Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Other Stuff => Guitars => Topic started by: Ed_Chambley on August 17, 2018, 10:08:28 am
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He guys, I am awful about with posting and I am trying to do better. This is my first Guitar Build where I made everything that I am showing except the tuners. I do not have the proper miilling equipment to make those, plus I really like the ones I installed. Most of you guys know I like a wide variety of music and after Merle passed, I went to see his son, Ben play. Before the show, we had a meet and greet and I had the opportunity to take photos of Merle's 53 telecaster.
It is very different looking that a tradidional "blackguard" since Willie and Merle "worked on it." Oddly enough, the original guitar when new had no Grain filler, so I did not use any. I do not recommend this unless you are prepared to a sealer and use lacquer to build up. It took coats with sanding between to get a base to paint on. Anyone who has worked with nitro knows patience is the key. Gotta paint, wetland and wait. It took me 6 weeks to get to this point.
Anyway, Ben asked why. I said I and always admired his father and wanted to build a similar guitar like the one he most used to write his songs. The swamp ash (or ash if you want to argue as I know the species is the same), it just happens to be light in weight. This is not a relic per say, but actually what the guitar looks like as of 6 months ago.
Please keep in mind I have not completed the final polish, I simply have 21 passes of Nitro. Each 3 passes I added a little amber die to the initial Blond die for th ebody. The neck is quartersawn with a quartersawn fingerboard. Dan Mare made the PUPS which has a coil tapped bridge. In stock configuration if is the same a the "Rosie" wind of a 53. Engage the tap adds a coil of smaller wire. So it is wound with 42 to 7.3 resistance and continues with 38 for a coil tap of 11.3 resistance.
Anyway, enough talk, lets start the guitar porn.
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Another
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One more. Also, I forgot. Everything was given to me for this build except the labor and Nitro. This is the 3rd neck I have made and the first one that I made correct. :laugh:
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That call the headstock in ths style a Tado Taper.
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Yes, Jimbob, I know it is a waste of time in oyur opinion, but you gotta give me a thumbs up for a Merle Tribute. Merle would have jammed with Purple.
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Last one for now, I have another week of waiting before final buff, Sheilding and Glendale Hardware. yes, someone gave me all Glendale parts, even a bakelite pickguard. Even the compensarted saddle kit with the 3 different metals to try.
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Here is a photo to see the back of the tuners. KEWL.
Be nice ya'll.
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Shurr is Purdy...love that vintage tint!
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Beautiful job on a great guitar! Nicely done, Ed. THANKS for sharing the photos.
with respect, Jeff
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Very nice work.
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Wow! That's some great chrome on those tuners and neck back plate!!!!!!!!
Jim
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Very nice! Just wondering, did you spray the nitro? I'm curious because I just finished a cabinet and brushed on the finish and was thinking next time I think I would rather try spraying. I haven't done a lot of wood work. Anyways, beautiful!
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Very nice! Just wondering, did you spray the nitro? I'm curious because I just finished a cabinet and brushed on the finish and was thinking next time I think I would rather try spraying. I haven't done a lot of wood work. Anyways, beautiful!
Yes, it is spray. On guitars, you will start with a paste type grain filler that is tinted, normally I do I should say. I use J.e. Moser's Aniline Dyes - Alcohol Soluble that matches the base color I plan to die the guitar. I started this hobby by restoring old radios in which the cabinets are really the treasure. What I mean is it is easy to find a radio with the electric parts. The old veneered cabinets generally did not do as well. Back in the 30's and 40's homes were not nearly as climate controlled. I say this to explain why I started spraying. The original veneers are very thin and sanding through is easy to do. Lacquers and Shellacs are repairable. Nitrocellulose especially, except it is not as durable as modern finished. When brushing furniture I have had the best luck with Deft, but with Nitrocellulose spray, I wouldn't even recommend using spray cans without ventilation and a filtered mask. I made a portable booth that corners a basement window. I spray inside a floor to ceiling 10 mil poly 2 x 4 frame. If I still had it up, I would take a photo. It has a place for air conditioner filters to get a filtered flow of exhaust fumes. Seriously, I got a deep breath one time years ago and remember it took me a couple of weeks before I could take a deep breath with no pain and since my memory seems to lessen bad events, it was probably worse.
So why would I use it? It simply looks different. Looks like shiny wood, not plastic coated wood. If you get in a hurry it will feel sticky. If the humidity is too low it will cure too fast and generally a PITA to use. The same reason I shellac Tweed, because I am an insane tube amp builder. What else.
