Introducing: The JoBo One

Well, I'm pleased to introduce you to The JoBo One, which from the start I should point out is NOT a Joe Bonamassa signature guitar. It is an ugly rumour (that I may have started), and it frankly isn't true.

What it is, is an imagining of the guitar I think Joe would play, if he was to play a Jooky, and the imagining I thought about was that it would most probably be during his yet-to-happen Surfing-in-Vegas period. You may say I'm jumping the gun, but I like to be prepared and all good things come to he who waits and well, there we are. It is all only a matter of time anyway.

But to the guitar.

As you can hopefully see The JoBo One is a stunningly cool, pink paisleyified Telemaster, complete with a Beach Boys record hand chopped into the shape of a scratchplate, with a nice alder body from Fusion (you'll have to trust me on that as you can't see that bit) and a maple neck.

The ashtray bridge comes with a cover to flick your ash into (does anybody know if JB smokes, I wonder?) and underpinning it all is one of Marc at Mojos stunningly uber cool Broadcaster pickups, with Ye Olde Worlde Esquire wiring giving three highly useful tones to play with.

The fotos show it with a set of Gretsch knobs, which is kinda your black tie version, but it will also come with a set of knobs made from Craps Dice from the Sands hotel for when you are hitting-the-Strip. They just haven't arrived yet and I got carried away.

And there we are.

As to how it plays, well it has all the twangy surfedness you could hope for, but the grimy dirt of a Tele that we know and lurve. A tankful of reverb and you can spank Dick Dale's booty and tweak Duane Eddy's nose with a plum. Or maybe aplomb. (Are you taking notes Joe?)

Add a touch of the dirty fuzzy stuff and you are instantly transferred to Pixies, Monkey Heaven and from there on in it is sex on a sticky stick. Pure unadulterated, unashamed, filth. And you don't even need to take anybody on a one-way trip into the desert to cover it up afterwards. Cool.

So there we are, I'm happy now.

La la laaaa 

Whole Lotta Wood

Well, what can I say apart from taverymuch to young Simon of Fusion fame, for delivering lots of woody goodness, which I hasten to mention came in the shape of some guitar bodies and blanks, and planks and templates and gord knows what else. Thought I'd better explain that in case you thought he was pushing little blue tablets or something.

From the top then, you can hopefully see a rather delish Strat body, and a flat-Strat type of thing and another of his stunningly cool Telemaster bodies and a lovely chunk of Tele-shaped ash.. All of which should keep me busy for weeks to come and no doubt delay wood-chopping-from-scratch even more, but there we are. At least there is a ton of wood to chop now when I do eventually  get my act together.. Nowhere to sleep, but plentitudal woodyness.

Other than that, only the scratchplate arrived for The Raspberry Ripple One so it is fingers-crissed for the day's post being more complete and that I'll be able to finish and have a guitar to play this weekend. (I have my Jazzymaster, of course, but not a lot else now that I've disemboweled my Gordo. *sigh*)

But walking on the bright side of the road, I have at least got the Raspberry scratchplate, so I can put the pickups in it and get it wired if nothing else, and the rest is handraulically mechanical so I can fit that in easily enough even if it isn't done today. But I hope it will be, as I really want to play this lil SG.

All of which means that I suddenly have lots of woodwork to do, and I can't keep finding excuses.

Yours, trying not to feel too very much daunted

La la, err, laaaa

Writing On The Wall

Well, another day another duffnut and as I'm into my final hours d'freedom I thought I'd see how far I can get with The Raspberry Ripple One. So the plan today, for today and tomorrow (assuming such things as tuners and scratchplates arrive in a timely manner) is to finish this baby.

To this end - I am such a writer honey - I have removed the pickups from my Gordo, which now looks sad and forlorn, but every war has casualties and it will just have to deal with it - and I have put them on a table next to the wiring loom that came from a Gibson SG some time or other.

Sitting on a table, big step towards productivitiness, you have to admit.

Also, I have dug out such niceties as chunky strap pins and bits of bridge and tailpiece (OK, haven't found the tailpiece itself, but I know I have one somewhere), and there we go. Once the 'plate arrives I should be able to solder and bolt and with a bit of luck we might end up with a pretty guitar that makes cool noises and everything.

All good stuff.

If on the other hand nothing arrives as hoped, well, I will immediately leap into Plan B Mode and pretend that I'm a fat old sad white boy rapper who looks like Paul Jewell. Or maybe at least get the soldering out of the way so I can plug everything else together when such opportunities present themselves.

I think we all know what will happen here, to quote a poet of note, the writing is on the wall.

Shelley never came up with lines like that, though maybe Shelley Winters did, I wouldn't know.

As for what I'll do over the next week or so, well woodwork is out, but I have vague hopes that all the various bobbins will arrive so that I can get it on and generally bang a gong with the pink-tastic The JoBo One. I've decided that this will be a proper single pup Esquire and I'm-a-planning on getting another Broadcaster pickup from Mr Mojo as it quite simply was the best Tele-pup I've played so far, and that be good enough for me, tellin-yer.

