NGD - Charvel HRF

[Matt_B]

I finally managed to find time to get some pics of my latest project. It started life as a blue USA Production Model that I bought used off a board member which in turn took it in trade from someone else. I lucked out because it came with an OFR and chrome hardware, two options I wanted.

Because this project was my first Strat head I wanted it to be something classic but not necessarily common. After months of debate I sent it off to Mike Learn for an HRF graphic in uncommon colors - school bus yellow base, tangerine pearl flames and process blue for pinstripes. The flames look a bit more red in the pics than they do in real life.

They only changes I made to it were:
- Replaced the Duncans with double Dimarzio 36th Anniversary pickups (my favorite rock n roll humbuckers).
- Swapped out the black rings for cream.
- Routed the neck pocket for a nearly flush OFR.
- Installed FU Tone trem stopper.
- Had Mike cut the neck and route the body for a spoke wheel truss rod nut (thank God this mod was possible).

It took me a little while to assemble it because I've been a little busy, with the holidays and all. when I received the guitar the nut was about 1/16" away from the end of the fretboard so I had to fill the screw holes and redrill them. I guess the original nut (not a REAL Floyd Rose) is a little bigger than the REAL OFR nut. I also had to shim the neck pocket a wee bit (0.056" to be precise) for optimal action.

Anyway, I love it so here are some pics:

[Axewielder]

That's pretty badass. Mike never disappoints. The creme pups and rings were a good choice with those colors and the maple board. "Nearly flush OFR" though...WTF is that about?? :think:

[Matt_B]

That's pretty badass. Mike never disappoints. The creme pups and rings were a good choice with those colors and the maple board. "Nearly flush OFR" though...WTF is that about?? :think:

Thanks, I almost went with zebras but changed my mind at the last minute. I'm not sure if a flush mounted OFR is supposed to sit right on the body but if it is, on this guitar the drop range of the OFR is too limited for. The underside of the bridge plate sits around 1/8" above the body. The trem stop keeps the bridge from going back anyway.

[Matt_B]

That's pretty badass. Mike never disappoints. The creme pups and rings were a good choice with those colors and the maple board. "Nearly flush OFR" though...WTF is that about?? :think:

Thanks, I almost went with zebras but changed my mind at the last minute. I'm not sure if a flush mounted OFR is supposed to sit right on the body but if it is, on this guitar the drop range of the OFR is too limited for me. The underside of the bridge plate sits around 1/8" above the body. The trem stop keeps the bridge from going back anyway.

[leftykingv2]

That's freakin killer bro!! Love everything about it!!! HNGD!

[Axewielder]

Hmm I'd rethink that. First of all, my experience with flush mounting is that the trem makes kind of an inconsistent, mushy contact with the body. The trem would always come back a few cents sharp or flat. I get the dive only thing though: it gives you a more rigid feel, tighter rhythms, better tuning stability on compound bends, ability to use a D-Tuna, etc. The downside is you can't do pullups (I like to see 1 1/2 steps minimum) or get the beautiful sharp/flat wide vibrato that you can get with a fully floating trem. That being said, If I'm going for dive only, I'll have my tech install a block of wood in the trem cavity behind the sustain block. All that being said, "nearly flush" just gives you the worst of both worlds...none of the advantages of dive only and a crappy pullup range!

[Matt_B]

Hmm I'd rethink that. First of all, my experience with flush mounting is that the trem makes kind of an inconsistent, mushy contact with the body. The trem would always come back a few cents sharp or flat. I get the dive only thing though: it gives you a more rigid feel, tighter rhythms, better tuning stability on compound bends, ability to use a D-Tuna, etc. The downside is you can't do pullups (I like to see 1 1/2 steps minimum) or get the beautiful sharp/flat wide vibrato that you can get with a fully floating trem. That being said, If I'm going for dive only, I'll have my tech install a block of wood in the trem cavity behind the sustain block. All that being said, "nearly flush" just gives you the worst of both worlds...none of the advantages of dive only and a crappy pullup range!

As I mentioned in my original post, I installed a Floyd Upgrades trem stopper so the bridge is solidly braced from moving back/up in pitch. I've tried fully floating OFRs before and they're not for me. I don't like messing around with balancing them and keeping them that way.

[Axewielder]

Ah OH, yeah reading comprehension fail on my part...that trem stopper should give you a robust dive only setup.

[Matt_B]

Ah OH, yeah reading comprehension fail on my part...that trem stopper should give you a robust dive only setup.

I suffer from that disorder as well. As a race we're getting bombarded more and more with text everyday and after while it's all TLDR.

[Axewielder]

I suffer from that disorder as well. As a race we're getting bombarded more and more with text everyday and after while it's all TLDR.

LOL! Yeah I'm all about TLDR in my advanced age.

So not to throw rocks or beat a dead horse, but why not go with more of a neck angle and the tremol-no where you can set it for full floating or fixed bridge on the fly? I'm sort of playing hypocrite at this point because my block of wood solution is only dive only as well. I guess I've got a bit of an aversion to the tremol-no because the block of wood just seems more solid to me.

[j2379]

nice color combo, not your typical HRF.

[Matt_B]

I've tried the Tremol-no in both my recessed trems and I found I was perfectly happy with a dive-only trem. At that point I felt the Tremol-no was more complicated than needed for the job required.

[shreddermon]

That's absolutely killer, Matt. Love the color combo, old school graphic, and double creams was definitely the right call. Congrats.

[Johnnyryche]

That's absolutely killer, Matt. Love the color combo, old school graphic, and double creams was definitely the right call. Congrats.

Totally agree!

[ALZ]

sweet , congrads on this , imho looks very cool , i love hrf's on charvels , its a very cool one , enjoy it ! cheers , happy holidays all !
rock on jcf , glad 2 be back , cioa , see ya , alz / 2013