# First Oni 8 finished - pics inside



## dpm (Mar 29, 2006)

This guitar is a special order and features an extremely small body, high A tuning and is made of a mexican wood called ziricote. Enjoy!


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## bostjan (Mar 29, 2006)

That looks downright sexy!


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## The Dark Wolf (Mar 29, 2006)

Wow. Very unique, and very, very cool looking. Oil finished wood, black hardware...

Dude, that is _seriously_ awesome.


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## Ibanez_fanboy (Mar 29, 2006)

that looks amazingly awesome!


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## Kevan (Mar 29, 2006)

Wow!

Although I wasn't sure at first about that "birthmark", I remembered I had a uber-hot girlfriend with one. Now I'm fine.

Keep up the kickass work!


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## Metal Ken (Mar 29, 2006)

Slap some locking tuners on it, and i'd take 3 ;p


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## dpm (Mar 29, 2006)

Ken, the Gotoh machineheads are infinitely more accurately machined than Sperzels or Schallers, so give way better tuning accuracy. But if you want 3 with lockers that's fine with me 
Thanks for compliments everyone!


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## metalfiend666 (Mar 29, 2006)

Wow! Are you only making 8's right now, or do you have plans for 7's?


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## dpm (Mar 29, 2006)

7's are coming up asap. Right now there are two 8's and one 7 in the initial stages. That particular 7 is going to take quite a while because of custom hardware design and manufacture, and one of the 8's has some pretty involved specs too. If a less radical 7 were to be ordered it would likely take 4 - 6 months.


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## b3n (Mar 29, 2006)

+10 to everything written above (including the questions about 7s).

That's really nice looking, but is it neck heavy with the smaller body?

EDIT: Ah I'm a bit late with the first question then...


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## AVH (Mar 29, 2006)

That is wonderful! very earthy...that ziricote looks really nice, almost like a cross between black walnut and rosewood, but not as open grained as RW. How was it to work? And did you wind your own pickups there, or have those custom? And of course...the tone - hows it sound? Top notch work.
Inquiring minds....


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## dpm (Mar 29, 2006)

The balance is good due to the weight of the body. Ziricote is similar in density to ebony so this guitar is actually in the mid to heavy category.
I managed to kill a 3/4" CMT tungten tipped router bit, a few drill bits and over 5 metres of 120 grit sandpaper on this stuff. It's very nice to work in some ways because of the even consistency but also very fussy with tool speed and feed rate, and has a tendency to blunten things.
The pickups are wound by Bare Knuckle in Devon, UK.


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## Papa Shank (Mar 29, 2006)

That looks one serious peice of wood, can't wait to see some of your more complicated instruments in future!


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## XEN (Mar 29, 2006)

Fucking phenomenal work man!!!!
Holy shit! I'm completely floored.


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## Akrin (Mar 29, 2006)

Looks phenomenal.  

What are the scale lengths? I would assume the high A side is rather short (24"-ish?)


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## Apophis (Mar 29, 2006)

Incredible work, and the wood.... just amazing. I LOVE IT


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## JJ Rodriguez (Mar 29, 2006)

I think I speak for everyone when I say: 


Wow.


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## darren (Mar 29, 2006)

Is that whole instrument made from a single piece of wood? I can't see any join marks anywhere! Gorgeous guitar, man... that is really _really_ beautiful. And congratulations!

It's also great to see a luthier taking the time (or paying a photographer) to get proper _professional-looking_ shots of the guitar. It makes such a difference in projecting a professional image and instilling confidence in the product and the company. On a big-ticket item like a custom guitar, it's reassuring to at least have the perception that you're not some fly-by-night operation that will be out of business next week.


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## Karl Hungus (Mar 29, 2006)

I have to say, it looks great, but the body just looks odd. If I was ordering one, I'd have to have it mammoth in proportions!


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## Leon (Mar 29, 2006)

beautiful! however, i can't seem to locate the output jack 
is it hiding?


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## Drew (Mar 29, 2006)

Pure sex. 

Ditto on the output jacks - the strap pin, perhaps, or is this just so metal that it communicates directly with your amp with no need for a patch cord? Cause, I mean, I'd believe you if you said it was.


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## VforVendetta00 (Mar 29, 2006)

what are prices looking like?


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## Pauly (Mar 29, 2006)

ZING!


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## David (Mar 29, 2006)

Is it wrong if I have a boner right now?


Damn that's nice. Great job dpm!


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## WayneCustom7 (Mar 29, 2006)

Wow that is amazing...can we get production pics, I love those...now what does something like that cost?


