Blimey - This is Getting a Bit Real

It suddenly struck me last night - after the unprecedented flurry of activityness we've encountered in Jookyland - that for the first time in, well, I don't have a clue how long, we are actually and really selling two things at the same time.

I am all of a quiver,
and don't really know what to say.

On the right
is the stripped down and Paislified Groovy One,
all P90 and super-dooper
cool.

And then on my left,
is the double-humbie-mayhem that is
The Beano One.

All British Blues and gorgeous tone.

Luckily neither of them have been sold,
as it means that I can play one,
and then the other.

Sometimes the other first,
and then the one,

Other times?
Well, the world is oyster-filled with potential.

What next?
Gord knows.

Not sure I can take the pressure of all this retailness.

Introducing The Beano One

Well, it took a bloomin' long time, and feels a lot longer, but our beautiful wee rocker of a Beano covered guitar is finally complete, and I have to say I'm a little in awe of it.

For those of you that haven't being following the saga, this is a bit of a British Blues tribute, with the guitar being finished with a couple of genuine '66 copies of The Beano, obviously inspired by Eric 'God' Clapton reading a copy on the front of The John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers album of that year.

It is more than a pretty face mind you - a Seymour Duncan '59 at the bridge nails 'that' sound and a Gibson 496r at the neck takes it in a heavier direction - so anything from Led Zeppelin back to Clapton is easy to find. And I am loving it, I have to say.

Anyway, bugger the description - here are some fotos, see what you think..

Cool

Sold: The Beano One

There you are. It is 1966, the British Blues scene is at the start of a plateau-like peak, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers feature a young guitarist destined to become the first Rock ‘God’, and one so cool he sits and reads a comic when the photo for the album cover is taken.

Truly great guitarists are appearing like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn, and under-pinning this new wave of heavy blues that sees Jeff Beck, Peter Green, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and God himself, Eric Clapton playing their blues-inspired mayhem is a new, fuzzy and very, very loud sound. An ear bleeding hollow tone that echoes Robert Johnson’s laugh in the face of a Noel Gordon loving Diablo.

1966 was the year that counted, where it all exploded from and Clapton, appearing on Mayall’s ‘Beano’ album, playing the soon-to-be-nicked ‘Beano’ Les Paul was at the epicentre. And it is the British Blues sound that we wanted to capture with our own meagre tribute to some amazing music. It is that heavy blues edging toward serious rock noise that our own Jooky little guitar is aiming to serve up by the loving spoonful. And I’m pleased to say that I think we have just about cracked it.

The Beano One is a workmanlike stripped down Les Paul influenced guitar, with some serious power under its belt. A combination of a high powered Gibson 496r Humbucker for the rock noise and a Seymour Duncan ’59 for the authentic blues tones give it the best of both worlds, and a unique and amazing finish means that you are guaranteed to take a bit of the attention away from the singer’s histrionics and the drummer’s fourteen minute solos.

Oh but man, the finish truly is stunning. Painfully, and painstakingly put together from pages of two genuine 1966 vintage Beano comics, The Beano One is something you will never forget seeing, And you can even have a read during the drum solos. The Beano One boasts top quality hardware and comes with all of the usual Jooky wrapping bobbins and tags.

Our tribute then is to all of the British Blues guitarists, and to God himself.

To be clear, The Beano One is an utterly unique instrument, and there will never, ever, be another made. It is signed and numbered, entirely hand built and finished cooler than an art student on acid. There will genuinely never be another guitar like this and past experience suggests that it won’t be around for long.

---

Technical Stuff:

Type: Kylie’s Cool Guitar

Pickups: Seymour Duncan ’59 in the bridge and a Gibson 496r at the neck, wired for an out of phase middle.

Guitar Type: Gibson Les Paul Studio inspired

Construction: Paper over wood.

Strings: Rotosound 11s

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: 2 x Volume and 2 x Tone. Pickup selector switch. CTS Pots, Sprague Orange Drop Caps.

