Hunk of Burning Love

ST#3 - Front

Well, as per is normalish, the weekend had more to do with supermarkets and flying kites in force 9 gales than guitarification, but I did manage to finito a couple of bodies, along with a slight change of plan.

I had planned to make The Throbbing One a rusty finished '51 Precision, and have done the body accordingly, but as I have another body of similar spec to play with, I decided to instead do something different with that. I have a germ of a nano-idea I want to explore and it should be fun, so what the hell.

So this morning, I have two rather lovely and lovingly be-rusted bodies that are joining my Strappado collection, numbers #3 and #4.

As you can see they are a Jazzmaster body and the '51 previous mentioned and both have a stunningly cool rustificated finish. And they will be up for grabs whenever I finish the web site. I  know..

As for today, well, now for something completely different...

La la laaaa

ST#3 - Back

ST#4 - Front

ST#4 - Back

We Are The Gimps

Well, not quite time for a formal introduction, but The Spindrifting One is almost there (minus a string tree or two and some proper Gretsch knobs), but I couldn't resist stringing it up and giving the first ever set of Gimps a run for their moolah.

And cool though they may look, sounds-wise they really are superb.

The bridge pickup has a definite Tele sound to it that is just lovely - nothing like the anemic Strat bridge pickups you usually have to suffer, while the middle and neck pickups are more hot Strat territory, though as clear as a bell even when I dug out a Big Muff (old Soviet one) and a Fuzz Face (modern re-issue). I really love the fact that there is something more in there that is hard to describe, maybe a bit more in the middle than your average Strat.

The best part for me is the in-between tones which are glorious here, especially the bridge/middle one where you get a kinda other-worldly-Tele sound that is a total joy. The tone controls really come into their own too and you can do a real Tele to Strat change with barely a twiddle.

Other than that, I'm loving The Spindrifting One. I wanted to make the body look proper lived in old, and it has plenty of dinks and dents, but it is the worn patches at the top I'm really most pleased about. Playing wise, I like a hardtail Strat and this is solid, so that is cool, and the neck is bang on. I went for a flatter board (9.5" with a C shape) and it feels great bending strings.

A good day's work then, methinks. And the bits I'm waiting for should be here next week so I'll do the formal intro then.

But Gimps, a grand idea, and now a reality. I may have to break a habit of a lifetime and record these babies.

La la laaaa

Getting Deeper and Down

Well, I've been thinking about doing this for years and never quite got there, but I have decided that the time is right for the first ever Jooky Bass Guitar, and so that is going on the list.

It is going to be based on the '51 Precision, the one with the single Tele-like pickup, and I want it to be rusty with a plain black 'guard and generally look distressed if not distressing.

Obviously it will need a maple neck and maybe a few sequins.

OK, it might have a rosewood neck, no point getting silly about things.

I've already rustificated the back, as you can sort of see, and it is currently drying from it's initial hard waxing...which is always a joy.

So there we are, The Throbbing One, coming one day soonish.

La la laaaa

A Glimpse of the Gimps

Well, I'm feeling rather chipper today. The Black Russian One is awesome, in a box and awaiting a courier, and I've fettled and plonked my first set of Gimps in The Spindrifiting One.

For those of you that were tripping and missed it, the Gimps are my very own, uniquely specced pickups that Marc Ransley at Mojo Pickups has wound for me and then I have Jookified for goodly measurement.

These will only be available from the Jooky web site and will no doubt feature prominently in my guitars in the coming months.

Right, I am such an ad break.

The idea behind them is that I don't really love normal Strat pickups, and so we've come up with something that is subtly different having more of a Tele or P90 voice, which should be interesting, especially with a five way switch.

As for the look, well you can't see too well in the shonky fotos, but they don't have covers, instead are bound and definitely have an air of Jookiness about them.

The pickups are numbered and signed as with everything else, and they will be few and far between, I'm sure. These are the Strat ones, though I think there will be a Tele one soon...

