avengers63 Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 I did the secont test block yesterday and I have the binding router issues all figured out. Here's the process: Tape the piss out of it, then run it through the router backwards. It's just that easy! I got the face & back on the other two bodies. I'm currently working on the sides of the neck before I get to the body sides. I'll post some pics of these if you like, but I thought since it's more of what you've already seen, it was fairly pointless. Hopefully, I'll be able to have the sides all glued on sometime this week and ready for the binding. .. that guitar is like supreme tackyness but in an awesome way.. Thanks. That's part of what I was going for - tastefully horrible. If I were somehow able to put some chrome countertop trim on it, it'd be perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 I did the secont test block yesterday and I have the binding router issues all figured out. Here's the process: Tape the piss out of it, then run it through the router backwards. It's just that easy! I got the face & back on the other two bodies. I'm currently working on the sides of the neck before I get to the body sides. I'll post some pics of these if you like, but I thought since it's more of what you've already seen, it was fairly pointless. Hopefully, I'll be able to have the sides all glued on sometime this week and ready for the binding. .. that guitar is like supreme tackyness but in an awesome way.. Thanks. That's part of what I was going for - tastefully horrible. If I were somehow able to put some chrome countertop trim on it, it'd be perfect. Yeah, some sorta chrome binding all-over would be cool. .. are you going for a Danelectro clone or doin' somehing "original" (In terms of pickups and pickguard..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted October 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 My pups are Gretch, the ones going on consignment are Artec. For the p/g, it'll be w/b/w. I'm going to do something strat-like in that it'll hold both pups and the electronics. I'm still working on the exact shape, but it'll be retro-styled. It'll cover more real estate than the dano's for no other reason than I'll need to have the whole of both pups surrounded with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 My pups are Gretch, the ones going on consignment are Artec. For the p/g, it'll be w/b/w. I'm going to do something strat-like in that it'll hold both pups and the electronics. I'm still working on the exact shape, but it'll be retro-styled. It'll cover more real estate than the dano's for no other reason than I'll need to have the whole of both pups surrounded with it. How bout' some chromed Art-Deco-like pickguard that sorta compensates for the chrome binding (or 50's countertop-thingy)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted October 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 I'm still looking into alternates for the countertop edging. If sonething doesn't pop up soo, I'll be going with the white or black binding. Chrome P/G? Metalworking is a bit beyond me. Plus I don't think it'd look right with what I'm going for. No, the chrome should be on the edges. Here's the bodies as they are right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted October 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 I got the sides glued on to one of them tonight. We'll see how it does tomorrow when I take the tape off and inspect it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted November 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 (edited) The sides didn't stick the way I needed them to. Along with being sidetracked on other projects, I had to get the sides glued on properly. Learning curves are always so time consuming. So I figured it out and got the binding on the first one. It's not perfect, but I didn't expect the first one to be. The next ones will be much better. As of these pics, the binding hasn't been scraped flush. Edited November 11, 2008 by avengers63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Ok, so I think the shape is kinda ugly... I love the sides and everything with the binding and that though, looks pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 that is wicked cool, I sound like a 20 year old from Boston when I say it but ***. Is the body shape an original Gretch design? please add it to the downloads so I can make a 12 string version with some TV's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 I was wondering how these were coming along! Looking good! As cool as the bound heel looks, I think I'd like to see something a little less blocky there - I don't mind heels that come out that far, but that one looks like it'd be painfull to run against. Now you just need to find a way to vaccuum form that stuff to the back of a neck! (Just kidding, although a matching headstock laminate would be cool.) These are just pretty awesome, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 I just LOVE it! Retro funky nice! I also love the material you're using - I'm gearing up to do a hollow copy of Saturn 63 with solid core and 4mm poplar plywood top & back. I'll probably use the faux chrome car stripes, like on the originals. Looking forward to more pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted November 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 I don't mind heels that come out that far, but that one looks like it'd be painfull to run against. The heel/pocket is the normal 3". It looks a lot bigger because 1) it's pretty shallow in the body and 2) the body blank was only 12x16. With a smaller scale body the normal sized pieces look bigger than normal. Is the body shape an original Gretch design? It's a smaller version of the Danelectro "Bowtie". I'll probably use the faux chrome car stripes, like on the originals. LMK when/if you find the car chrome that will work. I looked all over and came up empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Alright y'all, I need a little help. I need to design a pickguard for this turd, but I absolutely SUCK at the retro-themed design. I need something that's clearly 50's era inspired that will hold all of the electronics. I forgot to put a jack on the top, but these two pictures are the approximate placement of everything. I'm OK with the switch going in either place. PLEASE... take these pics and lay out a basic p/g shape for me. No suggestion is unwanted. I'm very open to anything you might come up with, including multi-piece guards, so long as it stays in the correct theme and will hold everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 (edited) FWIW: This is kinda what I had in mind, but with rounded corners, beveled edges, and done a lot better. This was done in about 10 minutes with paint.net. The p/g material is 3-ply w/b/w. If someone could come up with something that would reflect the shaped in the formica, that'd be perfect. Edited December 3, 2008 by avengers63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpcrash Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Perhaps a pickguard that is a flip of the body shape? Scale it, skew it to fit appropriately, but start there. Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kith Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 I used one of those eden necks about a year ago. The frets aren't perfect, but they are not horrible...I have pretty low action and only a bit of buzz on the 6th. for 40 bucks, you cant beat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Hey John...I might have a go...is that a single volume and a switch....where is the cavity...or do you have a preference for switch placement...or are there more options? I can see why you want to break the look up a bit...my first impression would be to design something that imitates the boomerang motif in the pattern...but then I'm Australian, so I would think like that The first thing I would try (since the pickguard is really only visual...the whole guitar is pickgurard) is to take one of the boomerangs with the bridge pickup mounted to it or in it then curving back for the controls. Ah...perhaps you need the guard cause you have no cavities yet...well, that would maybe look best and if you need to wire through from the neck pickup to the bridge pickup...use a very long drill into the neck socket...poke a wire through, attach the pickup wires and pull! If you want the other switch thing...perhaps a pair of hooked boomerangs...again picking up that theme...or some kind of lightning bolt kind of thing...what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 The two items are a 3-position switch and a concentric knob. I'm going to top route the guitar, but I haven't done so yet because the p/g & control placement isn't final. The main reason for a p/g in the first place is to break up the pattern of the formica. Mimicking the boomerang motif is one of the directions I was interested in going. Under the bridge? I'm not sure about that one. If the boomerang started on the lower left and ended on the lower right, that might work. Again, it needs to encompass both pups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Hmmm...I see, I thought the pickups looked like they surface mounted. I think the concentric knob thing is a little plain and out of keeping...I'd be going for something like two over sized chickenhead stove knob type things, maybe even a rotary selector with matching chickenhead knob, pr maybe even some kind of funky rocker switches...more in keeping with the era...or if you wanted to keep the chrome thing happening a pair of telecaster knobs...the reason being is that this guard is looking very big and you kind of need to break that up too! The next idea I have in "mind" might involve an engraving...along with bevelling, would you be able to do a straight line goove through the guard to reveal the black without cutting all the way through? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Switching over to small rockers might not be a bad idea. I'm not sure about the chicken heads, though. If the body were full sized I'd be all for it, but space might not allow for two big knobs like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 How about this john? I changed your design up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan316 Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 If you leave those gaps between each pickguard piece.... KILLER. Do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punger07 Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Check all these out for some 60's whacky designs http://www.myrareguitars.com/1960guitars.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Here's one idea, badly drawn...obviously you want those shapes smoother and more sylized...they look a lot better on my scrap paper with a pen than stuffing around freehand on a computer...they are identical shapes (at least the outline) and bring in some symmetry, gives more curves to it and I'm thinking they look like some space age coasters (probably better it they were just white than a black outline wbw plate...more cartoony)...think the jetsons...or indeed some of the weird shapes in the pattern. I did notice that you may have a problem with those pickups however...they appear to be surface mounted covers (like a dog ear p-90) not designed to go into a pickguard...that's why I was wondering if you needed a pickguard and could screw in under them...I imagine though you don't have the neck height for that and may need to test if they can be mounted under a guard or something else be used So...any thoughts on this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carousel182 Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 ^THAT! that is a great shape for the pickguard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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