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

Serial Number: JGE#11

RSP: £399

 THIS IS SOLD NOW, SORRY...

I Know It's Sooo Very Wrong..

I do.

I know it is wrong to self-aggrandise or generally preen in public
people hate you for it
rightly.

But Rob, the chap I had a coffee with earlier this week as I delivered The Pretty In Pimp One to him, very nicely let me know what he thought of the most off-the-planet-never-mind-wall guitar we've made to date.

What he had to say was:

"The Pimp is all I could have wished for - I love it! Great vibe, dirty sound and I think it makes me look cooler than a very cool person!"

And that is good enough for me..

Cool is as cool does...la la la

Introducing The Groovy One

Well, some births are easier than others, and this Groovy Baby seems to have slipped out without touching the sides. The P90 pickup is awesome, and all in Jookyland agree it is a mighty fine looking guitar too.

Actually, they aren't that sure about my playing, saying it sounds good despite such handicaps.

I have to agree.

I am actually really chuffed with this one. It is a proper player's guitar and sounds rude thru a Fender amp.

No more, off to play some more Love songs...it's a Bummer in the Summer.

Sold: The Groovy One

We’re thinking about sipping Electric Kool Aid, riding a Magic Bus, chasing White Rabbits, visiting Atlantis in a Yellow Submarine, tripping the light, chasing rainbows, coming in colour and tagging on the end of yet another Majiikal Mystery Store. Yep, we’re thinking about the Psychedelic Sixties all over again, mining foney nostalgic thoughts of kaftans and religious cults, gurus and gondolas, painted Minis, flowers in our hair and beads, man there were beads. I have so many beads; you really couldn’t comprehend the beads I’ve seen.

And the scene, man what a scene, what an electric acid-fried, kaftan wearing white rabbit of a scene, chasing Alice now, chasing Dragons later. It’s groovy, and cool and fried and man, it is so psychedelically acid-fried real, ships fly to inches from your nose, the auras man, I can see, no I can feel your energy. I’m feeling cool man, I’m feeling groovy. And it’s Arthur Lee Forever Changing, and it is Jimi Hendrix, always Jimi for the search engines, Jimi wrapped in paisley, Jimi wrapped in tie-dye, Jimi wrapped in other people limbs. And it is the Beatles, and the Stones and Brian, this one’s for Brian, and it is the Grateful Dead, thinking about the Dead and Zappa, getting cynical, getting into marketing and selling, trying to sell you something warm, and west coast sunny, Pet Soundy and rainbow drenched rabbits. Feelin’ cool, Feelin’ Groovy.

*

The Groovy One is a step back to a simple, raw sound. Single P90 pickups, Woodstock ready Paisley acid fried finish, utterly gorgeous to play, beautiful to see. You should buy it. Really.

To be clear, The Groovy 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 beatnik on blotting paper. There will genuinely never be another guitar like this and past experience suggests that it won’t be around for long.

Technical Stuff:

Type: Leona’s Groovy Guitar

Pickups: Bridge Humbucker-shaped P90 Irongear Alchemist.

Guitar Type: Fender Stratocaster Inspired

Construction: Cloth over wood.

Strings: Fender 350L Stainless Steel 9s

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: 1 x Volume

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

Serial Number: JGE#12

RSP: £299        Sorry, it has now been sold

Sneaky, Kinda Groovy Preview

Well, I was finally wiring The Beano One yesterday, and realised I was still missing a certain something. Hopefully that will show-up today.

What it did mean though was that I could continue my weekend's play, and carry on with something new....The Groovy One.

I realise I need to work on my branding.

Anyway, lots to do yet, but here is a cheeky preview...

---

Fed-up Being Boring

OK, the weekend is upon us, so rather than plan to watch some football or tidy the garden, or maybe even just sleep it away - never really an option around here - I thought I'd try and get a bit of Jooky stuff done.

Firstly, the Glistery One needs finishing - Check.

Secondly, The Beano One needs a tweak or three. Check.