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## Papa Shank (Mar 29, 2006)

VforVendetta00 said:


> what are prices looking like?


I think Dan is still charging in and around $2,000USD for now (at least the last I knew it was that).


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## Nik (Mar 29, 2006)

Damn  Just what I need, more stuff to GAS over...

You know, I wasn't a huge fan of those sketches you posted a while back, but now that I see one finished (with a different body shape, too...) I must say that's absolutely gorgeous. God, I love the look of a small body paired with an 8-string neck... I'm definitely gonna be getting one of these.

My only turn-off for it is the fanned frets and the fact that it has a high A instead of a low F#. Is stuff like this gonna be negotiably when you start selling these?

Also, where's the pick-up selector switch?


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## NewArmyGuitar (Mar 29, 2006)

That thing looks great!


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## Metal Ken (Mar 29, 2006)

Nik said:


> My only turn-off for it is the fanned frets and the fact that it has a high A instead of a low F#. Is stuff like this gonna be negotiably when you start selling these?



those are the things that draw me to it more. lol



Leon said:


> beautiful! however, i can't seem to locate the output jack
> is it hiding?


i _THINK_ that its like a Universe output jack, but i could be wrong.


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## Roland777 (Mar 29, 2006)

Muuurrrgghhh! I want to play one of these!  If only I could play a fanned fret guitar so I could know whether I could cope with fanned frets... Then I'd probably start saving for an Oni right now! How does the neck feel on that one, Dan? Should I sometime order one from you, could you get it as close to an Ibanez Wizard 7 profile as possible?


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## Donnie (Mar 29, 2006)

OMG! That is awesome! Good job.


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## noodles (Mar 29, 2006)

Hot damn, that thing looks sweet as hell! 

BTW: For those who are curious (I was):



http://www.alliedlutherie.com/ziricoblackwd.htm said:


> Ziricote (Cordia dodencandra) is a most striking wood. In appearance it's like some of the old Brazilian rosewood with spider webbing," "volcanos", and "panoramas," to use some of the descriptive terms used in reference to Brazilian rosewood. It's heavier than most of the rosewoods with a specific gravity of 0.95 and it tends to be a little brittle, and can split with a little provocation. It's a wood where the consistency of supply is tenuous.


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## Nick1 (Mar 29, 2006)

wheres the toggle?


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## Shannon (Mar 29, 2006)

Good god! That is absolutely stunning! Son...I am soooooo proud of you.


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## Donnie (Mar 29, 2006)

Now you know, without a doubt, that my remaining JP7s will be for sale soon.


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## VforVendetta00 (Mar 29, 2006)

$2,000 isn't a bad price, custom pickups and exotic woods on a fanned fret scale 8 string. not bad. hate the shape of the body though.


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## darren (Mar 29, 2006)

Donnie said:


> Now you know, without a doubt, that my remaining JP7s will be for sale soon.


I call dibs on the lava pearl one! 

After looking at the Oni more, i can now see where Dan joined the pieces of wood. It's one sweet-looking guitar, and definitely a good price.

One minor quibble: The bass-side tuners are staggered in a "stair-step" arrangement, whereas the treble-side tuners are parallel to the edge of the headstock. I think they look better when the follow the edge of the headstock.


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## Donnie (Mar 29, 2006)

darren said:


> I call dibs on the lava pearl one!


You'll the first person I contact.


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## TheReal7 (Mar 29, 2006)

Damn. Looks pretty sweet. That second pic is hard to look at with the fanned frets. Almost makes you go dizzy LOL


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## Cancer (Mar 29, 2006)

Papa Shank said:


> I think Dan is still charging in and around $2,000USD for now (at least the last I knew it was that).




That is sooo not bad.....


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## D-EJ915 (Mar 29, 2006)

With the small body it kind of looks like a bass but a sweet piece indeed.


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## eaeolian (Mar 29, 2006)

That's very, very nice, and exactly what I'd want in a 8, although I'm a big enough guy that I could do with a bigger body.


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## eleven59 (Mar 29, 2006)

TheReal7 said:


> Damn. Looks pretty sweet. That second pic is hard to look at with the fanned frets. Almost makes you go dizzy LOL


Agreed, it looks like the neck is twisting  Actually it looks like the fretboard is angled the opposite direction from the rest of the guitar


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## noodles (Mar 29, 2006)

Can't. Stop. Looking.


