Bryan G's Doublecut

[imported_Anonymous]

Bryan,
I will be flat sanding Tahoe Blue this weekend and prepping for buffing the finish! Stay tuned...
Jason

(Gratuitous photo...) Very ME-like in the light.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/104448098.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Jason, that looks so sweet..Thanks!!

[imported_Bryan]

Here's this guitars evolution from raw materials to where it is now.

Here's the body wood on the right in the photo.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93088731.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93217300.jpg
Here's the top.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/92812611.jpg
This the neck and top.


The verbage here on is written by Jason, I'm just doing the old copy and paste. :P

First, the necks. The top one has a brilliant red tint. Really beautiful wood. Truss rods are in and these are ready for gluing. The brass brads in the photo are used to center the fingerboards so they don't slip under clamping pressure.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93268731.jpg
The bodies (prior to carve...). This picture answers the question, "Why do some Matteo Blues look blue and some look green?" You can see how the flame piece is yellow and the quilt is very white.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93268675.jpg
I love the black limba. This piece was so light and resonant. It is a two-piece body made of the same piece of limba on the flamed guitar. The joint looks really cool from the butt of the guitar.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93268689.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93217300.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/92812885.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here is a pic of the oiled limba on the flamed top...
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93444501.jpg
Here is the completed body carve. Pics of the carving process are located at:http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery...95811&members=1
Me at about 2:00pm, playing hookie from work... :D
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93769905.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93768598.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93769098.jpg
Frets installed using the new fret press. MUCH better than a hammer.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/94304176.jpg
Here is the fretting process... The un-glamorous part of guitar making! Click link for muliple pics of process and a brief description of each step.
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery...6815&uid=995811
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/94671656.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/94514110.jpg
It has a shorter heel. This one is slated for Bryan's guitar (flame top). The wood on this neck is nice and dark. Very pretty stuff.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/94929284.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

I spent some time making a better mousetrap this week (neck jig) and finished the neck route this afternoon. TIGHT fit. Too tight at the moment. I will be fitting the neck tomorrow by lightly filing and sanding the sides of the neck so that it is very snug but I don't have to use TOO much force to press it into the slot. Off to play a gig...

Here is a pic of the routing configuration. I like to hog out a lot of the inside first starting in the center and radially work toward the outsides. Then I cut the sidewalls of the cavity with several thin passes. I find that this makes for flatter sides when routing (no stepping).
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/95795204.jpg

And here is the completed cavity. Came out just as I wanted. Always stressful when you are cutting into several hundred bucks worth of wood!
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/95795194.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here are the progress pics for the afternoon.

Neck joint is complete. I fitted it today and it is nice and tight. The contour of the heel favors the treble side slightly for comfort and it looks pretty cool too!

First off, this top is just sick. Sweet piece of maple.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/95938992.jpg

Here is the back shot. Note how the contour of the heel matches the contour of the body where they meet. The is about 1/4" of flat on the heel and then the neck contour starts.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/95938974.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here are the pics of the pickup routes complete and neck trimmed...
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/95974980.jpg

And the mockup...
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/95974975.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here is the back of the body. I got the electronics cavity done, belly carve completed, and back edge rounded over. I also final sanded it. All that is left for woodwork is the middle single pickup route, holes for the volume and tone control and 5 way selector and jack. Should be ready to glue the neck tomorrow.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96638389.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96638387.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here are the swatches for the maple top (two angles of same group of four)

From top in first photo: faded blue (single stain), blue (double stain), blue/black and blue (double stain), very blue (triple stain).

The "faded blue" was intended to show a bit of natural through. "Blue double stain" was intended to be the middle of the road, lots of blue but no hinderance to 3D movement. The "blue/black double stain" was intended to have the most light to dark contrast and it does. For the "very blue" I was going for the most intense blue I could get. Very subtle differences but I think they are close to the color Bryan wants.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96798077.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96798073.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

I was prepared to route the middle pickup for Bryan's guitar but was unsure which way to place the tab (facing the bridge like a Fender or facing the neck like a Swamp Ash Special?). The answer from PRS was that that was the way Paul felt it sounded best. So here was my solution. I wanted to come up with an inconspicuous way to be able to switch the direction...

I routed the middle pickup hole to accept the pickup in either direction. Bryan can now definitively tell you which way is better! Here is a vintage rails with the tab and lead wires facing the bridge (notice the red lead at the bass side of the pickup)
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96936428.jpg


And here is the middle pickup with the tab facing the neck (notice the white lead wire on the bass side of the pickup):
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96936425.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Sorry about the big pics...

About 1/4" down from the face of the body, I dremeled a cavity on the bridge side and the neck side to accept the tab and lead wires. I know I could have just shaved the tab on the pickup but I figure we change pickups more than we change guitars and we resell pickups quite often so I felt this was the best solution. It also leaves more flamey wood between the humbuckers and the middle pickup!

Here is a pic of the cavity (note the recess under the face of the guitar in the middle pickup route):

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96936417.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Proposed "S" (for Schroeder) inlay design...

