Breathing life into a beast (Strictly 7 custom build)

[sirmyghin]

I am sure all you G&L folks can appreciate innovation and originality in the guitar industry. So I thought I would share with you all my upcoming build from Strictly 7 guitars. For those not familiar, these are hardly off the wall (unless you want extreme shapes, which he has some neat ones) but the level of service and options is astounding (I dare you to try and get Jim to say no). The prices are very good.

http://www.strictly7.com/

I spoke with Jim Saturday night, a week after NAMM, and tossed a deposit in as I really wanted a build this year and have to get in before he gets bogged down. He had 45 guitars to build due to NAMM and was preparing quotes on 30 others. This is a small company in Medina, OH. He makes 6s,7s and 8s due to demand, although he started with 7s.

I cannot say anything bad about Jim, he is astounding. Really easy to work with, offers great input, and is very attentive to the customer and their 'needs'. I say needs in quotation as we can be a tad pedantic about what we want out of a guitar. I have been wanting a 7 for a while for extended range. I do not like downtuning so this is the answer. I have experience with extended range basses (5 stringer, would like a 6 one day).

We are in the process of the last few details to finalize, when we are in contact again (hopefully soon). All the specs are hammered out and I have the price, just need to inform what pickups I want, what to do about Strap buttons and the like. I will update this thread as things get done, but for now I will give you the brief specs. There is a lot of small details that will lend well to the effect that I will keep until I see them myself, or if not until the guitar is finalized, whenever that will be.

Playing Specs:

27.5" scale (26 fret, as his necks function as 'conversion necks', 24 fret = 25.5 scale, 25 = 26.3, and you can swap necks to the body)
16" fretboard Radius
Stainless Steel Frets (FW55090 size, jescars)
Boa body shape (slightly modified strat)
Neck is a flat D , like a classical guitar
Nut width is 1.92"
Thickness at 12th fret is .92"
Original Floyd Rose
Bare knuckle pickups (Nailbombs, Alnico, 4 conductor, likely Camo finish)
wiring similar to my Contour
Sperzel locking tuners

Aesthetics:

Wenge top
Walnut body
Curly maple neck (standard)
Ebony Board
Inlay at 12 = a K and M, hammering out the font details, this guitar is purchased alongside my wedding and rings in October, it is the wedding guitar. I am Kyle, my wife to be is Megan. It will be Mother of Pearl.



There we have it, there is more to the specs, very nice touches here and there, but I will leave them as surprises for now, hope this intrigues you all.

[blargfromouterspace]

That's going to be a BEAST of a guitar



The 'K&M' inlay is a nice touch. Looking forward to seeing it progress.

[darwinohm]

Sirmy, this should be a great one and the event it is tied to will remind you to take care of the bride and work her into this guitar collecting one step at a time. You will have many years. Great order and hope it doesn't take too much time before it arrives. Darwin.

[sirmyghin]

Sirmy, this should be a great one and the event it is tied to will remind you to take care of the bride and work her into this guitar collecting one step at a time. You will have many years. Great order and hope it doesn't take too much time before it arrives. Darwin.

Minimum 4 months from his past builds, I figure longer due to his apparently high load now. It is really neat to actually get an inlay like that, previously she paid for 2 instruments, both the Carvin contour w/ flame top, and that red bass you love. I was in college during both, she was working and had finished a bit before me and used a good portion of her tax return on both. She has always been incredibly supportive of my playing and I owe a lot of my enjoyment to playing and stable to her. The bass came around the time my old beater (1975, japan made j-knock off) was starting to crap out wiring wise. I am very lucky to have her. Once I am working things will flip a bit financially (although nowadays I do have an income).

[sirmyghin]

Got confirmation on one of the inquery options. A piezo equipped 7 string floyd. This involves milling the bass of the OFR and inserting the graphtech saddles (the milling is for the wires). It will have piezo saddles and the acousti-phonic preamp, piezo volume, and a piezo/both/mag switch with a stereo jack (that smart splits the signal based on the plug used).

Rather excited about that, there is no production Piezo floyd 7s on the market.

[sirmyghin]

Spoke with the builder today, we may see the body glued up (and possibly even blanked with the CNC, these are the easy parts) this week. The real work begins thereafter. Keep your eyes peeled, the body is something very, very special.

[blargfromouterspace]

I really like the piezo idea. I've seen a guy playing a 7 string gut-string guitar and it was a great, great sound.

Looking forward to seeing this one progress, as I'm sure you are

[sirmyghin]

Got some updates today, excuse the poor quality pictures and dustiness overall, these are direct from the shop and a cell phone

Neck = curly maple and ebony




Body = Walnut and Wenge top w/ a cherry reveal layer





Headstock is overlayed with Wenge, and the inlay




It is coming to life for sure! Just sitting around and pondering how I want my controls currently.

[gitman001]

Hey Sirmy,

That thing looks awesome, you must be getting excited seeing it near completion. Hope its not too much longer. Will it be your first 7?

Scott

[sirmyghin]

Hey Sirmy,

That thing looks awesome, you must be getting excited seeing it near completion. Hope its not too much longer. Will it be your first 7?

Scott

It is really cool to see indeed. I figure another 3 months or so. The Luthier, Jim, doesn't do this full time and has had his business start to take off this year and there is a bit of backlog in the finish department consequently. I am pretty sure it is at the tidy up, drill controls and finish stage right now though. The OFR likely still needs to have the baseplate milled to accept the piezo saddles also, but I am more than happy to wait. This is my first 7 yes, I am taking a gamble on going custom instead of production (like all my other axes, my G&L no exception really), as I figure it is my best chance to enjoy the instrument. I am very picky, but have added more range on basses in the past, so figure I can handle it no problem, permitting all my specs are there.