Anyway, these are the first ever set and I wanted them in The Spindrifting One as that is pretty groovy too.

Now if I can just find some solder, I'll see how they sound

La la laaaa

Introducing: The Black Russian One

Well, this one in particular has been a long time coming, but I am more than pleased to be able to introduce you to the rather cool, The Black Russian One, the latest of the Jooky brood and probably the last La Cabronita inspired one I'll do...

From the top, it is a rather delish swamp ash body that has been ebony stained and hard wax oiled with minor distressing here and there.

The neck is a beautiful ebony boarded one that I really am quite impressed with.

Pickups are a pair of specially wound TV Jones sized 'buckers, put together by Marc Ransley at Mojo Pickups, as indeed is the simplistic yet cool wiring loom. These are Filtertrons with HiLotron covers, or something like that. Sound immense, which is the main thing, too easy to get distracted by nomenclature.

A few touches worthy of mention are that the battered and torn pickguard and matching back plate have been made from an old Television red vinyl 12", and a genuine Soviet era cap badge has been plonked on the headstock. I like the chopped off Wilkinson short bridge too, but maybe that is just me.

As for sounds well Marc has nailed some grit in among some twangy cleans and let's face it, that is all we ask for in life....

So there we are - The Black Russian One, unavailable in the shops as it is off to a new home with Andy tomorrow, UPS willing.

And in summary, tur-dahhhh

La la laaaa

Going to get myself a pink guitar and play, sha-la-la-laa

 

Well, another chronic diversion from reality meant I didn't do much for the last couple or three days, but I am setting-up my lovely The Black Russian One at the moment, so hopefully I will do the right and proper introduction laters, taters.

In the mean time, and for no understandable reason, I seem to have acquired a guitar that is verily unlike me, big time and stylee. I mean I never liked them at the time, don't particularly like fizzy rock music and generally, well, never really thought too much about such thing. But it is fun. So whatever.

Anyway, it is a pink (OK, burgundy mist) Charvel - Made in Japan in '88 apparently, and I have to say it is rather good. Sharp headstock and funny Floyd thing included.

It is in amazingly good condition although it needs a few tweaks and I need to remember how to change strings on a Floyd as they are nowhere near my zone d'comfort, but there we are.

As it happens I got a snakeskin (looking) strap just last week, so it is a marriage made somewhere nice with a view.

Luckily, I don't own a vest so no Joey Tempest/Stanley H. Ogden visuals for you today I'm afraid.

Other than that, I want to fettle my Gimps, but Russia is calling firstly.

This blog is definitely taking weird turns.

La la laaaa

La Cucaracha

Well, it's an odd thing, but I don't think I have ever made a red Jooky, and I don't really know why. Though I've never liked red Strats either, possibly because of Hank Marvin, but more probably because they remind me of the Bontempi guitar my brother got when we were kids that I was really jealous of, which I got an orange church organ thing instead.

Maybe that is it, maybe I am that sad and shallow.

But whether it is therapy or not, I have decided to make a red guitar - and I want it to be quite surftastic, so it'll have lippy pickups and be somewhat offset in form. I've got a love/hate thing going on with the reverse Jazzmaster 'Boracha' things, but I want this to be more coming from the Jackson/Charvey Surfcaster site of the road.

We'll see anyway. I'm thinking red Mother of Jooky/fairy dust sprinkling will be a nice touch, for The La Cucaracha One, when it finally arrives, maybe one-day sometime probably.

La la laaaa

Sold: The Shonky One

The Shonky One is a complete one off, being based on the traditional shape of Gibson’s F type mandolins, but at a size similar to a Les Paul. It feels great on the strap and plays beautifully.

The body is semi-acoustic, though with a feedback busting centre block, and we went for a big headstocked, CBS type of Strat neck, maple/rosewood, with a playable 9.5” radius and a nice C shape.

The body has been stained, aged and generally battered before having a pearl-like finish on the top.

