Nearly, Nearly...The Moulin Rouge One

The Moulin Rouge One
Before The Storm

Well, jumping around like a skittish flea, I know, but I thought I'd do my bit as far as The Moulin Rouge One goes yesterday, as it was looking a bit forlorn and left out, over there in the corner, bless it.

I'd almost forgotten how far I'd got with this one, so it was quite a short list in the end...

Firstly up, I reamed the holes a bit and fitted the Wilkinson EZ Lock tuners. That was a good start.

Secondly, I wired the pickups up, which are making a nicely satisfying thumping noise when I attack them with a wrench. I even got the jack wires the right way around, which is handy.

Thirdly, I noticed that the neck screws were protruding somewhat, and then remembered that I had forgotten to remind myself that I needed to drill the holes a bit deeper like.

So that I did with a hand tool thingie. I keep meaning to buy a handraulic drill as leccy ones scare me, but until I do I use a really really pre-industrial revolutionary solution.

A drill bit with a plastic handle on it.
I've got the blisters to prove it.

Anyway, holes drilled,
screws screwed.
Screws unscrewed.
Holes drilled a bit more deeper-like.
Screws screwed all the way in.
Job jobbed.

After that, I gave it another belt with the wrench and that the pickups were still picking up.

Checked that the wiring was still wired.

Did the wrench thing again after screwing it all back together...all seemed well, so I put some strings on it.

Tuned it up.

Played with the action a wee bit.

Plugged it in.

Hit my famously favourite Em chord, and...

...total silence.

Jiggled the wire, tapped the pickups with the wrench again.

Still silence.

Went and had a cuppa.

Tried it again.

Full laughing-in-your-stupid-fat-face Silence.

Missed smoking.

Got a new guitar lead

Tried it again

Nada

Simmered and stewed,
which isn't the easiest trick to pull-off.

Thought about it all logically.

Switched the amp on.

Hit my famously favourite Em...

and it sounds gorgeous.

ThankChristForThat

Sooooo...I've still got a few bits 'n' bobs to sort out, which I'll do later on - not least that the switch is scratchy which is a tad annoying, so I'll replace that. I can't be bothered to try and work out why or how another new switch has ended-up knackered.

I'm also going to have a go at the nut as with 10s it is sticking on the low E - story of my week that one.

But generally, the PRS P90 sound raw and beautiful - I do like those pickups - and the Bare Knuckle Holy Diver is rather cool indeedy.

Photos once I get everything sorted methinks...plus when I find the camera.
Have a fine weekend...

WIP:The Old Burny and Grecian 201 Ones

The Old Burny One
24 karat Gold Topped...
Shiny

Well, as I said, yesterday was quite a productive day, in between jumping around to the sounds of Sussex as I explored the Fat Old Man's site all over again.

I was obviously most pleased to get The Tripadelic One sorted out, though felt a wee bit dumb when I got to the bottom of the problem - but such is life. I'm just glad it worked out and sounds sooo very nice...

The Old Burny One though, is a real treat already. I've been plotting this guitar for so long I've lost track, but the 24 karat gold is now on, and I've used an ageing varnish to give it a bit more depth.

The colour looks richer than a 'normal' gold top - which are bronze paint, oddly - and I wanted it to look a different shade than The Golden Shower One's.

I'm going to give it a few coats of nitro lacquer now, but that will be next week - the ageing varnish needs a while to cure apparently.

Unfortunate attempt at a Gibson Logo
Better get rid of that quicksmart

I've got a bit of a dilemma on the headstock front, as it has those nice split Gibson things, which I'm tempted to keep. In fact it has a battered fake Gibson logo on there which I need to remove.

Decisions, but nice ones for once. I have just realised that the pickup surrounds and other bits of plastic I'd been keeping for this got used elsewhere in the end, so I'm not quite as ready to go as I thought, but there we are, they aren't exactly difficult to find.

