Newest Build Pearly

[GuitarDoc]

Just completed my latest build...lots of fun with this one.
I started with a piece of less-than-ideal swamp ash. Less-than-ideal because of the many worm holes that had to be filled and finished,
but very ideal in its tone!


I capped it with 3/8" of great quality maple.


I decided to do some chambering in this one. I forgot to take a picture of it before gluing on the cap, but here is the diagram of the chambers routed into the ash with channels for the wiring.


Some views before sanding, painting, finishing, and wiring;


The 3 way switch cavity/chamber;


The finished product.
It's a white fading to almond base coat with a warm pearl powder mixed in clear poly (3 coats of pearl), finished in several coats of clear poly. The neck is maple with a curly maple fretboard. All of the hardware (bridge, 3-way switch, pick up covers, tuners, strap locks, string trees) is gold. The control cavity covers were made from clear acrylic that I "reverse painted" with the pearl and then white. The nut is compensated which I made from aged bone. Pickups are: bridge = Dream 90, neck = hybrid of '59 (adjustable coil) and Demon ("slug" coil).


Separate volumes for each pup with the neck mounted and wired in a Triple Shot ring. Master tone control with a micro switch to bypass the tone circuit. Another micro switch for phase. The neck is asymmetrical (high "E" side being thinner than the low "E" side) so it fits my palm perfectly...This guitar sounds and plays amazing.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Looks nice! Kind of a Tele meets Wolfgang body shape.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

It started out as a Tele, but I did a Strat-type cutaway on the top bout, added a belly and forearm relief, and rounded the edges all around like a Strat.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

That's cool! I was also thinking that it was rather Tele-Strat-Wolfgang-ish

 

[stratguy23]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Great work! Wow. I've never seen an offset doublecut Tele until now.

GuitarDoc, do you build a lot of guitars? This build suggests that you know what you're doing

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Wow! VERY cool Doc!

I got a pair of those Dream 90s for my last build and am really digging them, particularly in the bridge... how do you like it?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Great work! Wow. I've never seen an offset doublecut Tele until now.

GuitarDoc, do you build a lot of guitars? This build suggests that you know what you're doing

Thank you for the compliment.
I've only built 14 guitars, but with every build I learn a little more. Still learning. Still having fun.

Most of my earlier builds were basically Strat shapes because they fit and feel so perfectly against my body. A few of my later builds have departed far from that ideal shape while still trying to keep some of the comfort features of a Strat (belly relief and/or forearm relief).

My primary objective has always been to make a guitar that plays better and sounds better than any off-the-rack guitar priced under $3000 and most of them over $3000.
My secondary objective is to make them look better, or weirder. I'll gather them up and take a family shot soon.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Wow! VERY cool Doc!

I got a pair of those Dream 90s for my last build and am really digging them, particularly in the bridge... how do you like it?

Thanks, I sincerely appreciate your compliment.

So far I like it. I've got several guitars with Mean 90s in them and totally love them. I decided to try a Dream 90 for this project to compare the two. As soon as I get the feel of how this Dream 90 performs in this particular guitar, I'm going to swap in a Mean 90 to see what the differences are. But my first impression is that this Dream 90 is a bit brighter than the Mean 90. We'll see. I'll start another thread once that happens.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Cool! Really dig the color.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

I really wish I had such woodworking skills! Great project resulting in a beautiful guitar, congratulations GuitarDoc! It's top class to be able to build your own guitars to your own specs! Both tumbs up mate!

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

So, here's some of the family.

This one is of the more traditional shaped guitars I built...Strat and Tele shapes. The green Strat and orange Tele are both fluorescent colors (glow under a blacklight). The purple Strat is a candy pearl.


These are the slightly (a couple being extremely) less traditional shapes. The yellow/green and the pink/purple are again fluorescent colors. All of these have belly relief and forearm relief.


There are a couple missing from the family pic. One of them is a 12 string acoustic and another is a 4 string tenor acoustic. Both of them are hanging way up high on a wall out of reach (about 12 feet up).

Thanks for looking.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Oh, I forgot to mention...
A great advantage to the chambering is the light weight. The pearly Tele-Strat only weighs 6 1/2 pounds...as light as an SG and 3-5 pounds lighter than many solid LPs (I've got one that is over 10 lbs).

 

[Mincer]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Certainly some unique designs. I am happy to see deviations from 'traditional' shapes.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Nice!
Any advice on drilling the plexiglass without cracking it? I am in the process of making a pickguard out of transparent red plexi and I'm worried about cracking it when I cut in the pickup hole and drill for the mounting screws close to the edge. I made a back-painted pickguard years and years ago and I remember the first one cracked and I had to start over when it was 99% finished.

 

[Securb]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

I love everything about it, very classic and classy looking. The body shape is awesome. I want one.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Newest Build Pearly

Nice!
Any advice on drilling the plexiglass without cracking it? I am in the process of making a pickguard out of transparent red plexi and I'm worried about cracking it when I cut in the pickup hole and drill for the mounting screws close to the edge. I made a back-painted pickguard years and years ago and I remember the first one cracked and I had to start over when it was 99% finished.

Yeah, that's the pits. When drilling or cutting, just go slow and don't force excess pressure on the drill press, use sharp drills. And did I say go very slow.