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Gallery Archive - CS-0819 LUCIANI CUSTOM for R.Luciani (Sweden)

Michael - Jun 26, 2007 - 11:13 PM
Post subject: CS-0819 LUCIANI CUSTOM for R.Luciani (Sweden)

THE SPEC:

CRAFTER: VADIM PASHIN

Right-handed 8-string BARITONE, Custom shape...

Construction Method: Neck-thru, any solid body without top (neck lams visible)
Material for neck: Maple + ebony
Neck features: Laminated 5 pieces, angled headstock, Wizard neck shape, thin profile (21mm@1st, 21.5mm@12th)
Material for fretboard: Ebony, 430 mm radius
Frets: Sintoms *6100* (medium tall, AKA *Jumbo*) 24 FRETS
Nut: Graph-tech 54 mm nut width
Fret markers: No fret markers (blank fretboard)
Fretboard binding: Fretboard only (black plastic)
Truss rod cover: No truss rod cover
Side markers: Plastic dots (white)
Logo: No logo ( custom shop logo on back of headstock)
Body wood: Karpat maple (extra hard)
Top wood: No decorative top
Back wood: No decorative back
Body binding: Without binding
Finish: Black satin lacquer overall
Headstock Overlay: Matching body color
Tone Chambers: no tone chambers (solidbody)
Scale Length: 30 inches
Strings: Ernie Ball
Machine heads: HIPSHOT Locking (black)
String-tree: No string trees
Bridge: Hipshot hardtail (black)
Strap buttons: standard (set of 2) – black
Pickguard: No pickguard
Chrome panel: No chrome panel
Bridge pickup: Customer-supplied ( Lundgren M8 )
Pickup Bezels: no bezels
Toggle switch: No toggle
Output jack : barrel jack (black)
Jack-plate : No jack-plate... inset angled jack mounting (Vai-style)
Potentiometers: CTS (250K or 500K) 1 pcs
Knobs: Black metallic (1 pc)
Blueprinting: typical (2 or 3 custom features)
Case: Custom-made lightweight case (black interior)
NOTES: String gauges: 070 052 042 032 024 016 011 009

TUNING: E - A - D - G - C - F - A – D

Matt.Gillis - Jun 27, 2007 - 05:42 PM
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Nice, baritones rock! A question though; with the tuning, I am assuming the E will be an octave down from the standard 440hz? And the second G will be a on the same octave as 440, like a normal G? What type of music requires this tuning?

r3tex - Jun 28, 2007 - 12:06 AM
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Well, the "standard" E is 82.4 Hz so it will be one octave below that at 41.2 Hz
That's like playing on a piano, but with distortion Twisted Evil

The trouble during mixing will be to make room for the base.
You can either fit it in as a low growl with lots of overtones, or as more of a funky sidekick to the guitars.

Jens - Jun 28, 2007 - 08:43 PM
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wow, thats LOW man ! With this axe you will not need a bass anymore... Smile

really cool!! Great for some Meshuggah-stuff...

Matt.Gillis - Jul 01, 2007 - 03:59 PM
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Yeah, that IS low; when I said E at 440 I meant an E played at the standard 440 hz tuning, obviously it didn't cause you confusion, but just in case I figured I should clarify!

I am really looking forward to seeing this come to life, hearing it will be even better if you ever get a chance to post some sound clips when it is done!

Michael - Jul 21, 2007 - 03:31 PM
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here is a preview of how it will look

(NOTE: this mockup has no frets - but the guitar WILL have 24 of them!) Very Happy

goran - Jul 21, 2007 - 05:31 PM
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elegant, simple and hm.....sexy Very Happy

comfortable access to high frets, straight-string pull headstock, lighweight tuners, good balance.....this guitar has it all.....i am looking forward to see this baby being build...

grattis luciani!!! Very Happy

Matt.Gillis - Jul 21, 2007 - 07:12 PM
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Ah, the good old Conklin headstock; man I love those things!

Congratulations, I am sure this thing will turn out to be a monster Very Happy

r3tex - Jul 22, 2007 - 09:26 AM
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I am so excited about this guitar!
Can't wait to hear the sound of it, I have very high expectations Wink

I've been writing music to record with this guitar for a while, it's all ready.
Now, all I need is my axe!

r3tex - Aug 06, 2007 - 07:13 PM
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Look what I got in the mail today!
This pickup is so mean, it kicked me in the nuts when I opened the package Laughing

Michael, what is Pashin waiting for? more pics! Wink

Michael - Aug 08, 2007 - 08:05 PM
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here are some more pics (neck lams being roughed out, and also one with your rough fretboard blank on display...) Very Happy

r3tex - Aug 09, 2007 - 12:41 AM
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WOW

Thanks Michael, I'm sorry if I've been bugging you, I'll try to be less of a PITA from now on. School is starting and everything anyways.