The exhaust fan motors cannot contact the solvents as the electric motors exhausting will resemble a NASA rocket launch. Don't ask me how I know. :evil5:
Read the labels. It is different from finishing furniture where stain and coating of some kind like poly or similar are the sorts of go-to products. Even on guitars today, Poly is the most used. With lacquer, your mixing options are a bit more flexible. For instance, say you have a water-based dye. Mix it with shellac and this will mix in the lacquer. To me, it is easier to match a tint this way. I simply get a sample, in this case, I printed the photos. I knew the original color, a Blond 53 telecaster. This means flathead bolts (they are wood screws, I do not know why we call them bolt-on necks) neck bolts. Flatheads on the PUPS, but the change to Phillips everywhere else. Merle Haggards has no pickguard because Willie Nelson took it off and carved his name on the body, they couldn't remember where he left it. They were hanging out with Townes Van Zandt and recording Pancho and Lefty. Mine does not have this tonal mojo feature and wouldn't unless I meet Willie someday soon.
Anyway, I do not do this often for guitars since I can only play one at a time, or 2 if one is opened tuned. I really like the look of building up tints within the lacquer. If you look at the taped off areas you will see some lemon yellow looking stuff. This is the first die i put over the blond and if the guitar gets direct bright lights it will appear much more yellow since the amber is really red mineral and starts out very light over the yellowed original blond. I hope this makes sense. Like I said, it is not relic nor is the original. The original, which is not the original color is a newer amber nitro done in the early 80's by Fender, but since Willie had carved his name they left it carved.
With every 3 coats, one hour apart it will get a little darker, but still stay translucent and since dyes are minerals with metals present, they reflect to light according to the color you use. The slow transition from yellow to amber means the brighter the light the more yellow it looks. I have seen the finishers at Henredon Furniture in North Carolina do this type of thing with Urethane (what they call it), but I have never been able to get a deep luster with Poly Gloss. Mine ends up looking like plastic. I use Cardinal Brand and Behlens. Behlens is my preference in the gloss lacquer, but it takes longer to harden. Non of this stuff actually cures.
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Great job on the guitar! Where did you get that flamed maple for the neck? It really pops.
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Great job on the guitar! Where did you get that flamed maple for the neck? It really pops.
Thanks, that was a surprise to me and the guy who gave me the wood. A long time friend and owns a custom cabinet shop across the street from where I work. He is a really good Bass player too and this helped. I was in his shop fitting the 2 pieces of Ash together and trying my best to make it look like one piece. Long story short, I completed the body at his shop and he volunteered some neck wood he had been keeping for years. He said it was quartersawn Maple and he had it wrapped.
It was only when I used his drum sander on the headstock could I see something. I got courious and wiped naptha and only then did we even know.
Quartersawn wood is not pretty since you mostly see end grain, which is suposed to be good for stability. The flame was a nice surprise. I really do not know what is better wood. I will say I buy and keep guitars by neck feel. I think most of us do.
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Sounds like a very good friend. Its nice to have friends with similar interests. Congrats again on the guitar. It is a beauty. :thumbsup:
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Wow! That's some great chrome on those tuners and neck back plate!!!!!!!!
Jim
Well thank you Jim. I know since you had nothing bad to say you actually like it. :m12
Steve Cropper would approve. Steve is from Dora Missouri which is about 110 miles from St Louis, but you did not claim him. The best Bridge tone you will ever hear comes from a Telecaster. Of course, this is just my CORRECT opinion and traditionally only those whose ears have been ruined by the ear splitting bridge in Stratocaster will argue with this statement.
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Finally remembered I finished but forgot to post photos. At least I took some. Here is shielding and making foam cutouts for under the pups.
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Couple more top showing coil tap. Neck pup is a real 54 and the neck bridge is 42wire until 6.2k and is tapped with 38 and completed winding to about 12 dcr. In real terms it simply changes from bite to grind.
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More
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More. I may have finally gotten photos. It really turned out much better than I had hoped.
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Wow! That is a COOL leather chair!!!!!
yer pal,
Jim
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Wow! That is a COOL leather chair!!!!!
yer pal,
Jim
It really is a cool chair, but actually it is a recliner. I can tell you this tho, the guitar sitting in it turned out better than I had expected and even though the neck is attached so well with a more square neck pocket (something Leo realized was wrong with a Strat and fixed it at G&L) I cannot yank on it and move it which is one thing I have come to like about Fender Strats.
Just love to go into Guitar center, strap on a new expensive strat and yank and crank the thing. Crack in the neck pocket on the lower cutaway every-time.
Did you know in 1954 Fender changed to Phillips head screws for Strats and Teles? The Flathead screws were just a bit longer and since a flathead fits correctly it is easy to get tight and since no slippage in the screw to screwdriver, you can actually use a torque wrench. What a wild idea, tighten them to the correct torque.
I prefer bolts, but wanted to stay more like Haggards Telecaster. Say what you want publicly Jimbob, just between us I know you secretly :m12
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I'm not a fan of tele's either but I'd make an exception for that one. Very, very nice!