The top and bottom curves are blue paua to match the "blue velvet" top stain. You can see the sample of the color below the headstock. The outer ring in the center is aluminum, and the center is white rippled abalone. The space between the center circle and the aluminum ring will be filled with either blue-tinted paste made from glue, maple sawdust, and the stain from the top OR a dark filler. This will help distinguisht the circle from the ring. The inlays are just resting on the headstock in this photo. Once I layout the peghole locations I will place the inlay in the best spot.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/96992803.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here are the latest progress pics...

There are a bunch more photos of the inlay process on the picturetrail link here: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery...5317&uid=995811

First I postitions the inlays where I wanted them in relation to the tuners and traced them using a very sharp pencil. You can also use a scribe.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97173985.jpg

Then I used a dremel tool with a router base and a VERY small bit. Note the fat coffee stain on my shirt. :P Long day...
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97173980.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here is a pic of the cavity in progress. Notice the outer circle is slightly deeper than the rest. The aluminum ring was thicker than the shell and I wanted it to be the anchor for the rest of the inlay. I routed the circle first, then the wings. I left the little bench inside the ring for the rippled abalone dot. All of the cavities were cut so that the stickup was at an absolute minimum. If you let too much of the inlay stick up, the pearl colors and patterns can look entirely different after you flat sand the whole inlay. You go through different layers of the shell and get to darker or lighter parts. I really wanted to keep the blues in the wings of this inlay and the rippled white in the middle.

Another note about this picture, see how I stopped the route toward the tip of the wing on the right side? That is because the bit was too wide for the cavity at that spot. So I switch to a dental burr for the tips of the wings. The dental burr has a tiny diameter to make the shell fit tighter in the cavity.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97173976.jpg
And here is the inlay in place. I first drop a dab of superglue under each of the wings and center circle. Then I put a good portion of glue under the entire aluminum ring. The inlay was pretty tight and could not move around at all except for the center dot. I will fill in the cavity with filler then flat sand tomorrow.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97173967.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Inlay is definitely a time consuming job! I love doing it though. Just wish there were more hours in the day. Bob Benedetto uses white paint and a scribe. I have seen others use chalk. I didn't want the white paint to show in the pores of the rosewood so I opted to go with the old pencil and good lighting. It will look nice after the filler is in and sanded.

But I understand why a lot of companies are using CNCs to do inlays... :D
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97194925.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Inlay is flat-sanded. I really like how the center dot is "floating" so I left it with no fill around it. Looks very cool. You can really see the blue of the wings in certain lighting. It looks more prominent in the full neck shot. PRS Phase II locking tuners.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97218078.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97218050.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Hey guys,
Pic of the neck being glued in. Not too exciting. It is pretty cool after this point though because you really get a sense of how the guitar will feel. Tomorrow I will unclamp it, then I can drill the holes for the bridge studs, final sand and start staining.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/97669114.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

I strung Bryan's guitar tonight. Mainly to ensure that the bridge is lined up properly and that there are equal distances from the edge of the fretboard to the outside E strings. It looks very good. Although I haven't leveled the frets yet, the guitar plays fairly well. A bit buzzy but really not that bad. Nothing fretting out. The tone is a lot mellower than the Chopper acoustically. I think that that has everything to do with the fretboard. The ebony produces a distinctive snap when notes are plucked. This guitar is a very balanced tone. Nothing too dark or too bright. There is a sort of swelling thing going on (notes seem to "bloom" for lack of a better term, then die off) with the decay that i would have to attribute to the black limba. Pretty cool. The guitar is fairly light (without pickups) and nicely balanced. First time I have ever used black limba for a body so this was exciting. One thing that really struck me was how easy it was to find my way around with no fretboard inlays (only side dots)!! I know! I am not supposed to look when I play! But I do. Everything looks AOK so I will disassemble it and begin finish prep.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/98033658.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here is Bryan's guitar. She got the blues! I started with a blue water based dye. It was a little too blue so I sanded it with 320 wet/dry paper, leaving most of the blue but taking out a bit of the brightness and then restained the whole top with a weaker solution of blue. I then sprayed the top with a sealer coat to lock in the color. I tried to put just enough blue on the top to minimize the wood color show-through. You can see that there are some spots that are very light. These are the denser parts of the wood that don't take stain as well. When this coat dries I will sand off the blue that got on the sides then seal the entire body with clear. The finish in the photo looks a bit blotchy because it was the very first coat. The more porous (darker) areas of the maple soaks up more of the lacquer and thus looks more dull than the lighter areas which are more dense and soak up less finish. More to come...
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/99084373.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/99107339.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

How about this one... Love the limba. I was a little concerned that it would blend too much with the maple but it has a very nice contrast. I was also very concerned about the edge of the blue stain. But it scraped very nicely and left a clean line. No "bleeding" which was good.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/99477620.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/99477603.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Oh, so close...

