# Horizon 7 Project



## JohnIce (Jul 26, 2010)

So I was going to get a Carvin 7-string neck, but after messing around with my PRS today I realized that a 25" neck wouldn't really be that bad, and I prefer the sound of bolt-ons anyway, so I took the plunge and ordered a Warmoth neck. Now I also don't have to pay the ridiculous over-price that Carvin asks from international customers... 

Along with that I bought a Swamp Ash blank from StewMac. Here are the specs i have in mind:

Body and Headstock shape:












Body: Swamp Ash
Neck: Maple
Fretboard: Ebony
Finish: Silverburst
Hardware: Chrome
Pickups: HSS config, 1x DiMarzio PAF 7, 2x RioGrande Tallboys
Bridge: Hipshot non-locking trem

So this is the kind of finish I'm going for:






And I'll also keep in line with my old Warmoth (which is my main guitar), and do chrome binding and dragon on this one aswell 






So, now all I have to do is wait for the neck and body to arrive, then I can start chopping


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## s_k_mullins (Jul 26, 2010)

Sounds cool! You have to keep us updated


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

I'm stoked for updates.


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## JohnIce (Jul 27, 2010)

Something just hit me... I opted for a 1-7/8" (47.62mm) nut width, but is there any possibility that it's too narrow to use with the Hipshot trem? I can't find any dimensions on the Hipshot page, so I'm just assuming it wouldn't make a difference, I'm just checking...

7 String US Contour Tremolo Chrome > Store > Hipshot Products


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 27, 2010)

You should be fine on nut width.


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## JohnIce (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks, got me worried for a second  If so, then all is still going well and I'm waiting for the wood. The body blank should've shipped yesterday, so I might get it before the weekend if I'm lucky. The neck should take 2-3 weeks to get built first and then sent over, but at least I can start tracing the body while I wait. Unfortunately I can't start carving the top before I've done the neck pocket and bridge routing, which I'll need the neck for.


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## JohnIce (Jul 30, 2010)

New Ash Day!

Got my Swamp Ash from StewMac today, looks good enough  I have no experience with StewMac's woods, I wanted to get it from Warmoth but they wouldn't offer it unrouted... so I went with this. Hope it's nice! I'll probably get into the tracing and perhaps even cutting tomorrow


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## Floody_85 (Jul 30, 2010)

Nice looking piece of ash man. LMI is pretty good for wood as well. Havent used there body wood but ive bought quite a few fingerboard blanks off them


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## JohnIce (Aug 16, 2010)

Alright, got my neck!  With included pre-slotted GraphTech nut, nice!






It actually has a pretty nice birdseye figuring at places, which is a cool surprise. It's not really that well sanded though, I'll have to go over it a bit myself. No problem of course, but my last Warmoth neck was impeccably sanded when i got it, so would've been nice if this one was too.






Bummer no. 2: I realize now (what the pic on the Warmoth site was too small to tell), that the headstock is NOT angled and will require string trees  Added to that, something I _should've_ noticed from the pics, the truss rod is adjusted from the butt-end of the neck  On the Warmoth Super 7 neck however, these issues have been taken care of... but that neck only comes with a pre-cut headstock  This also ruins my plan of cutting off the last 2 frets, as the truss rod begins right at the 24th fret... stone age! 






Bummer no. 3: The ebony fretboard isn't dyed, as it was on my last Warmoth neck... so it seems I'll have to get some ebony dye on top of everything else. I know some people like the natural grain of ebony but this could just as well have been rosewood, I want it black.






Overall it definately seems Warmoth put less care into their 7-string products, as this neck is far from as well-designed and well-crafted as my 6-string neck that I got 2 years ago. They should get a pat on the back though for not drilling the tuner holes, as I asked for in the comments on the order form. At least the customer service is still smooth, as it was last time. Even if it's all done by CNC they're still a custom shop and you can pretty easily get non-stock options just by asking. 

I did a rough outline of what the body might look like:






The goal is to get as close to a Horizon as possible, but I don't own a Horizon and I traded away my Schecter C-7... and my Warmoth Soloist is away too at the moment. So my Woodo 7-string had to model for now. I think it might still be a little too asymmetrical and "leaning", I'll see what I can do about that. For now, the biggest issue is centering the whole thing and getting the neck pocket right, the curvature will be dealt with later.

I also did a really fast, free-hand estimate of what the headstock will look like. I'll print out a proper, scaled model of the real Horizon headstock later.


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## Sang-Drax (Aug 16, 2010)

It's gonna look awesome with that headstock


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## JohnIce (Aug 16, 2010)

I hope so, Sang-Drax! 

