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Kemp Guitars *2017-2018* Build Thread

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xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
edited February 2019 in Made in the UK

My first (2016) build thread was looking a little tatty so I've decided to start a new thread - which coincides nicely with the start of some new builds that will show a new direction for Kemp Guitars.

I won't give too much away now but all will become apparent as these two stock builds get underway.

Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    edited January 2019

    Some crude mock-ups for the next two builds - both will have Sapele bodies, Wenge/Dark Birch (inverted) necks, Wenge fretboards, 25.5"-26.5" multiscale/half-fanned, Gotoh hardware and EMG 81 pups. Finish will be matte PU.

    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    edited January 2019

     Fanned fret DC and SS underway... Looking a bit dull at the moment

    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27345
    That Dark Birch looks interesting.
    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    edited January 2019
    TTony said:
    That Dark Birch looks interesting.

    Something different to use. It's got an odd colour, bronze-like, but when it's wiped over with spirits or water it turns a deep orange-red colour. The smell when machining it is fantastic too - smells sweet, like sugary coffee or syrup.

    It looks like it could be Black Walnut (grain, etc) and it's about the same hardness/density and weight, but I would only use it laminated until I knew more about it. I've not come across it before, and it's not an easy one to get hold of over here. There's a couple of small pieces on eBay and barely anything about the stuff in general on Google. This'll probably be a one-off.


    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    edited January 2019

    Further progress on the latest DC and SS (formerly referred to as the "Dinky-style") builds. The bodies are now ready for finish/fine sanding...


    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    edited January 2019

    Nearly forgot; going back to those SS colour mock-ups I recently posted. I had decided to go with the yellow, but whilst messing around with the images I came up with this orange which I'm quite drawn towards. Thoughts - yellow or orange?


    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • webrthomsonwebrthomson Frets: 1029

    Something like this appeal to anyone? These are rough mock-ups for the next two builds - one Dinky style archtop (colour undecided) and the Kiwi Green DC. Both will be Sapele bodies, Wenge/Dark Birch (inverted) necks, Wenge fretboards, 25.5"-26.5" multiscale/half-fanned, Gotoh hardware and EMG 81 pups. Finish will be matte PU.


    I like the green meanie - how much adjustment does the fan fret take - I've seen but never played one?
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    tFB Trader


    Slanted pickups for fan fret instruments, in this case 14% slant 7 string 'Masterwound' Blackbirds designed by us for Carillion Guitars ...
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16546
    I have always preferred to go with normal pickups, i think of it as being like the bridge slant on a strat.   although its worth noting that the kemp ones above has a fan starting from the bridge so a single straight pickup looks fine.    I have always had the fan starting from somewhere between 12th fret and nut which obviously gives more slant on the bridge end






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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    tFB Trader
    WezV said:
    I have always preferred to go with normal pickups, i think of it as being like the bridge slant on a strat.   although its worth noting that the kemp ones above has a fan starting from the bridge so a single straight pickup looks fine.    I have always had the fan starting from somewhere between 12th fret and nut which obviously gives more slant on the bridge end






    Nice to see my Masterwound  Havoc in there again Wez ... always thought it really suited the look of that guitar.
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16546
    it sounds bloody awesome in it too.
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    tFB Trader

    Something like this appeal to anyone? These are rough mock-ups for the next two builds - one Dinky style archtop (colour undecided) and the Kiwi Green DC. Both will be Sapele bodies, Wenge/Dark Birch (inverted) necks, Wenge fretboards, 25.5"-26.5" multiscale/half-fanned, Gotoh hardware and EMG 81 pups. Finish will be matte PU.


    I like the green meanie - how much adjustment does the fan fret take - I've seen but never played one?
    I love this sort of stripped out look ... 
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    edited February 2019

    Something like this appeal to anyone? These are rough mock-ups for the next two builds - one Dinky style archtop (colour undecided) and the Kiwi Green DC. Both will be Sapele bodies, Wenge/Dark Birch (inverted) necks, Wenge fretboards, 25.5"-26.5" multiscale/half-fanned, Gotoh hardware and EMG 81 pups. Finish will be matte PU.

    [PIC REMOVED]

    I like the green meanie - how much adjustment does the fan fret take - I've seen but never played one?


    Hello Sir - that's my favourite at the moment too. Sealed both builds today so I should be shooting primer before the weekend and top coats next week

    The fanned frets, despite appearance, don't take long to get adjusted to, even with the bigger scale length differences, such as 25.5"-28", and full fan (neutral fret around 7th to 9th, or even 12th fret). I decided to adopt the "half fan" because I feel it offers the same benefits but looks less daunting and, therefore, might encourage more players to try out multiscale... I can also fit any standard bridge, unlike full fan builds that have very limited options.