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## dpm (Mar 29, 2006)

I didn't mention earlier but the body sizing was by request of the owner. I agreed once I was sure it would be right for him. 
The socket is on one of these and I've recessed the lip as well as the main part. Those pots have push/push switches for pickup selection.
Pricing depends a lot on features and the difficulty of execution but yeah, right now they'll have to start at around US$2k. I expect that will have to rise once things get going properly.
Once again thank you all for the kind words. This is what I do


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## Chris (Mar 29, 2006)

Outstanding man. I love the light-colored bit of wood, very tasteful.

How's it play?


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## nyck (Mar 29, 2006)

For some reason, that looks like a wider string spacing. My eyes could be deceiving me...

The pictures don't really look like the real thing. They look like CG prototype pics. I can't really tell with the white background though. 

The pickups look massive! Are they custom made? 

Whoever ordered that, has good taste in wood! Ziracote looks fantastic. It's like a really beautiful rosewood. 

Beatiful guitar man. Great work indeed. I'll be coming to you whenever I decide to go custom. Would you be up to making a reverse Jackson headstock or a Parker Fly headstock?


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## bostjan (Mar 29, 2006)

I think the wider string spacing look and huge pickup look are due to the smaller body. The pickups are made by dpm and wound by Bareknuckles.


dpm said:


> The pickups are wound by Bare Knuckle in Devon, UK.


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## nyck (Mar 29, 2006)

bostjan said:


> I think the wider string spacing look and huge pickup look are due to the smaller body. The pickups are made by dpm and wound by Bareknuckles.


I thought my eyes were deceiving me lol.


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## Papa Shank (Mar 29, 2006)

I think if you'll look closely that the spacing actually gets slightly wider as you get closer to the bass side/lowest string.


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## bostjan (Mar 29, 2006)

Papa Shank said:


> I think if you'll look closely that the spacing actually gets slightly wider as you get closer to the bass side/lowest string.



Now that you mention it, using the mouse pointer as a visual aid, it appears to change very slightly.


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## Garry Goodman (Mar 29, 2006)

nice looking guitar !
what are the scale lengths on each side of the fanned fretboard and the string gauges?


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## Drew (Mar 29, 2006)

No, those pics are of an actual guitar - I've seen a few work-in-progress shots, and that's definitely the same chunk of wood.  

I'd be curious to see that strapped on someone, just to get a feel for the actual body size - I know it's smaller than an RG7, but I don't know how it compares to a person, proportionally.


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## bostjan (Mar 29, 2006)

Drew said:


> No, those pics are of an actual guitar - I've seen a few work-in-progress shots, and that's definitely the same chunk of wood.
> 
> I'd be curious to see that strapped on someone, just to get a feel for the actual body size - I know it's smaller than an RG7, but I don't know how it compares to a person, proportionally.




I'd volunteer if someone pays for a plane ticket to australia.


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## evil (Mar 29, 2006)

I wish I had the money for one of these!

Bostjan is planning on getting a nice eight string, and I have a feeling that he won't let me play it. 

If you make seven stringers for under $1.5k, I'd save up for one right now. But....


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## dpm (Mar 30, 2006)

Scale lengths 600 - 660mm. Gauges currently 8 - 70, but the owner may vary that. The string spacing increases slightly towards the bass side to compensate for the gauge increase. There's also a technical reason for this related to fanned frets and intonation but I won't get into that right now.
The only photoshop work done to those is remooval of the background and the fishing line holding it up  The photographer is fantastic, and I owe a massive thank you to gojira for his help too. 
The guitar is packed up and flying now Bostjan, but if you want to fly over and have a few beers that'd be cool. I'll pick up the bar tab 
Hopefully we can pull a review from the dude once he gets it. I don't think I should be the one saying whether it plays well or not.


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## Ibanez_fanboy (Mar 30, 2006)

roughly how many hours goes into a guitar like that?


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## dpm (Mar 30, 2006)

Lots. I didn't keep count on this one as I haven't got as efficient as I need to be just yet. Realistically, in a business sense, that figure would have to include all the design work, r & d, and communication. In that case, about 16 months, several hours/day


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## Ibanez_fanboy (Mar 30, 2006)

wow.... thats a lonnnnnnng time


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## Papa Shank (Mar 30, 2006)

Heh, 16 months. In the real world it was some 10 months to get this first one from discussion to now, although I remember someone mentioning Christmas delivery   
TBH though if Dan had everything he needed sitting at his disposal I'd imagine it wouldn't take him long at all to have an instrument like this finished.


