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The AXN™ guitar Lab

Hello this is Johnny . Welcome To The AXN™ Guitar Lab.

Unlike todays misinformed name brand guitars our AXN GUITAR TEAM know what made guitars tick in the 1980s and 90s. Today, my AXN™ Guitars Define Period Correct. To me everything is as plain as day.

I’ve calibrated the obscure. Now I will reveal the hidden aspects that define a 1980s electric guitar. I’m here to educate you.

Pull up a chair. This page is quite a bit of a read. I’ve purposefully made it informative and fun with content that will illustrate… what is… a Period Correct 1980s electric guitar.

Lets take a trip. Take a trip to the 1980s and along the way check out some awesome guitars, laugh a little, and learn some secrets!

Lets Start …

SPECIMEN #1 STUDY : What is the odd looking nut at the top of an 80s guitar?

ASSESSMENT : That metal nut with the three little pads is a locking nut. Some call them Floyd Rose Nuts. They are unique and were pioneered in the 1980s by Mr. Floyd Rose. A Floyd Rose locking nut requires a specially cut fretboard. At the top end of the fretboard there is a “nut shelf” that the Floyd Rose nut sits upon. It takes the place of a conventional guitar nut. It would be part of a double locking tremolo system when paired with a locking tremolo bridge.

Even more unique to the 1980s and indicative of early-to-mid 1980s “period correct” Floyd Rose system would be the “rear mount locking nut” which is pictured in this example. With this nut mounting type there are two small allen head screws that hold the locking nut onto the nut shelf from the back of the neck.

Later some guitar makers used a “top mount locking nut” which mounts from the top with two phillips head type screws. A top mount locking nut would not have two holes on the back of the neck like shown on the below photo.

( note : the blue neck is a Custom AXN Flame Maple Neck. We use a 1980s formula to dye the maple wood blue. This is another forgotten 1980s detail that only AXN guitars remembers )

Our AXN Guitars utilize the Period Correct Rear Mount Floyd Rose Nut.

Laboratory note: Provided that bias does not change systematically with time. All assessments of our laboratory results should show invariability. Conclusions that indicate alternative theories would require some form of repeated test measurements. We emphasize all conclusions will arrive in the affirmative. .

For us at AXN, as for so many enthusiasts, our passion for guitars began with the electric guitars of our youth. I’am proud to release guitars that are true to my era.

The data collected in this study provides a 100% confidence value. My AXN™Guitars = 100% Authentic 1980s

SPECIMEN #2 STUDY : What details about the above photos of the AXN™ Rising Sun Guitar is screaming 1980s?

Well, all my AXN™ guitars are blatantly screaming 1980s period correct. This study reveals something specific in the photograph of this new AXN™ Guitar that separates it from ALL other new guitars…

ASSESSMENT : The tremolo posts. Some call them tremolo pivot studs. They are unique mid 1980s style pieces of Floyd Rose hardware. The “Flat Head type” or direct into wood Floyd Rose posts ( pictured above ). Our laboratory evaluations determine these are period correct for 1981-1989. This type of post/stud is standard on all new AXNs.

Laboratory note: Precision and repeat analyzation of 1980s specimen pools over time show that Floyd Rose tremolos evolved to the modern posts/studs we see today around 1990. For user convenience the modern posts accept a hex key or Allen Key so they can be adjusted for height. Vintage Style Floyd Rose studs accept a #2 Flat Head Screwdriver and are still manufactured today.

For us at AXN, as for so many enthusiasts, our passion for guitars began with the electric guitars of our youth. I’am proud to release guitars that are true to my era.

The data collected in this study provides a 100% confidence value. My AXN™Guitars = 100% Authentic 1980s

SPECIMEN #3 STUDY : Quintessential 1980s Neck Heel Size. We recorded variances in the heel size ( butt end ) of multitudes of electric guitar necks. We removed outliers and specimens that did not originate from verified 1980s manufacturing. Using an analytic approach a standard caliper device was employed to measure the distance between two opposite sides of the fretboard under controlled conditions.

ASSSESSMENT: A common 1980s electric guitar heel size measures to 2.25” which is 0.070” larger than most modern electric guitars. Repeated test measurements revealed the data collected in this study confirm with a 100% confidence level that in the 1980s the butt end or “heel” of many quintessential 1980s guitar necks were manufactured to a size of approximately 2.25” or 57.15mm. Our laboratory evaluations determine this detail as period correct for 1980s guitars.

