I'm about to start a new project.

GSPBASSES

 I was invited to a fundraising dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe a few months ago, this was to raise money for the Chickenshed. It was a great evening, the Chickenshed put on a great evening of music. Some of the cast told their story of how the Chickenshed had turner there life's round. As the evening when on I noticed that when different groups of singers and dancers and musicians come onto the stage they quite often handed instruments over to each other guitars and basses etc. After the show I enquired why this was, I was told that the Chickenshed did not supply Guitars to all its all participating musicians, some members own their own guitars but many did not and so they  shared. A few weeks later I went to the Chickenshed theatre in Enfield to see a musical evening called Sharing Stages, another great evening. After the show I spoke to some of the music team members, not sure what their titles were but I think they run the music side of the theatre and school. Again I asked about did they have enough musical instruments to go round and the answer was no. I suspected this was going to be the answer,  I've had been thinking about this since my evening at the Hard Rock Cafe, I had decided that if this was the case I will offer to make guitars for them at no cost.

 For anyone who doesn't know I close down my main workshop this year and moved back into my original workshop, during the move I check the stock as everything was now in one place. I realised I had a lot more guitar necks and bodies then I thought. So I will now start to build some of these into finished guitars for the Chickenshed. I have lots of hardware to build these guitars so really it is not going to cost me very much money just my time, plus the necks and bodies I have in stock. I will also put up some of the stock for sale on the forum, all the money raised from the sales will go into buying more hardware for the guitars I'll be making for the Chickenshed. 

I'm going to try some of the budget hardware you can get from eBay in particular from Black Dog. I received my first order of parts from Axetec, strap locks, screws, string trees, T/C control plates, jack sockets and plates. I must admit the quality seem very good for the price. Dave Walsh of Eternal Guitars and Hot Rod Pickups has offered to supply me with some free pickups, mainly P-90's. I've also ordered guitar straps and gig bags from Feline guitars. David Dyke of Luther's Supplies has also offered to help out with any other bits of hardware I might be short of.

When the project starts I will post a photo diary of the builds, as this might be of interest to any members who build kits or part casters. In particular the type of finish I'm going to be using, plus how I get on with the budget hardware. 

http://www.chickenshed.org.uk/

Alnico

What a great thing to do.

Well done man.

JezWynd

That sounds like a really worthwhile project. Thanks for pointing out Chickenshed too, I'd never heard of them and they sound really interesting.

Mkjackary

Don't suppose I could donate a guitar to them and you would make me a guitar for free in exchange?

Steffo

Inspirational. Interested in what you'll have available to sell here, especially of the double cut kind. Have your 300th fret from me!

DrBob

I just went and looked up who Chickenshed are and what they do and man that's amazing thing your doing Graham and what a great use of your skills & resources !

News that you're looking to have a further selloff is making me a bit nervous mind. I had promised myself no more self builds but given that the only guitars I play anymore have necks & bodies built by you it feels like at least one more will be inevitable...

Sarge

What an awesome gesture! It's great to see the chickenshed still going strong, 20years ago (ish) my son had a video of the shed players, we watched that tape probably 50times, which led to us doing a fundraising event at his nursery for the shed.
Kudos to you sir!

TimmyO

Awesome project - very cool

GSPBASSES

I have just put three guitars up for sale in the classifieds, although two were sold to members of the forum before I put them up in the classified.

But for you part caster builders on the forum just to wet your appetite I've posted some pictures below of some of the guitars that I will be building and putting up for sale over the summer.

Some may be completed and given to the Chicken Shed. I will post some pictures of the first two guitars I'm making for the Chicken Shed in another post later in the week.

The last picture shows four Mahogany L/P juniors I will be's building early June, there are three DC's and one single cut, two of the DC's are already sold. I am planning on making some more DC's later in the year. 

ThePrettyDamned

This is fantastic.

I have a few spare bits laying around, I know I have a mustang bridge and cups, but I may have knobs, pots, maybe tuners etc. I can look if you like, and if you want any I'll post them to you to go on the charity builds.

What a wonderful idea.

GSPBASSES

I’ve just started to put together the first telecaster for the Chickenshed, still quite a lot to do. Unfortunately or fortunately depending how you look at it, I’m bit overwhelmed with work at the moment, so haven’t had as much time as I would have liked building the first two telecaster for the Chickenshed.

