1Q22 Challenge Paulnb57 MM LP … Done!

paulnb57 · January 2022

Joan Jett has been around for years and still fills stadiums with her poppy rock, usually seen with a Gibbo Melody Maker modded to her liking

This is the Gibson Signature model

This is the real thing

Im hoping to get somewhere nearer the real one, starting with this, which Im just about to pay Graham at GSPBASSES for….

TTony · January 2022

Nice.

I like a GSP carcass. I like a double cut. I like a single pickup guitar.

Is this a custom build from the man?

Ddigger · January 2022

Good to see Gibson putting the effort in to get the signature model exactly like the original!

paulnb57 · January 2022

TTony said:

Nice.

I like a GSP carcass. I like a double cut. I like a single pickup guitar.

Is this a custom build from the man?

Yes a Custom request

Ddigger said:

Good to see Gibson putting the effort in to get the signature model exactly like the original!

I suppose folk wouldnt buy something worn and covered in stickers

impmann · January 2022

paulnb57 said:

Ddigger said:

Good to see Gibson putting the effort in to get the signature model exactly like the original!

I suppose folk wouldnt buy something worn and covered in stickers

**Coughs**

https://www.musicradar.com/news/gibson-unveils-the-alvin-lee-es-335-69-festival-signature-model

rpr · January 2022

Epiphone have a version as well - https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/210726371994025--epiphone-joan-jett-olympic-special. ;

WezV · January 2022

When Fender did the Joe Strummer tele they supplied a relic guitar and a sheet of stickers. Nice to have options.

impmann · January 2022

WezV said:

When Fender did the Joe Strummer tele they supplied a relic guitar and a sheet of stickers. Nice to have options.

Yup... and neither Billy Bragg or Steven Wilson applied their stickers to the JS Teles they own/gig.

GSPBASSES · January 2022

TTony said:

Nice.

I like a GSP carcass. I like a double cut. I like a single pickup guitar.

Is this a custom build from the man?

Not quite a custom built, the neck was for a standard Les Paul single cut short tenon, that I always have in stock. As with the body blank, I have 40mm Mahogany blanks on the shelf, so it just needed reducing down to 36 mm. I've always made Melody Makers, normally with a single coil pickup rout.

I don't want people thinking I'm taking on custom work again, I will write another piece of what I carry in stock what can be modified to suit customers requirements without going full custom built.

paulnb57 · February 2022

The guitar arrived today from Grahame at GSPBasses and Ive had a change of plan…..it will be similar to the original idea, but will have a Les Trem and roller bridge which I have here, also Im not going to do the sticker thing
Its a lovely thing, very light…..

paulnb57 · February 2022

Yesterday saw the fitting of the bridge and tail bushings along with an earth wire and a mockup with the Les Trem and roller bridge fitted, then a straight edge along the frets to check roller bridge height. All good.

Then today applied some masking tape and painted Halfords Matte Khaki Green ( those who have read my ramblings on here before will know how much I detest Halfords auto paints, the exception being their Satin and Matte paints which are IMHO very good)
Anyroadup
Masked, with a gurrt cup hook up its rear…

Then into the spray booth (garden) and spray, in the first week of February,I used all of one small can, did the back then the front, by the time the front was done, the back was ready for a second round and so on, there is no primer or sealer, so the paint tends to soak in and show the grain, which I like.
The paint looks awfully patchy here but due to varying grain some has soaked in, some hasnt, Ill bet it will dry even…

and hanging with the Sloth to dry….

So, the initial plan has gone right out of the window….I will finish the neck with Tru Oil and will probably go over the green paint too, Ive done it before and it gives the matte just a bit of sheen.
Need to order three on a plate tuners and find a scratchplate (prob Scratch It)

Onwards!

paulnb57 · February 2022

By 1530 it was dry enough to hande with care, as expected the paint dried even, but there are a couple of very slight rough parts where the grain has lifted on the edge roundovers, quite expected and tomorrow ot will get a gentle sand with 1k on the affected areas and recoated where necessary, theres probobly just enough left in the can, but if not I have another, not too shabby for £7.99 and a coat of Tru Oil later….

So, then I loosely fitted the bridge and trem, printed a pdf of the MM scratchplate as a poster (it wouldnt quite fit on a sheet of A4) taped it up cut it out and modified it to fit….

