Jehle

Oh, if you only knew how tempting that REALLY is.

It's December 1st, and the latest Christmas CD is ready. On this CD, my version of "We Three Kings" is played on the purple "Odd Boy" $150 project guitar. So, if you are interested in hearing that el cheapo rip through that Christmas classic, click on over to my webstore and put in your pre-order for "The Guitarist Collective : Santa's Little Helpers" BellyJelly Music Store I sell them at cost for the tiny price of $6.58 plus S&H. What a bargain! Cover art... Merry Christmas!

Well, my poll was for several reasons. I don't recall yours, so I can't comment on if and why it was shut down. However, having produced a CD on guitar construction, I was really interested in what other builders would really like to see. I was pretty surprised to see that the Gretsch was so popular on the forum because mostly I see hot rod guitars here. Semi-hollows and guitars of that ilk just are not as popular. Or, so I thought. So my poll was really a secret ploy to see what would people like to see built and then I could run off and record it, comment on it, all that stuff. Eventually all of that work will go into another CD project. If only I can find the time to do it all. January is the start of more guitar builds for me, and that recording work. I've got two guitars in the works at the moment. And, one of those is my first consignment build. Actually getting paid to make a guitar for someone with "the works" as they describe it has been a real blast and a real challenge.

I've owned both. The drill press isn't too bad, especially for the money. I still use mine after nearly 5 years although I am considering upgrading to a floor model just for size reasons. I have no qualms with the Ryobi's runout, power, adjustments, etc. And it fell out of the back of my truck while I was moving and suffered no damage, so IMHO it's pretty reliable. Run as fast as you can from that bandsaw. Mine excelled at cutting curves, but not the curves I wanted to cut. Followed a line like someone twice the legal limit. Different blades didn't improve it much. I never realized how bad that bandsaw was until I got a good one. Hope this helps! ← Ditto that on the Ryobi drill press. I've had mine going on 3 years now and it's still one of the best all round tools in the shop. The Ryobi bandsaw does have some issues. For one, it seems very finicky about the way it's set up. I need to get a new blade for it and then I'll go through a set up process again. I'll be happy to pass on my thoughts about it then. As for now, yep, the blade tends to wonder a little when you don't want it to.

Come to think of it. Is there a reason to only nominate a few? Why not have more deputys on patrol?

I did plug your website and your varitone switches on the guitarist forum today. I hope that does something to give your new eBay seller name a boost. Sorry that whole deal turned out the way it did. Believe me, I feel your pain. Been there, done that.

arrowhead, if he's not one already. Guitarfrenzy, just because it's a good idea. MATT, formally Lex Luthier, but only if he brings back the avitar with Will Ferral playing the cow bell.

Erm, why are you trying to separate these two pieces? :? Just curious if it's better to start over with another piece or work with what you have at this point.

Sounds like you should apply for a job at Radio Shack.

This is why I used mandolin frets on the Odd Boy. They are really really tiny compared to other fret wires. Think of how dinky a mandolin neck is and the thin wire makes sense. The only downside is that there's not a whole lot of fret wire there when you level them. You can chew through them pretty fast.

Rats. I wish I saw this earlier. I would love to have all that.

Every single one of these guitars is over the top. They are all beautiful. Great work all around. SwLu : Love the off the side inlays. Reminds me of the "thumb nail" inlays on Gretsch guitars. Good control layout, carve, electronics choice. mattia: Love the color and the inlay. I love the way the bookmatch doesn't line up in the lower bout of the body. Very classy way to highlight the line with the inlay through the body. perry: My pick for the rusted hardware and the millitary spec wire job. That's the way guitar's a meant to be wired and was the deciding factor in the vote for me. Great job inside and out. GF: sweet glossy paint job and the most comfortable looking guitar out of the bunch. It's soft and round everywhere. Looks like it would play like butter. xlr8: A perfect LP with tobacco burst. I'd love to own that one. The grain matching on the back is fantastic. If I could vote twice, I'd of picked this one. I nearly didn't vote this time around because every guitar is a winner as far as I can tell. You guys blow me away.

Totally agree there. I really like the looks of this one. Never seen anything quite like it.

It's so tempting to go to that island of guitarshredder.com (or whatever it is) and just type a one minute long solo. I wouldn't have to play a note and sound like Steve Vai.

I think I have knob envy.

I did have a Floyd for years. I wore that sucker out. It eventually got so bad I replaced it with the original bridge. I think the cheapest option to go back to the floyd is to just buy a new bridge for that old guitar. Back when the Floyd's first came out, I paid $350 for just for the trem. I was a huge Eddie fan and just "had to have it". Now that the Floyd Rose patent has done it job (has it really been 25 years?) just about anyone can make a decent locking trem. I think I'm just going to get a new floyd and put it back in that old guitar. I changes the tone a lot, but that's what that guitar really should sound like. I'll get it set up like I had in the old days where I could pull up 3 1/2 steps! The Gretsch is a totally different feel than the guitars I've been making. There's a "squaresville" factor to it that reminds me of my guitar teacher. It reminds me of rock guitar before there was any Hendrix. That's just as inspiring as anything else. It's retro. It's nerdy. It's uncool. Don't worry though. I am going to build the Floyd guitar too. It'll be the Odd Boy's sister. Just as purdy. With whammy.

I suppose raising and lowering the pickups is not an option for some reason.

you pervert!

That's becoming a popular site...

I'm craving nachos now.

Time to get the sombrero out and take everyone's poloroid to staple on the wall! Epa Epa Yeeeehaaa! Well, that's what I do on my birthday. And a belated burrito to haggardguy. It may be cold, but it's still just as tasty. <edit> Just saw the asking for advice in that later 20's. Turning the wayback machine back 10 years... I'd say, get over the fact that everyone isn't going to like you. They don't have to. If you can be yourself and let people be stupid enough to snub you for who you are, you're much better off without them (be they ex-spouses, family, or just people you grew up with and just got used to dealing with). Second tip, travel when and where you can. See different parts of the world and expose yourself to different cultures.

Champignions ← You Frog's are all born gramarians.

I would say put all the tools and the wood that you work with in one place. I've noticed that the wood needs to aclimate to the area in which it's worked. If you start moving the project around, inside and outside, the humidity can cause the wood to shink and swell. Just my observation from my last project, I left everything in one place and the results were superior.

You know that "hork" sound a cat makes just before it upchucks a hairball.... I'm making that noise right now.

My wife hates it when I sing that at the top of my lungs when I help in the kitchen. "Dear, can you get the mushrooms?" "Sure..."