#1
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custom axe commissioned - the Williams Special
just thought i'd share, in case anyone else is thinking about custom builds.
The Williams Special The Williams Special is a Les Paul-Strat-Mustang-Explorer hybrid, with hollow body cavities, Mustang scale length, built like a paul with mahagony and maple top, with vintage-dimension strat body, explorer headstock. (semi-related: my first 'good' guitar was a '75 Fender Mustang.) This guitar was commissioned in 1986. It is a Gibson Les paul-Fender strat-Fender mustang-Gibson explorer HYBRID. -built by Stan Williams, Rome Georgia. -based on the Fender Mustang scale length at 24.0"....this design is also similar to brian may's red special. *honduras mahogany body, with air cavities carved in the body below the maple top. *flame maple top, 3/8" thick. *vintage-dimension strat body. *2-piece flame maple neck, with ebony fingerboard. *no truss rod! there are (2) rectangular pieces of aircraft aluminum running the length of the fretboard. *flame maple veneer on headstock; front, sides, and back. *24" scale length. *jumbo frets, nickle alloy *custom inlays: mother of pearl, diamond shape, with a split diamond around the center pickup. *Kahler 2300 pro tremelo. *(3) off/on switches *master volume, master tone, 3rd switch now unwired- *Pickups: originally equipped with a EMG SA assembly, and the 3rd knob was the presence control. --now has (2) bill lawrence L-280's, and a duncan Little 59 humbucker in the bridge. *explorer headstock shape, true to scale. *long tenon set neck *13 degree tilt back headstock *graphtec nut, with locking kahler nut mounted behind it. *Wood: the Flame maple used on the top and neck, and veneers, was from a large timber (139 years old as of 2014) salvaged from a barn in Illinois. The honduras was acquired long before there were conservation laws on that particular wood (blank dates back to pre-1980). __________________________________________________ _________ design criteria: the les paul connection: the basics of the les paul (the obvious basics) are: slab mahogony body; maple top; strings on top of body; 2 piece maple neck; glued in neck, long tenon; tilt back headstock, no string trees required. later, in 2008, they started weight relieving the standards, but remember, i built this in 1986. so, the Gibson nod starts there. This one has: Honduras mahagony body -- maple top -- strings on top of body via the Kahler -- 2 piece maple neck -- a glued in neck with long tenon -- tilt back headstock. My design tried to improve on my favorite aspects of the 4 different guitars, the mustang, explorer, strat and paul. for example: *the volute on the explorer headstock is inherently stronger than the les paul (commonly known over time for breaks at the neck), plus i liked the headstock shape; *the weight relief is secondary-- the sound cavities i had routed strictly for that semi-acoustic property, making the guitar, at stage volume, extremely lively - this followed the basics of the Brian May Red Special, which was my starting point. his guitar is designed more like a 335 than mine, but i went there as much as i could without floating the top over a central beam; *the ebony fretboard brings out more les paul-style tonal characteristics than, say, a rosewood fretboard would have; *the glue in neck was a must, and unlike the les paul, which has that awkward heel, mine is smoothed out right into the back of the body, without so much as a line. the tonal effect with the glued in neck, and the long tenon is an obvious connection to the les paul lineage; *the tilt back headstock was unnecessary with the kahler locking nut, but i added it anyway, feeling that the downward pressure of the strings still helps to maintain a strong connection to the neck, vibration wise, and this is very much in les paul territory; *the strings on top, versus thru the body, is a very important link to the overall sound, and the use of the kahler is a great way to bridge the gap between a stop tailpiece and a floating trem. though Kahler did not have it then, they now have a 'hybrid' tailpiece, that can lock as a hard tail, or float as a trem. best of both. i have one on my '84 Carvin DC200k, and will eventually updgrade this one with one as well. |
#2
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It has a Carvin Custom Shop vibe.
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I don't have a bunch of guitars because they all sound just like me. 1984 Carvin LB-40 bass 1986 Carvin DC-125 two humbucker 1996 Taylor 412 La Patrie Concert 2012 American Standard Telecaster 1981 Carvin DC 100 Harley Benton LP JR DC Bushman Delta Frost & Suzuki harmonicas Artley flute Six-plus decade old vocal apparatus |
#3
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owning a carvin from '84, i can say that it has nothing in common with the carvin build.
the carvin build is a very high quality build, for sure, but they really don't offer any of these choices or enhancements. |
#4
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one of the things i like most about this experimental build,
is the 'no truss rod' thing..... |
#5
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Hey Bat, a fantastic looking guitar!! Why isn't there a truss rod? Do you not need slight tweaks once and a while?
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#6
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built in '86,
no truss rod, neck is Still dead straight. a good design, stood the test of time, the stiffness of the neck makes for an intense transfer from string to body. |
#7
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you know, if i could have gotten 'just enough' of the particulars i wanted (short scale, pickup layout, finish, neck size, etc) i probably WOULD have ordered one from those guys..
my carvin i had before this build, is still going quite strong Carvin DC200k |
#8
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and the thing about the carvin I have, is that it has a gibson scale length neck..
and they do not offer that as an option any longer, went with the PRS-style mid length, inbetween the gibson and the fender |
#9
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Beautiful woods. I was definitely not surprised to read the "commissioned in 1986" part - definitely has a bit of that 80's USA custom-shop "super strat" vibe going for it. Not surprised the neck has held up so well over time - looks like a superbly built guitar. I love the figure and finish on the neck. Thanks for sharing, and for making me realize that I do actually have some "birth year guitars" out there worth finding (I'm an '86 model as well!).
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Some might call me a "Webber Guitars enthusiast". |