RG bodybuilding!!

Rojne · 12-22-2010, 02:51 AM

Soo.. Im going to order a Ibanez RG 1451 later this month, and Im thinking about building a new body for it.
My fiancee's father and her uncles are carpenters and they have pretty much every tool i will need for this in their workshop,
and they can order almost any wood that I want, so this leads me into these questions...

What wood am I going to use? (not into extreme fancy wood)
Do I want a top of some other wood?
Arched/beveled top (like RGA or RGD)?

Im thinking of making the body out of walnut, very handsome wood, but Im not really familiar with it.. what tone do I get out from it?

Have searched around here and havent found anything...
Other wood suggestions are more than welcome!?

The guitar will be for Drop-tunings, like Drop-B/Bb.. so what Passive pickups would suit this geetar the best?

I will use it mostly for metulz, but I want it to be dynamic.. having good cleans coming out of it and such!

This is how I want it to look layout-wise..

Thanks

Murdstone · 12-22-2010, 02:59 AM

As for the body wood, this might not be a bad website to check out.
Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Wood Descriptions

If you say you're not into very fancy woods I don't think I would go with a top, it seems a little pointless.

scherzo1928 · 12-22-2010, 08:39 AM

Are you dead set on using walnut? It seems like choosing pickups for an all walnut axe can be a bit difficult. And, it's quite heavy. But I agree, it's a very nice wood, and if you get a piece with nice open grain, it sounds great!

If you do choose walnut though, I recomend talking with zimbloth to find a proper pickup. (Im thinking miracleman)

Rojne · 12-22-2010, 09:01 AM

Im not dead set on walnut, my brother built a bass out of it a couple of years ago and it looked so good.. so I was thinking about using it for this project!
Walnut is really heavy, I might use a lighter wood..

Swamp ash with some kind of veneer on it?

scherzo1928 · 12-22-2010, 09:14 AM

That could be a great choice. Imo, swamp ash can look amazing, and doesnt need a veneer.

Or you could use a veneer anyway, haha.

Rojne · 12-22-2010, 09:32 AM

yeah, hhah, swamp ash looks really cool as it is.. just dye it or something!
veneer isnt really that fun I think, a top of something would be funnier.. like a ebony top!

scherzo1928 · 12-22-2010, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rojne

yeah, hhah, swamp ash looks really cool as it is.. just dye it or something!
veneer isnt really that fun I think, a top of something would be funnier.. like a ebony top!

Ok, we are starting to get somewhere now!!

I'll just leave you with this link, and let your imagination fly

Ebony, Top Sets: Oregon Wild Wood

Sullen · 12-22-2010, 09:47 AM

Walnut looks beautiful when finish and is heavy indeed but not that much like Hard Ash or Hard Maple and I have an all Hard Rock Maple guitar XD for realz! Sound wise it behaves like maple but not that harsh and with more present mids so looking for pickups for it BKP Miracle Man or Warpig can be a good choice but then again ask Zimbloth like suggested above he's a very reliable source and knows his sh** Don't drop the idea of Walnut it's not a very common thing to do and if you go for a top try something like Black Limba or Koa because if you use Maple (any figure) or any of the common woods used for tops they tend to be bright woods and will keep the guitar handling more highs and high-mids resonant wise, I don't encourage you to go the Swamp Ash direction because even though it looks really nice and Fender have been using it for quite some time it is a hit or miss thing tonally, you can either get a rich sounding slab or an almost deaf dead one, you can still use it as a top over let's say mahogany, rosewood or Wenge and will work well but if want to use Ash go with Hard Northern Ash instead. My opinion is to get a single slab of Bubinga which behave a little like Ash or Alder but with a sweetest sustain, mids and lower end or Black Limba that is basically Mahogany on steroids if you can come across either one and do it out of that, you won't regret it! I would say Koa too but it's almost impossible to find a piece big enough for a whole body and not just a top, hope to have help a little and good luck with your project!

Sullen · 12-22-2010, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scherzo1928

Ok, we are starting to get somewhere now!!

I'll just leave you with this link, and let your imagination fly

Ebony, Top Sets: Oregon Wild Wood

Oh Gosh! I just had a woodgasm

jymellis · 12-22-2010, 10:02 AM

i say if your looking at walnut just go with a nice walnut burl

scherzo1928 · 12-22-2010, 10:07 AM

Im really starting to like this thread!

