WIP: Getting Rusty With It - The Porn Shop One

Well, sick-kid-sitting apart, I did manage to get started on the rustiness of The Porn Shop One today, though it will take a while before it is proper done like..

As you can see in the fotos, I've started with the back this time, just for varieties sake, and Simon's beautiful Cedar was first gloopified with gloopy iron paint - three coats of that.

Once the iron paint had dried, I used some chemical bobbins to activate the iron in the paint in double-quick smart time and make it rusty like.

A little while later, a second lot of chemical stuff was dripped on to vary the rust and give it more of a 3D kind of look.

Once that has dried there are a few more chemicals to splat around which should seal the patina before I lacquer it. As the cedar is tres soft, I will probably give a bit of a thicker coat of lacquer than normal, just have to see how it builds up... Though not too thick, I want it to 'relic' over time, of course.

Once that is done, it will be time to do the front.

All of which takes a while compared to a 'normal' finish, but I think will be worth it in the end. Gilding and fabric are a lot quicker - just a few days if the lacquer is thin, but I do like the corroded ones a lot so it is worth the effort.

As for the other parts, the tuners and bridge are already 'aged' but I am going to do something about the control plate, knobs and ashtray cover as gleaming shiny doesn't really go. The white scratchplate is destined to be rustified too, I think. I did wonder about black for a contrast but I think the rust will work better this time.

Ah well, just a metter of waiting again now...

Step 1: Get a beautiful body

Step 2: Cover it with coats of gloopy iron paint

Step 3: Throw acid in it's face

Step 4: Throw some more acid

Step 5: Let it dry and get rustified

Born of Frustration

The Grecian 201 One
This week's favourite guitar

Well, after two days of not a lot happening apart from meeting Simon-from-Fusion-Guitars and getting the quite lovely Telemaster body, poncing around with bits and taking fotos, I figured that today I would finish The Old Burny One and then have a pleasent time playing it.

Then one of the bratskis did the projectile vom thing and so will be at home for a couple of days, which becomes even more of a solder free zone than normal. Then the other joined in too this morning, so that's that dead in the water.

And as Plans B and C - The Bye, Bye, Buy and Drip Dry Ones both need some metal melting too, I'm kinda stuffed on those as well.

So, despite best intentions, it looks like The Porn Shop One is going to be getting a bit of a rusted iron bath earlier than intended. I mean, what else can I do - I didn't want to, it's just the way it be?

More on that later, no doubt.

One thing I did manage to do yesterday was drop The Golden Shower One in to Mark at Clevedon Music for a bit of TLC. Now, I'm quite happy doing most things on guitars these days, after a fair bit of practice, but I'm still a novice when it comes to repairing raised frets. I could have given it a go, but my recent attempts haven't convinced me that I'm ready to ruin a guitar I really rather like. So Mark is going to sort out the frets for me. The secret is knowing your limitations after all.

In other news, I picked-up a stripped down old SG Junior the other day. Not a lot to it, just mahogany body and fixed neck and a roseywood board. It looks decent though, and I'm quite looking forward to having a go at something new again. I'll let you know what it is like when it shows-up.

I've fancied doing one of these for a while - a dogear P90 at the bridge and that be that, and I might try one of Shed Pickups P90s as I've heard loads of good things about them. I also fancy doing something with Bumble Bee capacitors and ye olde worlde wiring, just because I never have.

Might have to talk to that Shugz chap again or visit Fake58, which I've been meaning to do for a while and buy some bits and do it meself.

Yeah, I should really do the things I can,
road to serenity and all that.

Sounds fun anyway, but obviously a bit down the line.

Saying that, I do have some bronze paint which could look pretty swish. Though a gold top SG Jr would be a first... Actually I've never done a SG Jr before, so it will be a first whatever way I go.

One to ponder, that.

La la laaa

Copper With A Big Shiny Knob - It Could Be Yours...

Big Shiny Knob

Well, as today was destined, and has in fact proven, to be a bit of a non-event in Jooky terms, I thought I'd distract you with a foto or three of an enormous knob.

This truly is the site that keeps on giving.

