***The Official Guitar Thread***

[Calpol]

Fancied something to learn some metal on so landed on this after a month of looking around and researching.
It's a 2011 ESP LTD EC-1000, made in Korea.
I heard they were good but tbh I'm quite blown away by initial impressions. It's probably better built than my Les Paul. Cost me £500 but I can see it being a keeper.
Off to learn ...And Justice for All

 

[floatindolphin]

That's a beaut! Love an ESP Les Paul! (was just looking at Hetfield ESP's earlier)

 

[NickK]

Nice and clean lines. The bridge intonation needs looking at as a it seems to be almost at the ends of it’s range.

 

[LOAM]

Nice and clean lines. The bridge intonation needs looking at as a it seems to be almost at the ends of it’s range.

Can usually rotate the saddle round 180 degrees if it's too sharp and needs to go back a bit more.

 

[Baldbloke]

I got the sheet music for this last night. It's not my usual sort of thing, but thought I would widen my repertoire.

It is less difficult than I expected, aside from one or two awkward bits which are probably just a fingering change.

You picked up the sheet music just the night before? That was great. Call me a jealous B******. Cos it's true

 

[potatolord]

You picked up the sheet music just the night before? That was great. Call me a jealous B******. Cos it's true

That's not me playing it, sorry. That's the transcription guy!

 

[Baldbloke]

That's not me playing it, sorry. That's the transcription guy!

. It did seem like a fast learning trajectory. I know some people can though. I can't. I'd be a few months getting to that level.

 

[builder22]

Bluegrass.... Somehow doesn't really sound too hard to pick up but they're all shredaholics

there's an "oh, nice" here too...

 

[NickK]

Just waiting for the 4K video to upload.. but..

No carving of neck etc, no nut fitting or frets etc.. just strung up to test the neck. Also I know one of my tuners is slightly out of alignment - I can fix that at a later date.

 

[NickK]

Ok. update - busy afternoon and the frets are on.

Fingers are numb - that's a 60-10 gauge string set which means it's tight strings.

I'm quite mind blown. The fretboard is in tune. Action is 2.5mm on the string 7 at 24th fret. Considering I've never made a guitar, this has no tested design and it's completely bespoke.

 

[NickK]

Update ... I've cut the rear electronics cavity and took a very very long drill bit and played Russian rulette with drilling the pickup wire channels.

I then decided to give it a coat of danish oil - the beauty about oil is that you can carve and reapply.. so that means I can protect it but finish it later..

Did I say ... tasty?

The oil and shadows make the frets look crooked :/ but they're not..

I'll sand back over the next couple off days but the back stripe looks rather epic deep purple

 

[Bill Turnip]

That's starting to come up really nicely, really like the fretboard too. I have a guitar with a purple heart strip down the back of the neck, it's a stunning look. Presuming from the pickup cavity that the stripe runs the full length of the back?

 

[NickK]

That's starting to come up really nicely, really like the fretboard too. I have a guitar with a purple heart strip down the back of the neck, it's a stunning look. Presuming from the pickup cavity that the stripe runs the full length of the back?

Yes - right from the back of the guitar through into the headstock.

 

[NickK]

Last one for a bit - I don't want the thread to become a Nick's Build thread.

Full images as it is now - basically time to play it and get a feel for any of the changes I want to make as the guitar isn't from an existing design or template. After that I'll carve/thin or generally tidy up the bits that need it.

 

[NickK]

I’ve decided to learn music theory. Like many I started many years ago with tablatures and sort of learning the guitar fretboard by osmosis.
I know rough shapes but as soon as people metion triads, diminished or atonal etc they’d see a rather blank expression. It also meant I couldn’t understand things I found whilst noodling.
With the 7 string I’m going to have to confront theory to understand how to ensure I use the addition fretboard space properly or make my own.

I’ve started with the BBC bitesize GCSE music theory but wonder what people have learnt from?

 

[Bill Turnip]

What level are you at? I'm no expert by any means, but the easiest way I found to approach it was using a small book on theory covering levels 1 - 5. I also found it easier to think about it from the perspective of a piano - can't play piano well but having everything arranged in a line with accidentals in black did make more sense.

It was also useful for understanding more about keys, and why certain chords worked over certain keys, and the reason why. Like I say, I'm beginner level at best, and you may already be well aware of this, but you can then apply that to guitar and work from there.

 

[builder22]

musictheory.net - Lessons

Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators.

www.musictheory.net

I learned from a combination of the Fretboard Logic books, googling and asking on forums!

don't know it all but enough to make sense of any questions...

 

[NickK]

What level are you at? I'm no expert by any means, but the easiest way I found to approach it was using a small book on theory covering levels 1 - 5. I also found it easier to think about it from the perspective of a piano - can't play piano well but having everything arranged in a line with accidentals in black did make more sense.

It was also useful for understanding more about keys, and why certain chords worked over certain keys, and the reason why. Like I say, I'm beginner level at best, and you may already be well aware of this, but you can then apply that to guitar and work from there.

Let’s start at complete beginner - in the past I figures out position based on what sounded right than formal scales etc.

The BBC bitesize for gcse music is good - it puts concise structure to the terminology. I built out a mind map and followed through which I find makes it easier: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zdxh34j

This site made it far easier to visualise further: https://www.musictheory.net/lessons/23

What was interesting is from that I was listening to Rick Beato analyse Depeche Mode, and a lot of it made sense. Leading, the notes making up the scales (expected major, minor, diminished etc): https://www.youtube.com/live/bvifbhGMlLg?feature=shared

I still have a long way to go but understand what the language is saying is one thing but next is understanding more why and how. At least at the basic level.

 

[NickK]

I’m also interested in guitar #2 made with the leftovers and I’m also really interested if I can make a true temperament fretboard (wiggly frets). The down side is that you have to cut the frets rather than use fret wire and then make fretslots to match them precisely. Stainless steel would mean milling rather than a cnc router. I could print out, stick to the steel and then use an old drill press at low speed with a makeshift fluid flow system to cool it.
That would be a telecaster style, leftover laminate bolton neck with 25.5 scale true temperament

Food for thought once I’ve finished the build.

Current tune being learnt: https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/keith-merow-heart-of-sea-nymph-tab-s516084

Modes: https://youtu.be/juQVAFsdFMQ?feature=shared

 

[NickK]

9GB video upload..sound of the guitar (clean) - I'm gibbering over the top but I've mixed in a high resolution recording of the neck pickup:

In the video I say bridge but it's the neck pickup (Seymour Duncan Sentient). Cleans - no EQ, plugins, or effects. Only mod to the pickup sound is a small audio gain boost in the audio USB interface. Audio overlaid onto the webcam.. I may try a different tool next time rather than iMovie!