| Author |
Topic: Titanium/aluminum, steel guitar |
chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
|
Posted 6 Apr 2007 6:02 pm |
|
Several years ago, I had to schlep Guitarzilla, which weighed 110# in the case, through a bunch of airports. If I ever had to do that again, I wanted a lighter weight guitar that could do most of what 'zilla could do.
The idea was to use 1" titanium tubing with an .028" wall for the frame and then machine the rest out of aluminum. It has a traditional Sho-Bud "birdcage" changer and it could have 4 pedals and 4 knees, if needed, on a 12-string neck. It also has an 8-string bass neck, with pickups on both ends of the necks and there are places, on the body, to bolt on "accessories".
I strung it up, for the first time, last night, and it doesn't appear to have very much cabinet drop and it has a healthy dose of sustain. Tone?, well I haven't got the electronics dialed in yet, but it sounded pretty good, especially the bass neck. It certainly doesn't have the "woodsy" "I-used-to-be-a-tree" sound.
The tuning, at the moment, on the front neck is, bottom>top:
E,B,C#,E,F#,G#,A,B,C#,E,D#,F#.
The bass neck, bottom>top is:
C,C,G,G,C,G,C,G.
This is it, so far. The body weighs 27#, I haven't made the titanium legs yet and I haven't made the cross rods (3/8" ti tube) or any of the bellcranks and connecting things.
Underneath you can see where the pedal stuff has been machined.
 |
|
|
 |
A. J. Schobert
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio,
|
Posted 6 Apr 2007 6:41 pm
|
|
| I think I would powder coat the frame or do you have other ideas? Keep the pics comeing! You know what is so cool about this is here is a guy that just wanted to change something and no one could fit the bill, guys like this can change the industry a little. Way to go chas! Props to chas! |
|
|
|
Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
|
Posted 6 Apr 2007 6:46 pm
|
|
Chas, that is an absolutely fascinating concept!  Beautiful!
Definitely keep us updated on your progress. That baby could be the start of something new!!
_________________
Best regards,
Mike |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 6 Apr 2007 7:14 pm
|
|
| This is one of the most innovative projects I've seen. Excellent workmanship. It looks great. |
|
|
|
mike nolan
From:
Forest Hills, NY USA
|
Posted 6 Apr 2007 7:34 pm
|
|
Way cool,
I am in line if you start building them. |
|
|
|
Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
|
Posted 6 Apr 2007 7:42 pm
|
|
Cool-A Mundo!
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
|
|
|
Per Berner
From:
Skovde, Sweden
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 12:17 am
|
|
Sub-zero cool! 
Looks absolutely fantastic!
If I had a hat, I would take it off for sure!   |
|
|
|
David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 12:44 am
|
|
| Quote: |
| It certainly doesn't have the "woodsy" "I-used-to-be-a-tree" sound. |
It's funny how members of a certain demographic bubble heard noises made on instruments that were constructed using materials and processes that were the cheapest available at the time, and because of the size of that bubble the "best" tone is forever locked in stone. I'm thinking more of the Tele/Les Paul/Strat ruling triumvirate - gee, those Travis Beans sounded clear & musical too - but it's hard for a squirrel-brain like me not to wonder what might have been, had Shot Jackson been a titanium welder by day. (If you make any 5X5 10-string C6th guitars by mistake and it's not worth toting them to the scrap dealer, I'll hold onto one for you till the scrap prices go up.....) |
|
|
|
Michael Dene
From:
Gippsland,Victoria, Australia
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 1:25 am
|
|
wow!!!
fascinating idea and beautiful work ... I'd love to hear it ... keep us up to date and don't forget the sound clip when it's all done.
... always enjoy and admire "outside the box" thinking.
err .. I know it's probably a dumb question ... why the pickups at both ends of the fingerboard?  |
|
|
|
John Roche
From:
England
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 2:14 am
|
|
| a real STEEL guitar |
|
|
|
Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 3:24 am
|
|
Chas, that is the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. Your choice of color is too cool.
Titanium Guitar has a nice ring to it.
_________________
Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons |
|
|
|
Jackie Anderson
From:
Scarborough, ME
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 3:36 am
|
|
| Wahooo!!!! Can you anodize titanium...? I hope you will post some sound clips, eventually. I'd be interested to hear how it sounds unamplified. As for plugged in, what are the active-looking electronics? |
|
|
|
Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 4:05 am Wow!!
|
|
Thats all I can say WOW, what a great idea, we are all waiting for the finish product on this one. Keep up the great work, we need new ideas, and you got em!!
