Project Shimmerkaster

Corvus

This had a long lay-off. Hopefully posting it here will embarrass me into getting the arse in gear and sorting it out

A bit ago I bought a cheap Tele copy. It played pretty nicely but had one fret problem. Neck pickup was muddy, bridge good, both together good. Horrible colour though. Neck had a nasty tan colour that outdid David Dickinson after a fortnight in Majorca.
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/1_body_before.jpg

Stripped it down:
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/6_neck_sanded.jpg
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/7_body_sanded.jpg

Scored a NOS copy of a ~£200 spray gun for £10, with a large 'setup' ideal for hosing on large flake:
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/jga_copy.jpg

Started on an ally plate, in the rough here. Used a hard grade of ally, stiffer than Satan's gusset.. hard to work, but it stays nice and flat while being shaped and is much nicer to file.
Got some hardware, lipsticks, brass saddles and electrics with a 4-way switch.
The lipsticks weren't Tele-ready so I made a brass plate for the pup to mount on.
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/plate_started.jpg

Finish off the sanding then squirt primer, silver groundcoat, and large silver flake:
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/flake_inside_1.jpg

I had some engraving done on my plates:
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/plates_all_1.jpg
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/switch_detail.jpg

Then nothing happened for about a year, don't know why. I had other guitars come & go for paint, and others to play, just didn't feel the 'drive' to crack on I suppose.

Finally decided to get it done though. And then I realised the coarse flake wasn't right for what I had planned... And bought a new neck, which didn't fit... So after a deep breath I made a neck pocket 'floor' and a shim for the side from a breadboard. And started sanding back the flake. Messy - sparkle everywhere.
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/take2/shims.jpg
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/take2/tele_sanded.jpg

So a bit more sanding and I'll be where I was a year ago... hopefully this bout of mojo lasts a bit longer!

GuitarMonkey

Shame IMO, that silver flake looked great!

Corvus

Cheers - it'll get flaked again though, finer grade, to better suit other stuff going on top of it

Rickyd

Agree with GuitarMonkey here, that flake looked really good. Love the engraving too, classy.

Corvus

Finally got other stuff out the way and finished this up. Had a few plain Teles, and yrs of plain wood guitars, just kept on going the other direction with this. Love the lipsticks. Tons of spank and chime, great on cleans or with a fat boost and dirt. 4-way for a serial option. Too blingy to gig of course and I realise it's not everyone's cuppa, but it's for me and I'm liking Teles again

http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/front_3.jpg
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/front_detail_2.jpg
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/front_sparkle.jpg

http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/neck_back_1.jpg
http://www.alleykat.co.uk/images/stuff/shimmerkaster/headstock.jpg

jd0272

My fckn Lord! 

JudasVigilante

Holy Moly, that's one heck of a tele! Really bloody beautiful. What's the stain of the neck and headstock, it's gorgeous.

Corvus

Cheers
At first I was going to do a transparent black so it got a black stain, sanded back. Changed my mind and used red candy, sanded back again. Then red candy in lacquer.