Introducing: The Iceblink One

Well, it feels as though it has taken a while but in truth it probably hasn't, but I'm finally pleased, angel delight filled and generally rather chuffed to be able to introduce you to the newest Jooky, The Iceblink One.

As the eagle eyed among you might note, this is odd even by my own standards, as it is missing something in the fretting department, and is in fact that rarity among the unlikely, a fretless guitar.

From the top then, it is a sycamore, offset body, that has been liberally doused in iron paint and then some home brew that has made it rust. This has had all manner of gubbins on it and then was lacquered in a rough and ready Jookified way.

From there, we have added a corrugated scratchplate and control thingie, that have been torn from pieces of Ebony Macassar - it's from Indonesia you know - which is rather lovely and yet somewhat battered all at the same time.

Pickup-wise, it is from a Jaguar and is a (deep breath) Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder Jaguar bridge pickup, (and out) complete with that lovely feedback avoiding claw that probably doesn't do much but look nice.

The real doozy of course is the maple/rosewood neck, that has been veneered with another piece of Ebony Macassar (still from Indonesia) and then oiled and waxed so it is silky smooth. Apart from the odd bit here and there that isn't.

Strings are D'Addario XL Chromes Light, which are flatwound 12s iirc, and feel beautiful to play. Other than that there are the usual Wilkinson/Gotoh bridge and tuners, which do what they say on the tin. Apart from they came in little plastic bags.

As for playing the thing, well it is a bit of an adaptation - I never quite realised just how much I bend strings until I couldn't - and it highlights rather well when you get sloppy, but I have to say after about five minutes it has started to feel quite natural.

As for knowing where you are on the 'board, well to be honest that hasn't been a problem at all. It is most odd. You just kinda do it by ear.

I'd read about fretless guitars having a nice buzzing sound, and it is quite true, especially when you start sliding into notes, it is almost like a cross between an '80s synth and a sitar. You can play Sisters of Mercy/The Mission in your sleep. Which is handy, in many ways.

So there we are. I still have to do a bit more work on the nut as the low E and A are resting rather than nuzzling, but it works. I'm in shock, wonder and awe.

In summary, Blimey.

Right, where can I get a banjo...

Lust For New Stuff - Never thought it would happen to me...

It's this or a pony tail and a pair of inflatable norks

Well, what can I say...I've done the iron work on the back of The Dust My Broom One, and played with the nut on The Iceblink One. Not a bad start to the week and I'm almost on schedule to finish something again.


Today's mish, if I remember to take it, will be to lacquer the rustiness and get the strings onto the Icy One to see how things go.


I don't know, it almost feels too straight forward, can't imagine it will stay that way.

In other news other than the Explorer when that finally arrives, I'm thinking next that I am going to have a go at The Joe Le Taxi One - my take on a La Cabronita. I've got the body sorted and am thinking that the pair of groovesome Gretsch pickups would seem to be ideal, so there we are.

Although I'm tempted to break with convention and put a lipstick in at the neck, which might be nice touch in a jingle jangle direction.

Away from Jookidom, I have to admit to suffering extreme pangs in the Fender department, as I seem to have unwittingly fallen for their new Lak Placid Blue Marauder. Not that I've played one or even seen one in 3D, but there we are.

I know what you are thinking, I'm at a certain age, and it is this or dreadlocks and a Harley Davidson. But what can you do?

Saying that, I can't quite leave The Gypsy One alone at the moment, so maybe I'm more inclined to chase a bit of rough. And as nobody seems to want it but me, I can happily chase away.

I love my life

La laa laaaaa.

Two Strings On My Jooky

Well, I haven't done much over the weekend, but I did give The Iceblink One a bit of a tweak or three and am feeling a bit better about it.

I've still got to sort out the nut, but I put a couple of roundwound strings on it just to try and get the bridge height right (and have a sneaky play of it, of course) and despite a good selection of buzzes, it is surprisingly cool sounding and all verily addictive.

The idea is to get the action as low as is humanly possible, and at the moment it is a wee bit flat-on-the-floor, so the only way is up.

Even so, it sounds really good, and I've even - on two strings at least - got to grips with sliding around.

It is a tad worrisome that I keep finding myself pulling bass-player gurns, but I can work on that, and hopefully edge towards the full BB King sex-face.

I've got the right flatwound strings now so once I've got the nut height done, I'll get them on and with a fairy wind and a slice of luck etc.

Well, you never know, it might turn out OK.

As for The Dust My Broom One, I'm going for a combined copper and bronze top with a rusted iron back as a contrast. I think it should look rather groovy, and I may even drizzle the copper as this is sounding like an episode of Masochistic Chef.

I've also decided to go for a different pickup in the end from another new British winder in the shape of Mojo Pickups. The one I'm going for is a relic-ised 55-64 bridge pickup, which should be good to try, methinks and a tad warmer than those used on The Gypsy One. I was half tempted to go for one of Wizard's Tweedtone ones, but maybe next time.

