New Guitar Day - Home Built Vandenberg

[heem6]

It's taken me almost a year to finish - feels really good to have this one done!

[Bodaggit23]

Outstanding...beautiful geetar dude!

I really love the body shape, and the color of the wood.

What neck did you use? What's the bridge pickup? Did you cut that body yourself?

You know, the body shape and the slanted pickups really do a number on the eyes.

It looks sick man, sincerely...

[heem6]

Thanks, Bo. It's Mahogany with a Tung Oil finish. I got the body blank at Woodworkers Resource for $20 and got a picture of a Vandenberg from the internet and used a digital projector to shine it on the body blank, which I then outlined in pencil. A friend helped by cutting out the rough shape and doing most of the routing, then I finished the body cuts and honed in on the exact shape with 60 grit sandpaper. Did some additional routing and wired it up with a DiMarzio D-Activator X bridge pickup and a Hot Rails neck pickup. It's got a 2mg Volume Pot, no tone control and a 3-way switch. I used the Wizard II neck off of an Ibanez RG220. It's got an All Access Neck joint (but with an HM style neck plate) that I copied from an RG. Gotoh Floyd Rose trem. It actually plays really well, but I've always wanted an Ibanez Super Wizard neck, and I might just buy one and slap it on this guitar.

The slanted pickups were on the original model, and I like them because it puts the portion of the pickups underneath the heavier strings closer to the bridge for a brighter tone, and the portion of the pickups underneath the high strings closer to the neck for a deeper tone.

[Bodaggit23]

Can you post a pic or two of the back so we can see that heel?

[heem6]

Here you go!

[stratznhatz]

Gorgeous guitar Heem,
Man, those fret are HUGE!!! Who needs a scalloped neck! ;D

[nickwellings]

Hah, I forgot all about this project Jim. Looks like you went a bit under the radar with it, eh? It came out awesome.

Giving me severe Vandy gas.

How does it play anyway? I am usually not a fan of partsocaster type guitars, but yours is basically custom made to suit the neck.

[heem6]

I just adjusted the truss rod and it's playing really smoothly. I'm going to start thinning the neck now, see if I can get it anywhere close to a Wizard thickness.

[crumbs]

that guitar is stunning! I was thinking of carving a guit myself, probably turn out horribly though, might have to give a try, unfortunately, I don't have any nice cutting equipment

[heem6]

Thanks, guys!

I adjusted the truss rod on it today and got the neck nice and flat. Then I shaved down the back some. I think I got it down to about the thickness of a Wizard Prestige. I stopped because it's not super thin, but it feels great. Then I set the action and this bitch plays silky smooth. I truthfully never expected this kind of playability out of a home-made guitar. I'm not even gonna bother buying a Super Wizard neck for it.

I had previously done a fret level and polish, stained the fretboard black, took off the finish and tung-oiled it. I will probably put another tung oil finish on it.

[halo71]

Damn Jim! That turned out really nice. Got me wanting a Vandy....or a G90.....or a Destiny......or another Tracer. lol

[heem6]

Hey Gary, don't forget I sent you a tracing of that body. You should just make one yourself! Use some of that sweet aged wood you told me about and get 'er done!!

P.S. I put strap buttons on tonight and replaced the worn string clamps that were on the neck. Starting noticing it wasn't staying in tune, but that fixed it.

[halo71]

Yeah I still got that tracing. I'd like to build one for sure. Maybe out of mahogany or cherry. My problem right now is I still need the trem and cavity routes. Need to buy some "real" templates I suppose! lol