So a number of years ago I brought a kit guitar just to see what the quality was like. it was a strat clone......Imagine that? Anyways, everything about it was cheap. The body, the hardware, the electronics.....everything. It has been sitting around the shop for years now and I've always wanted to build it using the existing body and neck, but upgrading everything else on it.
So a few years ago I built a flamed maple pick guard for it. It might be on this blog further down, if not, I know I have pictures of it on my Facebook site "liveedgeguitars". And a few months ago I loaded it up with CTS pots and NOS DiMarzio pickups, Q-Parts knobs......Anyways, it looks killer.
So just recently I have been working on the body. It's made of Basswood which is alright, not really standard strat body material but it was a kit guitar so what do you expect. Anyway, the tremolo was routed for a standard 6 hole fender diecast metal trem. I did not want that...AT ALL, so I've upgraded it to a Kahler Steeler trem. This thing in the day was the best alternative to a Floyd Rose. I've always loved Kahlers so I found this one on E-bay and picked it up pretty cheap. Now the routing on the body for the tremolo cavity was horrible to say the least. If it was done on a CNC machine they must have forgot to clamp the body down. If it was done with a standard router, the guy must have not used a straight edge to guide the router....or he was drunk.....who knows?
I spent a few hours yesterday making the cavity larger to accommodate the larger trem and straightening out the drunk operators cuts. I must say it looks great and is one step closer to being finished.
I will say that before I brought the Kahler I did prep the body, only to have to strip it once I received the trem as I did not know the actual dimensions and thought it would just drop in the existing space......Whooops. I had only sanded it and applied white primer to it so it was not the end of the world to have to strip it after making the changes to the body. This is a kit guitar so I was never going to be selling it anyway, it was always going to be for me with the proper upgrades. I'm not upgrading the neck. I'm happy with the feel and even the small vintage frets.......I would never build a guitar with small vintage frets but again, for a kit guitar what do I expect.
So tomorrow I'm hoping to re-apply the primer and maybe later this week get going on the color coats. Well, let's get the primer on first huh?
Monday, September 14, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
I had forgotten my password for this blog so it has not been updated in a few years. Finally up and running again. anyway, I am building guitars again. I have been building some necks and things like that for customers but I am NO LONGER DOING CUSTOM STUFF. I have no interest in dealing with silly requests and changes late into the ballgame. I build what I want to build........If you like it, GREAT!! If not.......GREAT.....I don't care anymore. I don't do this as my bread and butter anymore so it WILL remain fun. I'm back to taking guitar lessons as well. I've always hated my playing and now it is 10 time better than it ever has been. Life is good. for an easy picture history have a search of Liveedge guitars on Facebook. there you can see all the guitars I've build through the years and any new stuff that will be available. I will also be updating this blog..........Why not??? OK that is it for now.........THAT IS ALL!!!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
so here is the V and the bass
with the economy going south and nothing really moving as of late (well the last year really) I have stopped building guitars for the time being. In the big picture I need to make money and right now the guitars just are not doing it. I'm sure alot has to do with where I live. the island is such an acoustic place that most people who play guitar here have NEVER picked up an electric. when I offer to let them try it I often see a look of fear, like they might turn into demons or something......very strange.
Anyway, I'm gonna include some pictures of the V and the 5 string bass I built. Enjoy.
Oh, it looks like I don't have any of the bass. I guess I need to take some and get them posted. Strange, I thought I already posted some???? Oh well, now to find the camera.
I will update this when I get around to building some more guitars.
Anyway, I'm gonna include some pictures of the V and the 5 string bass I built. Enjoy.
Oh, it looks like I don't have any of the bass. I guess I need to take some and get them posted. Strange, I thought I already posted some???? Oh well, now to find the camera.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
sometimes things go south
So the AS10 in black and the AS20 in grey I was working on have both gone south. I tried a new finish and it did not work out as I had hoped. the finish was WAY to soft and as a result, I kept burning through the finish during final buff. The stuff never really dried into a hard coat, it stayed pretty soft and was very elastic. DAMNIT...........So now it's back to the start appying the color then 10 coats of the good hard finish I've always used. Should have known better than to switch finishes when you have one you already like.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
New Projects
I'm working on 3 new projects. One Black AS10NT with gold hardware. She's gonna be sweet. Also, a Gray AS20BT with black hardware. These 2 guitars are looking for a new home so if you are interested, e-mail me at andy@apscustom.com
The third is a AS10BTXL. It has a Babinga top and a chambered Jatoba body. I will have pics of these 3 guitars later this week.
I also started drawing out plans for MY VERSION of a flying V. Just like the last post says, it is not a copy, nor a tribute.....Just the flying V the way I see it. I am going to include a trem on it....because I can.
The third is a AS10BTXL. It has a Babinga top and a chambered Jatoba body. I will have pics of these 3 guitars later this week.