Thirdly, a rather nice Strat has come into my possesion, despite it meant to be somebody else's - and that has possibilities. Check.

That should  be enough to keep me busy.

Next week though, I'm changing tack a wee bit as I've got a couple of Cigar Boxes I've been meaning to turn into three string sliders, and it is probably time to add them to the Jooky roll-call.

Have a good 'un yourself..

You Just Can't Explain Art, Sugar

I had an email earlier on from a chap called Colin - this really is tunring into Points of View, which makes me Barry Took, sheesh - asking why I said that the Glistery One summed-up what Jooky is all about, and that it wouldn't be for sale because of that.

Which was a fair question, and I figured I should explain.

I've said before that the idea behind all of this is to have fun making some guitars, amps or pedals from other bits of stuff that other people no longer want.

Sometimes I have to stretch this, if I am ever to finish a guitar for instance, but generally I do try my best to keep the bits coming from either people giving them away, or stuff I can pick-up second hand.

Anyway, in the case of all of the guitars so far, I've had to compromise a wee bit and buy a few bits new. That's OK, second hand wire and things is perhaps not a good plan anyway, and if I decide to flog something I've made, I want it to stack up. I say to everybody that I'll fix any problems, so it would be daft not to.

As for the Glistery One, well that is entirely made of second hand bobbins. The body and neck came from Freecycle, the bridge and tuners were thrown in with something I bought somewhere, the gold paint was left over from something else, the glitter I nicked from my kids' craft box and the pickups were in a body I picked up somewhere else. So basically, other than the strings and the solder, everything else is 'donor', and all the cooler for that.

Why not sell it then? Well, basically, the body and neck and especially the fingerboard aren't exactly top notch. I don't even know what they were from originally, and this hasn't been the case with the other guitars. It is heavy, but not a single piece of mahogany. The fretboard is covered with glitter and paint, which believe me doesn't make it amazingly playable,but is an improvement on the original.



So basically, I'm chuffed to have made something from nothing, but I wouldn't feel right selling it, as it isn't good enough to be sold, I don't think.

I wouldn't want that guitar to be the first 'Jooky' guitar you see in the wood, and that is as simple as it gets.

It sounds crazy mind you, just maybe it is more on the art side of things than in the realm of the 'player'.

I'll put more about it soon anyway, and I don't know if you really want it, maybe I'll swap you something instead...

I am a corporate whore, after all.

Dust Biting

Well, another one gone - as the Pretty In Pimp one was bought by somebody just down the road - and so once again we have nothing to sell in this Emporium of ours.

No matter, the journey is the key and all that. Destinations are no fun at all.

So next, of course, I am hoping to finish the Beano One. Still waiting for a pickup to show up for that, and starting to wonder whether I should look for an alternative..but there we are.

The Glistery One is pretty done, just needs to be wired up and we are there.
 Not that I see that one ever being available to buy.
It kinda sums up Jooky in a way,
and I figure that maybe I should keep it.

Time will tell though...

After that?

Well, guitars are still grabbing me at the moment and I fancy doing a Strat type with a twist next.
A single humbucker or maybe another P90 would be nice - I am addicted.

Something cool, groovy, trippy or whatever.

A Tune for Tuesday

Well, I'm finishing the Glistery One today - hopefully - just a bit of reaming of the tuner hole things to do and then a case of putting it together.

And with all the glitter around, under my nails, on my nails, on my eyelids, I could only have ended-up thinking  Glam.

And for me, that can only be one song, cheese fans, the not-very-good-tree-dodger, Marc Bolan.

I started to write a book about him, I really should stop messing about with guitars and finish it sometime...


And remember kiddies, be careful where you park your Mini.
That's good advice for children, and rock stars

Why does life get more surreal?

It's odd, how things happen. As I mentioned the other day, our little Pretty In Pimp One was getting a bit of a pelting over at the Telecaster Fan Club Forums, and I thought it would be fun to pop in there and say hello.

Why do this when rising-above-it-all, would be the obvious and corporate thing to do?

