Specifications for my DIY Guitar Build

Background

I've mentioned before about wanting to build my own guitar. This is my current specification. I'll update it as I build the guitar and I've no doubts that it will change as I start to draft it out.

If you've got any thoughts about what I'm trying to build, let us all know in the comment below.

Neck

• Maple 24 fret
• 25.5" scale
• a maple fretboard
• jumbo fretwire

Body

• Superstrat shape
• Bubinga wood
• arm, comfort and neck contours

Hardware and Electrics

Overall I'm going for a HSH configuration with coil-tapping or parallel/series options, I haven't decided which yet, but I want to make sure I'll have options. I'll probably need a 5-way switch and another switching mechanism, either another 2/3 way switch or a push-pull pot. Actually, I'm not that keen on push-pull pots, I prefer push-push but they're more difficult to come by.

• DiMarzio DP215 Evo 2 Bridge Pickup Black Regular
• DiMarzio DP200 Steve Morse Pickup Black Neck
• Dimarzio HB2 for the middle coil
• Graph Tech Ghost LB-63 Floyd Rose Bridge with Piezo Pickups Black
• Graph Tech GHOST Acousti-Phonic Preamp
• ProLine Metal Dome Control Knob 2-Pack Black
• DiMarzio 5-Way Split Coil Pickup Selector Switch
• Fender Replacement Strat Jack Ferrule

Some thoughts

I think the closest production model is the Ibanez JEM and I'll probably aim for a similar neck contour. I'm not sure if I will have to go with a AANJ due to the combination of 25.5 scale, 24 frets and HSH configuration. It really wouldn't leave much room for the neck humbucker otherwise. I guess that's why a lot of JEMs have that paint crack on the underside of the neck/body join.

There's a lot about the JEMs that I don't like, especially the more flash production models. They're an acquired taste. I do like how they play and that counts for a lot. From that initial thought, I've decided that they're a good place to start.

Tone-wise, I like the JEM's bridge humbucker, hated the single coil (especially the lack of volume compared to the humbuckers) and almost liked the neck humbucker. I prefer the tone of Steve Morse to Steve Vai, especially when he's playing on the neck pickups, so I'll go with the Steve Morse neck pickup. They're also cheaper than EVOs so that's another positive.

Bubinga has lots of sustain but it's a heavy wood so I still need to figure out how heavy a body of this shape will be and whether it's too impractical for a 2 hour gig. I want to be able to pluck a string and come back a week later to hear it still vibrating. Ok, well not exactly, but I do want more sustain that I'm used to. Another issue with the weight is that I'll have to make doubly sure the guitar is well-balanced.

I really like maple on fretboards. I can't say why, I've got guitars with rosewood and maple fretboards and the maple-neck and fretboard guitar is my favourite to play.

The Graph Tech Ghost system looks very interesting. I've wanted to get a decent acoustic sound out of a solid-body electric guitar for a while now and the Graph Tec Ghost may be the way to go. I know there are others such as Fishman's Powerbridge but not many work with Floyd Rose or Kahler trem systems.

I still may not end up with each of the components above, a lot will depend on what I can source easily close to me.