I like the idea of trying new makers as they all bring a little something different, and Mojo do some nice Jazzmaster pups of which good reports I have heard, and well, tis all cool.

Anyway, this week then it is about finito-ing The Iceblink One and getting a good way along with The Dust My Broom One. After that, I really haven't got a clue what I'll be doing.

Simplicity thy name is Jooky.

Getting Wired With Knobs Firmly Screwed On

Well, the battered motor passed it's MOT and the parts arrived for The Iceblink One.

Not bad for a Friday.

Anyway, the CTS and Switchcraft bobbins are all wired-up to the Seymour Duncan thingy, and we're raring to go.

I used some amazingly big and green capacitor too, just for a bit of Mojo.

It probably came off a Soviet-era toaster or something, but you don't get more authentic than that.

Now if I had been in when the strings arrived and proved too big to push thru the letter box, so I have to wait until tomorrow to pick them up.... Well, I could be telling you how the Icy one sounds.

As it is all I have is a foto and a couple of chromey knobs to jiggle around...

Heh ho.

Something Vaguely Differentish

Well, as The Iceblink One is on the parts waiting list, I thought I'd have a bit of a delve as far as the Tele I'm planning on Esquiring goes.

Stripping it down to the floorboards, I can't help but notice that it isn't routed for a humbucker at the neck, which is OK, but I'd just nabbed a pair of Gretsch humbuckers and had half a thought that maybe I could use one of those instead of doing the Esquire thing at all.

But I probably won't, unless I decide to widen the hole in the wood.

So file that under 'confused', I think we should.

Anyway, at the bridge I'm going for a Bare Knuckle Yardbird, as I keep meaning to try them and then generally forget, but this time I won't. Unless I use the BKP The Boss instead, which I suppose could happen.

As for the rest, I've got a nice old Fender brass bobbined bridge, so that is easy, and I have a lovely maple neck and some Kluson tuners, so that isn't entirely tricky either in the make-a-decision-why-don't-you? department..

In fact it is building itself.
I don't know why I'm even worrying about it.

The finish is going to be corroded bronze, though I have some walnut burr veneer coming soon, which might look nice mixed with some bronze, though I'm a tad reluctant to do 'nice' as decrepit, shattered and broken is more my style. Hmmm.

I guess I'll just try to get all the parts and options in front of me and then see what grabs me, it is normally the way of things, and I shouldn't expect it to be different with The Dust My Broom One.

All but the shouting

Well, my super and groovy Seymour Duncan Jaguar Quarter Pounder pickup arrived, after all.

Quicker than it took my to type the name, I'd plonked it into The Iceblink One, where along with it's chrome claw, it nuzzled into the hole quite sweetly. I went for this one as it is meant to have a better sustain than a standard Jaguar pickup. Or so old Seymour reckons, and you know what he is like.

The only downside was that when I came to wire it up, I realised I have run out of pots and jack sockets, so I am back to waiting for them. I did however fit the strap pins - they always worry me until I do, as I have a tendency to forget to put them on as I fall over if I stand up and play much these days, so I rarely use a strap. Just a bungee rope.

I also ordered some jazzy flatwound strings too, which will come in handy. (ahem)

Still, we're looking good and a vigorous rub with a brillo pad (or something)  on the back of the neck has done wonders, it feels lovely now.

As far as the nut goes, I've left it off for now as I'm guessing it will need a bit of 'finessing' to get the height right once the strings are on.

So as tomorrow I will be unfulfilled in the waiting-for-bits department, I'll need to do something else. Although I guess I could put some roundwound strings on the Iceblink just to sort the nut height out, but narr, might as well do the grown up thing and wait to do it proper-like.

Taking the gloss off of thingies

Well, I have to admit that I wasn't particularly happy with the way The Iceblink One was looking.

I couldn't put my finger on it for a while, but it just jarred. I was thinking that maybe the veneer on the scratchplate was too much and that maybe a plain black one would be better, and the same for the fretboard too, in truth.

Finally, I think it dawned on me that it wasn't the veneer as such, more that it was uber shiny glossy, and looking like Fablon.

 I've never been a shiny glossy kinda geezer, and it didn't feel right.

So, figuring that I'll no doubt change it soon anyway, I decided to sand back the varnish, and see if I could flatten the fault in the 'board. I wanted the scratchplate to be more wood-like, and the fretboard to have a soft sheen, rather than a plastic glare.

And after a load of different grades of paper and blood blisters, it finally got to look like wood again, and amazingly the 'board was pretty bloomin' smooth. Couldn't quite believe my luck. You can still see the mark, but I'm not exactly known for my despair over such things, so that is cool with me.

I never get that far down the neck anyway ;).

I'm pretty chuffed then as I've always thought that a guitar needs personality, and as the rest of the guitar has been battered with love, it is hard to get overly worried about a visual flaw in the old ebony. In fact I've sort of highlighted it with a bit of stain.

Back to flaunting the imperfections, really.

