DougK Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 (edited) So its been QUITE a while since I've checked in here... finished a few run of the mill guitars (strats and tele's mostly) since I've been here last. I've got a few of my own designs in the works but in the mean time I decided I really wanted to build a firebird. It was fun for me because if the first one I've done things like shape the neck, fret job, inlays ect. Nothing major around here but gotta start somewhere right. Anyways this is how it turned out. (thats the old rear cover, the new one is a nicer laid up piece of carbon fiber) It was almost kind of a shame to paint this one... african mahogany sure can be pretty Specs: African Mahogany Scarf jointed headstock, 1.66" width at the nut Bolivian Rosewood (pau ferro apparently) fretboard StewMac Wide/Medium wire MOP inlays Kent Armstrong Pups wired with 3 volumes, middle pup volume isn't effected by the switch blah blah blah Anyways, thats that. A lot of fun and my new #1 around the house. Edited December 30, 2008 by DougK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sami Ghouri Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 really nice looking! question though, what clear coat did you use over white? i couldn't use polyurethane coz it made white look beige! or even brown at some point, so i ended up using Minwax waterbase Polycryllic which WAS clear but was a B**** to spray and sand...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougK Posted December 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I tried using the polycrylic as a sealer/grain fill and had horrible luck. Its just Olympic White + Sherwin Williams nitro clear. The first coats were from an old can that almost had a redish hue so it kind of has a new green tint now. The rest was fresh clear stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelpusher Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 beautiful man! I love that white even tho the raw wood did look sweet too. nice work very slick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Beautiful...one of the best firebirds I have seen. I am so glad to see you keep the essential elements of the body step and headstock which I think are really important to the design and although the wood looks cool...the color is so much better and I would have chosen white also. Great choice to stick with the mini HBs and practical approach to the wiring to have the middle pickup on it's own control...far more in keeping with the automotive influence of the design and it's intention to have a run at the fender stable. A great looker...I see it being played by someone in a dinner jacket for some reason, very classy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaiger Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Sexy looking bird there! Something about the headstock looks particularly cool. Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdog Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Great firebird you've made !!! And, just for the record, I don't "usually" like FBs. As soon as I saw the "logo" on the headstock I knew it was you !! But I also wanted to add that's a beautiful Bassman !! I'd love to dress up my main amp with a cabinet like that, but I'll have to figure out a way to do the finger-joining in a home-made fashion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 oooohhh...I just noticed the black scratch plate...I don't recall ever seeing that on a firebird (they are usually white with the bird)...nice...and I also like the reddish fretboard which give the look a lift, an ebony board would have been a little too much black...good choices all round (though not sure about the step on the back) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougK Posted December 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Great firebird you've made !!! And, just for the record, I don't "usually" like FBs. As soon as I saw the "logo" on the headstock I knew it was you !! But I also wanted to add that's a beautiful Bassman !! I'd love to dress up my main amp with a cabinet like that, but I'll have to figure out a way to do the finger-joining in a home-made fashion... Thank you Blackdog! You've sure been turning out some nice git's yourself! I pop in from time to time and always enjoy checking yours out. I gotta say- I was never big into firebirds till I built this one! I absolutely love the damn things now. Course being a rabbid Johnny Winter fan doesn't help either lol. Now I have a 3 p90 one, 3 full sized buckers one and a single bridge p90 one in the works. LOL. I really want to build a black limba one.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 I would say you should be crucified for painting over that mahog, but the white and carbon fiver make up for it. Awesome work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck_Chill-Out Posted December 30, 2008 Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 Very nice firebird. 'Nuff said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 simply beautiful work you 've done there..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougK Posted January 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 I would say you should be crucified for painting over that mahog, but the white and carbon fiver make up for it. Awesome work! I know what you mean!! I was torn about it... but I just keep painting guitars solid colors for some reason. Thanks for the kind words everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Outstanding work, DougK! Definitely one for the GOTM contest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougK Posted January 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Outstanding work, DougK! Definitely one for the GOTM contest! Thank you!! I don't know... I don't know if its GOTM worthy though, the GOTM's are usually incredible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeP Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Outstanding work, DougK! Definitely one for the GOTM contest! Thank you!! I don't know... I don't know if its GOTM worthy though, the GOTM's are usually incredible! Looks GOTM worthy to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strato-Master Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Shoot Man If I entered a guitar in GOTM at the same I would still probably vote for yours! Its Damn fine sexy lookin guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougK Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Alright... you guys convinced me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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