Here is the front and back of the guitar all decked out in nitrocellulose. I will now let the guitar sit for a couple of days, flat sand it, then shoot it again with a couple more coats. Then comes the agonizing wait of a couple weeks for the finish to shrink and harden. That is always the tough part.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/100228910.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/100228916.jpg

This is a picture of the area of the finish I had to fix. There were two very prominents light spots in the black limba in each of the cutaways after the first coats went on. I thought at first it was just color variation in the wood. But on further inspection I realized that a bit of wood glue schmear left over from when I glued the neck in was the culprit. I sanded it down to bare wood again and brought it back with several coats of nitro. Good as new.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/100228904.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Here is another side shot in different light too. I am sort of partial to this angle. I really like that contrasting colors.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/100228898.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Hey guys! Hey Bryan!! Getting closer buddy!
Wet sanding pics. These pics are of me flat sanding the finish with wet/dry sandpaper to remove most of the shiny spots in the finish prior to the next coats. I used 320 on the top because it was very flat to begin with and I did NOT want to go through the clear and into the blue. If I did that I would have to repair the stain which is not an easy task. I used 220, a slightly more aggressive paper, on the back because there were still some indents in the pores. I was able to get the back fairly "flat" but it will require additional coats of finish to fill in the pores of the limba. The indents in the pores are still a bit shiny. These areas are now very shallow and will fill in with the next coat. I did not want to get the finish too thin here because i would risk going through it into the bare wood. Not as big a deal on a natural finish but still not good.

Seems sort of funny that you put several coats of clear on then sand it very thin again. This is the only way to build it to a glossy finish. It is a little diconcerting at first to take it from its sprayed shine (albeit orange-peeled) to this state because there are fine scratches all over it and it is pretty dull. Like a VERY matte finishe. The flame has a totally different character at this stage. It actually looks very much like the ME when wet.

You can't really tell in the pics but I actually have a piece of styrofoam about 3/4" thick wrapped in the sandpaper. It gives the sandpaper some structure but it has a little give. If I were to use a wood block over these contours it would scratch the crap out of it.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/100817064.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/100817068.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/102665415.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/102665403.jpg
http://www.norcalguitars.com/a/2.jpg

[imported_Schroeder]

Bryan,
FANTASTIC job of putting that together. I know it was a lot to sift through. Thanks so much for all of your hard work.
Jason

[imported_Shadscbr]

Bryan and Jason......that guitar is beautiful! Watching this one being built definately had some influence on my decision to order one for myself :)

It was fun to see all of the progress pics, very nice detail.

Shad

[imported_DrPCR]

the guitar that started a company, wow :)

[imported_Schroeder]

Here are pics of final flatsanding progress... I decided to go with a dry sanding techique and it worked beautifully! And it was much more efficient. You can see the white powder from the nitro finish on the lower horn in this photo.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/104916519.jpg

Here is the back.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/104916513.jpg

One more shot of finisg flatsanding complete.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/104916514.jpg

On to buffing!! Pics to follow.

[imported_Bryan]

Jason, that looks great!!
Doc, welcome to the forum!!

[imported_DrPCR]

thanks bryan,

hey what pups you going to be putting in there? I'm thinking of hum single hum too.

[imported_Bryan]

I'm going with Dragon Is and a SD Vintage Rail.

[imported_Schroeder]

I think we got the color we were looking for Bryan. It is amazing how much the color changes after it is buffed. I still have work to do on the buffing (swirl marks to get out). It was late by the time I got my buffing rig all set up and wired.

Here she is... These are not the best pics. Elizabeth has the good camera! :) But you get the idea.


http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105454402.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105454403.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105454408.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105454411.jpg

[imported_kev]

Man, that looks great Jason. Bryan's gonna love this for sure.


kev

[imported_Bryan]

Man, that looks great Jason. Bryan's gonna love this for sure.


kev
I agree...Kev is correct..I love it!!!
Thanks jason. :D

[imported_Shadscbr]

Very impressive Jason!!!! It looks great :)

Shad

[imported_Schroeder]

Now I can't wait to get the neck looking oily again! All the masking and sanding has left the neck a bit dull... Getting closer Bryan!

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

gorgeous pictures...I keep trying to lean towards more of a greyish blue (old pre-90's PRS Whale Blue :D ) but seeing yours is making it tough to stay focused on my color :!: :D

[imported_Schroeder]

Frets are level and dressed. Now I can finish buffing and start assembling...

[imported_Bryan]

That sounds great, cant wait to see her all put together. :D

[imported_Schroeder]

Here is the latest. Final buffing is finished including the neck. The frets are level and dressed. The neck is almost too slick!

Pics, pics, pics...

The color on this top is very dynamic. It really changes from almost midnight blue to blue matteo to nearly faded bluejean, depending on what light it is in. This picture was taken just after sundown tonight.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105768964.jpg

Neck and back.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105768952.jpg

Headstock.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105768948.jpg

[imported_Schroeder]

Back of headstock.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105768942.jpg

Neck joint. You can still see some white residue in the joint from the wet sanding. It is actually nitro that was sanded off. I will take some naptha and clean that out.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105768961.jpg

[imported_Schroeder]

One more.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7355317/105771056.jpg

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

beautiful looking...why can't you make these overnight Jason !!! why do we have to wait months :lol: :cry:

[imported_Schroeder]

Tommy, I'm working on it!! :D

I did make a bunch of jigs today that will expedite production. I am thinking of all sorts of things that help moves things along.

