Teardrops, Teardrops, & Not a Pint to Drink

Pearl, ready for the road

Well, today has been designated 'painting day', though unfortunately it involves skirting boards and radiators and strict instructions not to throw acid at them once I've finished. Which does take the fun out of it somewhat.

So in between such joy, I gave The Pearly Dewdrop One a final twang, changed the old Hofner knobs for some aged Tele ones as they look and work better, packed it snuggle and am waiting for it to go away to it's new home.

I'd originally set it up with 11s and a medium action, but Ed who is having it prefers 10s and something lower, which is fair enough.

Frou Frou Feeling The Bronze

All of which set me off on The Frou Frou Fox One, and as you can hopefully see, I've stained back and sides a nice warm mahogany tone, given them a nice hard waxing, and have now moved on to the front which has been coated liberally with bronze enriched paint.

From there, there will be another coat of that, some blue-inspiring acid work, other chemical bobbins to make it stable and safe, some hard wax, some acrylic paint to taste and more hardwax oil to finish it off.

Once that is done, it may well be Wednesday, but I'll be happy and we all need a little something tucked away to look forward to on a Wednesday.

In other news, I've gathered (or they are coming anyway) all the bits for my golden Jazzmaster, The Seaside One, which I'm hoping will help me avoid Xmas TV over the next week or so. Well, a boy can dream.

Anyway...back to the skirting.

La la laaaa

Introducing: The Pearly Dewdrop One

Well, still a few niggles to sort out - namely a rear cavity cover, a missing strap pin and a new pot, but after such a long wait I'm thinking this is close enough for an introduction.

So I am pleased to introduce to you, the muchly heralded, longer-than-long awaited, The Pearly Dewdrop One, my first dip into the gentle lapping tide of Teardropness.

As you may recall, this was prompted by the fact that I've long wanted a Vox Teardrop guitar, but never found one that didn't sound complete pants, so instead what we have here is a mixture of two of my favourites - a Vox teardrop crossed with a Les Paul junior.

With a, err, Strat neck.


I know, dogs and cats.

So from the top it is an exclusively made body in a Teardrop shape, created by Jezz at Woodroffe guitars. Semi acoustic, naturally.

From there I got a Ye olde CBS Strat type of neck, maple and rosewood.

The wraparound bridge is Faber, the glorious P90 dogear was wound specially by Marc Ransley at Mojo Pickups, and the boy also did the wiring along with the handcrafted PIO Red Tiger cap.

As for the finish, well the back has been stained and waxed, while the top has got a Jooky corroded bronze and copper finish which is simply divine, sweetie.




But how does it play. Well, after god knows how much messing about the action is quite low. I've put 11s on it to get some tension, but you would never know it as you fly around the neck.

Soundswise, well I've talked ad-vom about how good Marc's pickups are, but the P90 combined with a semi acousticalified body makes for a stunning range of tonal tones. No problem at all with all those Epiphone Casino sounds, but with a little bit of grit in the mix it is just smile inducing. so you skip from Britpop and Johnny Marr to dirty filthy garage rock with a twiddle of a knob. Blues it absolutely nails and to be honest it is everything I hoped it would be. Sex on a sticky stick.

Obviously, it may take me a while to get around to fixing the pot and putting a strap pin on, so don't expect to see it for sale for a while yet....

La la laaaa

Two Strings On My Jooky

Well, it seems I still have some work to do in getting The Pearly Dewdrop One fettled. There are a couple of strings on now and the alignment is right, and even in it's unfinished state it sounds and feels stunning. Light as a feathery thing too, which is good, unless it's a buzzard or Slerk or something.

Today and some of tomorrow are probably going to prove to be my last real chance so I need to get my finger out and get a shift on with it, if I'm going to be playing Band Aid this Xmas. I wear one every Xmas, of course, and most of the rest of the year too. But strumming, well, it's kinda different. Two strings on my Jooky just seems never enough.