Much faffing, drawing, erasing later, I have scratchplate Im reasonably happy with….so Ill sleep on it….I often find taking a photo helps visualise, rather than looking direct, weird but it works.

ThePrettyDamned · February 2022

Looks good!

Maybe I should look into these. Feel like the water based mtn sprays won't be hard/durable enough for me to achieve a good gloss, although I might try the matte varnish first...

TTony · February 2022

That was a bit quick.

I thought spraying was supposed to take weeks of multiple coats and special treatments between each, whilst ensuring that the temperature stays within a 2degree range?

paulnb57 · February 2022

TTony said:

That was a bit quick.

I thought spraying was supposed to take weeks of multiple coats and special treatments between each, whilst ensuring that the temperature stays within a 2degree range?

Not in our house!
A gloss finish would take a bit longer, but satin and matte flashes off really quickly, I wouldnt screw anything down tight for a few days, I never have to sand flat unless I get a run, its all straight from the can….cheap, easy and not overly difficult to achieve, if its cold I warm the paint in a bowl of warm water and bring the item indoors to dry, I summer it will be hung in the shed, Ive done it in a gale, but thats not so easy…I never use lacquer over paint, but then I don't like a really high gloss finish..but I reckon a non matte paint would shine up with buffing compound..

paulnb57 · February 2022

Not a huge amount to report today as it rained and I had intended to give the slightly rough patches on the body a gentle sand and overspray. Damp is the enemy of aerosol. So I did something else. Then had a few mins to spare and redesigned the scratchplate, which Im happier with….Tim at Scratch it will probably get the job to make it as life is too damn short to be messing around ruining perfectly good scratchplate material…time is better spent with cake…

I thought I may as well sand the rough bits, did so and didn't sand through, so Tru oiled the whole thing too…

All done and drying….chances are it will be all the oil it gets as I prefer thin finish…we will see tomorrow…

paulnb57 · February 2022

A little more progress this morning, I have emailed my scratchplate template to Tim at ScratchIt, he will finesse it and send me back a pdf to print and try, if necessary there will be a bit of back and forth to get it right, then he will produce it in acrylic with a coloured backing or picture of choice…..saves me reducing large pieces of scrathplate material to bin sized pieces, Ive been there tried it, I know my limitations there!
Body is fine with one coat of Tru Oil everywhere.
Ive got an Iron Gear Blues Engine pickup, but it has a chrome cover, that wont do, so I tried to desolder it, ha! my little soldering iron was nowhere near man enough, but I managed to cut the solder with a Stanley knife…..
Cut out the hole in the scratchplate template and heres a mock up
Found tuners for a reasonable price and they are in the mail, should have gone with three on a plate really, but singles turned up at the right price…..

paulnb57 · February 2022

No photos, but yesterday I had a few mins to spare, so I radiused the fret ends to my liking and gave the frets a final poilsh with 1200 grit, while there I used a Stanley blade as a scraper and took the sharp edges off the fretboard. Finally a second coat of TruOil on the neck.
Tuners are in the mail and should arrive Monday or Tuesday and Tim at Scratch It had confirmed the scratchplate should go in the mail on monday, his plates are usually clear acrylic with a bonded vinyl backing with printed design of choice, however as I wanted the blackest, black he could do, he will cut the plate from black acrylic…
Potentially this will be finished next week..

paulnb57 · February 2022

Klusons fitted!
Its getting close…

paulnb57 · February 2022

Scratchplate arrived today, so the joker is wired, strings fitted and tested. Nut files came out and nut action set.
All good! The joker is finished, sounds and plays great
I ended up putting the volume pot at the back so it is reachable, tone is under the trem arm..

Thanks to @GSPBASSES for the guitar, superb as usual!
Halfords for the paint
Tru Oil for the neck and body
Kluson for the tuners
Iron Gear Blues Engine, with chrome cover removed.
Duesenberg for the Les Trem
Tim at Scratch It for the custom scratchplate

Quite different form the original idea, over the moon with it…

downbytheriver · February 2022

That’s a classy piece of work - well done! Will I be the only person to mention a truss rod cover?

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1Q22 Challenge Paulnb57 MM LP … Done!

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