OK, NOW IT'S DONE

G

GuitarDoc

Bacteriaolgoist
Now there's a little more bling to my already blingy build.

I finally got the chrome "H" style pickup covers and chrome mounting rings delivered and I put them on yesterday. I drilled and mounted a mini switch for series/parallel for the Invader bridge pup (love each of those two distinctly different tones), and I painted the truss rod adjustment cover the same fluorescent pink as the body (the plain black just didn't look right at all). Some ask, "why use a roller bridge if there's no tremolo"? I'm using a Schaller roller bridge for two reasons: #1. It's totally smooth on top and comfortable to my hand, #2. It allow me to do string spacing at the bridge as well as intonation.

Speaking of intonation...I guess I did this bone nut right, I've got perfect (as perfect as you can get on a guitar) intonation all up and down the fret board even up past the 12th fret.

Now I'm done.

Feels great, sounds great, plays great. I rounded, sanded, polished the fret ends so that I can't even feel them when I play...at all. Smooth as silk. Very low action at only 0.003" under the high "E" string at the first fret with no fret buzz.

Sorry for all the verbiage. Now for some more pics.

P1000502[1].jpgP1000517[1].jpgP1000505[1].jpg
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

That's pretty trippy cool. Did that start life as an off-the-shelf guitar? Or was the body/neck specially made for this project? Those real inlays in the body and headstock?
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

No, not real inlays. Stickers, but with enough coats of clear lacquer (with lots of sanding between coats) to leave the surface smooth like glass and with no trace of the "inlays" being stickers.

The body started out as a no-name LP type body but I don't remember what brand. I did a lot of jig saw work and routing, and cutting, with belt sander, forearm relief and belly cut. I think it would have been easier to start with a block of solid wood (which I plan on doing on my next project).
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

Congrats, looks great!

I'd go with a matching Schaller fine tune tailpiece with the black thumb wheels for functionality
but also to match the bridge hb pole pieces and tuner posts, nice balance.

Oi! You still haven't told us about your nut!
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

Will S-T said:
Congrats, looks great!

I'd go with a matching Schaller fine tune tailpiece with the black thumb wheels for functionality
but also to match the bridge hb pole pieces and tuner posts, nice balance.

Oi! You still haven't told us about your nut!
Click to expand...

OK...about my nut. But only about the one on my guitars!

I always use natural bone blanks. I like the looks (slight aged yellow/tan), the hardness and durability, and the tone (a little brighter than the stock plastic nuts).

I've been making compensated nuts for about 10 years now because they just work better than straight nuts...at least for the way I play and the position on the neck where I am most likely to play. My compensation is similar to the nuts made by Earvana, but it has evolved/changed slightly over the years to be more precise for my playing. The type and amount of compensation may be different for other guitarists depending on their playing techniques.
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

blueman335 said:
Doc, you're one of the last guys I'd guess would have a guitar like that.
Click to expand...

And why might I ask?

It's funny that I started out playing only acoustics and semi's (330, 345, Ric 330, Sheraton). I couldn't even stand the thought of a solid body, especially a Strat. Then (30 years later), I went through my LP phase for about 10 years (got about 8). For the past 10 years I've really been turned on to the Strat body shape because it just feels so comfortable (I've got about 10 of those) and SG type (6 or 7). But I still love the LP's too. And for just the past couple years I've started to really like Teles.

Heck, I've got so many guitars that I was starting to get tired of the conventional shapes (LP, Strat, Tele, Firebird, 335, SG, Wilshire, etc). I figured it was time for an all-out departure from any conventional shape (so I went with waves), conventional colors (this one's fluorescent pink & ultraviolet pearl burst), and trim. Even the pups are a bit unusual...Invader (bridge with series/parallel), Classic '57 (neck).

But dang, it feels, plays, and sounds so great!!

And so now it's time for me to be on to my next adventure. My next build is going to be very angular/geometric.
 
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Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

Doc, I think you and Kramersteen ought to get a few drinks into you and design something really out there:friday:
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

I mean this as a complement: That looks like something Jerry Garcia would have enjoyed playing.
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

Interesting looking lil ride. Enjoy it well. Nice to make something "you" when it comes to a guitar. :cool2:
 
Re: OK, NOW IT'S DONE

Rand-O-Monium said:
No Doubt!!!

So is it a bolt-on?
(not that it matters...)

Is the back same-ish,flt blk,unfinished,tramp stamp...?

:D
Click to expand...

Sorry Rand, I missed your post..

Yes, bolt on neck. The back is finished with the same burst finish and clear coats, just no "inlays".
 
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