Tweet
So, after seeing Aceman's "Under Construction" guitar, I just had to do one myself. So I started with a used Vendetta like this one but without the tail, just string-thru:
I took it apart and began my monkey business. Stripped (sanded) all the paint off and rounded all of the edges quite a bit more. Since I'm getting old and fat, I needed more tummy relief, so I whacked away at the back until it felt like a good fit.
Then I decided to create some arm relief like on a Strat, but I did a little extra...if a little is good, then more is better. Right?!
Then I decided to notch out the cutaways ala PRS, but decided to soften them a little and ended up with this:
At first I was planning on filling in the neck pup rout and rout out for a middle position Strat single coil so I could split the bridge hummer and get some #2 position quack. But when I first got this guitar and plugged it in just for the heck of it, I reallized that the positioning of the hummers already got some good quack when they were split. So I decided to leave it as is with the two hummers. This gives me some greater tonal possibilities than just the HS cofiguration I was thinking about doing. So it will be an HH after all.
Right now it's only in the sanding sealer stage. I'm planning on doing a few more coats with sanding in between to get rid of all the grain and imperfections. My plan is to paint it ivory/cream with amber burst around the edges, back, and neck. All new hardware will be gold. Pickups will be C5/'59 hybrid in the bridge and '59b with A2 in the neck. Both pups will have gold covers.
I'll add more pics as I progress. I've come to realize that this part is just a lot of work...rasping, filing, belt sanding, hand sanding, spraying, sanding, spraying, sanding, spraying, sanding, etc for about a dozen coats. I am anticipating that the top coat and the burst edges will start to be more fun. Then a couple clear coats and I can put it together.
I took it apart and began my monkey business. Stripped (sanded) all the paint off and rounded all of the edges quite a bit more. Since I'm getting old and fat, I needed more tummy relief, so I whacked away at the back until it felt like a good fit.
Then I decided to create some arm relief like on a Strat, but I did a little extra...if a little is good, then more is better. Right?!
Then I decided to notch out the cutaways ala PRS, but decided to soften them a little and ended up with this:
At first I was planning on filling in the neck pup rout and rout out for a middle position Strat single coil so I could split the bridge hummer and get some #2 position quack. But when I first got this guitar and plugged it in just for the heck of it, I reallized that the positioning of the hummers already got some good quack when they were split. So I decided to leave it as is with the two hummers. This gives me some greater tonal possibilities than just the HS cofiguration I was thinking about doing. So it will be an HH after all.
Right now it's only in the sanding sealer stage. I'm planning on doing a few more coats with sanding in between to get rid of all the grain and imperfections. My plan is to paint it ivory/cream with amber burst around the edges, back, and neck. All new hardware will be gold. Pickups will be C5/'59 hybrid in the bridge and '59b with A2 in the neck. Both pups will have gold covers.
I'll add more pics as I progress. I've come to realize that this part is just a lot of work...rasping, filing, belt sanding, hand sanding, spraying, sanding, spraying, sanding, spraying, sanding, etc for about a dozen coats. I am anticipating that the top coat and the burst edges will start to be more fun. Then a couple clear coats and I can put it together.
Comment