Sporkaster Infinity

Sporky

I am considering another guitar build. The difference this time is that instead of trying new things (though that'll probably happen), the aim is to build my ideal "the one" guitar. So this may be a bit bloggy; I'm not closed to suggestions, but it may be thinking out loud.

So... The bits I know. 

6 strings, standard tuning
Floating non-locking tremolo - very likely a G&L Dual Fulcrum if I can get one
Locking tuners
Darkish fretboard - I have bocote, ziricote, kingwood, and cocobolo to hand
640mm scale (about 25.2")
Offset - either modified JM or modified Sporkbasster
Scratchplate
Vol and two tones - one treble cut, one bass cut, G&L style

The bits I don't know but have ideas:

Two buckers (probably P90-sized), or lipsticks and bridge bucker
Maybe a Sustainiac if I can work out the controls and keep them simple (maybe on a little Jag-style plate)
Blue or green. Candy or flake or flip. 
Maybe piezos, but again subject to keeping the controls usable
Probably bolt-on, but tempting to do set neck for once

Roland

We like build blogs

digitalkettle

No purple sparkle?

Sporky

Purple isn't my thing.

I found this that I did a while ago, and might be a good starting point. 

 

digitalkettle

Sporky said:

Purple isn't my thing.

I found this that I did a while ago, and might be a good starting point. 

 

Slightly reminiscent of a Grosh ElectraJet.

robinbowes

Sporky said:

Purple isn't my thing.

I found this that I did a while ago, and might be a good starting point. 

 

Nice body shape and control layout, headstock reminiscent of Yamaha Pacifica (I'm not a fan!).

Sporky

I've had a bit of a look through the parts box. I've got a Sustainiac in my old RG; I foolishly paired it with a single coil pickup, which meant neither worked properly. I could replace that with a single-coil-sized 'bucker easily enough. Maybe a Lil Screamin Demon, on account of they look cool.

If I did a Jaguar style top horn control plate that could have on/off for the Sustainiac, with the two roller pots doing Sustainiac intensity and sustain/harmonic mode (I think - need to look up the Sustainiac wiring again). Or maybe just two slider switches for the Sustainiac. Or push/push pots. I don't know. Maybe better to avoid the kitchen-sink approach, but I do really enjoy how they play.

robinbowes said:

Nice body shape and control layout, headstock reminiscent of Yamaha Pacifica (I'm not a fan!).

I would use the SPB1 headstock (though bigger), which is a bit Ibanez/Parker mashup.



I have a habit of making headstocks too small.

digitalscream

Why not do a silly neck joint, like the SEC? Just for giggles. Much more ergonomic than the standard bolt-on, and different enough that it'll grab attention from people who know.

Would definitely work on an offset.

Sporky

Is that the Nuno neck joint? I'd wondered about a Parker Nitefly style where the neck has no "heel" and just continues as a shaft right into the body, 'cos I could pretty easily CNC the matching pocket. Or that one (I forget whose it is) that's like the bottom three faces of an octagon.

Funkfingers

Sporky said:

Maybe a Sustainiac if I can work out the controls and keep them simple (maybe on a little Jag-style plate)

Tricky. The Fernandes Sustainer controls are surface mounted on its main PCB. This dictates where the pots and switches have to poke out of the guitar.

Sporky said:

neck joint … that's like the bottom three faces of an octagon.

Strandberg. I was once allowed to hold an eight string one briefly. The bevelled neck profile reminded of my Chapman Stick.

digitalscream

Sporky said:

Is that the Nuno neck joint? I'd wondered about a Parker Nitefly style where the neck has no "heel" and just continues as a shaft right into the body, 'cos I could pretty easily CNC the matching pocket. Or that one (I forget whose it is) that's like the bottom three faces of an octagon.

Yep, it's the Nuno one. Also on the Parallaxe guitars (I also have one of those, and it's astoundingly good).

