C18 Q1 - rebuild all my personal guitars that are in bits!

rexter · January 2018

So not really a very exciting challenge but more of an exercise in time management and discipline!

I'm working 7 days a week for the next couple of months, 4 a week on a contract job I picked up out of the blue and 3 a week in my spraybooth/workshop. So I've got very little spare time, but these three guitars being in bits has been bugging me a long time. All been in parts for a while.

First up and the closest to finishing is my P-Bass - a Squier precision that has been treated to a new alder body that I finished in Burgundy Mist back in spring/summer 2017. Was really just a test of my new equipment and paints so it's not perfect but fine for me. I've given the neck a matching headstock. Also it has a nice new parchment guard and I did the wiring late the other night. Same Tonerider pickups I had in it previously.

So if I get a minute this weekend I need to sand the neck pocket ever so slightly to fit the neck, drill and mount pickguard and pickups /bridge etc and setup.

Now one of my favourite ever guitars....

My Tele Thinline. Body by John Manuel, a few years back.

Used to look like this:

Which I like alot but over time I got restless, of course... The neck was actually a fat strat neck and the vibramate was sold, but I still have the Bigsby and think I'm just going to mount it directly from now on. Also I knew I would refinish this one as soon as I started my business as although the Fiesta Red looked very cool it was not the best job. It was done by a known person/company for an absolute bargain price but was very basic. Some grain was still visible (on an alder body, I know?!) and no clear coats. Obviously a superquick one or two coat job, but still it probably cost me less than the materials I would have needed.

Now it looks like this...

Had a minute between some clear coats on customer guitars today so I drilled the neck mounting holes:

Image: https://i.imgur.com/7NB0wm2.jpg?1

And I also had time to respray the headstock with some tinted lacquer. So... needs clear coats on the neck, tuners fitting, drilling for Bigsby and then general reassembly and setup. I'm so excited to get this guitar back in circulation I love it! WIll be using a Bigsby modified tele bridge with Marc Rutters steel saddles that I had on it before. Obviously I'm using a new neck which is a TRO-FAT. Once it went metallic it had to have a rosewood neck. That's my rule!

Guitar number 3 is my old Landola Hummingbird copy.

I'm going to hopefully replace the nut with a newly-carved bone nut, maybe get a custom carved bone intonated bridge on there to replace the adjustable one and fit some Gibson tuners. Need some conversion bushings to cover the larger holes in the headstock - or do I just go with Grovers if I can scrape up the cash??

Anyway, this is a lovely sounding guitar. It lacks bass for a dreadnought which for me is a good thing as it records really nicely without being overpoweringly bassy.

Image: https://i.imgur.com/0Aggq7f.jpg?1

So there it is... not really an exciting scratch build challenge like you other guys, but just setting a time limit on these will really help me get them finally sorted!

rexter · January 2018

Might get some time to work on the bass later but I couldn't resist a quick mock up of how my tele should be looking in a few weeks. Will have a different bridge to work with the Bigsby, but still with the traditional ashtray template. This cements the Bigsby plan in my mind. Will have a proper tele heel neck rather than this strat one I just grabbed for the picture. Next step is to shield the cavities with copper foil. It's a real pain in the arse with the thinline control chamber, but well worth doing, difference is huge.

Image: https://i.imgur.com/AdE8qWd.jpg?1

stephen.wood125 · January 2018

Looking beautiful! absolutely love the colour. Can't wait to see the finished project.

impmann · January 2018

Looking lovely.

I can reccomend the Gotoh Tele bridge with the rear cutouts - I had one but sold it it @Teyeplayer a while back. Really beautifully made and would suit the vibe perfectly.

Teyeplayer · January 2018

impmann said:

Looking lovely.

I can reccomend the Gotoh Tele bridge with the rear cutouts - I had one but sold it it @Teyeplayer a while back. Really beautifully made and would suit the vibe perfectly.

And a cracking bridge it is too. Ironically not using a bigsby on this one, but neither am I cutting my hands to shreds on the traditional bridge.

That thinline looks wonderful by the way!

Winny_Pooh · January 2018

Do tell about that green jizzmaster

rexter · January 2018

impmann said:

Looking lovely.

I can reccomend the Gotoh Tele bridge with the rear cutouts - I had one but sold it it @Teyeplayer a while back. Really beautifully made and would suit the vibe perfectly.

Cheers Tim! Actually that's the exact bridge i'll be using, I bought a load of them in bulk last year and kept one back for myself, but I'll put the Rutters saddles on it. Brought the neck for it home from the workshop tonight, it's a little more amber than I normally like, but it'll do for me. Probably won't get it all put together properly for a while though. But still so excited! There have been some nice tele neck pickups floating about for sale lately making me want to change things up in that department... but it sounded great as it was so I probably won't mess. Or will I? ...

Winny_Pooh said:

Do tell about that green jizzmaster

My number one guitar for nearly 10 years. Body built and finished by a supremely talented friend from Offsetguitars - Motorik Guitar Works. Been through a few guises in its life, currently back to traditional Jazzmaster setup with a handmade repro goldguard and 1970s pickups. Just a great guitar all round. I'm a serial flipper of guitars, but will never sell this one.

Used to look like this a few years ago - amazingly cool... and unique. But the Dearmonds (1963) started to sound way too dark to my ears so I went back to the current - traditional - setup. Glad I did, as I play it more, which is the main point of a guitar.

rexter · January 2018

Tele neck isn't toooo Presidential in the context of the guitar actually. This neck was a guinea pig for lots of things, including ageing, hence keeping it for myself.

Wow, I really need to hoover in the loft...

Andyjr1515 · January 2018

That neck looks good on it

I have to say that if I attempted to finish all the stuff I have in bits, the challenge would need to be more than Q1. Q's1,2,3 &4 would be closer to the mark

randella · January 2018

Hey rexter, that P Bass is a gorgeous colour. Stunning.

The acoustic has reminded me of an old Eko my dad gave me when I first started playing. Nowhere near as nice as yours, he bought it when he was potless at college, but it taught me a thing or two about finger strength.

Despite being happy for me to play his D-35 whenever I liked, I preferred having my ‘own’ guitar and bashed relentlessly at that old Eko.

I play Strats these days, with shandy 9s on them - must’ve since lost a kilo in muscle mass in my left hand alone.

Will keep an an eye on this thread, some tasty instruments.

rexter · January 2018

Last night after finishing the (temporary thank god) office job I set off for the workshop only to find the only road to it closed and a huge mess of traffic... So i came home in a mood. redeemed the evening by finishing the bass! Feels bad when I have other peoples' jobs to get on with, but have to say it came out lovely and redeemed my waster evening. Plays and sounds great. Looks pretty too!

Flametop · January 2018

Very nice Jon!
Love that Jazzmaster as well.

rexter · February 2018

Good progress on the Tele Thinline over last couple of weeks:

I need to cut the nut slots a little deeper and optimise them for the Bigsby. Also I have some of these coming
http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/hardware-parts-c1/screws-nuts-washers-c58/bridge-screws-c59/vibramate-dual-access-intonation-screw-set-of-three-p4911
So will need to take it apart to fit them to the bridge saddles. I forgot about the trials of setting the intonation with a Bigsby mounted close to a traditional Tele bridge. But it sounds great and plays great considering the work that still needs to be done. I'm super OCD about setup so it will be divine once finished!

Neck pickup is a Toneride vintage style, bridge a Fralin Blues Special I think. Kind of itching to put a Jazzmaster pickup in the neck position though, that's my favourite sound. Fantastic in a thinline too...

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C18 Q1 - rebuild all my personal guitars that are in bits!

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