# Another custom 8 string, with pics



## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 13, 2007)

Hey guys, I wanted to start a thread to list pictures and info on the 8 string I'm building for Tosin Abasi of Reflux. This guitar was started before I built bulb's 8 string, but I just got around to getting this one out the door. Should be complete by May. 

*Here's the rundown*
30" scale
1 pc Swamp Ash body
flame claro walnut top with black maple veneer
7 piece wenge / bloodwood / black maple veneer / flame maple neck
acrylized birdseye maple fingerboard
ebony headcap
q Tuner bl5 (neck) and lundgren M8 (bridge) electronix
hipshot strings-through bridge
sperzel locking tuners
black corian nut
neutrik locking 1/4" output jack
oil finish


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## technomancer (Apr 13, 2007)

Gotta' say I like Bulb's design much better than this, but the workmanship still looks top notch


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## fathead (Apr 13, 2007)

Those stripes on the neck make it look like a snake. Very nice.


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## OzzyC (Apr 13, 2007)

technomancer said:


> Gotta' say I like Bulb's design much better than this, but the workmanship still looks top notch



+1


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## Durero (Apr 13, 2007)

technomancer said:


> Gotta' say I like Bulb's design much better than this, but the workmanship still looks top notch


+1


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## Shawn (Apr 14, 2007)

That is pretty nice, I like the woods. Wild body shape too. Nice job so far, beautiful looking 8-string.


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## nyck (Apr 14, 2007)

killer work dude, keep it up!


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 14, 2007)

Ive heard Tosin say a lot about this guitar and it looks really cool. Im thinking about Q tuners for the two humbuckers in my SRC 7. Could you tell me how they work as far as connections? It seems like they dont have any cable.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 14, 2007)

xwmucradiox said:


> Ive heard Tosin say a lot about this guitar and it looks really cool. Im thinking about Q tuners for the two humbuckers in my SRC 7. Could you tell me how they work as far as connections? It seems like they dont have any cable.



They do, two solid wires. It can be wired in pretty easily! 

I didn't like the design at first, and since I let my clients design pretty much anything they want, I eventually have to make guitars I don't agree with.. but the more I see it I really like it. I'm sure Tosin will love it and that's all that matters in the end I guess! Thanks for the comments!


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 14, 2007)

So I guess it just has a hot and a ground? Are they wires that come off the cable stock or do you have to solder them to tabs on the pickup. I just dont see any leads coming off on their website or in the photo. I think Ill probably go with black though now that I see one with real photography.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 14, 2007)

oh, also make sure you really want passive pickups if you're going to take EMG's out of your steph carpenter... or do you have the seymour duncans? It's been a long time since I worked at ESP on Steph's guitars! I have to say I love his models though!



xwmucradiox said:


> So I guess it just has a hot and a ground? Are they wires that come off the cable stock or do you have to solder them to tabs on the pickup. I just dont see any leads coming off on their website or in the photo. I think Ill probably go with black though now that I see one with real photography.



yeah hot and ground. I emailed the guy the same question before I bought the pickup. The black ones look great too, I hope you enjoy them.


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 14, 2007)

Oh you worked at ESP - very cool!

Its an HSC-7 so its the very first ones they made which had the same design as the SRC six string with a HHS layout. Right now it has the original duncans and they are really low output compared to the EVOs Im used to. I would probably go with the super high z and a high z in the middle.

Im just wondering if they will fit in the stock pickup rings or if I will have to redrill which I dont really want to do at all.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 14, 2007)

This should help, xwmucradiox.


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## WarriorOfMetal (Apr 14, 2007)

yeah, i'm really curious about those Q-Tuner pickups also....i really want to know what they sound like for metal.


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 14, 2007)

TheIllustratedLuthier said:


> This should help, xwmucradiox.



That clears it up. Thanks! I would like to know what they sound like with gain as well. Its a high output clear pickup so it should just be a very revealing loud humbucker.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 14, 2007)

Yeah. The magnets are said to be stronger than ceramic, so I don't think a super high output level will be necessary to maintain a nice metal (neck position) and a nice balanced tone as well... hence the 'medium'. Time will tell!