Well, for one all this Jooky stuff isn't about such things, and so I said hello.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't go in all guns ablaze, and I didn't see it as a way of convincing the purists that they were wrong and my way was the right way.

Each to their own, something I seem to say a lot recently, and there we are.

As it happened, it worked out pretty nicely. People asked questions, I answered them and even if they still prefer their Tele's au natrel, I think - hope - that maybe a couple of them could see where I was coming from. It doesn't really matter, but there we are. I certainly didn't expect anybody to buy the guitar...

Anyway, without diving into the Telegraph letters page, imagine my surprise when the admin of the forum informed me that I had broken all of their rules as they don't allow trading on their site. Fair enough, but I did point out that this emporium doesn't actually sell a lot and, well, whatever.

So basically it is OK to talk about me having a screw loose and everything else, but if I answer I'm a salesman.

Heh ho.

What is nice though, is that I got to see what some of the forums members have been upto, and one chap in particular is making some paisley teles, which look likely to be beautiful. I hope he finishes them.

It did set me thinking though, and that is another difference. See, beautiful though his work is, it will only ever be his version of the Fender original. It might be a better guitar, and it may have a nicer finish, but it will be a homage to another guitar. And if he put a Fender decal on the headstock, well, it would look like the real deal.

But still wouldn't be.

The difference of course, is that the Jooky ones aren't meant to be like that - and this isn't an exercise in self-deluded- justification - they are meant to be something vaguely original.

And we all know where that leads, don't we?

Oh Dear..

Well, I'm sorry to say that I seem to have upset the sensibilities of some of the members of the Telecaster club with my Pretty In Pimp One, and apparently

"They have to figure out a way to stop these retards getting hold of guitars."

 "This guy has a blog as well. He is clearly has a screw loose. It seems there are lots of nut jobs in the guitar world."

"We should all pitch in and buy it just so we can burn it."

and my personal fave:

"Guys with bad taste making guitars for guys with bad taste. I guess even guys with bad
taste need guitars. Most cynical guitar and cynical guitar site ever. But if a buzzard
had an upset stomach all over a guitar, I suppose someone would buy it."

Which is shame, if rather funny. There are a couple of people who get the whole idea, but there we are.

All of which means it is probably a good job that The Glistery One is based on a knackered old Strat clone - unless the loyalty goes as far as all Fenders, I don't know.

Anyway, I've refinished the top after my milky lacquer cock-up, and I think it looks better now...

Better stay away from the acolytes of the Strats forums for a while, mind you.

I do like the idea of a guitar burning though, but perhaps I should check to see whether the Velvet cloth covering The Pretty In Pimp One has a Kite Mark first.

I'd hate it all to get toxic.

The Way Things Are Most Of The Time

It’s always nice to have an ethos, it makes life so much more interesting and challenging in a self-restrictive, masochistic kind of way. The reason I mention it is because a few rather cool people are getting-with-the-Jooky idea, and generally liking the guitars we are coming up with.

Which of course is lovely, and I’m really pleased about that. For all of my shy retiring ways, and this all being to amuse myself, a bit of recognition is good. I write this blog, after all, so I'm not kidding myself.

What I probably do not make clear though is what this Jookiness is all about, and maybe I should explain.

Firstly, I wanted us – me – to make things.
This is a departure in my life, and therefore it is about fun.

So: I want to have fun making things.

Secondly, I don’t really like things that are made by the million, even by the dozen. I like one-offs and stuff that is unique. Not that my life is full of rare and vintage bobbins, but if I get the option, I tend toward the oddball and mainly unusual.

So: I want to have fun making things nobody else has.

Thirdly, I like the idea of recycling. I mean, I’m not fighting the seagulls to sift thru your black bags, but I like the idea of making things out of old stuff. More specifically, making bedraggled looking guitars out of second-hand or battered and torn parts that I can pick up from freecycle, classified ads, on guitar forums or Ebay or whatever.

So: I want to have fun making things nobody else has from stuff other people have decided that they don’t need anymore.

