Guitar Building

[macaroonie]

I don't know if any of you are interested but lately I have been building a guitar. I did it for a bet , its a totally hollow bodied / carved top Telecaster shaped electric.

Hear it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAx-NPLzMcQ

See the build here http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/179733-crazy-build-newbie.html

Its been fun PS there is JBL content.

[grumpy]

Nice vid. Unique sound (effects used? or no)
Took some brass ones to take that task on.

(yes, I saw the JBL :))

[jcrobso]

Great sound, we see the speaker, what amp are you using?
The only guitar building that I have done is just buy some parts from eBay and put together a couple of Stratocasters.

[macaroonie]

Grumpy - no effects other than reverb in the amp. Hey you know me with these kind of projects , you just got to keep pushin towards your goal and bit by bit it comes together eventually. I did have a router moment making the rim for the body , it dug in and grabbed a hold and threw the whole thing around the room. Luckily the parts had just split beside the glue joints and I just glued it all back up again.
The real try out will be through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe , I am very optimistic as we did run it through a dirtbag practice combo and it was really alive and big and lush but seemingly no feedback issues.

Here is the amp

[richluvsound]

Hey Mac ,

looks great ...... sounds even better !

Nice work as always mate ,

Rich

[macaroonie]

Probably the most fun thing I've done in years , very theraputic and demanding also. The next level is obviously using quality / decor woods rather than scrap and elevating the finish considerably. I am truly humbled by the guitars my friend Michael makes. ( http://web.mac.com/ritchieguitars/Michael_Ritchie_Guitar_Maker/Home.html ) shameless plug !! just to see the micro detail that goes into those classical Spanish jobs is awsome. No screws just animal and fish glue and it will all last for a century or more. It makes our box building look squalid.

Funny thing is as I cannot play a worthy note I now have to hand over ' The Worm ' but I feel good about it because it makes a pleasing tone and my guitaris bud thinks its tasty. He plays a US Tele std and is truly amazed at what is coming out of the ' worm ' and that is only with a couple of hours goofing about.

Rich you can do this !!! Have a go hero !!!1

PS hows the 4313 project a coming along ?

[richluvsound]

Hey Mac ,

the 4313b is on hold , the avatar project is taking all my time at the moment (when the quacks aint poking and proddin about) . I have a friends workshop for a few weeks while he is on holiday.

Rich

[boputnam]

Beauty. Never seen a Tele hollow-body. What lead you to that design?

Dammit - those links in your thread (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/179733-crazy-build-newbie.html) over on Telecasters.com made me join! I couldn't see all your attachments otherwise!! :biting:

But I did it because your discussion of balancing the guitbox output(s) was real insightful. THANKS for posting that. :rootn_tootn: Now, since I've joined and can view everything, I need to go back and study all those generous posts!



The real try out will be through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe...Or even better, a Fender Twin Custom 15! :bouncy:

[macaroonie]

Thanks for your encouraging comments. Well I always thought that thinine teles were actually hollow and was disappointed to find there is a plank of wood down the middle. In any case as I said it all came from a beery bet and once I was on a roll I had to add in a carved top. The rest is there for you to see.
That forum is great , just like here with massive knowledge. ------------- Check out threads actually builds by a guy called ' Preeb ' specifically 59 les paul build. Truly amazing.
Dont worry we have D130's on hand :D

Meant to say that the balanced cable arrangement becomes unbalanced at the input to a typical guitar amp but in spite of that there are considerable benefits to the screening performance , as you probably know. I know that seems counter intuative but try it and buy it !!!

[jcrobso]

Beauty. Never seen a Tele hollow-body. What lead you to that design?

Dammit - those links in your thread (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/179733-crazy-build-newbie.html) over on Telecasters.com made me join! I couldn't see all your attachments otherwise!! :biting:

But I did it because your discussion of balancing the guitbox output(s) was real insightful. THANKS for posting that. :rootn_tootn: Now, since I've joined and can view everything, I need to go back and study all those generous posts!


Or even better, a Fender Twin Custom 15! :bouncy:

I didn't mind joining since I have 2 Telecasters.;)
For the Strat fans! http://www.stratocastertalk.com/forum.php

[macaroonie]

http://www.youtube.com/user/macaroonie54#p/a/u/1/4jrZdAK1xl4

Cisco there had only had about 20 mins on that guitar just noodling around and I just happenned to catch that wee bit. It certainly was not rehearsed. Quite the talent :applaud: I nave been urging him to refine that a little as a ' piece ' for a gig.

[scorpio]

I did build a bass from scratch a few years ago. Quite an interesting experience. Turned out that the most difficult part for me was setting the frets properly in place, in actual fact the bass ended up fretless... But it was fun.

Can't really say how good it sounds, I can't play !!

Here's the only pic I have of the result, with a little furry friend...

[macaroonie]

I did build a bass from scratch a few years ago. Quite an interesting experience. Turned out that the most difficult part for me was setting the frets properly in place, in actual fact the bass ended up fretless... But it was fun.

Can't really say how good it sounds, I can't play !!

Here's the only pic I have of the result, with a little furry friend...