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## dpm (Mar 30, 2006)

Absolutely. All that planning and stuff is relevant to all the 8 string I'll be making, not just this one. It actually started way back in the ERG forum days, back at the dawn of time.........
If I were in control of every aspect Christmas would have been realistic, but I'm not, and certain people and business that I have dealt with have stuffed things around a bit. I've learned a lot in that regard and will no longer put as much trust in people's word. Hey, that's life. Order a guitar from some guys and you're looking a 3 years or longer, so in that perspective it's not too bad.
Still, I like to deliver the goods when I say they'll be delivered. That's good business.


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## Ibanez_fanboy (Mar 30, 2006)

so actul construction. if you had everything? 2 weeks? 2 months? i guess fora fine instrument, people want certain aspects for their own instrument, and they really are a custom thing...... hey iv never seen an 8 string


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## dpm (Mar 30, 2006)

I _think_ it would probably take about 2 full weeks of full time hands on work to make one, with the finishing process on top of that. Oil is relatively quick, high end nitrocellulose can take months because of the hardening, but most of that is just waiting for it to harden enough to be able to wet sand, recoat, wet sand, recoat etc. and buff.
There are certain procedures that might require a jig to be made. It can take a full day or two to make a device or fixture that allows the procedure to be done in 5 minutes. Overall it's worth it because you may need to do that job again, and if you make a mistake and stuff up the jig making it's no big deal but if you stuff up a guitar it is.
Having said that, the time involved in communicating with the customer, organising the parts, paperwork; along with accounting, photography, advertising, insurances etc. all have to be included as a biiiig part of the overall time and therefore cost. A bit of a rant there, sorry 
Kevan could tell you all about that kind of crazyness - if he had the time. The Tremol-No has taken something like 5 years to finally get to production, and he works full time just on that.


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## metalfiend666 (Mar 30, 2006)

I remember there was a lot of discussion in the "outlines" thread about your decision on fanned frets for the 8's, but would you be willing to make a 7 string with a regular 25.5" scale and "normal" frets?


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## gojira (Mar 30, 2006)

Guys - how would it feel to have dan forbid you having a play on this guitar - because my horrible sweat would eat the strings and hardware......trust me - I've seen it in the flesh (wood) and it is utterly stunning, even my girlfriend, who wouldn't know a guitar from a lawnmower thought it looked spectacular. 

I have a seven string that dan built - and it's also a magnificent instrument, dans workmanship is second to none - the prices he's letting these go for at the moment are insane.

I actually liked the fanned frets so much - I asked dan to use them on my next guitar that he's making - only thats headless, so thats gonna be flat-out weird.......but if anyone can do it - he can.

and yes - the photos look great dont they.....


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## Papa Shank (Mar 30, 2006)

gojira said:


> Guys - how would it feel to have dan forbid you having a play on this guitar - because my horrible sweat would eat the strings and hardware......trust me - I've seen it in the flesh (wood) and it is utterly stunning, even my girlfriend, who wouldn't know a guitar from a lawnmower thought it looked spectacular.
> 
> I have a seven string that dan built - and it's also a magnificent instrument, dans workmanship is second to none - the prices he's letting these go for at the moment are insane.
> 
> ...


So you're actually going to get Dan to build you that Roswell-style headless? Man that'll be interesting to see once it's done.


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## gojira (Mar 30, 2006)

Papa Shank said:


> So you're actually going to get Dan to build you that Roswell-style headless? Man that'll be interesting to see once it's done.



it's changed signifigantly since the intial design - the roswell type guitar has been put aside due to the nutty price of getting the finish done - we are talking serious cash and complications. 

the new design is very unique - and we are working on getting a really nice headless tuning system made - I wont say much - except that it's going to be quite different and wonderful.


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## Roland777 (Mar 30, 2006)

Wouldn't mind posting pics of the one you've got currently, gojira?


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## gojira (Mar 30, 2006)

Roland777 said:


> Wouldn't mind posting pics of the one you've got currently, gojira?



I will when the design of the machinery has been finalised - at the moment the body may change signifigantly due to the addition of fanned frets and when we work out exactly how compact we can make the tuners.



dpm said:


> Order a guitar from some guys and you're looking a 3 years or longer, so in that perspective it's not too bad.
> Still, I like to deliver the goods when I say they'll be delivered. That's good business.



LOL - sorry dan - i had to have a chuckle at that.....you know why.


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## Garry Goodman (Mar 30, 2006)

dpm said:


> Scale lengths 600 - 660mm. Gauges currently 8 - 70, but the owner may vary that. The string spacing increases slightly towards the bass side to compensate for the gauge increase. There's also a technical reason for this related to fanned frets and intonation but I won't get into that right now.
> The only photoshop work done to those is remooval of the background and the fishing line holding it up  The photographer is fantastic, and I owe a massive thank you to gojira for his help too.
> The guitar is packed up and flying now Bostjan, but if you want to fly over and have a few beers that'd be cool. I'll pick up the bar tab
> Hopefully we can pull a review from the dude once he gets it. I don't think I should be the one saying whether it plays well or not.



