Akula Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hey, been a long time... I found this old guitar body in my garage about a week ago. Built this thing as one of two guitars, going on about three years ago, but never finished it. As you can see, it was a pretty dire attempt. I was just a kid back then, right? Pine and birch construction, hacked together from about seven pieces of wood, and covered in wood filler! Structurally sound, and perfectly functional, but a total eyesore - hence why it never was finished. So I dragged it out of the garage last week, determined to do something with it. A finish, paint maybe, just SOMETHING to get it playable and get something out of it. Then my gaze settled on some Indian Ink (from the self-tattooing days...) Application was done with a few scrunched-up receipts, mostly received from the local pub's card machine. Just dip 'em in the ink, and wipe them across the guitar as rough as you can! Pretty cool effect. And no brushes or spray equipment to clean afterwards. I dont know how many of you have tried or even heard of Kraken Black Spiced Rum, but its a beautiful drink. Me and my friends discovered this a few months ago, and have lost many nights of memories to this terrifying sea monster. So I drew a squid! Traced it onto the guitar... And tattooed it! Yep, I tattooed a guitar - scratched the ink into the top with a sharpened mechanical pencil dipped in ink. The process was very similar to a DIY tattoo, if anybody here is also unfortunate enough to have experienced one. Masked off the squid... ...and rubbed ink all over. I wanted the top to be darker than how the back turned out, so I diluted a bit of Indian ink in water, and wiped it on with an old sponge. This brought me up to about midnight, two days into the project. I then went to work, and did roughly 60 hours in a week - no time for guitars! Got back to it yesterday, and started experimenting with top coats. I found some of this in the garage, and did a few test pieces with it. Three disadvantages of Linseed Oil I found - it slightly discolors the ink, it takes a while to cure, and it makes your guitar smell like an old man's walking stick. So I went and bought this: I'm sure theres a reason why I shouldnt be using this, or why I shouldnt be applying it with a sponge, but it seems to be working and I'm happy! Now, the hole for the jack socket needs a cover plate. Simple! Shoulda been a beer can though, but I got rid of all the weekend's evidence yesterday. Now I've got a bowl of hardware and electronics - just add milk, and om-nom-nom-nom....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 Long time no see Akula, we've missed your sense of humor around here. For some reason, looking at that face on view brings to mind that famous painting by Edvard Munch, The Scream. It may be the shape of the horns and the pick up cavities looking like that open mouth. Is that bass horn going to get in the way? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agent_zed Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 i like your 'see what happens' technique this strangly reminds me slightly of this ibanez with an industrial burnt/blue stained finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula Posted January 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Scott - The bass horn shouldnt be a problem. I've been playing the other guitar for a few years, and the only problem I've found is that the guitar is unnaturally light, due to it's hollow softwood construction! I'll have to weigh it, but it's wierdly light. Probably why I designed the bass horn to be that long - no neck dive. (excuse the locking nut on that neck - been meaning to build a proper neck for that thing for years...) Agent Zed - That's one of the guitars I was looking at when I drew inspiration for this! http://projectguitar.com/tut/bsb.htm This tutorial, to be exact. As for the "see what happens" technique, isnt life more fun this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula Posted February 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 Finally got this thing finished! Like I said, working 60+hours a week between two jobs, holding down gigs and practices with two bands, and of course a girlfriend (groan!), doesnt leave a lot of time free. Oh no, the world exclaims - another 20-year-old just found out what real life is like! Haha Anyhoo, stuck the hardware in... ...and downright butchered the electronics... ...and strung her up! Uhh... Remember the bit where I made a jack plate out of an aluminum can? Yeah, uh, dont do that. It doesnt work very well. I walked a little too far away from my amp one practice, and it... Well, just look: However, I am really quite happy with my sponge-applied poly finish. Not so much with my shoddy set-up Overall, I'd say this build's been a fair success. It's got its flaws, quirks, and a seriously crap set of pickups, but for an incredibly low budget and very little time investment, it's not bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted February 2, 2013 Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 And there it is, if your happy we are happy.I think it is a cool beater and any kid would love it.Fun is the name of the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turn Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Its pretty rad how organic this piece looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galaga_Mike Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 It's refreshing to see a fun project that results in a unique guitar without concentrating on perfection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 This was fun project well done on bringing it home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 And the octopus and streaky ink stain look great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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