Nice looking bass there Scorpio. I wish we could get maple like you fellahs do over there in the US , anything flame costs a kings ransome here.
Welcome to the club .............. Non playing guitar builders. Turns out Leo Fender is one of us :D

[scorpio]

Nice looking bass there Scorpio. I wish we could get maple like you fellahs do over there in the US , anything flame costs a kings ransome here.


Actually I'm in Belgium... but you are totally correct, I got this maple when I lived in the US more than 10 yrs ago. I still have a few board feet with which I intend to make a plinth for my Thorens TD-124 the day I decide which tonearm will be final for it (0 or 12"). Impossible to find nice wood like that here either!

[macaroonie]

TD 124 has to be an SME 3009. The 12" will not make much difference to your sound. If you are seeking top sound seek out a Zeta with titanium arm tube and a Koetsu on the end of it.
Not kiding the Zeta is one of the best engineered arms ever and as stable as you can get
46097
and just like a Swiss train here comes one now

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Zeta-tone-arm-Linn-Mitchell-Logic-Pink-decks-/110539765334?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Turntable_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19bcaef656

[scorpio]

Very nice! is it yours? I just had mine returned from a chassis + motor restoration at Schopper in Switzerland, it now runs a lot smoother. Still have to do the fine tuning. I'm running it at the moment with a modded rega RB-300 and I have been trying my DL-103 on it but I'm not convinced it is a good match (not unexpected). Will try my MM grado prestige gold next.

I'll post a pic at the week-end, I have also redone the finish on the plinth while it was being restored.

Cheers,

[macaroonie]

I got out of analog a few years ago mainly because my record collection had dwindled over the years , moving lending etc.
I still maintain its a better sound , CD is stuck in the original format set up in the early 80's. I cant think of any other digital medium that has not moved forward in leaps and bounds. Record company laziness at work as usual.

I was never that big a fan of that Rega arm although it gets a great write up. Michell Eng. in london do a tasty rework of it though.
The Zeta is many steps forward I can assure you , strange but you can just feel it when you pick it up. A beautiful piece of kit.

You probably have not enough counterweight with the Denon , its quite a heavy cartridge. You want to have the counterweight as close to the pivot as you can ( whilst getting the correct downforce - 2.0 - 2.2 g ) Try adding some ballast to the weight even Blu Tack would do as a try out.

[jcrobso]

I did build a bass from scratch a few years ago. Quite an interesting experience. Turned out that the most difficult part for me was setting the frets properly in place, in actual fact the bass ended up fretless... But it was fun.

Can't really say how good it sounds, I can't play !!

Here's the only pic I have of the result, with a little furry friend...


Nice looking bass there Scorpio. I wish we could get maple like you fellahs do over there in the US , anything flame costs a kings ransome here.
Welcome to the club .............. Non playing guitar builders. Turns out Leo Fender is one of us :D
You can get FREE bass and guitar lessons on You-tube, give them a try!;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ7MfADYRmg

[macaroonie]

Thats a step too far my friend. Some of us just build stuff , thats the fun. :bouncy:

[scorpio]

You probably have not enough counterweight with the Denon , its quite a heavy cartridge. You want to have the counterweight as close to the pivot as you can ( whilst getting the correct downforce - 2.0 - 2.2 g ) Try adding some ballast to the weight even Blu Tack would do as a try out.

Yep, my rega is fully Mitchell tecno-weight modded, using the heavier of the two counterweight in the kits, it remains close enough. In fact, what I find with DL-103 is that it's better to add the weight to the cartrige side to increase the overall effective weight, that makes it better suited to the low compliance of the DL-103. I needed to do the same on my Scheu.

[scorpio]

You can get FREE bass and guitar lessons on You-tube, give them a try!;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ7MfADYRmg


The main problem I have with most of the training material I find is that in general the first lesson tells you how to hold the guitar and plug it in the amp, and in the second it asks you to improvise some slap on a funky base, there always seems like a million lessons or two are missing in between (probably I'm better with tools than with strings!).
:o:

[macaroonie]

I got bitten by the bug. This one is a Tele Thinline. Rosewood cap over brazilian cedar. Cheapo Filtertron going in for now. It may warrant a TV Jones Classic if it comes together well.

[jcrobso]

Keep posting picks and let us know how it turns out!
I just assemble mine from parts I get off eBay. Working on one now still collecting parts.

[macaroonie]

I promised the folks at TDPRI that I would post a vid with a lochside view and some wistful music.

See here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmRjT7HnYik

And guess whats inside this wee guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJylHcDmfLQ&feature=related

Not much of a guess really :D

[macaroonie]

Just in case anyone thought I have been sleeping --- Here is the second one complete

51313

51314

And I am just about to finis the third. This is something unique and iif you are interested the build thread is here.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/263837-macaroonies-former-build-challenge-thread.html

You will most likely have to register to view the pics. A simple name and password gets you in.

Here is what it looks like as of today. A tempter for those of you who know about such matters it is a through neck hollow body made from 120 year old Douglas Fir with a Doulas Fir top and an Ebony fingerboard. The neck has a 2 deg tip angle that lets Gibson type hardware be fitted.

51315