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imported_Schroeder
10-22-2005, 09:31 PM
In preparation for the Northern California BAM Jam I went over some of my old guitars, rewired a few, did some setup work and generally cleaned the crud off of them!! These guitars, particularly the red and yellow guitars have been played hard. Here is an interesting photo of a few guitars I have built and in the order which they were built. There have been more, these are the ones I have in my possession or in working order right now.

From left to right:
1) Bass made circa 1988, from a neck through Carvin, Paduak wings.
2) Old Red, circa 1994, H-S-H trem with Black Cherry stain and the original body design that ended up as the Chopper body shape. Just replaced the pickups with Dragon 2s and a vintage rails in the middle. Flamed maple neck made from the same maple board as the top (same maple as Old Yellow too). Mahogany back with 3/8" contoured maple top (no recurve). Wilkinson trem and Sperzel tuners.
3) Old Yellow, circa 1995, my number one for the last 10 years. This was me wanting a PRS with a single cutaway, at the time it did not exist. I was also a huge fan of Van Halen and the Music Man signature model so I combined them to come up with this design. Mahogany body and neck (flatsawn), non-bookmatched maple top, ebony board, Dragon 1 in the bridge, Schaller cheapo in the neck (sounds great though!!). PRS adjustable stoptail and Schaller non-locking tuners.
4) Santana Copy, Braz RW neck, mahogany body, quilted maple top, Tiger Eye stain, originally had 3 P90s, I swapped out the bridge pickup for a Carvin humbucker between gigs when Old Yellow was in desparate need of a setup. PRS one-piece bridge, PRS wing tuners. Duncan P90s (stacked humbuckers).
5) Chopper, circa 2003, basically a replacement for Old Yellow when she dies! Similar body style, slightly more refined carve (I tried to changed things I might get sued for!!) and deeper carve (started with a 1" thick top!), mahogany back, Brazilian neck (with heel cap and scarf joint which is covered by ebony headplates on the front and back of the headstock, rear plate transitions to an inlay of a flame behind the nut. I apprached this like American Chopper where different tasks were done by the best people int he industry that I could get to do the work. And I wanted it all done by hand. So I did all the woodwork, sent the neck to Bill Nichols with the design for the Chopper inlay, then sent the whole guitar to Don DiMasi for the candy tangerine paint with ghost flames and natural top. S inlay on headstock has a 44 mag bullet in the center. Braz RW backplates have 38 special bullets inlaid. Volume knob is a chopped Arlen Ness kickpeg. Wagner Goodwood pikcups, Schaller locking mini tuners in mixed silver/gold. PRS adustable stoptail.
6) Tour Guitar 2005, you know about this one.... :D

http://www.schroederguitars.com/p/images/Early%20Guitars_group%20shot/collection.gif

Old Yellow closeup showing playing wear:
http://www.schroederguitars.com/p/images/Early%20Guitars_group%20shot/yellow-wear.gif

Back of Chopper:
http://www.schroederguitars.com/p/images/Early%20Guitars_group%20shot/chopper-back.gif

Closeup of Arlen Ness kickpeg volume knob:
http://www.schroederguitars.com/p/images/Early%20Guitars_group%20shot/chopper-kickvolume.gif

Thought you guys might dig these pics. Please feel free to ask questions!

imported_Shadscbr
10-23-2005, 03:03 AM
Sweet pics. I really dig the detail work on the back of the Chopper headstock :)

Shad

imported_vangit
10-23-2005, 04:13 AM
Awsome line up Jason. Slight typo though, Tour guitar says 1995.

imported_Layne
10-26-2005, 05:08 AM
It's neat to see a bit of Schroeder history here! I'm proud to know a luthier.

imported_Big Mike
10-27-2005, 12:41 PM
Hey Jason, do you feel deleting the tone control effects anything? I've always felt like it could be a bit to bright. Although that may not be a problem with the WCR's. Did you use a resistor or anything to compensate for that?

imported_Schroeder
10-27-2005, 04:27 PM
Hey Big Mike!

No cap on the volume knob. I was trying to build this like a Chopper!! Simplify the crap out of the wiring. Also very EVH inspired. I have thought about a cap though but it sounds really good as it is!! And rolling off the volume a bit warms it up nicely. The pickups are ballsy enough that even with the volume decrease it still sounds good (even though rolling off volume bleeds off ALL frequencies to ground). If I ever have a spare ten minutes I could rewire it with a cap and see what it does to tone, because even a .022 cap would bleed a bit of treble off (even with the volume on 10).

Jason

imported_WHY_U_TRY
10-27-2005, 04:51 PM
very cool to see all the guitars in one shot like that Jason

imported_Big Mike
10-27-2005, 11:31 PM
Thanks, I was curious about that,.

I've thought of doing it to my PRS Studio, as it has a Sweet Switch, it's a little brite. (a lot bright). How would I do that? Put a resistor or cap on the hot out from the switch.

Thanks. Sorry to derail, email if you prefer. .

As you know, I lust for the chopper...Mini hums and purple flames..Hmm....

imported_vangit
10-28-2005, 03:51 AM
All of you mini-hum guys are making Tony smile ear to ear!

imported_sleepingtiger
10-28-2005, 04:24 AM
:lol: Gotta love 'em!

imported_Big Mike
10-29-2005, 02:06 AM
Yeah, but me and tony don't like the same ones. 8)

imported_sleepingtiger
10-29-2005, 02:51 AM
....sssssh, Stu! He'll ease out of the high gain pickups & get his gain elsewhere....the seed is planted.......that's all it takes.........& then we take over ,,,,,,,,,,,,THE WORLD!....The WORLD I SAY! ....well maybe not the world.............Rhode Island maybe?