New Year's Resolution 2012: A Strategic Review

Well, as you can hopefully see from the foto, my New Year's Resolution for 2012 that revolved around not starting a project until I have finished the previous one, hasn't exactly gone too well.

There is a teensy bit I could perhaps improve next time around.

And that doesn't include a few more that are in the frozen wastelands that is my garage.

Hmmm.

Looking at them though, I am totally stymied as I either am waiting for parts or haven't got my head together well enough to find them, so I think that may well be the job for the day.

Order a hundred-weight of Strap Pins and anything else on the list.

Necks might feature quite prominently by the looks of things.

Still as a wise man recently told me, it keeps me out of trouble.

One thing though, and it is a plonk together with random old parts in the pickup dept. but I am verily pleased with the way The Mysterio One has turned out, though I've put a Big Boy Tele bridge on and I'm not sure whether to go for a shorty chopped down one instead.

Decisions, decisions.

What is a poor boy to do?

La la laaa

WIP: The Mysterio One

Well, back to the pain-filled-pleasure that is Jookification today, and I could do nowt but go hell-for-rayon with The Mysterio One.

I think I said I'd already stained and waxed the body to give it a rough, old wood look, with the idea being that when I painted the acrylic on top it would give the impression of an old panel painting and more to the point make thecolourfilledness of the top all the brighter..

It's actually ten years since I did much painting and I've really avoided doing it on the guitars for lots of reasons, but mainly because I wanted to start anew as it were, but this was fun, so who knows, maybe more will happen sometime.

Anyway, as time has passed I've done my paint thing, and will be going in heavy with an ageing varnish later to complete the effect, and Fanny's your uncle and all that.

You can probably tell that the paint is quite thick and textured and I'm rather pleased with how it turned out, which is pretty cool as I rarely am. I don't want to get all puffypratic, in the words of the Housemartin, but it is based on Swift's A Tale of a Tub, but then that is probably obvious.

As for other stuff, well the year is running out so I probably need to plot and plan a wee bit and see what I'm capable of finishing this this side of shonky-jumper-and-pants-time and what is more likely to get shunted into next year.

But not today, for today I sleep.

La la laaa

Pearls a Swinger and Nína Tryggvadóttir

Well, with a bit of luck I'll soon be back to my Jooky ol' ways, and top of the agenda is to put a bit of colour in the cheeks of The Mysterio One.

I've already gone for a rough stain and wax, back and sides, but for the top I've got this image of a 'riot of colour' or perhaps 'a right mess', depending if I can remember how to do such things.

I want it to be textured and 3D both in looks and nature and generally vibrant and something else I read on the back of a postcard once that described the abstract expressionist movement, Pollocks and all. I know this has been done to death, and I don't want to dribble paint, so we'll see.

I always prefered Nína Tryggvadóttir anyway, but maybe that is because she died just after I was born and I can, even though at the time only a few months old, remember exactly where I was.

In a cot as it happens.

And I seem to remember that the Times gave a typically poor obituary - Icelandic Communists rarely get a good one, of course -  and that I was so enraged I thought then that one day I would make a guitar - maybe even 44 years later - and take her work as my inspiration. Not that my painting of the guitar will look anything like her work, I'm far more, err, free-willed, you'll understand, but I hope to capture the feeling of focussed desolation she brought to it.

As for the rest, it is an Esquire again and Marc at Mojo Pickups is pondering something different on the pickup front, so that is cool. I am going for a chopped Tele bridge as I seem to have one available unexpected-like, and I think it really must have a neck. You can take things too far, after all.

Other than that, waiting for parts is the usual tale, but it would be nice to finally play my Teardrop sometimes soon - Pearl is a swinger, after all.

La la laaaa

Teardrops Looming

Well, not a lot to do but ponder and obsess at the moment - the 'Might Do' list is looking pretty and long, pretty ugly that is, so I guess when I return to reality I had better get a kick on.

I think I said that I had had an about turn on the bridge for The Pearly Dewdrop One as I had (emb.) not quite thought thru the cut down Tele one.

Anyway, that meant that I was back to whatever the one before Plan A was, and a wraparound bridge - which let's face it, goes well with the Junior aspect of it all.

