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Winter Build Off 2023 - Supersymmetry
- Thread starter TFM94
- Start date
Finish is done. Did it turn out perfect? No. There are still some little dust nibs here and there, but the last coat was the best one so far, so I'm going to stop here. The last three coats were TO diluted with mineral spirits, about 30%, which makes self-leveling of the film a bit better.
I'll give it a few more hours to cure and then I'll put on the hardware, pickguard, electronics and do a basic setup this weekend. My plan is to get it playable by Saturday evening so that I can record a demo on Sunday. We'll see how that works out.
As usual, Monday is reserved for some last minute panic, and maybe a photo session. I was hoping that I could take some photos outside, but there's still a lot of snow around here, and it's not even the new, white and fluffy kind of snow. No, it's the halfway melted, grey-brown, ugly kind of snow you find in the city in early spring. Ugh. Indoor photos will have to do.
I'll give it a few more hours to cure and then I'll put on the hardware, pickguard, electronics and do a basic setup this weekend. My plan is to get it playable by Saturday evening so that I can record a demo on Sunday. We'll see how that works out.
As usual, Monday is reserved for some last minute panic, and maybe a photo session. I was hoping that I could take some photos outside, but there's still a lot of snow around here, and it's not even the new, white and fluffy kind of snow. No, it's the halfway melted, grey-brown, ugly kind of snow you find in the city in early spring. Ugh. Indoor photos will have to do.
Really fantastic, great job on that finish!
Hardware part one.
The bridge and headpieces are installed, the pickguard and TR cover are screwed in place and the pickup mount is done. Electronics are still missing, that's coming up tomorrow.
I tested the bridges with my multimeter and it looks like the black paint is conductive. I just used two strips of aluminum tape underneath the bridges and a ground wire going to a screw. Works just fine.
The pickup is mounted directly to the body, not to the pickguard. I don't like pickups moving around when they're mounted via springs or foam. If I were building this to be sold, I wouldn't do it like this, but this is just for myself. I can set the pickup height once, screw it in place and forget about it.
I also drilled and screwed in the strap buttons. With the strap button above the tuner recess it sits a bit lower than my other guitars, but it's very comfortable. I don't know what the opposite of neck dive is, but this thing has it. Exactly what I was looking for ergonomically!
The bridge and headpieces are installed, the pickguard and TR cover are screwed in place and the pickup mount is done. Electronics are still missing, that's coming up tomorrow.
I tested the bridges with my multimeter and it looks like the black paint is conductive. I just used two strips of aluminum tape underneath the bridges and a ground wire going to a screw. Works just fine.
The pickup is mounted directly to the body, not to the pickguard. I don't like pickups moving around when they're mounted via springs or foam. If I were building this to be sold, I wouldn't do it like this, but this is just for myself. I can set the pickup height once, screw it in place and forget about it.
I also drilled and screwed in the strap buttons. With the strap button above the tuner recess it sits a bit lower than my other guitars, but it's very comfortable. I don't know what the opposite of neck dive is, but this thing has it. Exactly what I was looking for ergonomically!
Hardware part 2
I soldered the electronics. It's a fairly simple passive circuit with one PU, vol, tone and coil switch (north coil) with a mini-toggle.
Setup time. My nut slotting files didn't want anything to do with the graphtech nut, so I used the thin blades of my coping saw for the narrow slots and a tapered needle file for the larger ones. It worked ok, I just hope this didn't ruin the nut files for good... The bridge saddles came unslotted and the strings had a bit of sideways play, so I put some shallow slots in there, too. It's not only to avoid sideways movement, but it also helps to fine-tune the string spacing.
Then there were the usual setup tasks, setting action and intonation. Nothing unusual here. Finally, to complete the "blackout" theme on the front, I put on two black chrome Schaller Frustum knobs.
Now it's NBD (=new baritone day)! Total weight is 2944g (6lbs, 7.8oz). I'll take it.
A sound demo and the official submission post will follow tomorrow or on Monday. Stay tuned!
I soldered the electronics. It's a fairly simple passive circuit with one PU, vol, tone and coil switch (north coil) with a mini-toggle.
Setup time. My nut slotting files didn't want anything to do with the graphtech nut, so I used the thin blades of my coping saw for the narrow slots and a tapered needle file for the larger ones. It worked ok, I just hope this didn't ruin the nut files for good... The bridge saddles came unslotted and the strings had a bit of sideways play, so I put some shallow slots in there, too. It's not only to avoid sideways movement, but it also helps to fine-tune the string spacing.
Then there were the usual setup tasks, setting action and intonation. Nothing unusual here. Finally, to complete the "blackout" theme on the front, I put on two black chrome Schaller Frustum knobs.
Now it's NBD (=new baritone day)! Total weight is 2944g (6lbs, 7.8oz). I'll take it.
A sound demo and the official submission post will follow tomorrow or on Monday. Stay tuned!
No, it's not household aluminum foil. It's aluminum tape with adhesive on one side. I think it's a bit thicker than household foil. It's conductive (also the adhesive) so when two sections overlap they form an electrically continuous film. This kind of tape can be found in most hardware stores, because it's also used for isolation/reflective surfaces, and it's usually cheaper, cleaner and faster than conductive paint. You can also use copper tape, it works the same way.
Demo song
I was in a songwriting mood this weekend, so I wrote some riffs, recorded guitars, bass and vocals, programmed some drums (sorry, I'm not a drummer) and made a song out of it.
I built this guitar to be used for prog metal, and I think a modern, heavy song fits the style of the guitar quite well. Looking at TB front page threads makes me aware that this style isn't necessarily the most appreciated genre here on TB, but sweet home Alabama just ain't gonna cut it this time. So what?
