# Let's try again: Hapas Guitars 7-string baritone Tele



## simonXsludge (Jan 12, 2014)

Hi folks.

About a year ago I started a thread about this, but nothing came into shape until just yet, so I figured I'd post a seperate thread instead of necrobumping something with a somewhat invalid OP. 

Robert from Hapas Guitars here in Berlin and I have designed a Tele-shaped 7-string design and called it "Sludge". And funny enough, before I was able to decide on final specs for mine, let alone order one, three people have ordered the design from him with fanned frets ahead of me.

I basically took forever to decide on final specs and had to take my money to build up my studio in the meantime, so we weren't able to start with mine... until now. 

Specs:

*Body:* Swamp ash
*Pickguard:* Recessed Tele-style pickguard made of purpleheart
*Neck:* 3-piece wenge/maple/wenge construction
*Frets:* Stainless steel medium jumbo frets, PLEK'd
*Scale:* 27"
*Fretboard:* Birdseye maple with offset luminlay inlays
*Headstock:* Reversed in-line headstock with BE maple veneer
*Bridge:* Schaller Hannes 7-string bridge
*Tuners:* black Schaller locking tuners
*Nut:* Graphtech Tusq
*Pickup:* DiMarzio D Activator or other passive Pickup in white
*Controls:* Volume knob*
Finish: *Trans black oil

Robert's gonna start working on it until the end of the month. I'm really excited for this, since it's gonna be my first full custom guitar. I am glad Robert approached me to design this together with him and I prefer working with local luthiers rather than ordering from somewhere overseas and not knowing what I'll end up with, because I have no control over anything and no means of checking out the luthier's work. I've seen so many horror stories on this website... so I guess I'd just rather stay as local as possible.

I was able to play my friend Kayzer's Hapas and it gave me the final confidence that I made the right choice to go with Robert at Hapas guitars.

You can see some of the unfinished fanned fret Sludge models here:







Better look at the headstock design (the two on the right side):






Updates coming soon!


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## Hollowway (Jan 12, 2014)

Cool stuff. Tell Robert to prepare to be inundated with orders! What are his base prices?

NVM, I found it on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/hapas-guitars/price-list-hapas-guitars-2013/502136693216239


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## Daf57 (Jan 12, 2014)

Those are sharp!! Very cool - subbed for updates!


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## JoshuaVonFlash (Jan 12, 2014)

Those are some cool shapes.


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## eddiewarlock (Jan 13, 2014)

Loving the headstock designs, it's like ESP meets BCR assassin.

I am a fan of that V. Very BCR Inspired 

The tele it's not bad at all


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## FIXXXER (Jan 13, 2014)

Hollowway said:


> What are his base prices?



the pricing is insanely good!


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## simonXsludge (Jan 26, 2014)

Update:

Robert is gonna start building this axe in his new workshop in March. We've been going through the specs a lot and this is the final result:

*Body:* Swamp ash*
Finish: *Trans black (think Ibanez M8M)
*Pickguard:* Recessed Tele-style pickguard made of purpleheart
*Neck:* 3-piece wenge/maple/wenge construction
*Fretboard:* Birdseye maple with offset luminlay inlays
*Headstock:* Reversed in-line wenge headstock with BE maple veneer
*Frets:* Stainless steel medium jumbo frets, PLEK'd
*Scale:* 27"
*Bridge:* Black Schaller Hannes 7-string bridge
*Tuners:* Black Schaller locking tuners
*Nut:* Graphtech Tusq
*Pickup:* DiMarzio D Activator or other passive Pickup in white
*Controls:* Volume knob

I will get a mockup from him soon.


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## simonXsludge (Jan 29, 2014)

Here is one of the fanned fret versions he is building for another customer right now:


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## NickVicious24 (Jan 29, 2014)

Looks awesome!!


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## LIPCoelhoq (Feb 5, 2014)

dat green


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## tupesaku (May 30, 2014)

That is awesome...I thinking about getting a similar guitar for myself too!


