The world of Wez :)

WezV

done some real subtle relicing on a pickup

http://i62.tinypic.com/25fm0sy.jpg

WezV

so the pickup above was done to go into the aged bronze guitar.  Its an iron gear rolling mill I had lying around and the covers i got off some really cheap pickups - the covers originally went onto some BKP's and into my iceman, but that's next on my list to rebuild and will have different pickups again

the bronze guitar is now together and playable again.   Its a 24" scale with 41.5mm nut - its a very compact little guitar, sounds ace though

I was wondering what to do with the neck finish and decided to play around with some green, blue and brown dyes - all ends up looking a bit rotten and I am sure some will hate it, but it looks great in the flesh... not sure the snot green tuner buttons help though

http://i59.tinypic.com/2vce4hu.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/533ckm.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/14ww2vt.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/1jxfyc.jpg

http://i58.tinypic.com/jzaxj.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/vh6feu.jpg

next to the epi to show how diddly it is

http://i62.tinypic.com/nog8pj.jpg

xmrchi

I would rock that. Love a bit of Quirky

Andyjr1515

My goodness, @WezV - that blows your socks off!  >-

WezV

lets have a daylight pic too, shows i managed to keep some of the blue a bit better

http://i62.tinypic.com/2d969v7.jpg

TTony

Not really my thing at all, but I think it works well in a rescued-from-a-skip sort of way, and I imagine it'll play very nicely once you've fettled it.

WezV

it actually played pretty nicely anyway, i just couldn't bare to look at it so hid it away a few years back.   it nearly got burned with a load of others just before i moved, but I am glad i held onto it now

Kinda wish i had changed the bridge, but the toploader works well enough even it it looks totally crap...  I might make something a bit more individual on the next string change... or I might just sell it on as it is 

DartmoorHedgehog

WezV said:

the aged bronze guitar

Needs a few pictures of bison scratched into it to keep up the Bronze Age theme

I think it looks excellent - but I liked that "water damaged" LP somebody posted a few days ago, so what do I know?

WezV

bit more done on the metal top.

its inlaid, fretted, neck glued in and I have the bridge all lined up and mounted and a couple of strings on to test alignment

http://oi57.tinypic.com/2hp4s46.jpg

http://oi57.tinypic.com/f5cdv5.jpg

i made a slight booboo with the bridge pickup placement.  its closer to the bridge than i would have liked.  or should i say, its exactly where i normally put it but this bridge is quite a bit chunkier than a normal tune-o-matic so it looks a bit too close.   The impact of this is that i won't be able to use the full size floral thumbwheels, it will have to be something a bit smaller - but I am okay with that

as it is with the bridge plate on the top the strings sit flat on the frets, so it needs some thumbwheels to raise it up a bit and i still need to radius the top of the saddles too - but its all in the right zone for this now

IvisonGuitars

Niiiiice!

WezV

Just working on the bridge mounting and height adjustment - I should have considered this a bit more before this stage... but what you gonna do

the main issues is how to get a bridge that used massive bolts to mount it that has height adjustment... not something you ever have to think about until you make a bridge from scratch

this is the normal style of bridge post (size and features vary)

http://www.stewmac.com/product/images/6138/Nashville_Tune-o-matic_Studs_and_Bushings.jpg

It screws into a bushing that is inserted in the body and the whole thing moves up and down either using the thumbwheels or a slotted head on top.    its probably past my skills at metal working at this stage, and it would not have the look I am after

this is the older gibson style

http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/ekmps/shops/wdmusic/images/gotoh-tune-o-matic-post-and-wheel-two-posts-and-two-wheels--488-p.jpg

the threaded rod screws into the body wood and height is adjusted using the thumbwheels.  It is certainly the easiest DIY solution, but again it won't have the right look

and here is the best pics of what I am aiming for

http://i59.tinypic.com/2ebuzox.jpg

http://i59.tinypic.com/2ivcqif.jpg

so I have been thinking about this simple design for a few days.  I came up with two different assumptions about the height adjustment

