New Projects

[Vic Flick]

Here's a couple of projects I've been working on:

 

 

The SG is an Elitist, it had no original parts (except the nut & pickguard) when I got it. I already had a Gotoh bridge, stop tailpiece, Grovers, and a Gibson Dirty Fingers pickup. I see why guys like Spud like the SG so much, the access to the upper frets is fantastic!!! I like it a lot more than I thought I would.

 

Don't let the P-90s fool you, the guitar on the right is a 1965 Double Olympic. It had an old DiMarzio humbucker in the neck and a Bill Lawrence strat style in the bridge when I got it, but I figured P-90s would be cool. My first choice was mini humbuckers, but the neck pocket was too shallow and I didn't want to route into the tenon to accommodate the deeper pickup. As it was, I had to grind down the bottoms of the six screw ends so that the neck pickup would sit low enough.

 

I didn't want to shell out the money for a vibrola until I was sure it was worth the investment, so I just used the wraparound bridge to test it out. It's worth it, and the postman just delivered a new vibrola today. The guitar also had mini Grovers, but I'm getting some Klusons style vintage tuners so I'll install the vibrola & tuners at the same time. I'll post a new photo when it's done.

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

Will you re-finish the Olympic, or leave it "naturally aged"? BTW, I am shocked, shocked do you hear?, to find out you've not discovered the SG before this!

 

These are current projects:

 

 

The Jazzmaster body goes to my father next week for some decorative relief carving (inspired by your Bluesboy). I shake my head, there are apparently several guitar body manufacturers whose CNC tables are off - all these bodies have a rear pup pocket that is 1/4" too far forward to fit any precut hardware. Not just the competition's, their own won't fit either from what I hear. The Tacoma Electric Papoose is just too much fun to have to put up with the cheap electronics in it (that imbedded headphone amp has so much hiss you can't use it - and the preamp is active all the time so the hiss doesn't go away even plugged into a big amp). I'm installing a GFS Mean 180 with a push-pull for coil-splitting (and cheating - I bought one of the RSGuitar pre-wired PRS kits so all I have to do is bolt it in and about 4 connections. And, last but not least, I'm in the middle of stripping this Junior body for refinishing. It gets a TV Jones Mega'tron in a humbucker mount, I think. The guitar itself itsn't worth the pickup, probably, but I wan't to experiment a bit with that pickup and this is not only a platform I'm pretty familiar with, but I already have it! which is a major point right now.

[daneman]

Cool projects guys!!! I'm not up to any big projects right now,kind of taking a breather myself,gonna spend some time just enjoying the last few,and maybe break out a couple guitars that haven't seen light of day for a few weeks,if you know what I mean. Of course then I'll remember that I wanted to adjust/upgrade or something on those...sheesh

I need a vacation!!!Or to retire so I can just spend more time with my guitars.But I'm still too young for that.

[Amino Moore]

You guys inspire me.

It's been awhile since I did any projects.

I especially dig that Olympic with the P90's.

 

I am looking for a single P90 guitar to set up specifically for slide work.

I've really got GAS for a Epi SG junior P90. I'm on the look out for one.

 

I thought about buying an Epi LP junior or two and swapping out the hums for GFS 90's.

Maybe set one up for open tuning and the other for standard.

There was a recent VS humbucker junior on eBay that had a dogear P90 swap.

The dogear covered the humbucker rout. It looked really good in the pics.

 

I've got enough parts laying around to put a frankenstrat together except for the body and neck, LOL!

So I'm looking for one of those two.

I got my eye on a Korean Squier in a local pawn shop. It is olympic white and the electronics don't work.

It's naturally reliced and has a nice rosewood fretboard. It's covered in stickers.

Thing is, the guy wants $299 for it and won't budge.

I'm gonna wait him out and keep looking.

 

Thanks for the inspiration.

[Vic Flick]

Will you re-finish the Olympic' date=' or leave it "naturally aged"? BTW, I am shocked, shocked do you hear?, to find out you've not discovered the SG before this!

[/quote']

 

 

Hell, I was thinking of adding a few more dings for character!!! And the back has even more character than the front!!!