The nice thing of course is that it should go together quite quickly as I have the Shugz '50s wiring harness, and the pickups ready to go. I must say, I've always fancied a Burny, and an '80s one with Jooky appointments is just about perfect.

Can I keep two Jookies for myself?

Nah, one was breaking my 'rules' so either this or The Golden Shower One will have to go, and as is my way, I'll keep the one I like least. Seems fairer and more honest that way.

The Grecian 201 One
Bronze and Copper, like a statue
minus the 'gulls

As for The Grecian 201 One, I'm waiting for the lefty neck, tuners and bridge for that, but the body is finished and so too is the scratchplate which looks amazing.

I've gone for a 'thin skin' approach to the lacquering on both, as I really want the finishes to wear easily.

It is that kinda look.

The aged bronze looks brilliant, really dark and moody and the verdigris is quite stunning in 3D.

Cracking behind, Grommit

 The front is different to the back, but then it should be. It is meant to be randomly chaotic with a sprinkling of pollution thrown on for good measure.

I resisted the urge to leave it somewhere for the 'gulls and pigeons to dive bomb.

You can go too far in the search for authenticness sometimes.

A poodle and a tip.

Fat Old Men Doing It Loud

The Fat Old Man took
The Futuristic One
to Glasgow

Well, bit of a busy day..

I've finished the front of The Grecian 201 One, and copperified the scratchplate.

The Old Burny One now has a gold top that just needs to be burnished and then lacquered a few times.

The Tripadelic One taught me a valuable lesson - no matter how many times you rewire a Sophie's Filthy Fuzz, it still won't sound good until you put the jack connections the right way around.

Sounds lovely now, can't stop playing Kinks songs. Though I'm not sure the missus will be pleased to hear the kids singing 'I've got a big fat momma...' when she gets in *gulp*.

Fotos and more about all of these later, but I really wanted to point you at some groovy fotos and a wicked track by The Fat Old Man - who looks thinner and younger than me, but there we are. I won't dwell.

The song is punktastically excellent and features The Futuristic One, and is called 'A Million People'. FoM's site also has all manner of fotos of other guitars, as well as what is fast becoming the official Jooky museum - he has four of the things. You really should check out some of the music on there, but that is worthy of another day to itself.

Anyway, no point wasting your time here - look, go, see.

Fat Old Man's site is HERE

More fotos HERE

Download Middle Age Psychos 'A Million People' HERE

It is official
I need more guitars... Cool.

He also has
a Hutchins' Rangemaster
I'm in love
Actually I'm starting to hate the fella
I had better stop now.

The End.

Sold: The Tripadelic One

The Tripadelic One is a classic Jooky design and pays homage to the ‘90s bigging-up of the Beatles nod to the ‘60s West Coast hippiness of free love and lickable postage stamps.

It has a single pickup, a quite gorgeous Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday humbucker, and an in-built NOS Germanium-based Sophie’s Filthy Boots Fuzz. The body and scratchplate finishes are protected by first coats of poly and then nitro lacquers.

The guitar is of course based on a pimped-up Fender Stratocaster that we all know and free love. Tuners and bridge are both takes on traditional parts and work perfectly, with the locking tuners proving to be rock solid. It should be played very, very loudly.

All in all, it is a unique looking and sounding guitar. Verily groovy indeed.

*

To be clear, The Tripadelic One is an utterly unique guitar, and there will never, ever, be another made. It is signed and numbered, entirely hand built and finished cooler than a pleasant night checking your shoes. There will genuinely never be another guitar like this and past experience suggests that it won’t be around for long.

The Tripadelic One comes with a Tweedy Hardcase, and will be delivered to your door for a quite stunning £399.  SORRY IT HAS NOW BEEN SOLD


Technical Stuff:

Type: Leona’s Groovy Guitar, Sophie’s Filthy Boots Fuzz

Electrics: Bare Knuckle ‘Stormy Monday’ Pickup. Sophie’s Filthy Boots Fuzz

Guitar Type: Fender Stratocaster

Construction: Alder body, Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, Fabric covering.