All of which has made me all the keener to get The Frou Frou Fox One started. I'm going for a clunky big tailpiece on this one in the end, because I can, and have a nice old Gibson P90 Dogear from a Junior for the noisnikking so all in all it should be pretty cool. I just want to get Pearl done first - learn the lessons and all that.

But the Frou Frau, I've gone around the houses a bit on that one in terms of what the finish will be, but I'm coming to the conclusion that maybe acrylic paint and corroded copper together could be fun. Only on the top mind, the back is going to be stained, as with Pearl.

I am also vaguely hoping that my errant tremolo will arrive for The Floored Genius One, though I have also ordered one locally (the other is coming from the US of A) which will hit the spot too. I need them here tomorrow at the latest either way, and I can't say hope is springing even momentarily. Everything else is done though with that baby, so it is just down to the thumbing of the twiddles and all that.

I have to say, I am already planning the next Jazzmaster as I want to do one in gold leaf (after seeing the new re-issues in Shoreline Gold), but I really can't add to the to-do list for a while, so I'll say no more. Until tomorrow, I expect.

sLa la laaaa

Like Falling Off A Barrel

Well, nothing doing as far as Jookification goes today - real life, don't you just hate it? Always getting in the way.

However, I did grab the odd moment d'Jook over the weekend and am pleased to report that I avoided casualty (only minor thumb slicing) and chopped a lovely pickguard for The Old No.7 One out of a metal Jack Daniels sign. And jolly cool it looks too.

I'm waiting for the punch I ordered to arrive so I can, well, punch some holes in it to put the screws thru, but that should be here tomorrow and there we be.

Other than that, The Pearly Dewdrop One is all back together and just needs a chunk of time or so to put strings on and give it a proper set-up and all that.

Hopefully tomorrow we should be twanging then.

Must try and remember some Joy Division, that'll cheer me up.

It's odd I've waited decades for a Teardrop and now that it is practically here all I seem to want to do is play my Jazzmaster. Maybe it's a guilt thing, odd whicheverwhat it actually is though. Indeed.

As for everything else, well, nothing doing, so not worth worrying about.

I am sooo verily zen.

La la laaaa

Friday, I'm frustrated

Well, I never quite finished the Pearly Dewdrop One, but hopefully I'll sneak the odd half 'n' hour over the weekend and get some strings on the old girl. Must admit I'm a teensy wee bit lots bugged about it, but such is life. You get days like these.

As for The Old No.7 One, well that now has a solderified pickup and beautifully proportioned wiring loom a la Mojo and is as far as I can get until the metal sign for the pickguard arrives, oh and the neck.

It's come a long way in a week and is looking ancient up close, so I'm pretty chuffed with it. Tis all good.

Oh, the trad knobs will change, but I put these aged ones on anyway for appearances sake.

I'm good/sad like that.

But, anyway...

La la laaaa

WIP: The Pearly Dewdrop One

Well, as time-is-a-movin' and I will soon again be infested with festive Bratskis, I thought I'd better get on and finish something. So today is officially The Pearly Dewdrop Day, as that is as close as I can get right now.

From the top then, first thing to do was drill a couple o holes to drop the new bridge in. Nice bobbins this Faber stuff, and handily it is tarnished nickel which matches the cover of the Mojo Dogear P90. I wish I could say that it was planned.

Now I try to do all drilling on guitars handraulically, but for some reason it wasn't happening, so I used a leccy drill instead. That worked a lot quicker, though I was a teensy bit perturbed by the smoke pouring out of one of the holes. Think my finger jammed on the trigger. Luckily it was before I'd got as far in as I needed to, so it was self-healing, as it were.

Anyway, the bridge is on, and I just need to rejig the neck slightly and it will get some strings. Can't wait. It seems ages since we've had an 'Introducing...' moment around here.

One thing that will need a tweak is that I need to replace one of the pots as the shaft isn't quite long enough. Duff measuring on my part, but it works - held on by the fancy old Hofner knob - but not ideal as t works, but wobbles.

