# My Prototype 1!



## Decibel Guitars (Oct 14, 2010)

Hi, guys!

Here's my "Proto 1" guitar, which i just finished up in July. (Though i just got a new control cavity cover a couple of weeks ago.)










Body: 1-piece figured walnut
Neck: 3-piece East Indian rosewood laminate with scarf-jointed headstock
Fretboard: East Indian rosewood, 27" scale, 16" radius, 24 frets
Bridge: ABM
Tuners: Sperzel
Nut: Earvana
Pickups: Nordstrand custom
Electronics: 1V, 1T, StewMac "FreeWay" six-way toggle switch, Neutrik locking jack

The whole buildstory is here: Prototype 1: Figured walnut Javelin | Decibel Guitars

Questions? Comments? Criticism?


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

WHOA! I'm not a 7 string guy (can barely play 6) but that is very cool.

btw, I LOVE those side dots, great idea and damn useful on a dark stage.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

very nice! i love the grain on the guitar! very sweet! i also love the glo-in the dark dots too! AWESOME!! the other thing i think that is cool, is how you've got the jack hidden...very nice!

how does it feel/play?


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Very Nice Design wise...i would say the lower horn needs work, it does'nt fit with the upper horn, You should have the exact same curve applied, just simply scaled down in proportion.. The Bottom step in the body looks good, but the one on the Upper Horn side does'nt work there, with all those you're creating a unbalanced movement to the body's curves. I personnaly would give an angle to the linear approche to the two pots and switch. but it's a personnal thing on that one..


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

i like the pointy headstock...good for jabbing someone in the eye!


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## Decibel Guitars (Oct 14, 2010)

The neck carve is an interesting experiment. I was originally planning to have it more of a soft "V" at the nut, then have it get flatter as you move up the neck. (I tend to grip the neck more in the lower register for chording, and then use my thumb more for leverage higher up.)

However, as i started carving, it ended up being exactly the opposite. It's a thin soft "C" shape at the nut (i used my old Music Man Petrucci 7 as a reference point for the feel i was after, though i didn't copy the dimensions) and at about the 7th fret, the bass side of the neck starts to flatten out, with the neck becoming more of an asymmetrical soft "V" as you move further up. It has the effect of guiding the thumb around the neck and giving much greater leverage for playing and bending higher up. 

It sounds weird, but it works. A few people have played it and after a few minutes of adjustment, also agreed.

I've literally been working on the design for almost 20 years. These are design ideas that i've had since i first started drawing guitars, and they've evolved and been influenced by some of my favourite guitar designs over the years. There are elements of Kubicki, Parker, Brian Moore, Steinberger, Dingwall... probably dozens of others whose design i've admired and been inspired by. But hopefully i've fused all those influences and ideas into something cohesive and original.

The knob placement is largely due to the thickness (or thinness) of the body. The radius carve on the top and the recessed knobs meant that i needed to locate the knobs closer to the middle of the body where it's thicker. This will be especially important if i want to add any other electronics or push/pull pots.


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## Alistair6 (Jul 9, 2007)

im not a 7 stringer and not a shredder but can certainly appreciate the build.. very nicely done..


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

I'm not a 7 string/shredder/modern player myself but I can see the playability here. Very nice work.
The neck carve seems very interesting to me. I'd like to play it.
I like the asymmetrical cut-aways/horns ......good design

Cheers
pete


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## Lowtones (Mar 21, 2006)

Beautiful guitar and nice workmanship. Cudos to you.


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## Decibel Guitars (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks, guys. If there are any GTA get-togethers, i'd be glad to bring the guitar out so you can try it. I have a few other builds in the works, and don't worry... i plan on expanding into 6-strings in the future for those of you who prefer less range. 

Eight-strings might be in the works as well, but i'm going to build a multi-scale 7 first. I had a straight-fret 8 for a while, and it just felt too awkward to me.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Overall I think it looks very good. I love that walnut! Being as I am more of a "classic style" guitar guy, the fact that I say it looks good really means it looks great! 

AJC


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## YJMUJRSRV (Jul 17, 2007)

gone fishing


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

Like some other posts mentioned...not a shred guy myself but I think the build looks fantastic! I think it is great that you have come up with an original design. Really looking forward to your 6 string guitar.


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## Decibel Guitars (Oct 14, 2010)

A few of you guys have said "i'm not a shred guy"... does the Javelin design really scream "shred"? I was hoping it would have more universal appeal.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I've seen that guitar before!

They just see 7 strings and assume you make VH look like a sissy 

We need a jam session afternoon!


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

For me its more of a 7 string thing that equates to shred than the overall look. But its is certainly more "modern looking" than the 50's designs I am hooked on.

Once again, its a great looking guitar!

AJC


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## Decibel Guitars (Oct 14, 2010)

The first 7-string electrics were built for George Van Eps by Epiphone in the 1930s. Extended-range guitars have a long history in jazz and classical music. It's only the rock 'n' roll world where guitarists seem fixated on six strings and standard tuning.  Granted, seven-strings have only been around in the rock world since 1990, but baritones and alternate/drop tunings have been around much longer than that.

I'm pretty far from a shredder, but i do like the extra low string tuned to A to give a bit more depth to chords.

I do find it interesting that guitarists don't give bass players a hard time for playing basses with 5 or 6 strings, yet if a guitarist experiments with extended range, there's an endless stream of "i'm no shredder, but..." and "i can barely play six strings, but..." comments, like one needs to be some kind of alien virtuoso to try something different. We need to not be so insecure about our own abilities and feel free to experiment more. Guitarists as a whole tend to be notoriously bound by tradition when it comes to both playing approach and gear.


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