Fourthly, whilst being practical and being of a mind that I’d rather finish something by buying a bit or two, instead of waiting forever for one to turn up, I do have a self inflicted rule that pretty much all of the components – body, neck, pickups, tuners etc. – must be second-hand.

This makes things a bit trickier – I can’t just decide that I want particular brands of pickups, say; I have to wait until they are available or go with an alternative. But saying that, it does keep the thing interesting – what would PRS soapbars sound like in a Strat? Does a Seymour Duncan ’59 work with a ceramic Gibson humbucker in the same guitar...? - stuff like that.

And amazingly – and whisper this as it could rock the guitar world to it’s tweedy core – as long as you can make a hole in the guitar so everything fits – most things seem to work nicely so far.

So there we are. The Jooky ethos or mission statement or something:

“I want to have fun making things nobody else has, from stuff other people have decided that they don’t need anymore, even if that can be a pain in the bum sometimes. Because it is cool, and that is a good enough reason for doing most anything.”

A Bit of Glister

No fotos I'm afraid as it is drying in a dark place, but I'm rather chuffed with myself as I re-did the finish on the Glistery One, and man it is super glittery now, and has a coat of many a colour or six.


As I said before, it is probably the most Jooky thing I've done to date, and I'm really not sure how it will turn out in terms of playability as the fretboard is covered in paint and glitter, but I've got a couple of lovely Tokai PAF pickups that came out of a Japanese Les Paul clone, and it should work nicely on the sound front if nothing else.

Heh ho

I'll resist the urge to place a Gary Glitter video here just about now, and go play with my Girls' World instead.

Another Day

Well, still waiting for the parts to finish the Beano One, I've completely knackered the Glistery One and generally wondering what to do next.

La la la.

And then I happen across another bit of Paisley cloth.

*sigh*

I've got a haberdashery problem
I know.

A Happy Customer - Blimey

Well, despite a minor cock-up on my part, it was nice to hear from James who bought The Psychedelic Surf One, with a few comments about the guitar. As you know, this Jooky thing is all a bit new and off-key, and the idea of making guitars from old stuff is perhaps not one everybody gets straight off, but I was really pleased to find that James indeed recognise the point and especially that he liked the guitar.

James is a busy kind of chap, playing guitar with the newly reformed Candy Filter Tip - where the Surf One will be used - as well as drumming with both The Arc of Manapples and Croak Ditch - check the links for their Myspace pages, well worth a visit or ten.

I'm looking forward to hearing Croak Ditch's album, but more on that later...

Anyway, as I say James said a few nice things and despite the shameless vanity of it all, I'll put them here. Down a bit, they're the ones in speech marks.

Ah, makes me feel all warm inside..



"Guitar has arrived! First off, it looks incredible. The finish is great, I just kind of sat and admired it from different angles for a while, it really is a thing of beauty. It plays great as well, good action, nice size fretboard, some real 'zing' on the strings.

Regarding the sound/construction etc., awesome. I've thrust it in to the hands of every guitarist I know and I'm now the subject of much envy. It sounds like sex in your face. The sustain, as you rightly pointed out, is very impressive, it's so easy to play and the output of the pickups is louder than the humbucker on my '72 Fender Tele. It sounds like a fucking train. In the best possible way. I could not be happier with #10, just owning it makes me 38% cooler. "

Not So Glistery Anymore

A Pint And A Half Bleurgh

Well, I suppose it had to happen sooner or later or sometime, but I had a bit of a cock-up today, and managed to wreck a guitar.

I know a couple of people are vaguely interested in a detached and maybe out-the-corner-of-me-eye sort of way, but I haven't really done much with the Glistery One since I covered it with gold paint, a lot of glitter and then started to clearcoat it.

Plenty of clearcoat, don't get me wrong, but it hasn't made top of the pile, mainly because it is a bit of a basket case even by my lowly standards.

So, sat it has in the corner of the garage I call home, just waiting for me to - well - do something.

Anything.