I think I'm pretty satisfied now with the body shape, and i finally got a good center line... I ended up having to use one of my sisters' equestrian plaques to get 90 degree angles at the neck joint, but I think this one finally worked.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 16, 2010)

Sorry about the neck man. If it was me, I'd probably would have sent it back, and gone with a Carvin neck. 

I agree with Sang-Drax, that headstock shape is going to fit with the body really well.


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## JohnIce (Aug 16, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Sorry about the neck man. If it was me, I'd probably would have sent it back, and gone with a Carvin neck.
> 
> I agree with Sang-Drax, that headstock shape is going to fit with the body really well.


 
Yeah, but the Carvin export prices are just ridiculous... getting the Carvin neck here with the new prices would be somewhere around $500, maybe more with taxes... and there's just no way I'm paying that for a maple neck with a paddle headstock.

On the upside though, I'm incredibly satisfied with my other Warmoth guitar, I barely even play my PRS Custom since getting it. So even though the specs aren't 100% what I'd want, I have no doubt it'll play great.


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## technomancer (Aug 16, 2010)

Bummer about the neck, but everything else is looking great


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## Kapee (Aug 19, 2010)

ESP should bring back the good ol' cockstock 

Looks promising and sorry for the neck!


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## BigPhi84 (Aug 19, 2010)

Are you going 4+3 or 3+4 for the headstock?


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## JohnIce (Aug 19, 2010)

Kapee said:


> ESP should bring back the good ol' cockstock
> 
> Looks promising and sorry for the neck!


 
+1000! I love that headstock, their pointy one is a bit too metal for me and the newer 3+3 one just looks ugly and cut off... the cockstock is just perfect 



BigPhi84 said:


> Are you going 4+3 or 3+4 for the headstock?


 
I'm going for 3+4, I've become used to that on my Schecters and that's also what the only Horizon 7 I've seen has had. Seeing as how the headstock kind of leans to the right aswell, I think it'll look the best that way


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## JohnIce (Aug 19, 2010)

Alright, did some more measurements, drawing, shaping and conceptualizing... this will probably be the end of it, as I'll finally cut it tonight or tomorrow. 





Btw, I've decided to _refuse_ to do the recommended thing and leave a gap between the neck pickup and the neck so you can adjust the truss rod... I've already lost the option for 22 frets, there's no way I'm moving the neck pickup even further away! So I'll just leave a little strip of wood with a small canal in it, so that if I need to adjust the truss rod I'll simply take out the neck pickup. It's that simple.

Does anyone see a problem with this though? For example RG's are routed so that there's nothing at all between the neck and the neck pickup, so I assume this would work.


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## blister7321 (Aug 19, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> +1000! I love that headstock, their pointy one is a bit too metal for me and the newer 3+3 one just looks ugly and cut off... the cockstock is just perfect


 
+1


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## synrgy (Aug 19, 2010)

I don't know what I'm talking about so take this with a grain of salt:

It looks like one of the knobs is sitting right on top of the curved portion of the carved top. Would that not lead to kind of a weird 'overhang' of the knob itself? (Where part of it is on flat-top and the other part is sort of 'floating' above the carved part of the body?)


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## JohnIce (Aug 19, 2010)

synrgy said:


> I don't know what I'm talking about so take this with a grain of salt:
> 
> It looks like one of the knobs is sitting right on top of the curved portion of the carved top. Would that not lead to kind of a weird 'overhang' of the knob itself? (Where part of it is on flat-top and the other part is sort of 'floating' above the carved part of the body?)


 
I'll route around the knobs so that they'll both be sunk into the wood all the way around, but at varying depths due to the carve. That said, I will probably move them anyway because the volume knob is too close to the pickup switch... I want to clear the area where the switch, the trem arm and my picking hand will be.


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## synrgy (Aug 19, 2010)

Duh. 'recessed' knobs didn't even occur to me. 

Thanks for clearing that up for me!


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## maniac mikej (Aug 19, 2010)

Well, this would be risky, but if you could unscrew the adjuster nut and be incredibly careful, you could cut off the last 2 frets, get a spoke nut like the jpmm's and hufschmids have, and put that on. Then you could adjust it without having to take out the pickup, since that would be an incredible pain in the ass.


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## Jontain (Aug 20, 2010)

This may be a dumb question but here goes anyway.

I do like the planned beveled edges although ive noticed the lower horn's bevel ends so that the neck pocket is the full body width, whereas on the top horn the bevel seems to extend right to the neck pocket, will this not make the neck join weaker?

Hope that makes sense lol


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## JohnIce (Aug 20, 2010)

maniac mikej said:


> Well, this would be risky, but if you could unscrew the adjuster nut and be incredibly careful, you could cut off the last 2 frets, get a spoke nut like the jpmm's and hufschmids have, and put that on. Then you could adjust it without having to take out the pickup, since that would be an incredible pain in the ass.


