Finally playing my Spalted Maple Custom with the EBMM neck!!!

[baimun]

Man... seems like it's been years that this project's been going on... but it's so satisfying to finally be playing this.

For those who don't know the whole long story... I started with a White EBMM Silhouette, and loved the way the guitar played but was looking for some different tones and finishes not available.

I had this killer looking piece of spalt that was mounted on an alder body, but cut too small to fit anything other than a 24 fret neck on, and even then, the heel area was too small.

I had a luthier friend of mine cut the alder off the back and remount it to a mahogany block:

I designed it to work with Duncan Mini-humbuckers and a blade switch (I find it ironic to see some of the Private reserve guitars that have come out since I started working on this.)

Once it was all designed, cut, and contoured... it was many many weeks of applying tru-oil, building up layers, letting them cure, then sanding it smooth to get the glass like top, but keep the finish thin and flexible on the sides and back.

I had two necks, so the one with the logo and serial number that matched the white silhouette body, I put those on ebay this week.

I definitely hit my design goal though... the snap and spank of a Strat or Tele, the added growl of mahogany with humbuckers, with the balance, playablity, and wonderful neck of an EBMM.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Although not a huge fan of "spalt" I have to say that the end result looks great. I like the idea of using the oil on the body which I have done on a friends guitar body. I guess the oil is ideally suited to any irregularities in the spalt.

I'd also love to get that silo back together and will keep an eye on the bids.

Great work.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Wow! Nice result!

I considered doing something similar with my Sub 1. I had been talking on and off with a luthier about putting a spalted maple cap on the sub 1 and routing the body (like a 25th) with some different switching options. The price just kept going up as I added my ideal guitar requirements and I decided to do it all myself and back down on stuff I had no idea how to do. He does a lot of eBay sales of bodies and yours is very similar in shape. I like it a lot! How heavy is it? That was one of my goals....to lighten it up for long stand-up sessions.

jack

 

[Sticky1973]

Very very nice indeed

A proper job; and it shows.

Looks like such a lovely finish with the oil.

 

[ivbenaplayin]

man is that thing gorgeous!!! I can only imagine that it sounds as awesome as it looks...

 

[baimun]

Although not a huge fan of "spalt" I have to say that the end result looks great. I like the idea of using the oil on the body which I have done on a friends guitar body. I guess the oil is ideally suited to any irregularities in the spalt.

Tru-Oil is NOT like tung oil.

It's a little thicker when going on, and builds up like a varnish. By putting on 5 coats, letting it cure for a few weeks... then sanding down 3 coats... then building up 5 more coats... letting it cure for a few weeks... etc...

... it's more like a violin finish.

Part of what made it tough is as the top finish would cure and "settle" into the spalt, some of the areas would sink into the darker cracks... leaving a little ripple marks (some you can see above). Eventually these built up and cured as if I had filled any imperfections with expoxy, but I was trying to stay away from plastics and polys wherever possible. The top is now like a smooth piece of glass, yet the guitar is very "alive" sounding.

 

[mb99zz]

Great job and congratulations.

 

[Jonmo1]

I think that body looks awesome!! Very nice job.

however, personally I think the color of the neck is in great contrast to the body.

I wonder if you would have the patience (or even if it's possible) to do the same oil treatment to the Neck....That would look friggin fantastic!!

 

[baimun]

I think that body looks awesome!! Very nice job.

however, personally I think the color of the neck is in great contrast to the body.

I wonder if you would have the patience (or even if it's possible) to do the same oil treatment to the Neck....That would look friggin fantastic!!

It's partially my poor photography, but when you see the alder stripe between the spalt and mahogany come around and meet at the neck joint, they're almost identical in color. The Tru-Oil has surprisingly little tint...

... it's just the difference of how it soaks into a harder wood versus the punky, spalted top... Like when you wet down a piece of wood and the figure turns orangy. This top is ALL FIGURE and no plain wood.

 

[Slav123]

I really love the spalted maple tops. That's a beautiful job! What's the guitars' scale length?

Slav

 

[baimun]

Wow! Nice result!... How heavy is it? That was one of my goals....to lighten it up for long stand-up sessions.

jack

Thank you. It's actually a little heavier than my Silhouette, but still one of my lightest guitars... maybe 7 pounds. I'll have to get out the digital scale and verify.

I really love the spalted maple tops. That's a beautiful job! What's the guitars' scale length?

Slav

Thanks also... 25 1/2. It's still an Ernie Ball Silhouette neck... rolled fingerboard edges, 10" radius.

Originally I was going to use the EBMM bridge from my white silhouette, but I switched to this Mighty Mite bridge with the contoured "frame" for compactness so it doesn't cover as much of the top.

 

[Big Poppa]

beautiful could you do me a favor and have your luthier take our name and model off the headstock?

 

[DevRock]

Stunning piece! Although, I'm a hater of F-holes, so I'm not liking that. But it's not my guitar, so it doesn't matter. GREAT JOB!!!

 

[baimun]

beautiful could you do me a favor and have your luthier take our name and model off the headstock?

Already done.

The neck I'm selling on ebay has the logos, but the one I used for my custom has the front and back sanded and has been refinished in Tung oil (the pic above was actually a test run before any electronics were wired).

 

[robelinda2]

awesome!

 

[baimun]

beautiful could you do me a favor and have your luthier take our name and model off the headstock?

Since that's probably the one and only pic of it where I had the logo'd neck on the body, I've photoshopped it out so the photo looks like the guitar now does in real life.

Stunning piece! Although, I'm a hater of F-holes, so I'm not liking that. But it's not my guitar, so it doesn't matter. GREAT JOB!!!

The shape, choice to have a chamber on the one side, and the style decision to have chrome covered mini-humbuckers is to combine the looks of two of my favorite guitars.... the Axis....

... and the Charvel Surfcaster... so knowing that, you can see where I combined the two shapes, put the F-hole and chamber (which really makes the guitar's resonance pop) and hardware choices.

 

[Sterling_Bass]

Great work! Have you considered building a neck from scratch, too?

 

[baimun]

I have done it in the past when I had access to a full wood shop... but since I now live in suburbia, and don't really have room for a workshop, I let the pros do the lumber cutting, and I stick to routing, sanding, finishing and electronics by hand (and hand power tools)

Nothing's more irritating than spending hours on a neck and even when you arent' playing that fret, you know that there's ONE fret you cut all wonky and the intonation is off.

 

[ShaneV]

Beautiful.

 

[Hieronymus]

I like it too. Too bad about city living---I think every house should come with a woodshop/workshop area.