Mock-up drawing of custom job.

Karl Hungus

Well, as you all probably know, I'm talking about buying this from chrisguitars.com:



It's a BC Rich "Assassin" model, and I'm sure it's a custom shop job as noted by the reversed pointed headstock and the fact that it's neck-through. Although who in their right mind wanted star inlays?

Anyway, here's what I'm thinking of doing with it:



Thoughts?

The kanji actually says Samurai, and the headshot painting of the Samurai is of Toshiro Mifune in the film Throne of Blood.

I also did a previous mock-up without the samurai character:



Although I felt that this was a pretty incomplete design, just having the word 'Samurai' in Kanji and a couple of bloodsplashes. The samurai character makes it much more of a full motif, and seems to 'fill' the body moreso.

These are pretty rough mock-ups though, and I think the Kanji will be done somewhat more 'Brush-stroke' style for the actual finish.

It wasn't me!

Personally I think the character clutters it up a bit too much. I think the kanji and the bloodsplashes look great. That said, I like my guitars plain, so it's just my opinion. And again, just a personal thing but I'd have routed it for a second humbucker, not single coils, but that's just me. Looks classy enough though. Nice.

david

Thats pretty sweet. Who's going to do the sanding/finish etc...

yeah, i don't much care for the character either, although i don't particularly like guitars with pictures on tehm, designs are fine but pictures aren't my thing. But in my opinion, if i was getting a custom job i'd just be a stubborn git and get whatever i want, forget about the rest of us fools and do what you wawnt on your guitar.

Karl Hungus

It wasn't me! wrote:

Personally I think the character clutters it up a bit too much. I think the kanji and the bloodsplashes look great. That said, I like my guitars plain, so it's just my opinion. And again, just a personal thing but I'd have routed it for a second humbucker, not single coils, but that's just me. Looks classy enough though. Nice.

You see, the thing is, all my guitars have humbuckers as it is, I've nothing with single coils. If I put 2 humbuckers in there, it wouldn't be that much different from my Virgin, so it would be fairly pointless (Apart from the headstock) and I don't like having guitars that'd all do the same thing, if I'm going to invest in something I want it to be and do something different, rather than just something that just looks different. I'm planning on putting a Duncan JB and 2 DiMarzio Blue Velvets in there, so it'll be extremely distinct from my other guitars, and as such actually be usefull.

trippertds

Looks quite cool. Any idea on what you're going to do with the pickups though? Route out another space or stick with the one? (EDIT - scratch that!)

Karl Hungus

So nobody likes the character?

freakonaleashx wrote:

Thats pretty sweet. Who's going to do the sanding/finish etc...

Me. Although I might likely have to take it to someone else to do the final Laquer.

Karl Hungus

trippertds wrote:

Looks quite cool. Any idea on what you're going to do with the pickups though? Route out another space or stick with the one? (EDIT - scratch that!)

Definetly going to route out the space.

It wasn't me!

Grand so. Haven't heard the blue velvets, but I imagine a bluesy neck tone just from the name that could make for some gorgeous leads. Great project to have though. Love to do something like it myself some time. How much is the blank going to set you back? I trust you're replacing the fretboard with a nice big slab of plain ebony?

Karl Hungus

It wasn't me! wrote:

Grand so. Haven't heard the blue velvets, but I imagine a bluesy neck tone just from the name that could make for some gorgeous leads. Great project to have though. Love to do something like it myself some time. How much is the blank going to set you back? I trust you're replacing the fretboard with a nice big slab of plain ebony?

Yeah, the leads are going to be very cool I imagine! It's gonna set me back a mere €120 for the guitar, and whatever shipping. Oh, and I'm certainly replacing the fretboard. Ebony, no inlays. Nothing like it!

david

Karl Hungus wrote:

Me. Although I might likely have to take it to someone else to do the final Laquer.

What type of paint are you using? I might make a guitar eventually. My dad can do the lacquer and he has the bandsaws/planers/table routers/sanders too.

Karl Hungus

freakonaleashx wrote:

What type of paint are you using? I might make a guitar eventually. My dad can do the lacquer and he has the bandsaws/planers/table routers/sanders too.

Not sure yet, Feylya mentioned a kind of paint to use, which I'll ask again when I actually get the guitar. Suppose I'll cross that road when I get to it, so to speak.

david

Put a trans black lacquer on it! that would rock. Oh and i dont think the character does anything for it. IMO but its your guitar so...

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote:

...... just be a stubborn git and get whatever i want, forget about the rest of us fools and do what you want on your guitar.

this is the way to go Karl, listen to opinions, but disregard the ones you dont like!

feylya

Trans black will only work if the wood is decent. I reckon there'll be some filling to do.

Karl Hungus

It's only a mock-up, remember! Nowhere near finished, so the finished product certainly isn't going to look just like that.

I'm thinking I'll try my hand at drawing an original character, most likely in black and white, as I think the creme colour of the character on the mockup takes away from the overall effect quite a bit. And no, no trans-black.

Mr. CooL ICE

Excuse me for being ignorant, but how exactly would you go about painting the design (and character) onto the guitar? Would you actually paint it on yourself, then touch it up with lacquer?

Dammit, must get myself a custon made bass sometime. Hehe, just to annoy people, get the word 'BASS' in big bold writing onto the body.

feylya

Karl, what about getting the images of the chinese character, the face, etc, get it printed onto a slef adhisive sticker, sticking it to the guitar, lacquering over it and leveling the lacquer. I reckon it'd look better than what you could do free hand (unless you're a fantastic artist )

Karl Hungus

Naw, I'm actually quite a decent artist, I WILL be painting it on myself. Although I was thinking some stenciling might be cool.

feylya

Furry muff.