Anyway, I did the same to the pickguards (though they will never be flat, I made sure of that) and that looks a whole lot better too. It feels like wood again and the smell is lovely.

While I was on a lucky streak, I thought I'd push it a bit and stain them (fully expecting them to curl up and laugh in my face,) and somehow that has worked OK too.

(Must buy a lottery ticket.)

Not quite believing it was happening to one such as meself, next I decided in-for-a-penny, and went for the full monty, and oiled everything that wasn't nailed down.

It was either going to be sink or swim, but the neck feels a 110% better already, and I'm starting to think that maybe I can pull the bacon out of the fire after all. (OK, I know it is tempting fate to write that, but there we are.)

Cool, don't think I missed any opportunities for dialling a cliche there.

So, this morning the oil has dried, and I've got cracking with the stock conditioner and gun wax bobbins, and it looks and feels a million and three times better already.

I had sanded, stained and oiled the back of the neck and the headstock too, well most of it. I quite liked the lighter stripe at the edge of the fretboard, so I kept that. I also left the side markers intact...which solves one "opportunity". I'll need to do a bit more work on the back of the neck, but that is fine.

I have to say, even as it stands now I am a load happier with it, and if I do end up needing to replace the veneers, at least I'll know what to do first time, next time.

I'm starting to dare to dream of a teeny wee hope that I won't have to replace them though as it feels beautiful as it stands, but I guess the test will be once there are some strings on the thing, and I can see how it holds-up.

Other than that, the tuners are on, and my baby has a name on her forehead, which always makes things real. Hopefully the Jaguar pickup will arrive today or tomorrow and we'll be somewhere closer-er.

Someone pointed out yesterday that maybe it isn't good PR for me to show you what goes wrong quite so publicly, but I figure if I'm going to bore people silly writing about this as-it-happens, it is more 'for real' if it is honest -  it should be warts and all.

It's half of the trip, after all.

PR?
Me?
As if...

La la laaa

14 Steps Backward, 3 To The Front

Well, what can I say? Other than the pickup and leccy-bits to be fitted (and if my measuring-stick-ness is right, I won't even have to widen the hole for the SD Jaguar pickup) The Iceblink One is pretty close.

All I need to do is fit the nut and tuners, oh and oil the neck. I started to stain it yesterday, but unfortunately forgot that I'd managed to overlap the lacquer, so it got an interesting odd skunk-flattened-under-the-wheels stripe on the back. Which didn't really do it for me.

I do think that I may well be re-doing the fretboard veneer as looking closer the little raised bit isn't great and I'm not sure is fixable. Also, a friendly luthier, the wicked Wes Venables, has pointed out that the lacquer would wear off over time and that I would have been better using a good quality epoxy. Which hadn't crossed my mind, but is a good point.

So, my plan is to finish what needs finishing and see how it goes with the general understanding being that I'll have to replace the veneer and do it better at some point in the nearest and dearest future.

Which is good in a way as of course I'll just have to keep it until it is good enough, which is a hardship, but such is life. I might even get a note out of it, with a bit of luck.

Buggered the staining up, then

As for what is next, well the Explorer will be another fortnight until I even see it again. so it is my little Esquire project that I should be looking after. Unfortunately, I am lacking a few things such as bronze paint, a pickup, an Esquire pickguard...etc.

What I can do is strip it down, but that is always a bit boring, it has to be said.

So, tis the Iceblink neck, I guess, and a bit of shopping for veneers and other bobbins.

Ice, Ice Baby

Mocked-up,
The Iceblink One
Luvvin' it

Well, rather amazingly, the early promise of the day has trundled along and basically delivered some progress as far as The Iceblink One goes, here in Jookyland.

The rather spiffy looking fretless 'board is complete, lacquered and dried (OK, drying) and looks rather nice. Well, apart from one bit which is a little raised. Hmmm, bit of flattening to do there. Never good to get splinters.

The body now has a wee-bit-rough, split and slightly corrugated ebony scratchplate, which I'm falling in love with. With just the pickup and wiring needed, it seems like a good day.

OK, strap pins, I forgot the strap pins.

I also changed my mind about the Jaggy little extension to the scratchplate where the knobs and jack will sit, and put the wood on there too. I'd had a look at a couple of the earlier mock-up fotos, and it just looked better, and that is good enough. That is screwed into place and has been lacquered too.

As for the neck, I've decided to stain and oil it, but that will come once the 'board is proper dried and hard-like.

As for the nut, I've got one but I think I will need to lower it somewhat as there are none of those metal fretty things in the way and the action can be lower than normal. So that will be sandpaper time again, I guess.

One thing I'm not sure about is the string gauge/type to use. I've been reading around and some people swear by heavy flatwounds, whereas others suggest as-light-as-possible normal roundwound  8s or whatever.

Now I'm guessing that the light ones are suggested as a fretless is meant to lose some of the top end and they should jingle more. Whereas the flatwounds do that and I guess overall you are going to get quite a jazzy sound from it.

