NGD - Koa top RG (GSPBASSES content)

Richardrichard

I've been working on this concept for a while, as the guitar doesn't exist to buy anywhere that I can tell.

• I wanted an HSS super strat style that could do EVH tones on the bridge humbucker, and flick to positions 4-5, maybe with a volume knob tweak to get SRV tones. 
• I wanted a non fine tuner Floyd
• I wanted an oiled roasted birds eye maple neck with ebony board at 12-14" radius and some quite specific measurements for depth/profile etc
• I wanted an oiled wood body with a fancy top

Thankfully, @GSPBASSES was happy to oblige with a body and neck, and put up with my fussy requirements! Anyway, here she is and she's perfect.

Spec is;

• koa top over roasted ash, all simply tru oiled to a satin - no stain at all
• Roasted birds eye maple neck with 12" radius ebony board and jumbo frets
• ASL eruption bridge, Dimarzio Injector in the middle and Dimarzio Heavy Blues 2 in the neck (courtesty of @jonnyscaramanga )
• Suhr spec treble bleed circuit
• NFT Floyd Rose

https://imgur.com/gallery/xyBWIc4

Brad

I’m not usually a fan of Super Strats, but that is stunning! 

xscaramanga

Looks awesome! Looking forward to hearing it. I think that'll be a good set of pickups for that (though I would say that).

Schnozz

I would have gone for a Warwick/Framus like french polish/stain finish on the top in an unusual 80s colour.

Really nice - Looks like something Reb Beach would play

LastMantra

Looks great!

ThePrettyDamned

Holy crap, that looks amazing! 

PC_Dave

That looks awesome! Excellent work that man!

Jetfire

Damn!!!!! That is amazing, I won't lie

John_A

Lovely!   Really like the headstock design too

Philly_Q

Oh wow.  Reb Beach meets Guthrie Govan.

guitarcookie1

That is very nice  

Philly_Q

Richardrichard said:

• I wanted an oiled roasted birds eye maple neck with ebony board at 12-14" radius and some quite specific measurements for depth/profile etc

Being geeky about such things, I'm curious to know the neck profile and measurements!

Richardrichard

Interesting observations on Reb Beach and Guthrie. The GG Charvel is part of the inspiration really, though I don’t like the neck or the HSH. Reb Beach wasn’t really on my radar but having googled that’s a mighty fine Suhr, albeit still not exactly what I’m after (and £5k!)

re neck spec, it’s a C profile but I asked for a bit more meat in the shoulders, 21-21.5mm at 1st and 23-23.5mm at 12th and a ~42mm nut. Through process of elimination and much trading over the past year I have found this to be my Goldilocks! I was trying to get it as close as possible to my N4.

Philly_Q

Thanks for the neck specs, always interesting!  I'd have gone for 2mm thicker all along. 

Before Reb had the Suhr he had an Ibanez signature model in the late '80s, early '90s.  It was a weird shape, but the koa top and sharp horns are quite similar to your guitar.  He kept some of the features for his Suhr, but with a more conventional body shape.

(Edit:  Now that I think about it, he probably had the first Suhr before the Ibanez endorsement.  So the Ibanez Voyager borrowed the Suhr's features, not the other way round.)

Fez

Nice one

GSPBASSES

It’s always good to see one of my guitars in its finished state, that’s tuned out really pretty, I hope it sounds as good as it looks.

DLM

Philly_Q said:

(Edit:  Now that I think about it, he probably had the first Suhr before the Ibanez endorsement.  So the Ibanez Voyager borrowed the Suhr's features, not the other way round.)

That's correct. He bought his first John Suhr build in NYC while Suhr was still working at Rudy Pensa's shop. Solid koa body, solid pao ferro neck is the classic Reb guitar. EMGs to fit in with the time, that's what Luke was using on everything in LA and Beach was an up-and-coming session man on the other coast. It was super important at the time to have an identifiable look, so he drunkenly sketched the Voyager cutout on a cocktail napkin a la the Rhoads Concorde design process and Ibanez ran with it. After Winger were "cancelled" by Beavis and Butthead, Reb ditched Ibanez over tuning issues and went back to the Suhr, putting passive pickups in it to be able to cover Lynch's parts on joining Dokken.

I love love love the look of the Suhr sig and the sound when he plays it, but it doesn't work for me when I do – neither its conventional guise nor as a 24-fret Suhr Modern model.

BlueStrat

That really is a stunning guitar! The oil finish brings the top and grain figure to life, beautiful!

Philly_Q

DLM said:

I love love love the look of the Suhr sig and the sound when he plays it, but it doesn't work for me when I do – neither its conventional guise nor as a 24-fret Suhr Modern model.

I'm a Reb Beach fan but the Suhr's not really my kind of thing.  I am sometimes tempted to get something with a non-locking Floyd like Richardrichard's guitar, but it would be more like a regular Strat.

Richardrichard

I expect you'll like my @StormshadowGuitars supertele then! One piece mahogany body, solid pau ferro neck

MikeB

Loving the look of the guitar and also liking the kitchen too!! (Yes, I’m house hunting so I’m noticing these things. Ha ha)