As you can see, I've plonked together The Bye Bye Buy One, lippy pickup at the neck Hot Slag at the bridge, and even placed lovingly the smaller knob - which will be a volume kind of thing - and the enormous safe cracking knob which will be a Sophies Filthy Boots Germanium Fuzz.

Now is that a knob, or is that a knob?

Stunning...

I may have mentioned that the next fine fellow or fellowette who purchases a Jooky guitar from this here web site thingy, will get The Bye Bye Buy One for free, nowt and zilch, to keep it company.

Knob and all...

Before The Storm: The Porn Shop One

Well, I'll no doubt start torturing The Porn Shop One over the next few days, but I figured for once it would be nice to show you how it looks before I start criminally damaging such a beautiful looking thing.

For the record - this is a Red Cedar Telemaster-esque body made with love by Simon at Fusion Guitars (top chap).

Stuck into that is a lovely maple Tele neck for added twang.

Under the ash tray cover thing is a Bare Knuckle Boss pickup, which will share noise duties with (probably) an aged '70s Gibson mini-humbucker beneath the scratchplate.

Other than that it is standard Tele controls, though with Gretsch knobs for some reason and there we are.

It looks so clean, so lovely...I almost feel bad even contemplating the corruption to come.

Yours seedily...

Things to Make and Do That Never Got Made or Done Last Week

The Drip Dry One
P90 plus '70s DiMarzio Super Distortion fun
and, err, no bridge. Hmmm...

Well, I never got the Old Burny One finished last week, but I think I know why now, so with a fair gust and a bit of Irish luck at my back, I might well get it sorted today or tomorrow.

Hope so, anyway, I want to play this one and it is all verily frustrating.

Other than that, I now have the pickups for The Bye Bye Buy and Drip Dry Ones, in fact all the parts for both now, so this week might see a flurry of new signings around here.

Might not of course, but we'll see.

I've decided to swap the pickup choices between the two as the DiMarzio might well overpower the lippy pickup in the Bye Bye Buy One, so I'm thinking that should get the not-quite-so-warm-but-still-quite-hot-actually M Pire handwound pup instead, leaving the DiMarzio for the mahogany bodied Strat. As you can see above in all it's '70s creamfilledness.

Which of course should be cool. next to some P90 loveliness.

Dunno, I'll have to check them, I may have that the wrong way around.

Other than that, I've decided between my children, and I'm going to keep The Golden Shower One.

I realise that the Old Burny is/will be a class above it, and I will no doubt regret it forever more, but maybe that's the reason. I really like the fact that the Shower is a bit of a ratbag wreck. I might treat it to a fret dress instead and then just love it forevermoresome.

It does mean somewhat that I've given up on my twin 'bucker Les Paul dream again, as being a pauper this is no doubt as close as I will ever get, but I console myself with the P90s of the Golden Shower and that I'm going to pimp my Gordon Smith to within a mm of it's natural 3 score and eleven. Maybe I'll treat myself to another Vintage V100 or something.

So my 'Things to Make and Do' post at the start of last week, could easily be this week's list, and maybe even next week's too if I don't get my finger out,
but who cares, really?

Saturday Strumming

Well, not a lot likely over the weekend, but I did finally get around to putting some string trees onto the Grecian 2011 One, and then spent a couple of hours having a fumbly strum, as is my want.

I have to say, with all due humility and grace, that it is quite probably - no, it is quite definitely the nicest Strat I have ever played.

 The neck is beautiful - quite a handful, which I like, the action is low, which again isn't my first preference but just feels right on this one, and the Gotoh tuners mean it tunes like a rock. Not a twinge of out of tuneness.

Loving the pickups too, though more bluesy than jangly...

*sigh*

Just thought I'd mention it,
I've got another
1/2 an hour to kill....

I Got Dem Friday Blooz

Oddly discovered behind a petrified palm plant

Well, not a happius chapius as my Latin teacher may have said if his brain had fried.

Assuming I'd ever had a Latin teacher of course. There was Miss Cortez, but she was French, which isn't Latin at all. In fact I'd rather be imagining her than some crusty old Latin teacher, it has to be said.