As for other things, I'm pretty much as far as I can get with most bobbins now, though when the (forgotten) control plate arrives I'm going to install the pickup/controls on The Old No.7 One, as well as things like strap pins and something-else-that-escapes-me-now. Oh, ferrules. the new strap pin is your ferrule. Easily disregarded.

La la laaaaa

Teardrops Looming

Well, not a lot to do but ponder and obsess at the moment - the 'Might Do' list is looking pretty and long, pretty ugly that is, so I guess when I return to reality I had better get a kick on.

I think I said that I had had an about turn on the bridge for The Pearly Dewdrop One as I had (emb.) not quite thought thru the cut down Tele one.

Anyway, that meant that I was back to whatever the one before Plan A was, and a wraparound bridge - which let's face it, goes well with the Junior aspect of it all.

It will be the same on The Frou Frou Fox One too now, but for Pearl I seem to have acquired a really nice aged Faber one with appropriate stud and bushes and all the other bits who's name confuse me. These are coming from Hugh of ShugzLoomz fame, who is a top fella and all around nice guy.

More on ShugzLoomz soon, as they are in the process of getting a web site together, but you can see some examples of what the man does Here. And if you are after top notch wiring looms for the Les Paul or Semi or, well, whatever guitar you happen to have in your life, it is amazing how much difference good parts and groovy caps make.

But, back to scribbling on the drawing board

La la laaa

WIP: The Pearly Dewdrop One

Well, there is still a bit to do - mainly bolting the neck on and wiring it up - but I'm really rather pleased with The Pearly Dewdrop One as it stands.

The corroded bronze with copper sprinkled top is beautiful, fotos don't catch the depth too well, so trust me on that, and I went for a nice braided binding complete with bronze topped upholstery pins around the outside.

OK, I can see that not exactly being many people's idea of a good time, but I love it.

Other than that there is not a lot to be said about it, I guess.

Elsewhere in Jookyland I heralded the arrival of the lovely swamp ash body for The Floored Genius One, and immediately set at it with some stain I'd mixed up, which is a warmer dark oak or maybe a darker light walnut, or well, something.

Sort of greeny brown in truth.

As for The Marvel Us One, I really can't face it today.

La la laaa

Of Super Heroes and Pearlie Tears

Well, yesterday was all a bit frustrating - and I am remembering now why it was I didn't do more comic laden guitars after The Beano One, mainly because it is a complete pain in the bumski.

But we shall overcome, and top and bottom is more or less done, with the tricky edges the job for the morning - so The Marvel Us One might live after all.

I did remember to take the time to fill the pickup cavities with pretty pictures so that they will provide a suitable backdrop to Mr Mojo's lovely loom, all to be seen thru a transparent scratchplate. So that should be good. As for the rest, I need to find the lippy pickups, and the only other thing I need is a trem, with one of Mr Wilkinson's excellent chunky steel blocked jobby the most likely offender.

And stupidly, I'm wondering whether a righty trem will fit into the lefty body or not. I should know the answer to that, but it is beyond me right now. I'll have to remember to check before I sort it out.

As for other stuff, I'm hoping I'll get Pearly's body sorted today, which would be rather nice indeed, as the lass is looking rather cool so far, and a teensy bit more attention could see her blossom like a farm.

La la laaaa

Confused Tears

Blue Tears On A Bronze Pillow
Maybe

Well, bit of a lazy day today, but I got some stuff done, which is always good - to finish the week off, and all that jazz.

Firstly, I stained The Pearly Dewdrop One and got that dried, before bronzing the top and then going for a blueish corrosion with added copperfied sprinkles. And very nice it looks too.

That will settle down over the weekend and I can hopefully finish the finish early next week.

From there it's not too bad, as I have pretty much everything, though I'm thinking that I may change my mind slightly on the bridge, and go for a cut down 'shorty' Telecaster one.

Why this change of heart?

Well, as I mentioned I got the Confused One back with a few issues, which proved easily solved, but while I was at it I replaced the Stratish bridge with a Shorty and very nice it is too.