    Slanted pickups for fan fret instruments, in this case 14% slant 7 string 'Masterwound' Blackbirds designed by us for Carillion Guitars ...
    Do you do other angles? I've used BKPs (limited to 12 degree) and I've had Lundgren make me an M8 with a 25 degree angle. But if I the need came for angled pups then I'd like someone UK based that can make them for me 
    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    edited February 2019
     WezV said:
    I have always preferred to go with normal pickups, i think of it as being like the bridge slant on a strat.   although its worth noting that the kemp ones above has a fan starting from the bridge so a single straight pickup looks fine.    I have always had the fan starting from somewhere between 12th fret and nut which obviously gives more slant on the bridge end

    [PIC REMOVED]

    Nice build. I think it works looks-wise (non-angled pup)

    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    tFB Trader
     WezV said:
    I have always preferred to go with normal pickups, i think of it as being like the bridge slant on a strat.   although its worth noting that the kemp ones above has a fan starting from the bridge so a single straight pickup looks fine.    I have always had the fan starting from somewhere between 12th fret and nut which obviously gives more slant on the bridge end






    Nice build. I think it works looks-wise (non-angled pup) =)


    The Havoc pickup was designed for guitars like this, it's a balls to the wall metal pickup with triple magnets and a 16k DCR, but with over height bobbins, so it retains all the high end harmonics and splits to be like a true single coil ... like two 8k strat pickups in the same unit. Sorry ... I'm very into what I do :-)
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
     WezV said:
    I have always preferred to go with normal pickups, i think of it as being like the bridge slant on a strat.   although its worth noting that the kemp ones above has a fan starting from the bridge so a single straight pickup looks fine.    I have always had the fan starting from somewhere between 12th fret and nut which obviously gives more slant on the bridge end






    Nice build. I think it works looks-wise (non-angled pup) =)


    The Havoc pickup was designed for guitars like this, it's a balls to the wall metal pickup with triple magnets and a 16k DCR, but with over height bobbins, so it retains all the high end harmonics and splits to be like a true single coil ... like two 8k strat pickups in the same unit. Sorry ... I'm very into what I do :-)


    No, that's good to know. I did consider Oil City pups on a recent(ish) build. I will have to find out more and perhaps try out some of your products - including the Havoc by the sounds of it. It's getting late and I need some sleep so I'll take a look through your site tomorrow and start thinking about pups for my next stock build. Initial thoughts were something along the lines of the SD Distortion... Or maybe I'll just try out The Havoc =)

    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16546
    I put a push/pull in the volume control too.  The split sound is one of the best I have had, and I have tried a lot.  I was really happy when Ash said he could do a double white one too.
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16546
    Oh, and apologies for posting one of mine in your thread.  I thought it showed a slightly different approach to a similar style of guitar.

    i sometimes have people say they have tried fanned frets and it wasn't for them... but often they don't remember what scale lengths it used of where the fan started from.  There probably is a fan that would work for them.
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  • xKempGuitarsxKempGuitars Frets: 183
    WezV said:
    Oh, and apologies for posting one of mine in your thread.  I thought it showed a slightly different approach to a similar style of guitar.

    i sometimes have people say they have tried fanned frets and it wasn't for them... but often they don't remember what scale lengths it used of where the fan started from.  There probably is a fan that would work for them.

    No, I'm glad you did. Like you said, it's a different approach and works with both the full fan and, what I like to call the half fan that I'm doing. Thanks Wez
    Kemp Guitars - Custom Made Guitars for the Modern Rock & Metal Guitarist
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    tFB Trader
     WezV said:
    I have always preferred to go with normal pickups, i think of it as being like the bridge slant on a strat.   although its worth noting that the kemp ones above has a fan starting from the bridge so a single straight pickup looks fine.    I have always had the fan starting from somewhere between 12th fret and nut which obviously gives more slant on the bridge end






    Nice build. I think it works looks-wise (non-angled pup) =)


    The Havoc pickup was designed for guitars like this, it's a balls to the wall metal pickup with triple magnets and a 16k DCR, but with over height bobbins, so it retains all the high end harmonics and splits to be like a true single coil ... like two 8k strat pickups in the same unit. Sorry ... I'm very into what I do :-)


    No, that's good to know. I did consider Oil City pups on a recent(ish) build. I will have to find out more and perhaps try out some of your products - including the Havoc by the sounds of it. It's getting late and I need some sleep so I'll take a look through your site tomorrow and start thinking about pups for my next stock build. Initial thoughts were something along the lines of the SD Distortion... Or maybe I'll just try out The Havoc =)

    I also develop pickups specifically for and with builders as I did with Blackmachine. I can always cut you a deal m'boy ;-)
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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