But to the point - The Old Burny One, I've changed the switch and it still doesn't sound a peep. I also rewired the output jack thing in case I'd messed that up, which I hadn't, but I have form - and despite that it is still noticeably shushed.

Other than that I checked pickups with the multimeter, and they are OK, and the wires from the switch are cool, the pots seem OK as far as my fumbling can tell, so I don't know what it is.

(I did check the amp with another guitar just to be sure. I have form in that direction too, of course)

*sigh*

I guess I'll have to check it all proper-like and using methodologically inspired approaches I usually aim to leave behind. But that is one for next week, I guess.

I don't usually mind cocking things up as I always get there in the end, but Shugz had done such a cool job on the 'loom' it meant I only had to solder  about six 'spots', which is a bit depressing that I've managed to cock such simplicity up.

Still, there we are..

Such is life.

As my philosophy teacher would possibly have said if he too had existed and was bored on a Friday afternoon where nothing has gone right.

*** LATER ***

I'm a bit confused at the moment, as I found a box behind a plant pot earlier on and it had an old SG body and neck combo in it, and I don't know why I have it. Most odd. It is a bolt-on Epiphone one, looking at the headstock shape and it was with an '80s-ish Hondo spiky Strat kind of thing, again body and neck. I must admit I thought I'd given them away ages ago the last time I cleared the decks, but maybe I never did.

Anyway, if I had promised them somebody and never delivered, let me know and apologies for being shonky - and if not, if anybody wants them that isn't imaginary - pipe up.

Of Rooney, a Golden Shower and an Old Burny

Well, I have to say The Holy Stain is a lot of fun. Probably a bit 'noisy' if you are into gigging or recording, but at home it sounds beautiful.

As for The Old Burny One, well the good news was that I did the soldering, the bad that it was dodo-dead when I plugged it in.

Looking at the wirey bits alll in depth like, it seems I've managed to knacker the lovely switchcraft switch - two little lugs that connect it to the pickups were both pulled-out and dangling in the breeze.

Which would explain the silence somewhat

Anyway  I've taken it to bits, and put it back together, but still the silence persists. So I dunno. I'll check everything else to make sure it isn't something I've similarly knackered-up, but if not I'll have to get another switch.

I thought I had one,
but I don't,
so there we are.

Click-click shopping again.

The Golden Shower and Old Burny Ones
In that order. Sounds like a night out with a chap called Rooney

It doesn't help me with my dilemma though. As you can see in the fotos, both The Old Burny and Golden Shower Ones are rather lovely. Interesting the difference in colour between 23 karat and 24 karat gold too. Though that might be a lacquer thing, I guess.

Which to keep though...


The eternal question - do you go for the quality of an oldie-but-goodie, or do you go for the cheap thrill of the Golden Shower. Odd to think they are 30-ish and 40-ish years old.


Hmmm...

At times like this I start to wonder to myself, 'What would Rooney do?'

And the truth is, I don't know, never met the bloke. Blah blah blah.

Plan B, if the Burny seems temporarily terminal, is that I may as well have a go at drilling the holes in The Floored Genius One, which is a case of biting the gun and generally loining my gurns, but it needs to be done and heh, casualty on a Friday isn't the end of the world.

But there we are, another day in nirvana beckons

Something Genius, Something Holy

The Floored Genius One

Well, so much for soldering yesterday - I started, then got distracted and then, well, that was that really. I was having a bit of a clear out in truth and got rid of a hard case, some pedals and other bobbins-n-bits.

However, as I type this I am waiting for the iron to once more warm up, and then shall be in full-on burning finger mode, it is going to be good.

I am absolutely loving the look of The Old Burny one, and it is giving me a bit of a dilemma. On one side I have The Golden Shower One, and on the other this. And I can't for the life of me decide which one to keep. The Old Burny One  will no doubt be the much better guitar (and saying that is like admitting you prefer one of your kids), but I do so love a Golden Shower.

Decisions...still, no real rush.