[imported_Bryan]

Jason, what can I say...It looks gorgeous!!... :D
Excellent work.

I'm gonna go drool a little longer.. :P :D

[imported_Shadscbr]

Fantastic!!

Bryan....you are one lucky dude!!

Congrats :)
Shad <still droolin>

[imported_DrPCR]

damn that looks great, guess that new buffing wheel works!

congrats to builder and buyer!

[imported_Schroeder]

So Bryan and I were trying to figure out the overall look of the guitar and we came out with this for pickup rings... He had a set of Indian RW pickup rings to match the neck but it made the guitar look really dark. So we decided I would glue a flamed maple veneer to the tops of them to tie it all together. It really pulls in the rosewood from the neck and the flamed maple "binding" edge. I will hold off on pics of the whole guitar until it is completely assembled (Hopefully tomorrow!). Here are the rings. They are still a bit rough. I need to fine sand them and buff them out. But these look BEAUTIFUL on the guitar. Just right. (Again, cue the suspense music...) :D

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/105922578.jpg

[imported_Shadscbr]

Looks great!.....nice work Jason :)

Shad

[imported_Bryan]

Those look sweet Jason!!

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

I can't imagine how wonderful those look on the guitar...very very nice job of coming up witht hat idea Bryan and Jason !

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

Bryan...what kind of tuners did you put on yours ?

[imported_Bryan]

Bryan...what kind of tuners did you put on yours ?

I bought a set of Phase IIs for it.

[imported_Schroeder]

I have to apologize for being brief tonight. I will post more narrative tomorrow. It is late and I am beat. :) But VERY happy for Bryan. I still have some work to do on the cover plate in the back and I need to make a truss rod cover. Then Bryan will complete the electronics (unless he wants me too! - Honestly I don't know that I can let it out of my site until I hear it cranked up!!) I played it for a good half hour tonight acoustically. Even without being plugged in I can tell this is going to be a monster!! Especially in Bryan's hands. The neck came out just how I wanted it. A bit fatter and rounder than his CE24 that I took measurements from. I really love the shape of this one. The neck is really smooth. Almost too slick. I did not use any tung oil at all. I just buffed it and it came out beautiful. .

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106049068.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106049069.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106049076.jpg

[imported_Schroeder]

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106049078.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106049073.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106049045.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106049066.jpg

[imported_Schroeder]

By the way, I just looked at the actual guitar after posting these pics and realize that I need daylight photos. (As if you haven;t seen enough photos!!) More to come....

[imported_Shadscbr]

Looking sweet Jason.....Bryan must be going nuts right about now :)

Shad

[imported_Schroeder]

Pics in the light.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106065267.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106065253.jpg
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106065251.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

I need to find a drooling smiley for this one.. :D

I'm so impressed..She looks awesome!!!

[imported_kev]

Wow. That is sweet.

One thing specifically that I love about your guitar Bryan is your idea to conceal the 'nub' that is typically carved out for top loaded single coils. That one idea is a great step forward for guitar making I think. The fact that Jason routed out both sides for future tweaking is a great as well, as you never know how something may or may not sound until it's complete.

And, I do like the maple capped rosewood rings. I almost forgot those were on it until I scrolled back up to see the close up shot of them alone. I'll bet those look fantastic in person. The less use of plastic the better I say (nod to Ron Thorn and his creative spark in this vein).


kev

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

I know it's already been said...but WOW...congrats Bryan and Jason...those day pictures REALLY completed it...seeing the natural light hit that blue...great work Jason and great choices Bryan...hope you enjoy it man !!! :D

[imported_dan desy]

Jason, excellent work!

Congrats Bryan, looks like a killer! The neck is just calling out to me! :)

[imported_DrPCR]

if that guitar had a trem on it, it woud be perfect ;)

congrats bryan!!! can't wait for a tone report or some recordings.

1 down, 10000 to go!!

[imported_vangit]

Awsome. Brian, did you guys schedule they day when you have to pry the guitar from Jasons hands....I mean when Jason is going to give you the gutiar :D

[imported_Bryan]

Awsome. Brian, did you guys schedule they day when you have to pry the guitar from Jasons hands....I mean when Jason is going to give you the gutiar :D

I think I'm gonna pick it up on Saturday. :D

[imported_Schroeder]

Bryan - All I know is you better pick it up FAST! :D I had some bonding time with Tahoe Blue at about midnight last night and oh boy. I went to sleep thinking about the feel of the neck! It is just right. I will probably have to buff out some pick scratches before I hand it over! ;)

[imported_Bryan]

I'm lookin at driving up saturday morning.
Does that work for you?

[imported_Schroeder]

That would be great man. I can meet you somewhere along the way. Otherwise you would have a REALLY long day. I know a guy who owns a music store in Chico. That may give you a chance to play it immediately and not have to travel too far? That would be a trip because I had my yellow #1 up for sale for about a week at his shop when I lived down there. I pulled for fear that I would regret it the rest of my life! It ended up being my main guitar for the last 9 years!!