 
Interesting... but the reason I wanted 22 frets in the first place was only so I could move the neck pickup. With this method, I'd get less range on the fretboard, but the neck pickup in the same place... kind of a lose/lose situation in my case.

I guess I'll just have to trust the fact that I barely ever have to adjust the truss rod on any of my guitars more than once. Both my Strat and my Tele are adjusted att the butt of the neck, requiring me to take off the pickguards and lower the neck pickups all the way down into the body, which has still managed to scratch the neck pickup on my tele... if I can deal with that, I should be able to deal with this too.

Many thanks for the suggestion though, I really appreciate it  +rep for you, mate!



Jontain said:


> This may be a dumb question but here goes anyway.
> 
> I do like the planned beveled edges although ive noticed the lower horn's bevel ends so that the neck pocket is the full body width, whereas on the top horn the bevel seems to extend right to the neck pocket, will this not make the neck join weaker?
> 
> Hope that makes sense lol


 
The drawn bevels are just conceptual for now, but it'll be ok anyway. As long as the back of the neck joint is intact, and the screws are in, then what happens on the top isn't as important.


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## b7string (Aug 20, 2010)

This is such a cool thread! I am gonna watch this one very closely for several reasons. 1, I love guitars. 2, I love guitars. 3, I want to build one myself someday, and I want to do a carved top. I have no idea how to do this, so you are my unofficial test subject lol. Its looking awesome so far!


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## JohnIce (Aug 20, 2010)

^Thanks mate, then you're in luck cause I just started carving  So far I'm only using an electric sander and a chisel though, I'll have use more tools to get the nice "S" shaped curve I'm after, instead of the RGA type carve which it's getting at the moment.





I just love how Swamp Ash grain looks when you start carving it! Compare the left side to the right side, quite a difference.


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## Murmel (Aug 20, 2010)

Ser ut att bli grymt 
And I also want the cockstock back...


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## JohnIce (Aug 20, 2010)

It's too late to run an electric sander now but at least I got around doing the final sanding on the headstock so I could dye it 





I'll probably do a few more go's before it's dark enough, and I might even use some walnut stain to top it off... could look tasty


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## Floody_85 (Aug 20, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> Btw, I've decided to _refuse_ to do the recommended thing and leave a gap between the neck pickup and the neck so you can adjust the truss rod... I've already lost the option for 22 frets, there's no way I'm moving the neck pickup even further away! So I'll just leave a little strip of wood with a small canal in it, so that if I need to adjust the truss rod I'll simply take out the neck pickup. It's that simple.
> 
> Does anyone see a problem with this though? For example RG's are routed so that there's nothing at all between the neck and the neck pickup, so I assume this would work.



Looks awesome so far man. The carve is really looking good. 
As for the canal ur talking about, thats definately the way to go as long as ur using pup rings. If not, then the canal will be visible and look weird lol. I would usually only have the neck pocket and neck pup joining on a setneck with the tenon into the pup..for a bolt on, make them seperate. 

Lookin forward to seeing more progress


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## JohnIce (Aug 20, 2010)

Floody_85 said:


> Looks awesome so far man. The carve is really looking good.
> As for the canal ur talking about, thats definately the way to go as long as ur using pup rings. If not, then the canal will be visible and look weird lol. I would usually only have the neck pocket and neck pup joining on a setneck with the tenon into the pup..for a bolt on, make them seperate.
> 
> Lookin forward to seeing more progress


 
True, since I'm not using pickup rings I'll probably go with some sort of hole underneath the top or something  It's the price I'll have to pay to get the Strattiest possible neck pickup tone.


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## JohnIce (Aug 21, 2010)

More carving and sanding done!


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## Prydogga (Aug 21, 2010)

John, have I ever said how much I love Horizon 1s and their headstocks? Have I ever said how underused and awesome HSS is? Have I ever mentioned Ash is a great bodywood, and that dragon's are awesome? 

This build. Perfect.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Aug 21, 2010)

This is gonna be amazing in the end. Looking forward to seeing this John!


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## JohnIce (Aug 22, 2010)

Haha cheers Pry and JP 

Did some more (a lot more) carving today, I couldn't use the electric sander inside the cutaways so I used a chisel, a file and sand paper... lots of sand paper.

Thankfully I could use the electric sander to refine the sides, which are now looking much cleaner and comfortable.


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## JohnIce (Aug 23, 2010)

The back is taking shape, although it's not quite done yet.


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## Jontain (Aug 23, 2010)

Wow that grain is stunning!


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## JohnIce (Aug 23, 2010)

Jontain said:


> Wow that grain is stunning!


 
It is  I'm going to stain the back and sides black to keep the grain visible, and give it a little more of the custom look


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## JohnIce (Aug 23, 2010)

The neck has got its second layer of oil! When this dries I'll just go over it with some conditioner and steel wool and it'll be flawlessly smooth!