Pickups are a pair specially wound by Marc Ransley at Mojo Pickups, with a Humbucker sized P90 at the neck and a PAF type humbucker at the bridge – this nails all of those classic blues and rock tones.

The hardware has a trapeze tailpiece, Gotoh aged strap pins, a Ricky style bridge and Wilkinson Ez-Lock tuners, so all is solid and works well. Mojo additionally custom made a wiring loom using Switchcraft switch, CTS Pot, PIO Cap and ye olde style cloth covered wiring for that true vintage vibe.

All in all, this is a stunning looking guitar that plays beautifully and nails the tone.




*


To be clear, The Shonky 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 slo-mo run across the pebbled beach at Portishead. There will genuinely never be another guitar like this and past experience suggests that it won’t be around for long.

*** GONE TO A FAR, FAR BETTER PLACE ***

Technical Stuff:

Type: Bab’s Pearly Queen

Electrics: Mojo Pickups P90 and PAF, Mojo Wiring loom (CTS pots, PIO Cap)

Guitar Type: Gibson F Style Body

Construction: Semi-acoustic body, Rosewood/Maple neck

Strings:     D’Addario EXP 9s

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: Volume, Tone

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

Serial Number: JGE#72

RSP: £999

Introducing: The Shonky One

Well, as I'm still waiting for my nuts to drop as far as The Black Russian One goes, I thought I should nail The Shonky One together and see how it looks.

And went it did indeedy, and I'm all-a-flutter-and-a-twitter about it..

From the top, it is a semi-acoustic, shaped like an old Gibson F type mandolin, but most definitely a guitar.

The top has a stunning Mother of Jooky opalescent and fairy dusted finish that is gorgeous, and a fabric binding just to set it all off.

The neck is a big headed maple/rosewood Strat one and is a bit of a dream, and I've gone for a Ricky bridge and trapeze tailpiece which looks cool and works well. Nice.

As for the leccy bits, well it boasts a cool pairing of a HB sized P90 at the neck and a PAF 'bucker at the bridge, especially wound by resident genius, Marc Ransley at Mojo Pickups. Marc also did the wiring loom - Switchcraft switch, CTS pot, cloth covered wire and one of his cool PIO caps for good measure.

And it plays and feels divine. The P90 is sexy and the 'bucker hits the spot, and even I can dredge out a whole range of sounds from bluesy bobbins to classic rock. As for feedback, well it is there if you want it, but the body has a centre block which calms things down...

And there we are, I think this maybe a little more one-off than most.

La la laaaa

Leafing My Strappado

Strappado #2

Well, I seem to be inundated with parts now, which is good as it means I can finish a few things soon, but am still getting The Black Russian One together which is taking a while more than the bit longer than I hoped.

I'm now on my third nut, which is bizarre, I never break nuts but this time pwoof there-goes-another-one. And to make matters worse, one of the bridge screws wasn't in all the way and I knackered it up when I gave it just-one-more-tighten. So I need to extract that too.

I think I'm lacking match praccy, it is as simple as that.

In between - well over the last few nights in truth - I've been smothering my other hard tailed back loading Strat body with some variegated gold leaf and generally bashing it about a bit. And it looks rather stunning in a cool and groovy kinda way, and is destined to be the second - ST#2 - Strappado body for the infamous yet rarely missing inaction web site of future days.

I used this same leaf a lifetime ago on The Crowley One, but then so many thing that go around come indeed around again too.

But broken screws and dodgy nuts, I need to see to both...

La la laaaa

The March of the Gimps

Well, as it seems to be a day for futures, I was pleased and becalmed to see this foto pop along from Marc at Mojoland, as it is the first of the Jooky exclusive pickups that I'm going to be using on some of my guitars in the coming days and maybe even punting on the vapour-web-site I keep imagining might one day happen.

