Just ordered X20 Woody - Page 4

TomB'sox · #46 05-26-2017, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puerto Player

The neck is pretty good the way it is, but it does feel "bigger". I got used to it pretty easily, but, if I get my choice, I think I prefer it a bit thinner.

This has been mentioned now a few times, I wonder just how much they are able to customize it, certainly not as much as a hand build custom would be, but I wonder if they have a few different molds that they can chose from and how one would have a chance to get a feel for them if you can't play a bunch of them?

Puerto Player · #47 05-26-2017, 06:58 AM

I'm not sure how the neck carve will go. I have a guitar with the neck contour I'd like them to copy, but I have not idea how to make a mold or 3D image of it with dimensions. It's going to be a while before it's built, so we'll work on it.

TomB'sox · #48 05-26-2017, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puerto Player

I'm not sure how the neck carve will go. I have a guitar with the neck contour I'd like them to copy, but I have not idea how to make a mold or 3D image of it with dimensions. It's going to be a while before it's built, so we'll work on it.

That part I can help with as I have done it with a couple of custom builds in the past. You can purchase a contour gauge (I think that is what they are called) at any hardware store....it is simply a rod with individual metal teeth in it that you lay against whatever you want to copy and it pushes the teeth back in that shape...you then trace the outside pattern onto construction paper and there you have your neck profile. My luthier reminded me to put a piece of masking tape on the neck first to avoid scratches, I did three copies at like the first, 5th and 12th fret and sent him the cutouts from which he contoured the exact neck shape I liked....so we can do that, but from there, how far can Emerald run with that? Perhaps if they have different molds, they may be able to use it to get it to the closest one?

Puerto Player · #49 05-26-2017, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That part I can help with as I have done it with a couple of custom builds in the past. You can purchase a contour gauge (I think that is what they are called) at any hardware store....it is simply a rod with individual metal teeth in it that you lay against whatever you want to copy and it pushes the teeth back in that shape...you then trace the outside pattern onto construction paper and there you have your neck profile. My luthier reminded me to put a piece of masking tape on the neck first to avoid scratches, I did three copies at like the first, 5th and 12th fret and sent him the cutouts from which he contoured the exact neck shape I liked....so we can do that, but from there, how far can Emerald run with that? Perhaps if they have different molds, they may be able to use it to get it to the closest one?

Excellent! Thanks for that. I do know what you're talking about, I'd forgotten about those.

Tell me if you think I'm nut's here; the neck I absolutely love playing is on a little 3/4 size Zager guitar. It's a 1 11/16" nut, and a thin neck with gentle C curve, but pretty thin most of the way down. The guitar doesn't sound all that great, but I play it a lot as a couch guitar because of how effortlessly I can play up and down the neck. Most songs I learn, I learn first on this guitar, then jump to my larger ones. I just think it would be really nice to have neck like that on a good acoustic. The neck is similar to my '57 Gibson ES225. Do you loose tone or anything with a thin neck?

Methos1979 · #50 05-26-2017, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puerto Player

I'm not sure how the neck carve will go. I have a guitar with the neck contour I'd like them to copy, but I have not idea how to make a mold or 3D image of it with dimensions. It's going to be a while before it's built, so we'll work on it.

Actually, this is no problem apparently for Emerald! While I was talking back and forth with Sean about what I wanted one of the major things I needed is for the neck carve to be as close to my Santa Cruz (I love their version of V necks) and Sean said they will send me a material to take a mold of the SC neck to send back to them so my custom should nearly identical.

I have not yet received the material so I don't know exactly what it is but I'm excited that my custom X20 woody will be a near perfect replication of my favorite neck carve.

TomB'sox · #51 05-26-2017, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puerto Player

Excellent! Thanks for that. I do know what you're talking about, I'd forgotten about those.

Tell me if you think I'm nut's here; the neck I absolutely love playing is on a little 3/4 size Zager guitar. It's a 1 11/16" nut, and a thin neck with gentle C curve, but pretty thin most of the way down. The guitar doesn't sound all that great, but I play it a lot as a couch guitar because of how effortlessly I can play up and down the neck. Most songs I learn, I learn first on this guitar, then jump to my larger ones. I just think it would be really nice to have neck like that on a good acoustic. The neck is similar to my '57 Gibson ES225. Do you loose tone or anything with a thin neck?

No I do not think you would lose and perceptible tone, as long as the neck is solid and under tension, no real tone is lost and I do not think either of those will be an issue in the CF world.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Actually, this is no problem apparently for Emerald! While I was talking back and forth with Sean about what I wanted one of the major things I needed is for the neck carve to be as close to my Santa Cruz (I love their version of V necks) and Sean said they will send me a material to take a mold of the SC neck to send back to them so my custom should nearly identical.

I have not yet received the material so I don't know exactly what it is but I'm excited that my custom X20 woody will be a near perfect replication of my favorite neck carve.

That is exciting....I have a favorite neck profile also, I will contact Sean. It really makes me wonder how they can do that. Can they work the CF and "shave" it down like wood?????