A 2.25” neck heel is our standard on all new AXNs ( except when AXN special editions demonstrate a period correct discrepancy ).

Unique to the 1980s the slightly larger heel size was a common practice for electric guitar makers and left just a hair more fretboard on either side of the outside strings. The heel end of a guitar neck fits into the neck pocket of a wooden guitar body and usually attached with a metal neck plate and screws to complete a two-piece guitar.

Some people are likely to provide different assessments. Yet, our analysis demonstrates that different conclusions cannot be drawn. Our point of reference is balanced on verbal inferences from Mr. Grover Jackson founder of Charvel Jackson Guitars. Mr. Jackson indicated in personal conversations that the small extra amount of fretboard space on either side of the string at the 22nd fret was added for a purpose.

Differing from Fullerton era Fender guitar production, the reason Grover Jackson manufactured his neck heels to the larger size was to replicate the wider feel of a Gibson Les Paul. A Les Paul has fret edge binding usually made from a white colored material. When the fret edge binding is added to a guitar fretboard it increases its total width at the 22nd fret to 2.25”.

Outside imprecise studies may underestimate the true test result variability under absolutely controlled conditions (eg, generally less experienced operators, a lack of hands-on in regards to authentic 1980s instruments, resulting in test result variabilities that may be higher than those acquired by actual field experienced personnel. )

For us at AXN, as for so many enthusiasts, our passion for guitars began with the electric guitars of our youth. I’am proud to release guitars that are true to my era.

The data collected in this study provides a 100% confidence value. My AXN™Guitars = 100% Authentic 1980s

unique 1980s style specifics

All of our AXN™ Guitars are packed full of small details that when you add them up define our guitars as simply the best guitars you can buy today. 

Our AXN™ guitar bodies and necks are shaped and manufactured in the United States by hand the old-school way just like it was done in the 1980s.

The big difference between then production guitars and our AXNs is that every AXN™ Guitar is a “one-off custom”. A one-off custom manufactured from the finest tone-woods available.

With our own eyes we pick choice exotic woods from local USA suppliers. From experience we pick woods that are the ultimate perfect specimens for manufacturing tone-full guitars. We manufacture a kick-butt guitar every single time. We have a 100% success rate!

AXN™ guitars incorporate unique 1980s style specifics and common sense appointments such as a single perfectly placed volume knob and minimized control cavity holes that keep precious body wood. Our AXN™ main paint formula has the known benefit of super thin color ( less than .020” finish thickness ) placed in strategic places and with ZERO clear-coat.

For many enthusiasts Nitro paint is now part of our offerings and again with a finish thickness that does not exceed .020”. For others, we are now offering 1980s guitars “Art Finishes”. Silver Sparkle and Flip Flop colors that include a mint finish with 80s style clear coat will be available this year on an AXN or two.

To toot our own horn, we must add that In pursuit of perfection our AXN™ Guitars use these secret tone enhancers:

• Quarter-sawn Necks with 1980s Oil Finish, Flat Fretboard Radius, Super Jumbo Frets and unique 80s style PERIOD CORRECT luxuries

• AXN™ SuperWide™ Plus Sustain Blocks, New German Made Floyd Rose bridges or the best-of-best bridges and hardware

• Hand Picked, Properly Dried, Grade AAA and Purchased in the USA Premium cuts of Tonewood

• The ultimate in electronics shielding using a Faraday Cage, USA 500k Bourns volume pots and Aerospace Mil Spec M27500 wire/rope

• Period correct pickups and on occasion actual 1980s collectible Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan Humbuckers

• Special Paint types, including Nitro, generally with a finish thickness of .020” or less

So carry on… Dig In… Lets learn about some guitar history and the story of 1980s guitar

Some History ..

Nearly all new guitars sold today are made of very poor quality woods sandwiched in between a nice looking paint job. Buying a name brand guitar today is sort of like buying a creme puff filled with horse manure.

That said, the BIG TWO guitar brands are very aware of the secrets to making great guitars. They set the standard for great instruments many decades ago. Its all very sad when you recall that vintage 1950s and 1960s instruments from these once innovative brands hold legendary status with guitars players and luthiers. Ironically the 1950s and 1960s Strats and Les Pauls contain within them all the secrets to a great guitar tone. Yet either out of corporate profiteering, ill-disposed intentions or bad management, the Big Two brands today offer mostly sub-par instruments made in third world countries.