One thing I forgot the other day, when I was saying I had nowt else lined-up, was of course The Floored Genius One. This is another Tele, but is one with a twist, the top is, or looks like, parquet flooring. Which I have to say stands out from the crowd somewhat. I've been thinking about what to do with it for ages, but in the end have gone for an oiled finish as I'm not sure that fabric, leaf or gloopy metal paints will really improve on the fact that well, it is made from somebody's floor. You can't really get much more Jooky than that, lets face it.

Anyway, I had got myself organised to sort out a neck - a nice rosewood boarded maple jobbie, and I'm going to break a habit of a lifetime and put two Tele pickups in it once I sort some out. For now though I've just been giving it a going over with some Danish Oil and will probably do a few more coats and then wax finish it. Unless I change my mind and decide to fill the groove with something, err, groovy.

Thinking about it, it might be a good one to try one of The Creamery's Tele Bridge shaped P90s in, maybe with a nice neck pickup. It's sounding good already.

Hmm, just noticed I need to do some hole-making, that slows me down normally. Ah well, one more for the Coming Soon list then, The Floored Genius One...La la & a laaa

***

While writing this, I just received a rather lovely Electro Harmonix Holy Stain pedal from a chap in a van. I must admit I've never got on with Multi-fx, all those patches and memory slots to remember, far too much hassle and confusion. But this one does a lot less and has proper knobs and footswitches. It only has a couple of reverbs, a tremolo, some sort of phasey chorus modulation thing and some fuzz, but then I'm quite a simple kinda guy, so it looks great. The soldering might become tomorrow now...

.

Things To Make And Do

Well, since things are calming down - for my benefit if not yours - I thought I'd do one of my world famous updates on the state-of-the-play in Jookyland, UK.

From the top then:

1. The Old Burny One

This is just waiting for me to remember which wires go where and then it should be done.

Soldering.
   Today.
       Really.

I have to say this has turned out better than I hoped, just mad curious to hear what old Bill Lawrence was doing when he was at Gibson for such a short time.

2. The Drip Dry One

Another that is turning Odyssey-like, I've finally decided on the pickups.

At the neck will be an old favourite, an IronGear Alchemist 90 P90. Lovely.

At the bridge is a bit of a gamble. It is an American small-hand-winder pickup which is meant to be Hot PAF like. Quality is meant to be similar to Bare Knuckle and sound similar to their Emerald, but we shall see. It is made by M Pire anyway, but I can't find out much about them beyond that.

Other than that I've gone for some aged Kluson tuners, a Wilkinson Bridge and a splatted rust finish over the beautiful mahogany body. Should be a Rocker, methinks.

3. The Bye Bye Buy One

I mentioned the other day that I'd got an old '70s DiMarzio Super Distortion, and naturally that should go nicely with a Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick.

Curious in a big way about this one, and I am still loving the finish...
The only real question is when will the pickups arrive


La la la


4. The Porn Shop One

This is going to be special, methinks.

Red Cedar Telemaster body, maple/maple Tele neck, Bare Knuckle Boss bridge pickup and a hidden '70s Gibson mini-humbucker under the hood.

Can't wait in truth... Mucho rustiness.

I'm refusing to start this one until I've caught up on the precious three.

Well, so I say now anyway.
I might just rustify the body,
it can't hurt.

And there we are.

After those I literally have nothing left to do. Simon at Fusion is going to do me a Teardrop body, and maybe something more Rickie shaped, but they are down the road somewhat. Until then, I think I'm going to be looking for a Firebird of some kind to defile. Time will tell though...

Paradise Rejoined

Well, I never managed to wire up The Old Burny One today, too many other things to do like swear at couriers and try and buy slide whistles, but I did finish the headstock last night and it is all dry and looking, well, I like it.

You can't really see from the foto, but I've gone for a graffiti idea with 'Jooky' the guitar name and number (on the TRC) being a bit of a gold leaf/marker pen combo. The tuners will be straight too, I have only put one of the screws in so far.

I did take another foto of the body though, mainly as the previous attempts never really caught the 'lustre', this one is closer, though still in dull-as-dishy-water light..

La la la.



In other news, The Bye Bye Buy One is now going to boast a single Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick pickup at the neck and a creamy, genuine 1970's Di Marzio Super Distortion at the bridge.

I thought it should be able to rock a wee bit, after all.