I also started drawing out plans for MY VERSION of a flying V. Just like the last post says, it is not a copy, nor a tribute.....Just the flying V the way I see it. I am going to include a trem on it....because I can.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Use some imagination please
OK, this blog is going to be a rant. One of my "friends" on facebook posted a picture of a Gibson Les Paul that was being constructed by a fellow builder. Now of course this was not a Gibson Les Paul but it might as well been, It was EXACTLY the same with EXACTLY the same wood combination. Why do builders do this? And for the love of god, why do people get excited about it. Would these same people who are owing and awing do the same if Gibson released pics of their cookie cutter guitars? Oh wait, they just might. Oh look ANOTHER flamed maple Les Paul, Oh my god, ANOTHER goldtop. Oh, Oh, you gotta see this.....a BLACK Les Paul with CREAM BINDING......Oh my god, I think I just pee'd myself.
So my question is, why do custom builders build the exact same knockoffs? Custom should be just that...CUSTOM. I have no problem with being INSPIRED by the Les Paul and building a guitar similar in style. But building the damn same guitar to the same specs and putting your name on it is just stupid. If Gibson has it down pat and all we do is copy their design, then why the hell are we building guitars? We might as well go work for Gibson or Fender and get paid vacations and a dental plan. I just don't see the point of building the exact same thing and everyone going gaga about it.
Now, one of my models DO use a standard shape of a strat. However the similarities end there. I DON'T use VINTAGE single coil pickups for that VINTAGE sound. Why would I? Buy a strat if you want a strat. I don't build strats, if I did I would go work for Fender.....See how easy this is. So back to my AS10 (better than a strat) guitar. I use 2 humbuckers. Hums are the best. You can do ANYTHING with them. You can make it behave just like a single coil pickup with the flick of a switch. You can also get that single coil sound while still cancelling 60 cycle hum (it's called parallel mode) or a number of other sounds. With a 3-way mini switch (which I offer, stock on the higher end models) you can get 15.....yah, that's right.....15 different tones. I also offer the AS30 which has a Les Paul look to it but has flattened sides and does not offer the standard control layout of the Paul, and why should it? Again, if you want a Paul, go pay outrageous amounts of money for a cookie cutter guitar……just like the one your friend has.
Wood? Let’s talk about that for a minute. There are TONS of different woods out there and you know what......MOST OF THEM SOUND AWSOME in an electric guitar. You don't need to go with Mahogany for the body and flamed or quilted maple for the top. My god there are woods that look amazing and sound amazing....like Bubinga. Yeah, you can use that on electric guitars....IT'S NOT JUST FOR BASSES ANYMORE!!!! I don't know why the regular guitar player is so locked into a narrow minded belief of what a guitar should be that they can't see the awesome options open to them.
And one more thing. I work at a very small music store 2 days a week just to get out of the shop. If I hear another person complain about the weight of an electric guitar I think I'm gonna kill myself. People, Wood has weight, get over it. At the store we have a bunch of Strat CLONES.....blah, blah, blah (more copy cat companies) and I get people in their 20's to 40's complaining all the time that it's too heavy and their neck and shoulders hurt if they play it for to long. Gezz buddy, buy a wider strap/padded strap...or build some damn muscle. problem solved. And if the aforementioned is buying one for his/her kid....well forget it. "Oh, Billy won't be able to lift that and play it for very long" Well holy crap, maybe Billy should step away from the video games for awhile and run around outside and build some muscle. Unbelievable!! Are we becoming a society of weaklings? I mean hell, if the damn guitar is not made out of Basswood (or plywood for that matter), then it's too heavy? Give me a break! As I said before...wood has weight. Now, there are ways to use quality wood and reduce the weight (chambering), but most people want light, and cheap, and chambering a piece of wood is not cheap. I’ll tell you a little side story about how weak we have gotten. At the store we had an old Roland keyboard come in. You know, wood ends, clunky sliders, large knobs, etc. Well it was on the show floor, and the guy (I’d say is his late 20’s early 30’s wanted to plug it in just to confirm it worked. Fair enough….I carry it to the back of the store and we plug it into an amp. Yup, works fine so I carry it back up to the front of the store. He then inquires about a pedal for it. I have one but since the keyboard is very old I say lets try it to confirm. I carry it to the back of the store again. We try the pedal, it does not work. No problem, He thinks he may have one at home that works. I carry it back to the front again. He pays for it and goes to pick it up and all I can hear is him bitching about how heavy it is and how he is ever going to get it to his car which is parked right around the corner. I’m thinking to myself you have got to be kidding me. I just moved this thing around the store for you with NO PROBLEM what so ever, what kind of little girl are you, you pussy. If I was him, I would have been SO EMBARASSED that someone almost twice his age had no problem lifting and moving this keyboard, while he could not. Finally, his buddy had to come and help him carry it out. I mean, how sad is that.