Confused, Yet Extra Twangeee

It certainly has a bit more zing and not a little zong without any of that there worrisome zeng 

Can't be doing with zeng.

All in all, I'm quietly liking it, and was wondering if one of those wouldn't just be the thing for Pearly too.

Not that I have another, but that is simply sortable as well.

In fact where Pearl goes, there is one more presentational delight to come, but that can wait a while yet.



So there we are, another week without masses of progress, but I'm hoping Pearly will be playable by this time next week. It's taken years, but I have the horrible feeling that this might really be it.

La la laaa

Pearly Dewdropped Freckles

Well, after a bit of woodwork yesterday - sanding, routing, drilling - I almost felt like I knew what I was doing at one point - I thought I'd do a bit more on The Pearly Dewdrop one this morning.

And naturally enough, all feelings of competence disappeared quick smart when the wood stain I was holding in a yogurt pot (as I do) decided to escape, the bottom of the pot obligingly gave way and I now look like my hands and arms have been on a good holiday without me.

Oh, and I have freckles for the first time in my life, and they don't seem to want to wash off.

On the plus side, the dark oak stain suits Pearly better than it does me, and hopefully I'll be moving on when that dries and giving myself a hard waxing, or maybe throwing acid in my face to see if that removes the freckly bits, or just my skin.

Sometimes, it is harder than it should be.

La la laaaa

Teardrops, In My Eyes

Well, a bit of a red letter day here in Jookyland, as my lovely two Teardrop bodies arrived this morning, fresh from Jezz at Woodroffe Guitars, who are making these and hopefully a couple of other fancy pant thingies exclusively for us purveyors of Jookiness, and rather lovely they are too.

I'll dig out all the parts and start on the wood working stuff later on this week, but I have a bit of a spring in my step and can't wait to get The Pearly Dewdrop and Frou Frou Fox Ones fettled and strummable.

I know I've said, mentioned and reiterated once or thrice before, but I've wanted a teardrop for decades, but never found one that I liked to play, but these will both have big headed Strat necks, P90 Dogears and Mojo Pickups' looms, so they are going to be proper pukka.

Glory me, and colour me beatified.

Other than that, well, there is no other than that, I can't be caring less today, to be quite honest.

La la laaaa

A Pearler of a Day

Well, a weekend in Devon, avoiding the snow at home and flying kites on the beach was good, but back to reality and home alone in Jookyland. Such is life.

It has been a slow start, but I was amazed by Fed-Ex who I used to send The Fallen One to Matt in Australia on Thursday and he was strumming it by yesterday. So how come it takes a month to get a guitar to Cardiff from Bristol then? I ask you. *sniff*

In other news, I can't leave The Chi Chi One alone, so I have had to put it up for sale to save me from temptation' meaty claws, and young Marc at Mojo Pickups tells me he has sent my super hot Broadcaster pickup and Esquire wiring loom, so that might mean The Bergasol One gets fettled this week too. Good stuff.

Other than those, I had a couple of fotos of the body of The Pearly Dewdrop One arrive earlier on from Jezz, and I hope you agree it looks rather neato. (Does it show I have been in holiday-camp-hell for a weekend?)

So can't wait to get my hands on that - already have a neck, a pickups and am just missing a few other bits which I forget right now.

So there we are, back to life, back to abstractionalrealismish.

La la laaaa

Pearly Dewdrops Drip

Well, The Pearly Dewdrop One has had more incarnations that an Eastern Love God, but I'm finally admitting to myself that I need a lot more praccy on the chopping front, and so I've gone for Plan Z in an effort to finally make a Jooktastic Teardrop of my very ownsome.

A while back I was excited about the Coronado body I had (via Marc at Mojo Pickups) from a chap called Jezz of Woodroffee Guitars. Anyway, he had a break but is now back and is making me a rather lovely Teardrop body for Pearly. I'm really excited about this and I can see there being a few more as we go ahead, but keeping my feet on the terra muddy, I'm going to focus.