Very exciting with the guitar though. The neck looks really huge Wink

I'm polishing up my drum mixes and testing some effects for the base to mix it in with this guitar.

Michael - Aug 11, 2007 - 06:56 PM
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a little more rough shaping ( work-in-progress...) Very Happy

Michael - Aug 15, 2007 - 11:15 PM
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headstock facing being applied...

Michael - Aug 18, 2007 - 10:16 AM
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here are a few more pics ( truss rod installed , and headstock being roughed out...) Very Happy

r3tex - Aug 18, 2007 - 03:48 PM
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Damn that neck looks wide Razz

awesome
haha @ poster in background Wink

Lvivske - Aug 18, 2007 - 10:52 PM
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....a nipple!!! Very Happy

Michael - Aug 19, 2007 - 10:50 AM
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Our crafters are inspired by images of nature... so there are many images of natural beauty posted on our shop walls ( and also lots of paintings by Dali, for some reason...) Very Happy

Matt.Gillis - Aug 20, 2007 - 07:30 PM
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Its true, every couple months I seem to notice some form of *ahem* nature in the background!

Also, the guitar is turning out great! You will have to let me know how such a wide neck plays; that is one thing that intimidates me about extended range instruments that I haven't had a chance to play (8-strings, 9-strings, etc.!) A 54 mm nut width is an extra 11 mm wider than normal, which to me seems wide! Shocked

r3tex - Aug 20, 2007 - 09:10 PM
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I tried the Ibanez RG2228 today at my local music shop, and here's my extremely (not) professional review:

The Good: The first impression it gives off is really mean. You can tell this guitar means business. It was heavier than normal but not heavy like Warwick. The neck was really really thin, and flat, both on the front and back, I liked it a lot! I've played on 7-strings ever since I started so I thought it wouldn't be a big difference. It was! The neck was a lot wider than expected but not so that I couldn't play comfortably. It was a bit strange having so many strings though, on my 7-strings I always have my right hand pinky on the lightest string to feel "the distance" and what string I'm playing on but that technique didn't translate here obviously. The 27" scale was negligible in terms of playability, I didn't notice a difference, or maybe I'm just good at spreading my fingers.

The bad: Like I said, the fretboard radius was really flat and with its light string gauges, it was easy to bend. The downside was that intonation was pretty bad and it was easy to "overpress" the strings when doing chords. The F# was too soft/floppy also, and all this (in my unscientific opinion) because of the short neck. The 27" scale was not noticeable in terms of playability though or maybe I can spread my fingers well. The EMG pickups were very very high output and really "cold" sounding, and the difference in tone between the bridge and neck pickups was minimal. The real "letdown" though was the Floyd Rose bridge. It seemed inferior to the one on my Ibanez K7 for instance, not as tight, not as polished. The little screws wiggled a bit and you could see tiny edges where metal pieces were welded together. Finally I don't like the "limp" look of the headstock or the shimmering paint. Smile

</endOfReview>

BUT, since the guitar was despite everything, still very raw I'm really really looking forward to my LUCIANI CUSTOM now ;D

Michael - Aug 23, 2007 - 12:47 PM
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btw, today your pickup arrived from Sweden Very Happy

r3tex - Aug 24, 2007 - 08:50 AM
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Yess!
I've been sort of anxious about it.
Finally I can relax a bit about that. Cool

So from Sweden it takes 2 - 3 weeks to send stuff.

Michael - Aug 24, 2007 - 11:04 AM
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The parcel was postmarked AUGUST 7th, and I received it August 23rd. So "about 2 weeks" by airmail parcel post. Very Happy

Michael - Sep 22, 2007 - 05:47 PM
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Today we see the body wings are joined, and the body is roughed out.

Point of interest - the truss rod filler strip is made of JATOBA (nearly as dense as ebony) Very Happy

r3tex - Sep 23, 2007 - 10:31 AM
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Wow the body looks so aggressive withe the lowered cutaway. Makes it look more wide and compact. It looks KICKASS!!! keep 'em coming ^_^

Michael - Oct 10, 2007 - 06:05 PM
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the work continues... carving is just getting underway on the back

Lvivske - Oct 10, 2007 - 08:11 PM
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Wow!

