ratherdashing
Kablamminator
My grandfather was the first person I knew who had an electric guitar, and whenever I went over to his house he'd let me play it. It was a pretty crappy Les Paul copy painted in the same glacier blue metallic as his old Chrysler. He passed away in 2004, and my uncle decided to take the guitar for some reason. This pissed me off a lot, but I realized that if I got it I would only mount it on the wall or something, because it was right handed (I play left).
So, in 2005-06, I took it upon myself to build a high-quality, fully playable-by-me version of his guitar. I got a body and neck from Warmoth, and all the necessary hardware and electronics. I decided that since Warmoth didn't offer the colour I needed I would do the finish myself using Duplicolor paint (I was able to find the exact Chrysler color).
When I completed the guitar, it looked pretty much like this:
Almost immediately I had problems with the finish. The Duplicolor clear coat never fully hardened, and it started to pick up stains and pits. It also bonded to the foam on one of my guitar stands and my wall hangers, leaving ugly black marks on parts of the finish. Due to the crummy appearance and odd feel, it started to become my least played guitar, which was a shame because it sounds great.
I tried to revitalize it with a light make-over:
During this time I got a new Strat and a Gretsch Duo Jet that got a lot more play time than the Warmoth. It didn't even come out of its case for over a year. Then I got my Epi Dot, and I plundered the Warmoth's pickups to go in there.
This is what the Warmoth LP looks like now:
Those are cheapo stock pickups that aren't even hooked up to anything. I was thinking of wall mounting this guitar and wanted something to fill the holes. In its prime it had a PG bridge and A2P neck, both of which are now in my Dot.
Note the finish damage:
Pretty sad. This was supposed to be a tribute to my grandfather and I've basically let it rot. The truss rod is inscribed with his initials, and the emblem is a Royal Canadian Legion pin (he was a veteran who was actively involved in the Legion).
This is going to change, starting now. I'm taking this guitar apart, stripping all the old finish off, and starting over from the bare wood. I'll replace any parts that need to be replaced, and make this a guitar that I love and look forward to playing. I've learned a lot since 2006, and I know I can do a better job.
Progress will be posted in this thread.
So, in 2005-06, I took it upon myself to build a high-quality, fully playable-by-me version of his guitar. I got a body and neck from Warmoth, and all the necessary hardware and electronics. I decided that since Warmoth didn't offer the colour I needed I would do the finish myself using Duplicolor paint (I was able to find the exact Chrysler color).
When I completed the guitar, it looked pretty much like this:
Almost immediately I had problems with the finish. The Duplicolor clear coat never fully hardened, and it started to pick up stains and pits. It also bonded to the foam on one of my guitar stands and my wall hangers, leaving ugly black marks on parts of the finish. Due to the crummy appearance and odd feel, it started to become my least played guitar, which was a shame because it sounds great.
I tried to revitalize it with a light make-over:
During this time I got a new Strat and a Gretsch Duo Jet that got a lot more play time than the Warmoth. It didn't even come out of its case for over a year. Then I got my Epi Dot, and I plundered the Warmoth's pickups to go in there.
This is what the Warmoth LP looks like now:
Those are cheapo stock pickups that aren't even hooked up to anything. I was thinking of wall mounting this guitar and wanted something to fill the holes. In its prime it had a PG bridge and A2P neck, both of which are now in my Dot.
Note the finish damage:
Pretty sad. This was supposed to be a tribute to my grandfather and I've basically let it rot. The truss rod is inscribed with his initials, and the emblem is a Royal Canadian Legion pin (he was a veteran who was actively involved in the Legion).
This is going to change, starting now. I'm taking this guitar apart, stripping all the old finish off, and starting over from the bare wood. I'll replace any parts that need to be replaced, and make this a guitar that I love and look forward to playing. I've learned a lot since 2006, and I know I can do a better job.
Progress will be posted in this thread.