Sullen · 12-22-2010, 10:16 AM

Me want some WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!

Rojne · 12-22-2010, 10:28 AM

Walnut burl....

loookz awesom!

jymellis · 12-22-2010, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rojne

Walnut burl....

loookz awesom!

plus with the walnut burl you dont have to settle with just a top, you can get it thick enough to do the whole body if you want.

here is a chunk of bastogne walnut CROTCH

JamesM · 12-22-2010, 11:35 AM

Mmmmm... Crotch....

scherzo1928 · 12-22-2010, 11:56 AM

Just dont use a sinker redwood top until I've finished mine!

Rojne · 12-22-2010, 11:58 AM

Extremely handsome!
The only problem is that I dont know really what woods my fiancees uncles can get their
hands on.. hmm, we will have to come up with some more shiz so I have a few alternatives!

think I will shot zimbloth a mail later regarding the pickups!

Rojne · 12-22-2010, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scherzo1928

Just dont use a sinker redwood top until I've finished mine!

THATS exactly what Im going to use!

scherzo1928 · 12-22-2010, 12:22 PM

in the words of the witchking... I WILL BREAK HIM.

Rojne · 12-22-2010, 01:07 PM

spruce with basswood top?

Sullen · 12-22-2010, 03:50 PM

Walnut burl FTW!!!

b7string · 12-23-2010, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scherzo1928

in the words of the witchking... I WILL BREAK HIM.

Definitely the walnut burl. Walnut is my fav wood, and burls are sick!

Rojne · 12-23-2010, 04:02 AM

Mahogany / walnut maybe? And putting a Miracle Man in it, if I can afford it, and use the stock pickup in the neck untill I can get my hands on another bareknuckle!

scherzo1928 · 12-23-2010, 08:59 AM

sounds like a plan! I've been enjoying the sound of walnut with mahogany lately. (got a few pieces glued lying around)

Rojne · 12-23-2010, 09:27 AM

Think thats the plan, Mahogany with a walnut top!
Have changed my mind about the control-layout,
will go for a Tele-layout instead of the RGD.. Im more familiar with that at the moment!

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12-22-2010, 02:51 AM	#1
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	RG bodybuilding!! Soo.. Im going to order a Ibanez RG 1451 later this month, and Im thinking about building a new body for it. My fiancee's father and her uncles are carpenters and they have pretty much every tool i will need for this in their workshop, and they can order almost any wood that I want, so this leads me into these questions... What wood am I going to use? (not into extreme fancy wood) Do I want a top of some other wood? Arched/beveled top (like RGA or RGD)? Im thinking of making the body out of walnut, very handsome wood, but Im not really familiar with it.. what tone do I get out from it? Have searched around here and havent found anything... Other wood suggestions are more than welcome!? The guitar will be for Drop-tunings, like Drop-B/Bb.. so what Passive pickups would suit this geetar the best? I will use it mostly for metulz, but I want it to be dynamic.. having good cleans coming out of it and such! This is how I want it to look layout-wise.. Thanks

12-22-2010, 09:01 AM	#4
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Im not dead set on walnut, my brother built a bass out of it a couple of years ago and it looked so good.. so I was thinking about using it for this project! Walnut is really heavy, I might use a lighter wood.. Swamp ash with some kind of veneer on it? yeah

12-22-2010, 09:32 AM	#6
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	yeah, hhah, swamp ash looks really cool as it is.. just dye it or something! veneer isnt really that fun I think, a top of something would be funnier.. like a ebony top! yeah

12-22-2010, 09:47 AM	#8
Sullen In misery we rest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 300 Thanked: 5 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Walnut looks beautiful when finish and is heavy indeed but not that much like Hard Ash or Hard Maple and I have an all Hard Rock Maple guitar XD for realz! Sound wise it behaves like maple but not that harsh and with more present mids so looking for pickups for it BKP Miracle Man or Warpig can be a good choice but then again ask Zimbloth like suggested above he's a very reliable source and knows his sh** Don't drop the idea of Walnut it's not a very common thing to do and if you go for a top try something like Black Limba or Koa because if you use Maple (any figure) or any of the common woods used for tops they tend to be bright woods and will keep the guitar handling more highs and high-mids resonant wise, I don't encourage you to go the Swamp Ash direction because even though it looks really nice and Fender have been using it for quite some time it is a hit or miss thing tonally, you can either get a rich sounding slab or an almost deaf dead one, you can still use it as a top over let's say mahogany, rosewood or Wenge and will work well but if want to use Ash go with Hard Northern Ash instead. My opinion is to get a single slab of Bubinga which behave a little like Ash or Alder but with a sweetest sustain, mids and lower end or Black Limba that is basically Mahogany on steroids if you can come across either one and do it out of that, you won't regret it! I would say Koa too but it's almost impossible to find a piece big enough for a whole body and not just a top, hope to have help a little and good luck with your project! To suffer in silence for all eternity...