Strings: Nickel 10s

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: Single Volume, Fuzz Knob

Special Stuff: Certificate of Authenticity, Builder Signed and Numbered, All Wrapped with our Trademark Jooky Wrapping.

Serial Number: JGE#36

RSP: £499

Chicken Headed Fuzz...Nice

Getting Going: The Grecian 201 One

Well, I got nowhere on The Old Burny One, as is traditional, but I did at least get a wriggle on as far as The Grecian 201 One goes. Or so it seems.

I'm just working on the back for now, but I started by painting it with an 'Active Bronze' paint, which basically means it has real bronze in a suspension that will react and tarnish - which is of course the point.


I gave this three coats and I have to say it looks really rich - very impressive.





 
Once that was dry, I started attacking it with a selection of my favourite chemicals, which gave it some serious blue and green patina bobbins.

Again, it looked stunning and once it had properly dried it was lacquered.









All of which went as expected until the second coat of lacquer dried and the surface of the most deeply patinated (?) sections started to split like a lizard shedding it's skin.

Which looks fantastic if I can come up with a way of protecting it like that, but is a complete nightmare if I can't.

All plans of doing the other side tomorrow before a final lacquering - being splashed all over - are out the window...
 

Hmmm... It was going so well. I just can't make my mind up whether it is something brilliant and a chaotic gift,  or instead that it is a total disaster and I've wasted the day....

Anyway, I've gone for bust and given it a coat of an acrylic lacquer.

If that works I'll be dragged-up like a good 'un.

Or at least made-up.







Never simple, this Jookiness.

Coming Home

Maybe this time...
Maybe...

Well, I tried. I can say that at least. Many people wouldn't have, but I did. I gave it a go, but as I think I always knew in moments of self-awareness, it was hopeless really. So now it is official - there is no way in the world I can solder guitars with kids around. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that they'd grab the iron or breathe in toxic fumes or cause mayhem. It is the noise, I can't hear myself begin to plan to think.

So soldering will have to be late at night, as I should have realised already, but there we are. Tonight could be solder night then. I might finally get The Tripadelic One sorted. And maybe even The Moulin Rouge One too, if I'm awake long enough.

Today then, I'm planning on something a bit different. Two things in fact...

First up is the Tolstoy-esque-very-long-story-where-not-a-lot-happens that is The Old Burny One.
I think I said before that I had previously gilded the top, but then didn't like my handiwork and so I stripped it back again. Well, today I'm going to have another go at gilding it. I've got some very very verily gossamer thin 24 karat gold, which floats on any passing breeze to use, which should be 'fun', but hopefully worth it in the end. So girdle loined and all that.

Secondly, I've decided that the telemaster is going to be rusted after all, but will be a different shade to those that have gone before. So today I'm going to have a go at using some bronze saturated paint on a Strat body I've got going-and-a-begging, and then attempting two kinds of patina on it, which is a challenge but looked good on the training pitch.

This is quite exciting.

Honest.

Well, it is if you are me.

Jangly Cool Tones
Coming back to Papa Jook

This - The Grecian 201 One - is going to have the ultimate in Jooky pickups, as I've just bought back the Retrotron Hot Liverpool, and Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick pickups that originally appeared nailed to The OCD One, from Geoff, who had tried and preferred a more standard three single coil arrangement. Which is cool, I've always liked the idea of people modding the Jooky guitars, so this seems right somehow. What I haven't got is a neck, so I'm on the scramble for that at the moment. I fancy a left-handed one for this, but we'll see.




So that's the plan... Fotos to follow later if I actually really do anything other than talk a good game.

NGD: Putting Lippy on an Oinker

Well, I had a nice surprise at the end of last week, one of those new-guitar-to-play-with nice surprises.

For the regular reader with a long memory, or even the irregular reader with immaculate timing, you may remember back in January (or was it December?? I forget) I picked up a rather sad and bedraggled and it has to be said filthy and nicostinking guitar, built in the style of those played by the Extreme guitar chap,

Nuno Betonsomething.

