Mr Natural Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 so- just got back from vacation the other day- and long story short- something from my past re-appeared in my life. Thought I would share. I was 14 and it was 1981 winter when I started this- finished (rather stopped) just after my 15th birthday. This puppy disappeared until recently showing up. .At the time I started this- my mom and dad had been divorced for a number of years- l lived with my mom- so- I did this pretty much solo- and we didnt have a lot of tools in our house- we had a small red old fashioned wooden tool box- and in it contained a hammer, a couple of screw drivers, a very dull chisel, a couple of hand saws that were used on everything (like tree branches, etc) a couple different rusty old files, a rasp of some sort, and a hand drill. (the hand cranked kind).We had an old plane that was too big to fit in the box. maybe a box cutter or some other stuff but that was pretty much it. specs (ha) inspired by Alembic and maybe fender? fretless (big surprise) pine 2x4 body lumber from hechingers (I had to look that up to spell it- I see they went out of biz in 1999) maple neck from off cuts from cabinets my mom had put in our kitchen-fretboard the same Osage Orange peghead overlay- the same wood I am using as fret lines on my Ken lawrence- which means this wood is way older than I originally thought. Elmers wood glue (I dont think I even knew about titebond back then) The control cavity was started with help from my best friend who's dad had a drill press and forstner bits. looks like we didnt get too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted July 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 i have no memory of how I clamped the neck or body wings- but by the looks of those glue lines gaps- my planing/clamping was TIGHT no idea what was going on with that headstock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted July 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 seriously- no clue how what was going on- what I did with that headstock- that is seriously Frankenstein I laughed out loud when I saw this after so many DECADES had passed. reminds me everything/ everyone has to start at some point. fwiw. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Wow! Seriously though, it's still in one piece, and not a bad effort for a pre-internet era 14 year old! I don't think most of my projects from that age made it that far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Looks like it has a bit of Warwick in it too with that bulbous upper cutaway. I reckon you should complete it, even if only to say you finally crossed the finish line 35 years later.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodkingzog Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 The body reminds me very much of Schecter's Stiletto range. Looks fantastic, should definitely complete it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 I agree. It needs to be finished. You've got to find out what it sounds like. It survived the years remarkably well. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdogg Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Another vote for finishing it. looks like a pretty spectacular attempt with the limited tools available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Could you find your original tools (or equivalent) and finish it with those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domino31 Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Nice work! What color are you gonna paint it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted July 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 On 7/10/2017 at 10:16 PM, mattharris75 said: Wow! Seriously though, it's still in one piece, and not a bad effort for a pre-internet era 14 year old! I don't think most of my projects from that age made it that far... this has been in a plastic bag in a large trunk for over 3 decades. only reason it made it I think. It also did some funky things to that pine on one side. the color is off. i read every book on woodworking I could get my hands on and there were no books on guitar building- but I did find reference to a scarf joint for the head stock somewhere- maybe guitar world or guitar player magazine- and that eventually lead me to boat books (sides of mahogany boats- you make long planks using scarf joints. It probably took me (duh) 2 months to figure out you had to flip it over to make a headstock. On 7/11/2017 at 0:41 AM, curtisa said: Looks like it has a bit of Warwick in it too with that bulbous upper cutaway. I see that now that you say that Curtisa- but I am not sure I was even aware of Warwick till maybe the early nineties(?) Either the bass player from Jamiroquai or maybe (dont laugh) limp biscuit or one of those era groups were the first time I remember seeing Warwicks Too all of you that have said I should finish it- thanks- but- not happening. Besides the fact that this is seriously a piece of junk and has more issues that I care to list here- it holds some serious memories for me- and the build Gods have told me to leave it alone. Besides the kick I got out of seeing it all these years later- I thought it would be fun to share with any newbies - especially any younger kids- that the first attempt is not always successful. I learned alot though going thru the process of getting it as far as it got. 9 hours ago, Norris said: Could you find your original tools (or equivalent) and finish it with those? I still have that chisel- and the hammer. my mother gifted me those and some new tools when i moved out on my own. actually I think I gave the hammer to my daughter when she moved out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdogg Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 If your not going to finish it. perhaps hang it on your wall in the shop... as a reminder of where your coming from vs where you are going (current projects). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polymaker Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 4 hours ago, Mr Natural said: To all of you that have said I should finish it- thanks- but- not happening. [...] it holds some serious memories for me I feel you and I think I would do the same in this situation, but at the same time there is some parts of me that wants to finish it. What about building the same bass with the same materials (maple & pine) but with current tools and experience? That way you still have the old one as a memento but you also have the satisfaction of a 'completed' build after all those years. Then you could display them side by side . Anyway, I must say this is a very impressive build for your age and tools you had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 This weekend, I finally rebuilt my #1 after about 25-30 years. Built around the same time as yours, I had completed it and actually was playing it in my band. But it had many things going against it, so it was dismantled and mothballed. But recently, i decided to put it back together and give it the love it deserved, It's a 6-string V, and went from 25.5" scale to 24.75, a new pup, new finish (bad though), and I'm SO glad I did it. I left all the warts and seams, didn't try to improve anything besides the scale length, just made it what it should have been. It's weird because I didn't have an insane level of nostalgia for it before, but it certainly holds a place now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted July 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 @komodo- you have to post pics now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 Remember it was the 80's . . . It used to have a Duncan JB, but I replaced it with a DiMarzio X2N. Holy crap high gain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted July 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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