Love the heel! Gonna have great access with that

can't wait for more, this is going to be a knockout guitar

r3tex - Oct 10, 2007 - 10:42 PM
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Lvivske, actually that's one of the things I'm most pleased about!

It's turning out really great and I have great faith in Pashin. I feel more patient now too before the next pic batches come. I'll say like software developers, "it's done when it's done" Wink

Lvivske - Oct 11, 2007 - 03:39 AM
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yeah, pashin's on a roll right now

Michael - Oct 12, 2007 - 05:13 PM
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Carving work continues... if you look closely, you can now see a pencil-sketch of the comfort cutaway ( "belly-cut") Very Happy

Matt.Gillis - Oct 13, 2007 - 04:23 PM
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Wow, this is looking better and better! I love the look of neckthroughs, the seemless transition is just so irresitable (probably because it looks so feminine!) and makes a guitar look so playable. I can't wait to see what this will look like when its done!

Michael - Oct 18, 2007 - 12:54 PM
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in the paint room, today...

Michael - Oct 26, 2007 - 05:28 PM
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more prep work is underway... black finish is COMING SOON Very Happy

...and did I mention that this is a REALLY comfortable guitar?? It feels GOOD!!

r3tex - Oct 26, 2007 - 06:39 PM
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that body is looking hot hot hot!!!
I love the way the neck molds into the body Very Happy

!!
really great.

Lvivske - Oct 27, 2007 - 12:18 AM
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...can I have it?

Matt.Gillis - Oct 31, 2007 - 10:28 AM
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No, cause I call it first Laughing

Lvivske - Oct 31, 2007 - 04:10 PM
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looks like this will have to be decided with rock paper scissors

best 2 out of 3?

r3tex - Nov 01, 2007 - 09:42 AM
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if you guys look again at the background of the first picture in the latest batch, you'll see more pictures of "nature".
;P

Michael - Nov 10, 2007 - 02:37 PM
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here is a LAST LOOK at the natural wood - this is the second sealer coat, finally cured (weather conditions have slowed curing)

Monday it will get sanded, then the Satin black finish can be applied...

JH - Nov 24, 2007 - 07:31 AM
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hey man, this guitar is awesome!
seems pretty big job is goning on, because no pictures added since 10th November.
can't wait to see it's finished! good luck, man! Very Happy

Michael - Nov 24, 2007 - 01:28 PM
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yes, the final lacquer stages are the slowest, as each layer can take days or even weeks to cure (depending on weather conditions...)

JH - Nov 24, 2007 - 01:35 PM
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Thanks for the info Michael. you guys are great!
I bet this guitar will sound even better than way it looks. Laughing

Michael - Nov 30, 2007 - 08:03 AM
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The sealer lacquer has finally cured... Smile

Here you can see "work-in-progress" of the routing and drilling - as soon as the control cavity is completed, then CS-0819 will get its final sanding and the long-awaited BLACK finish will be applied!

JH - Nov 30, 2007 - 10:47 AM
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man, this is awesome! Very Happy

Michael - Nov 30, 2007 - 02:24 PM
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HOT OFF THE PRESS:

CS-0819 in all its BLACKNESS...

r3tex - Nov 30, 2007 - 07:57 PM
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AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
*runs around in circles*

very metal.... Very Happy

Matt.Gillis - Nov 30, 2007 - 11:01 PM
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Nice stuff! Very Happy

JH - Dec 01, 2007 - 08:30 AM
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Awesome man! Twisted Evil

Michael - Dec 12, 2007 - 12:36 AM
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finish is cured now!

And here it is being "scuffed up" in preparation for the final satin clearcoat (over the artwork...) Very Happy

Lvivske - Dec 12, 2007 - 01:24 AM
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why did vadim choose to route-before-paint on this one vs. the opposite on mine and CSB-666?

either way, cant wait to see the final product. turning out great!

Michael - Dec 12, 2007 - 12:33 PM
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The routing/painting order varies according to the type of finish - and other factors!

(Example: certain kinds of drilling and routing would get unacceptable finish build-up on the hole edges if they were finished after cutting.)

The exact order depends on a number of inter-related possibilities, so it can vary widely from instrument to instrument. Its not just a cut-and-dried assembly line process - because if it were, then too many compromises would have to be made.

