Welcome to the Workshop

Well, I seem to have approx. 3 hours to spend today before the M4 beckons, so I thought I'd see how far I could get with The Chimera One...

As a very professional kind of chap, among the sackloads of fan mail, I often get requests to autograph babies, close supermarkets, and generally cut ribbons. Sometimes too, people ask for the odd foto of my workshop - the hub of the industrial quarter here in Jookyland - so that they can no doubt pick up tips about their own workspace designs and generally be inspired inspiration-ally.

So in an unprecedented lapse of security, with the cock of a nose at Hello image rights - here it is, Jookiness in action (inaction?) as The Chimera One edges closer to something or the other.

You wouldn't get this kinda access from Paul Reed Smith, telling ya.

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See Moon, Cwy Like a baby

Well, as you have probably noticed - if noticing an absence makes sense - not too much has been happening recently, but hopefully this will change soon - and I may have a day to myself, which would be a bonus.

In the interim, I seem to have acquired a couple of Gibson SGs, which is fun.

My first proper guitar was an Epiphone SG, bolt-on-neck and all, and I've always liked them since then but never quite got a 'proper' one, until now. Unless I have and I can't remember, which is possible, lets be honest.

So anyway, long wait means I overcompensate and get two. Makes sense, really.

As for the SGs, well one is a bit special - but more on that another day as it immediately went to have it's frets banged back into place, and I forgot to take a foto first, so I thought I'd introduce the-other-one, as it were.

Well, it was kinda cheap, no breaks or major issues and is a 2002 SG Special Faded.

I've always preferred the bigger 'plate of the special and the lack of binding on the neck, so I'm quite chuffed with it.

As you can probably see it is a bit posh despite that as it has an ebony 'board with crescent moon MoP inlays which are rather lush. These were apparently only made in 2002 (and maybe 2003 - this is from '02 though) and clearly is destined to be worth millions in years to come (ahem). It looks like it is a one piece body anyway and the fretboard is lovely, so I can't say I care much.

As normal I think it will get a bit of a pimping. For a faded it does seem to have a fair bit of lacquer on it, and even a half hearted buffing has made it quite glossy, so I might see how far that will go. My Epi was super shiny and I don't think I've ever mollycoddled a guitar quite as much as that one.

The pickups I'm assuming are the originals, which are nice enough but a little bland, so I am thinking I'll get a couple of Mr Mojo's finest in there. Probably a pair of his PAFs, though a 'bucker sized P90 always works nicely. An Olde Worlde wiring loom from the chap will no doubt also go in whilst I'm in the mood.

One thing that is bugging me a wee bit is that the high e string is a bit buzzy and it goes out of tune quite easily. I've had a go at the nut and that seems fine, and I've smoothed off the bridge's slotty bit, but still no banana.

I'll probably change the tuners to Grovers as I prefer them tbh and the extra weight at that end might be useful as I'm also going to put a Bigsby B5 on and balance thy name isn't SG after all, and well...a nice Tonepro or Faber bridge is also on the list as well. Might as welll do these things in style.

In fact the only real question is whether to try a Vibramate so that I don't need to drill holes to fit the Bigsby.

Why take so much trouble over a cheapo guitar? Well, I know this one will stick around as it is the year Bratski#1 was born and I'll no doubt give it him at some point.

So other than changing everything and it's aunt Greta, it is just about perfect. Apart from I might change the strap pins to a couple of the big massive Gotoh ones.

In other news, I am planning to finally put The Chimera One together at some point this week. No really, I think I can remember how and everything.

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And Then of Course...

Well, still a bit slo-mo-a-go-go at the mo-mo, but I  did get a chance the other day to sand back the top of The Boogaloo One, and stain it a proper white, and it looks more the part now.

It still needs some work in the sanding and re-staining dept. before I give it a sheen of hard wax oil, but it is more what I was hoping for and that feels nicer.

From here it is of course going to have that lovely bound Jazzmaster neck nailed on, a pair of Mojo Pickups Gold Foil Toaster Specials (I'm sure he will make up a better name if he ever makes any more), and I am thinking  that a nice Bigsby will be a good way to hold the strings on.

When this will be occurring, who can say, but I am planned-up and that is always nice amid the chaos of real life..

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Hmm, Ballsed That Up Then..

Too Patchy By 'Alf

Well, the old liming of The Boogaloo One didn't exactly work as planned and as I'm off again for a few days it'll have to wait until it is sanded and I start-all-over-again.

Tis one of those things, you don't know until you try and as long as you are happy to rip it up and start again, all is OJ in the morning. It isn't how many you make, it is how many you throw away that counts. Probably.

In other news Rich tells me that the finish he is doing for The Sappho One is coming along a treat - can't wait to see it for myself. I'm a little bit nervous about it - not because of Rich, I should add - but because it will be the first time I haven't done the finish on a Jooky, so it is a little odd feeling deep and down inside. Still, it is for me to keep for once, so I guess it doesn't matter and I can't wait to see how it turns out. A collaboration then sweetie - I'll have a salon before you know it.

Anyway, miles to be eaten, sick brats to tend.

Mustn't confuse the two.

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In the Lime Light

Well, I've trickled and trundled a little further with The Boogaloo One and decided I would go for a lime type of finish - think Tom Sawyer - so I gave the back a go and it seems rather nice so far.

I've changed the stuff I'm using as the stench of the previous ones were killing me and so far this is breathable and yet cool to work with too. I'm quietly chuffed.

Many plenty more coats and bits of sanding but there we are.

Must be a Friday

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Doing The Boogaloo Doo

Well, I still haven't decided what colour to go with as far as The Boogaloo One goes, but what I do know is that it will be translucent as I want the lovely grain from the ash to show thru...

