gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 A new project - I got a few repairs to do, and this one is definitely out of the ordinary. Any ideas are welcome, as I've got a lot of freedom in this.The patient No1. is a Made in Indonesia Yamaha acoustic with an piezo, badly smashed. Since it's all plywood, even the blocks, I don't think it would do well with adding parts, steaming/unglueing etc, so I got the freedom to do ...something with it, and the second patient is a unknown acoustic with some bad frets and a lot of scratches, missing parts etc, so that one gets a makeover + Yamaha's piezo.Here it goes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'll try to make a whole new guitar using as much of the Yamaha's remains, goal being that the old look still shows... I chose a LP outline, it almost fits in remaining top surface.I had to deconstruct the whole thing, which was kinda depressing...on the bright side, note my new favorite tool, little knifes I make out of broken jigsaw saws Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Braces are off, top being plywood it was not that easy. I decided to leave the bridge patch in place. Since I went with the LP outline, I decided to alter the headstock somewhat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Oh yes, don't mind the mess on the table...lost cause I got the rough outine, did a little mockup to play with in Corel later, and tried to use the offcuts in most useful way. Nothing glued yet, just a mockup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Gluing back all the splinters I could, even using acupuncture in some spots Then, I picked a core, piece of cherry 40mm thick, the body should be at 46mm when done. I have to make way for the truss rod access and to make it look logical and nice if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Part of maintaining the look of the guitar formerly known as Yamaha is the back. After removing more than a few pieces of duct tapes of various sorts, I picked a new centerline in accord with the grain, taped my template on it, used the sawed off part of the heel as a template too, and cut of the outline, braces and all. It sawed me some time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Braces off, mostly chiseling, finished with a scraper. Then I glued a splinter from the front side on the top, after cutting off some more crushed plywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 I plan to give it 1-2 coats of clear when done, after some staining of the new parts etc, so I want to use the pickguard as a cover for some of the glue lines and cracks. Using that mockup photo I came up with this.Black will be black plastic, flush with the top, 3mm thick, bearing the humbucker. The rest could be white plastic, with an golden outline as shown, or black? I would gladly go with tortoise, but this thing is on a budget... Black or white, what do you guys think?I'd like to fit in a second pup, but a hum looks like too much visually, any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Wow. this is a fascinating project. Are you going to leave it the full acoustic thickness or narrow it down closer to the LP?SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Well, I'm aiming at 40mm for the cherry core, just glued the missing width on, and with the top and the back 3mm thick both, I expect 46mm or a bit less. I'll probably lighten the core somehow, probably with a lot of 14 or 18mm holes like I did on my LP's. I'm planning to route the soundhole area, and cover that with black plastic. It will hold the humbucker, Lindsey Buckingham-like, and the truss rod access cavity. That should make it reasonably light and not so trebly, and the thickness will be similar to a LP. We decided on a black pickguard, with the golden line like on the pic, and a some sort of a Phoenix logo, as it came really close to becoming ashes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Doh! You did say that and I read it and it just bounced off my thick skull.Carry on!SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Here's the pickguard, ready for the laser cutting and engraving. Gold lines on black material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 headless by Goran P, on FlickrWhile the glued sides are curing on the core, just a glimpse on a little something I did recently - still missing a bridge, and no electronics so far, it's supposed to be my quiet acoustic while the kids sleep Made from shop scraps, neck is one-piece, mystery hardwood from leftover flooring, body is some sort of pine, paint is waterbased acrylic leftover from garden gate painting, the rest is oil/wax. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 You may have found a new body shape, and that is very difficult to do. It works too!SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Thanks Scott!It's really comfortable, I started making a plastic bridge for it, but might put on a rolling TOM I have...Tuners are a work in progress, they kinda work, but the wood screw/inner-machine-thread thingie keeps rotating a bit when string gets really tight...I'm trying to avoid epoxying them in, perhaps a notch and another wood screw would anchor it for real. If I solve that, a set of headless tuners would be around 3-4eur The headstock part was dead simple, just a electrician's ground point piece, don't know what it's called properly, but it has all the screws and threads drilled and tapped, even a mounting screw from the back, tapped too, and the 6-hole version is 44mm x 6wide x 8 or 9 tall! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Almost no time for the shop this weekend, some troubles with both the jig saw and the bandsaw, blunt router bit also, but I did manage to get something done. I am more and more into hand tools...032-001 by Goran P, on Flickr033-001 by Goran P, on Flickr034-001 by Goran P, on Flickr035-001 by Goran P, on FlickrI need to pare down the neck heel to fit the core. I left the sides outside the line intentionally, I'll shape it along with the top mostly, when glued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) Nothing much to show, but it was a loong process, and still not done. I'm hand fitting the neck/top onto the core, using knife, rotary sander and a chisel, slow but kinda fun to see it slowly sinking onto the core. I'll probably do some little strips of vertical binding where core meets the sides of the neck heel, to cover the transition. At the end pin too.I think 18mm holes, but only in the left (bass) side of the core, treble side gets wiring channels etc, we'll see.Still can't decide on a right place to put the jack, I probably don't want the usual LP position, but the end pin is also out, something in between.036-001 by Goran P, on Flickr037-001 by Goran P, on Flickr Edited October 21, 2015 by gpcustomguitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Doing that kind of stuff by hand is almost therapeutic.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 Yes, I actually enjoy it, I might even start to like sanding at some point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 It fits - still have to fine tune the bridge patch area, but the neck tenon part is OK. Tried the back fit, and it looks nice actually. I'll start drilling later today, and route for wiring. Cleaning up the sides will be done when the top is glued on.038-001 by Goran P, on Flickr039-001 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Nothing much done, but moving along. I sanded the shape closer to the line, drilled some 18mm holes trough the core on the upper half of the body, and routed the electronics cavity. Also routed is some space for the bridge pins to go into, freehand, just couldn't find the time to make a jig for something noone will ever see afterwards. I've connected the cavities with 8mm drill bit, even the not needed channel from hum to the bridge, as it might come in handy at some point, if someone in the future decides they want a second pup.040-001 by Goran P, on Flickr041-001 by Goran P, on Flickr042-001 by Goran P, on FlickrRegarding the grounding, I'm thinking about making a metal bridge insert, instead of plastic one I removed, identical in shape, and with a soldered ground, using the same channel the piezo used. It would give the guitar additional "electric" sound - brass perhaps? Opinions please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I think I have the final version of the pickguard/hum ring. It's a 2 -piece, round one fits in the soundhole, the T-shaped hole is for the truss rod access, the actual pickguard is 3mm proud, engraving is gold, the Firebird is red. Little piece of the hum ring that is different actually fits under a small piece of fretboard that is protruding over the soundboard. I might be able to put it in place with one screw only, as it would act like sort of a lever. Bogdan pickguard by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 That looks sweet.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I'm enjoying this one. It gives a whole new meaning to acoustic-electric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Thanks a lot! I got some other little things done, final fit of the top plate being the most important. I left it in the clamps, as the top is a bit wavy after all the things it's been trough. It was a good time as any to cut open the electronics cavity, and my little homemade knife did great! I use it all the time, good use for broken jig saws.Finally, roughly shaped the jack plate, it's a leftover bit from one of my truss-rod-cover-jig-cutting experiments, I have a faux truss rod cover planed too, just not cut out yet.Still thinking about what to put on the headstock, my logo is off as this is not a proper build, but I would like to make a note on who did the makeover...044-001 by Goran P, on Flickr045-001 by Goran P, on Flickr046-001 by Goran P, on Flickr047-001 by Goran P, on Flickr048-001 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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