Ever hear of SoundSource? It is right downtown. I will call Chuck and see if he has some cool amps to play through. I haven't even talked to him about this new endeavor. He will flip out!

[imported_Bryan]

That would be great man. I can meet you somewhere along the way. Otherwise you would have a REALLY long day. I know a guy who owns a music store in Chico. That may give you a chance to play it immediately and not have to travel too far? That would be a trip because I had my yellow #1 up for sale for about a week at his shop when I lived down there. I pulled for fear that I would regret it the rest of my life! It ended up being my main guitar for the last 9 years!!

Ever hear of SoundSource? It is right downtown. I will call Chuck and see if he has some cool amps to play through. I haven't even talked to him about this new endeavor. He will flip out!

I've been to a shop in Chico but I cant recall the name.
That would be awesome if you didnt mind taking the drive. I'll pay for your gas and lunch or whatever... :D
Let me know the details.

[imported_Schroeder]

Bryan,
I talked to Chuck today and he says most of his good vintage stuff will be going with him to a vintage guitar show. :( But it is still the best shop in Chico. We could go bug Wayne Charvel in Paradise a few minutes up the hill! He has a shop up there. Another cool guy in Chico is Dave Vert, he used to be production manager for BC Rich. Now he owns(?) or works for a different shop there. Lets talk tonight and figure out details.
Jason

[imported_Bryan]

Bryan,
I talked to Chuck today and he says most of his good vintage stuff will be going with him to a vintage guitar show. :( But it is still the best shop in Chico. We could go bug Wayne Charvel in Paradise a few minutes up the hill! He has a shop up there. Another cool guy in Chico is Dave Vert, he used to be production manager for BC Rich. Now he owns(?) or works for a different shop there. Lets talk tonight and figure out details.
Jason

Playing through a vintage amp doesnt matter too me. A fender hot rod or peavey 30 is fine. Actually it doesnt even really matter if there is no amps to play through.
Either way we'll figure it out tonight then.
Thanks!!

[imported_Schroeder]

I'll bring my Pignose!!

Bryan, don't you have a POD XTLive or something similar?

http://puggy.symonds.net/~suraj/albums/iwasita-amps/pignose_amp2.sized.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

Yup I have an XTLive.
Do you want me to bring it?

[imported_Schroeder]

If you wouldn't mind! I am seriously considering one after hearing your sound clips on BAM! Great tones from that thing. I am considering running that through my 65 Fender Twin RI for certain live situations too.

[imported_Bryan]

No problem, I'll bring it.
I'm really glad I bought it. I had an original POD before the Live and I really dug it.
The sounds from the XTLive are worlds better than the original POD.

[imported_Schroeder]

Ok, last round of pics before it is out of my hands. I thought I needed some outdoor pics. Plus E-beth took some promo pics for a couple of things coming up. More pics at: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=8010065&uid=995811


http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/8010065/106307723.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/8010065/106307694.jpg

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/8010065/106307718.jpg

[imported_Shadscbr]

HOLY SMOKES!!!!!!!

Great pics.....Bryan will surely be dreaming about this sweetheart tonight :)

Bryan....can't wait to hear your first impressions this weekend.

Shad

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

the new pics look great Jason and it's good you decided to take some pictures of you and your finished work of art :) so is this the first guitar you've made for a "customer" ?

[imported_Schroeder]

Yup. As someone said, this is "the guitar that started a company." :D I talked to Bryan last night for a long time and it was like a parent talking to a babysitter the first time they ever leave their kids alone. "Now, she likes it about 74 degrees and 50% humidity, and make sure to wipe the neck down after each use, and DON'T leave it in the car on a hot day..." Kidding.

I am really excited to get it in Bryan's hands because I know he is going to do great things with it. Sounds like he has got himself a new gig - I will let him tell you about it. And things are going well, so it will be great to hear the samples from the studio! I have a gig next weekend. Bummer I won't get to play it live. Maybe I can talk him into bringing to a gig when my band plays Sacramento or Chico in the coming months!

[imported_DrPCR]

Congrats guys

Cool pics Jason.

That first pic is kinda wierd though, the guitar looks like a minature!

[imported_vangit]

So I think today is the day Jason says goodbye to his first customer creation. Thanks for including us on the ride.......hope you guys have a great day today! And fill us in on the sound report.

[imported_Schroeder]

Hey guys,
Just a quick note. I am heading down to meet Bryan right now. I had a REALLY late night getting everything done on the guitar. Sorry to anyone trying to get a hold of me. The backplate and TRC came out pretty sweet. I will post later today/tonight. Must... get... coffee..... :D
Jason

[imported_Schroeder]

Hey guys,
Just a quick note. I am heading down to meet Bryan right now. I had a REALLY late night getting everything done on the guitar. Sorry to anyone trying to get a hold of me. The backplate and TRC came out pretty sweet. I will post later today/tonight. Must... get... coffee..... :D
Jason

[imported_DrPCR]

He must be zonked, he posted twice ths same S*IT.

