# 6 string blackmachine clone build progress



## joaocunha (Nov 24, 2010)

I recently traded some pickups for a nice chunk of mahogany with a guy just to find out he would shape a body the way I like for free.

Like many of you guys I'm kinda Blackmachine fanboy, so I gave it a try, since ordering the real thing from Brazil is somewhat not an option.

So, here are the specs:

- Mahogany body;
- Wenge bolt-on neck (same specs as my ESP M-II);
- Plain Wenge fretboard (43mm at nut instead of MII's 42mm);
- Schaller Hannes fixed bridge (black and gold);
- Sperzel locking tuners (black and gold);
- Roller nut (black and gold);

And what about pickups? Well, I have two options here but I'm not certain yet. They are:

- Motor City Pickups Solution Bridge and BKP Cold Sweat neck;
- Tom Anderson HN2+ or H2+ bridge and Tom Anderson H1- or H1 neck (I got only the bridge models with me right now);

In case I decide towards Solution + BKP I'll cover them with black niquel. It would be great to change their screw poles to gold ones, but I don't know how much it would affect the sound, though.

Here follow stock hardware pictures. I'll take real ones ASAP.

Schaller Hannes bridge:






Sperzel locking tuners:





Roller nut:





And of course, here go some pictures of the proccess itself. Sorry, they are just a few at the moment but I'll keep the thread updated.

That nice chunk of mahogany:





What the template should look like (templating something without an actual model is somewhat hard - we used pictures only):





What the template actually looks like:





Shape already drawn:





Another angle:





Saw time! 















Raw cut body:










Routing proccess:















These are some of the chocolate-rain-like wenge chunks where the neck and scale will come from:





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Well, this is what I have so far. We are in sanding proccess right now, letting everything ready to do the pickups, neck and bridge routing. I'll let this thread updated so you guys can see some free porn. 

Hope you like it!

PS: yeah, I know it will look too goldy, but hey, being a fag is nice sometimes and OH WAIT


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## Customisbetter (Nov 24, 2010)

Looks awesome!

How are you holding the template on the body while routing?


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## joaocunha (Nov 24, 2010)

Customisbetter said:


> Looks awesome!
> 
> How are you holding the template on the body while routing?



With some little drops of glue, just to keep it in place.


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## joaocunha (Nov 24, 2010)

joaocunha said:


> With some little drops of glue, just to keep it in place.



Actually the luthier used double faced tape. Just updated me on that.


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## sk3ks1s (Nov 24, 2010)

I like it.


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## joaocunha (Nov 24, 2010)

sk3ks1s said:


> I like it.



Thanks! My primary inspiration for this build was actually a Suhr:





















But brazilian rosewood is becoming VERY expensive (even in Brazil, believe me), so I ended up using wenge in it's place. Looks like a smooth wood.

Anyway, tell me that brown colored neck plus the gold hardware combination isn't GORGEOUS?!


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## leandroab (Nov 24, 2010)

Caralho!
oO


Foda!


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## joaocunha (Nov 24, 2010)

leandroab said:


> Caralho!
> oO
> 
> 
> Foda!



Hehehe, valeu! O luthier chama-se Luciano Marciani.


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## scherzo1928 (Nov 24, 2010)

joaocunha said:


> Actually the luthier used double faced tape. Just updated me on that.


I think im in love with your luthier...


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## b7string (Nov 26, 2010)

joaocunha said:


> Anyway, tell me that brown colored neck plus the gold hardware combination isn't GORGEOUS?!




That is the best way to go man! All my guitars have some sort of brown wood, eg rosewood or ebony necks, + gold hardware. IMO looks fuckin sick!


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## joaocunha (Dec 3, 2010)

So while I haven't any pictures of the proccess, I took some pictures of the hardware I'll be using.

The frickin' Schaller Haness bridge:





























Roller nut:





Gayish knob (volume only, at least):





Unfortunately they don't share the exact color tone, but anyway... I'll post pictures of the sperzels as soon as they arrive (thanks, Elysian!).


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Dec 12, 2010)

keep us updated dude, lookin good


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## Hollowway (Dec 12, 2010)

Looks nice, but what's the story with that roller nut? Do two strings share the same cylinder?


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## joaocunha (Dec 12, 2010)

Hollowway said:


> Looks nice, but what's the story with that roller nut? Do two strings share the same cylinder?



Yup. Unfortunately, I mean. I'd swap it for a Fender one if I manage to find one in black and gold color...

These are made by Wilkinson.


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## Daemon (Dec 13, 2010)

What a good work and project !
Keep rocking =)


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## joaocunha (Dec 18, 2010)

So the body seems to be ready. I'll take pictures of it tomorrow when my luthier comes to my place.

So, while that, why don't you guys help a friend out? I don't really know which pickups to choose, but I already got some. Take a look:

Motor City Pickups Solution BRIDGE + BKP Cold Sweat NECK:





They're creme and full of wax! Just removed the covers. And BKP at right still have those burnt chrome pole screws:





I'll probably cover them, and my preferred option is black covers with gold pole screws. These are the options I have so far:





Aged raw nickel covers:





Burnt chrome covers:





Black covers (which I'd have to drill out, but no big deal):





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On the opposite way, I also have a pair of these guys:





Look how TALL these Tom Anderson pups are - here you can see it compared with a standard DiMarzio pickup:


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## joaocunha (Dec 18, 2010)

Forgot to mention. I've got a H2N+ and a H2+ Tom Andersons, both being bridge ones. I've just seen this video from Andy Wood using a H3 bridge and a H1 neck, and they sound superb:


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## joaocunha (Dec 18, 2010)

And look what arrived:





















And the shades of gold are not so different after all:


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## scherzo1928 (Dec 18, 2010)

that hardware looks quite sexy together.


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## JacobShredder (Dec 19, 2010)

i say motor city+bkp for pickups with the black covers


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## Elysian (Dec 19, 2010)

So that's what all the Sperzels are for


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## joaocunha (Dec 19, 2010)

Elysian said:


> So that's what all the Sperzels are for



Yeah, pretty much it! 

Actually I have an 8-string in progress as well but didn't get the pictures yet. So the other 8 ones are going for that.


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## JamesM (Jan 2, 2011)

I have that knob on my RG.


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## Michael T (Jan 22, 2013)

ahhh yeah !!! Lookin nice man.


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## Watty (Jan 22, 2013)

^ ?


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## RickSchneider (Jan 22, 2013)

Damn it, looking through this was getting me hyped, and only after reading to the bottom do I see its over a year old. Ah well, plenty of other threads round here


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## Pikka Bird (Jan 22, 2013)

RickSchneider said:


> Damn it, looking through this was getting me hyped, and only after reading to the bottom do I see its over a year old. Ah well, plenty of other threads round here



The mention of Elysian clued me in, but yeah... Fuck this! I'd love to see how it turned out, though. If it ever moved on...


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