How is the fret spacing at 23" up at the highest frets? Is the a440 string an .008? Would you be willing to try my .006 or .005 which will tune to a440 at the 25" scale?


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## rogue (Mar 30, 2006)

hey could someone please explain how those angled frets work, i think theyre called fanned. im only used to normal frets etc, and iv seen a few pictures like that and im curious to know who they work, and why they're liek that as opposed to regular necks

thanks


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## bostjan (Mar 30, 2006)

Garry, I'm sure a couple people here would be willing to try your ultrathin strings.

I have a 25.5" scale 19-tone, two octave fretboard (4 octave total, I know, it's a six string-lame) and I never had an issue with fret spacing.

There are several reasons to go compound scale. The tension is the main one, but the clang tones are another issue.

As for long wait times, just call BC Rich and see how long it'd take them to make a fairly standard seven string in their custom shop. Order on, and see how close they are when it delivers. With those types of shops, you are looking at getting quoted nine months to a year, and then having it take two years or more. I've never been disappointed with BC Rich USA's handiwork, though.

Oh yeah and i think dpm said the high a was an .008" somewhere on the thread.



rogue said:


> hey could someone please explain how those angled frets work, i think theyre called fanned. im only used to normal frets etc, and iv seen a few pictures like that and im curious to know who they work, and why they're liek that as opposed to regular necks
> 
> thanks



You know how a Gibson Les Paul sounds? They sound great on the higher strings, but they can be muddy on the last couple frets on the low e and sometimes even the low a. How does a Fender Strat sound? Sounds tight on the bass strings, but thin on the upper register. Ralph Novak studied the effects of scale lengths on various strings.

There were two issues- the tension, and the clang tone. Tension is straight forward; the longer the string, the higher the tension, the tighter the sound of the bass; shorter strings would have too much tension if a long scale was used, resulting in a thinner sound. The second issue was far more subtle. There is a noise a string makes when you scrape it, called the clang tone. Ralph Novak tried to tune the clang tone to the fundamental tone of the string, using scale length. The result is a drop in inharmonicity of the string, and an overall improvement of harmonic clarity.


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## Garry Goodman (Mar 30, 2006)

I know I am thinking like a bass guitarist,but check out 32" scale at frets 31-36 and the widtht of my finger (the .006 to left of the .003 looks big)
I can just barely get my fingers to fret notes there.How does the 23" scale look compared to a finger up there?


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## guitarjitsumaster (Mar 30, 2006)

Thread Hijack 

Wow what kind of fretwire is that looks thin. Are your frets all that same thickness.

On topic, from your pick it looks like it might not be the easiest to fret those upper notes but its probably do-able.


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## bostjan (Mar 30, 2006)

You can fret notes where the frets are spaced closer than the width of your finger. How do you think madnolin players have been doing it for hundreds of years?


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## dpm (Mar 31, 2006)

I didn't see any problems with the fret spacing on the treble side at all. 
Garry, I'd love to try your treble strings. I'm concerned they won't stand up to guitarist treatment such as string bends, but who knows? Have you managed to get ball ends on them? It's very important to me that I make these instruments usable in the real world which means they need to accept easily available strings. I'm working on making the low tuned models accept both guitar and bass ball ends. It's hard to find 60, 70 or 80's in guitar strings but bass strings are no problem. In the real world 2 hours before the gig someone's going to break a 70 and not be able to find a replacement. Sure, they should carry spares, but we're talking about guitarists here 
Bostjan mentioned the clang tone thing earlier. Read up on Novax's site for more. I went fanned primarily for tension reasons. Having now heard the clang tone difference I'm really excited by it. Complex chords are clearer because each note has a different clang. It's pretty cool 
Gojira's 7 is going to take a while, but we'll get there. It's as custom as it gets really, hardware and all. I know why you're chuckling


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## marton (Mar 31, 2006)

Beautiful!

I wish I could do that!

Guess I'm late to comment.


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## Durero (Mar 31, 2006)

An absolutely beautiful instrument dpm!


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## Naren (Mar 31, 2006)

dpm, that guitar looks absolutely amazing. If I could justify paying over $1000 for a guitar, I'd consider buying one. The wood on it is beautiful.


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## Michael (Mar 31, 2006)

That thing is damn fine!


