WezV - Offset DC Jnr build

Sarge

Ooft! Sexy ceruse, looking really sharp. 

grungebob

Late to the party on this one. But it looks ace as is. Open humbucker suits it.  Clear bobbins would have been tip top though. 

WezV

slight change to the headstock logo

the walnut inlay was lost against the black, and looking messy with the white filler.  It would have worked well with the original colour scheme, but no longer suitable here


so I've cut a thin vinyl decal to go over that, under the final coats of lacquer

roberty

Bloody hell @WezV that looks friggin ace

WezV

a couple more small jobs

re-engraved the truss rod cover


Wrapped the open coils in some butchers twine


I am considering a pickup cover, but wanted to try this look first as I think it could work next to the black and white finish

sgosden

that is bloody lovely. 

normula1

Sometimes a wow is not enough !!

WezV

Buffed out, starting assembly




Tate joined the photo to show how his chest hair matches the Cat Hair finish.


I want this finish nicely sunken, so have buffed early and put parts on so it ages properly 

SteveF

That looks awesome Wez! 

EricTheWeary

It reminds me a bit of some of the early Variaxes (600?) with the twin cutaways and sweeping scratch plate. I quite liked the look of them although having no pickup always made them somehow incomplete. But, obviously, this is much, much nicer and, indeed, absolutely ruddy gorgeous. Happily trade you my first born child for it (although what you will do with a 27 year old who works in IT I don't know). 

WezV

You're not wrong about the variax look, I guess those are more fender inspired whereas this leans more towards Gibson, but at first glance they do have a similar look.

Not sure I have much use for a 27 Yr old IT professional.  Might have to stick to currency based offers for this

impmann

EricTheWeary said:

It reminds me a bit of some of the early Variaxes (600?) with the twin cutaways and sweeping scratch plate. I quite liked the look of them although having no pickup always made them somehow incomplete. But, obviously, this is much, much nicer and, indeed, absolutely ruddy gorgeous. Happily trade you my first born child for it (although what you will do with a 27 year old who works in IT I don't know). 

I think you're thinking of the original Variax 500 like this one:



Unsurprisingly, I've had a few of these pass through my hands over time... including a fabulous one that had the gipping pearl pickguard replaced with a custom Harmony-esque "Tiger's eye" one and there was a single filtertron fitted. The owner had junked all the Line6 guts and was trying to figure out a way of fitting a bigsby without the need for refnishing the guitar... I don't know if he ever managed it but without the bigsby it was epic!

WezV

first stringing



a couple of issues to sort but nothing too major.

I absolutely hate this bridge.  I have tried it on two guitars and both times its sounded like its strangling the guitar. it tilts forward slightly, reducing pressure on the saddle. Its a cheap one though, so i will replace with something better. 

the action is a little high in its lowest setting, but I have not recessed the bridge studs, so can gain a bit there... i only need 0.5mm to put it where  it needs to be.

Sporky

That looks ace - lovely work. I think I'd like black speed knobs or knurled chrome ones, but it's not my guitar and my design choices are notoriously poor. 

EricTheWeary

Shame about the bridge, looks good. 

I think Wez’s wall might be Dulux Sweet Embrace. Very on trend. 

[ yes we are going to have our lounge redecorated and I went to the Dulux shop. They don’t have tins of ready made paint there, they make them up for you. Too many options!!!]

I think the gold knobs look good, black would be okay but chrome gets a bit samey when it’s all matching.Although if my experience of the Dulux shop has taught me anything it’s that my design choices are also poor. 

WezV

@EricTheWeary. I've actually just started decorating.  That is the old colour

Also removed some wallpaper from the other walls which revealed they had not primed the plaster when originally decorating... so the paint had pulled right off

EricTheWeary

We had our lounge ceiling replastered and I'm still finding pockets of dust plus I had to take down old fitted shelves on one wall revealing half white paint and half bare plaster. I put them up, why I put them up over that I've no idea. If I look at pictures of guitars on my phone I can just try to mentally blot it all out...

WezV

I've recessed the bridge studs.  Now with the bridge decked to the body the strings are ringing on the board - so action is now sorted and it can go as low as you dare

I'm still not happy with the bridge and have ordered one to replace it.

It's solidly made, but tilts forward on the posts as the spacing doesn't match the thickness of the bridge.  The saddles don't sit very high. The tilt means they are the same height as the back of the bridge, giving almost no pressure on the saddles themselves. 

I'm fairly sure this is the reason it doesn't sound great yet.  I could probably make it work with locking studs to hold the bridge more level, or just ones that are a tighter fit, but want to try a solid bridge instead



that's not intonated in the pic.  The saddles need to come forward a bit, which will only make the problem worse!

WezV

I think I'm done with this one now.  It's finally playing and sounding the way I want.

I thought it was mostly there, but then my cousin was trying it out and said the dreaded "it will make a nice slide guitar",... just like all the magazine guitar reviews where they are looking to write something positive in a shit guitar     

So back to the drawing board because I'm not having that... It has a new bridge, this has been ever so slightly recessed so it now gives a nice action of 1.2-1.5mm at the 12th fret - slide players will need to raise it up  

I also changed out the pickup.  Mine was okay as the first humbucker I had made in 15 years, but not quite where I wanted it.  It's now got a Bulldog cool PAF I found in the parts drawer - so it's changed to a zebra

Finish has sunk in a lot, and checking nicely.

DartmoorHedgehog

I really like that - even the "dog hair" finish, which I wasn't really a fan of when you first did it, now it's all together I think it suits the look really well.