Anyway, it had an oil finished luthier made body, a Warmoth neck (very expensivo American guitar parts maker if the name is new to you), a Floyd Rose tremthing, a DiMarzio Double Whammy at the bridge, and a Kent Armstrong PAF at the neck.

Well, I didn't have any real plan in mind for it other than fumigation, but as I am clueless when it comes to Floyd Roses and locking nuts, and it needed somebody to give it some care on the frets, I thought I'd do the sensible thing and get top local tech chap Mark, at Clevedon Music to give it a going over.

As I say there was no rush, and I almost forgot he had it until he called to ask whether I wanted to pick it up as he had stoned frets, wired this, adjusted that and generally top-tipped it good and proper.

And so today, I went and picked it up, and man has Mark done a job on it.

It plays amazing, the neck is like velvet - OK, maybe not velvet, but even I can move around it quicker than normal, and to my surprise I'm-a-loving the pickups.

The Kent Armstrong at the neck is a PAF type and sounds just -gah - while the DiMarzio Double Whammy at the bridge is hotter than a Hot Slag and really does the business, if your business involves squealing and screaming like a heavy metal-type.

More surprising (to me anyway) was that it gives an absolutely perfect impression of Keef playing old Stones songs. (The tone, not the playing, clearly.)

Not sure I've ever had a guitar
with a flaming back before

As for the Floyd Rose, well to be honest, Jazzmaster My Bloody Valentine fumbles apart, I've never really used trems, but I have to say I've surprised myself with this.

OK, I haven't got a trem arm but just pressing on the bridge sounds good enough for one such as me.

Basically, it is seriously dead good fun, I can see why all those widdly guitar players like them now. Though my gurning still needs a bit of polish. And I haven't got the hair to poodle.

Actually I haven't got any hair at all.

As to what I do with it...I'm really not sure. It has obviously been cleaned, but still falls neatly into the 'well played' side of relicking, but then I like that.

I'm just going to have a play for now and see how soon I get bored. I've got to admit that it isn't my usual fare, and some would say that perhaps a metal machine may well be wasted on my slender talents, but tis all good.

So all in all, it is a really fun guitar, and if you are in Bristol or thereabouts, and need a set-up I'd heartily recommend Mark and Clevedon Music.

Some people really can put lippy on pigs.

Feeling a bit sick now...

Going Gold Again

The Golden Shower One
A Bit of a Legend

Well, I never got around to soldering yesterday, but instead have had a sort out and got rid of about four black bags of guitar-related junk, I've kept 'just-in-case' but that never quite came-in-useful-one-day after all.

It was quite liberating, and at least I know where I stand in terms of screws and knobs and the other things that make life complicated. (ahem)

I need to buy just about all of them.

Soldering tonight is the plan now - halfway thru the school holibobs but I still can't expect them not to run headlong at me screaming and spraying something flammable if I heat up the iron before that, so we wait, and twiddle my thumbs along to Postman Pat and Transformers between being dragged around the local parks and supermarkets.

The Old Burny One
A Bit of a Myth

I have decided to get my finger out on the Old Burny One though. As I said, I've got everything I need to do that one and I'm going to kick meself if I haven't finished it over the summer. Not least because I quite fancy hearing what it sounds like with the Gibson 'Bill Lawrence' "The Originals" pickups, and Ye Olde Worlde authentically cool Shugz '50s wiring. In the end I decided against doing the cracleur finish over the 23 Karat golden top as to be honest it would be nice if it aged proper like. It wasn't/isn't meant to be a relic as such... Saying that, I have been known to change my mind here and there.

With Les Pauls of a sort in mind, I was playing The Golden Shower One this morning. I've been so enraptured with the Gordo that I hadn't had it out of it's case for a while. God it sounds good thru the Blackheart Killer Ant Amp. I tried it when I first got the amp briefly, but I do love those Kent Armstrong P90s. I am resisting the urge to go the P90 route for The Old Burny One, in truth, as basically I'd be replicating The Golden Shower One, and that would never do, now, would it?