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## Papa Shank (Mar 31, 2006)

dpm said:


> Gojira's 7 is going to take a while, but we'll get there. It's as custom as it gets really, hardware and all. I know why you're chuckling


Are we talking midi here? Cause if we are I'm hella intreaged.


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## gojira (Mar 31, 2006)

Papa Shank said:


> Are we talking midi here? Cause if we are I'm hella intreaged.



no - but thats only because rolands midi units dont accept 7 and 8 string signals - otherwise - I'd do it.


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## Papa Shank (Mar 31, 2006)

gojira said:


> no - but thats only because rolands midi units dont accept 7 and 8 string signals - otherwise - I'd do it.


Ah dang.


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## Drew (Mar 31, 2006)

Garry Goodman said:


> I know I am thinking like a bass guitarist,but check out 32" scale at frets 31-36 and the widtht of my finger (the .006 to left of the .003 looks big)
> I can just barely get my fingers to fret notes there.How does the 23" scale look compared to a finger up there?



Ok, even in a picture that small, I want that, erm, instrument, I guess.  Anything with that many strings is just cool. 

/off topic

Dan, again, that thing is seriously impressive.


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## eaeolian (Mar 31, 2006)

bostjan said:


> inharmonicity



C'mon, admit it - you made that word up, didn't you?


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## Papa Shank (Mar 31, 2006)

Drew said:


> Ok, even in a picture that small, I want that, erm, instrument, I guess.  Anything with that many strings is just cool.
> 
> /off topic
> 
> Dan, again, that thing is seriously impressive.


Seen Jean Baudin's new 12 string? 
12 stringer

Very sexy, aaand this is definately getting off topic now 
ARGH, Dan you give me a serious case of GAS. If only I were to have a lottery win.


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## Garry Goodman (Mar 31, 2006)

guitarjitsumaster said:


> Thread Hijack
> 
> Wow what kind of fretwire is that looks thin. Are your frets all that same thickness.
> 
> On topic, from your pick it looks like it might not be the easiest to fret those upper notes but its probably do-able.



Mandolin wire.I can fret the notes,but they are close together.



dpm said:


> I didn't see any problems with the fret spacing on the treble side at all.
> Garry, I'd love to try your treble strings. I'm concerned they won't stand up to guitarist treatment such as string bends, but who knows? Have you managed to get ball ends on them? It's very important to me that I make these instruments usable in the real world which means they need to accept easily available strings. I'm working on making the low tuned models accept both guitar and bass ball ends. It's hard to find 60, 70 or 80's in guitar strings but bass strings are no problem. In the real world 2 hours before the gig someone's going to break a 70 and not be able to find a replacement. Sure, they should carry spares, but we're talking about guitarists here
> Bostjan mentioned the clang tone thing earlier. Read up on Novax's site for more. I went fanned primarily for tension reasons. Having now heard the clang tone difference I'm really excited by it. Complex chords are clearer because each note has a different clang. It's pretty cool
> Gojira's 7 is going to take a while, but we'll get there. It's as custom as it gets really, hardware and all. I know why you're chuckling




I understand.So you can bend your A 440, .008 up 1-1/2 steps at 23"?
I gave Al Caldwell some of my .007's to use as eb4 strings for his 34" scale 11-string bass.He bends them and he has big hands. I put the same string on my 30" Hofner G500/1 and get A\flat4,but it is rigid.My .005 and .003 bends about a 1/2 step when tuned to Ab4 at 32" scale.It does this without any effort.

If you look at JP's 12-string for Jean Baudin,he uses a .006 at the 29" scale to achieve Aflat4.That is a tight string .


I put an .006 on my 30" Hofner and tune to Aflat4 and it makes a great cheese slicer.It's not much better at 25".When was the last time you tuned your .008 or .007 e4 string up to Ab4 on a 25" scale?

My .005 is stronger than just about any .008 anyone else has.
The fanned frets and shorter scale gives the string more play.As far as "real world",if a guitarist want A440 and above,he has to realize it require a thinner string.

How small do you want to scale down to before it's a Ukulele? At 23" (600mm) my .003 would bend like crazy.It has twice the tensile strengrh of most .007 and .008s.My .005 lasts for months at 32" .I am still hand winding the ball ends on because the wire looses strength when straightened out for the winder machines. If you notice the bridge on my Adler 12 string,the highest 3 strings use a clamping system,so ball ends aren't needed.

I haven't really pushed the .003 and .004 and .005 strings to the limit as far as bending when tuned to A440.

This is all still a work in progress.