So when it comes it will be a nice semi acoustic (solid centre block) and ready to drop in the Mojo Pickups P90 Dogear I already have had from Marc, and the loom I don't think I've got and probably need to ask him about. (Ahem).

Other than that it is going to be a hardtail, Strat neck, and have a quite wonderful finish that I haven't quite remembered yet. Whatever it is, it will definitely be good, of that I'm sure.

The foto is the mock-up Jezz sent me thru, btw. Can't wait.

La la laaaa

CH-Ch-Ch-Chopping Dew

Apologies to viewers experiencing this foto in hippylovevision

Well, as I seem to have finally caught up on everything I can catch myself up with, today is destined to be chop-a-piece-of-wood day, as I am going to get my act together with The Pearly Dewdrop One.

As this has had a variety of speculative specifications over the months of dilly and dare I say dally, it is probably best to re-iterate..

It is starting as a nice chunk of alder, though it may well end up as either a chunk of ash or korina, depending on how many goes it takes me to get it right.

It will be of a similar shape to the classic and classy Brian Jones famed Vox Teardrop.

It will have a nice big headed Strat neck, maple/rosewood.

It will have a single P90 Dogear pickup and groovy wiring loom courtesy of Mr Mojo.

The body will be bronzed and acid drizzled to taste.

I shall probably find an old Rolling Stones record and make a little scratchplate out of it, for old langs syne.

And it is as simple as that.

Oh, it will no doubt be liberally doused with a pint or two of my AB rhesus monkey negative.

Today is the day, more than all the other days I thought would be the day but weren't.

Other than that, The Tickled Pink One has now gone on to Cardiff for a few days, which is cool. It feels like we're getting somewhere now..

Tidy.

La la laaaa

What Be In That There Box Thens?

Well, I love waking up to the annoying tap of herpes at the door, but when they deliver shinynew stuff, I'll forgive most things.

Today they were especially welcome as they were delivering tidings of comfort and joy from Halifax, in the shape of Mojo goodliness.

So what have we got?

Firstly there are a 'Bucker-sized P90 and PAF, that will be going into The Chi Chi One. Can't wait to hear them and the only surprise is that I haven't tried either of them before. Most odd.

To go with these is of course a goodly smart wiring loom, SG style with a pair of Mojo's Grey Tigers looking classy.

Other things, as if that were not enough, well there is a lovely dogear P90 and matching loom for The Pearly Dewdrop One which I have tried before, so I know that will sound stunningly cool.

So today, I need a bit of tweak time with The Confused One as the string tree exploded last night and (literally) hit me 'tween the eyes. Not bad from ten yards. So that is top of the shop.

Assuming I get that done, I think it is time to chop some wood. I've not got parts to complete anything else,so...

Lovely.

La la laaaa

Look At The Caps On That 'Un

Mojo Grey Tigers - Coolest

Well, today saw us wandering around the village with The Tickled Pink One, which you can read about elsewhere. Or look at the fotos at least.

Of more interest were some cool fotos Mr Marcy Mojo sent thru of the pickups and wiring looms for The Pearly Dewdrop One - which yes, I will have to make now - and The Chi Chi One.

And stunning that P90 looks for the 'Drop, and absolutely gorgeously Chi Chi indeed are the PAF and P90 too.
But the thing that caught my eye was the new Mojo Grey Tiger caps, which are glorious.

Now I'm no great expert on such things, but I believe the Grey Tigers were one of the original Gibson specced capacitors and a bit of a holy grail for many.

Like the Bumble Bees but cooler. So that fact that Marc is making these uber authentic ones is well cool. Can't wait to hear them in action.

 

He also did Shugz - the man for the vintage loom - some "Shugz" branded caps recently and from what I know of the chap, he is picky picky picky, so his recommendation would convince me anyway.

But there we are - top fella is Marc Ransley, clever too.