As you can see it’s a Swampash “F” Hole T/C, it has a Maple neck with a Rosewood fingerboard. The body has tortoiseshell binding with a matching pick guard. The pickups are Hot Rod (Vintage), a Wilkinson bridge, CTS 250K pots and a standard three-way switch, with Gotoh tuners (mini M6). The finish is Eze Oil, body and neck.

I hope to have it completed by the weekend work time permitting.

DrBob

That looks killer

Mind you so does the f hole Axis alike

GSPBASSES

The guitars I'm making for Chicken Shed has slowed down a bit as I am very busy with my commercial work. The first two are now complete. I’ve already put a photo up of the first telecaster when it was part built it is now complete.

                              

 Swamp Ash F hole Tele,

                             

This is more of a rebuild, I built this P bass for myself several years ago, I believe I did put photos of it up a couple years back. Although I built it for myself, it’s prime function was to take to jam nights so anybody could play it, in hope to drum up orders. It was also used as a loan bass when I was repairing or setting up a bass for some one. I fitted a new three-piece quarter sawn maple neck with rosewood fingerboard to the bass, as the original neck was used on another build, the customer asked if he could have the old neck fitted to his Jazz bass. As I don’t take on repair work for commissions for completed guitars or basses any more, this P bass has been sitting in the corner for about two years now, so I have found it a good home at Chicken Shed.

GSPBASSES

This is the next T/C for Chickenshed.

Alder body

Maple / Rosewood neck

Gotoh bridge and tuners

Hot Rod T90 pickups.

Weight 8 lb

Other bits and pieces from Axetec (and very good they are)

T90 pickups are really good lots of output beautiful tone real twang machines.  Very sensibly priced, no more Seymour Duncan’s or Bare Knuckles’s for me now. I’ve also used vintage sounding pickups from Hot Rod, they are excellent as well ( used a set in the F hole T/C ).

No CTS pots used on this one, as I am fed up spending lots of money on volume controls pots that only work to about 8 then act more like an off switch. Although Eternal guitars told me where to buy CTS pots that work better than the one's from the supply I have been using.

                                     

 

                                         These guitars are going to be delivered to Chickenshed tomorrow morning.

            

koneguitarist

How did it go? 

GSPBASSES

The meeting at the Chickenshed went very well indeed. I handed over the guitars to the guy who runs the music department.  He was exceedingly pleased with the guitars, as it happens he is a bass player, but his favourite guitar and one that he has always wanted is an “F” Hole Telecaster. The guitars will be used in the rehearsal rooms and when the youth band plays gigs. I believe the guitars will used at a fundraising concert for the first time next week. While I was at the Chickenshed I was given a tour of the whole complex, including their sound studio and the two theatres that are in the building. I also met up with some of full-time staff.

I should point out that most but not all of the children and adults who attends classes and work shop’s at the Chickenshed have learning difficulties or special needs, some come from deprived or troubled backgrounds. Earlier this year there was some 80 people accepted into the music department and work shop’s, but there was only half a dozen or so guitars to go around for the people who did not own their own guitar. So hopefully the guitars I’ll be giving to them will be of a big help.

I have seen the youth band play several times now and they are very good. I’m going to the Chickenshed next weekend to attend a Joe Collins music evening. I’m hoping that I will meet up with youth band to get some feedback on the guitars.

I will also be delivering two more guitars, I did not make these as they are electro acoustics. These are being partly funded by sales of guitars through the Fretboard forum. I shall put some photos of these up later today.  

koneguitarist

Excellent work, and credit to you. 

TTony

koneguitarist said:

Excellent work, and credit to you. 

definitely.

GSPBASSES

 

Photos of two electro acoustics that going to the Chickenshed at the end of week. These were paid for by the sale of  "B" grade bodies and necks I've sold on the forum. One of my trade customers let me buy them at the trade price which obviously save me a lot of money (maybe he will pay the VAT for me next time).

So you part caster builders out there remember the next time I put up some "B" grade necks and bodies or "A" grade they will fund more guitars Chickenshed.

                          

.

DrBob

Please do put that next batch of 'A' & 'B' grade necks & bodies Graham ! Knowing the good they're doing will make the agonising decision of whether or not to buy all the easier !

JookyChap

@DrBob said:

Please do put that next batch of 'A' & 'B' grade necks & bodies Graham ! Knowing the good they're doing will make the agonising decision of whether or not to buy all the easier !

It'd be a  good excuse anyway