The Golden Shower One has a bit of an annoying fret buzz at the moment, which I was assuming was a raised fret - the frets are good but the binding on the neck is chewed, it has to be said, but looking closer this morning, I think I need to do a bit more work on the nut. I think I cut it for 9s but then went with 10s and the string seems a tad high in the slot, as it were. One for later maybe, but a result if that is the cause.

Blah blah blah...bored, bored and a bit more bored.

Experiments in Finishing in Bm

Well, it might well be soldering day today, but some new supplies have meant that there is also some R&D to be done in the lets-find-a-new-finish-or-three-to-play-with department.

Basically, I've stocked up a wee bit, and have some new shiny things to play with in the coming months...

1. Rusted Iron: OK, I've used this a fair bit already, and have been going for quite a dark and moody look - until it catches the light when it can glow. However, I want to try a different approach or three to see if I can get a real bright red rust look, with more of a satin or matte finish than I've used so far.

And they cut them
with their metal knives

2. Copper/Bronze Patinas: I've corroded copper before, which I love, but I wanted to try and get more of a 'patina' - you know that beautiful greeny colour you see on pipes and statues. Similarly, bronze gives you a nice blue patina, which I'd like to experiment with, and of course mixing the two could be rather harmoniously-cool, methinks. And yes, it's true, I won't be happy until I replicate a Victorian urinal.

3. Leaf: I've tried a variety of these already, but there are a few more that have caught my eye, and which might work nice with other things too. I think the pre-variegated ones, as far as Jookies go, have a limited shelf life - I can do a couple of scratchplates and a full body of a guitar, for instance, but the basic golds, silvers, coppers etc. have a lot more potential if I get my thinking bonnet on straight.

4. God forbid paint: OK, anathema in Jookyland, but I have a bit of a yearning to do a bit of acrylic work, just once or twice. It's been a while, after all.

5. Fabric - I've got some nice fabrics to try again, and a few new ways I want to play with...

OK, I'm meddling around again, makes life interesting after all. But soldering, I remember...

Saturday is Tiswas Day

Well, family bobbins hopefully out of the way, a new soldering iron to be heated and things might even get back on track in the Jooky Republic.

Plans for the weekend are to first of all sort The Tripadelic One out. I still can't decide whether to put it back to a normal tone pot or whether the fuzz will sound better once the ground buzz has disappeared....

Decisions, decisions, but only one way to find out...

Once that baby is ready, I'm hoping to move on to The Moulin Rouge One as of course that is just missing a bit of wire to get it going. I'm looking forward to playing that one. I love Tele Customs, and the PRS P90 plus Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday promises to be a seriously cool combination. My attempt at a Les Paul BFG-with-a-better-finish.

After that, I've been thinking about what to do with the Telemaster body I'm getting, and the plan at the moment is to have a Tele pickup at the bridge, maybe a Bare Knuckle Brown Sugar or a Boss, while at the neck I'm going to have something more Jazzmasterish hidden beneath the scratchplate. There is a little Curtis Novak overwound Jazzmaster pickup nestled on a shelf somewhere, so that could definitely be a runner. If the stealthiness proves too much for the tone, I may do something different though, in which case I have a couple of hot humbuckers which might get the nod instead. Other than that, it is pretty Tele-like. Ashtray bridge and cover, Tele neck - probably Rosewood, but I'm not totally sure on that, we'll have to see. As for the finish, I was thinking a verdigris copper and bronze combo could be quite striking.

My first thought was rust, which would be kinda nice, but I've done a few now and feel the need to stretch my plumes as it were. We'll see though, bit of R&D needed before I decide.
So in truth not a lot to report until I get my finger out.

In other news I'm waiting for a Boss Compressor/Sustainer to arrive, as that plus the Boss Stereo Chorus I got recently should let me fulfill my long held ambition of making noises like the Cocteau Twins.