As I said, the very next person to buy one of the other guitars from this site, gets The Bye Bye Buy One Free (though unless you want to stump up for the postage for both, it will only be in the UK I'm afraid)

Right, Kazoos, where can I get a handful of Kazoos...?

WIP: The Old Burny One

Well, Day One of the post-holibob-distraction, and I'm pleased to say that I got something done in-between chasing down missing guitars and the rest.

The Old Burny One is now all plugged together, if not quite plumbed-in - the soldering will follow tomorrow with a bit of luck..followed shortly by some noise in the Bristol vacinity.

I've no doubt said many times, but this is based on a 1980s Made in Japan Burny Les Paul - mahogany body, long tenon neck joint - and has a 24 karat gold top Jookily applied.

The pickups are also from the '80s being Gibson 'Bill Lawrence' Originals, and the wiring is courtesy of Shugz, who supplied me with a top notch vintage '50s style wiring 'loom' complete with Russian 'caps', proper Pots and Switch etc. Actually, that is a work of art in itself.

Other than that, ABR bridge and Stopbar tailpiece are Gotoh, tuners are Gibson branded klusons. Think that is about it. I decided against the scratchplate as it looks too good as it is.

I have to say 24 karat gold, really shines...I'll do some proper fotos involving light when the strings are on.

Bostin', as they say in the old county.

Before The Gold Rush

Well, back from a holiday in Devon, and somehow survived the bratski's withdrawal symptoms from the 'net, Lego, Sky + and friends. It was quite odd meself being off-line - hope you didn't mind the 'scheduled' posts, I thought it was good to keep the flag flying and all that.

But kids back to school next week, and I can hopefully finish of the last few guitars before I start on new stuff.

Top of my list is The Old Burny One, as this is a bit of a dream-made-real for me. I've always wanted a Les Paul, but got to play an '80s Burny a while back and it was quite brilliant. So when I got the chance to get a battered old body and neck from the same period, I jumped right in.

For the record it is solid mahogany - no maple cap, so that points in the direction of a gold top. It has the 'right' headstock shape, and for the traditionalists a long tenon - which basically means that the joint connecting the neck to the body extends all the way to the neck pickup cavity. This is meant to give more sustain, but who knows.

From there it has been mostly easy -

1. I got a '50s authentic style Gibson-esque wiring Loom from that chap Shugz. That has the right wire, right caps and right pots and switch. All of which probaaably helps tone-wise, but more to the point they look great. (Call me King Shallow).

2. Pickups are some '80s Gibson humbuckers. These were only made '87-'89 and were designed by Bill Lawrence. 'The Originals' they are called and the idea was something PAF-like but with a bit more. I like the idea that they are from the '80s same as the Burny, so looking forward to seeing what that turns out like. They were the forerunners to the '59 pickups, so we shall see what we shall see. (I may have that wrong, it happens).

3. For Tuners I've got some Gibson-branded ones, which I guess are Klusons, but I don't know.

4. ABR Bridge and Stopbar tailpiece are both Gotoh and a little bit corroded, which goes with the vibe.

5. Plastic bits are generic stuff. I've not heard that '80s Burny's or Gibson's had anything specific, and I could go for aged, but I don't see it is a big deal. I've got a scratchplate but probably will leave it off.

6. The finish is pure Jooky. It is 24 karat gold leaf, articifically aged to an extent so that it doesn't reflect the sun like Amritsar. It has a lovely grain to it, which I'm pleased with and it should continue to age rather nicely as it was finished with some Nitro. I did ponder the idea of inducing some crazing in the finish, but I think it looks aged enough so am going to let nature take it's course.

7. The headstock perplexed me. When I got the guitar it had a dodgy Gibson decal on it, which I naturally lost, but also had the old Custom split diamond which I wanthed to retain. I did think about putting a Burny decal on, but in the end stuck with Jooky and just got a bit punk about it. I think it works anyway..

After that, well, more things to finish before the next chapter starts methinks.

But there we are, first job next week is going to be golden.

Probably

Not Available In Any Shops or Bogging-Off Again

Free to a Good Home
Sort of...

