Metal Guitar

deadpixl

Hey everyone, first actual asset posted here. I'm currently working on a guitar model that I plan on tossing into Unreal 3, got inspired by the Brutal Legend demo. I think I got the high poly to a good point, I wanted to get some C and C before I start working out the low poly and maps.

itsover3

Looking good but the spacing between the frets is bugging me it looks like the spacing is even until the bottom of the neck where they just get very small

http://www.ooshop.es/images/grg270b.gif

itsover3

Looking good but the spacing between the frets is bugging me it looks like the spacing is even until the bottom of the neck where they just get very small

http://www.ooshop.es/images/grg270b.gif

imb3nt

That guitar is f'ing metal.

/agree with fret spacing. Also consider moving the diamond plate around so it doesnt mess with the first set of pickups. The body itself seems a little thin but thats an easy fix. Keep it up! You gonna make a metal amp?

ImSlightlyBored

yeah your fret spacing is wrong along the neck - it goes from thicker intervals to thin, but even your early frets are thick thin etc, a bit random.

Pickups are normally floating a little higher but thats design I guess

smoothing errors on the machineheads?
the top of the neck where it meets the fret board normally has six grooves, one for each string to lay in

the actual plate the diamond plate pattern is on, doesn't look perfectly curved, its a bit wobbly. is that right or just res?

deadpixl

@itsover3 I see what you're talking about. Should be an easy fix.

@imb3nt Yeah I was worried about the diamond shapes being really noisy around some of the objects. I'll have to take another look at that and see what I can come up with. Once this beast is done I'm thinking I might have to make a metal amp too.

@ImSlightlyBored I don't think it's a smoothing error on the machineheads, they look fine when I'm working on them but I'll take a second look. The pickups I agree, could be raised a bit and the metal plate might need some smoothing around the edges.

Thanks guys, I'll take all the feedback and polish it up a bit this week.

Rumkugel

Headstock should be angled in my opinion, but thats just my taste.
also the axe appears VERY thin.

JasonLavoie

Rumkugel wrote: »

Headstock should be angled in my opinion, but thats just my taste.
also the axe appears VERY thin.

I wonder what it would be like to play a thinner guitar like that, never had one myself.

I do agree with ImSlightlyBored (alex) and Rumkugel. I would like to see the headstock angeled downwards a bit, should give it a nicer profile as well (more interesting anyways).

Rumkugel

Frankly its a 3d, model but a angled headstock gives you more tension on the strings, hence sustain etc.

a thin body, for my ears, doesnt sound as rich as a thicker body.

JasonLavoie

True, but maybe for more of the metal heads (more lead then anything) having that nice kickey treble over the warmer tones may serve a better purpose?

haha, don't want to de-rail the thread, looking forward to more updates.

MoP

Interesting design, coming along pretty well. I agree with most crits so far, the frets are noticeably wrong.

Also I have never seen a guitar that thin. The Parker Fly is pretty damn thin even for an electric and that's probably even thicker than this. Guitars of this style especially would probably tend to have a body almost twice as thick as the current one you've done.

And those spikes near the neck / body join look like they'd really hurt when trying to play up on the higher frets

Onuris

ImSlightlyBored wrote: »

the top of the neck where it meets the fret board normally has six grooves, one for each string to lay in

Dead, don't forget this. The strings need this piece or they won't lay properly along the neck. I know, it's an acoustic and yours is electric, but this picture shows how it should look: http://www.mikeagranoff.com/images/Guitar/Guitar%20Neck.jpg

It is looking good now, but it could be a lot better. Your errors with it make me think you're not using references. The thinness, the height of the pickups, the lack of nut (the thing with the string grooves), the lack of a pick guard, missing amp jack, no strap buttons, no toggle switch and the straight head: those just all scream "This is completely imaginary" to me.

You sort of have a Flying V feel to it, so I'd suggest taking a look at how a Flying V is laid out and make some adjustments to your guitar. You can still take it your own direction, but a lot of it just wouldn't be realistic right now. Here's a few good images I found with google, you can certainly find some more references and make this a really great piece.
http://shortbusmafia.com/photos/Bill_Flying_V.jpg
http://www.joesguitarshop.com/1983%20Black%20Flying%20V%20CU2.jpg See the difference in thickness between the body and the neck in these two? http://www.geocities.com/swordseminar2008/images/IMG_1186.jpg

deadpixl

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I had some time tonight to put a bit more work into the model. I've taken a few things and reworked them from the ground up based on some of the feedback. I still have to go in an rework a few smoothing issues that have shown up with some of the new changes. Still need to re work the fret spacing and make strings the proper size.

itsover3

Maybe it's just me but I think the next is a little to wide...

pick-up switch?

Also I think the bridge needs a makeover because it looks like its fixed in there pretty well like an acoustic guitar (http://www.elderly.com/images/new_instruments/20N/FG700S_bridge.jpg)and it wouldn't be able to have a whammy bar

deadpixl

I did a few tweaks here and there and added the last few remaining things. Now to start on the low poly and what not.

Onuris

Is that the toggle switch there in the path of strumming? (They typically go on the opposite side to the volume/treble/bass knobs and further towards the neck, or all the way at the base of the body) Also, is there an amp jack and strap buttons? Won't be too easy to play an electric guitar if you can't plug it in, and with all those spikes on it, I wouldn't want to have to hold on to it without a strap. Still missing a pick guard, but I can see that being a style thing. Although I'd rather play a guitar with a plastic pick guard than rubbing my hand over diamond cut metal.

deadpixl

There is a small amp jack on the side of the body. I know the Flying V and even the Explorer style bodies have them on the front of the guitar but I kind of like it on the side. I see what you're saying about the toggle, didn't really realize that when I tossed it on there, was probably looking at the explorer instead of the flying V. Strap buttons I forgot to turn back on when I took the snapshot .

Mimp

For the high poly, I do hope the iterations are set to 11

Nice work.

Rhinokey

metal without a tremolo! absurd!