La la laa

Tears Dripping On The Horizon

Well, this sick-kid thing seems likely to be going on for a while, so the new router is going to have to stay in it's placcy case for a while yet, which is a shame as the plans I have.

*sigh*

I'm all enthused about The Pearly Dewdrop One again, for a start. This has always been going to be my Vox Teardrop tribute, with the right shape body, but a single P90 at the bridge and a CBSish big headed Strat neck.

I've said before that I've always loved the look of the Teardrop, but never played one that sounded (to me) very good, so it makes sense, as far as anything I do does.

So far due to a lots of reasons, it remains a dream. But maybe not for too long mucher.

Still tis better to think about what I can do, and with a bit of luck my parts bonanza will start to explode locally today and I can start pulling The Tickled Pink One together again.

Incidentally, thanks to Liam for the donation to the cause. it is all building up quite nicely methinks.

Until then though, I'm tweaking the finishes of both The TV Dinner and Confused Ones, doing some fret shining on The Fallen One and generally tarting around in between providing doses of Calprofen and tip tops.

Oh a Mother's work, tis never truly ever really finito'd

La la laaaaa

Better-er Days...

Well, it's all a little upsy-downsy in the Jooky Kingdom right now. The Glory B One got finished and is delish with a capital dish.

All my guitars are on the block as I am too indecisive to decide which one should go, and,,,

I still haven't got to grips with the woodwork.

Nice summary.

This week then, I am planning to get Fabulous (sick brats permitting), though there might be a touch of a small change in spec as something special from Mojoland might be landing in my lap. Something a bit different to the P90 I was planning on using. So we'll have to see.

I am also planning to bite the full metal jacket and get on with The Pearly Dewdrop One and at least chop some of the wood. I have a few different 'blanks' to play with now, so I'm working with Annette, as it were. (Nice lass but no head for heights.)

But despite that, I think starting is the key, and at least I'll know how likely it is that I will ever finish.

Moving forward then, I've been having a think and The Fabulous and Pearly Dewdrop Ones will take a while, so I'm going to do a Tele, just to keep my hand in like.

It will be pink paisley topped and probably an Esquire as I keep promising myself I'll make one and then get sidetracked by other bobbins.

Unless it isn't and I use the walnut veneer which I also keep saying I'll do. I haven't got any of the parts of course but then that's half the fun methinks.

I'm trying to avoid big-massive-long lists again as I just get confused, you might have noticed.

La la laa

A Marauding Kinda Day, I Feel

Well, today is all about The Ronin One, bless it's little Marauding socks of time-tinged cotton.

I won't go over the-story-so-far, but suffice to say that all we are in need of is some wire between the two 1978 vintage Gibson pickups, some twirly pot things, a blend pot and a jack socket. Then it will be a guitar. Simple, innit.

It isn't The Ronin One that I've been thinking about though, instead it is The Pearly Dewdrop One, which is the name I'm giving to my first Jookily Carved guitar. I know, I've been putting it off for years, but we're here now.

This is going to be a Vox teardrop shaped body, with a Strat neck and probably a waxed rust finish or maybe a bronze top. I'm not sure yet.

Either way it will boast a Bare Knuckle P90 at the neck and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbucker at the bridge. Controls will be Tele-like  and I'm going to go for some sort of fixed bridge, haven't quite decided what yet.

As for doing it, well I'm assuming that there will be a swarm of dead trees along the way, but it basically needs me to rout the neck, pickup and control hole-things. Once they are OK (I hear you laugh), I'll cut the teardroppy outline out.

All of which will go simply and straightforwardly and cause no pain at all.

We know that from past experience.

I gave it a name in the end so that I'd keep going on it, but I wouldn't expect to see this in the very nearest of futures. But that's the plan...for what it is worthy of.

But not today. That is soldering and then de-bugging and hopefully a bit of noisy strumification on The Ronin One.

I feel very grown-up, finishing things before I start something new. Only The Ronin, Kooky and Fabulous Ones to do then before I can legitimately start chopping the wood.

Possibly.

La la laaa