This is one of a set of pickups that will be going into The Spindrifting One, that will be unlike your usual Stratiness, and will in fact be voiced more along the lines of a P90/Tele with a more tone-filled and fatter sound for real noisy goodness.

This is something we've been collaborating on for months, and after long discussions deep into the night we've finally managed to define something I think will be pretty special.

OK,in truth the discussion went more like:

Me: Can you make something that doesn't sound like a Strat? I don't like Strats, like.
Marc: Yes. How about  like a Tele?
Me: OK, that sounds good.
Marc: Shall I make them then?
Me: Yes please.

And then I left Marc to sort out all of the messy detail stuff, like magnets and wires and things, but there we are.

Which oddly is how the Manhattan project got started.

Once they arrive, I'll be giving them a special Jooky finish, and there we are...

And as all good revolutions need a T Shirt, and every dog needs a name, I came to the conclusion that they would be known as GIMPS.

And we all need a bit of a Gimp in our lives, let's face.

Jookified Gimps, err, coming soon.

La la laaaaa

Strappado-a-go-go - Jookified Customised bodies

 

Well, one of the things I've been doing to keep-my-hand-in while screwing has been out of the question, is to finish a few of the bodies I am going to be hopefully flogging if I ever get a web site together, and it has been fun.

In fact apart from playing the finished guitars, doing the body arty business is definitely the part I like best, so it kinda makes sense.

Anyway, as with the full-on-proper-Jooky guitars, I want the bodies to be unique with all the usual arty bollox that goes with that, and so they too will be numbered and signed, although with their own numbering system (to avoid confusion).

I thought 'Jooky Custom Bodies' would be a good name for this little initiative, and I was right.

However I've decided instead to call them Strappado Bodies, which probably isn't as descriptive, but amuses me more and gives a nod to the fact that the bodies are largely tortured in some way. So Strappado it is.

I might in future do these to order, but initially I like the idea of putting them out there and seeing what happens.

The first of these is a Jazzmaster body - a nice bit of swamp ash - which I've given a rather dashing looking corroded copper and bronze finish and done a complementary pickguard to go with it, as I'm that kinda chap.

It has worked really well and you still get some of the lovely ash grain thru it all so that is a bit of a bonus (and the aim, but then...it always is and doesn't always come off that well.)

So that is ST#1 - the first of the Strappados, and cool it is too.

After that, there is a hardtail Strat, a normal Strat and a Tele in the works, which is all good, but more on those once they are done.

And who will want such trinkets?

Well, I haven't got a clue, though the biggest danger is stopping myself from using them for guitars, I would imagine. It is already proving harder than I'd expected.

As for today, well The Black Russian One is nearly there, so maybe I'll introduce you later on if I can find another replacement nut as I've just cracked the second one...

La la laaaa

River running free you know how I feel

Well, my new fangled and just pur-chased leccy screwdriver is charging (at least I think it is - anybody know what an orange light means?), my brain is sort of functioning and I can bend both arms without falling over, so  things are definitely looking up.


And whilst my natural inclination (for the nation) is to just jump back in there and do lots and then fall over again, instead I'm going to aim low this week and try not to fall short of that at least.

But enough of de babble.

So the plan this week is to finally put The Black Russian One to bed. It has been a while, but the time is now etc.

As to what is left to do, well in truth it is all about nailing it together and making sure it all plays nice and proper good.

After that is sorted, The Babylon Blue One needs some woodwork and then I can start on the finish. This is going to take a few weeks but hopefully will prove to be pretty cool...and not a little groovy.

But anyway...

La la laaaa

Scooby Doo on Gavin Friday

Well, The Scooby Doo One looks pretty cool to these eyes of mine, so I'll leave that for a while now to solidify and can start thinking about something else.


Nailing bobbins together still isn't an option, but I do have a nice swamp ash Jazzmaster body, some bronze and copper paints and a bucket of the house acid already mixed to Granny Jooky's Secret Recipe (handed down direct from Woodstock) and so I might have a wee go at that today, just to keep my hand in, as it were, was and will be.