Hope Bryan crapped in his pants when you brought it to him Jason!

[imported_vangit]

He posted it twice and had me post it for him too :D . Jason was having some computer problems.

He is exhausted though.

[imported_Schroeder]

Here are some pics of the backplate in progress. I used flamed maple binding around the edge of the Indian rosewood backplate. Turned out pretty cool!

Laying it out:
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/106504463.jpg

Gluing and taping binding:
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/106504477.jpg

Finished product with TRC which is flamed maple and indian rosewood.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/106504499.jpg

[imported_Schroeder]

Cutting the bone nut. This came out really nice. It is the unbleached bone.

http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/7355317/106504551.jpg

Here is the back plate installed. The maple is subtle but it looks nice. And when you take it off it is a nice surprise. This is after Bryan had the guitar for a couple hours.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106504534.jpg


Serial etc. I will soon be posting a serial number guide so you can tell when your Schroeder was built. ;)
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106504566.jpg

Completed headstock front.
http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106504585.jpg

[imported_Schroeder]

And the journey is officially over for me.

Bryan with Tahoe Blue....


http://pic7.picturetrail.com:80/VOL208/995811/8010065/106504609.jpg

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

beautiful...what a journey it was !!! guitar looks great Bryan...are all of these preproduction guitars going to have prototype written on the back as well ? :D

[imported_Bryan]

Well I've been playing for a few hours unplugged and this thing really plays nice.
The neck profile is little thicker and rounder than a W/T profile and fits me like a glove.
I think Jason has something going with this carve.
The RW is so smooth and has quite a bit more snap than i thought it would.

Another thing I noticed today is that not one photo captured how beautiful the limba came out. The clearcoat is really deep and 3D. The whole body has a nice dipped in glass look to it.
I dont have an accurate scale to weigh it but it's on the light side and nicely balanced.
I'd say its a hair lighter than my Ce24.

The top is super gorgeous and very deep also. It changes different shades of blue with every angle you look at it.

I'll post a sound report when I get the switching and final pup configuration finished.
I should be testing it through my rig tomorrow or the next day.

All in all this really exceeded my expectations and I cant wait to watch all the new ones being built that you guys have ordered.


Jason, thanks so much. I have a feeling I'll be playing this guitar for many years to come.
I enjoyed spending the afternoon with you and Elizabeth and thanks for lunch!!

I dig the message you left for me inside the guitar..Very cool, I'll cherish it.

Thanks Again!!!

[imported_Bryan]

Shes all wired and screaming through my rig.
Give me some time with it and I'll write a tone report and post some clips.

I think you guys are gonna love your new guitars. Mine feels like an old friend already. :D

[imported_vangit]

Fantastic Bryan.
If you don't mind, when you give the sound report, can you please remind us of your specs.

[imported_Shadscbr]

Congrats.....I wish all of us could have our guitars hand delivered by Jason ;)

Bryan, I can't wait to hear your tone/playability report....she is a beaut!! :)

Shad

[imported_WHY_U_TRY]

maybe if he finishes all of the east coast ones at one time, we could all meet him at a central location :D :wink:

[imported_Bryan]

Fantastic Bryan.
If you don't mind, when you give the sound report, can you please remind us of your specs.

No problem Stu!!

[imported_Bryan]

Congrats.....I wish all of us could have our guitars hand delivered by Jason ;)

Bryan, I can't wait to hear your tone/playability report....she is a beaut!! :)

Shad

Thanks Shad...Personal delivery is one of the benefits of living near by.. :D

[imported_Schroeder]

Here are the specs...

Top: Western Big Leaf Flamed Maple
Back: Black Limba (Lorina)
Neck: Indian Rosewood
Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood with no inlays
Bridge: TonePros Adjustable w/ Locking Studs
Tuners: PRS Phase IIs
TRC: Indian Rosewood with Flamed Maple Veneer (made from top wood scrap)
Backplate: Indian Rosewood with flame maple binding
Pickup rings: Indian Rosewood with Flamed maple veneer
Other: "S" inlay on headstock with "Floating" Center Circle of flamed pearl outlined in aluminum with blue paua "wings"

I will let Bryan discuss details of electronics...

[imported_Bryan]

Well I've been playin her all day..I've been through 3 single coil pups trying to get the best combos of tones. I settled with a Barden pup. It has enough kick to hang with the Dragons unsplit and still not over power them when split. Needles to say I love sound of Barden pups. The Dragons sound pretty good also. I can actually say I've found every tone on the guitar useful and tastey to my ears.. :D
I really feel Jason has captured the sound I was looking for in this guitar.
Which basically is a woody orgainic sounding and feeling guitar with out being muddy and having plenty of bite. This guitar does that. I really wasn't expecting it to such nice snap. The guitar is very similar to my tele but with a fuller sound. It's very open compared to my CE, which is more of compressed sound.
I'm very impressed with what Jason as built for me. When i play it, it feels like an old friend that I've been playing for years.
Kudos to you Jason, you're the MAN!!!!

