Latest Build: Carved Archtop with surface mounted full humbucker

[MikeConner]

Here is my latest build (Number 7). The specs are:
- 16" fully carved, 2-7/8" rims before plates attached.
- Front is Englemann Spruce, Back and rims are curly red maple.
- Neck is 5 piece curly red maple and walnut. 1.720" unbleached bone nut.
- 25" scale, Macassar ebony fretboard, EVO wire.
- Gotoh 510 tuning machines with black plastic buttons
- Ebony bridge with unbleached bone saddle insert.
- Harp "335" style tailpiece with ebony string anchor.
- Modified Golden Age full humbucker with ebony trim ring, surface mounted (no big window!)
- Shatten thumbwheel volume and tone hidden inside bass f-hole (humbucker).
- Stereo endpin jack: humbucker to tip, JJB dual piezo to ring.
- Finish is dyed tobacco sunburst (my first attempt!) with gloss Enduro-Var waterborne catalyzed varnish.
Details to follow...

[MikeConner]

The key to having a full humbucker without a huge hole started with the carving of the front plate arch. The Golden Age humbucker needs about 3/4" of clearance without the mount tabs. I altered the arch to somewhat less arch from the bridge line to the neck block. I have a simple gage to work out the clearance and neck angle required. Worked out to a 4.5 degree angle and yields a bridge height of about 1.125" - not too much taller than typical:


The pickup mounting tabs were removed with a metal blade in a Dremel, and the extra length of the pole pieces reduced:

[MikeConner]

After the build was finished and rubbed out, 3M double sticky tapes were used to attach the pickup and ebony trim ring. The pickup cable passes into the body interior through a hole in the front plate. The tape adhesive means there are no other holes for screws, but it is not so permanent that the pickup couldn't be upgraded in the future:

[MikeConner]

JJB Prestige 220 piezo transducers come with a stereo endpin jack. I custom ordered some sets with the piezos connected to the ring connection to save me extra work modifying them. Here is a photo showing the locations I use for a very balanced tone with lots of output. The treble sensor is just in front of the treble foot of the bridge location, the bass side is stepped away by about 3/4":


Shatten thumbwheel volume and tone controls are hidden in the bass f hole. I really don't care for pickguards, and wanted to maximize the acoustic tone so decided not to mount standard pots through the front plate:

[MikeConner]

A string ground is always a good idea. A hole drilled from the tailpiece bracket location through the tailblock and into the interior lets me pass a ground wire in and back out the endpin hole. The ground wire touches the outside of the jack to make the connection:


Copper foil in the string anchor block connects the string ball ends to the tailpiece harp to complete the string ground:

[MikeConner]

The 1/2" overstand (thickness of neck extension) and the 4.5 degree neck angle work out great. The pickup body is about level with the fretboard, which is the height I prefer for balancing tone and playability.

So far, it seems like a really good hybrid - plenty of acoustic volume with the warm complex tone of the Englemann spruce ringing out, natural tone from the piezos, and a thick rich tone from the full humbucker. I'll be test driving it at church tomorrow: Stereo cable => Radial Tonebone (2 channels, switching) => Digitech RP500 (several acoustic and electric patches) => direct out to PA.

I will try to make some recordings in the next few days.
//mike

[neatomic]

nice work!! some interesting ideas...like the f hole volume wheel mount for no pickguard... the pickup look reminded of the hofner mini hum...its height adjusted by screws on the side



plus the neck angle to give the pup clearance probably contributes to increased acoustic volume...

enjoy

cheers

[citizenk74]

This is an intriguing instrument, Mike! Thanks for posting this. You might consider having this thread moved to The Builder's Bench sub-forum.

[MikeConner]

Didn't realize there was a Builders Bench Forum
I've seen build pics here before and thought this was the place to post it.
Can I move it myself or does that need assistance from the moderators?
//mike

[neatomic]

builders bench is relatively new sub forum...when moderator- mark sees he'll move ..no worries


cheers

[neatomic]

well considering he knew he was going to saw off the screw polepieces (from the bottom) and the mounting bars (which means it can't be used on anything else!), i think it was a good choice!!! hah!!

cheers

[MikeConner]

Yep, neatomic got it! This was kind of going in blind, and I'd have been sick if I butchered a Vintage Vibe or Lollar and it didn't work out. I can upgrade in the future with a custom order to match this configuration. //mike

[targuit]

Hope it sounds as good as it looks! Beauty!

[Dedalus]

Love it. Look forward to hearing the recording.

