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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72485
    Ah - so actually the other way round, more like a mic capsule transformer for a ribbon mic or something.

    At least the pickup switching is down for on, so you don't get the classic Jaguar problem :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • AdeyAdey Frets: 2284
    edited September 2020
    I bet the (probably) young person  had a great time building this though and probably an amp to go with it I would guess.

    It's a bit unfair criticising it too much. It's not like it was built by a serious manufacturer.

    If my son had built that as a 10 years old, I would have been praising his skill, not rubbishing it....

    I'm sure you don't want your friends coming to your house and laughing at your kids paintings because they aren't masterpieces.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72485
    Adey said:
    I bet the (probably) young person  had a great time building this though and probably an amp to go with it I would guess.

    It's a bit unfair criticising it too much. It's not like it was built by a serious manufacturer.

    If my son had built that as a 10 years old, I would have been praising his skill, not rubbishing it....

    I'm sure you don't want your friends coming to your house and laughing at your kids paintings because they aren't masterpieces.
    I bet it's actually playable and produces a usable sound, at least.

    I built my first electric guitar when I was 17 - a sort of DIY Gibson Chet Atkins nylon-string solidbody - but I cheated... I used the neck and bridge from a broken classical guitar. (Broken accidentally by me not knowing the difference between steel acoustic guitar strings and nylon ones!) I made a new solid body for it and fitted a microphone capsule under the bridge as a pickup, since I had no idea about piezos then. It did work, but it wasn't exactly the last word in luthiery.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • AdeyAdey Frets: 2284
    ... and building your own guitar seems to have led on to all sorts of other adventures!
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72485
    Adey said:
    ... and building your own guitar seems to have led on to all sorts of other adventures!
    Exactly :). Although I’m not sure I’ve built anything with so little knowledge of what I was doing since...!

    Sadly I don’t have it any more, I recycled the body for some other project later and I can’t remember what happened to it. It would have been nice to see how it sounded now.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7487
    HarrySeven said:





    ;)
    When do you pick it up? 
    Red ones are better. 
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28339
    It would probably be fine with replacement pickups.
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  • RockerRocker Frets: 4986
    Gibson build guitars with 'worse' shapes.  The Vee, the explorer etc.
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14496
    I see the connection now between your old job and a guitar tech

    I … do have the guitar in my loft. … No, I won't be getting down and photographing it
    Exploit the Official Secrets Act to avoid any embarrassment.
    You say, atom bomb. I say, tin of corned beef.
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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8031





    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8031
    Observations so far:

    *The neck profile is bizarre - very narrow and an almost perfect D-shape.

    *After a wee polish, the frets are much better, but they’re a. Not the most even and b. Overhang the fretboard here and there - ouch!

    *I’ve just placed the bridge on there for the moment. The two holes in the body - where I imagined the bridge was previously - were way off.

    *Getting a low action will be fun - neck shim, for a start.

    *The controls just about work.

    *Pickups actually sound OK, in a low-output, grungy kind of way.

    *The machineheads are the wrong way round. 


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 7045
    tFB Trader
    Here you go lads:



    Until today this hadn't seen daylight for over 40 years. 

    I did gig it at least once. It really does need a new nut, maybe I'll fettle it while it's out. But how much should I change and how much should I leave as is?
    Lacquer demos here: https://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/category/finish/
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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8031
    @SteveRobinson - that’s lovely! Don’t Change a thing (other than the nut).


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72485
    HarrySeven said:
    @SteveRobinson - that’s lovely! Don’t Change a thing (other than the nut).
    This - the absolute minimum to make it properly playable.

    Just as you would with an all-original ‘59 Les Paul :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 7045
    tFB Trader
    ICBM said:
    HarrySeven said:
    @SteveRobinson - that’s lovely! Don’t Change a thing (other than the nut).
    This - the absolute minimum to make it properly playable.
    "Playable" or "properly playable"? ;)

    Okay just the nut, new strings and a setup then.
    Lacquer demos here: https://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/category/finish/
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28339
    HarrySeven said:

    After a wee bit of fettling...

    https://i.imgur.com/kEuBOye.jpg

    Maybe it's just me, but I'm thinking "If Adam West's Batman played guitar ..."
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  • Rusty-StringsRusty-Strings Frets: 13
    This is taking me back. I used this article to build a Flying V! Still used the plywood and chipboard body construction with an oak neck that unfortunately had a knot right where the headstock met the fingerboard and fell out sometime later. The picks I bought from @guitars4you's grandad.
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14305
    tFB Trader
    Rusty-Strings said:
    This is taking me back. I used this article to build a Flying V! Still used the plywood and chipboard body construction with an oak neck that unfortunately had a knot right where the headstock met the fingerboard and fell out sometime later. The picks I bought from @guitars4you's grandad.
    Can't recall the V - I recall you 'Firebrand' inspired LP style a few years later
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  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 18860
    axisus said:

    After a wee bit of fettling...

    https://i.imgur.com/kEuBOye.jpg

    Maybe it's just me, but I'm thinking "If Adam West's Batman played guitar ..."
    Close  ;)

    Adam west holding the hallmark guitars batwing bob shade and George Barris design Adam west Varsity jacket Fashion
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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 7045
    tFB Trader
    I've fettled mine with a new nut and a fret polish but it's still not a very good guitar. A proper refret and neck reshape might help a bit.

    Things I noticed/remembered:
    1. The pickups are indeed the same as the bridge unit in @HarrySeven's blue one. No manufacturer's mark though.
    2. The side dots are made from Airfix kit armature, it was my only source of plastic rod
    3. The bridge and tuners are from my Avon Les Paul copy which I had upgraded to Schaller stuff
    4. The neck is mahogany with a beech fretboard
    5. It has no truss rod so the neck is a bit bent after being stored strung all this time
    6. The scale length is 25" (way before PRS)
    7. It has a compound radius (way before Warmoth) from about 7.25" at the nut to practically flat at the 22nd fret
    8. The neck width at the nut is 46mm (WAY before Philips Cleartone Conversions!)
    Lacquer demos here: https://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/category/finish/
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