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## hide (Aug 24, 2010)

It's looking great so far!

Pleeease, don't hide that ash figuring with a silverburst finish.


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## Customisbetter (Aug 24, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> True, since I'm not using pickup rings I'll probably go with some sort of hole underneath the top or something  It's the price I'll have to pay to get the Strattiest possible neck pickup tone.



This is going to sound weird, but i have always felt that the pickguard is an integral part of Strat Tone.


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## JohnIce (Aug 24, 2010)

hide said:


> It's looking great so far!
> 
> Pleeease, don't hide that ash figuring with a silverburst finish.


 
I will, but if it's any consolation, I'm dying the back and sides  This is just after the first coat, I want it a bit more blackish, but I WILL show off the grain 







Customisbetter said:


> This is going to sound weird, but i have always felt that the pickguard is an integral part of Strat Tone.


 
Maybe, but guitars like the EBMM Luke and Suhr standards have had some of the most amazing singlecoil tones I've ever heard, and they have hardmounted pickups. So maybe an exact Strat tone isn't what I'm looking for, but rather an expanded version of it


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## JohnIce (Aug 25, 2010)

The point is kinda lost with this picture because of the flash, but either way after 3 more layers of black dye it's much darker than in the last picture and the grain is also more visible.


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## b7string (Aug 25, 2010)

That carve is awesome! If its not too much trouble could you elaborate on your process of going about it?

Also that die looks soo good! And what finish are you using on the neck, you mentioned oil, is it like Tung oil or Tru-oil or something?

Looks fantastic though, I can't wait too see it done


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Aug 25, 2010)

By default, no Warmoth 7 string neck comes with holes drilled in it.


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## JohnIce (Aug 25, 2010)

b7string said:


> That carve is awesome! If its not too much trouble could you elaborate on your process of going about it?
> 
> Also that die looks soo good! And what finish are you using on the neck, you mentioned oil, is it like Tung oil or Tru-oil or something?
> 
> Looks fantastic though, I can't wait too see it done


 
Cheers man! The carve was pretty simple, I drew a line around the body sides to mark how deep I wanted the carve to be. Then I drew the lines on the top to show how I wanted the top to be carved. I did this with a permanent marker, so I wouldn't accidentally erase the lines once I started carving. Then I simply took an electric sander and started sanding, from the edges into the middle. Sometimes I used a chisel, but that turned out to be a bit risky as it's easy to go to deep. Hand sanding with a rough sandpaper works very well too, because your hand follows the curves better than an electric sander does.

The neck is indeed finished with Tru-Oil, but I'm not so sure I'm liking it... it's very glossy but also very sticky.


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## JohnIce (Aug 26, 2010)

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> By default, no Warmoth 7 string neck comes with holes drilled in it.


 
It seems this particular one does though... There was never an option to leave them out in the order form, I had to ask myself.


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## JohnIce (Aug 26, 2010)

Alright, just ordered the Hipshot bridge and the Lollars. I ended up with the Blondes, which have less mids and more treble than the Blackfaces I originally had in mind.


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## b7string (Aug 26, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> Alright, just ordered the Hipshot bridge and the Lollars. I ended up with the Blondes, which have less mids and more treble than the Blackfaces I originally had in mind.



Hipshot ftw. The contour trem is really similar to the PRS trem, both of which I think are very well designed. The hipshot may even be an improvement on the PRS, with the whole ball bearing action. When its finished, let us know how it compares  (I believe I read that you own a PRS somewhere, I appologize if I am mistaken)


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## JohnIce (Aug 26, 2010)

b7string said:


> Hipshot ftw. The contour trem is really similar to the PRS trem, both of which I think are very well designed. The hipshot may even be an improvement on the PRS, with the whole ball bearing action. When its finished, let us know how it compares  (I believe I read that you own a PRS somewhere, I appologize if I am mistaken)


 
I do own a PRS, and I noticed the similarity too which is great cause I really like the PRS trem. I'll do plenty of video demos with this thing when it's done, believe me


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## JohnIce (Aug 31, 2010)

Sorry for the pictureless update...

My build is currently on hold until I get the parts, I do have pots, pickup selector and string trees but the rest I'll have to wait for. The Paf 7 will probably take a week or two, but during that time I can at least yank a pickup out of my Squier to make a template, that guitar needs rewiring anyway... can't do much before the bridge gets here though.


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## BrainArt (Aug 31, 2010)

I've been paying attention to this thread, but have never posted in it. I'm changing that, now. 

It's looking good, John. I feel kind of bad that I took so long to get back to you on our previous arrangement, but it seems that you got things figured out.


