November 17th 2016
When I saw that GSPBASSES (on theFretboard forum) had made a solid rosewood neck, I had to have one 🙂
I’ve had it a couple of months now, it’s a thing of beauty:
So with this beautiful neck, I needed something special to go with it. I’d found a body in the states that I liked the look of, so tasked Graham with making something similar, but routed for a neck P90 and bridge humbucker. Was working out what bridge to get and it turned out Graham had something in stock for me
I spec’d it with Grahams easy access neck pocket and a belly carve, it turned up yesterday and it really is a thing of beauty!
Both of them together
Next steps, aquire some EZE Oil – turns out there is a Morrells very close by. Decide on the pickups, send the neck off for the custom inlay I’ve ordered up (inlay pocket to be precision routed in the headstock) and start putting it together.
Can’t wait to see it all finished!
December 6th 2016
Bit of progress, the logo of my signature has been made and the pocket cut out in the headstock
The bad news is that the headstock got dropped / chucked by the courier on the way there, I think / hope it’s repairable.
Neck should be back with me before the weekend, hopefully I can finally start oiling etc.. once I’ve drilled out the neck holes / aligned the neck
December 7th 2016
Neck arrived today, fixed the dent, then got to work 🙂
Rolled the fretboard edges (one side for comparison)
Then glued in the logo
As long as I’ve recovered from the work party hangover, I’ll sand that flush this weekend and get on with neck alignment / drilling the holes
December 10th 2016
Today has been a day of drilling the tuner holes, drilling the neck holes, sanding the logo flush and the first coat of oil on the neck, hoping to start on the body tomorrow
First I sanded the logo flush, starting at 240, then 400, 800 then 1200 with some lemon oil – bit of guess work on my part as I’ve not really sanded much before, however, very happy with how it came out 🙂
Finished off the dink repair too, it’s so minor now, very happy again on something I’ve not tried before
I then got on with fitting the neck, I screwed the bridge on, fitted two tuners (without bushings), here it is in place (so I can do some photoshopping with pickup colours)
Once happy, I then sanded the neck all over, ready for oil, again 240 – 1200, the applied the Eze oil, it’s now hanging on a coat hanger drying
De-nibbing with the wire wool tomorrow, then another coat
Made some extra time this afternoon to start on the body, bit of sanding to start with, even had a little helper
Then onto the oil, love the way it is bringing the look of the wood out
Liking the contrast between the top and the back
More work on them tomorrow 🙂
December 11th 2016
First coats dry, second now on the neck and the back of the guitar, debating whether to do another on the front as I like the look, might do it just for protection purposes once the back is dry in about 4 hours.
After first coats oats and a rub down with 0000 wire wool and lemon oil:
Second coat on:
The neck felt great after the wire wool treatment
December 15th 2016
Pickups ordered, Bareknuckle Riff Raff and Supermassive P90
Found some Hipshot black o-ring knobs online and ordered them up, did a quick mockup tonight before waxing the body:
Briwax arrived today, so onto the waxing tonight. The stuff stinks, but love the outcome, sounds daft, but looks just how I wanted it, polished wood, rather than mega shiny painted wood
Can’t wait to get this all built up 🙂
December 21st 2016
Getting very close now! Frets levelled and dressed, string tree fitted, strap buttons fitted, pots, switches etc.. all here. All that’s left to do is fit the pickups (dispatched yesterday!).
Strung the guitar up last night, short of sorting out the nut (I’ve asked Santa for a set of nut files :)) it plays amazing! Very resonant, can’t wait to finish it
Couple of iPhone pictures
December 22nd 2016
Pickups arrived, but a slight issue in that the legs were too wide for the pickup route!
‘Crisis’ averted re the bridge pickup, using a bastard file (an actual bastard, rather than my description) and a slight tweak with some pliers and we are on!
Holes drilled for the P90 and pickup ring, wiring to commence after dinner!
It’s assembled!
Had a bit of a panic trying to test it earlier, took me so long to get it ready, that it was then too late to go and tune/intonate and play through the Kemper.
Pickups sound great so far, will know more when I play it through the Kemper
Last pics before I take some proper ones, hoping to do that Saturday morning, will see if I can squeeze it in.
December 23rd 2016
Managed to take some ‘proper’ photos 🙂
Without doubt, this is one of the nicest guitars to play I’ve ever had my hands on. The feel of the guitar, especially the neck is sublime.