First Guitar

[jchumley]

Nearly finished.

I strung it up and played it without electronics last night. Just need to heat up the soldering iron and go to it. Plays great. Suprisingly loud for a semi hollow body with the top and back a bit over 1/4" each and the bridge mounted in solid wood.

The top and back are curly soft maple dyed with Reranch waterbased blue. The body is basswood and the peghead overlay is rosewood. The neck is finished with Tru-Oil and the body in clear lacquer from a spray can. I replaced the blue pickup rings with black (it was too much blue!) The pickup covers are chrome. They just look black because of a reflection.

Pickups (bridge to neck order) are JB, PhatCat, Jazz.

 

[Artie]

Re: First Guitar

Man . . . thats beautiful! And I love the way the pup selection spaces out the pole pieces. Thats a cool, unique touch. Very nice.

 

[pac112]

Re: First Guitar

i've been reading ur thread on the build and i find it's a unique piece. how did u finish the fretboard? did u rub it with blue dye? it has a blue tint to it.

 

[jchumley]

Re: First Guitar

The fretboard is ebony with a moderate amount of streaking and no finish yet. I will lemon oil it after I dress the fret ends. I think the blue cast is just a reflection.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: First Guitar

Wow! That turned out great. I'm impressed. I'm glad to see that it's nearing completion.

 

[Guest]

Re: First Guitar

That's cool. Love how it turned out.

And man, you're fast LOL

Remember to show it strung up (not that it really matters but I want more pics and tell us how it sounds.

 

[Gamera]

Re: First Guitar

Wow, that looks great. You don't mess around do you? I seem to remember you posting plans for that guitar just like a week or two ago!

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: First Guitar

That is a really sweet axe! Don't forget to post clips!

 

[Kac]

Re: First Guitar

That is a beautiful guitar, looks like it's turning out really well. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of the pups. (great pick-up selection IMO)

Rock On :headbang:

 

[jchumley]

Re: First Guitar

Wow, that looks great. You don't mess around do you? I seem to remember you posting plans for that guitar just like a week or two ago!

Actually, it was a month ago. I started building about five weeks ago. I will have to check to see the exact date. It has gone suprisingly fast.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: First Guitar

That's really impressive! Really fast too! Well done!

 

[Jazz Rock]

Re: First Guitar

Really nice design, That's impressive!!!
Do you intend to built another one?

 

[jchumley]

Re: First Guitar

here are some final pics. I finished it up an dplayed it tonight and it sounds awesome.


As for another one, my kid's guitar teacher wants me to build him one. I will let you know what happens.

Jeff

 

[callous_frigid_chill]

Re: First Guitar

sweet, it turned out great!

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: First Guitar

Wholly ****.... speachless. I'd love to hear clips of how the phatcat sounds in it.

 

[jchumley]

Re: First Guitar

Wholly ****.... speachless. I'd love to hear clips of how the phatcat sounds in it.

I will try to get a friend to record some licks with it soon. My skills are heavily weighted toward clawhammer banjo.

I am running it through a Mesa Boogie Studio 22+ and it sounds great. As I had hoped, the combination of the three pickups provides a great variety of sounds. The Phat Cat has a kind of nasal growl edge to it. I like the combination of the phat cat and single coil bridge. Biting and twangy. The two humbuckers together sound great too. The five way rotary swicth produces:
1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Bridge Single Coil
3. Both Humbuckers
4. Neck single coil
5. Neck Humbucker

You can also have any of those with the Phat Cat or the Phat cat alone.

 

[Gamera]

Re: First Guitar

That's an incredible looking guitar. I'd love to hear some clips also. How does it play sitting down? It looks like it may have a tendency to slip off your leg when you're playing. Or is that bottom, middle contour enough to keep it in place?

 

[jchumley]

Re: First Guitar

That's an incredible looking guitar. I'd love to hear some clips also. How does it play sitting down? It looks like it may have a tendency to slip off your leg when you're playing. Or is that bottom, middle contour enough to keep it in place?

Jury is still out on that. I did notice it last night but it was late and I was sitting in an uncomfortable position anyway. I ended up in a classical position with the guitar waist on my left leg and the end of the guitar against my right. I am skinny, with bird legs so even if it works for me, it might not work for most people. If I make another, I will likely cary the curve just a bit longer on the cut away side to address that.

It balances very nicely stanging up. I was a bit concerned with the hollow body, double truss rod and heavy tuners (slot head probably cancels them out) that it would be neck heavy. I was thinking about replacing the rods on the stewmack truss rod with titanium but I didn't do it.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: First Guitar

Man, that is sweet. I have been contemplating a similar project. I like your pup selection - the Phat Cat in the middle is a cool idea. Does it get in the way of your picking at all? I've always wondered that about 3 hum guitars.

 

[jchumley]

Re: First Guitar

Man, that is sweet. I have been contemplating a similar project. I like your pup selection - the Phat Cat in the middle is a cool idea. Does it get in the way of your picking at all? I've always wondered that about 3 hum guitars.

Having only played it for 30 minutes, and that was mostly adjusting and messing with amp settings etc., I don't know if the mid pickup will be in the way. The only time I noticed it was while tuning the high E string but that was a downward picking angle and not at all what I would normally do. It was slapping the pickup cover after striking the string.