It will be the same on The Frou Frou Fox One too now, but for Pearl I seem to have acquired a really nice aged Faber one with appropriate stud and bushes and all the other bits who's name confuse me. These are coming from Hugh of ShugzLoomz fame, who is a top fella and all around nice guy.

More on ShugzLoomz soon, as they are in the process of getting a web site together, but you can see some examples of what the man does Here. And if you are after top notch wiring looms for the Les Paul or Semi or, well, whatever guitar you happen to have in your life, it is amazing how much difference good parts and groovy caps make.

But, back to scribbling on the drawing board

La la laaa

It's a Mysterio

Well, with a bit of time on me hands, I can't help but feel that it would be nice to do something a little more colourful, to shake of the Wintery Blues and other SAD thingimumbobbins. And as I seem to have acquired some lovely acrylic paints, I thought I'd paint a vulgar picture on a delish and light of weight Tele body that has also recently come into my possession.

I'm going the Esquire route again, as basically I love them and I suffer from a lack of imagination at the best of times, and in truth I am addicted to the cocked wah position Mr Mojo puts into his Esquire wiring looms. Sometimes that is enough.

Rather than a Tele pickup though, I'm going to see what he can come up with and maybe something a little different, we'll have to see. Saying that, The Bergasol One sounds enormous which is a grand thing, so maybe a hotter Mojo broadcaster could end-up on my wish list once more.

I guess I'm thinking this will be a little bit psychedelic in truth, and that isn't a bad thing to be for The Mysterio One..

La la laaa

Wishing I was Loaded: JXG Junior On The Block

Well, I've had a bit of a break from Jookiness for a couple of days, but one thing I can't quite get out of my head at the moment is a quite beautiful and amazing guitar that has been made from a lump or two of hundred year old mahogany by John at JXG guitars.

I've mentioned John's work before - not least because I bought Old Honey off him, which started life as one of Gibson's low rent 50s Studio Tributes, and by the time John had finished with it became a guitar that I really can't ever imagine being without - and for me that is saying a lot - and somewhat unlikely at best.

What John does on his own guitars is of course far in excess of the pimping Honey got, and the Junior he has built is the kind of thing the Gibson Custom Shop should be making, as old wood apart - they have no chance of getting that sort of thing - the attention to detail is crazy good.

And John is selling this for under 2 grand at the moment, and I can't afford it which is why I can't sleep at night. That is real craftsmanship and attention to detail for the price of a mass produced modern equivalent. Crazy cheap by any measure.

I hope John doesn't mind my talking about this, and nicking his fotos, but when I grow up, I want to make guitars like JXG do. Just hope I live long enough to grow that much.

Get this for a spec -

1 piece one hundred year old Honduras Mahogany body
1 piece one hundred year old Honduras Mahogany neck, quartersawn and cut from the same piece of timber as the body. Profile is a 'realistic' late 50's profile - about 23mm at the first fret with a rounded profile and sloped shoulders - feels more comfortable than Custom Shop 59 profiles with their square shoulders
Old growth Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard
Faber wraptail and locking studs, Tonepros Kluson tuners, vintage taper Bare Knuckle/CTS pots, paper in oil cap
Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickup
All nitro finish, aged and weather checked
Has the big G on the headstock
includes Hiscox case

Anyway, if you fancy putting me out of my misery, you can contact John Here and he is a top chap who makes amazing guitars and if you buy it and don't like it, I'll swap you for one of my Jookies.

Can't say fairer than that.

End of

La la laaa

Getting Shonky On It

Well, this is perhaps the most left of field yet, in fact it is so far to the left it is practically fascistic, but never let it be boring, and never indeed will it be.

What am I wittering about?

Well, I've for many long years fancied playing the mandolin. In fact I have a mandolin, I even had some lessons and I can play it to some extent, but even by my lowly standards, it is a very poor second to my very poor guitar playing. So that is low-in-excelsis indeedy-do.

And if I'm honest, half of the charm is the way mandolins look - they are just too cool to be ignored.

And in fact, my teardrop fetish can probably be traced back to Ye Olde round back mandolins and there we be.

However, the one that I've always coveted but never been able to vaguely justify, is the old Gibson F-12, which is absolutely gorgeous, from the scroll at the top to the crazy barking shape at the bottom and the trapeze tailpiece..