ExoduS 18.11

I dont know much about guitars but, that deisign doesn't do much for me. I'd say if u are gonna go for the design you have, leave it with only the kayla and tone down the colour of it. Maybe do it in a grey which is only visible in light or something

Karl Hungus

I don't think the blood splashes would work if I was to 'Tone down' the colour, or do it in grey.

david

Yeah the blood splashes are necessary. :cool: You cant spell grey without misspelling gay.

NotMe

Cool Japanese design. I actually like the first design with the picture of the Samurai better.

I don't like the guitar though.

Karl Hungus

freakonaleashx wrote:

Yeah the blood splashes are necessary. :cool: You cant spell grey without misspelling gay.

...yes...
But quite right, the blood splashes are 100% essential!

NotMe wrote:

I don't like the guitar though.

!
What's wrong with the guitar!?!?

feylya

It's the dodgy carving at the side that annoys me. Looking forward to seeing it when it's stripped.

david

The guitar is lovely, neck thru i presume? just needs a new board and some sanding. BTW, Kenneth (ha) where are you getting the new fretboard from

Karl Hungus

feylya wrote:

It's the dodgy carving at the side that annoys me. Looking forward to seeing it when it's stripped.

I don't think it needs to be stripped, that's a primer coat I believe.

Karl Hungus

freakonaleashx wrote:

The guitar is lovely, neck thru i presume? just needs a new board and some sanding. BTW, Kenneth (ha) where are you getting the new fretboard from

Yeah, neck through all the way baby!
As for the new fretboard, I shall be getting it here.

And what's wrong with Kenneth!?

feylya

Trust me. Strip it. It'll be fair easier to start again, considering there's quite a bit of bare wood there.

Karl Hungus

Yeah, you might be right, I suppose I'll strip it.

Oh, for those who might be interested, this is the picture I worked from for my mock-ups.

feylya

Have you thought about getting a flame maple veneer and dying it trans black?

Karl Hungus

No, I'm sure the Samurai design is definetly the way to go.
Anyway, I don't like flame maple. Quilted or nothing.

feylya

Fair enough. Just giving you options...

Karl Hungus

Thanks man, but I've decided on the basic design idea, I've just got to refine it more.

Ancient1

I like it man, i like it a lot actually.
I would go with the samurai character although i would perhaps rethink the blood splatter - try a design without it, might work.

The only thing i would add is some kind of a logo or signature on the headstock and (perhaps) some fretboard inlays - i love shark inlays but they might take away from the body graphics...

Other than that ==> :cool:

Karl Hungus

Ancient1 wrote:

I like it man, i like it a lot actually.
I would go with the samurai character although i would perhaps rethink the blood splatter - try a design without it, might work.

I've already 2 designs without the blood splashes, 1 with the character on his own, one with the character and the Kanji. It simply does not work.

Ancient1 wrote:

The only thing i would add is some kind of a logo or signature on the headstock and (perhaps) some fretboard inlays - i love shark inlays but they might take away from the body graphics...

Yeah, no idea on the logo, but as for inlays, no no no no!

Ancient1

Fair enough - it's just that i love all things black and white. If you keep the red to a minimum it'll be good imo.

As for the inlays - why not?

Why not try something with similar character, something minimalistic for the headstock?

feylya

Blank ebony = sex



Yum

Karl Hungus

Ancient1 wrote:

Fair enough - it's just that i love all things black and white. If you keep the red to a minimum it'll be good imo.

As for the inlays - why not?

Why not try something with similar character, something minimalistic for the headstock?

No, it NEEDS the blood! And to be honest, I hate inlays. A nice, tastefull 12th fret inlay can look nice, but most times, they look horrid, and sharkfins are my most hated of all inlays. I've not thought about the headstock at all really, probably my own custom logo, but no plans just yet.

Ancient1

oh man, dont hate the shark inlays - dont you just drool at the sight of this

Karl Hungus

No, no I don't. Now if that was a blank ebony board, it could look respectable.

feylya

Ancient1 wrote:

oh man, dont hate the shark inlays - dont you just drool at the sight of this

http://www.triplerguitar.com/used/pics/jackson_dxmg_f.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/stephenhird/anni2.jpg

Nicer

Ancient1

Fair enough - personally i think that guitar looks like it was designed for Darth Vader himself - awesome .

Show us some designs for the headstock when you have them.

Fey - that guitar has a bit too many inlays, imo.

feylya

Good job I've a 6 foot Darth Vader cutout in my bedroom then

Karl Hungus

I will indeed Ancient... Probably do a few more mockups tonight aswell.

feylya wrote:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/stephenhird/anni2.jpg

Nicer

Urgh!

feylya

Young folk these days

Karl Hungus

feylya wrote:

Young folk these days

You said it yourself man:

feylya wrote:

Blank ebony = sex

feylya

I know but I still think that's a gorgeous guitar with a damned fine inlay.

Gonna be doing something like that on my new case I reckon. Frosted persprex, blue neon, go faster stripes, spoiler. Rapih!

Ancient1

(check Morbid Angel's Covenant for Ancient1 - it doesnt refer to my age )

(damn you're fast....)

feylya

Ancient1 wrote:

(damn you're fast....)

You have no idea