Indie #20 - 'Custom Shop L shape'

This is another example of Indies 2008 'Custom Shop' output, this time the 'L shape' which is their Les Paul style.

There were only 16 made to the following spec...

Body: Solid Mahogany
Body Top: Solid Maple with Tiger Maple Cap Body
Binding: Natural Wood
Neck: Solid Mahogany, Heeless Cutaway, Smooth Satin Wood Finish
Neck Binding: Natural
Neck Construction: Set neck, Heeless cutaway, Smooth Satin Wood Finish
Fingerboard: A-grade ebony
Fingerboard: Inlay Tree of Life Abalone
Headstock: Binding Natural
Machine Heads: Grover tuner
Top Nut: Graphite
Bridge: Deluxe Tune-O-Matic
Hardware: Deluxe Nickel Chrome
Pickups: DV8 Humbuckers - High Output Indie Alnico Electrics 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle switch, Mini Switches for Active/Passive and Coil Tap
Truss Rod: 2-way dual action
Scale Length/Frets: 628mm(24.7")/22 frets
Finish: Satin Blue Burst Custom

It's essentially similar to the rest of the Indie output but with small tweaks, active pre-amp and nice detailing.

It's almost eleven pounds of shoulder destroying mahogany monster in a very nice satin finish. I got it for a very good price but sadly it's missing the original Indie case. I'll see if I can find one or perhaps steal the one from my Designer Union Jack.

Now if I can pick up one of the 2008 'Custom shop' IPRs I'll have full the set. :-)

Problems with the 80s Washburn headstock design

Since getting my second 80s Washburn I've noticed an issue with the 80s 'pointy' headstock design.

Most of the models with this don't seem to bother with string trees and this means that top E runs just outside the silhouette of the headstock, almost Parker style. I don't like the way this looks but it also has a practical problem if you've got a locking nut.

Unless you're very careful about fitting the locking clamps snugly while the top E string is slack the clamp cuts the string when you tighten it. This can also happen if you undo the clamp more than is necessary if you want to use the machine heads later.

This is because the shape of the headstock means the top E and B strings naturally pull up and sideways out of the locking nut. This is clearly visible in the second photo. If you get the string to tension then put the clamp on it puts it under extra tension and cuts it.

Granted you always have to be reasonably careful with locking nuts but I've had a succession of guitars with them and it's only these 80s Washburns that are this bad for it so far. Even my Dean from Hell, which has a stupid string angle out of the nut is fine. I don't get this with my original EC29 as it has an unconventional cam operated locking nut and also a pattern of screws which serve as string trees.

Another vaguely annoying thing is that the string clamps are ~12x11mm when most generic ones are ~12x12mm, making it a pain to get replacements without filing them down. Which I'm going to have to do for my RR2V which came without any.

Making a scratchplate for the EC29 - part 4

Today I whipped the scratchplate back off, chopped it out round the trem and pickups and put it back.

Now the pickups are mounted as they were before, not direct to the scratchplate so I've at least managed to line them up with the strings again.

I'm going to have to redo this but at least it all now works.