Discussed in this article are 10 tone secrets. We have discovered some of these by trial and error. Some are details well known. Many of these secrets have been talked about more recently in the last decade or more. Therefore we have found that the superior tone associated with superior instruments is NOT such a secret at all.

Premium Woods | AXN™ Guitars Manufactured by Hand in The United States Of America

The best guitar tone has to do with a certain direction the lumber is cut from logs. Equally important is the dryness of the timber. How the guitars finish, or lack thereof, interacts with the specific wood type after manufacturing can suppress or enhance tone.

Premium Hardware | AXN™ Guitars Manufactured by Hand in The United States Of America

Tone is vastly improved by the type of metals and hardness factor of the alloys used in certain parts of the hardware. This defines clarity improving the "snappy-ness" of the string. As an example our made in USA AlienJEL hartdail.

Increased sustain and resonance comes from machined metal and made in USA workmanship. Its undeniable, the difference attainable when premium alloys and USA machining is part of your standard !

Superior By Design | AXN™ Guitars Manufactured by Hand in The United States Of America

After many years we found that the tone associated with superior sounding instruments is NOT such a secret at all. Long before the launch of our AXN™ line we obsessed in the details present in those famous guitars from the 1950s, 1960s through to the 1980s. After decades of study, experience and application we discovered certain things are always present in a very tone-full guitar.

Here is a list of secrets that we will disclose about our AXN™ guitars.

#1 - Woods hand picked Locally and used in our Guitar bodies

AXN™ guitars utilize quarter-sawn and center-joined wood in our bodies. In addition we hand pick aged woods from local suppliers here in the USA and use the perfect tone-wood to start the process of manufacturing our AXN™ guitars.

#2 - QUARTER-SAWN AND HAND CHOSEN WOODS USED IN OUR Hand Made NECKS

AXN™ guitars utilize quarter-sawn woods in our hand crafted necks. Again, we hand pick aged premium woods from local suppliers. We don't use CNC machines which create sterile guitars.

Using quarter-sawn quality woods selected by hand is one important detail. Virtually NO production line guitar or known guitar brands start with this crucial detail in check. We start by personally shopping for the best woods available and use those in our first step of production. Its just one detail that we include in the overall formula for making an AXN™ Guitar.

#3 - METAL HARDWARE - POT METAL VERSUS MUSICAL GRADE ALLOYS

There is very much information to disclose in regards to metal hardware and musical instruments. Nearly all guitarists can tell the difference between a bridge that has a sparklingly sound transfer ability and a poorly made pot-metal bridge that chokes.

Some of the relative sound differences is mathematical having to do with the percussive nature of each metal and also the speed of the vibrations etc. The vibration of the guitar string on a fixed bridge and also the string locked into a Floyd Rose tremolo transfers this vibration through the mass generating a tone structure.

Appropriately, and over the decades with the advent of modern alloys, a debate has transpired as to what size and which metal type is best for bridges and hardware. Hardtail traditional bridges and tremolos that have sustain blocks, baseplates, and metal saddles have appeared that are machined from premium metals. The advantages of quality metals has become apparent and has been appreciated by many a guitarist.

Our USA Designed and USA manufactured AXN™ Model 2 guitar bodies have a custom size tremolo cavity hole with a precise fit for our humongous AXN™ Sustain Block. Our specialized AXN™ SuperWide™ Sustain Blocks are effectively 5 Times Larger than a standard Floyd Rose sustain block. This drastically improves its sonic attributes and enhances the flutter effect of a Floyd Rose tremolo on our guitars. Get the Ultimate Floyd Rose Experience... Get an AXN™ !!

For jazz and even pop music the size of the sustain block or size of the bridge in a guitar might make little-to-no difference. For rock, metal and more aggressive guitar sounds the girth, size, mass and sheer magnitude of the metal used in the bridge may be one of, if not, the most important tone-influencing details.

It sounds quite cliché but when it comes to guitars bridges BIGGER IS BETTER. Another addition, if you've ever read into metallurgy the "hardness factor" of metals is another influence on guitar tone. We custom manufacture sustain blocks for use in our AXN™ Guitars. We've provided more in-depth information on this topic here on our AXN™ Sustain Blocks web page

#4 - Wood Mass and the Single Pickup Guitar Body

The control cavity in the back of the guitar where the electronics is fed through the body is always in one of the most important areas of the guitars tone-wood. If you look under your guitars pickguard the wood removed there for pickup placement is equally as vital to a guitars sound. These both are undisputed tone-influencing areas of the guitar body.