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## TheSixthWheel (Aug 31, 2010)

Looks great John. Looking forward to updates.


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## TomParenteau (Aug 31, 2010)

The Super 7 headstock would not look right with that body.

Your project is looking mighty pretty!


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## JohnIce (Sep 1, 2010)

IbanezShredderB said:


> I've been paying attention to this thread, but have never posted in it. I'm changing that, now.
> 
> It's looking good, John. I feel kind of bad that I took so long to get back to you on our previous arrangement, but it seems that you got things figured out.


 
It's cool mate, I have a habit of taking on tasks and completely forgetting about them too... right now I'm supposed to be designing a tattoo, a band logo and make a portrait of Gwen Stefani... none of this has happened for 3 months or so 



TomPerverteau said:


> The Super 7 headstock would not look right with that body.
> 
> Your project is looking mighty pretty!


 
Thanks mate! And I agree, which is a shame though cause the Super 7 is a much more well-designed neck. Ah well, I learned to play on a Fender Strat which had a neck like this and it never bothered me so I should cope


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## BrainArt (Sep 1, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> It's cool mate, I have a habit of taking on tasks and completely forgetting about them too... right now I'm supposed to be designing a tattoo, a band logo and make a portrait of Gwen Stefani... none of this has happened for 3 months or so



It's funny, just a couple of days before I saw this thread, I had remembered that we had that set up. Oh well.  Maybe whenever you get ready for another custom 7, we'll do what you had in mind.


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## JohnIce (Sep 9, 2010)

Pickups arrived, only the lollars so far but the DiMarzio and the bridge should show up in the coming days.









Handwritten... classy!


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## JohnIce (Sep 11, 2010)

Bridge...


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## BrainArt (Sep 11, 2010)

Sweet, that bridge looks really comfy, John!  I seriously can't wait to see (and hear ) how this turns out.


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## Prydogga (Sep 11, 2010)

Sub'd


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## JohnIce (Sep 11, 2010)

Cheers dudes! I think I'll stick to the more RGA-style carve to be honest, as it's just so much more comfortable for the picking arm... you don't get the body edge against your forearm like on a regular Horizon/C-7/Soloist etc. and although I think that style of carve looks a little nicer it's a marginal difference and in most lighting you won't even see it.


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## BrainArt (Sep 12, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> Cheers dudes! I think I'll stick to the more RGA-style carve to be honest, as it's just so much more comfortable for the picking arm... you don't get the body edge against your forearm like on a regular Horizon/C-7/Soloist etc. and although I think that style of carve looks a little nicer it's a marginal difference and in most lighting you won't even see it.



 It'll look sick either way, mate!


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## JohnIce (Sep 13, 2010)

So I just called my old crafts teacher, and this wednesday I'll go back to my old school after 5 years, to route the neck pocket


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## JohnIce (Sep 15, 2010)

Neck routed for and bolted on!













- QUESTION! -

No. 1: I'm about to place the bridge now. I've measured the distance from the end of the nut to the end of the neck (48.5 cm) and then from the end of the neck an extra 15 cm. This adds up to 63.5 cm, which is 25".

Is this the right way to do it?

No. 2: I assume the 25" distance is referring to the distance between the nut to the saddle, but where should I set the saddles on the bridge in order to get the right intonation? I've read both "put all the saddles as far to the front as you can" and I've read "put all the saddles dead center".

The second one seems more reasonable, but still, I'm not one to be drawing conclusions on what's reasonable in guitar building.

Somehow I have to set the trem posts and route for the trem block in a way that places the saddles at the 25" mark, which is of course impossible until I know the answers to the questions above.


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## blister7321 (Sep 15, 2010)

looking sweet john


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 15, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> - QUESTION! -
> 
> No. 1: I'm about to place the bridge now. I've measured the distance from the end of the nut to the end of the neck (48.5 cm) and then from the end of the neck an extra 15 cm. This adds up to 63.5 cm, which is 25".
> 
> ...



It's looking GREAT John!

According to the Stew Mac bridge location calculator for a 25" scale, 24-fret guitar, you'll want to put the trem posts roughly 24.755" from the nut, +/- .03", if using a Hipshot trem. 

You can plug the numbers in yourself as well, just go to STEWMAC.COM : Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Mandolin, Parts, Tools, Supplies, Free Information.

Free Info -> Calculators -> Fret Location Calculator

Sorry, Stew Mac doesn't let me directly link.


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## JohnIce (Sep 15, 2010)

Cheers Max! When the hell is your contributor-status coming?  

I started some work on the bridge, mainly drilling for the posts but I also made some holes for the trem block... tomorrow when my neighbors are less on the sleepy side, I'll go at it with the power-saw.

Since I didn't want to make too much noise I took the time to drill for the pots and straplocks!