I know there is more to it than that, but the chap who first made me want to play guitar and opened my eyes to guitar effects, a chap called Ian who then lived in Bristol - back in the mid-80s, I remember having a Chorus plus a Compressor/Sustainer and it sounding amazing.

So closing on thirty years later I've finally gotten around to trying it out for myself. No doubt he also had a long delay, masses of reverbs and a full rack under his bed which I don't remember, but we'll see. Actually, he must have had a delay thinking about it, as I remember him impressing me by playing the ding-ding bit of U2's Bad around the same time. Hmmm... Maybe I'll get there for the fiftieth anniversary.

Of Mice and Men

She looks so goooood

Well, as ever real-life intervenes, and not a lot gets done.

More family bobbins in the main, but yet another soldering iron packing-in didn't help, and I still haven't had a chance to get my act together and buy a new one.

The Tripadelic One is pretty much there now.

There is a slight buzz from a dodgy ground I need to sort out once I can solder on, but it plays and looks beautiful, even if I do say so myself.

Which I do and generally have to.

From every angle...

I have to say I'm not convinced about The Sophie's Filthy Boots fuzz with this pickup, so I might go au natrel and change it back to a tone control, but there we are.

Other than that, the Bare Knuckle Holy Diver is lovely, I'm well impressed. And the Wilkinson Ez-Locking tuners are a joy once I remember to put the strings thru both holes...


Other things are equally not moving and probably won't be until next week in truth.

Best planned lays of mice and men, as Casanova once said about his bad luck with guitar related soldering and general bestiality bobbins.

La la la

p.s. If anybody wants 174 left footed trainers, I know this geezer...

So close I can taste it. Kinda...

WIP: The Tripadelic One Part iii

Well, as I was saying, I decided that a plain scratchplate would set The Tripadelic One off best, a note of subtletiness among the chaotic peace 'n' lurve iconography.

It is the artistic thing to do,
the tastefilled thing to do and basically
the grown up and
mature thing to do.

I know that.

So obviously, I've gone for a piece of tye-died material, as lets face it, it isn't really a guitar that was ever destined for a life of subtlety and taste.

Other than that, I've wired up the Sophie's Filthy Boots Fuzz, with the nice chickenheaded knob to twizzle. As I said before, she is quite an undemanding, yet game chick is our Sofe, but certainly addictive.

My Frère Jacques has never sounded so lewd as when Sophie has been involved..

As for the kill-switch, well it is an omission at the moment as I couldn't get hold of a switch of the right type. (Do I admit I bought the wrong sort? Nah), but I may or may not add that after.

Depends how I feel and whether I can bring myself to go to Maplins or somewhere equally dreadfilled in the meantime.

From the top then, it is:

An Electric Kool Aid coated Alder Bodied, Leona's Groovy Guitar

An Aceeeed Fried Maple/Rosewood Neck

A Charlie-boy Manson Bare Knuckle Holy Sinner Humbucker

A Horse Come Down Sophie's Filthy Boots Germanium Fuzz

A Free Lovin' Group of Wilkinson Easy Lock Tuners, Black for the classy among us

A Free Thinkin' Wilkinson Bridge

OK, I struggled for a typically period-correct name for the bridge.

Oh and, Wire, Strings, Strap Pins, and a couple of knobs from, err, Woodstock or maybe Spike Island to play with...

And that is about that.

It looks absolutely mad ferrit and I just wish Northside were still going as I'd probably give it to them.

Things left to do are a bit of wiring to the Jack socket and trem block, and then some strings need to go on and a bit of a set-up. And that will be that.

Can't wait to get it finished...

Cue Northside's Classic...

Let's take a trip, down memory lane...

Rather Sad Natural-light-thru-blinds foto

Bye Bye Blue Bird

Ah well, The Blue Moon One is off to pastures new, bless it. It'll seem odd not having an offset guitar around the place again, though the Telemaster one is here soon so normality should be resuming pronto like, methinks.