We don't have to make the compromises here, we just do whats appropriate in each individual case Very Happy

mapleflame - Dec 12, 2007 - 05:50 PM
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Man is this going to sustain for days. I am excited to see the finished product.

r3tex - Dec 12, 2007 - 05:54 PM
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Now it finally feels like a real live guitar when I can see the serial number and the paint and body finished.

I can't wait to wrap my fingers around that brutal black monolith. Twisted Evil

Matt.Gillis - Dec 13, 2007 - 08:32 PM
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Looking great Very Happy

r3tex - Dec 18, 2007 - 01:02 AM
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[6-8 weeks of construction] *COUGH COUGH*
Jul 19, 2007 Michael: i will advise Pashin that he can get started now

[21 weeks later]
Dec 18, 2007 Robert: I'm dying of anticipation! Crying or Very sad

Matt.Gillis - Dec 19, 2007 - 01:05 AM
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Hahaha

Its okay r3tex, the Arrow took many months to build. I think the order was given to begin building around late july, and then crafters holidays hit, but Sataev was coming in every now and then to "chip away" at the project, until the end of August, and then the guitar wasn't complete until Febuary Laughing

So don't feel bad, its just that more elaborate guitars, or less conventional guitars (like 8-strings!) take longer to build than 6-8 weeks. And besides, Pashin seemed to have been extremely busy with all kinds of projects during this build Shocked

Still turned out great though! Very Happy

Michael - Dec 19, 2007 - 09:48 AM
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Actually, in this case, the delays have mainly been caused by factors entirely out of Pashin's control (its been a nightmare couple of months for our finishing department)

2008 will bring a complete renovation of our spray-room...

r3tex - Dec 29, 2007 - 08:38 PM
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So what's left to do on this bad boy? Smile

Michael - Dec 29, 2007 - 11:14 PM
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Finally, the finish curing is good! Next up is COMPLETING Very Happy

After much delay over bizarre finish checking, (we originally thought it was a flukey thing with the weather - then the second time, we had suspected contamination in the spray system) - finally it came to light that the oils from the ebony neck lams were causing a reaction with the finish, so the neck lams had to be specially pre-sealed before finish would "take".

(We'd never tried this satin finish over ebony before...)

JH - Dec 31, 2007 - 07:50 PM
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wow, awesome! Shocked

r3tex - Jan 14, 2008 - 01:39 AM
Post subject: my daily rutine consists of:

Code:

frame               opcode

0xd6e26198      call pressF5            ; refresh webpage

0xd6e26199      nop                        ; nothing... :(

0xd6e2619a      jmp  0xd6e26198    ; redo

Michael - Jan 19, 2008 - 05:51 PM
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At last, the final black satin lacquer... this will be sanded smooth early next week!

r3tex - Jan 19, 2008 - 08:31 PM
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at last!
Luciani and Babiak custom in the same room, hehe Wink

Lvivske - Jan 21, 2008 - 06:07 AM
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hehe, good eye

i wouldnt have noticed if not for you post

Matt.Gillis - Jan 22, 2008 - 09:47 PM
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So its pretty much official; guitars STILL have duels even when no one is playing them against one another Laughing

Seriously though, the black and white contrast and the way they are facing each other creates some really weird "ying-yang" imagery Smile

r3tex - Jan 23, 2008 - 02:34 AM
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Haha @ guitar duel Laughing

How many teslas are generated because of the intense polarity difference between the two? I don't think it's very Feng Shui to sleep in the same room as those two.

Matt.Gillis - Jan 26, 2008 - 02:29 AM
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Man, I'm not sure what's worse; the fact that you made that joke or that I understood it! Laughing

Physic jokes are always the worst, but in a way, ironically (or should I say ferromagnetically?. . . K, that was a bad one haha) are the most funny. Anyway, regardless of the magnetic field strength between the two, I'd rather not walk between them just for the fact that some sort of anti-matter might exist between the polar opposites! As long as you keep them further apart than 2 femptometers though the SNF should have no effect and we should all be safe. Great work though! Laughing

Michael - Jan 28, 2008 - 09:13 PM
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on a related topic - completing work gets underway tomorrow... Wink

r3tex - Jan 28, 2008 - 11:17 PM
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\o/ yaay! Very Happy

Matt.Gillis - Feb 01, 2008 - 04:58 PM
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Good stuff; after completing and testing, when will the guitar be shipped?

r3tex - Feb 01, 2008 - 10:09 PM
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Haha, damn you Matt! I thought Michael had posted, when I saw an update ^_^
Shamray actually builds its guitars on Venus. One day there is equivalent to 243 Earth-days.