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## dpm (Mar 31, 2006)

I didn't push the A too much with the bending. I don't really bend anymore myself, it's pretty much out of my vocab these days so I couldn't give a clear verdict on that. I absolutely agree that the guitarist has to know the compromises of tuning high like that.
Does more tensile strength = stiffer feel if the gauge were the same?
I'd love to give these strings a try, should I pm my address?


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## bostjan (Mar 31, 2006)

The feel should be related to the mass. I just looked up the tensile strength of steel. There are many different kinds with a great degree of variety in tensile strength and density, but from the data I have, even the best steel strings would be at 75-80% of their yield point (the point at which they are sure to break) on a 25.5" scale for high A. I get a lot of breakage with Ernie Ball's, D'addario's and the like at high A. I've noticed GHS pedal steel boomers have a great deal of strength, though. I'm sure Garry's strings are much higher tolerance, but I'm still interested in how they can stay in one piece at such high pressures.


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## dpm (Mar 31, 2006)

bostjan said:


> I've noticed GHS pedal steel boomers have a great deal of strength, though.


 
Are they available as singles? I might have to order some of those too.

Paul, midi is coming up on another 8 string but not Gojira's 7.


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## bostjan (Apr 1, 2006)

jacks music store (expensive)

Never dealt with them, but I've seen their ad's. GHS strings are made near where I live, but their nickle-wound strings are too bright for my liking.


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## Papa Shank (Apr 1, 2006)

dpm said:


> Paul, midi is coming up on another 8 string but not Gojira's 7.


WOO


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## Garry Goodman (Apr 2, 2006)

dpm said:


> I didn't push the A too much with the bending. I don't really bend anymore myself, it's pretty much out of my vocab these days so I couldn't give a clear verdict on that. I absolutely agree that the guitarist has to know the compromises of tuning high like that.
> Does more tensile strength = stiffer feel if the gauge were the same?
> I'd love to give these strings a try, should I pm my address?



Some guitarists expressed their desire to have a very bendable,as in 3 1/2 steps, A440hz string.
I am trying to get at least a whole step out of the strings.
Depending on how the wire is processed, you get different characteristics.
The higher tensile can make the string stiff, but not in every case.Yes, send me a pm.


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## Shorty (May 3, 2006)

Papa.. you.. goddamn you... 

Always when I've just spent a fortune on something else. Goddamnit! 

Btw.. $2000 = £1083.14

Do what you can to NOT sell that badboy really mate


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## Shawn (May 3, 2006)

Actually, the more I think about it, I think you should keep it too, it is very nice.


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## Jason (May 3, 2006)

Awesome Guitar first custom shop guitar i would want.


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## darren (May 3, 2006)

How did discussion of the sale get appended to a thread about the guitar that hasn't been touched in a month? Can we keep it all in one place?


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## bostjan (May 3, 2006)

darren said:


> How did discussion of the sale get appended to a thread about the guitar that hasn't been touched in a month? Can we keep it all in one place?



Well, it'd be best not to clutter up the sales thread, but everyone protests the decision to sell. Paul can do whatever he wants, but I severely hope he's making the right choice, since it seems like he just got the guitar.


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## Pauly (Jun 29, 2006)

Any idea when we can see pics of a 'normal' Oni 8? Pretty please.


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## dpm (Jun 29, 2006)

As soon as possible


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## Nik (Jun 29, 2006)

dpm said:


> As soon as possible



*drool*

I'm looking forward to this.


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## dpm (Jun 30, 2006)

Visited the laser guys today and discussed some stuff, more templates on the way! 
Also dropped in on the CNC place that will be making single string bridge bases for me. These are aerospace grade aluminum units that fit standard GraphTech saddles allowing piezo and synth access. They ain't going to be cheap but that's how things go.
Next stop was to buy a few boards of Brazilian Mahogany, Rock Maple, Australian Silver Ash (_very_ nice), and Silky Oak (aka Aussie Lacewood). Only got body woods today. Still hunting down some figured Australian Blackwood and some more Macassar Ebony etc.


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## Pauly (Jun 30, 2006)

Siiiiiiick, thanks! I look forward to seeing one finished!


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## God Hand Apostle (Jul 2, 2006)

Hey dpm,
What strings did you use on this bad boy? The G broke, and I'm not sure if I should I get a .017? Could you list them all just in case I break more? 

Thanks brah!

P.S. I will be doing a full review once I stop breaking strings and plug it in.


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## jtm45 (Jul 2, 2006)

dpm said:


> Also dropped in on the CNC place that will be making single string bridge bases for me. These are aerospace grade aluminum units that fit standard GraphTech saddles allowing piezo and synth access. They ain't going to be cheap but that's how things go.