I said the other day that I really didn't know what to do with The Bye Bye Buy One, but probably wasn't very clear.

It is based on an '80s Charvette, although well Jookified and with shiny new pickups and wiring (or will be once it is finished anyway).

And I like it a lot, but to be honest I'm a little unsure about selling it for two reasons -

Firstly, the frets are a bit worn. They work fine, but they haven't got a full and varied life left in them. I could get a fret job done on them, I guess, but I'm not practised enough to do it myself, and it would probably take six months to have it done locally. Don't get me wrong, it plays fine, but it doesn't leave me comfortable, as it were.

Secondly, it has a ply wood body. Which is less of an issue as to be honest with the jangly pickups and all it makes no odds at all. Ask Dan Electro.

So in truth, I figured I would probably keep it, but if I'm honest I won't play it which would be a shame.

In which case, I figured I'd give it away to whoever buys the next Jooky guitar from this site for £399 (i.e. not from Ebay - sorry but it's easier if it is done on here.)

So there we are, buy one of the Jooky guitars from here, and you will also get The Bye Bye Buy One free. Can't say fairer than that.

Suppose I'd better finish it then, had I not...

My Big Idea - Part 73.6.n.256.1023

Big Brian's Teardrop, apparently

I said before that Simon, the rather cool geezer at Fusion Guitars, had made a Telemaster body which I snapped up and am destined to turn into The Porn Shop One when I get around to it.

And I may even have hinted about other things, I can't remember.

Anyway, I have had a couple of chats with the chap and I am really pleased and stunned that he is going to make me a body that I think will be a groovily cool basis for a Jooky guitar.

This is a big step in some ways as it takes a little of the chaos out of it all, but there we are.

Sooo, what Simon is making for me is a body that has the shape of an old Vox teardrop - one of my all time faves - but is routed more along the lines of a Les Paul Junior, i.e. it will have a wraparound bridge and a single dogear P90, with a single volume knob.   It will be set-up for a nice Strat neck and will maybe made of either ash or mahogany or, err,  some other wood.

OK, I haven't decided that bit yet.
Which is maybe fundamental, but there we are.

It'll take a while anyway, as there is no real panic, but it's nice to have it as a "coming one day soon..."

Either way, it is a bit of a dream guitar for me - I've always wanted a Vox Teardrop, but whenever I've tried them the pickups have left me a wee bit cold, so it's the best of both universes with a (hopefully) better atmos.

Getting Into Shape

The Crowley One
A Shape

I haven't done anything about it as of yet, but I really fancy doing another 'shape' guitar, maybe a Firebird of some kind or a Vee. (The Crowley One scratched the Explorer rash for a while.)

Coming to the end of my parts stockpile means I can start to think about what I'd like to do, as opposed to all the things I wanted to do that I hadn't gotten around to doing and this, along with something Teardrop shaped immediately springs to mind.

Other things I can see me doing are some sort of Rickenbacker shaped guitar - 'inspired' I should say - along the lines of a 620. As with the teardropped One, I don't mean that it will be a clone, just pick up on the outline of it which I've always thought uber cool..

I also fancy doing something offset, but without curves, more plank like and rustic, and then...well, I can go on forever, in truth..

In fact there is a whole whirl going round, and round, and around and sometimes even up and down in my bonce and if I think about it too much I don't actually do anything else, so I tend to ponder, produce a list, and go from there.

As for finishes, there has been less fabric recently, but it hasn't disappeared totally, I just need to come from another angle. I like the metal paints and the leaf finishes too at the moment, and rust and corrosion of all of the above gives some amazing looks and I don't really think I've gotten started with them just yet. I also fancy doing something with acrylics again, and I still haven't had a go with laminates, and then...well, like I say, better to make a list, eh?

La la la

I love doing this.

The Private Collection

Well, I've been thinking for a while about the guitars I actually have to play myself - as in non-Jooky guitars, if that makes sense. The 'Private Collection' as it were. And to be honest I'm not really sure how I feel about them.

Over the last year or two, I hate to think how many guitars I've got thru, and for one reason or another not many of them have 'stuck'.

