Floyd Rose tone- top mount vs. recessed

[Tone Slinger]

Looks fantastic ! I'm very happy with both of my KNE's and would reccomend them over anybody else.
So, what kinda finish/style are you going for ?

[chrisom]

Can't decide. The grain is so nice, I'm tempted to shoot it with Stewart McDonald clear vintage amber followed by a clear coat, with a black pick guard and single cream DSD humbucker ala Pete Thorn, but with a brass big block to reduce edginess. I want a Warmoth vintage-modern maple neck with straight 12" radius, big frets and a '68 shaped headstock. And a single white "tone" (volume) knob...

[chrisom]

Should I use a clear sanding sealer as a base coat, and if so, what is recommended?

[chrisom]

Or something like this, but with a yellowed clear lacquer instead of white, and the larger headstock with a Charvel logo...

Asuza SM.JPG (30.25 KiB) Viewed 4748 times

[Tone Slinger]

Yeah, I agree, keep that nice grain pattern visible . Are you gonna grain fill ? If so the Timber Mate wood filler is real good.Just get the right shade, and mix it to a pan cake batter consistancy (use small thimbel sized clumps and dizzolve/mix in water. A little goes a long way). Use a old credit card and drag the product over the guitar.One or two coats, allowing time to cure and sand between coats,should be fine (2 days time). Then I would clear coat. I'd personally just use the clear nitro gloss. One,maybe two cans. Then give it the tinted stewmac. I would use a stain instead of the pre colored Stew Mac. Thier vintage amber is the inside color of a Gibson Sun Burst. Has alot of that yellow/orange to it. If you go for the stain you have better control over the color you want. Then, all you do is stain after you fill, then give it one or two cans of the clear. Less paint=better tone/resonance .
I'm sure you probly already know all this,just want to offer any tips I have.

[chrisom]

Actually I wasn't sure how to go about it, so thanks for the tips. I'd kinda like to get a '50's RI butterscotch Tele color (not blonde) if at all possible... any ideas?

Edit: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technic ... inish.html

Guitar Reranch Butterscotch spray aerosol cans (Gibson and Fender colors):
http://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/fencuscol.html
http://www.reranch.com/gallery/butterscotchtele.htm

[Tone Slinger]

Looks like the 'butterscotch blond' is what you want. So grain fill (Timber Mate is great, the little 8oz.size would fill 4-5 guitar bodies),then clear coat,then maybe do the white primer (not sure about this), then hit it with the butterscotch blond. Should look pretty darn sweet .

[chrisom]

Something like this, but with a Floyd Rose, humbucker and big headstock...

Butterscotch Strat.jpeg (31.52 KiB) Viewed 4714 times

[Lefty Lou]

Can't decide. The grain is so nice, I'm tempted to shoot it with Stewart McDonald clear vintage amber followed by a clear coat, with a black pick guard and single cream DSD humbucker ala Pete Thorn, but with a brass big block to reduce edginess. I want a Warmoth vintage-modern maple neck with straight 12" radius, big frets and a '68 shaped headstock. And a single white "tone" (volume) knob...

If you can find one on eBay (and at a reasonable price) a titanium tremolo block for the Floyd is the (end all/be all) of all floyd tremolo blocks. I got one a ways back from a guy on eBay who was machining Aerospace quality titanium for Floyd blocks and at a very reasonable price. Titanium is the absolute shit.

[chrisom]

After reading reviews of both, I went ahead and got the 42mm fat Brass block from Floyd Rose Upgrades via ZZ Sounds- but they're cheap enough to experiment with, so in the future I may try out the titanium once I see how I like the brass. I also ordered some "Fender" style butterscotch blonde from Reranch. Heres' another (MS Paint- altered) pic of what I'm shooting for- except with a humbucker and a Floyd...

Butter_Ash_Strat.JPG (55.91 KiB) Viewed 4659 times

[chrisom]

Well, 2.5 years later, I'm finally getting around to putting my ash KnE Azusa 'Frankie' Charvel replica together. I'm still waiting on the white EMG 85X pickup I ordered to arrive which will replace the bridge position on my EMG DG20 setup I already have. The Floyd Rose came off of a 1984 Kramer guitar. ReRanch Olympic White lacquer. Maybe I should have used Arctic White instead..? I bought a Warmoth Vintage/Modern neck with Dunlop 6100 frets, and I really love the neck and body combo. I went back and forth with making an EVH tribute guitar, but decided- I like Eddie, but I play more than just VH stuff and that's alot of $$$ to sink into just a tribute guitar. So I took the best parts I liked from Gary Moore's white Charvel/Jackson, the Adrian Smith Jackson and Prince's white EMG Fender Stratocaster w/ Floyd Rose...

[Tone Slinger]

Looks sweet man, and I totally agree, a single hb'er guitar (ala EVH) is such a one trick pony that really is useless to a musician looking for 'sounds', FAR too mono-chromatic . A fully loaded (3 pu) strat is the most versatile electric around imo

[chrisom]

All done, except for some residual fine adjustment of action and harmonics. Sounds and plays terrific! Hats off to Warmoth, KnE, EMG and Floyd Rose! Anyone with reservations about doing a build need not worry- Everything lined up perfectly between the KnE and the Warmoth and the Floyd Rose. One of the nicest-playing bolt-on instruments I've played. Very Nice! Read the reviews of the EMG85X if you don't like active pickups. Greatly improved. Love the 42mm fat Brass block from Floyd Rose Upgrades too!