Which way to go though?
I'm not entirely sure.

I don't mind trying both, but once I've set-up the nut for 14s or something, it is going to be like spaghetti in the Albert Hall if I then go with the 8s.

Saying all that, I'm not even sure if I could feel 8s anymore.

I guess it depends what the guitar gets used for. If it is Guthrie-esuqe speediness, the 8s maybe make more sense. If it is as a tone machine, the flatwounds.

A nice chap called Eric suggested I use D'addario Chromes as they are a brighter flatwound, so I may well do that. Makes sense to me, which is a rarity in itself. And 11s are apparently OK too, so maybe that is the answer.

Anybody else got any suggestions?

So in summary, all a bit of a shed but I still can't be waiting to play the thing...

Monday, Monday...So Good To Me

Well, with The Iceblink One getting closer and closer, regardless of whether it works out or explodes under my nose and scorches protruding nail hair, I have started to ponder the eternal 'What comes Next?' imponderably imponderable question.

As I stand, I have an Explorer to get back from the professional de-gunkers, a couple of Telecasters and that is about it.

The Explorer, I now have a deadline, so will be chasing greasy people with tanks of foul unctions to see if they have got their collectives out and sorted my issue - removed whatever it was painted with that even Nitro Mors and a week in a black bag does little to trouble. That's like extreme waterboarding for guitars.

As for the Tele, I'm thinking that the more traditional one should get the full bronze treatment. It is going to be a single pup Esquire, though as to what pup, I can't decide quite yet between trad or something else. it should be simple, but there we are. It isn't.

Picking the colour first is good anyway.

The other one, I'm not sure what to do with it, as silly though it seems  it is in perfect condition, and looks, plays and sounds beautified already. So it will probably just move on to newly pastures un-Jookied. It happens sometimes, even here.

As for the Iceblink, well the body is done. I've added the bridge and tried out the scratchplates. As it happens, the little Jaguar-like part I'm not going to put on as it looks a wee bit silly. just the knobs and output jack will look fine. So it's down to whether I can sort the neck out really...

Anyway, I've screwed the 'plate on and lacquered it and using a pair of fingernail scissors, managed to split the veneer slightly next to one of the screws. It looks more unkempt that way - the last thing I wanted was it to look too Jazz-teacherish.

I've also now sanded the sides of the fretboard and given the ebony an initial coat of lacquer. It will get a few more today and once that is sorted I've just got to sort out the rest of the neck. I can't quite decide whether to go with some rust or whether to just oil it and maybe stain it. We'll see.

As things stand then, depending upon the usual gifts from some god or other in terms of developing my serenity, I am hopefullyfilled with expectations in the this-could-be-finished-this week-ness department.

I just wouldn't bet on it, really.

Come Together, Next Week Sometime

A guitar neck smothered with ebony

Well, what can I say. The rustification of the Iceblink One is there bar a few more coats of the clear stuff. The back looks rather nice, it has to be said.

The pickup is decided upon and should be with me next week or at least sometime soonish - a lovely SD Quarter Pounder Jaguar pickup, which I'm hoping will have enough poke for a bit of doom-laden misery, yet come with one of those silly wonderful chrome claws around it. Lovely.

I have a bridge.
It fits,
I like that.

I've got the two-part scratchplate cut out of plastic and it has been 'veneered', and is currently resting beneath a big massive heavy bag of salt.

Oh, and a biscuit tin lid.

It is all hi-tec here, telling you.

Getting braver, I have unclamped the neck to see what sort of mess I've made of the all important ebony veneered fretboard. I must admit I had to give meself a good talking to before I did this. It is the crux of the anti-matter after all, and I realised that I'd already used the rest of the ebony so no second chances - working without Annette, whoever she may be.

So what did I see?

Well, I had of course overlapped it slightly on the sides, so that needs to be trimmed and sanded to size, but generally it is pretty and much flat and looks rather nice indeedy.

No crazy-legged bubbles to iron out, nor ripples to get in the way of a lowly action. There are a couple of tiny splits, which is fine and it needs a sand before I lacquer it (don't use the red jelly varnish, don't use the red jelly varnish...), but I am hopefilled at the moment.

It really is very pretty, those Indonesian trees know a thing about decorative guitar making, clearly.

From here then I guess it is mainly about getting the neck as good as I can. There are a few dents around the back, which are beyond sanding, but hopefully won't get in the way when it is being played.

As I say, I'm going to lacquer the board, and rustify the back of the neck as that felt rather nice and satinesque on the Wasteland One all those weeks ago. (Well, it feels like a long time), and I'm still to come up with a good idea for the fret markings, but that shouldn't prove horrendous.

And there we are.

I think it is only now sinking in what I'm doing with this one, and for some reason it makes me a little nervous. I don't know why.

