Preparing for take-off...

Not a great foto, but a lovely piece of wood, methinks

We've been having a fun old time trying to find a Jaguar body for our latest Katy's Killer Custom guitar, the J-Bird One, and it is starting to remind me why we seem to do so many Strats - it is a lot easier to find the parts.

Anyway, we've got a couple of options, with one of them being an old custom made guitar being broken up by a friend-of-a-friend. Actually, there are two guitars being broken up, and two bodies, if I'm being specific.

These aren't exactly the right shape and I'm not sure that we'll use them for the J-Bird but I've decided to grab them either way, as they look a bit fun and as I said, such things are hard to find without importing them from the U.S of A and paying the tax man far too much for the privilege..

Andy is yet to see them (actually so am I), but either way I think it is about time we ventured into offset territory again anyway, and this is a chance too good to miss. It's been a long time since The Psychedelic Surf One - which is with James Sant still, of course - and features on a lovely new recording of his. I keep forgetting to mention that; I'll put a link up later.

But anyway, where was I? Yes - so whether Andy goes with one of them or not, the other is going to be for me and it will turn out to be a bit of a one, I think. It is practically begging for a single P90 soapbar, let's face it, and as I've already got a neck or three lay around that will fit (hopefully) it could be an easy put together.

(I always think that and it never is.)

We'll see when they arrive anyway...

Later that night, in the Jooky Kingdom...

I fell over taking this 'shot'

OK, the guitar bodies turned up before I had a chance/got around/stopped eating/could be bothered to post this on the blog. And they are really very nice. lovely sparkly finishes, Blue and a sort of old Red colour. They've been left with three single coils in them and a bridge, so I figured I should really bang a neck on one of them and see what they are sounding like.

First impressions, the body is heavier than I expected. Not anything Gibson-esque, but a good Strat weight. Actually, it is similar to my Jazzmaster, which I guess I should have expected.

Nice offset shape, so it is comfy from the off - slightly thinner than a Jag or Jazzmaster, but it feels fine. Verily nice in fact.

Strumming it acoustically, well it totally sings. I'm really surprised. The bodies are swamp ash, and the sound unplugged is nice and vibrant with a good sustain.

Plugged in, well three single coils, a five way switch and Fender American Strat pups, it was only going to sound like a Strat wasn't it. Very nice tones, good and responsive, bit of a twang, all the right in-betweeny noises and I love it when a guitar starts to break up more the harder you 'pick'. Bit of overdrive and everything is sweet, and then all out mayhem ensues without any unwanted feedback. I think the middle pickup must be reversed too as the 2 & 4 positions are quieter still.

All in all, very nice. the bridge is a crock of something smelly, but I am guessing it wasn't the original as everything else has been sold.

Sooo, a bit of a treat to find this and now that it is at my tender mercies...lovely.

Does it get me further forward with the J-Bird,
I'm thinking possibly maybe - tis upto Andy.

Will I get to make a bit of a jingly guitar or two in my favourite shape of all, oh yes.