But that is for another day...just a case of waiting for the postie...

As for today, I'm maybe possibly meeting Simon from Fusion Guitars at a motorway services to relieve him of some bits of wood and guitar bodies (I think anyway), so that is something to look forward to in between watching day time telly in my vest and generally living on scratchcards and Pot Noodles.

La di laaaa di daaah

School Holibobs Doom - Day One

Well, I still haven't got to finish The Blue Moon One. As expected the switch arrived but too late in the day to be utilised. Still, maybe this evening or over the weekend I'll get a chance. I'm starting to feel a bit Blue about it meself.

I've said a couple of times that this may be the last Paisley guitar I do, and that is the plan really. Not that I won't use fabric anymore ever and never, I'm sure I will, but I figure it is quite nice trying other things. I'm liking my rust and corrosion at the moment, and there are so many things to try as far as the gold/variegated leaf goes that it is daft to repeat myself too much. I get bored soooo very easy-like.

The Blue Moon One is gorgeous though, especially with the copper 'plate and lipsticks, and lets face it I'm too indecisive to be certain of anything, but for now this most definitely is it.

As for the summer, well, it is a definite slow down. The Old Burny One is still top of my list, and I think The Moulin Rouge one may get a bit of attention too, if I'm honest. I've also got a hankering for a P90 & humbucker HH Strat, but that should be for the Autumn really. I've also ordered all sorts of bobbins to make a few pedals, and if they ever turn up that would be nice to try again.

Today of course, I get to choose the winner of the wreck, err, lovely piece of guitarhood that is The Beaton One. I really should read the comments, shouldn't I? Maybe come 3pm I will...

It's quite nice doing a guitar you know you aren't going to have to sell. Giving it away is so much more fun. The nice thing is how many previous Jooky owners want another one (or fifth in the case of The Fat Old Man). Or maybe they just think one of them will turn out right if they stick at it long enough. Well, you never know.

I mentioned the other day that I had acquired a WIP Telemaster body from the nascent Fusion Guitars, and I have to say I've been a wee bit excited at the prospect ever since. First of all, it is basically a Telecaster in a wolfish Jazzmaster's clothes, which sounds good to me, and it will 'take' a standard Tele neck, which is even better as I happen to have a nice roseyboarded one hanging around and looking for a home.

As for plans for it, well, I fancy having another go at a rusty finish. I absolutely loved The Rusting Nail One, and I have a few things I want to try in that direction. There is also another wrinkle or three I'd like to add to it, but we'll see.

Other than that, it is, as with the beautiful Lulu One, going to have a somewhat Esquire vibe - a black pickguard at the neck. Whether I go stealthy and pop something special under the hood or not, I'm not sure. Time will tell.

At the bridge it will be all Tele though, I loved the Bare Knuckle Brown Sugar Lulu boasted, so that is an option, though maybe one  of their other ones. Or then again, there are so many to try, who can say where my philandering gaze will alight.

Bridge-wise, it will be old school Fender-esque ashtray and chrome cover, with a bit of compensated twiddliness for the modern gentleman that, well, likes to be vaguely in tune, I guess.

What is intriguing me most, is what a red cedar body will sound like. It is apparently very light and soft - so should Jookify quite nicely over time - but sound wise, well, colour me curiosity-filled. You could say the same about pine, and the Squier Classic Vibe Teles - and Lulu, of course -  sound great - so eternally hopefilled am we.

But I'm having the summer off, so it is academic, innit?

La, La and laaaa

Of Cabronitas and Telemasters

Well, some interesting diversions coming along at the moment..

Firstly, I was really chuffed to see some fotos of a guitar put together from longterm-friend-of-Jooky Andy, the first and only chap to have a signature Jooky Guitar - The Crowley One.

Though his name isn't Crowley,
but that's just how we do things around here.

Anyway, Andy put himself together a lovely Cabronita out of a collection of parts, finished it in Nitro and I have to say I am well impressed.

I can't wait to see the blue stable-mate he is already planning...

* Sigh* I can see what I'm going to be having a go at sometime soon...it looks gorgeous.


Speaking of unplanned plans, I also came across a new Cornish-based luthier called Fusion Guitars, which as it happens is run by a cool chap called Simon who frequents the Music Radar Forums, what like I do.


Anyway, he has got Fusion up and running, and is not going the usual Fender/Gibson clone route of so many others, but instead is doing some interesting stuff around the edges. He is also a dealer for Allparts and TV Jones, which should make life simpler around here. Certainly one to be watched - you can find him on Facebook HERE.

The reason for the mention, is that I noticed he had a Red Cedar Telemaster type of body nearly finished, which for the uninitiated is a Jazzmaster outline with Tele routing/neck etc.

These were initially a kind of urban myth, but a few are popping up from Custom shops, and I have to say I've long fancied one. Anyway, long and short of it is that once it is done, it will be coming this way - and I seriously can't wait.

So much for a summer off, eh?

As for other things, the competition for The Beaton One seems to be getting some interest still, which is nice...

La la la