As it stands then, I have:

1. The Gordon Smith -

This is battered like an old school desk, needs some loving attention, but just feels perfect to me. I need to rewire it, maybe replace one of the pickups, and re-do my temporary repair of the bridge. I'm going to go for a new wraparound I think. Also the tuners I put on haven't proven to be ideal, so I'll probably change them too sometime.

I really like the way I've done the Sophie's Filthy Boots Fuzz in The Tripadelic One, so I am half tempted to do something similar for the Gordo. Two pickups a volume and a Germanium fuzz, sounds good. Maybe a P90 and a PAF type of 'bucker would be a good pairing. The GS pickup sounds grand so that is a keeper, the other one - which I think is a DiMarzio of some type doesn't really do it for me, so I might replace that. Hmmm...decisions.

2. An old Aria acoustic -

One of the horrible plastic backed- Ovation 'inspired' ones.

This is 'sentimental' and although not played too often, isn't going anywhere.

Despite everything it sounds great, is lovely to play and everybody should have an acoustic in the corner somewhere.

It's an electro, but doesn't worked plugged in. Really should have a proper look at why sometime. Even if it is just so I can be lazy and use an electric tuner.

One day....

3. The Busted Dot -

This is the Epiphone Dot that had a neck break, which I repaired. It still has a Mr Bump plaster over the repair. The fix is fine, solid and dandy, and I really like it, so it isn't going anywhere either.

I could do with tidying up the glue I spilt and maybe replacing the pickups with P90s...but I like playing it in my BB King moments and it is worth so little there is no point in selling it on. I could always put a variotone on it of course...

4. The Golden Shower One - I promised myself that I wouldn't keep any of the Jooky guitars (as basically I'd keep all of them given unlimited money, space, sympathy-from-the-family), but for this I made an exception.

I've decided to relax the goldenest of  rules then, and figured I can keep one Jooky for my very ownsome. Whether this proves to be it or maybe The Old Burny One, or something else entirely, time will tell. I need to sort out the fret buzz. I did re-file the nut and that is now perfect but it seems I have a slightly raised fret, so need to do something about that. Which will be a first and involves me getting some tools, I fear.

But back to the point of this and my 'collection' of non-Jooky guitars, well, that is that.

Not a list of top notch guitars really, is it?

Not a Fender, Gibson, Rickie or PRS among them.

No flamey maple or cocobo to marvel at.

In fact they are probably the cheapeast guitars I've ever owned. The Gordo cost £150, the Dot £60, the acoustic £40 12 years ago and the Golden Shower, well I hate to think in the end, but nothing dramatic if you cost time at 1p per hour.

You may also notice that they all need work done on them - which is probably psychologically of interest, especially as my brother is a mechanic and he only fixes his cars when he comes to sell them, so maybe that's the same kind of thing.

As to what guitars I want, well I'm planning on getting a guitar built for me, a Les Paul Junior type of thing - single P90 - but maybe with a different body shape.

Still plotting that, but I figured it would be nice to have at least one guitar to call my own that actually works.... No doubt more on that when it happens, if it happens.

I am also intending to get another Jazzmaster sometime, but to be honest after that I'm really quite happy.

No really.

The Gordo and Golden Shower/Old Burny will have finally cured my Les Paul needs.

The Jazzmaster and scattering of P90s cover all the twangy single coil bobbins.

And the acoustic is nice if I want to play Everybody Hurts.

It might change when I stop making the Jookies though, as there won't be the steady stream of my dream guitars passing thru for me to play weekly-in-and-out. Though saying that, I might actually play guitar a bit more if I don't spend all my days making them.

Heh ho

Missing Inaction?

Upside Down
Boy You're Burnin' Me

Well, as I said the other day, this week is going to be a bit of a missing-inaction kind of time, as family bobbins means I will be out and about a fair bit and there is no chance of any 'progress' as such.

Just thought I'd mention it as if anybody happens to buy one of the guitars, it means that they won't be dispatched until next week - just thought I should point that out...

I am, after all, very professional.
(La la la, ahem)

Of more interest, to me at least, I've now got all the parts I need for The Old Burny One, and everything is en route for The Porn Shop One, which is kinda exciting.