A Rust Encrusted Back

Maybe it is because I haven't got a clue whether I will be able to play a note - like a violin lesson or something. (Not that I've ever had one, but I remember my bro's oh-so-painfully-well) or instead it could be because I'm not sure I can actually do what I'm trying to do, if that makes sense.

Not that incompetence generally is allowed to get in my way, but there we are.

Maybe I'm just getting old and scared of youths in hoodies.

A tootle and a trip

Decisionmakingrustfakingbrainachingpontificating....Jooky

Dry-y-y-ing, Over You...

Well, I've finally come to a conclusion, after mucho pondering, and the conclusion I've concluded is that a Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick pup could prove to be rather lovely at the bridge of the Iceblink One. That or maybe a nice hot Strat pickup.

Conclusions aren't always final, of course.

I had been thinking hardly long about a Jazzmaster pickup, but I've got plans for those elsewhere now I come to think about it, and the Jaguar ones worry me a tad as given this baby is going to be low on variations, I'm thinking that something a bit warmer might be in order.

Though there is always a hotter Jaguar pickup, I guess

Why didn't I think of that sooner?

Gord, I don't know.

As for the wiring, it is going to be a single volume with a single tone, all very Les Paul Junior, of course, so maybe I'll go for a Fake58 loom, just to set it off a bit, proper nice like, with ye olde worlde wiring and stuff. Unless it is a Jag pup, when I probably want 1 Meg pots...

But, while the neck is drying, and to finish the week off, I thought as I'm not going to need to chop any wood, I might as well look as though I've achieved something and get on with the body finish.

Now I've been going around in circles with this, which will probably come as a bit of a surprise, me being so decisive normally, of course. But, on one hand I think (a final?) rust job could work well with the ebony, and I'm sure it would, but then on the other I think a bit of a blingy gold leafing could be rather attractive. Maybe with the back stained dark and oiled? I don't know.

Hmmm..here we go again.

No, rusty iron it is which leaves me the option of a gilded scratchplate if the veneer one looks pants.

Which it might, or indeed, might not. I just don't know, and won't do until I get my finger out and find something to make the scratchplate out of.

Oh, I have picked the knobs. That's good isn't it? They are the bug eye ones they use on D*A*M Fuzz pedals and look really cool. I'm also going to have the jack socket on the front, like a proper offset should do.

So that's two decisions without any fuss.

See I'm not a total deadloss.

Truly I'm not.

All the time.

**** Laterish ****

So obviously, after starting to splash the iron paint around, and then drenching it with my home-brew, rustification elixir, I did the obvious thing and sorted out a Seemore Butts Quarter Pounder Jaguar pickup, which will no doubt mean that I need to engage in some wood removal, thusly messing up the lovely rust. You can't buy planning like that.

Anyway, the front has rusted and is now going thru the lacquer bath that is my garage, and may have a slightly burnt aroma stuck in the finish as I cremated some crumpets en-route. Scratch and sniff guitars, it could catch on.

By way of research, I thought it might be an idea if I actually played a fretless guitar before I try to set this one up, (actually seeing one would be a step forward of course,) so I'm going to poddle out a wee bit later and do just that. It will either depress or inspire me and no doubt have little to do with the end result anyway, but it gets me away from the crumpet fumes if nowt else.

La la laaaaa

A bit of iron

A bit of the old rustification...lavley

Getting Jiggy With it

Reminds me of my last visit to the dentist...

Well, things are looking up in Jookyland. The hardtail, toploading bridge thing for The Iceblink One arrived safely and all of the screw holes even match up. Wonders ceaseless never etc.

The first of my Tele body/neck combos also arrived, which again looks very nice in a butterscotchy/blondish sort of way. Not that it will stay that way for long, I expect.

The other Tele also showed-it's-face as I began typing this, and it is amazingly pretty. All flamey maple and binding on top. Very stylish. It almost seems a shame to drench it with copper or bronze or something. Maybe I should keep the binding, I don't know. Guess that one is the '70s rock monster then... Can I do neat and avoid the binding? There's a thought. On the downside, the necks a bit horrible though, so I'll have to find a different one.

As for the Iceblink, I've realised I need a few more clamps before I can glue the veneer to the fretboard. To hold it in place I'm using a nice bit of sapele I had bought for a Cigar Box Guitar neck a while back, as a sort of crutch, which I'll clamp on top of the veneer/glue/guitar neck and spread the pressure if not the lurrve..

In my highly professional trial run I realised it needed more pressure, so more clamps.

Which is cool, I don't mind.

Buying clamps makes me feel like I know what I'm doing.

As for the scratchplate, I am still in-search-of some suitable plastic to cut up, which is starting to do my head in, but as the couriers have all arrived, I can go out and buy some clamps/find some plastic stuff, I guess.

La la laa.

**** Later That Very Same Day *****

And as time has passed, I have in fact got some more clamps - I left Homebase with shoulders back, I can tell you. I even got some more wood glue as I'd accidentally left the stopper unstopped on the last bottle, knocked it over and glued all manner of junk to the table. Not good.