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 15, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> Cheers Max! When the hell is your contributor-status coming?



Anyone can get contributor status/perks. You just have to pay $20, if I remember correctly. 

I like that this site is free, and I honestly don't need the extra inbox space. 

As for MVP status, I think I have a better chance of becoming a Mod than that. 

Once again man, the build is coming along fantastically!!!


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## JohnIce (Sep 15, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Anyone can get contributor status/perks. You just have to pay $20, if I remember correctly.
> 
> I like that this site is free, and I honestly don't need the extra inbox space.
> 
> ...


 
Oh I see, I thought it was an honorary thing you get for contributing to the forums 

Thanks!


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## JaeSwift (Sep 16, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's looking GREAT John!
> 
> According to the Stew Mac bridge location calculator for a 25" scale, 24-fret guitar, you'll want to put the trem posts roughly 24.755" from the nut, +/- .03", if using a Hipshot trem.
> 
> ...



Dont mean to hijack, but what would it be for a fixed edge III 8 string bridge?I have no idea which bridge measurements would be similair to it.

And yes John, look fn awesome! Has a bit of a Rotor vibe going with the stain on the back :O


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 16, 2010)

I was gonna point you towards the stew mac calculator but Max is super fast lols. 

Did you make sure the strings would have enough space on the fretboard before building the neck? Before I started on the neck in my build, I traced the distance to the bridge, then the outer string, and traced ne taper to make sure I had enough space. If you made the neck without this in account, the strings might be too close or far from the edge of the fretboard... 

Edit: just saw you bought a Warmoth neck... so disregard this =D



JaeSwift said:


> Dont mean to hijack, but what would it be for a fixed edge III 8 string bridge?I have no idea which bridge measurements would be similair to it.
> 
> And yes John, look fn awesome! Has a bit of a Rotor vibe going with the stain on the back :O


 
I believe the measurements shown for an OFR are the same for an edge pro. Can't tell for an edge 3, since I only have an edge pro to compare with.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 16, 2010)

JaeSwift said:


> Dont mean to hijack, but what would it be for a fixed edge III 8 string bridge?I have no idea which bridge measurements would be similair to it.
> 
> And yes John, look fn awesome! Has a bit of a Rotor vibe going with the stain on the back :O



Hmmm..... that's a tough one. I'd say, go by what the calculations are for a TOM, as just like a TOM, the saddles are right in line with the posts, just about. If anything make the posts a little closer to the neck in comparison to the TOM calculation, something like 1/4" forward. The Edge III Fixed has a lot of travel space on the saddles, so unless you're going to be using some extreme tunings, you should be fine. 



scherzo1928 said:


> I believe the measurements shown for an OFR are the same for an edge pro. Can't tell for an edge 3, since I only have an edge pro to compare with.



Actually the Edge III Fixed is quite a different beast:


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## JohnIce (Sep 16, 2010)

The bridge is in... I'm not too sure on this, the posts may be just a tad to far down the body, the high E saddle doesn't line up perfectly on the 25" line, it's around a millimeter off... worst thing that can happen is that I'd have to fill the holes and drill new ones, which is a small feat if it weren't for the posts themselves that are pretty fucking firmly lodged in the body... any tips for removing them, if the intonation were to become off?


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 16, 2010)

It's okay if the saddles don't line up perfectly with 25", you'd be hard pressed to find a parallel fretted instrument that has it's saddles (any of them) actually at the distance of the specified scale. Factors such as string size/mass and intonation make it as such. 

If it does wind up being off, get a bolt with the same threading as your trem post bushings, and screw it in. Attach some vice grips to the bolt and pull PERFECTLY upwards. If you pull to a side you can mess things up pretty good. You could skip the bolt and just pull on the trem posts, but you run the risk of marring the finish or gauging the metal.


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 16, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Hmmm..... that's a tough one. I'd say, go by what the calculations are for a TOM, as just like a TOM, the saddles are right in line with the posts, just about. If anything make the posts a little closer to the neck in comparison to the TOM calculation, something like 1/4" forward. The Edge III Fixed has a lot of travel space on the saddles, so unless you're going to be using some extreme tunings, you should be fine.
> 
> 
> 
> Actually the Edge III Fixed is quite a different beast:


 
Lol yeah. Its entirely different. 
Again Ill have to agree with Max... ToM meassurements up to the middle of the posts posts sound sounder


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## JohnIce (Sep 16, 2010)

Cool, thanks Max!  To be honest I'd wish the posts (mainly the right one) would be a little lower too, so if the action becomes too high I'll have another reason to pull them out.


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## BrainArt (Sep 16, 2010)

This is looking AWESOME, John!


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## JohnIce (Sep 18, 2010)

Finally done chiselling (for today)! The bridge is now installed.


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## JohnIce (Sep 20, 2010)

The control cavity is done, and I've started with the pickups. The humbucker measurement is conceptual for now, as I haven't received that pickup yet.


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## BrainArt (Sep 21, 2010)




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## JohnIce (Sep 21, 2010)

Pickups routed and drilled for, I'll have to do some more touch-up with the dremel to get things perfect though.


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## blister7321 (Sep 21, 2010)

looking hot john


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## JohnIce (Sep 23, 2010)

First test-painting... I ran out of Silver paint pretty quickly, so I'll have to redo it regardless, but I'm currently undecided if I should fill the grain or not... it's kinda cool when it's showing through the paint.





And the un-wired control cavity:


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## JaeSwift (Sep 23, 2010)

You really should grain fill, the swamp ash is gonna drink that paint.

You can just do a transluscent black/silver stain, that way the finish will be mirror smoothe but you can still see the grain. Did you spray or brush paint this btw?


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## JohnIce (Sep 23, 2010)

JaeSwift said:


> You really should grain fill, the swamp ash is gonna drink that paint.
> 
> You can just do a transluscent black/silver stain, that way the finish will be mirror smoothe but you can still see the grain. Did you spray or brush paint this btw?


 
It's sprayed, but like I said, I ran out of paint so that's really me squishing every last drop of silver onto the body... I'll see what a few more coats will do.

Here's another pic:


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## BrainArt (Sep 23, 2010)

John, this is really really really making me want to get started on a build of my own! 


And I think that you should fill the grain, as well.


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## JohnIce (Sep 24, 2010)

The first layer of silver is on... I actually preferred the previous one which was a lot less shiny, but this one will instead be great for the binding and dragon. I'm thinking that steel-wooling these coats might tone down the glossiness a bit.


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## synrgy (Sep 24, 2010)

I'm a *big* fan of guitars with finishes that allow the pores of the grain to show. Like these Gibsons, for instance:






There's just something about it that makes the guitar feel more 'real', to me.


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## JohnIce (Sep 24, 2010)

I'm really starting to agree! 

The second layer is done.


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## JohnIce (Sep 24, 2010)

4th layer:


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## JaeSwift (Sep 24, 2010)

The finish is making it come to life! Great build man, cant wait to post my swamp ash 8 string progress tomorrow!


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 24, 2010)

The paint looks amazing. Im a natural finish sorta guy, but Im liking that silver. 
btw, is it the paint, or is the bridge route a little . If it is, perhaps you could glue some wood, sand it, and paint that too?


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## BrainArt (Sep 24, 2010)

Never mind about filling the grain, John!  It's looking good, mate!


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## JohnIce (Sep 25, 2010)

Cheers for the positive feedback, dudes! 



scherzo1928 said:


> The paint looks amazing. Im a natural finish sorta guy, but Im liking that silver.
> btw, is it the paint, or is the bridge route a little . If it is, perhaps you could glue some wood, sand it, and paint that too?


 
There are quite a few routes that are a bit off, but when all the hardware is assembled you don't notice much at all, especially not from audience-distance. So I'll just roll with it for now, it has its charms in a way too for me, like when your baby turns out to have a crooked nose you still love it


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 25, 2010)

JohnIce said:


> Cheers for the positive feedback, dudes!
> 
> 
> 
> There are quite a few routes that are a bit off, but when all the hardware is assembled you don't notice much at all, especially not from audience-distance. So I'll just roll with it for now, it has its charms in a way too for me, like when your baby turns out to have a crooked nose you still love it


 
Oh man, you hot the spot with that comment. I literally had a nightmare about that last night. I dreamed my guitar turned out uglier than a devries, and I felt destroyed inside, but I still loved it and played it.

I'm not too worried about aesthetics right about now though. I'm mostly trying to make everything as precise as I can, so it's like a well tuned machine and sounds and plays awesome. After that, I'll se how pretty she can be


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## JohnIce (Sep 26, 2010)

I redid the top with automotive paint (made for hubcaps), which is a lot more matte. This is a good thing, because now I can do the binding and dragon with the super-silvery paint instead.


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## JohnIce (Sep 26, 2010)

...and it got bursted.


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## BrainArt (Sep 27, 2010)




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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 27, 2010)

That's easily one of the best, if not the best, homemade Silverburst I've ever seen. 

Great build man! Did you ever square away the trem post locations/heights?


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## JohnIce (Sep 27, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That's easily one of the best, if not the best, homemade Silverburst I've ever seen.
> 
> Great build man! Did you ever square away the trem post locations/heights?