And so I had my little storm d'brain and asked Jezz of Woodroffe Guitars whether he could make me a guitar body based on the F-12, Les Paul kinda sized with routs for a couple of 'buckers, and lowly beholden, he came back with this lovely 3D model thingy.

And now it is happening.

How cool is that?

It will have a nice pair of pups on it - a dreamteam of a Mojo P90 and PAF combo (as the Mojo Pickups in The Chi Chi One were a total winner), and it will get a rustic finish in a big way, a nice Strat neck and I haven't quite decided on the rest, but it will be cool, of that I'm sure.

In fact it will be better than that - it will be tasteful and charming and generally uber mucho grande chilly like never before.

It will also be a few weeks down the line, but I really can't wait.

Unsurprisingly.

So there we are, The Shonky One, coming one day, but who knows which day that may happen to be, some happy day...

La la laaaa

Floored For The Thirty-Third Time

Well, I'm per-leased to say that The Floored Genius One is now suitably stained and hard waxed and looking rather groovy . I had a couple of goes at mixing my own stain (why does that sound so odd?) and got where I wanted to be in the end, and best of all no freckles, which is a result.

So that is cool McFrosty methinks.

As for my little Teardrop, Pearl, I never actually did any more on that, but some super cool knobs showed up - NOS Hofner ones - which I think will set it of a treat. Lovely. Can't wait to finish this.

As for my comic frenzy, well it never happened today, but hopefully I will develop a stronger will tomorrow. Well, you never know.

As for those two Tele bodies, I've still not decided what to be doing with them yet and I have had another brainstorm that looks like it might be a runner, so more on that anon too.

I am sooo verily mysterious-like, and I have a pair of shiny knobs, and what boy wouldn't be smug about that?

La la laaaa

So long, My Chi Chi One

Well, I managed to get the back of The Floored Genius One done yesterday, as well as leaping like a salmon with The Pearly Dewdrop One, so that was all pretty good.

I am rather excited by both of these, it has to be said.

So I have.

Said it, I mean.

Then.

Anyway.

As for today, well, The Chi Chi One is off to pastures new if the courier arrives. I set the guitar up for it's new keeper, Max, with 11s this morning and I have to say I think I'm a bit of a convert. I normally put 10s on Teles and Strats, but this felt brilliant, really meaty. It could of course be that it helps with my ham-fisted 'technique', but there we are. I have 11s on my Jazzmaster and on Old Honey, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised.

Other than hanging around for TNT, to err, explode on to the scene, the front of my Genius will get stained and waxed, and I'm going to bite the bullet and try and finish the comicisation of The Marvel Us One, before I give up on it due to it not being as much fun to do as the others.

Which would be wrong and generally a little naughty and credit-worthy-less.

Don't get me wrong, I really want it to be finished, it is just a PITA and I'm a little fragile at the moment. (Ahem)

As for other things, well it seems that despite my best intentions not to do any more Teles for a while, I have a couple more Tele bodies en-route from the frozen wilderness that is the north, so I need to think about what I will do with them.

But that is for another day,
maybe.

Though I have been thinking about...etc.

La la laaaa

WIP: The Pearly Dewdrop One

Well, there is still a bit to do - mainly bolting the neck on and wiring it up - but I'm really rather pleased with The Pearly Dewdrop One as it stands.

The corroded bronze with copper sprinkled top is beautiful, fotos don't catch the depth too well, so trust me on that, and I went for a nice braided binding complete with bronze topped upholstery pins around the outside.

OK, I can see that not exactly being many people's idea of a good time, but I love it.

Other than that there is not a lot to be said about it, I guess.

Elsewhere in Jookyland I heralded the arrival of the lovely swamp ash body for The Floored Genius One, and immediately set at it with some stain I'd mixed up, which is a warmer dark oak or maybe a darker light walnut, or well, something.

Sort of greeny brown in truth.

As for The Marvel Us One, I really can't face it today.

La la laaa

Of Super Heroes and Pearlie Tears

Well, yesterday was all a bit frustrating - and I am remembering now why it was I didn't do more comic laden guitars after The Beano One, mainly because it is a complete pain in the bumski.