But every war has casualties, and mostly self-inflicted.

Though getting back to the point - I've glued the neck, glued the veneer. Introduced them and then got forcefilled and clamped the poor things under a hunk of wood.

I'm learning my lesson and not leaving them out in the freezing cold this time, so hopefully there will be little need for my patented iron technique. Though I have it in my armoury, which makes me feel warm inside and taller still.

In between such spills and bellyaches, I had a play with The Gypsy One, and have decided to swap the switch. It works, but is all a bit stiff and I can't help feel that-something-isn't-quite-right with it. I could leave it and probably would if it were mine - in fact it would probably be hot-wired and you'd need to twist a screwdriver to change pickups, but as I'm at least pretending to want to sell it, it had better be right, don't you know?

But there we are, another day of paradise lost.

Can't Seem To Blink

Unartistic Impresh

Hand taped stuck on fretboardcoveryupthing

Well, yesterday proved a bit of a non-event.

Waiting for a courier meant that not a lot other than pacing got done in the sanding department, and as I'm awaiting two couriers today I can't say I'm getting too optimistic..

Instead I spent a few gentle hours playing and setting-up The Old Burny and Gypsy Ones. They are an interesting pair in truth, as they are pretty much my ideal guitars-that-aren't-offset and if I saw them in a shop would no doubt snap them up.

They are stretching my 'Don't keep The Jookies' rule to extremes, it has to be said.

It is tough sometimes.

Being so, err, righteous and strong of will.

Still, maybe nobody else will want them. It would be nice to have some stock-that-doesn't-shift in the Emporium for once.

As for newer things, of the two Tele projects I've got coming, one is going to be a single pickup Esquire and the other is going to be more of a Seventies Rocker, I think. Humbucker plus an interesting single coil of some type.

I feel like I'm coming towards the end of the corroded finishes, so these might be a final hurrah along with The Iceblink One. Maybe one each of iron, bronze and copper would be a fitting finale. Or perhaps I should mix it up a bit already... Not sure.

But what to do...what to do.

Well, I can - and have, as time has passed without a seam - at least cut the ebony veneer stuff to size for The Iceblink One's fretboard. And very nice it looks too, if I say so myself, which as there is nobody here apart from me, I have to. I'm thinking this should have a corroded bronze finish as it happens and I am going to try and do a veneer on the scratchplate after all. It will have to have a join, but what the hell. It will no doubt be as seamless as everything else I do.

So, I need to find some plastic to cut the shape out of. I don't want to use scratchplate material as it will be a bit thick, and I can't go out to buy anything so it needs to be something here. One of the kids' toys, maybe? Or would that be cruella?

La-di-la-daaa

Like Ice In The Sun....I Fade Away

Why do I keep thinking of
Tales of the Unexpected?

Well, I'm waiting for couriers to bring me glittery things again today, so I'm poddling along on The Iceblink One once more.

First up, I managed to find a toploading, hardtailed bridge that could have been made-to-measure (assuming the measurements are right - I'll know when it arrives, I guess.), which for a change is black. I also got some black tuners too - not really sure why, but there we go..

Today though belongs to the neck.

To put the veneer on, I'm going to have to sand down the existing board and fill the slots with epoxy. I'm aiming to flatten the board (get rid of the radius) and basically take it down by the depth of the veneer. This is going to be a combination of sandpaper and a spirit level, so I figured I'd stick the sand paper to the spirit level and do it with that. (This may be inspired or insane, not quite sure yet.)

As for the scratchplate, I'm going to cut that out of plastic and then veneer it, I think, though the Jaguar-esque split control plate might end up getting a platinum leafing instead, just as a nod in the right direction. We'll see.

I am still dithering over whether to go for a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar pickup. I'll probably try both or go for the lipstick option, which may actually be the bestest of bets, as it happens.

Update:
As seems to always happen, as I'm typing this, something changes, and in this case the change-that-has-changed is that the Ebony veneer has arrived, and rather nice it looks too. What it doesn't look is big enough to do a scratchplate with as well as the neck (assuming I only have to do the neck once, of course.)

Plan B might have to be something else then, as far as the scratchplate goes. I had been toying with gold, a la that nice Mr Mascis, so I could do that I guess. I've got some 24 Karat left from the Old Burny One, I think. Not that I've decided on the body or pickups yet of course.

Anyway, time to sand the board flat.

La la laaa

Scratchplating, Sort of...

Vinegar and Brown Paper...

Well, it was rather nice that the final bits showed up for The Gypsy One, as it meant I could finish the first Jooky of the year. I have to say I'm rather pleased with meself as I had this battered sort of image in my head and I've ended-up amazingly close to it. Which after the initial trials of the veneering, seemed unlikely.

It sounds fabulous though. The Nocaster pickups really are everything you'd hope for, not a sign of muffledness and crystal clear on the cleans. With a bit of dirtiness, verily saucy indeed.