Ernie  |
|
|
|
Dennis Schell
From:
Shingletown, Shasta county, Kalifornia
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 7:52 am
|
|
Far out!!! (Old hippie phrase for you young "dudes" )
I'm reminded of a hollow body "Tele" I once played that was built entirely out of aluminum by a guy who was a real artist with that material. The sound was "different" but kinda nice for some things. The only "bugaboo" with that axe was temperature. It would expand/contract at the drop of a hat and I was constantly tuning the darn thing. Does this "cool" steel have any similar tendencies I wonder? It is certainly eye catching to say the least!
Beautiful craftsmanship Chas! I'd love to hear a clip too...
Dennis
_________________
"Bucks Owin" |
|
|
|
Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 10:21 am
|
|
SPEECHLESS !
_________________
Bo Borland
Rittenberry SD10 , Derby D-10, Quilter TT12, Peavey Session 400 w/ JBL, NV112, Fender Blues Jr. , 1974 Dobro 60N squareneck, Rickenbacher NS lapsteel, 1973 Telecaster Thinline, 1979 blonde/black Frankenstrat
Currently picking with
Mason Dixon Band masondixonband.net |
|
|
|
chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 10:33 am
|
|
| Quote: |
| I think I would powder coat the frame or do you have other ideas? |
A.J., the powder coat will damp the resonance. I also like the "raw" look next to the polished, sort of like my darling and myself, it gets me where I live...
| Quote: |
| If you make any 5X5 10-string C6th guitars by mistake and it's not worth toting them to the scrap dealer, I'll hold onto one for you till the scrap prices go up |
Have you seen the latest prices for surplus titanium? I just spent a few thou for plates to be welded on another instrument, that uses 1 1/4 titanium rods ($212/foot, last year)
This one bolts onto the side of Guitarzilla:
| Quote: |
| why the pickups at both ends of the fingerboard? |
Most of what I do is "art music" or film score stuff. By "rolling the bar" on the strings and feeding that into a delay, like an Eventide H8000 (a talent simulator) I can get a very full sound. With both pickups on, at the 12th fret I've divided the neck in half, each side hears the same thing. At the 7th fret, I've divided the neck into 2:1, at the 5th, 4:1 so these particular nodal points will generate octaves. In fact, even though the frets are based on tempered tuning intervals, they are a good indicator where the nodal points on the strings will be. At each nodal point, the sound on each side of the bar will be in tune.
What gets interesting is when I start by rolling the bar on a fret and gradually roll down between the frets. This can create a powerful sh*t storm.
| Quote: |
| Can you anodize titanium...? what are the active-looking electronics? |
If the titanium is anodized, they can get rainbow colors by varying the voltage while it's pulled out of the tank. I drilled "breathing holes" for the welding, but not weep holes for anodizing. To be honest, I like the look of titanium. The pickups are EMG and electronics are an EXB for the bass and a SBC into an EXG for the 12 string. The other 3 knobs are blenders.
| Quote: |
| The only "bugaboo" with that axe was temperature. It would expand/contract at the drop of a hat and I was constantly tuning the darn thing |
It wouldn't surprise me if I had similar problems. I had a D-12 that I made solid aluminum necks for. One time when I had a session, they put me under the air conditioning vent. The air would come one and that thing would practically twist into a pretzel (slight exaggeration), then the air would go off and it would expand. I reinforced the misconception that steel guitars can't play in tune, now that I think of it, they never called me again. |
|
|
|
Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 11:06 am
|
|
Stunning.
The avg linear coefficient of thermal expansion of a solid bar or rod of titanium is about 39% that of a comparable aluminum bar or rod, so it may not be all that bad. But I'm not sure how this translates to hollow tubing. This looks like a great idea, and it's a work of art too. I also like the look of titanium. Kudos. |
|
|
|
Steve Stallings
From:
Houston/Cypress, Texas
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 11:12 am
|
|
That is very interesting to say the least.
However, since you are already at 27 lbs without bellcranks, rods, pedal board, and pedals, I think you may wind up with a guitar that weighs about the same as the standard 8x5 Carter. The Carter weighs 38 lbs complete. In the case it is 56 lbs. Good luck with this project. It is quite unique visually.
_________________
Steve Stallings
Emmons Legrande II 8X5 |
|
|
|
Jon Zimmerman
From:
California, USA
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 1:02 pm
|
|
| A wizard's brew of fab-tech, Chas. I knew you had it in you after seeing some earlier efforts. Are you related to Jesse James, of chopper-zilla fame? JZ |
|
|
|
Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 1:42 pm
|
|
| I love it !!!!! |
|
|
|
Jody Cameron
From:
Angleton, TX,, USA
|
Posted 7 Apr 2007 1:55 pm
|
|
Quite an impressive piece of craftsmanship for sure! Very nice.
JC |
|
|
|