Matt.Gillis - Feb 01, 2008 - 11:11 PM
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Haha

My apologies; I didn't mean to cause confusion! Though if the guitars are built on venus, the 8 strings must be stronger than I thought; the air pressure would crush any normal guitar, or the poisinous gas would kill any normal crafter. Perhaps put those odd structural properties in the 8-string lab? Laughing

Kidding of course!

Anyway, back on topic, I was just wondering when it would be finished and shipped; I'm just rather anxious to see and hear it when its done Smile

Michael - Feb 01, 2008 - 11:25 PM
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Its COMPLETED as of today - and the strings are ON!

We shall be letting it "settle in" over the weekend, and it will get its final play-testing and inspections early next week. I'll have to check with Sushkov to get the current status of the shipping queue, but I expect it should be cleared to go, and all packed up no later than Friday (February 8th)

Photos will follow shortly!

Lvivske - Feb 02, 2008 - 04:22 PM
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PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Exclamation

r3tex - Feb 05, 2008 - 06:14 PM
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PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Exclamation

Michael - Feb 06, 2008 - 12:05 AM
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Play-test went brilliantly, this guitar sounds and feels as good as it looks!

Pashin doesn't like those string gauges (he prefers super-heavy, high tension strings on all of his guitars) but I found it very very easy and very enjoyable to play. With the low tension, it does require playing with a bit of a careful touch to prevent rattle on the low strings (if you bang them really hard, you will provoke a little buzz... )

Lighting was very poor this evening, but I will get some better pics tomorrow, in the day-light!

Michael - Feb 07, 2008 - 07:35 AM
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Here is a look at Pashin's special 8-string fret end treatment: he has individually rounded the corners of each fret for maximum comfort. (This is a unique new process he has developed while working on his own prototypes)

This extra bonus wasn't on the workorder, and it took a whole Sunday (ten hours) of Pashin's spare time to accomplish.

We'll be offering 'rounded and polished fret ends' as an option on future guitars...

Michael - Feb 07, 2008 - 07:42 AM
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also: some more pics! Very Happy

r3tex - Feb 07, 2008 - 11:59 AM
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Yeah!! That fret treatment is exactly what I was talking about!
The guitar has all the looks and attitude I imagined. Incredible. Twisted Evil

Now you've really got me on the edge of my seat.
I'll review and post a sound clips as soon as I get it.

JH - Feb 18, 2008 - 03:40 AM
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Holy Sh@t! this guitar looks amazing! Shocked

r3tex - Feb 20, 2008 - 10:27 AM
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The guitar is in customs here in Gothemburg!!
But I can't pay the customs fee in cash, I have to make a bank transfer. That means I'm going to have to wait A WHOLE DAY until I get it!!!!!!!

r3tex - Feb 21, 2008 - 10:15 PM
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I just got it today.
Everything is perfect. Can't beat that.
Don't have time to write so much. Smile

I'll follow up with some recordings. Laughing

JH - Feb 22, 2008 - 03:45 AM
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Quote:

I just got it today.
Everything is perfect. Can't beat that.
Don't have time to write so much. Smile

I'll follow up with some recordings. Laughing

omg, congrats man.

have fun dude i envy you! Laughing

r3tex - Feb 22, 2008 - 09:14 PM
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Here are some photos that do the guitar more justice.
Notice how much longer this one is than my old Stratocaster.
Also the neck is very thin all the way to the bottom of the heel, where the neck-thru makes an awesome transition. These machine tuners are also very nice and have a low gear ratio. The guitar is very very solid and sounds extremely agressive. Like I said, I'll post some sound clips soon Wink

Jens - Feb 23, 2008 - 12:16 AM
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wow! Monster! It looks great man, nice shots. Congrats and enjoy. Smile

Octavio_Sherbakov - Feb 23, 2008 - 12:32 PM
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black beauty Cool

Matt.Gillis - Feb 25, 2008 - 10:53 PM
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I agree, nice pictures! They are very professional shots, quite impressive actually. BUT while the pictures are nice, I must say that the guitar is nicer! Laughing

Looking very awesome, congratulations. I'm looking forward to those recordings Very Happy