Baritone...nope, nine string!

[gunslinger_burrito]

So I was going to build a baritone using a Warmoth neck and a mockingbird body I found, but the neck isn't going to work out. SO, I'm still refinishing the guitar, and I hit upon the idea of making something totally odd. Like a nine-string with the high strings doubled.

I'll post some pics of the sanded body soon.

[shezi]

I like this forum, amazing and very informative,

[gunslinger_burrito]

Ok. I've got a body bought, and I've started to strip/sand the finish. I'm doing a plain wood finish using Tru Oil and stain. Warmoth bari neck on order. The biggest step is going to be measuring the scale, but I'm not too worried about it.

Any thoughts about plugging the holes from where the bridge was originally? I was just going to cut some dowels an glue them in there

[AxAxSxS]

Wich dierection are you moving the bridge? There was a very well documented thread on hc where meandi took a les paul back to origional state after removing a hack job floyd rose install. He made a plug that fit perfectly.

[gunslinger_burrito]

I'll have to extend it. The guitar is 24.75" scale and the neck is intended to convert to baritone (28 5/8) from a 25.5" length. I'm planning on mounting the neck once and measuring the distances with a rule or maybe just a string, if the length from 12th fret is really odd. Of course, I'll have to compensate for the angle of the tune-o-matic style bridge.

[gunslinger_burrito]

Update, I'm scratching the baritone idea for now and saving the neck for a body that fits. Gonna build me a nine string instead. Weeee!

[gunslinger_burrito]

Sanded body. Have to raise the grain maybe one more time tomorrow morning, then it's off to staining and finishing! I'm going to the geetar store to look for some machine heads with smaller knobs so I can fit three more tuners on the head stock. Also have to find some kind of 12 string bridge.....

[AxAxSxS]

if ya want to plug those holes, this will work, then use some normal saddles for the single strings.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_ta ... uitar.html

[gunslinger_burrito]

I think I'm going to use a tune-o-matic style bridge and file the saddles for the thicker gauges:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-STRING-TUNE- ... 2314b6c330

Got the the tuners; I think they're going to fit, but it'll be close.

[Obulus]

I'll be following this thread closely! I have an Epi Goth SG incoming and I'm also planning on making it a 9-string. How are you doing the headstock?

[gunslinger_burrito]

I'm just going to drill it wherever the tuners will fit, basically. I got a set of really small ones (mini Ping tuners) and they fit just close enough without the knobs catching on each other. One might have to stick straight out of the end of the head stock, though. It'll probably look weird, but it should do the trick.

[gunslinger_burrito]

I've been forgetting to post photos!
Sanded body, and finished body.

[gunslinger_burrito]

aaand, a crappy photo of the body put together. I had to get a black 12 string bridge, and the mounts that came with it were a bit too big, and I didn't feel like drilling holes. So I just used the silver ones off of the original bridge. Looks kinda cool, imo.

Drilled the head stock for the new holes, too. I painted over the BC Rish logo and am waiting for the paint and clear coat to dry before stringing it up. BUT, before that, the very last thing to do will be to either a: cut new slots into the existing nut, or b: get a 12 string nut. I may have to wait to see how it looks when I try to string it up tomorrow....

[gunslinger_burrito]

ALLLLLLLLLL DONE!

I haven't been able to play it through my actual amp yet, but I've ran it through some virtual rigs on the computer and it sounds so fucking rad. Tuned to drop Bb. The only thing I have to do now is give it a proper intonation, and check the truss rod over the next couple of days. I'll post some clips somewhere sometime soon.

The trickiest part I dealt with was actually fitting all the machine heads on the head stock. I suppose I could've spaced them between both sides, but oh well. There are some extra (ugly ) holes in the back of the head stock from trying to get them to fit right..... All I did for the nut was take a razor knife and slowly cut small wedges until they fit the proper strings.

[skullservant]

Neato!