But we shall overcome, and top and bottom is more or less done, with the tricky edges the job for the morning - so The Marvel Us One might live after all.

I did remember to take the time to fill the pickup cavities with pretty pictures so that they will provide a suitable backdrop to Mr Mojo's lovely loom, all to be seen thru a transparent scratchplate. So that should be good. As for the rest, I need to find the lippy pickups, and the only other thing I need is a trem, with one of Mr Wilkinson's excellent chunky steel blocked jobby the most likely offender.

And stupidly, I'm wondering whether a righty trem will fit into the lefty body or not. I should know the answer to that, but it is beyond me right now. I'll have to remember to check before I sort it out.

As for other stuff, I'm hoping I'll get Pearly's body sorted today, which would be rather nice indeed, as the lass is looking rather cool so far, and a teensy bit more attention could see her blossom like a farm.

La la laaaa

Forward To The Past

A Long, Long, Time Ago...
The Beano One

Well, the weekend wasn't totally unproductive for once, as I managed to finish the finish on the top of The Pearly Dewdrop One, and bloomin' scrummy it looks too, I am all rather pleased with meself.

It is now face down having it's back stained but hopefully I'll have the finishing entirely finished in the next few days, which is rather groovy.

As for today, well, I've got my Captain America comics, so I'm going to be chopping them up and getting going on The Marvel Us One.

I've only ever done one comic guitar before - ah The Beano One - so it is a bit exciting, though a teensy bit fraught as it is nowhere as forgiving as the fabric and the rest. But such is life, nobody said it was going to be easy.

As for other things, well the ubiquitous waiting-for-parts covers so many things, but there we are and over there we be. Indeedy dee.

La la laaaa

Flooring Genius

Well, things are coming together nicely with the Pearly Dewdrop One, though it is taking forever to dry - guess it's getting cold, bbrrrrr.

Also, it is nice to see that The Tickled Pink One is picking up some space in the papers and I am loving the rejiggled The Confused One all over again. I am definitely putting a Shorty bridge on Pearl, as I've been quite impressed with the difference between that and a Strat hardtail tone-wise.

Other than that, the 'To Do' list is dancing along a rainbow into the distance, and I clearly should get my finger out and start doing something about all those lovely ideas. I mean, I've got teardrops, a semi Jazzmaster, a la Cab, a bass of some sort, a Captain America smothered Strat and gord knows what else to sort out, which means I am above capacity and looking well into the new year before I catch up again..

So obviously, yesterday I snaffled myself a nice Jazzmaster body and a neck, asked Marcy Mojo to do me some pickups and a loom, and started on something new again.

At least in my head.

Silly though it sounds, but it is because I have a nice red tortie 'plate ready to go, and it would seem a shame to waste it

Plus, I think I really should make meself a proper Jazzmaster as I have serious pangs and self loathing over the departure down under of The Fallen One. I also still hanker for an Elvis Costello one, and this is probably as close as i'll get, so it had better be known as The Floored Genius One, as I have meant to use that name a few times before and it has never came together. It had to happen sooner or later, let's face it, and not a bit of parquet in sight.

La la laaa

Confused Tears

Blue Tears On A Bronze Pillow
Maybe

Well, bit of a lazy day today, but I got some stuff done, which is always good - to finish the week off, and all that jazz.

Firstly, I stained The Pearly Dewdrop One and got that dried, before bronzing the top and then going for a blueish corrosion with added copperfied sprinkles. And very nice it looks too.

That will settle down over the weekend and I can hopefully finish the finish early next week.

From there it's not too bad, as I have pretty much everything, though I'm thinking that I may change my mind slightly on the bridge, and go for a cut down 'shorty' Telecaster one.

Why this change of heart?

Well, as I mentioned I got the Confused One back with a few issues, which proved easily solved, but while I was at it I replaced the Stratish bridge with a Shorty and very nice it is too.

Confused, Yet Extra Twangeee

It certainly has a bit more zing and not a little zong without any of that there worrisome zeng 

Can't be doing with zeng.

All in all, I'm quietly liking it, and was wondering if one of those wouldn't just be the thing for Pearly too.

Not that I have another, but that is simply sortable as well.

In fact where Pearl goes, there is one more presentational delight to come, but that can wait a while yet.



