Bulldog Bodies

[LesPaulCowboy]

Well I fell in love with there P90 LP body... I mean FELL IN LOVE! I may not ever buy another guitar again just make them. I have tried to read and get a little lost, so sorry if I looked it over but the one big question I have is are bulldog guitars really well made? From what I seen and heard, people find them great. I think they look good, just how well are they made?

[Texas07R8]

They are fine. I had no problem with the quality of the wood versus cost. It's a deal..! The only problem I had was a little back bow on my one piece neck. String tension is pulling it back and it's playing very well now, I just prefer my action a tad lower. Who knows maybe after a few more months it will gradually improve and I can lower the bridge a bit more.

The wood is beautiful, the maple has amazing flame and figure. The mahogany on my body was excellent, as good as Gibson and lighter too. My edge binding was perfect as was fit and finish.

Considering you're getting a mahogany body and neck with a real maple cap, yea some are veneer but it's still maple underneath. The fretboard is very nice rosewood, the fretboard binding is excellent and the frets seem decent as well.

I think mine would play exactly like I want it if I'd take it in for a pro fret leveling and dressing. Right now I don't have the tools or the confidence to do that myself.

[Throwing7]

Upon measuring my headstock for an inlay. I discovered that there is a slight vertical bow in my headstock. not a huge one mind you, didn't discover it until i measured across the top from ear to ear and could see daylight under my ruler.

Has anyone else seen this or had this occur in theirs? I'm thinking it's just the way these are manufactured but I was just wondering if others found this as well.

[MKLP]

Does anyone have a link for these guys? Google gives me all these listings for a shop in the U.K & other things that don't help.

[macklanders]

BullDogBodies

[MKLP]

Thanks Mack!

[Texas07R8]

Originally Posted by Throwing7

Upon measuring my headstock for an inlay. I discovered that there is a slight vertical bow in my headstock. not a huge one mind you, didn't discover it until i measured across the top from ear to ear and could see daylight under my ruler.

Has anyone else seen this or had this occur in theirs? I'm thinking it's just the way these are manufactured but I was just wondering if others found this as well.

Trevor, I found the same thing with my neck and I found it the same way you did, measuring across the ears of the headstock.

I just sanded it down with a sanding block and got it better on back. I didn't want to jack with the ebony veneer side as the ebony is only a 1/16th" thick.

I chalked it up to the low cost of these things some things will get past QC that probably wouldn't in higher cost kit.

[Snake24]

those bodies are cheaper then Warmoth by far, with warmoth they wanted almost 600 with no finish and around 900 with the paint i wanted just for the body.


Wow didnt know 500 was for body and neck thats what i might be getting

[teeloh]

I see from your avatars, guys, that you are from Dallas, NY and other USA places. Has anyone ordered from Bulldog from outside the US? I presume these are shipped from China.

I am asking, in order to know how well they are packed upon arrival. thanks.

[Rock Johnson]

It's tempting to get a bulldog kit specifically for the purposes of mounting a Floyd.

[Webtroll]

Originally Posted by Rock Johnson

It's tempting to get a bulldog kit specifically for the purposes of mounting a Floyd.

I may try exactly that next year but it depends on how my current build turns out.

[Texas07R8]

Originally Posted by teeloh

I see from your avatars, guys, that you are from Dallas, NY and other USA places. Has anyone ordered from Bulldog from outside the US? I presume these are shipped from China.

I am asking, in order to know how well they are packed upon arrival. thanks.

they are not packed super well but seems to be OK for what it is. for the cost I wasn't expecting a lot. Mine came in a box that had the carved and bound body wrapped in that white foam wrap, not very thick but it was wrapped a few rounds and taped, same for the neck, I think the neck came wrapped but was inside a slim box big enough for the neck and foam wrap. Pretty basic packaging, I can't imagine it getting damaged in shipping but I suppose anything is possible.. that's what insurance is for!

[dspelman]

Originally Posted by Rock Johnson

It's tempting to get a bulldog kit specifically for the purposes of mounting a Floyd.

May not be your best bet. The LP-type guitars I have with a Floyd have a reduced neck angle to allow the Floyd to be mounted recessed. The bridge area is the highest point on an LP, and if you've got the Floyd sticking up in the air (as happens with a lot of conversions on originally-hardtail guitars), you may not be able to get a case closed over it.

I've made some suggestions to the fellow who owns Bulldog and imports these bodies, but he's not interested in setting up to do any kind of modified guitar body. His reaction was, "My business is better than I'd thought it would be and I'm doing just fine with the traditional guitars. Besides, I'd have to order 50 at a time in order to get the same price break."

So, for now, out of luck.

I filled my need by ordering a custom through Agile.