I also have a rather twee Strat body that is begging to be rustificated, but I need some iron paint so that will have to be for another day. Still, what can you do?

As is my usual pattern, having totally fell in love with 'Old Honey' my JXG pimped Les Paul with the Bigsby and everything, in a moment of I'm-not-worthiness I sold it on Ebay.

I don't know why I do it, but I do and who can say why?

Maybe I should ask Gavin Friday..

La la laaaa

Early Morning Moondance

Well, the back looked suitably stained and waxed when I got up this morning, so I started on the front of The Scooby Doo One, and am rather pleased with what a few coats looks like.

I wanted to go for a white pearl with hints of runny blue ink fairy dust on this one, and has turned out exactly pukka right, I'm well pleased.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself a wee bit, as I haven't got any of the other parts organised yet, but it feels good to be doing something at least.

Anyway, more coats on that and waiting for TNT today after UPS stood us up so very badly yesterday..

La la laaa

Scooby Snakkin'

Well, it is all a bit annoying, but lateral movement of a twisty nature at the moment, not only curtails my street dancing, but means turning screwdrivers and twirling drills is a walk on the painfilled side, so putting guitars together will have to wait a little longer, I'm afraid.

So, to avoid the boredom I thought I'd get started on a couple of finishes today instead, and therefore I've started with a shufty at The Scooby Doo One.

Now, I'm sure you assumed that I'd be aiming for the Mystery Machine look, but no.

You were wrong.

WRONG I tell theee.

The plan with this one is a little different, as I  want a classic old wood look to the back, and so am staining that with a rosewoodish colour, which will be distressed later I'm sure.

This of course is my semi acoustic Mosrite-ish body, and as the final element of an unlikely trilogy, it is going to have a pearly top with added moondust sprinkles, which I think should look rather stunning.

Other than that it will have a pair of P90 soapbars, a Mojo wiring loom, a Strat neck, Trapeze tailpiece and a Rickenbacker-esque bridge.

It will be cool. I might even find an old Ventures record and make a pretty scratchplate, why not.

So The Scooby Doo One, surf baby surf, one for all you err, groovy cats. I expect.

La la laaaa

Like A Liquid Pearl Beluga

Well, despite the RM's best attempts, they finally gave up the post today and I received all manner of loveliness from the winding machines of Mojoland, not to mention some rather tasty wiring looms too...

And though the tailpiece and bridge are still not here (and I need a switch tip as I can't find the bag of them anywhere since I had a tidy) I put the HB sized P90 in at the neck and the PAF 'bucker at the bridge and generally nailed it all together.

And it sounds great - as far as my poor-man's-Ebow goes anyway (a tuning fork held over the pickups is so much more fun than hitting them with a screwdriver to see if they work), and now I am bugged that I am still missing some pieces from my shonky jigsaw.

But anyway, The Black Russian One is nigh on there so hopefully it will have strings by night fall and I can do some fotos of that instead.

It is all go, apart from that it isn't often recently.

La la laaaa

Tis All a Bleurgh

Seeing the back of The Black Russian One Soon Hopefully

Well, that was truly the week that wasn't and everything that couldn't go wrong tried it's best too...but there we be. Onwards and sidewards, methinks.

I've pretty much got my web site sorted now - just need some fotos to find and all will be well. Quite looking forward to it now as it will be simplistic but cool.

I decided in the end that doing Custom Bodies as well as the guitars could be fun, so they are on there and a few more wrinkles need ironing but should prove groovy too.

Marc at Mojo pickups is doing me a rather special set of pickups for The Spindrifting One, so that won't be far off once they are here and I really must, must, must finish The Black Russian One in the coming week. It is turning into one of *those* guitars that seem to go one forever, and there we are.

But anyway..that be next week, for today I cry at West Brom losing to Chelsea and giving our annual donation of points to young roman.

La la laaaaaaaaaaa