So there we are, another week without masses of progress, but I'm hoping Pearly will be playable by this time next week. It's taken years, but I have the horrible feeling that this might really be it.

La la laaa

Pearly Dewdropped Freckles

Well, after a bit of woodwork yesterday - sanding, routing, drilling - I almost felt like I knew what I was doing at one point - I thought I'd do a bit more on The Pearly Dewdrop one this morning.

And naturally enough, all feelings of competence disappeared quick smart when the wood stain I was holding in a yogurt pot (as I do) decided to escape, the bottom of the pot obligingly gave way and I now look like my hands and arms have been on a good holiday without me.

Oh, and I have freckles for the first time in my life, and they don't seem to want to wash off.

On the plus side, the dark oak stain suits Pearly better than it does me, and hopefully I'll be moving on when that dries and giving myself a hard waxing, or maybe throwing acid in my face to see if that removes the freckly bits, or just my skin.

Sometimes, it is harder than it should be.

La la laaaa

Teardrops, In My Eyes

Well, a bit of a red letter day here in Jookyland, as my lovely two Teardrop bodies arrived this morning, fresh from Jezz at Woodroffe Guitars, who are making these and hopefully a couple of other fancy pant thingies exclusively for us purveyors of Jookiness, and rather lovely they are too.

I'll dig out all the parts and start on the wood working stuff later on this week, but I have a bit of a spring in my step and can't wait to get The Pearly Dewdrop and Frou Frou Fox Ones fettled and strummable.

I know I've said, mentioned and reiterated once or thrice before, but I've wanted a teardrop for decades, but never found one that I liked to play, but these will both have big headed Strat necks, P90 Dogears and Mojo Pickups' looms, so they are going to be proper pukka.

Glory me, and colour me beatified.

Other than that, well, there is no other than that, I can't be caring less today, to be quite honest.

La la laaaa

Chi Chi, Is The One I Can't Forget...

Well, the last couple of days have been a bit odd. the TV Dinner One set off to sunny Ireland, while The Confused One came home, all tattered and torn, to Jookyland. Never got a chance to even open the box on that one, but hopefully I can see what's what today.

Other than that, as my Bratskis totally refused to allow me to chop their comics to bits, The Marvel Us One never happened over the weekend, and I have had to order some Marvel comics of my very ownsome.

I went for Captain America comics as they were my fave as a kid - theoretically anyway, I only ever got to read them in the Doctor's surgery waiting room. Saying that I did love 2000ad when that came out (and can still cry over my Mom throwing away the first couple of hundred issues that I'd collected, free Frisbee disk on the first one and bionicalised stickers on the second. Remember them well.)

But they weren't Marvel, not that that really matters I guess.

Hmmm..

Anyway, hopefully they will arrive today and I can start with me plastering.

I'm going to try and be a bit swish with this one and be-cover the cavities too, and then make a transparent scratchplate so you can see the comics as well as Marcy Mojo's lovely loom and PIO caps..

I'm quite looking forward to this...

Speaking of Strats (vaguely Stratish anyway) I am deeply and darkly in love with The Chi Chi One, it sustains for half an hour, and the neck is lust-fulfillingly groovy.

So nobody do anything silly like buying it,

Okay?

I'm quite happy for it to hang around for a while right now.

Tidy lush, indeedy.

Who needs a Les Paul, eh?

Not I.

This week anyway.

La la laaaa

Feeling Frou Frou Like A Fox

More your Frou Frou Frocks
But you get what I mean, I'm sure

Well, as it happens when I was getting misty of eye about The Pearly Dewdrop One, I failed to mention that I had in fact snaffled two teardrop bodies, rather than just the one.

Now tempted though I am to come up with some multi-body behemoth of a guitar, instead I think I am going to keep my life simple and instead make two guitars with the traditional single body each.

I've talked long and hard about The Pearlster, with it's Mojo P90, Strattish hardtail bridge and corroded bronze top, but what to do with this other blighter?

Well, it too will have a single P90 - I have a nice Gibson one around here somewhere that is worth a pop -  but I'm going to go for more of a Jr style and use a Gibson wraparound bridge I also acquired somewhere down the line.

