EdwardMarlowe Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 Surely something every one of us has daydreamed about at some point - being approached by someone to make your own dream guitar as a signature model. What would yours be? I think I have narrowed mine down to two, both Fender... 1] The Stratocaster - alder body, available in LPB, CAR, and metal-flake LPB, the latter only available left handed (as a lefty player, I'd love to be in the position to turn the tables a bit!). Modern polyurethane finish, not nitro (I like my guitars to look 'new' even when gigged hard, not like relics). Three singlecoil pups, perhaps Fat50s, 7-way switch (middle 5 the standard positions, 1 neck and bridge, 7 all three on), two-post vibrato with the bent-steel saddles (for me the best compromise between modern stability and the vintage look). Dice knobs, coloured to match the body. 21 fret maple board neck, hi-gloss front, satin back. Radius possibly 7.25. 42mm at nut. Either a hard or soft V profile, maybe something in between. 50s headstock, with the spaghetti logo, but the 'Stratocaster' changed to read 'Marlowecaster' - on my personal guitars, the 'Fender' would read as 'Edward', in the same font, with the 'custom comfort fit replaced by 'Edward by Fender'. Machineheads - 50s style. Overall, not too dissimilar a guitar to the Classic Player of a few years ago. My next guitar will be a Player Strat; I'm tempted to look into fitting a soft v neck to it. 2] The Telecaster -really, an Esquier - ash body, or LPB with black guard; TV Yellow (buttercream seems Fender's closest to it?) option for lefties only - complete with Steve Jones style pinup decals. 21 fret neck, maple board, glossy front, satin back, v-shape, 7.25 radius (for same feel as the Strat neck). Single pup, something as P90ish as will fit in a traditional Tele bridge - three-saddle, of course. Chromed brass. Replace the selector switch with a two-way on/off, plus volume and tone. Basic idea behind these: My perfect Strat as the 'can-do, all round' guitar, and the Tele as the closest to an even more utilitarian, Fenderised LP JUnior type for when you just have to have something that's a bit unsubtle.... I also always fancied a P-bass with a body the shape of the Gibson RD Artist, but that's a whole nother story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 Mine would be a Thinline Tele with a bound top, but with a belly contour and a forearm chamfer. It would be fitted with P90s. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 (edited) I have mine already: Custom Telecaster Body of a Telecaster shorn of virtually all adornments, rib and elbow contouring like a Strat, pickup/selector configuration basically from a superstrat but with a few tricks up it's sleeve so I can have any configuration I want (including the Tele mid-position), pickups made by Rob himself and specified for tone over power (definitely not DiMarzios!), neck set and made so as to be as close as possible to my '84 Gibson 335 dot except for a slightly bigger fretboard radius and a Fender scale length. In short, my favourite bits from some of my favourite guitars. If I think of anything else I'll post it later. Edited October 2, 2018 by leftybassman392 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 Mine would essentially be a Yamaha MSG but hollowbody in a PRS McCarty style with HSH noiseless pickup configuration and Wilkinson VS100CV trem, binding, maybe some active electronics like SPC or EXG circuits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardMarlowe Posted October 8, 2018 Author Share Posted October 8, 2018 THose Yammy SGs were always great, especially when wielded by Sean O'Neill or Jake Burns.... Making a semi-version makes me think somehow of Brian Young's Gretsch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Gibson actually made something pretty close, the Paul Jackson signature model (ES-346). But mine has more modern stuff going on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardMarlowe Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 Nice - that's basically a 335 or similar but with a down-sized body? Interesting headstock, makes me think of the Heritage 'stocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamg67 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I'm just talking to a guy about making mine, an Ibanez RGIB6 Baritone (yes, they are good for metal, but also for lots of other things ) with a Fireman body, so that's this: But with the body from this (but in black, with the binding like on the RGIB6): Tastless? Me? I might do a photoshop mockup sometime. Basically I'm hoping that will stop me wanting a Fireman as well as the Baritone, it won't save money but it will save space. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardMarlowe Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 Isn't that 'Fireman' body reverse of the old Iceman model (I'm guessing that's the root of the name too)? I've always wanted to see something like that, or a Dean ML, wielded in an old school blues band.