 

Like I said to another forum member, I like my vintage stuff to look vintage. I generally try to keep the vintage ones as original as possible. I don't mind putting P-90s on this one because the original pickups are long gone and the pickguard has been mutilated, so I haven't altered it any more than it had already been altered. In fact, I can buy a proper pickguard and find a couple of Melody Maker pickups and get it back to stock albeit with some newer replacement parts. The knobs might be the hardest thing to find.

 

I did have an SG with P-90s in the early '80s, but I was much more into acoustics back then. Never used it much.

 

That Jazzmaster body looks nice, do you know if the current Japanese models have the same specs as the American ones??? Could that account for the variation??? And I'm curious about the TV Jones. I have them on my Brian Setzer, but I'm curious about the humbucker mounts, whether they capture the Gretsch sound as well as the standard sized ones. I really want to try TV P-90s too!!!

[Vic Flick]

I am looking for a single P90 guitar to set up specifically for slide work.

I've really got GAS for a Epi SG junior P90. I'm on the look out for one.

 

Funny you should say that. I just got one of those about a month ago' date=' it was a project (needed a nut), set it up for a slide guitar. My advise:

 

[center']

Do It!!!

[/center]

 

It's a monster, I'm going to use it to record some slide work on a song I've been working on. I even bought a new metal slide to go along with my glass one.

 

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

 

 

That Jazzmaster body looks nice' date=' do you know if the current Japanese models have the same specs as the American ones??? Could that account for the variation??? And I'm curious about the TV Jones. I have them on my Brian Setzer, but I'm curious about the humbucker mounts, whether they capture the Gretsch sound as well as the standard sized ones. I really want to try TV P-90s too!!!

 

[/quote']

 

So far, I've heard of what I think are at least 3 different spec's - Original American Vintage, Japanese Vintage, American Reissue, and there may even be Japanese Reissue. The guys at Offset Guitars Forum have encountered the problem before, and say that the manufacturer's vehemently deny that anything is wrong. Eh, all it takes is to rout (or chisel) out the trailing edge of the bridge pickup pocket, but I think its pretty sad for a manufacturer to refuse to address the situation, assuming my information is correct.

 

So far as the TV Jones, the sound clips on the website are pretty good. The GFS Nashville's I have are very nice, but lack that final degree of twangy, snarly whine that I really really want. I'll let you know.

 

BTW, Jerrymac, I had a nightmare last week where I sent you Whitey (my white "EE" SG signature pic) for you to review, and you wouldn't send it back! So next week, I'm coming to Palm Springs to get it.

[carverman]

I'm installing a GFS Mean 180 with a push-pull for coil-splitting (and cheating - I bought one of the RSGuitar pre-wired PRS kits so all I have to do is bolt it in and about 4 connections. And' date=' last but not least, I'm in the middle of stripping this Junior body for refinishing. It gets a TV Jones Mega'tron in a humbucker mount, I think. The guitar itself itsn't worth the pickup, probably, but I wan't to experiment a bit with that pickup and this is not only a platform I'm pretty familiar with, but I already have it! which is a major point right now.

[/quote']

 

That's the nice thing about these "less expensive" er..project guitars..you can afford to experiment,

take a router to them if need be, and hot rod them like a trick pony. I wouldn't do this to an Elitist

or a Gibby LP, but tinkering with these Saein LPs is fun.

 

I just received my Sustainiac kit and busy routing out battery case cavities and

wiring up a fairly complex sustainer with harmonic mode,mix mode, single coil

and humbucker mode...lots of wiring and lots of fun on these stormy, snowy days.

[Vic Flick]

BTW' date=' Jerrymac, I had a nightmare last week where I sent you Whitey (my white "EE" SG signature pic) for you to review, and you wouldn't send it back! So next week, I'm coming to Palm Springs to get it.

[/quote']

 

Palm Springs ain't a bad place to be this time of year, assuming you like temperatures in the 80s and lots of sunshine!!!

 

And white SGs are pretty cool looking...

[valleyparade]

That Olympic is fantastic, Jerry.