As for the neck, well big-headed Strat seems the goose to be plucked there again, and I'll no doubt get Mr Mojo to make me yet another of his uber cool looms to make it work. Lovely.

As for the finish, well I am thinking that rust would be cool on this one, so that is the plan. At least on the top. Although I am tempted to do something ethereal in acrylic for old time's sake, so maybe that instead.

So one more for the coming one day never list, The Frou Frou Fox One, cool as cherry blossom, spindrifting over Yardley Wood.

Why does it feel like things are getting interesting around here?

La la laaaa 

Getting On With Hartlepool

Picture This
A Day In November

Well, The Hartlepool One is another that has been on the Never-likely-in-my-lifetime list for far too long, and so I've got my head together about it and it will hopefully be the shape of things to come.

What it will now be, is a rather lovely semi-acoustic Jazzmaster with a few tweaks to keep it interesting.

Instead of a Jazzmaster tremolo I've decided to go all hardtail on you and have a more Gibson style with a Tune-o-matic bridge and Stopbar tailpiece. I think that will be pretty cool, and there we are.

It is also going to be a flat top with a nice 'slash' a la Ricky instead of an f hole, which should be pretty and stylish methinks. A bit of a Charvel Surfcaster vibe, methinks.

What else?

Well, a Jazzmaster neck, of course, will be handy, and I want it wired properly, so the rhythm circuit will be all present and correct, so that will naturally be the best of breed in the shape of one of Mojo Pickups' Jazzymaster looms.

As for the pickups, I'm thinking that I'll have a Mojo Jazzmaster pickup at the neck and maybe try one of Marc's JM-sized Wide Range humbuckers, as I haven't before, as I haven't really had a good excuse to neither.

And thinking about the finish, I fancy something a wee bit dark yet plushly opulent, so I need to dig out a sense of style from somewhere. Somewhere clearly deep.

La la laaaa

Hot Sex In Bergasol

Hot Sex In Bergasol
A Study In Cool

Well, other than fettling the rather awesome The Bergasol One, I can't say I did a lot yesterday.

Playing took over from Jookifying, but that is no bad thing. Well, unless you are my next door neighbour, when it may well be, maybe probably.

I have to say, and I know I rave about them normally anyway, but the Hot-hot-hotter version of the Broadcaster pickup Marc wound for this guitar is a total joy. If anything it works the Esquire wiring better than the vintage specced one, especially in that cocked-wah position, and it is clear as a bell when clean as well as breaking up as easily as a teenager-in-lurve when you play a tad harder.

Very nice indeed, I don't think I could be more pleased with it.

As for what is next, The Black Russian One will be a while yet as will The Pearly Dewdrop One and everything else awaiting parts as, well, they are waiting for parts. There was a clue there I really failed to spot for a few minutes

Today then, I'm going to do something different and dig out some comics for The Marvel Us One. Marc also sent me a lovely vintage loom for that baby, and I've got some lipstick pickups somewhere and a neck on the way, so that is all cool like an ice lolly.

This was meant to be one I'd do with the Brats but they don't seem that bothered so I'll amuse myself instead.

More generally, I'd have to check with Mr Gorman hisself, as he is the only one that can be bothered to keep track, but I think this may well be the first occasion that I've ever had four Jookies for sale at the same time. And in a way it is quite nice to sort of go from one to the next - actually I waste a lot of time doing that - but I do feel slightly claustrophobic with too many guitars in the house (and you can't chain them in the garden like the kids, as the necks end-up warped.)

Anyway...

La la laaaa

Sold: The Bergasol One

The Bergasol One is a stunning looking and sounding Jookified Esquire that is truly cool in every way.

Based on Fender’s earliest, a swamp ash body has been stained and waxed, back and sides, with the top getting one of our acid fried corroded bronze finishes to amazing effect, dripping down the sides and set-off beautifully with a Bakelite pickguard.

The neck is a good old school handful with a low buzz-free action and a beautiful smooth ride – the headstock corroded to match the top of the body.

A Fender bridge gives the traditional twang with an ashtray cover adding a bit of class.

Sounds come via a specially wound by Marc Ransley at Mojo Pickups Hot Broadcaster pickup, that along with the top notch Mojo Esquire loom drags every possible tone out of the guitar with ease.