So to finish……..builders, try something new. Players, embrace the new ideas, you will be amazed at what can come of it. And to the 20 to 40 year olds, guitars have SOME weight to them, it won't kill ya so stop your crying. And if you have kids.......do some parenting and kick their butts outside to run around and play so they have enough strength to stand up and play the electric guitar.
THAT IS ALL
So my question is, why do custom builders build the exact same knockoffs? Custom should be just that...CUSTOM. I have no problem with being INSPIRED by the Les Paul and building a guitar similar in style. But building the damn same guitar to the same specs and putting your name on it is just stupid. If Gibson has it down pat and all we do is copy their design, then why the hell are we building guitars? We might as well go work for Gibson or Fender and get paid vacations and a dental plan. I just don't see the point of building the exact same thing and everyone going gaga about it.
Now, one of my models DO use a standard shape of a strat. However the similarities end there. I DON'T use VINTAGE single coil pickups for that VINTAGE sound. Why would I? Buy a strat if you want a strat. I don't build strats, if I did I would go work for Fender.....See how easy this is. So back to my AS10 (better than a strat) guitar. I use 2 humbuckers. Hums are the best. You can do ANYTHING with them. You can make it behave just like a single coil pickup with the flick of a switch. You can also get that single coil sound while still cancelling 60 cycle hum (it's called parallel mode) or a number of other sounds. With a 3-way mini switch (which I offer, stock on the higher end models) you can get 15.....yah, that's right.....15 different tones. I also offer the AS30 which has a Les Paul look to it but has flattened sides and does not offer the standard control layout of the Paul, and why should it? Again, if you want a Paul, go pay outrageous amounts of money for a cookie cutter guitar……just like the one your friend has.
Wood? Let’s talk about that for a minute. There are TONS of different woods out there and you know what......MOST OF THEM SOUND AWSOME in an electric guitar. You don't need to go with Mahogany for the body and flamed or quilted maple for the top. My god there are woods that look amazing and sound amazing....like Bubinga. Yeah, you can use that on electric guitars....IT'S NOT JUST FOR BASSES ANYMORE!!!! I don't know why the regular guitar player is so locked into a narrow minded belief of what a guitar should be that they can't see the awesome options open to them.
And one more thing. I work at a very small music store 2 days a week just to get out of the shop. If I hear another person complain about the weight of an electric guitar I think I'm gonna kill myself. People, Wood has weight, get over it. At the store we have a bunch of Strat CLONES.....blah, blah, blah (more copy cat companies) and I get people in their 20's to 40's complaining all the time that it's too heavy and their neck and shoulders hurt if they play it for to long. Gezz buddy, buy a wider strap/padded strap...or build some damn muscle. problem solved. And if the aforementioned is buying one for his/her kid....well forget it. "Oh, Billy won't be able to lift that and play it for very long" Well holy crap, maybe Billy should step away from the video games for awhile and run around outside and build some muscle. Unbelievable!! Are we becoming a society of weaklings? I mean hell, if the damn guitar is not made out of Basswood (or plywood for that matter), then it's too heavy? Give me a break! As I said before...wood has weight. Now, there are ways to use quality wood and reduce the weight (chambering), but most people want light, and cheap, and chambering a piece of wood is not cheap. I’ll tell you a little side story about how weak we have gotten. At the store we had an old Roland keyboard come in. You know, wood ends, clunky sliders, large knobs, etc. Well it was on the show floor, and the guy (I’d say is his late 20’s early 30’s wanted to plug it in just to confirm it worked. Fair enough….I carry it to the back of the store and we plug it into an amp. Yup, works fine so I carry it back up to the front of the store. He then inquires about a pedal for it. I have one but since the keyboard is very old I say lets try it to confirm. I carry it to the back of the store again. We try the pedal, it does not work. No problem, He thinks he may have one at home that works. I carry it back to the front again. He pays for it and goes to pick it up and all I can hear is him bitching about how heavy it is and how he is ever going to get it to his car which is parked right around the corner. I’m thinking to myself you have got to be kidding me. I just moved this thing around the store for you with NO PROBLEM what so ever, what kind of little girl are you, you pussy. If I was him, I would have been SO EMBARASSED that someone almost twice his age had no problem lifting and moving this keyboard, while he could not. Finally, his buddy had to come and help him carry it out. I mean, how sad is that.
So to finish……..builders, try something new. Players, embrace the new ideas, you will be amazed at what can come of it. And to the 20 to 40 year olds, guitars have SOME weight to them, it won't kill ya so stop your crying. And if you have kids.......do some parenting and kick their butts outside to run around and play so they have enough strength to stand up and play the electric guitar.
THAT IS ALL
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Coming along nicely
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