Still, The Blue Moon One...on it's way. I never thought I'd finish it, never mind see it off on life's twosted journey, but there we are. All things change.

But with a tear in the old eye, and back to reality - well, I finally got to the bottom of what to do with the Tripadelic One's scratchplate, and figured that a contrast would be good, and copper leaf  could be just that without looking overly boringesque, like black or white.

And there she was...
Gone

Alternatively I might go back to Plan W and paint it, but something more abstract rather than the initial Rocky idea. Though paulski73 suggested a mirrored one in the comments, which I have to say is a pretty good idea too.

So in summary, my decision is made,
it is just that there are a few options to consider.

That are all totally different and discrete.

So you could say I haven't made any kind of decision whatsoever.

Which would be cruel
however accurate and
basically true.

On a plus side, it is soon to be wired with a Sophie's fuzz and a killswitch if I can find somewhere in Bristol that stocks such exotica, the tuners are on their way, so there is only actually the scratchplate left to do. Which is most odd. This is normally the bit I work out first. In fact this guitar has been a bit backwards from the end and as we approach the start, well, it leaves me perplexed.

Anyway, I also plan to wire-up The Moulin Rouge One, which just needs tuners now and it is ready to go. Well, ready to have strings and be set-up, but that is close enough.

In summary then, those two should be finitoed next week sometime, which is all good, and the Drip Dry One may well follow shortly after. I think I've sorted the missing pickup out for that, but we'll see later-like.

So today/the weekend - hopefully some soldering, a lot of sleep, tuners to fix, strings to put on and well, no doubt different directions to spiral off and into.

More WIP: The Tripadelic One, But Not Much More

Well, it is likely to be a bit slower for a few days - I can't handle the high octane adrenaline rush of so much partial achievement, so many nearly done but not quites. I need to step away, take stock and generally kick back.

The Tripadelic One
Now boasting the right pickup and scratchplate...
But black?
Nahhhh

Or so I try my best to convince others.

Today's special treat should be the arrival of a shiny new, or slightly more olderer and batteredish, Bare Knuckle Holy Sinner pickup, for the Tripadelic One. I won't see this of course, but there we are. It's a pickup, I pretty much know what they look like by now.

Still, sad though it might seem, I can easily get excited about such simple pleasures. I still haven't decided on what I'm going to do with the scratchplate - I was thinking/plotting/planning to hand paint it a la a Magical Mysterious Rocky, but with Zvex and everything, it is kind of 'familiar' and they are only useful if you are a vampire. Which I'm not. So there. Despite my recent operating hours.

But what to do with the 'plate? The simple answer is that I haven't decided yet, so time will have to tell it's own dirty tales. Like the rest of us.

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ Short Interlude With Incidentless Music ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

Well, as it happens I did get to see the BKP Holy Diver pickup, which is very exciting, especially as it came already wired to the scratchplate courtesy of Bare Knuckle people themselves, by the looks of things. It has a sticker and everything, so it must be true.

As it happens though it isn't 4-wired, instead being vintage type, so I can't coil-tap it, but such is life. I always end up burning my fingers when I try to wire push-pull pots. To give it an option in the sonic stakes then, I am  going to go for the Sophie's Filthy Boots Fuzz after all. It is fun and I like a bit of a buzz. A bit of understated yet fuzzy germaniumness. And you can turn it off if it simply isn't you. It is no big deal. So why wouldn't I?

As for the scratchplate, well I can't quite bring myself to leave it black with a black pickup, so I will need to sort something out there. Suggestions on a postman, to the useful dress.

At the end of the day...

WTF Do I do with this, then?

Well, I decided to bullet-bite and order lots of parts for when I'm back and able in Jookyville. In a way it will be nice to get the 'three' sorted out, as with a couple of exceptions it means I will have finally caught up on lots of 'projects' I've been contemplating for a long time, which is exciting and a relief if similarly measured.

What comes next is the big question, I guess, and apart from the Little Red Charvette, it is very much open season.