Ooh, Paper Roses

As to what comes next, well I'm waiting, as per, before I can do anything much on The Iceblink One, other than dream. And it will be a few more days until the other Tele body/neck arrives too, so I guess I'll just have to improvise, really. Oh, and not to get into a total rut, but there is another Tele body and neck on the horizon as well.

I don't know why this happens - the doing things in clusters. It happened before with SGs and Strats before that, and a couple of offsets too. Most odd.


Maybe it is phases of the Luna that sets people of similar tastes to divest themselves of guitars/parts at the same time. Maybe this is Tele month, whereas October was SG and...well, you get the picture if you've read this far, I'm sure.

But The Iceblink One. Well, one thing I can do is sort out the finish for the body of the Iceblink and gunstock the neck, so maybe I'll do that while I'm awaiting. I've also sketched out a pickguard for it (very roughly). The idea for this is to cut it out of something, and laminate a piece of matching veneer to it. I want it to nod toward the fretboard but also merge with whatever finish the main body gets. I'm thinking corroded bronze or iron again, but I won't really know until I get to play with the ebony, I guess.

I, Scrible

As it happens I've since traced this onto transparent plastic. Cut it out and stuck it onto paper. Scanned it into Photoshop, smoothed it a wee bit, and then printed it onto more paper so I can stick it on the guitar and see how it looks as a kinda Esquire. Oddly it reminds me of the Telemaster (different outline, but you can see what I mean. A stumpy Telemaster, perhaps.)

I've also been thinking more about the pickups. I was very definite about sorting out a Jaguar pup, but then tried a Jazzmaster one at the bridge and I think that could look quite tasty, and I do love Jazzmasters very muchly so. So what is a poor boy to do?

Actually, I just realised that I can't really finish the body yet, as I will no doubt need to chop some chunks out of it for the pickup and maybe the bridge if I can't find a hardtail one to fit.

La la laa.
Wish this veneer would hurry up and arrive.
La la laaaaa

Sold: The Gypsy One

The Gypsy One is the first ever Jooky to feature one of our ‘Vera’ veneers, in combination with a right royal rusting. The Rosewood veneer has been cracked, nibbled, attacked with a Tefal Steam Iron and generally battered, before the final indignity of some rusty iron has been used around the edges and back of the guitar.

This was our take on the famous George Harrison Rosewood Tele, and we assumed that it had been buried beneath a load of leaky iron piping for forty years. This may not be what really happened to George’s guitar, but how would we know?

Other than the finish, the body is alder with a rosewood veneer, the neck is maple/maple for all those classic twangy tones, the pickups are handwound in Spain by the quite brilliant Jess Loureiro based on the original Fender Nocaster/Broadcaster ones, and there we are.

*

To be clear, The Gypsy 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 Sgt Pepper’s day uniform. There will genuinely never be another guitar like this and past experience suggests that it won’t be around for long.

To treat yourself to this uniquely groovy and battered guitar for a mad £399 including a hard case delivered to your door, Click on the Big Yellow Button before somebody else does. And they will, oh yes they will...

*** SOLD - SORRY ***


Technical Stuff:

Type: Cilla’s Rusty Iron, Vera’s Veneer

Electrics: Handwound Tele Nocaster/Broadcaster set by Jess Loureiro

Guitar Type: Telecaster

Construction: Rosewood and Rusted Iron over Alder

Strings: Nickel 10s

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: Volume, Tone, Three-way Switch

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

Serial Number: JGE#44

RSP: £799

Call Me Mr Freeze

Some Ebony Macasssar, earlier tonight

Well, not a lot to do on The Gypsy One now, until the postie brings me glittering delights, so I've been having a bit of a think about The Iceblink One.

And the think-of-the-day, is that I am definitely going to go for a fretless neck.

I've been researching such matters diligently, and I think it could be good fun. Though whether I'd manage to play the thing, I don't really know. 

For the neck then I have to decide whether to fill the existing yet empty fret slots.

Apparently I don't need to, but some recommend filling them with wax, so I don't know yet. The marker might be handy, of course, when I come to play the thing.

Alternatively I could cover it with something flat, which might be fun, just not sure what.

Some people use glass or metal or, well, whatever is flat, I guess.

Edit: As it happens I've just been reading that you can veneer the fretboard, and as I've got a beautiful bit of Ebony Macassar veneer (whatever that is) on the way at the moment, that might be fun.

Well, heart-stoppingly-fraught, perhaps, but that is still more challenging than filling the gaps with a selection of Crayola colours.

As for the rest, I am definitely going for a single pickup at the bridge with my current fave idea being a Jaguar one - assuming I can route it out - or a hot Strat bridge pickup. Maybe even a lipstick if I can find a nice one somewhere, they would up the jangly ante.

We'll see how brave I am.

As for the finish, I'm not sure yet, though I think I may Gun Stock the rest of the neck as it feels great on the Gordo. Ah, tis the simple things.