[rlrhett]

All that work and you put in a Stew-Mac? To be honest I've never played one, but how much more expensive is a Seth Lover? Nice looking guitar though.

Poor Mike, I said nearly the same thing on another forum when he posted his pictures! I think Mike was right to experiment with the Golden Age pickup. I think the real question for me was, now that you did it this way are you happy enough with the results to do it with a more expensive, higher quality pickup?

[lawson-stone]

Actually the Golden Age isn't such a bad pickup. Punches above its weight, IMO. I have other guitars to compare it to that have Gibson Classic 57s, Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers, Kent Armstrong hand-wound, and whatever that amazing pickup is that is on the Aria Pro II PE180. Golden Age isn't in that league, but it isn't a slouch either. I've played way worse than that, and not really a lot better.

[hot ford coupe]

I like it. Beautiful work.

[RonD]

Very nice. Looking forward to some sound clips.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The 1/2" overstand (thickness of neck extension) and the 4.5 degree neck angle work out great. The pickup body is about level with the fretboard, which is the height I prefer for balancing tone and playability.

So far, it seems like a really good hybrid - plenty of acoustic volume with the warm complex tone of the Englemann spruce ringing out, natural tone from the piezos, and a thick rich tone from the full humbucker. I'll be test driving it at church tomorrow: Stereo cable => Radial Tonebone (2 channels, switching) => Digitech RP500 (several acoustic and electric patches) => direct out to PA.

I will try to make some recordings in the next few days.
//mike

Beautiful work, and obviously well thought-out.

As an aside, what do you think of your RP-500? I'm in the market for a multiFX right now. I used to own an RP-300, and was looking at a -500 amongst other options. Do you have any strong opinion one way or the other? Genres would be blues, jazz, and rock. Thanks for any help you might give, and congrats again on a pretty piece.

[fws6]

I am always envious to our fellow forum members who can actually build a guitar from scratch ! Great work !!

I understand your attempt of a HB placement without routing the top, but to get the sound that I like, I wouldnt want the HB placed that close to the strings.... Itll be too "hot" and difficult to get a nice mellow tone with some acoustic ring to it. There is a reason that Gibson cuts holes in the top, the PU needs to sink in much deeper. Or otherwise use a floater.

I hope I am not too critical it is a beautiful build I coulnt do anything like that

[GNAPPI]

There should be a sub forum named "Sunburst tutorials for Gibson employees"

[MikeConner]

Poor Mike, I said nearly the same thing on another forum when he posted his pictures! I think Mike was right to experiment with the Golden Age pickup. I think the real question for me was, now that you did it this way are you happy enough with the results to do it with a more expensive, higher quality pickup?

So far, using my Radial preamp and RP500 processor at home, the tone exceeds expectations. The StewMac Golden Age sounds better than the stock neck pickup in my Ibanez AF95, and there is likely some contribution from the surface mounting. It has the full range tone and punch I was looking for, and for warmer tones it is easy to back off the tone pot or adjust on the preamp.

My thinking right now is to order a full humbucker to this configuration (no mounting tabs, shorter pole piece screws) from Vintage Vibe. No hurry though, I want to test this setup for a while and will be loaning it to some friends to try in their rigs also.

Something to consider: I am mostly playing in a worship band setting and up to now carried two guitars to each service or rehearsal. I have no control over the FOH sound, and we monitor using an older Avion in-ear system. This system manages to make a high end Taylor sound like a inexpensive plywood guitar. In this context, the StewMac pickup is good enough and no one would notice if I spent $100 more on a VV pickup. However, if someone very discerning about their tone is ordering a custom guitar from me, they will get whatever they want to pay for ;-)
//mike

[MikeConner]

Beautiful work, and obviously well thought-out.

As an aside, what do you think of your RP-500? I'm in the market for a multiFX right now. I used to own an RP-300, and was looking at a -500 amongst other options. Do you have any strong opinion one way or the other? Genres would be blues, jazz, and rock. Thanks for any help you might give, and congrats again on a pretty piece.

I have been using the RP500 for about 5 years now and really like it. There is a huge range of tones possible and I am only using a small portion of them. The important features for me are the pedalboard mode and the volume pedal along with the programmability. I have acoustic and electric tone patches, and during live use can stomp chorus on or off, etc.

The RP500 X-Edit software and the USB connection is the best way to program it - like most multiFX boxes I have used working through the onboard menus can be a pain.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Thanks, appreciate the feedback, Mike. Enjoy playing your creation, bud.

[2bornot2bop]

4 words: Is it for sale?