 

Right now I'm working on getting my first electric (a hardtail Squier Bullet from '02) back in playing order, and putting a new neck/bridge on an old '70s Teisco.

[stumblinman]

My only project is trying to decide whether or not to sell my squier standard strat, since now that I upgraded pups/tuners in my LP I have no need to have a second lying around. Only project work I've done on it is cleaning up the dirt and oils on fretboard and installing a graphite nut. Also, trying to make room in garage to fit keyboard, amps, PA etc.. But garage projects belong on the HGTV website, methinks. Too many other distractions too allow for any extra guitar diddling here. Although I was toying with the idea of buying a Fender neck just to put on it to feel like a brand name snob. Never bought a top-tier guitar, always bought used or "lesser" (Epi, Squier) type guitars. More fun to mess with and doesn't hurt the wallet so much if you mess up.

[SoloTy]

 

Palm Springs ain't a bad place to be this time of year' date=' assuming you like temperatures in the 80s and lots of sunshine!!!

 

And white SGs are pretty cool looking...[/quote']

 

Yeah, Jerry, can I just come down to Palm Springs for a while and jam at your house? Canada is too damn cold

 

We literally got 20 cms of snow from last night till now and we are expecting like 30 more.. Kind of sucks... I miss the warmth of the summer.

[carverman]

 

Palm Springs ain't a bad place to be this time of year' date=' assuming you like temperatures in the 80s and lots of sunshine!!!.[/quote']

 

I'll take that any day over this constant shoveling. The snowbanks are so high here, you

cant even see the cars coming around...and more to come.

 

Hey JerryMac.. you have a Howard Roberts? Which one? Is it the custom? Pls post of pic

of it if you can...

[Lerxst1281733995]

since now that I upgraded pups/tuners in my LP I have no need to have a second lying around.

 

What planet are you from?? You always need a second guitar... Preferably a third and fourth and.......

[Vic Flick]

 

I'll take that any day over this constant shoveling. The snowbanks are so high here' date=' you

cant even see the cars coming around...and more to come.

 

Hey JerryMac.. you have a Howard Roberts? Which one? Is it the custom? Pls post of pic

of it if you can... [/quote']

 

It's a mid '90s MIK model:

 

 

Great Neck, I replaced the TOM with a nice ebony bridge for a woodsy tone. Also replaced the tuners with Grovers.

[carverman]

 

It's a mid '90s MIK model:

 

Great Neck' date=' I replaced the TOM with a nice ebony bridge for a [i']woodsy tone[/i]. Also replaced the tuners with Grovers.

 

Beautiful! Now you got me lusting (again) with tears in my eyes and going back a few years.

My guitar teacher/store owner where I used to work long ago, had a 67 Kalamazoo

HR Custom in Black..Absolutely beautiful tone...I lusted over that one , but couldn't

afford any more guitars back then. What would be the asking price if it was available

for sale?"

[tulsaslim]

I'm too blind to work on guitars myself but I've got a good project going on right now with one of my friends (who's a guitar builder). I bought one of those Fender Palo Escrito telecasters from MF. The body is unbelievably gorgeous but that's about all I can say good about it (and I'm a big tele fan).

 

Anyway, my buddy (www.ghreno.com) makes some killer guitars so I took it to him & said "build me one of your guitars using this body". He sculpted out a one-piece birdseye maple neck to my specs (thin profile; short, narrow, frets; double truss rod; Buzz Feiten tuning) and is installing a set of his own pickups and bridge. It should be done in about 2 weeks & I'll put some pics up here when I get it back. It's gonna be sweet.

 

I read in last month's Guitar World (50 years of Epiphone) where the president of Gibson says that the average Epi owner owns "at least 5 or 6 other guitars". That should prove to those hardcore Gibsonheads that we Epi owners have Epis because we like them, not because we can't afford a Gibson.

[captmidnight]

Wanting to start a project...but everytime I think I have one of those Peavey Reactors in my hand, something happens. Like today had a bid going on one and with high winds here in central Florida lost power GRRRRRR! By the time the power came back on I had lost it by 10 bucks. I hear the necks are great, especailly for an old fat fingered fart like myself. I know it's not an Epi, but if any of you have one and wants to get rid of it let me know.