And so, when I was giving The Beano One a final coat - just enough to protect without ever looking professional -  I thought I'd give the Glistery One a bit of a coat or three too.

It's only fair, it needs it, and well, no time like the present.

And so I did, and it looked wonderfilled and I felt good about meself, proper geezer I am, oh yeah, I can do that luthering son, no problem.

The Glistery One: Before It Was Drowned In Gold Top

Apart from the fact that I had made one small error
a teeny oversight
a bollock
ceremoniously
dropped
onto the
concrete.

Yep, what I hadn't realised was that the clearcoat I was using today, wasn't the same one I'd used before.

And they didn't exactly see eye-to-eye
Didn't really get-on, as it were.

And so my shiny, glittery mound of glisterdom suddenly
got
cloudy.
And very dull
lifeless and
rather
white looking.

In fact milky,
would describe it rather well.

Bloody awful would too.

So there we are
don't mix your varnish stuff kiddies
it never works out well.
Bit of sanding to do tomorrow, I think.

Heh ho

Well Hung

Hanging. The Tories aren't quite in yet, but I thought I'd get with the Zeitgeist early.

Anyway, just a quicky update as I've been playing with The Beano One and even remembered to take a couple of fotos. I know, stunning stuff.

Well, I finally finished the design - and believe it or not, getting it as I wanted it wasn't just a case of chucking bits of comic and seeing where they landed.

No, really.
It wasn't.

But it looks how I hoped now, the various holes have been recut and generally it is pukka like a pie.

What next, I hear nobody cry?
Well, I'm glad you didn't ask.

What next is that I hang the guitar in the garage and spray it many many times over the course of the weekend with a lacquer of some sort, in between a few light sands and a bit of a tacking on the sly. I don't do too much smoothing as that is kind of a mile away from what these Jookified guitars are meant to be like, but you need a bit. Honest you does.

Well, more to do, but as you can see it looks good, and I even remembered to mask off the fingerboard. Clever stuff.

Other than that, one of my Facebook friends suggested Bare Knuckle Peter Green-type of pickups, which could be nice, and might happen. But then again, might not. I don't know.

Not visited us on Facebook yet? Well, only three people have so that is a fair bet to be honest. We're Here, by the way.

Do say hello if you are there though, we have the lowest number of friends of any guitar related thingie.
I'm a wee bit proud of that, actually.

Laters dearies.

More Stuff Stuff

Well, The Psychedelic Surf One caught the bus up north, wrapped in brown paper and string, as is our usual style.

I have to be honest and say that I'm really, madly and truly getting to find it difficult to let these Jooky things go. The amps, was less of a problem, but the guitars - man - I really miss the guitars when they go, and I think the Surf is the best we've done to date.

It is just too cool, know what I mean?



But life goes on, and well, I have to try and top that. That's the way it is. I have to try and raise the stakes all over again, and whether I do or not, I need be in there and trying.

And so to The Beano One, which is still in the early stages, but is starting to get towards where I want it to be.

This is the front so far, and it is starting to come together. I've sorted the hardware and am just trying to track down pickups at the moment.

I'm deliberately not having P90s this time as I want a heavy, classic blues rock sound from the guitar.

So there we go.

Life moves on..

I don't know what the pink stripe is about either.

Soze You Noze

Just in case, I thought I should mention that The Psychedelic Surf One has been sold now, and is currently being wrapped in Brown paper - no vinegar, must remember not to use the vinegar - and will be on the back of a lorry tomorrow morning...

I'm missing it already, really.

It's a lovely guitar and I hope it's new owner loves it dearly.

Back in Jookyland, I've done a lot more plastering of Beano choppings, and The Beano One is looking pretty nice already. Long way to go on that though, as I'm not sure on anything else about it really, but there we go...

More fotos of both tomorrow, when my brain starts working again, assuming it does, I guess.

A Tune For Tuesday

Ah, I like Lez Zeppelin, and I like Joe Bonamassa.

I do seem to be going Les Paulified at the moment.

Have a nice day, y'all.