Control plate, bridge and tuners have been aged, with Wilkinson Klusons giving a solid feeling tuning.

All in all, this is a stunning looking guitar, with bags of tone and a beautiful feel. What else could you possibly want?



*


To be clear, The Bergasol 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.


*** SOLD ***

Technical Stuff:

Type: Pam's Baywatch Bronze

Electrics: Mojo Pickups Hot Broadcaster, Mojo Esquire style Wiring loom (CTS pots, Switchcraft Switch, PIO Caps)

Guitar Type: Fender Telecaster Esquire Style

Construction: Swamp Ash body, Maple/Maple neck

Strings:     Nickel Hybrids 9, 11, 16, 26, 36, 46

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: Volume, Tone, 3-way-switch

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

Serial Number: JGE#66

RSP: £799

Introducing: The Bergasol One

Well, I am pleased to introduce to you, a rather stunningly groovy yet cool addition to the Jooky retinue, the rather green around the gills, The Bergasol One.

I managed to finish it first thing this morning and then played it into shape for a few hours, and call me fickle and a guitar tart, but I think I'm in love again.

The neck is a proper old style handful and feels beautiful to play - you proper glide around the place.

And the pickup - Marc at Mojo Pickups wound me a hotter version of his beatified Broadcaster - 13K if such things mean much to you - and it sustains like a Viagra monching octogenarian. The tone is gorgeous too, that real on-the-edge feeling to it.

As for the wiring, Marc has also done me one of his classy Esquire looms for three tones from one pickup, and I am so in love with the cocked-wah front position, well, I may just gush.

(I can gush, more than this, believe me. I'm a gushing geyser of a geezer, and no mistake.)

As for the finish - well, the body is a lovely lump of swamp ash, and back and sides have got a blue stain/hard wax oil finish, while the top was treated to a bronze bath (the drips run over the side - I love that) before being attacked maliciously with some home brew acid, so that is has corroded in a vaguely burst effect quite lushly.

Lush, is indeed what I am thinking. Proper lush.

And so there we are, a lovely old school Esquire - and I didn't even mention the Bakelite pickguard - with a proper old school neck and tone by the bucket.

Lush in excelsis

La la laaaaa

WIP: The Bergasol One

Well, don't you just love it when the postie arrives with the thing you wanted to do something with while you had the time, just as the time runs out?

So, naturally the lovely Broadcaster pickup and wiring bobbins arrived from Mojo Pickups, with fifteen minutes to go before I regain my bratskis.

So no chance of soldering it in today...

I did however manage to screw things together, and I have to say I am loving The Bergasol One already. I don't think I've had a proper Bakelite 'plate before on one of my guitars, but it looks cool against the corroded bronze and there we are.

So tomorrow anyway, I will hopefully be playing this baby (glossing over the slight issue of the forgotten Electro socket jack cup thingy which I really must sort out, ahem).

So WIP is all I can claim for this, but I am secretly rather chuffed indeed.

La la laaa

Red Star Television

Well, after the proto-excitement of the forthcoming Teardrop of yesterday, I really need to get back down to earth today and do, well, something.

Top of the list then, for no good reason whatsoever apart from that I like breaking stuff, I will finally, finally finish making the red vinyl pickguard for The Black Russian One out of my Television 12".

That is fun, though I haven't got the rest of the bits yet so that will have to be that for a while, but a pickguard, that's a good thing to have.

Usefully aesthetic, in a uselessly ugly kinda way.

After that, I am hoping that the Hot Broadcaster pickup and general Esquire Loominess Marc at Mojo Pickups has sent me will arrive today. And that the postie will arrive before the child-free-sands-of-the-day have fallen into the bottom of that funny metaphorical glass thing.

Because I might get a chance to fit them that way, instead of spending an evening looking longingsome at what might have been but wasn't, or something.




I hadn't looked at The Bergasol One for a while, but it is a stunning top (I know I shouldn't say such things) and I'm really rather chuffed with it. In fact I am tempted to do something along those lines on The Pearly Dewdrop One, mainly because I still can't remember what the plan was.

==== Musical Intermish =====

And as I hadn't got around to putting this on the blog, I seem to have scratchplated The Black Russian One. Still no postie, mind.

La la laaaa