever owned. All the hardware is top-notch, the controls are excellent, and the whole package just feels great overall. And you can't beat the price - I'd have paid more for a production-line RG2228, and I wouldn't like it nearly so well. I'm definitely getting another one as soon as I can get the funds together. Enough talk - back to playing! urklvt, Randy, daemon barbeque and 4 others like this. "There's only one real freedom in music: freedom from the tyranny of trying to sound good." -Kenny Werner "Whatever technique you have on your instrument at any given time is always good enough to say something. If you can't find the thing to say, that's what you've got to work on." -David Torn "Don't be afraid to let go of the things you know. Defy your weaker, safer self. Create. Make music." -Sonny Sharrock "Do your thing. Follow your heart." -David Fiuczynski

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10-19-2011, 09:48 PM	#2
Hollowway SS.org Regular Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: California Posts: 6,362 Thanked: 105 Feedback Score: 5 reviews	Cool. I'm a big fan of Tom's work. So those Lace pups are clear, but how much do they push the amp? Can you generate pinch harmonics and stuff on them? My 10 string has some Villex pups, which are clear, but definitely lower output than my other guitars, so I have to compensate with gain, boost, etc. I am considering Lace tonebars for another build, though.

10-20-2011, 05:28 AM	#5
Pikka Bird SS.org Regular Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Odense; Denmark Posts: 1,176 Thanked: 5 / 1 Feedback Score: 5 reviews	"I remember everything!!" ...? Aanyways, yeah, I agree with everyone else so far.

10-20-2011, 05:48 AM	#6
mikemueller2112 SS.org Regular Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Regina, SK, Canada Posts: 529 Thanked: 10 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Looks great, let's hear some clips

10-20-2011, 06:08 AM	#7
geeman8 SS.org Regular Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Danville, VA Posts: 119 Thanked: 10 / 1 Feedback Score: 2 reviews	Congrats man! That thing is beautiful! Been interested in one of his multiscale 8's for a while now.....

10-20-2011, 06:39 AM	#9
AwakenNoMore Lefty Derp Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Gilbert, Arizona Posts: 532 Thanked: 4 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Such a awesome guitar, very unique and beautiful! Congrats! The Lace coil-less pickups are no joke. I have the Alumitones in one guitar, definitely a force to be reckoned with.

10-20-2011, 07:16 AM	#11
Solodini Thread Killer. Join Date: May 2011 Location: East Lothian, Scotland. Posts: 2,194 Thanked: 21 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Let us hear it then, you big tease! Check out my book: "Playing Guitar Musically: A Guide to Creativity on Guitar & Bass" FREE Sample Chapters Here Buy the full book here. PM me if you want to discuss it or just fancy a chat. I also give lessons over Skype, Bandhappy and within the Lothians.

10-20-2011, 09:02 AM	#14
isispelican K K Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Greece Posts: 645 Thanked: 10 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	looks amazing! http://soundcloud.com/falling-with-the-rain

10-20-2011, 09:21 AM	#16
Solodini Thread Killer. Join Date: May 2011 Location: East Lothian, Scotland. Posts: 2,194 Thanked: 21 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Dick metal in the face. Geez some twang, ya Dobber! That's working class Scots for "would sir oblige me with the crystalline fineries one would expect of such an instrument as yours?" Check out my book: "Playing Guitar Musically: A Guide to Creativity on Guitar & Bass" FREE Sample Chapters Here Buy the full book here. PM me if you want to discuss it or just fancy a chat. I also give lessons over Skype, Bandhappy and within the Lothians.

10-20-2011, 09:43 AM	#18
Solodini Thread Killer. Join Date: May 2011 Location: East Lothian, Scotland. Posts: 2,194 Thanked: 21 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Ahm fae Leith, but. A wee donder fae the docks. Check out my book: "Playing Guitar Musically: A Guide to Creativity on Guitar & Bass" FREE Sample Chapters Here Buy the full book here. PM me if you want to discuss it or just fancy a chat. I also give lessons over Skype, Bandhappy and within the Lothians.

10-20-2011, 10:42 AM	#19
awesomeaustin You're not worthy Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: SD, Az Posts: 1,806 Thanked: 26 Feedback Score: 12 reviews	Great looking guitar. Love the natural finish, Congrats inperilmetal.com

10-20-2011, 10:46 AM	#20
celticelk Rogue intellectual Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,759 Thanked: 15 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Ah, right. =) I did a year at Aberdeen as an undergrad. Lovely people, but the Doric takes a wee while to wrap yer head around.... "There's only one real freedom in music: freedom from the tyranny of trying to sound good." -Kenny Werner "Whatever technique you have on your instrument at any given time is always good enough to say something. If you can't find the thing to say, that's what you've got to work on." -David Torn "Don't be afraid to let go of the things you know. Defy your weaker, safer self. Create. Make music." -Sonny Sharrock "Do your thing. Follow your heart." -David Fiuczynski

10-20-2011, 11:00 AM	#21
Solodini Thread Killer. Join Date: May 2011 Location: East Lothian, Scotland. Posts: 2,194 Thanked: 21 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I feel for you, man. I'll give Scaberdeen a miss, ta! Anyway, back on topic: clean samples nao! Check out my book: "Playing Guitar Musically: A Guide to Creativity on Guitar & Bass" FREE Sample Chapters Here Buy the full book here. PM me if you want to discuss it or just fancy a chat. I also give lessons over Skype, Bandhappy and within the Lothians.

10-20-2011, 11:29 AM	#22
daemon barbeque Banned Join Date: May 2007 Location: Côte d'Azur Posts: 2,203 Thanked: 24 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Congrats man, lovely axe. Ash is my gavorit looking wood, especially when colored Light brown/yellow/green. I wish you a lot of inspirartion and fun. I also apprecitae the work of the Luthier, and would be happy if you pass our feelings to him. I am sure it would give him even more inspiration

10-20-2011, 02:00 PM	#24
Randy DAN OUDA DAN • Super Moderator • Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: The Electric City, NY Posts: 16,007 Thanked: 166 Feedback Score: 12 reviews	One thing I can say about OAF that I really like is that their guitars don't look like they're trying to do "flavor of the month" copies like a lot of smaller custom shops tend to do. Their stuff seems to really have their own identity, IMO. urklvt likes this. "Can we pull back the veil of static and reach in to the source of all being? Behind this curtain of patterns, this random pattern generator. So clever. Right here in every home, watching us from a one-sided mirror." Argbadh - RHLC©

10-20-2011, 02:01 PM	#25
celticelk Rogue intellectual Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 1,759 Thanked: 15 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	For those missing the joke: Randy likes this. "There's only one real freedom in music: freedom from the tyranny of trying to sound good." -Kenny Werner "Whatever technique you have on your instrument at any given time is always good enough to say something. If you can't find the thing to say, that's what you've got to work on." -David Torn "Don't be afraid to let go of the things you know. Defy your weaker, safer self. Create. Make music." -Sonny Sharrock "Do your thing. Follow your heart." -David Fiuczynski

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