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## ohio_eric (Apr 14, 2007)

Nice work!! 

Question what does it mean that your acrylicized the fingerboard?


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 14, 2007)

ohio_eric said:


> Nice work!!
> 
> Question what does it mean that your acrylicized the fingerboard?



acrylized means its impregnated with an acrylic. Point of this is to avoid having to spray a lacquer over the fingerboard to protect it from dirt. Once the fingerboard is sanded and polished (I use 10000 grit) it shines as if it's been buffed and your fingers won't dirty up that light maple fingerboard.


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## AVH (Apr 14, 2007)

Hello Jesse, welcome to the board!  I'm a tech, and have admired your work on Bulb's 8, very nice. 

Out of curiousity, is the footprint size of the Q-Tuners approx. equal to that of normal passives? Because they seem quite long, like they'd be the same size as an EMG.


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## darren (Apr 14, 2007)

Very nice. I'm looking forward to hearing impressions of the Q-Tuner pickup.

That claro walnut top is just lickalicious.


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 14, 2007)

Dendroaspis said:


> Hello Jesse, welcome to the board!  I'm a tech, and have admired your work on Bulb's 8, very nice.
> 
> Out of curiousity, is the footprint size of the Q-Tuners approx. equal to that of normal passives? Because they seem quite long, like they'd be the same size as an EMG.



He is using a bass pickup there. If you check out the website they have technical drawings of all their pickups as well as models for direct mount (EMG) and ring mount. Im still not sure if the GL (7 string model) will fit in a standard pickup ring though.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 14, 2007)

Also not sure about the GL7. I imagine the 6 and 7 string pickup models are made the same size as others, considering Q Tuner doesn't sell its own size pickup rings! But who knows, stranger things have happened..


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 14, 2007)

Interesting. So the only things that are included are the pickup and I guess a pair of screws?

EDIT - I just took some measurements of the duncans in my SRC and compared them to the technical drawing on the Q tuner site and it looks like they are very close both in pickup size and the width between the flanges for mounting in a ring. They are also only 1.7 cm deep which is about the same as something like an Ibanez stock 7 string pickup depth.


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## skinhead (Apr 14, 2007)

Nice about the 8, but the body shape IMHO it's horribe. The craftmanship it's awsome and the selection of woods too.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 14, 2007)

The body shape is something he drew up to match a Fodera bass that he loved to play. I changed the shape to make it more guitar-like and made my own horn shape because the original one made the guitar look like a Norwal in playing position...I wanted to inlay teeth and an eyeball... not to mention I'd never make a direct copy of a guitar design, as I know how hard it can be to make one ::cough cough ed roman::


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## Nik (Apr 14, 2007)

Not my cup of tea, but very, _very_ impressive work nonetheless. Keep it up, man!


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## Durero (Apr 15, 2007)

TheIllustratedLuthier said:


> The body shape is something he drew up to match a Fodera bass that he loved to play.


I can imagine it matching very nicely with a Fodera bass.


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## D-EJ915 (Apr 15, 2007)

That neck is sick! The body is meh though, once you stick that pickup in there tell us a lot about it


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## TomAwesome (Apr 15, 2007)

Definitely post again with clips (if possible) of that QTuner later. I've been kind of interested in those pickups for years.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 22, 2007)

I probably won't be able to post sound clips myself because I don't have anything decent to record with. I'm sure Tosin will send me some clips, and I'm building another 8 string with same body / top woods and same pickups with piezo's a hexpander midi preamp, so I'm sure that guy will also post tons of clips! 

Tosin's is coming along smoothly, I'll finish fretting today and it should be completed by May 4th.


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 22, 2007)

Nice. Just curious, my band is thinking about getting into 8 string stuff when we finish our current album and tour. What does something like this run?


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 23, 2007)

Since all my guitars are custom, it's hard to set a base price.. but a guitar like Tosin's would run $2800, if that helps.