Capt

[Vic Flick]

What would be the asking price if it was available

for sale?"

 

I think I paid $500 with the case. There's one on the 'Bay for $500, that's seems to be the going rate.

[Fonzie]

can't wait to see that jazzmaster get finished! guess you liked that one with CC pickups that i linked

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

It was nice, I admit, but the real reason I'm doing a JM is because I wanted a solid body Fenderish project, and got a fairly good deal on the body. I suspect the reason for the deal was the pickup routing problem, but it doesnt overly concern me. I probably won't, but I'm considering drilling out the bridge thimble holes, and routing the tremelo pocket oversized, then filling with a contrasting wood and re-drilling/routing back to the proper size so I wind up with an inlay surrounding those parts. One that I may do, though, is to put it all together, get the adjustments just right and then peg the neck into the body, so I can fill and sculpt the neck join the way I think it should be without that darn plate in the way. And, before all the purist nazis get up in arms, this is a frankenmaster anyway. Glued in pegs have been used in furniture and building construction for centuries, and are at least as solid a join. Screws only became popular because they were easier to use. Besides, if it ever does need to come apart again, it certainly won't be any harder to take apart than a set neck. Simply drilling out the pegs would do it.

[tom_newton2001]

This is my project. A 1970's ea-250. It had one of those ugly tremolos, the one without the Epiphone logo, I sold that. I have a trapeze tailpiece for it. This guitar came in the ugliest red I have ever seen. The pickups were horrible, and it was beaten half to death. My sister and I sanded it down, I only payed like $150 for it. I put on vintage Grover Pat. Pen. U.S.A. tuners. I have 2 p-90 pickups, all new pots and toggle switch.

Any idea on how I can have the space where the pickups go so that p-90's fit???

 

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

Remember these?

 

 

Well, The Papoose now has a Seymour Duncan SH-14 Custom 5, and RS Guitarworks prewired PRS wiring kit (because its already set up for split coil operation) and Gibson speedknobs. There is a substantial difference in this pickup between humbucker and split coil. I have it wired with the front coil active all the time, and the rear coil switches in and out. This is very nice, much better tone than I ever would have thought to get from what is basically half a guitar. Its so handily sized, I've been carrying it back and forth between the couch (Blackheart/Eminence 2x12) and the bedroom (Epi VJH/Celestion 1x12). The short neck doesn't catch on walls and lamps sitting in the living room, and ya gotta luv a guitar that fits sideways in half the bed...

 

 

 

A question for those who care, I'm considering a black/mint/black glued on pickguard cut to the shape of a LP Junior PG. If its cut to about 65% of the size, then modify the edge that fits up against the neck (need to change the angle of the dangle for the different horn shape) and it should just drop right on. A paper cutout that is close enough to demonstrate looks like this...

 

[layboomo]

This is my project. A 1970's ea-250. It had one of those ugly tremolos' date=' the one without the Epiphone logo, I sold that. I have a trapeze tailpiece for it. This guitar came in the ugliest red I have ever seen. The pickups were horrible, and it was beaten half to death. My sister and I sanded it down, I only payed like $150 for it. I put on vintage Grover Pat. Pen. U.S.A. tuners. I have 2 p-90 pickups, all new pots and toggle switch.

Any idea on how I can have the space where the pickups go so that p-90's fit???

 

[img']http://photos-g.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v182/37/1/583106777/n583106777_470406_9429.jpg[/img]

 

Any idea on how I can have the space where the pickups go so that p-90's fit???

 

It looks like it has the cutouts for dogear p-90's already?

[Vic Flick]

I didn't want to shell out the money for a vibrola until I was sure it was worth the investment' date=' so I just used the wraparound bridge to test it out. It's worth it, and the postman just delivered a new vibrola today. The guitar also had mini Grovers, but I'm getting some Klusons style vintage tuners so I'll install the vibrola & tuners at the same time. I'll post a new photo when it's done.

[/quote']

 

 

Here it is: