Reshaped my headstock

[Sundogue]

From my ongoing thread on the artwork I'm going to put on my ESP LTD (with a barely noticeable"spalted" maple top).

Completely redid the headstock on my ESP LTD.

For one thing, I hated the pointy end on it. While wearing it, I could not see the end of the headstock and would constantly band the tip into things (especially while learning new songs at my computer desk in my office).

Anyway, I cut the tip off, reshaped the headstock end, sanded off the LTD and replaced it with the Om symbol.

I should have taken a photo of my own to show, but here's a pic online I found of the way it used to look...

And here it is with the new look...

 

[mmukav]

Nice work. I like the OM symbol.

But I have to admit, the asymmetrical original design is nice.

 

[Kitsapbass]

Looks great, but I'm slightly worried about the ethics of it - that is, if you try to market it as anything but an ESP/LTD. Other than that, looks great!!!!

 

[Sundogue]

Looks great, but I'm slightly worried about the ethics of it - that is, if you try to market it as anything but an ESP/LTD. Other than that, looks great!!!!

I'm not going to market my own bass. It's strictly for me. But I understand.

At some point (maybe this summer) I'm going to do the whole spalted top (that has almost no "spalting") with a lot of detailed artwork woodburned into it. Something like Lemmy's oak leaf Ric, but woodburned in great detail, not carved...and something of my own design.

 

[Sundogue]

By the way, the attached pic below is more what the original headstock looked like (not a smooth line sweeping up the top like the previous "before" pic). It had more of an irregular curve to it.

I just couldn't stand the pointy end. It wasn't just the looks. When wearing the bass, when sitting at my computer learning or writing parts I was constantly banging that pointy end into something, mostly because I couldn't see the end of it. Ugh.

 

[Sundogue]

Nice work. I like the OM symbol.

But I have to admit, the asymmetrical original design is nice.

It still is somewhat asymmetrical as the right side doesn't come down as far as the left (to match the bottom of the headstock).

And you know, it's kind of funny...The "LTD" decal on it almost looked like an Om symbol, but turned on it's side. Had it been applied on it's side I would have left it and only added a bit to it. Look at it sideways once.

 

[Joedog]

Nice job. You probably shaved off a couple ounces as well! If you had any neck dive, I'm sure it improved. Only thing I like about the original design is it looked perfect for (drunken) crowd control.....LOL.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Very nice! Did you burn the "Om" in? It certainly looks it, especially inside the left edge of the circle.

 

[Sundogue]

Very nice! Did you burn the "Om" in? It certainly looks it, especially inside the left edge of the circle.

Thanks.

Yes it is burned in. It is shaded a bit more on the left side too. I also had to deal with a bit more spalting on the headstock than what is on the body, so there are some spots around the circle that aren't burnt, but spalted spotting. The body has almost no spalting whatsoever, which is why I'm going to do the whole body with artwork.

 

[jason_cfh]

That's a really good job. Love the burned in Ohm symbol. I too have an issue with the way the factory ltd headstocks look and your mod looks WAY better. Kudos!

 

[Sundogue]

That's a really good job. Love the burned in Ohm symbol. I too have an issue with the way the factory ltd headstocks look and your mod looks WAY better. Kudos!

Thanks. I really didn't mind the original shape all that much, except that point really stuck out way too far. I also could not see it when wearing the bass, and I kept banging that point on my large, corner computer desk (unless I sat way too far away from it) while practicing or writing. Onstage I don't think it would have been an issue. But the point was getting badly damaged anyway.

Kind of looks sort of Alembic-like now. I'm happy with it.

 

[Sundogue]

This is the body I'll be redoing this summer. Notice there is hardly any spalting to it, so it's going to get artwork burned into it. Need to do it when I can take it apart and sand off the finish. While they look like there is no finish on the bodies (or headstock) there is a thick satin finish on them.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Yes it is burned in. It is shaded a bit more on the left side too. I also had to deal with a bit more spalting on the headstock than what is on the body, so there are some spots around the circle that aren't burnt, but spalted spotting. The body has almost no spalting whatsoever, which is why I'm going to do the whole body with artwork.

Very cool! As a former art student and illustrator, kudos to your hard work. I think it adds to the effect with that slight bit of scorching on the left. It screams, "This is wood and fire, not some pansy-ass decal!"

 

[Sundogue]

Very cool! As a former art student and illustrator, kudos to your hard work. I think it adds to the effect with that slight bit of scorching on the left. It screams, "This is wood and fire, not some pansy-ass decal!"

LOL. Yeah, when I sanded off the decal I was surprised to find out it took almost nothing to sand it off. However, the finish wasn't sanded through completely so I had to first melt through the finish a bit before hitting wood. I didn't want to sand all the way through the finish on the headstock because I didn't want to take it apart. I only spent about two hours doing this mod (cutting and shaping the headstock and burning the Om symbol and refinishing).

That's why it's going to be a while before I do the body. I want to work on pure wood because the body will have very intricate work done on it.

And yes, I really wanted to use the woodburning on it as opposed to painting on it as I wanted it to look very natural and organic like the wood itself, and not some slick, perfect computer generated decal.