Today
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12-22-2010, 02:59 AM	#2
Murdstone C34H47NO11 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: State College, PA Posts: 837 Thanked: 8 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	As for the body wood, this might not be a bad website to check out. Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Wood Descriptions If you say you're not into very fancy woods I don't think I would go with a top, it seems a little pointless.

12-22-2010, 08:39 AM	#3
scherzo1928 has wood for you Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mexico City Posts: 4,691 Thanked: 33 $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Are you dead set on using walnut? It seems like choosing pickups for an all walnut axe can be a bit difficult. And, it's quite heavy. But I agree, it's a very nice wood, and if you get a piece with nice open grain, it sounds great! If you do choose walnut though, I recomend talking with zimbloth to find a proper pickup. (Im thinking miracleman)

12-22-2010, 09:14 AM	#5
scherzo1928 has wood for you Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mexico City Posts: 4,691 Thanked: 33 $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	That could be a great choice. Imo, swamp ash can look amazing, and doesnt need a veneer. Or you could use a veneer anyway, haha.

12-22-2010, 10:02 AM	#10
jymellis Talk To DeWalt Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: sinsi ohio Posts: 9,197 Thanked: 88 Feedback Score: 4 reviews	i say if your looking at walnut just go with a nice walnut burl

12-22-2010, 10:07 AM	#11
scherzo1928 has wood for you Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mexico City Posts: 4,691 Thanked: 33 $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Im really starting to like this thread!

12-22-2010, 10:16 AM	#12
Sullen In misery we rest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 300 Thanked: 5 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Me want some WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!! To suffer in silence for all eternity...

12-22-2010, 10:28 AM	#13
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Walnut burl.... loookz awesom! yeah

12-22-2010, 11:35 AM	#15
JamesM The Armada Join Date: May 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 6,925 Thanked: 86 Feedback Score: 5 reviews	Mmmmm... Crotch.... Cloudyhead. Facebook//Twitter//Bandcamp Watch:1,2,3,4,5 Debut Album, Abstraction out now!

12-22-2010, 11:56 AM	#16
scherzo1928 has wood for you Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mexico City Posts: 4,691 Thanked: 33 $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Just dont use a sinker redwood top until I've finished mine!

12-22-2010, 11:58 AM	#17
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Extremely handsome! The only problem is that I dont know really what woods my fiancees uncles can get their hands on.. hmm, we will have to come up with some more shiz so I have a few alternatives! think I will shot zimbloth a mail later regarding the pickups! yeah

12-22-2010, 12:22 PM	#19
scherzo1928 has wood for you Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mexico City Posts: 4,691 Thanked: 33 $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	in the words of the witchking... I WILL BREAK HIM.

12-22-2010, 01:07 PM	#20
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	spruce with basswood top? yeah

12-22-2010, 03:50 PM	#21
Sullen In misery we rest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 300 Thanked: 5 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Walnut burl FTW!!! To suffer in silence for all eternity...

12-23-2010, 04:02 AM	#23
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Mahogany / walnut maybe? And putting a Miracle Man in it, if I can afford it, and use the stock pickup in the neck untill I can get my hands on another bareknuckle! yeah

12-23-2010, 08:59 AM	#24
scherzo1928 has wood for you Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mexico City Posts: 4,691 Thanked: 33 $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ $scherzo1928 is rather kvlt and tr00. \m/$ Feedback Score: 0 reviews	sounds like a plan! I've been enjoying the sound of walnut with mahogany lately. (got a few pieces glued lying around)

12-23-2010, 09:27 AM	#25
Rojne Growing my hair.. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Deep woods, Sweden Posts: 817 Thanked: 6 Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Think thats the plan, Mahogany with a walnut top! Have changed my mind about the control-layout, will go for a Tele-layout instead of the RGD.. Im more familiar with that at the moment! yeah

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