Btw..This isnt my full report, but I may use some of it.
:D

[imported_Schroeder]

Dang it!! I was hoping you would sell it back to me!!!! ;) ha ha.

Bryan, I am so glad. So it sounds like the Dragon's are OK, but you may want to "upgrade" soon? Maybe that crazy idea we discussed a long time ago would be appropriate while you are trying out different pickups!

Crowd chanting: "SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS!"

[imported_Bryan]

Dang it!! I was hoping you would sell it back to me!!!! ;) ha ha.

Bryan, I am so glad. So it sounds like the Dragon's are OK, but you may want to "upgrade" soon? Maybe that crazy idea we discussed a long time ago would be appropriate while you are trying out different pickups!

Crowd chanting: "SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS! SOUND CLIPS!"

lol... :D She's a keeper.

I think the Dragons are going to stay for awhile. The tones I'm getting are very nice. I really like the neck pup.
I do eventually want to try the Goodwoods but I dont think I'm gonna grab a set for another month or so.

I'll have clips by next week sometime.

[imported_Bryan]

Got around to taking some photos today.
Here they are.

A little photoshop on this one. :D


http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/1.jpg
http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/3.jpg
http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/4.jpg
http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/5.jpg

[imported_Bryan]

And a few more;
http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/6.jpg
http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/7.jpg
http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/8.jpg
http://www.norcalguitars.com/schroeder/001/9.jpg

[imported_JohnnyBoy]

Stupendously gorgeous guitar. Wow. Pretty much speechless!! :shock:

John

[imported_JohnnyBoy]

BTW Bryan, great photos. Both the setting and angles you chose really highlight its beauty. Again, that guitar is just......wow.

John

[imported_Shadscbr]

Nice pics Bryan....I love the way the color changes :)

Shad

[imported_Bryan]

BTW Bryan, great photos. Both the setting and angles you chose really highlight its beauty. Again, that guitar is just......wow.

John

Thanks John. The setting is my driveway.. :D
And props to Jason for building me such a beauty!!!

[imported_Bryan]

Nice pics Bryan....I love the way the color changes :)

Shad

Thanks Shad!!
The color really does change quite a bit depending on how the light hits it. :D
The body is very 3D even the back.

[imported_vangit]

Fantastic Bryan. It's cool that you can enjoy that guitar beyond just playing it.

[imported_Bryan]

Fantastic Bryan. It's cool that you can enjoy that guitar beyond just playing it.

Yea i had to take a break from playing. I've played probably 12 hours so far and I've only had it for alittle more than 72 hours. :D

My fingers are bit sore needless to say. :P

It's gonna get it's first studio session tomorrow. Should be fun.

[imported_Schroeder]

Wow, Bryan. Those pics are awesome. It is sort of like an out of body experience to see someone else takes pics of that guitar!! :D Very cool. Very beautiful setting as well. I can't wait to come visit the place!

Man, the other thing is I am SO happy that you are "playing the hell" out of that thing!! The more you play it the better it will get. Just like working in a baseball glove!

Can't wait to play it again and hear sound clips.

[imported_Elizabeth]

I have a confession.
I don't know how to play guitar.
And I don't know how to build a guitar.
But since I watched this thing from its birth, i feel like I "know" your guitar. :roll:
I completely agree with Jason. It is crazy to see pictures of it and know it isn't sitting 10 feet away. :cry:
Bryan, that thing is amazing. You were right when you said that the pics Jason took didn't do justice to the back.
The picture you took is much better. Have fun with that thing. Can't wait to hear what you do with your Tahoe Blue... :D
Elizabeth

[imported_Bryan]

Wow, Bryan. Those pics are awesome. It is sort of like an out of body experience to see someone else takes pics of that guitar!! :D Very cool. Very beautiful setting as well. I can't wait to come visit the place!

Man, the other thing is I am SO happy that you are "playing the hell" out of that thing!! The more you play it the better it will get. Just like working in a baseball glove!

Can't wait to play it again and hear sound clips.

Thanks jason, it must be strange seeing her with someone else. But rest assured she has a good home. :D
You guys are always welcome to come down for a visit, we would be glad to have you.

It feels so nice, the RW has such an incredible feel. I dont know why I've waited so long to get a guitar with a RW neck. :P

I'll try and post clips in the next few days...Once i record some. :D

[imported_Bryan]

I have a confession.
I don't know how to play guitar.
And I don't know how to build a guitar.
But since I watched this thing from its birth, i feel like I "know" your guitar. :roll:
I completely agree with Jason. It is crazy to see pictures of it and know it isn't sitting 10 feet away. :cry:
Bryan, that thing is amazing. You were right when you said that the pics Jason took didn't do justice to the back.
The picture you took is much better. Have fun with that thing. Can't wait to hear what you do with your Tahoe Blue... :D
Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth

You guys should get photos of each guitar made, framed and hung at your house so they can always be with you.. :D

Thanks about the photos.
The photos Jason took of the back made it look nice, but man when you see it n person it's really something else. I was trying to capture the depth of the clear coat.