1) You turn the thumbwheels and the bolts don't move, like the original gibson design above but with a cap on top.   this is possible and would work, but obviously the head of the bolt would give a maximum height.  most of the Z pics show the bolt tight on the bridge plate so I don't think this is how it works unless they were all just bolted flat down and never adjusted except for slotting the saddles.  I don't think this route is for me

2) the thumbwheel is effectively a lock nut clamping the bridge plate  to the head of the bolt.   the whole bridge can then be raised and lowered using the bolt.  This makes more sense to me, but it means the threads in the body need to be strong enough to take string pressure and semi regular adjustment.   It may work on some woods, but not this meranti.  Its quite fluffy grained and i doubt it would hold a thread over the long term

WezV

so I am going with option 2.   I had already drilled 4.5mm holes for the bolts which i threaded all the way down with the bolts.  nicely solid but i don't trust it long term. I decided to add a  threaded insert to allow safer adjustment - similar to the normal gibson bushing but screw fit not push fit.  I also recessed this slightly in case i cant make decent floral thumbwheel that can take pressure - i may end us using decorative floral thumbweel with a thin lock nut underneath to ensure a solid design, i left room for this eventuality

So the bridge post holes were now drileld to 3 different steps.  First I had the 4.5mm hole threaded for the bolt.  this goes 1 1/4" into the body.  I then added a 12mm wide recess to the top for the potential lock nut.   then i drilled a 7mm hole 1/2"  deep for the threaded insert. this will act as a collar at the top of the hole to prevent threads in wood getting stripped and generally provide support if the bridge needs raising up - but there is still good post to wood contact below the insert for those that think its important

here is the new hole with one of the inserts 

http://i58.tinypic.com/2llk3gk.jpg

and a very solidly fitted bolt

http://i58.tinypic.com/4haxe0.jpg

done a little paint diagram to show how this might look work with lock nuts under the decorative thumbwheels.  it may not need these if i think the thumbwheels will take the strain

http://i61.tinypic.com/27zwys9.jpg

WezV

just playing about with some stains and I think I have found a colour i like.  original z's tend to be mahogany stained mahogany with lacquer.  they tend to look a bit brickish in colour and its a bit dull.  I am going a bit different

the idea will be stain the meranti dark brown, sand back and stain it a golden colour

you can see the neck and sides still have the dark stain left on them,  I quite like the burnt look of the sides at the moment and am considering keeping it???  might need a mid brown colour to work it all together a bit

may yet all get stripped back and started again 

TTony

I like the look of the back of the neck - i.e. that faded black.

WezV

that's Georgian Dark Oak

to be honest i don't like it yet, too grainy.... but the play with stains has got me thinking about doing a burst on the back sides and neck.  don't know yet  - will see what happens as i play about with the stains

Andyjr1515

The bridge adjustment to me looks just right....fit for purpose using the inserts

paulnb57

I've seen threads tapped into wood strengthened with superglue, the glue is absorbed onto the wood, strengthening the fibres, just for possible futur reference......

Paul

WezV

paulnb57 said:

I've seen threads tapped into wood strengthened with superglue, the glue is absorbed onto the wood, strengthening the fibres, just for possible futur reference......

Paul

yeah, I have repaired weak stud holes that way but I don't consider it a good foundation for future stability.  at best its as stable as acrylic, at worst its no more stable than the wood itself.   All of the string tension will be sitting on those threads and they are quite fine on an M5 bolt so I am not sure it would cut it

You would also be surprised at how far superglue doesn't soak in.  I have used extra thin supeglue to harden extremely spalted maple before, a very watery glue on a very porous wood.  I was surprised when i cut into it it didn't seem to go more than 2mm deep.  Superglue wicks in very well when it has a gap to wick down, but it doesn't soak in as much as you would think

 

WezV

just working the stain a bit more - now 3 wood colours from wilko's from their traditional wood stain range... all stuff that was in the house from other projects and occasionally get used for tinting things in a relic style  :-$

we have a dark oak, medium oak, and antique oak giving a very subtle hand rubbed burst

gonna let that dry and maybe give it one more coat of antique oak.   I will also be trying a new brushing lacquer.  years since i did a brushed lacquer finish but I used to be very good at it

mudslide73

Lovely stuff again Wez. When I get the call from Rich Robinson I'll commission one