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## simonXsludge (Jun 18, 2014)

WOOHOO, we have an update. Neck stuffs... 







He's finished another FF Sludge in the meantime:


























Makes me all the more stoked.


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## metaldoggie (Jun 19, 2014)

Ooooh...that one speaks to me.
Come to butthead.


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## simonXsludge (Jun 20, 2014)

Seems like the photo of the neck pieces disappeared. Here we go again:


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## downburst82 (Jun 20, 2014)

shitsøn;3904866 said:


> Here is one of the fanned fret versions he is building for another customer right now:



recessed pickguard


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## metaldoggie (Jun 24, 2014)

lol...saw that pic and thought you were building something for me!
Then I looked at your profile


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## simonXsludge (Aug 18, 2014)

Updates, yay!

Neck:











The Wenge and maple/birdseye maple are making for a beautiful contrast.


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## Shimme (Aug 27, 2014)

This... Is awesome. I love crazy teles, and these are some of the crazier ones. Very cool, and it's actually in the realm of possibility for me! Hope she turns out well, good luck to you!


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## simonXsludge (Oct 22, 2014)

Body fresh out of the CNC the other day.


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## LIPCoelhoq (Oct 28, 2014)

....ing stoked for you Simon!


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## simonXsludge (Feb 14, 2015)

Sooo, the guitar is done!

Well, almost. It's still getting PLEK'd soon and I have to pay off a chunk still. However, it will soon be in my hands.

The original specs have remained the same, with the only exception of me ending up putting a black pickup in there. It's an Instrumental SFTY3.

Less talk, more pr0n:






























































I will post a legit NGD once it's completely done and I could take my own photos, record soundclips and what not. 

But I am extremely happy with the result and glad that my visions made for a good looking product. I was debating to go with a very exotic top for a long time. The first few outlines of this guitar included a ziricote fretboard for example, but at some point I just felt like simplicity would be the best choice.

The recessed and natural finish purpleheart makes for a perfect contrast against the black stain of the body and also against the fretboard. The birdseye maple looks absolutely stunning and also creates a beautiful contrast against the wenge.

I'm very happy I made those choices and Robert really brought them to life. Can't wait to play it now...


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## The Hiryuu (Feb 14, 2015)

WOW. I love the idea of that wooden "pickguard" inset.


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## DistinguishedPapyrus (Feb 14, 2015)

That is a nice looking build, I love the wood combination in the neck especially.


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## jwade (Feb 14, 2015)

Just wondering about how to get the scarf transition like that, is the headstock a separate single piece scarfed onto the 3 piece laminate neck?


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## simonXsludge (Feb 15, 2015)

jwade said:


> Just wondering about how to get the scarf transition like that, is the headstock a separate single piece scarfed onto the 3 piece laminate neck?


Yep. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a classic scarf-joint construction. My Ibanez RG2077XL is made the same way.


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## jwade (Feb 15, 2015)

Right on. The wenge/maple/wenge looks ridiculous. I've got a wenge board sitting here, and a giant slab of flamed maple. Looks like I need to use your Tele as inspiration!


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## simonXsludge (Feb 15, 2015)

jwade said:


> Right on. The wenge/maple/wenge looks ridiculous. I've got a wenge board sitting here, and a giant slab of flamed maple. Looks like I need to use your Tele as inspiration!


Thanks, man! I simply KNEW it was gonna be a great combination. Glad I went with it.


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## simonXsludge (Apr 21, 2015)

This beast is being PLEKed at the moment and I will have it soon. So excited!!!


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## TuffyKohler (Apr 22, 2015)

simonXsludge said:


> The original specs have remained the same, with the only exception of me ending up putting a black pickup in there. It's an Instrumental SFTY3.



Looks like you ended up with a Hipshot bridge? Any reason for the change?


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## simonXsludge (Apr 22, 2015)

TuffyKohler said:


> Looks like you ended up with a Hipshot bridge? Any reason for the change?


I simply like it a lot and it was cheaper than the Schaller Hannes I was debating for a while.


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