The problem is one of stability. I've got a couple of guitars which are really thin, and the heel is necessarily even thinner. That causes problems when retuning, even just from standard to drop - the joint flex affects the rest of the strings almost as much as a floating trem. The SEC joint fixes that, thankfully, while still allowing complete freedom up at the top end for stumpy-fingered folk like me.

Also: it would be remiss of me not to mention Lace Sensors as an option for the pickups.

Sporky

Funkfingers said:

Tricky. The Fernandes Sustainer controls are surface mounted on its main PCB. This dictates where the pots and switches have to poke out of the guitar.

Yup - but the Sustainiac is much more flexible (as well as being more powerful and having lower battery drain).

Funkfingers said:

Sporky said:

neck joint … that's like the bottom three faces of an octagon.

Strandberg. I was once allowed to hold an eight string one briefly. The bevelled neck profile reminded of my Chapman Stick.

That's the feller - thanks. I'm going conventional neck profile though so the Nitefly approach is probably simpler.

Sporky

digitalscream said:

Sporky said:

Is that the Nuno neck joint? I'd wondered about a Parker Nitefly style where the neck has no "heel" and just continues as a shaft right into the body, 'cos I could pretty easily CNC the matching pocket. Or that one (I forget whose it is) that's like the bottom three faces of an octagon.

Yep, it's the Nuno one. Also on the Parallaxe guitars (I also have one of those, and it's astoundingly good).

Does it need a really big bit of wood for the neck? Only I've got a really nicely quartersawn bit of maple but it's nowhere near wide enough for that.

digitalscream

Sporky said:

digitalscream said:

Sporky said:

Is that the Nuno neck joint? I'd wondered about a Parker Nitefly style where the neck has no "heel" and just continues as a shaft right into the body, 'cos I could pretty easily CNC the matching pocket. Or that one (I forget whose it is) that's like the bottom three faces of an octagon.

Yep, it's the Nuno one. Also on the Parallaxe guitars (I also have one of those, and it's astoundingly good).

Does it need a really big bit of wood for the neck? Only I've got a really nicely quartersawn bit of maple but it's nowhere near wide enough for that.

The sharkfin needs about an extra 50mm of wood "next to" the neck. The beauty of it, though, is that the neck itself doesn't need to be particularly thick at the joint - because the stability comes from the positions of the bolts (in a curve). On all the ones I've had, it's the same thickness as the neck itself, about 17-18mm.

Sporky

I think I've solved the switching.

Volume, Treble, and Bass knobs.

Freeway 3X3-03 or 3B3-01 with the "up" position adding piezo - can't have piezo on its own but I mostly like it for adding spank and making evil noises with distortion.

Push-push pots to activate the Sustainiac and put it into Harmonic mode.

I think that's quite straightforward and won't look like an explosion in a switch factory.

Funkfingers

Sporky said:

Funkfingers said:
Fernandes Sustainer.

the Sustainiac is much more flexible (as well as being more powerful and having lower battery drain).

Aha. You will be using the proper Sustainiac rather than the Fernandes. Good thinking, Batman.

Sporky

Yup.

I don't mean to knock the Fernandes - it's perfectly decent - but my tendency to want to overthink and overcomplicate everything makes the Sustainiac the better option. Also I've got one spare.

Strongly considering these two pickups because they look ace.

Sporky

...but now I've spotted that the SD has writing on it so that's out. Bah.

digitalscream

Sporky said:

...but now I've spotted that the SD has writing on it so that's out. Bah.

Pffft, a man of your talents should be able to rectify that pretty easily. Hell, a Dremel and a polishing wheel should sort it out in a few minutes.

monquixote

Sounds like you want something pretty close to this:https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/gl-guitars/doheny-guitars/g-l-usa-fullerton-deluxe-doheny-hh-old-school-tobacco-sunburst-caribbean-rosewood-fingerboard

Sporky

I would definitely go for a LPB or CAG Doheny with a rosewood fretboard. 

Actually, no, I wouldn't. They have boring dot inlays, no piezo, and no Sustainiac. Though I do like them.