So in summary, that is probably it: I'll put an ebony veneer on the 'board of a fretless guitar, with a Jaguar pickup, a new scratchplate, a hardtail bridge that I know nothing about, will Gunstock the neck and do something groovy to the body.


Sounds like a plan.

(You may notice that I spit on my comfort-zone and then start climbing upto a wildly optimistic peak high, higher than I should even dream about. And then reach for the ladder, and still can't find a metaphor to cover the stupidity.)

Crawling Toward The Line: The Gypsy One

Well, I'm pleased to introduce to you, something new from Jookyland and a bit of a first all around.

There is still a bit of work to do - the strings are buzzing like honey-chasing-hornets and a string tree and jack plate are yet to arrive, and of course I really need to put brass saddles on it. Oh, and I'm changing the knobs, of course. But despite all this, I can plug in and play and The Gypsy One is now in the land of the living, and I'm finding it a little compelling.

From the start, the idea for this was to make my own version of the famous Rosewood Telecaster. This entailed putting a rosewood veneer on the top, shaping it to the body and then 'binding' the edges with some serious rust. I think you could say that it didn't go smoothly.

After this of course, all things have gotten messy and the veneer has been split, raised, scraped, burned with an iron, generally nibbled-at-the-edges and treated with a variety of antique varnishes and god knows what else.

I have the 90-a-day cough to prove it, and at the moment it can't be played near an open fire.

The rust on the sides overlap the front in a graceless degradation, and the back is pure rusted iron.

I'm rather amazed how well the finish has turned out. The really hard part was trying to get the shade of the rust to match the wood, and I think it is pretty (tonally) close in most lights.

Tuners are Wilkinson EZ-Locking jobbies, which look great and are solid.

The pickups are handwound by Jess Loureiro based on the original '50s Broadcaster/Nocaster ones and they sound awesome thru my Fender Bassman (OK, it's a model but as close as I'm likely to get).

In the end I went with a maple board for more authentic Tele-ness rather than authentic Rosewood-Tele-ness, and I think that is the right decision as it is pretty bloomin' twangulistic..

It's not meant to be a relic or a tribute it is just my take on things I like, and I have to say - I like it a lot.

Now, that is a nice end to the week... :)

Some Kind of Gypsy Boy

A rusty back.
Probably better than a hirsute one

Well, we're in the home straight as far as The Gypsy One's finish is concerned as the back has now been covered in iron and then rustificated. It has also been lacquered a few times and is now drying. Can't be bad.

Once that is good and solid we'll be ready to start putting it together. Well, assuming the rest of the parts arrive sometime soon.

I'm really looking forward to hearing Jess Loureiro's take on the original Broadcaster/Nocaster pickups. If his P90 is anything to go by - and attention to detail-wise I'm expecting it to be - they should be a real treat.

Not that I'm missing having a Tele to play, since the Sick One left me...

Honest.

I've been having a bit more of a ponder about The Iceblink One, and I'm coming around to the idea that it might be nice to put a Jaguar single coil in it, although obviously some kind of P90 is my natural response. Everything I've read suggests that a fretless will lack a bit at the top end, tone-wise, so I'm thinking something a bit more trebly might be a good idea to counter balance it.

Not that I know, of course, until I give it a go.

In other news, I've finally organised another router (after all previous disasters), which should arrive in a week or so, along with a dedicated table thing. In the longer term I'll hopefully get around to making a couple of bodies, but initially I think it will be mainly used for enlarging pickup holes so that I can fit soapbars in them and making the odd scratchplate here and there. Assuming I can work out how to turn it on, that is.

But to The Gypsy One, la la laaa.

Slap Me Baby Like Ice, or Something

They call me Stumpy...

Well, while The Gypsy One is drying, I've been trying to work out what to do with something a wee bit different.

I think I mentioned the other week that I'd picked up a sycamore, offset-ish type of guitar body and neck combo, but I never got around to telling you it arrived.

As you can see it is a bit of an oddity. I'm not sure what sort of bridge it needs, for a start, and there is a small matter of there being a lack of frets. I did think I'd use the neck as some kind of future fretting practise thingy, but the pocket is so small I don't think I'll find a different neck to fit to the body in the meantime.

And then I remembered years ago, right when I started to learn to play an open chord, a chap called Ian had bought a fretless bass, and it sounded amazing. And even though Em was as good as it got for me then (I can do Am now, of course, and generally do) I promised myself that one day I would have a fretless guitar.

Not that I was even sure if they existed or not.

Anyway, this morning I've been having a poddle about and sure enough, they do exist. Not very common, but you can get them, and so my little unfretted problem is now going to become my fretless delight. Flatwound strings and all.

All good stuff, methinks.

Still not sure what sort of bridge I'll need, probably a top mounted hardtail Strat one would work, but what the hell.

As for the rest, I'm thinking a single pickup at the bridge would be cool, a large scratchplate to cover the routings, but maybe made of something other than plastic, I don't know what, mind. But then that's the fun bit, innit?

La la laaa

Burn baby burn