Just for fun, here's the chorus, inspired of course by the theme of this build:
>>>
Life's answers are hidden away
behind a great mystery.
Your powers unfold them today,
the world aligns in symmetry.
In symmetry! In supersymmetry!
>>>
I hardly ever do clean vocals, so yeah, bear with me.
EDIT: The tuning is drop Ab (Ab1, Eb2, Ab2, Db3, F3, Bb3). Same tuning on bass, going down to Ab0.
I was in a songwriting mood this weekend, so I wrote some riffs, recorded guitars, bass and vocals, programmed some drums (sorry, I'm not a drummer) and made a song out of it.
I built this guitar to be used for prog metal, and I think a modern, heavy song fits the style of the guitar quite well. Looking at TB front page threads makes me aware that this style isn't necessarily the most appreciated genre here on TB, but sweet home Alabama just ain't gonna cut it this time. So what?
Just for fun, here's the chorus, inspired of course by the theme of this build:
>>>
Life's answers are hidden away
behind a great mystery.
Your powers unfold them today,
the world aligns in symmetry.
In symmetry! In supersymmetry!
>>>
I hardly ever do clean vocals, so yeah, bear with me.
EDIT: The tuning is drop Ab (Ab1, Eb2, Ab2, Db3, F3, Bb3). Same tuning on bass, going down to Ab0.
Last edited:
Here is my official submission post for the 2023 Winter Build Off: Supersymmetry.
This is a non-bass build.
It's a baritone guitar tuned to drop Ab, inspired by a former build of mine, but with mirrored body and headstock shape, hence the name "Supersymmetry".
Spec sheet:
Body: Flamed birch with a flamed maple top. The top is stained black with exposed chamfers. Black veneer accent stripes. Carbon fiber pickguard, control cavity and trussrod cover.
Neck: Set neck construction with a hidden neck tenon. Flamed maple and purpleheart 5-piece laminate with maple and purpleheart accents in the scarf joint.
Fretboard: Bog oak, 24 frets, 26.0"-26.5" multiscale, neutral point at the nut. 12" radius, jumbo frets, graphtech nut (44mm)
Inlays: Luminescent inlay spanning from the 9th to the 15th fret, inspired by traces observed in high-energy particle collision. Luminescent side dots (3mm luminlay super blue).
Hardware: ABM individual headless bridges and tailpieces, all brass. Schaller S-lock buttons. Schaller Frustum knobs. All black.
Electronics: One Seymour Duncan black winter humbucker in the bridge position, mounted directly to the body. All passive, 1 vol, 1 tone, and a coil split mini-toggle switch (Up: north coil only, Down: Full humbucker). All pots are 500k log, cap is 22nF. Barrel-style output jack.
Strings: Currently strung up with Daddarios 12-60 nickel wounds in drop Ab, although I'm considering a 62 or 64 for the low Ab string.
Weight: 2944g (6lbs, 7.8oz)
Here it is together with the guitar that inspired it, my second-ever build (top).
The fretboard inlay and side dots glowing in the dark:
And again in normal lighting. The glow is still visible even when it's not that dark.
Sound demo:
A big thank you to everyone who was following along and especially to all of you who shared their ideas, comments and tips during this build. Much appreciated!
This is a non-bass build.
It's a baritone guitar tuned to drop Ab, inspired by a former build of mine, but with mirrored body and headstock shape, hence the name "Supersymmetry".
Spec sheet:
Body: Flamed birch with a flamed maple top. The top is stained black with exposed chamfers. Black veneer accent stripes. Carbon fiber pickguard, control cavity and trussrod cover.
Neck: Set neck construction with a hidden neck tenon. Flamed maple and purpleheart 5-piece laminate with maple and purpleheart accents in the scarf joint.
Fretboard: Bog oak, 24 frets, 26.0"-26.5" multiscale, neutral point at the nut. 12" radius, jumbo frets, graphtech nut (44mm)
Inlays: Luminescent inlay spanning from the 9th to the 15th fret, inspired by traces observed in high-energy particle collision. Luminescent side dots (3mm luminlay super blue).
Hardware: ABM individual headless bridges and tailpieces, all brass. Schaller S-lock buttons. Schaller Frustum knobs. All black.
Electronics: One Seymour Duncan black winter humbucker in the bridge position, mounted directly to the body. All passive, 1 vol, 1 tone, and a coil split mini-toggle switch (Up: north coil only, Down: Full humbucker). All pots are 500k log, cap is 22nF. Barrel-style output jack.
Strings: Currently strung up with Daddarios 12-60 nickel wounds in drop Ab, although I'm considering a 62 or 64 for the low Ab string.
Weight: 2944g (6lbs, 7.8oz)
Here it is together with the guitar that inspired it, my second-ever build (top).
The fretboard inlay and side dots glowing in the dark:
And again in normal lighting. The glow is still visible even when it's not that dark.
Sound demo:
A big thank you to everyone who was following along and especially to all of you who shared their ideas, comments and tips during this build. Much appreciated!
Last edited:
The graphite and resin of a Graphtech nut shouldn't actually damage a file. But they will easily clog it up. The resin dust glues carbon dust down into the gullets between the teeth, making it as slippery as a graphite bearing. That keeps the teeth from cutting. Brush it out going sideways with a fine brass bristle brush. If that doesn't get it all out, spray on a little WD-40, then brush. If that still doesn't clean it, heat it over a small flame. Not up to red hot, just a few hundred degrees. Then brush. Always with a brass brush, never a stainless steel brush.