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamg67 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 1 minute ago, EdwardMarlowe said: Isn't that 'Fireman' body reverse of the old Iceman model (I'm guessing that's the root of the name too)? I've always wanted to see something like that, or a Dean ML, wielded in an old school blues band.... It's exactly that, they changed the shape slightly so it still has the cutaway on the lower side for access to the silly frets, but originally they called it the reverse iceman, until a Paul Gilbert fan (it's his signature model) suggested that the reverse of an Iceman should be called a Fireman. I like the Iceman as well, but I think the Fireman edges it for me, and puts the neck end strap button in a better place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamg67 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Oh, and I do play a lot of bluesy stuff on the guitar that's getting converted, not likely to be doing it in a band any time soon though. Maybe it will appear on YouTube one day doing some dirty Baritone boogie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) I've been thinking about this, and I keep ending up with a Telecaster very similar to the Baja I already own. It's not the extra pickup/s switch options, to be honest I rarely use those, I think it's the soft V profile neck that makes it so comfortable for me to play. So I suppose I'd go for a soft V profile neck Tele with upgraded pickups, maybe Texas Specials, and top of the range hardware. Probably a natural finish with absolutely no relicing. Considering all the possibilities of an imaginary custom build I'm a bit disappointed in how run of the mill my 'ideal' guitar actually is. Edited October 11, 2018 by Cato 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Mine would probably be just a straightforward red Gibson SG with P90s. I owned one a few years back and loved the combination of Gibsonesque vibe and feel, but with the brighter, toppy pickups. It was lightweight and balanced, and it just sang with the right amount of gain - right halfway between Strats and Les Pauls. I flogged it for a HSS strat at the time tho. What a fool. The HSS was great, but I miss the SG more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardMarlowe Posted October 16, 2018 Author Share Posted October 16, 2018 On 11/10/2018 at 21:24, Cato said: I've been thinking about this, and I keep ending up with a Telecaster very similar to the Baja I already own. It's not the extra pickup/s switch options, to be honest I rarely use those, I think it's the soft V profile neck that makes it so comfortable for me to play. So I suppose I'd go for a soft V profile neck Tele with upgraded pickups, maybe Texas Specials, and top of the range hardware. Probably a natural finish with absolutely no relicing. Considering all the possibilities of an imaginary custom build I'm a bit disappointed in how run of the mill my 'ideal' guitar actually is. On the flipside, it probably makes your signature guitar a lot more within your reach than for many! Nothing wrong with liking the classics, imo; some things are so popular as to become 'run of the mill' for good reason.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christhammer666 Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 mines basically a malmsteen strat without the scalloped neck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardMarlowe Posted October 24, 2018 Author Share Posted October 24, 2018 Still have a weak spot for the big headstocks - Hendrix thing. One day I'll buy a used, black CIJ 68RI and Hendrix it for myself.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 A Gibson ES175 in fluorescent green with a floyd rose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 Probably some sort of fusion wizard guitar based around Carvin Allan Holdsworth H2 type specs. A white, flat fretboard, shallow neck, some chambering (but not hollow or semi-hollow) and bright but mid-output pickups for a smooth, driven fusion tone thsat doesn't need to be stacked with loads of gain. Gold Babicz hardware, quilted maple top, blank ebony fretboard and Hipshot tuners. So long as it could sound happy playing 'Bright Size Life' and 'Kick It All Over', I'd be happy! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 15, 2019 Share Posted July 15, 2019 Mine would be either a Suhr Modern Carved Top with a set in neck rather than a bolt on, mid boost and a Wilkinson VS-100C trem. Or it would be a Yamaha MSG copy with HSS pickups, through body neck of maple and mahogany (like the SG) and a Wilkinson VS-100C trem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 On 15/10/2018 at 18:20, bassbiscuits said: Mine would probably be just a straightforward red Gibson SG with P90s. I might have to buy one of your signature models! I'm a sucker for a good-looking SG, and there is something wonderfully aggressive about the ones with P90s. I might be tempted to have a trem retro-fitted to mine, though. Maybe one of those Bigsby ones, like Robby Krieger had on one of his SGs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardMarlowe Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 Ah, Robby Krieger - surely one of the most famous and yet simultaneously under-rated players.... I love a bit of the Doors, have done ever since 'discovering' them when the film came out and a lot of their stuff was rereleased way back in 1991. I even once wrote a GCSE coursework essay about Jim Morrison, but that's another story. Fun Doors trivia: most unlikely Doors fan out there? John Lydon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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