I'm having tons of fun with her already.:P
I'll hopefully have something posted soon so people can hear the guitar.

[imported_woody]

Hi Bryan,
Congratulation on owning the doube O 1, how do you feel to own the proto :)

I look at those pictures for at least 5 minutes, going back and fourth.
The maple is stunning, the limba looks delicious. I bet she is hundred times prettier in person.

Now, I want a doublecut in blue finish.
By the way, I love the natural background, can I say woody.... :lol:

[imported_Bryan]

Hi Bryan,
Congratulation on owning the doube O 1, how do you feel to own the proto :)

I look at those pictures for at least 5 minutes, going back and fourth.
The maple is stunning, the limba looks delicious. I bet she is hundred times prettier in person.

Now, I want a doublecut in blue finish.
By the way, I love the natural background, can I say woody.... :lol:

Thanks Woody, it's wonderful owning her and yea shes a real looker.. :P
Plays pretty well also.. :wink:

We'll have to start collecting them all.. :D

[imported_DrPCR]

nice pics and guitar! heard the mp3s, great stuff

hmmm if a guitar falls in the forest, does anybody hear?

guess which sides it falls down on huh? ;)

[imported_Bryan]

nice pics and guitar! heard the mp3s, great stuff

hmmm if a guitar falls in the forest, does anybody hear?

guess which sides it falls down on huh? ;)

Thanks Doc!!

When mine falls in the forest I usually hear it.. :P :D

[imported_DrPCR]

Well I've been playin her all day..I've been through 3 single coil pups trying to get the best combos of tones. I settled with a Barden pup. It has enough kick to hang with the Dragons unsplit and still not over power them when split. Needles to say I love sound of Barden pups. The Dragons sound pretty good also. I can actually say I've found every tone on the guitar useful and tastey to my ears.. :D
I really feel Jason has captured the sound I was looking for in this guitar.
Which basically is a woody orgainic sounding and feeling guitar with out being muddy and having plenty of bite. This guitar does that. I really wasn't expecting it to such nice snap. The guitar is very similar to my tele but with a fuller sound. It's very open compared to my CE, which is more of compressed sound.
I'm very impressed with what Jason as built for me. When i play it, it feels like an old friend that I've been playing for years.
Kudos to you Jason, you're the MAN!!!!

Btw..This isnt my full report, but I may use some of it.
:D

Bryan, I also want H/S/H setup. I'm a huge fan of ce's and really cut my teeth on CEs. I really didn't want to put PRS pups in my JS guitar, but I have a few sets lying around here and I really love PRS pups. So I'm still thinking bout it. I have a set of dragon I zebras, artist zebras and a JB and JN zebra set. SO that are my choices. I love the dragon Is, and I hate the dragon IIs. The artist pups in my artist guitars are just soooo good, they are #1 choice now. The middle single coil, I'm having a hard time. I see yours is a mini hum. Hmmm, interesting. I've had a few mini hums, and hated them all. I really like fralins, and I think that's my top choice for now. As I hear more of your clips, I'm having more problems thinking of what I should put in!

[imported_Bryan]

Well I've been playin her all day..I've been through 3 single coil pups trying to get the best combos of tones. I settled with a Barden pup. It has enough kick to hang with the Dragons unsplit and still not over power them when split. Needles to say I love sound of Barden pups. The Dragons sound pretty good also. I can actually say I've found every tone on the guitar useful and tastey to my ears.. :D
I really feel Jason has captured the sound I was looking for in this guitar.
Which basically is a woody orgainic sounding and feeling guitar with out being muddy and having plenty of bite. This guitar does that. I really wasn't expecting it to such nice snap. The guitar is very similar to my tele but with a fuller sound. It's very open compared to my CE, which is more of compressed sound.
I'm very impressed with what Jason as built for me. When i play it, it feels like an old friend that I've been playing for years.
Kudos to you Jason, you're the MAN!!!!

Btw..This isnt my full report, but I may use some of it.
:D




Bryan, I also want H/S/H setup. I'm a huge fan of ce's and really cut my teeth on CEs. I really didn't want to put PRS pups in my JS guitar, but I have a few sets lying around here and I really love PRS pups. So I'm still thinking bout it. I have a set of dragon I zebras, artist zebras and a JB and JN zebra set. SO that are my choices. I love the dragon Is, and I hate the dragon IIs. The artist pups in my artist guitars are just soooo good, they are #1 choice now. The middle single coil, I'm having a hard time. I see yours is a mini hum. Hmmm, interesting. I've had a few mini hums, and hated them all. I really like fralins, and I think that's my top choice for now. As I hear more of your clips, I'm having more problems thinking of what I should put in!

The Dragon 1s are doing good right now. But I want to try a set of Goodwoods in it at some point.
If youre handy with a soldering iron I'd say give the ones you have a try. If you dont like them, go with something else. This is the first guitar I've had with Dragons. I've always had HFS-VB or T-Bs. But so far so good.
My middle pup is a Joe Barden. If you've never tryed one you might want to. Theyre HBs voiced to sound like singles, but they are are a touch hotter. I really dig them.