Acousticado · #52 05-26-2017, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

No I do not think you would lose and perceptible tone, as long as the neck is solid and under tension, no real tone is lost and I do not think either of those will be an issue in the CF world.

That is exciting....I have a favorite neck profile also, I will contact Sean. It really makes me wonder how they can do that. Can they work the CF and "shave" it down like wood?????

C'mon now, everyone knows it's the magic of the leprechauns that Emerald employs!

Seriously, besides the high quality and beauty of Emerald guitars, whatever processes they have devised to offer such flexibility at reasonable cost is what is contributing to buyer interest and their success. As other builders are likely quite locked into their own processes involving expensive moods, it's unlikely that they will be able to compete any time soon in this regard.

Methos1979 · #53 05-26-2017, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acousticado

C'mon now, everyone knows it's the magic of the leprechauns that Emerald employs!

Seriously, besides the high quality and beauty of Emerald guitars, whatever processes they have devised to offer such flexibility at reasonable cost is what is contributing to buyer interest and their success. As other builders are likely quite locked into their own processes involving expensive moods, it's unlikely that they will be able to compete any time soon in this regard.

While I don't exact process of Emerald's (or any other CF guitar maker) build, I'm pretty sure that carbon fiber is a combination of a cloth-like material that is layered and then combined with an epoxy-like substance that penetrates the matrix and once cured is very solid and very strong. As such if they had a mold the could easily use that to create a neck very close to the desired shape.

Again, this is all just my assumptions of the process.

Acousticado · #54 05-26-2017, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

While I don't exact process of Emerald's (or any other CF guitar maker) build, I'm pretty sure that carbon fiber is a combination of a cloth-like material that is layered and then combined with an epoxy-like substance that penetrates the matrix and once cured is very solid and very strong. As such if they had a mold the could easily use that to create a neck very close to the desired shape.

Again, this is all just my assumptions of the process.

Yes, but it's especially curious how Emerald is able to offer such flexibility in neck design at reasonable cost, where other builders don't and seemingly can't.

Carmel Cedar · #55 05-26-2017, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Actually, this is no problem apparently for Emerald! While I was talking back and forth with Sean about what I wanted one of the major things I needed is for the neck carve to be as close to my Santa Cruz (I love their version of V necks) and Sean said they will send me a material to take a mold of the SC neck to send back to them so my custom should nearly identical.

Methos, that is awesome! I settled for manual measurements, descriptive email narrative ("make it Ryan-like"), etc. to convey my desired neck shape and thickness. Totally lame compared to sending a mold of the actual desired model to mimic. Wish I pressed Sean harder on this and teased out that option for defining neck shape for my upcoming X7 build!!!

TomB'sox · #56 07-07-2017, 09:47 AM

Well, I have heard from Sean and my X20 Woody has been started, I still had time to make a few changes and Sean was GREAT in letting me do this. The customer service that I am receiving is just amazing and a thing I find too rare these days.

I am leaving my changes as a surprise for the grand reveal, I love it of course as I am sure many of you won't hahahahaha....I love a good mystery, don't you?

Tom

Methos1979 · #57 07-07-2017, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Well, I have heard from Sean and my X20 Woody has been started, I still had time to make a few changes and Sean was GREAT in letting me do this. The customer service that I am receiving is just amazing and a thing I find too rare these days.

I am leaving my changes as a surprise for the grand reveal, I love it of course as I am sure many of you won't hahahahaha....I love a good mystery, don't you?

Tom

This IS great news since I ordered mine a week or two before you!! Sean did send me an email saying they managed to cut down their lead times. Did he say approximately how long it would take to finish? I'm going to have to email him!!

TomB'sox · #58 07-07-2017, 10:17 AM

Not exactly, I did not mean things quite so literally, I should clarify. I contacted Sean to ask about some changes and was told then that it had been started. He did not email me to tell me it had been started, don't want anyone to think I am getting any special treatment haha.

I am sure yours is started then for sure!!!! The changes I made will set my delivery back some so I do not have a date...

Hope this helps.

Tom

Methos1979 · #59 07-07-2017, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Not exactly, I did not mean things quite so literally, I should clarify. I contacted Sean to ask about some changes and was told then that it had been started. He did not email me to tell me it had been started, don't want anyone to think I am getting any special treatment haha.

I am sure yours is started then for sure!!!! The changes I made will set my delivery back some so I do not have a date...

Hope this helps.

Tom

Mine is getting a custom neck carve that's exactly (or nearly so) the same as my Santa Cruz 1929 00 so I needed to take and send them a mold of that. This might have bumped mine out.

Regardless, Sean has been great. Always replies within a day or so of my emails. What did you change? I went back and forth on a few details but in the end I only changed one thing.

TomB'sox · #60 07-07-2017, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Mine is getting a custom neck carve that's exactly (or nearly so) the same as my Santa Cruz 1929 00 so I needed to take and send them a mold of that. This might have bumped mine out.

Regardless, Sean has been great. Always replies within a day or so of my emails. What did you change? I went back and forth on a few details but in the end I only changed one thing.

Can't tell you what I changed, its a surrrpriiizze!!!! Something to do with the finish though....