When the electronics control cavity size and pickup routing size is decreased and wood mass in those areas is increased so is sustain. Therefore the influence of wood mass in these spots changes the sound wave. These are important details we use to shape the tone of our AXN™ guitars.

Effectively you could describe the removing of wood in these areas as "chambering". Strategically these two places are the worst spots to chamber a guitar... Big electronic control cavity and swimming pool pickup routing... terrible ideas for a rock-n-roll guitar!

#6 - NECK POCKET SHAPE AND TREMOLO ROUTING

The shape or girth of the guitar body where the heel of the neck attaches is yet another very important factor that influences tone. As well, the wood mass around the tremolo posts where a tremolo bridge is attached to the body is the worst place to remove wood.

Decreasing the amount of wood or routing-out wood under the guitars bridge is the quickest way to destroy sustain in an already tone robbing bridge type such as a Floyd Rose locking tremolo. Add a bridge made from a low quality metal alloy and what you've got is the recipe for a disastrous treble-ey tone. These tone robbing technics are even more apparent when a guitar is amplified in a live band environment and in higher volume conditions.

In reality many good things such as neck shapes, humbucking as well as active and noiseless pickups, came out of the 1980s innovations to the classic guitar designs of the past. That said, a contoured or shaped neck pocket and recessed tremolo routing are two things that diminished tone and pushed players towards set neck guitars during the vintage guitar craze after the 1980s.

Our AXN™ Neck Joint where the body meets with the neck is designed to allow absolute access to the highest frets all the while preserving sustain. We've achieved the perfect combination of comfort and playability in every detail. Below is a photo of our AXN™ guitar featuring a Korina neck and a ultra-prime cut of Alder tone-wood for the attractive body.

#7 - Clear Coat the ultimate tone killer

Most all of our guitars come with very-little-to-no finish or clear coat. When wood is covered with paint we use our own special formulation and finish thickness to color our AXN™ Guitars. We were able to achieve THE ULTIMATE TONE EVERY TIME that is the perfect match for hard rock players by not using detracting decorative paint and veneers. It becomes the difference between bass and treble, frequency response, and what part is effected by the absence of paint. ( Some news, In 2020 we are offering 100% Nitro Paint on some guitars for those that appreciate vintage finishes and with a finish thickness of less than .020” )

Similarly the presence of specific types of primers and paint types skew or modify tone. This is no "big tone secret". For decades guitar makers have understood tone-killing clear coat and paint are a suppressant.

Heres one interesting fact, there is one well known guitar brand from Japan named Caparison Guitars that marketed a primer they use on some of their guitars. Specifically the DA Jackson from 1991 that generates an exacting amount of mid-range boost.

All AXN™ guitar necks as well as AXN™ guitar bodies are free of paint or clear coat. This results in enhanced resonance and sustain. Thus improving the guitars overall performance through an amplifier at higher volumes.

#8 - Body SHIELDING AND GROUNDING WITH A FARADAY CAGE

A Faraday cage or Faraday shield is an enclosure used to block electromagnetic fields. It is formed by conductive material or by a mix of such materials. The Faraday cage is named after the English scientist Michael Faraday who invented this in 1836.  A Faraday Cage in our application works to effectively isolate the inner areas from outside noise.

In our AXN™ guitars the cavities around the electronics and the pickup route are converted to be a caged-in box with metal shielding materials. These areas of the guitars body are then successfully grounded, further shielded, and incorporated into the guitars overall grounding circuit. We then achieve a perfectly robust sound signal for processing through an amplifier and guitar effects. This leads to the silky smooth distortion and sparkling clean tones of our AXN™ guitars.

This shielding/grounding technique and all our other methods help contribute to a very targeted heavy rock-n-roll tone at all amplified volumes. Quite simply its one of our proprietary tone secrets. The proper execution of this shielding measure in the production of electric guitars is much too labor intensive and costly for large guitar manufacturers to utilize in their product offerings. Its a standard detail in every AXN™ guitar. We call it the AXN™ Electronics Grounding System. Heres a secret… I learned this from Mr. Grover Jackson :-)

The Faraday Cage is something that will not be incorporated into any new name brand guitar. Its just too labor intensive to do it correctly. The way it was done by luthiers in the late 1970s and later in the 1980s by Charvel guitars ( pre Jackson ) captained by Mr. Grover Jackson. But even Jackson guitars couldn’t keep doing it right. Because again, its was too labor intensive, time restrictive and too costly for them. Yet, it is the ultimate “headroom” creation method for Robust Tone! We do it in every AXN.

