[sakeido]

Originally Posted by OwlsHaveEyes

30" scale, Maple neck, Ebony fretboard, Ash Body, same design as the Interceptor, 2 passive pickups, fixed bridge, green burst satin finish, matching headstock, bolt on

and so begins another ridiculous thread

[MF_Kitten]

Originally Posted by TheIllustratedLuthier

The maple in Bulb's is to accentuate the low 2 strings, as was previously mentioned. All other 8's I personally build, have been of Swamp Ash and sound more balanced, IMHO.

bulb has always wanted his guitars really really bright :P

[TMM]

A) Agile Pickups, as there are no low cost alternatives.

B) Bolt-on as long as the heel is minimal.

C) Ash body, no question. Ebony or Maple fretboard, no rosewood.

D) I'd like to see a black satin finish with matching headstock and either off-white or smoky pearloid binding around the whole body/neck/headstock.

[darren]

Originally Posted by sakeido

and so begins another ridiculous thread

Indeed.

Originally Posted by il_echthros_777

A) So far it looks like we all just about want it to be a passive equipped guitar and Kurt is looking to add his own 8 string pickup if it happens. Any other low cost alternatives?

B) It also looks like it may be a set neck(Kurt's original suggestion) or a bolt-on. Each has it's own pros and cons and is something that needs to be discussed.

C) There is also the question of tone woods to be used. Kurt has not yet made a suggestion of what his plans may be but most popular at this time seems to be alder or ash; imagine the neck would be maple. On the topic of neck, it has been suggested to utilize either rosewwod or ebony for this model.

D) Lastly, there is the finish. many want color on this model and we need to discuss what kind of color we want. Do we want solid/metallic finishes as found on the septors? Do we want transluscent colors to highlight wood grain(good idea with ash)? Do we want high gloss finishes or satin finishes?

A) The whole reason Kurt is looking at making his own in-house Agile 8-string pickup is because there simply are no low-cost alternatives. If there were, he'd be using them. If the Agile pickups end up being cost-effective, it would be nice to see a neck pickup added. From what i've heard, the passive pickups on the latest Interceptor models have been quite good.

B) If the "pro" model is neck-thru, i would personally like to see this model be bolt-on, just so there is a little more differentiation between the two.

C) I think alder or ash would be fine choices for body woods, with my preference leaning toward ash for a nice "snap" and "growl" to keep the notes articulate on a bolt-on guitar. Ebony for the fretboard will not be an option, even rosewood may be cost-prohibitive for the target selling price, but if people want it, Kurt can investigate the potential cost implications.

D) At the $499 price point, i would imagine the finishes will have to be relatively straightforward: Solids or transparents (no bursts). Anything that adds time and human intervention to the process also adds cost.

And i think we can pretty much forget things such as:
- binding
- figured tops
- exotic woods
- fancy inlays
- etc.

They're just not going to happen at this price point.

I think going even longer on the scale length is also going to be a challenge. Personally, that's the point at which it ceases being a guitar and starts becoming a short-scale bass. The neck and bridge would have to be set deeper into the body in order to keep it balanced, and if people still want good upper-fret access, the body design would have to be modified.

On this model, i think one core guiding principle needs to be kept in mind: Keep it simple.

[SevenDeadly]

I would very much like this shape. If it is possible to do so and stay economical as well.

[darren]

Well, that would end up being a different model.

If this process goes well, maybe Kurt would consider doing an 8-string Interceptor for those who prefer more of an RG-ish "superstrat" shape. I chose the shape of the Defiant bass as the starting point because i wanted something a little less "shred" and more conservative in looks.

[Justin Bailey]

Originally Posted by OwlsHaveEyes

30" scale, Maple neck, Ebony fretboard, Ash Body, same design as the Interceptor, 2 passive pickups, fixed bridge, green burst satin finish, matching headstock, bolt on

would you like fries with that?

I posted before in this thread, but I guess it didnt get through... anyways here is what I said..

this should be even simpler than the pro model.

bolt on maple neck, with rosewood board (to further differentiate between the two

alder or ash body, with some kind of natural finish. For a couple reasons, number one; it's cheap. Number two; it'll be easier to paint it if someone wants a specific color, because there is no way, we'll come up with one color that everyone will love. Treat this much like we treated the neck pickup on the pro model; we'll leave it off, but you can always put it on kind of a thing.

Asking for all the crazy colors and options is just pointless, this thread is about getting a production model 8, not your own personal signature. If you want a purple to orange burst with an engraving of danny divito, then you can call kurt up and get a custom, because it wont be on this one

That being said I wouldn't mind if we could get it with the old rounder interscepter pro body....

[MF_Kitten]

i think darren is spot-on here, and tbh i would much rather have the exact guitar from the 499$ mockup... don´t alter it further than that, just keep it exactly like that :P

-ash, charcoal finish
-maple neck, maple fretboard
-single passive pup

and bolt-on sounds just fine as well

[ibznorange]

Originally Posted by Metal Ken

To quote Dave, "Ash makes everything sound better."

hes totally right

[saastara]

Originally Posted by MF_Kitten

i think darren is spot-on here, and tbh i would much rather have the exact guitar from the 499$ mockup... don´t alter it further than that, just keep it exactly like that :P

-ash, charcoal finish
-maple neck, maple fretboard
-single passive pup

and bolt-on sounds just fine as well

I agree. It'd be very versatile yet very low on costs to manufacter a guitar with those kind of specs.. And that's what we are looking for right..?

If I might add something to those, and if the agile-passive pups don't get price way up high, I'd recommend a neck pickup. I'm quite shure there are many of us who would find it very usable.. :p Plus this would create more variety between this model, and the "pro" model.

But of course, if the neck pickup and routing for it are an obsticle in getting the price down to 499$, then of course we should go with the single bridge pickup.