They sound very cool indeed !
I love high-tech stuff.

Are they anything like those ABM (?) individual bridge thingies?


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## dpm (Jul 3, 2006)

God Hand Apostle said:


> Hey dpm,
> What strings did you use on this bad boy? The G broke, and I'm not sure if I should I get a .017? Could you list them all just in case I break more?
> 
> Thanks brah!
> ...


 
Hmm, I kind of doubt it's still got the original strings on it, but that would explain the breakage. The GraphTech saddles inserts should almost eliminate issues at the bridges saddles. Was that a wound or unwound G? How have you got it tuned?



jtm45 said:


> Are they anything like those ABM (?) individual bridge thingies?


 
No, they're actually quite similar to the Novax ones, but more refined. Basically a single string fixed strat bridge.


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## Papa Shank (Jul 3, 2006)

I'm pretty sure Tom tuned it to F# so I *doubt* it's still got the same strings on it.


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## God Hand Apostle (Jul 3, 2006)

It was an unwound D'Addario with a black ball end. I have it tuned with a high A. On day 1 right out of the box I tuned her up (I had TMM loosen the strings for shipping), and the high A would slip a little, so I would re-tune, and it would slip again, then it just broke...I hadnt even played it yet....  Replaced that with a .008, and started working on 8 string scales. Then on day 3, the G snaps... 

I'm thinking of tuning to F#.

That's fine about the gauge though...I really do need to experiment and find what works best. By the way, none have broken at the saddles.


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## bostjan (Jul 3, 2006)

Where are they breaking?


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## nyck (Jul 3, 2006)

God Hand Apostle said:


> It was an unwound D'Addario with a black ball end. I have it tuned with a high A. On day 1 right out of the box I tuned her up (I had TMM loosen the strings for shipping), and the high A would slip a little, so I would re-tune, and it would slip again, then it just broke...I hadnt even played it yet....  Replaced that with a .008, and started working on 8 string scales. Then on day 3, the G snaps...
> 
> I'm thinking of tuning to F#.
> 
> That's fine about the gauge though...I really do need to experiment and find what works best. By the way, none have broken at the saddles.


Sounds like a defective string.


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## dpm (Jul 3, 2006)

Sounds like the twist lock holding the ball end slipped. I had the same thing happen when I strung it up the first time. I recommend you try different brands of .008's and possibly even try some with soldered twists, which I believe were first produced for use with Kahler trems (same problem). Also, with the .008, give it plenty of winding around the machinehead post to ensure it doesn't get cut by the edge of the hole.
Garry Goodman's .008's and .007's are certainly recommended.


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## zimbloth (Jul 3, 2006)

im sure this guitar is awesome, but man it makes me dizzy to look at.


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## bostjan (Jul 3, 2006)

Yeah, Garry has been quiet for a while, but his strings are pretty dense and uniform in construction. I'd say go with his .007"s when they become available. The extra weight of his strings might make .008"s a little tougher to bend than a cheap .008" like ernie ball.


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## loktide (Aug 21, 2008)

wow 

amazing work man


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## dpm (Aug 21, 2008)

Eek, this thread won't die! 

Thanks Christian!


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## loktide (Aug 21, 2008)

dpm said:


> Eek, this thread won't die!
> 
> Thanks Christian!




hehe, this guitar deserves a bump


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## dpm (Aug 21, 2008)

It's sequel will be ready next week


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## God Hand Apostle (Aug 21, 2008)

Hey, I own this instrument! Yay me!!


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## dpm (Aug 21, 2008)

I should wind you some new pickups for it some time. How's she holding up?


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## HighGain510 (Aug 21, 2008)

I still *REALLY* want an Oni....  This $3.5K medical bill business is giving me a headache!


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## God Hand Apostle (Aug 23, 2008)

dpm said:


> I should wind you some new pickups for it some time. How's she holding up?



Sound craftsmanship Danimal! Holding up well. The bridge pickup can get feedback if you really jack the hell out of the gain. But for me, only using gain at 5 or 6 max...no problems.


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## Papa Shank (Aug 23, 2008)

dpm said:


> It's sequel will be ready next week



Fuck yeah


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## Dyingsea (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm glad this thread was bumped for us noobs.


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## gaunten (Aug 24, 2008)

yes, I noticed I'm about 2,5 years late, but that guitar in the first post is...
something else. just about the damn sexiest thing A' ever seen


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## st2012 (Aug 24, 2008)

Dyingsea said:


> I'm glad this thread was bumped for us noobs.



Me too, glad I got to see it. Nice work


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