 
Cheers mate! I honestly liked the first one better, but I don't have much time at home anymore so I wanted to get this done yesterday and it had gotten dark outside once I got around to do the burst... the lighting wasn't really optimal, but I can definately live with the way it turned out 

I never changed the posts, so I'm just jumping in head first and I'll see how it goes.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 27, 2010)

I think you'll be just fine with the bridge location, those Hipshots are well engineered to have a good amount of travel. 

If you do wind up needing a little more/less adjustment range, Hipshot makes their saddles in two lengths, long and short.


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## JohnIce (Sep 27, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I think you'll be just fine with the bridge location, those Hipshots are well engineered to have a good amount of travel.
> 
> If you do wind up needing a little more/less adjustment range, Hipshot makes their saddles in two lengths, long and short.


 
Oh, didn't know that! That's great, I figured I could get a longer screw otherwise, but a longer saddle would probably be better. But here's to hoping I won't have to


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## JohnIce (Sep 27, 2010)

TO BE CONTINUED.... muahaha.


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## BrainArt (Sep 27, 2010)

Meanie.


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## JohnIce (Sep 27, 2010)

You're right Brandon, it is fucking mean!


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## BrainArt (Sep 27, 2010)

Wow, John, that's amazing.


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 27, 2010)

That's all kinds of sick mang!


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## leandroab (Sep 27, 2010)

Looks vag.


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## JohnIce (Sep 29, 2010)

Cheers dudes! Had to redo the burst one final time due to bad masking tape, but it's finally done and I'm happier with the new one anyway  I also did the "inlay" and pinstriped the dragon again. Next step is dying the back one final time and then clear-coating this mother.


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 29, 2010)

Pinstripped dragon looks 10x better.
Also, is the inlay a decal? Because it's really cool.


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## JohnIce (Sep 29, 2010)

scherzo1928 said:


> Pinstripped dragon looks 10x better.
> Also, is the inlay a decal? Because it's really cool.


 
Thanks man! And yeah, it's actually the Warmoth sticker I got with the neck, that I cut upp and spray painted 

@JP: Cheers mate! I was a little worried you'd say the kanji was misspelled, but then I remembered it's Chinese...


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## Bloody_Inferno (Sep 29, 2010)

I wouldn't worry too much about it. It looks awesome, and that's all that matters. And as long as you don't steal my hanafuda card inlay idea for a future custom I had in mind.... it's cool.


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 29, 2010)

That is looking so killer.


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## BrainArt (Sep 29, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That is looking so killer.



 This.


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## blister7321 (Sep 30, 2010)

nice john


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## JohnIce (Sep 30, 2010)




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## Bloody_Inferno (Sep 30, 2010)

GOTM. That is all.


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## BrainArt (Sep 30, 2010)

I was thinking "that lowest string is REALLY far away from the edge of the fretboard", then I counted them and saw that you didn't put the 7th string on. 


Unplugged she sounds awesome, John.


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## JohnIce (Oct 1, 2010)

BrainArt said:


> I was thinking "that lowest string is REALLY far away from the edge of the fretboard", then I counted them and saw that you didn't put the 7th string on.
> 
> 
> Unplugged she sounds awesome, John.


 
Indeed, I'm buying a .60 string today 

About the unplugged sound, I have to go with a holy shit on that one... the guitar is the most resonant one I've ever played! Tuned it to drop D and played an open D chord, the sound resonated in my goddamn spine... it's the loudest guitar I've ever tried! It's got a lot of bass, but it's a _tight_ bass. Very punchy. Granted I have to adjust the truss rod, and at the moment the strings are much higher and stiffer than I want them, which will of course add to the tight response of the strings... a brand new set of D'Addarios obviously help too.

In short I can't wait to get back home and install the electronics now


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## BrainArt (Oct 1, 2010)

I can't wait to REALLY hear this in action. I demand new Rhinestone songs!


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## JohnIce (Oct 1, 2010)

Alright, all that's left now is pickup soldering... the rest is DONE!


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## s_k_mullins (Oct 1, 2010)

Looks excellent bro... You did great work!


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## BrainArt (Oct 1, 2010)

Oh man, John. That's gorgeous!


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## JohnIce (Oct 2, 2010)

Cheers dudes! I just made the backplates, out of an ice cream box... will post pics in the coming hours.


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## JohnIce (Oct 2, 2010)

'tis now done... more pics in my NGD thread in the Sevenstring guitars section


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## paintkilz (Oct 2, 2010)

nice job, my only thing personally i would have tried for a bit cleaner routes and does something about my cavity covers.

but to each his own.


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## JohnIce (Oct 2, 2010)

paintkilz said:


> nice job, my only thing personally i would have tried for a bit cleaner routes and does something about my cavity covers.
> 
> but to each his own.



Yeah, the only thing a used an actual router for was the neck pocket... all the other stuff (pickups, bridge, trem cavity and control cavity) were done with drills, chisels and sand paper.


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