My New Offset Designs: Artemis & Apollo - Builds Coming

[ThePearDream]

I just noticed that the angle of the blade switch not only follows the curve of the body, but will also sit pretty much level when the guitar is in playing position.

Good eye.

That line that the switch follows is at a perfect 90 degrees from the line of the waist. I haven't posted any of the pics like below in a bit, but it's easier to see here. These show the guitar rotated 15 degrees, with the waist aligned vertically. The bridge pickups (when rotated), are also aligned with the waist axis. Also, the rear strap button is positioned along an imaginary line that runs perpendicular to the waist axis, from the intersection of the waist axis and the centerline of the string path. This is shown in the last pic.

[ThePearDream]

Orion 1 is carved and sanded to 120. I guess I still need to open up the ferrule holes on the back, but it's basically done.



I had thought I might do a natural finish, but the bare grain isn't that special. Now I'm thinking that I'll do the same type of finish as I'm doing on the yellow one, but with a petrol blue color that I have on hand already.



* edit to remove wrong color sample

[ThePearDream]

Correction, this is the blue I have:

[ThePearDream]

Here's a closer look at the body for Apollo 3 before I start the finish. It's Spanish Cedar (as is the neck). As mentioned earlier in the thread, it's neither Spanish nor Cedar. It's actually a closer Mahogany relative than all of the old world species that are sold as Mahogany, but typically lighter than any of them. This body happens to be 3.75#, so should be a nice light guitar. Anyway, true to the Latin name Cedrela odorata, it smells just like Cedar, so was very pleasant to sand and carve.

[ThePearDream]

I was working on going through a pile of junk in the corner of my shop. I pulled out this neck blank that I had screwed up. Other than that little divot on the bass side, it was fine though. So I decided to rescue it from the trash and try something weird.



I measured the nut for a new narrower width of ~1-3/8", to remove the router slip. The tuner locations were already marked, so I drilled the middle four and reshaped the headstock accordingly. I glued on an un-slotted, un-radiused rosewood fretboard blank, that had kept finding its way to the bottom of my stack, due to streaky grain on one end. The shaft of the neck is still roughly shaped and will get refined this weekend. I'll sand the fretboard to either 7.25" or 9.5" radius. No frets, so technically, the scale can be whatever, but I'll put it on a 25.5" scale body.



So what is it?
My plan is to tune the strings in fifths, an octave below a tenor guitar (C2-G2-D3-A3), which also happens to be Cello tuning. I'll use a standard guitar bridge already installed on whatever old body I use, for closer string spacing. Kind of like a fretless Bass VI, but a Cello IV, if that makes sense.
So it's a fretless, electric cello conversion neck.
Like I said, I wanted to try something weird.
I'm going to try some other new things on this one and could still mess it up again. This is just for fun though.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Yes! Saving the underdog and making something cool! That tuning is something that is very very interesting and I can't wait to see how this one turns out!!!

[bodhi]

If I'm not completely confused, that's pretty much the tuning that Robert Fripp of King Crimson ended up using as of some decade or the other, but with the top string missing Sounds pretty interesting, and a good use of material!

[ThePearDream]

If I'm not completely confused, that's pretty much the tuning that Robert Fripp of King Crimson ended up using as of some decade or the other, but with the top string missing Sounds pretty interesting, and a good use of material!

I believe you are correct. I didn't even make that connection. So, it'll be that, but also fretless. I figure, even without being an experienced fretless player, barre chords will sound cool with this tuning.

[Zork]

Awesome concept! I had my tele converted to some kind of mandocello for some time and used that tuning and it was a lot of fun. I actually think of going back to that configuration.

Edit: I found a pic:



Maybe the bridge is interresting for you too: I just turned a standard JM bridge around and drilled four new holes for the saddles for a slightly wider string spacing. Easy and clean mod and maybe good for the Cello IV as well?

[ThePearDream]

So, there is another variation of Apollo, that I haven't built yet, and that is the version with a separate top and back, and with a softened edge where the bevel meets the top, top binding, roundovers on the rear, and a belly carve. This is the version for emulating things like Les Pauls or Duo Jets. I've mentioned this one before, but said I wasn't building it until I have the space to do it right. I had done 3D models of everything, but that's no substitute for seeing and handling a thing for real. I already had a Maple top and Khaya back prepped, so I did a quick prototype body, that I'll leave as-is, just to see how it would really look, how it would feel, and how much it would weigh. This one doesn't have the chambering that I plan to do to the real ones, but it still came out to 4lb4oz. I think it does a nice job of giving the impression of a carved top. I may even do these as set necks.

My end goal for this version, is to be able to make really lightweight, comfortable, offset versions of classics like the Les Paul or Duo Jet, that are between 7-8.5 lbs. I've always loved the look of the 50s gold top LPs, but I can't stand the ergonomics of the LP body, and I'd always rather have an offset vibrato than anything else.

Anyway, picture this with your favorite top finish from a Gibson/Gretsch/PRS type guitar, with binding (or faux binding), natural back, and some HB, or P90, or Filtertron, etc. pickups. I'm really looking forward to my gold top version

[Shadoweclipse13]

Ooh! I like it!!

[Twang Deluxe]

Very nice!!!

[ThePearDream]

Hey everybody, this is really cool. My Artemis prototype was played onstage at the Grand Ole Opry!

Aslan Freeman, guitar player for Lainey Wilson is the new owner, and played it for a few songs during a recent appearance. How's that for a demo video?


So cool!

[marqueemoon]

Awesome! That guitar sure looks the business under stage lights.

[michel v]

That's great! It's nice to see the guitar in a real life situation - it looks fantastic!