Mr What suggested a Bigsby for it, in the comments, which I'll have a look at, as it might be a nice option. I've tended to avoid them so far, which is odd as I love how they look/sound and I can't really explain why. Hmmm...tempting.

As for other things, it is quite liberating to have caught up on the recent flurry of guitars. I'd been planning most of them since last year, and had parts all over the place, which is cool, but not, err, 'popular' locally. Once the last few are finished, it will hopefully be a bit more one-at-a-time, which is cool, though there will be less guitars, which maybe is or maybe isn't. Depends on whether you want one, I guess.

I've also been asked a few times recently whether I'll take deposits on un-finished guitars, as I know a few people have missed out here and there and I guess would like to make sure they are first-in-the-queue. I don't think I can do that though, as it puts a bit of pressure on me to finish them - which takes the fun out of it - and I guess people would like to have some input into 'their' guitar, which again spoils it for me. Call it selfish if you like, me? I call it art sugar. (La la la)

The truth is, I'm not cut out for doing custom orders, life is too complicated and it kills the buzz. I think Geoff and Andy will verify that...

But there we are, I always say you have to be quick if you want one of these guitars, and it is pretty much true. Most of them go in a few days, which means I wear a lot of black and look mournfilled most of the time... Whatever a mourn may be.

Tooled Up

Well, The Moulin Rouge One is off to pastures new, so we're back to two for sale, which oddly still feels like a lot.

I'm starting a book on which will go next and the current favourite locally is The Tripadelic One (I thought maybe the Grecian 201 One myself as it has two pickups, but what do I know. The Sophie's Filthy Boots Fuzz might swing it though as it is rather a lot of fun. Heh ho, whatever.)

In other news I have made a move toward increased efficientness. I know most people won't find this too exciting, but I had a major productivity breakthrough yesterday as I finally moved into the industrial age.

Nope not a sooty factory, shoving the brats up the chimney and a dose of something nastypainfilled. for recreational purposes, I mean I got a drill.

And man, this is going to change my life.

All those little holes I have to make, and usually use a drill bit wrapped in insulation tape or a bit of plastic, they will be so easy now.

Yep, I've bought a proper old Stanley Handraulic Drill, it's going to be awesome

Next Week I discover that screwdrivers work better than old florins

WIP: The Bye Bye Buy One

Well, the last few weeks - despite my expectations - have gone quite well in Jooky terms, and I've managed to pick off a few guitars. Which is cool, it has to be said.

Though don't ask me about couriers, I really don't want to talk about those shysters.

But back en-topica, we're into the home straight of the school holibobs and there are family things that mean not a lot more will be done for a week or so, so today I figured it would be nice to get The Bye Bye Buy One as far as I can.

To that end I've lacquered the corroded copperness of the top and the corroded polka dottedness of the back and put it back together as far as the neck, tuners and bits that need screws go.

I've still not got pickups and am replacing the electronics entirely, as I tend to, but that'll be another day so I'm not worrying too much about that right now. I've got enough solder scars as it is.

And I have to say, I'm rather chuffed with the finish. This Corrosion (oh the Sisters of Mercy) bobbins really works for me at the moment.  There are so many possibilities it is quite lovely and deeply fulfilling. I just need to get some red paint and doilies and I'll be set for the winter.

So The Bye Bye Buy One, well, I haven't got a clue what I'll do with it, but it is fun, which is good enough for me.

As for other thingies, did I mention I've ordered/acquired all the parts I was missing for The Old Burny and Porn Shop Ones?

I don't know, but I have and it will give the local posties something else to whine about. Plentymuch parcels to be dropped, stamped on and left in ditches.

Other than that I've still not sorted the tuners and a pickup for The Drip Dry One, but there we are. Can't do it all, eh?

I know I've said this before, but the Autumn/Winter is going to be a bit calmer and there will be a lot less guitars (which is probably funny compared to most 'builders') as it worries me that I've already done more this year than I did in the whole of last.

I have to be careful, I can't rely on The Fat Old Man buying all of them, he has a wife and a 3D telly to support these days, after all.

All good stuff though...

La la la.