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 23, 2007)

Word. That helps. Do you do fanned fret instruments? Maybe something like a 23" to 26" fan on an 8?


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 24, 2007)

I don't yet, that's kind of a weird size. Are you talking high a and low b? I'll most likely make my first fanned fret this summer.


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## bulb (Apr 24, 2007)

ah jesse its good to see progress with the 8!
pics are looking badass and i already told you the shape has now grown on me haha cuz at first i was like ewww fugly!
tosin seemed really interested in those q-tuners and hopefully ill see him soon after this is completed so i can judge for myself, cuz although i have a ton of gear i need to get, i keep on trying to see if i can fit in some money for another 8 haha and i may just need to do a qtuner neck or possibly even a bridge if it ends up sounding good!


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## JPMDan (Apr 24, 2007)

Man that is pretty nice, still like bulb's 8 better though. Interested in those Q Tuners myself, good work and keep it up!


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 24, 2007)

TheIllustratedLuthier said:


> I don't yet, that's kind of a weird size. Are you talking high a and low b? I'll most likely make my first fanned fret this summer.



Yeah that would be standard tuning but I would probably go AEADGBEA or ADADGBEA. I just need a shorter scale up top for the high A.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (Apr 24, 2007)

bulb said:


> ah jesse its good to see progress with the 8!
> pics are looking badass and i already told you the shape has now grown on me haha cuz at first i was like ewww fugly!
> tosin seemed really interested in those q-tuners and hopefully ill see him soon after this is completed so i can judge for myself, cuz although i have a ton of gear i need to get, i keep on trying to see if i can fit in some money for another 8 haha and i may just need to do a qtuner neck or possibly even a bridge if it ends up sounding good!



Anytime dude, I've got a lot of new things going on and I dare say since your prototype 8, these 8's are becoming much easier to build!


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## parabola5353 (May 2, 2007)

i love jesse's work a lot, it's bulb's especially. i hope to get a guitar from you one day.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (May 2, 2007)

Here's the latest. Should be done this weekend, waiting on the Lundgren M8. I'm installing the neutrik jack tomorrow and I'll start wiring then as well.


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## xwmucradiox (May 2, 2007)

Very nice. Im supposedly getting a chance to play this in a few weeks.


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## Durero (May 3, 2007)

Beautiful work


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## kruneh (May 4, 2007)

I love your choice of wood and construction for the neck. It´s a bit different than other 5 piece necks, great idea. Looks similar to Bulbs. 
Personally I think Bulbs 8 is among the coolest guitars ever, if not THE coolest. 
I don´t want to steal his and your idea, but boy am I tempted to get a similar one. 

Very impressing work


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## parabola5353 (May 6, 2007)

i will be coming to you during the summer to discuss a guitar i'd like to get. yay!


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (May 7, 2007)

Just a quick update of this weekends progress. Seems Bill Conklin's wife sent the M8 bridge pickup USPS and it was lost in the mail. Sucks for me, but they're sending a new one soon... gives me time to order those strap locks I forgot about


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## xwmucradiox (May 7, 2007)

I have this sickening feeling that Ill be ordering a Tosin Abasi model in the fall


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (May 7, 2007)

kruneh said:


> I love your choice of wood and construction for the neck. It´s a bit different than other 5 piece necks, great idea. Looks similar to Bulbs.



Actually a 7 piece, different from bulb's in the veneer colors only really.


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (May 16, 2007)

This guitar is finished, just need to take some pictures and I'll post them. The pickup combination sounds AWESOME. The M8 is great, and I think it balances well with the swamp ash body. The q-tuner is super clear and makes for a nice middle position tone. Hopefully I'll get some recorded music from it soon.


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## xwmucradiox (May 17, 2007)

Im looking forward to seeing pics of this!


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## TheIllustratedLuthier (May 18, 2007)

I'm posting new pictures in a new thread, labeled "Tosin Abasi custom 8 string completed". Check em out!


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## Durero (May 18, 2007)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ex...n-abasi-custom-8-string-guitar-completed.html

(for convenience)


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