We also utilize a custom sophisticated AXN™ Adjustable Treble Bleed Circuit that keeps just the right amount of mid-tones, treble and cleans when you back off the volume and back-out distortion. At AXN™ Guitars we use a high quality 500k Bourns volume pot and Aerospace Mil Spec M27500 wire/rope throughout the guitar. Again, think High Fidelity Audiofile Type Headroom !!!

#9 - MAGNETIC PULL - PICKUP MAGNETS KILL STRING VIBRATION

The pickups are basically big magnets that draw the strings toward them and slowly kill the vibration of the string. If you continually raise the pickup closer to the strings you will be able to verify this fact. Of course if the pickup is very close you can visually see the pickup grab and stop the strings vibration.

The more pickups your guitar has installed the more vibration is soaked away from the strings. Sounds crazy but for much longer sustain less pickups in your guitar will achieve that result…. Hi Five to single humbucker AXNs !!!

#10 - PICKUP POLE DISTANCE FROM THE BRIDGE AND TONEWOODS

Its common knowledge that Mahogany produces a warmer tone which would be even warmer than Korina. These two woods would enhance areas of the sound spectrum opposite to Hard Maple and Walnut which both produce a bright tone. Hence, a Les Paul would have a brighter tone if the maple top was thicker than the mahogany back.

Another factor that all guitarists understand is that your neck position pickup produces a warmer tone than your bridge pickup. In addition if you play lead guitar you easily can tell the difference when playing on either the neck pickup or the bridge pickup. With this in mind it makes sense that the pickup distance ( or the distance of the pickups pole pieces ) when moved away from the bridge, or tremolo, create a different sound.

In the same way when every guitarist chooses a new pickup we listen for the articulation of the bass strings versus the treble strings and decide what pickup we prefer for each of our favorite guitars. After a number of years all guys that play guitar start to understand which magnet type or brand of pickup mate to the corresponding wood types.

In general we guitarists are use to a certain sound from a distorted humbucker pickup based on where the pickup is on a guitar (specifically, its proximity to the bridge). When chugging around on our bridge pickup we expect to hear a certain response from each string as it related to bass and treble response.

The basic rule is this: the closer a pickup is installed in relation to the bridge, the brighter its tone will be... and the further away a pickup is installed in relation to the bridge, the less bright its tone will be.

In theory lets take the following example. If a standard Stratocaster with single coils had its single coil bridge pickup oriented perpendicular to the strings ( straight across ) like the middle and neck Strat pickups, the tonal quality of the bridge pickup would be terribly thin on the E, A, and D strings. The further from the bridge you move the Stratocaster bridge pickup the warmer the tone becomes. Take a look, all Stratocasters have a slanted bridge single coil pickup.

A slanted bridge humbucker pickup would put the poles that line up with bass strings further forward and the treble strings just a hair back. This orientation would, if it was needed, change the tone ever so slightly. The E, A, and D strings would achieve a distinctive bass harmonic change and the G, B, and high E strings would be closer to the bridge to supply treble harmonics that subjectively cut through and offer a more compressed high end.

As guitar luthiers, this slant pickup orientation is available to use as a tool. If you so desire a slanted humbucker can be used to change the sound. This in combination with other factors such as the wood type of the guitar body and neck, the wood type of the fretboard, the metal alloys used in the hardware and bridge, the type of magnets in your pickups and numerous other factors in the makeup of said guitar are an influence. Our test show that a slant humbucker can produce a wider spectrum of sound with certain tone-woods that can benefit from the push. Also our test results show that the results of a slant humbucker can also be null with some wood types and pickup combinations.

Another thing to understand is the effect of slanted pickups as they relate to the scale length of the guitar and issues that arise with longer scale length and guitars that use large amounts of gain or distortion. Take a look at the 7 and 8 string guitar makers of today. They are using slanted pickups for a reason. That reason further substantiates our findings.

In closing, a humbucker and the placement of your humbuckers 6 pickup pole pieces do effect the tone when distance from the bridge is varied. The understanding of this is just another method used as a tool to refine the strings audible response when amplified. Therefore its just another tone secret that can be used to compliment your sound for whatever style of playing you desire.