[Webtroll]

I can see his point. Unless he gets enough interest to show he can sell a bunch of them there's no need for him to order 50 guitar kits with reduced neck angles when he may only sell 5 or 10 of them. I was thinking of getting a regular kit and having the neck mounted by a real luthier to get the angle right.

[dspelman]

Originally Posted by Webtroll

I can see his point. Unless he gets enough interest to show he can sell a bunch of them there's no need for him to order 50 guitar kits with reduced neck angles when he may only sell 5 or 10 of them. I was thinking of getting a regular kit and having the neck mounted by a real luthier to get the angle right.

I didn't suggest just a reduced neck angle. I suggested a neck-through with scarfed neck heel (like an Axcess) and a deep tummy cut with routs already in place for a Floyd. I also suggested a slightly different control knob arrangement for this guitar that would put a volume control closer to the bridge/bridge pickup (this would mean that the pickguard would be left off or would have to be custom-made). And finally, I suggested a wider (by about 1/8th" and slimmer (17mm deep at the first fret, 20.5mm deep at the 12th) neck than what normally comes on an LP, and with a 16" radius. I also suggested considering a 25.5" scale and a 24-fret neck with the 24th fret even with the bottom curve of the cutaway. Other than that, from the front, it would look like an ordinary LP.

Bulldog wasn't interested, but Nova Scotia Customs was. I doubt that they'd make the unfinished basic guitar available (though they might), but they'd certainly finish it off nicely <G>. I'll have Agile put together a proof of concept on this puppy sometime in the next six months.

[Webtroll]

Dunno about the rout; wouldn't the neck need to be glued in first to make sure the alignment was right? I suppose with CNC machines the tolerance is a lot tighter so it's probably not a big deal. Were it pre routed I'd like it a lot better, I didn't trust myself enough to install the bridge studs for my LP90 build (but the rest of it I'm going to try my hand at).

[dspelman]

Originally Posted by Webtroll

Dunno about the rout; wouldn't the neck need to be glued in first to make sure the alignment was right? I suppose with CNC machines the tolerance is a lot tighter so it's probably not a big deal. Were it pre routed I'd like it a lot better, I didn't trust myself enough to install the bridge studs for my LP90 build (but the rest of it I'm going to try my hand at).

No, it wouldn't have to have the neck glued in first. Proper alignment is assumed -- I'm sure you've seen a lot of bodies (strats, other guitars) for bolt necks that have had the Floyd rout done without ever having seen a neck.

[metallipad]

Hey

I'm thinking about getting the LP-S Veneered Flame, and it seems like it's great for the price. But I'm not sure if I should upgrade the 3 piece mahogany neck to 1 piece? It's only $30, but is the difference so big?

Greetings from Denmark

[Webtroll]

Originally Posted by dspelman

No, it wouldn't have to have the neck glued in first. Proper alignment is assumed -- I'm sure you've seen a lot of bodies (strats, other guitars) for bolt necks that have had the Floyd rout done without ever having seen a neck.

Yes, but I've always assumed with a bolt neck its easier to tweak the angles. The neck on my 75 Strat practically swims in it's pocket and the 3 bolt neck doesn't help. I've considered having the holes in the body filled and retapped to fit tighter, but I'm not really a Strat person so it doesn't get as much attention as it deserves.

(not for sale btw, whenever I make comments like that on forums someone sends me a PM asking)

[dspelman]

Originally Posted by metallipad

Hey

I'm thinking about getting the LP-S Veneered Flame, and it seems like it's great for the price. But I'm not sure if I should upgrade the 3 piece mahogany neck to 1 piece? It's only $30, but is the difference so big?

Purely for looks. A three-piece neck is probably stronger and more resistant to warping (assuming it was done correctly), but is cheaper because it allows the builder to use smaller pieces of wood instead of sourcing a single piece of straight mahogany in the right size.

[metallipad]

Thanks I think I'll get the 3 piece then.

And one more thing: what glue should I use?

[Texas07R8]

regular Titebond wood glue works perfectly and is widely available and cheap.

[metallipad]

Thanks a lot. Great job with yours!! It looks awesome!

[TKOjams]

Originally Posted by Throwing7

Upon measuring my headstock for an inlay. I discovered that there is a slight vertical bow in my headstock. not a huge one mind you, didn't discover it until i measured across the top from ear to ear and could see daylight under my ruler.

Has anyone else seen this or had this occur in theirs? I'm thinking it's just the way these are manufactured but I was just wondering if others found this as well.

Yes, mine was the same. I didn't let it bother me though. I looked at it as a good thing due the fact I was going to apply headstock decals and the curve would allow for wetsanding the headstock without messing up the decal. It's flat now and looks great.

[Dannyelectro]

Originally Posted by Rock Johnson

It's tempting to get a bulldog kit specifically for the purposes of mounting a Floyd.

Might just be easier to find one w/ a factory trem. Can I interest you in a Kahler?

Hmmmm?