Obviously, I've got the Telemaster body coming, which is quite exciting, and hopefully Simon at Fusion will be doing me another body in the near future too. I'm trying, vainly, to avoid vapourware these days, so more on that later, but it is quite jump-up-and-down smile-inducing and I'm not sure how things will turn out. Which is my state of mind a lot of the time. Delirious uncertainty.

Other than that I've still got the The Parquet One - a Tele body I want to do something with (though what - who can say.) which I think may prove to be a "challenge", and other than a Strat body and the Uke (which I can't seem to get away from my daughter at the moment) it is really pastures new.

All good fun...

S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G, We're Shopping

Well, this not-doing-much-in-the-school-holidays is going well. The only one of the Ones I haven't touched is The Old Burny One, which was of course the only one of the Ones I was meant to be paying attention to.

Four little Jookies
standing in a row

As for The Drip Dry, Tripadelic and Moulin Rouge Ones, I have an ever-growing part list I'm-a-needing before I can make their selves complete:

1. Three sets of tuners. I'm a new convert to locking ones, as I may have mentioned here and over there somewhere so they will probably each have different examples of these as I try to decide which ones I love best.

2. A bridge/trem thing - for The Tripadelic One. I like the Wilkinson ones. Like the tuners, I've finally found ones I like that don't cost an arm and a leg. I've also started to buy these new more often that not, as I've had too many 'name' ones second hand that basically have probably been changed for a reason in the first place and who needs unexpected third-party-grief when I am perfectly capable of creating my own?

3. Two push-pull pots for the coil-tappicidity on The Tripadelic and Drip Dry Ones

4. A momentary Lapse switch (if I go kill-switch-crazy) on The Tripadelic One

5. A pickup - preferably something hot and coil-tappable to go with the P90 on The Drip Dry One.

6. Lots of strings as I seem to have run out rather than lost them, which was my natural assumption, I quite naturally assumed.

7. Three hardcases. Needed but always a pain as they can take ages to arrive.

8. Six bottles of Grolsch, as I'm coming around to the idea of strap locks after the Gordo nearly broke my foot last time I swung it around my shoulders in front of the mirror.

And that is just for these three.

On top of those I need shed loads of parts for the Telemaster, Little Red Charvette and another Strat I'm looking at strangely, once I get around to them. And a bridge and tailpiece for The Old Burny One, now I come to think about it.

Hmmm...

Think I should be able to scrape together the shrapnel  to get a set of tuners and strings for The Moulin Rouge One, which is 'pleasing', but the others will have to wait until cashflow improves somewhat... I blame the American Senate problems. Why can't they just love each other?.

All of which means I am open to offers on The Blue Moon One if anybody is pondering a potential purchase...'

WIP: The Tripadelic One

Well, middle of the night again, but my little trip down memory bliss meant that I actually got to fabricify The Tripadelic One with it's beautiful multi-coloured message of peace, hope and err, rainbows.

Yes, it is very similar to The Peace Train One, but that was blue and this isn't and the guitars are quite a bit different. So my conscience is clarity itself.

As for the pickup bobbins, as I said it is going to be a single humbucker in the shape of a Bare Knuckle Holy Sinner, with a push-pull coil-tap thingie and a germanium Sophie's Filthy Boots built-in, instead of the tone knob. (I realise this may not be to everybody's taste, so when it trundles it's way to the block, I will of course offer to change it back to a tone control. Which to be fair may be useful on a single pup guitar after all. Maybe I should do that anyway, hmmm. Have to think about that.)

So please ignore the mundanicity of an aged white scratchplate with three single coils. It will never happen that was, all is illusion.


As for the neck it is a big headed rosewood/maple jobbie, and when I get around to finding them it will probably have a Wilkinson bridge and some sort of locking tuner.

I know sound-wise it is nothing like, but I see this as a bit of a George Harrison 'Rocky' kind of thing, so may have to come up with something suitably trippy for the scratchplate. I could use the same fabric, or like The Peace Train One go for a plain scratchplate, but nah, be nice to do something different.