So anywaysup, I stained the body and have been sanding it back off and on for the last week or so when I can grab some time, and it really is getting to be decision time.

I had originally planned to give it a blue Nitro finish, but The Sappho One is getting one instead and The Babylon Blue has one too under the white (assuming it ever dries enough to sand back) and after all, I do so hate to be repetitive, after all.

Then I thought red, but that's quite close to a red Ricky and not the point of this after all. Black I'm not keen on, yellow looks like faggy knuckles, Green is possible as is creamy white - that's a thought. Hmmm.

And well, what can I say?

Bleurgh.

Decisions am we, but not today.

In other news, absolutely nothing happened. Anywhere. It's that sort of lifetime

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Sold: The Hartlepool One

The Hartlepool One is a complete one off, being based on a skatetastic cross between a Fender Jazzmaster and a Charvel Surfmaster, it has a beautiful offset body with a killer cat's eye view into it’s semi-acoustic body.

The finish is a stunning Mother of Jooky pearl delight topped off with a striking red binding, lovingly nailed around the edges.

A trapeze tailpiece and Rickenbacker-esque bridge are cool, but it is the pair of Mojo Pickups Gold Foils that really bring this guitar to life. They are painstakingly produced copies made in sunny Halifax by Marc Ransley and they are clearly stunning in every way. The sustain is quite incredible. These pickups are numbered 3 and 4 and will no doubt be worth millions in years to come :)

To get the best of the pickups we of course have a top notch wiring loom (all CTS, Oak Grigsby and Switchcraft, PIO caps etc.)


All in all, this is a stunning looking guitar that plays beautifully and nails everything from raw blues to jangly indie and isn’t afraid of a bit of gain Tibet. Cool in excelsis.


*

To be clear, The Hartlepool 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: Bab’s Pearly Queen

Electrics: Mojo Pickups Gold Foil Pickups, Mojo Pickups wiring loom

Guitar Type: Offset Jazzmaster/Jaguar Style

Construction: Alder body, Rosewood/Maple neck

Strings:     10s

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: Volume, Tone

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

Serial Number: JGE#75

RSP: £999

WIP: The Hartlepool One - I'm Such A Skaterboi

Well, I finally got the chance to pull The Hartlepool One together and while there are a few tweaks before a proper introduction may be enacted, it seemed rude not to show you the beast.

And what a beast it is - semi acoustic and offset of shape - perhaps more of a Charvel than Fender influence I must admit, lovely big headed neck and a pair of Mojo Pickups authentically dead-on-the-money Gold Foil pickups, along with a matching wiring loom...

And I have to say it plays beautifully - I have a real feeling of it all coming together with this one, the body is cool, the Mother-of-Jooky pearlesque finish is a glory box of tender delight, and the pickups - oh man. They are single coils and have a beautiful, hollow clean sound to them with just a tincher of grit. A bit more gain and they totally soar and the sustain is incredibly good, I keep hitting harmonics and just sitting back and waiting (a cuppa is handy - making one not totally out of the question if you limit the amount of water in the kettle on environmental grounds.)

So there we are. I'm really rather chuffed with this and the pickups are beyond cool.

Happy daze indeed

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Rusty Robotting

Well, back to imagining at the moment, but hopefully next week I'll be around long enough to nail some things together and the gold will glister, baby.

Until then I thought I'd mention a little pickup Marc at Mojo Pickups sent me to try, and this is it...

As you can see it has a funny stripe on it which I learn is called a blade and is like lots of pole shaped magnets stuck together. This is one of Marc's prototypes and is low output but should be crystal clear. Can't think why he asked me to have a look at it, then. It can't be the 'crystal clear' part. Hmmm.

Anyway, luckily I have a rather nice chunk of Tele shaped alder waiting for a reason to live, and I had intended to make a little rustiness with it, as it were, so that came together quite well.

Other than that, I guess it will be one of my fave Esquires, it is destined to have a neck (on it's way - somewhere - as I type) and there we be.

Jesus loves me and he can love you too.

So that will be The Rusty Robot One, sometime, probably, maybe, well, like, whenever. Duh.

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Golden Years Da Da Da

Well, still a bit AWOL at the mo', but before I configured the life raft, I did receive a double dose of Vitamin Gold Foil from Marc at Mojo Pickups, and bloomin' gorgeous they are too.

It'll be a while before I get on with them, but I couldn't help a quick plonk together of The Hartlepool and Boogaloo Ones with their gilt racked, as it were.

The Hartlepool One is obviously a lot closer as it has been, err, finished, and in a way it makes sense as I should get to play with the real deal as far as the Gold Foils go before moving on to toasters and toppings.

I'd forgotten how pretty Hartlepool was though, all verra nice indeed.

As for The Boogaloo One, I'm really pleased with the neck. It is a Jazzmaster one, maple, black blocks and it is bound too, which is very lux. The body is going to be Lake Placid Blue, unless I go darker and I'm dithering whether to put the proper Ricky 660 pickguards on - or the ones I cut from an LP - forgot about those, wonder where they are... - or maybe even to stay au natrel. No panic though, plenty of time..

Just when I'll get to be doing them really...

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Gold Foil a Go Gooooo

Well, planning-and-a-plotting as I am, I was somewhat delighted to see that Mr Marc Ransley of the Mojo Pickups parish has finished me some of the coolest looking pups this side of the Stirchley Bowl...

First up, are the authentic and uber classic Gold Foils that are destined for The Hartlepool One (that slice of offset semi-acoustalification that has been waiting under the stairs for such an occasion). These are a long held dream and I really can't wait to get them fitted and fettled...

The other, if at all possible are even more special. As you no doubt know, The Boogaloo One is going to be a funky little momma, based on a Rickenbacker 620 with a groovy maple blocked neck, I'd initially thought that I'd get Marc to make a couple of his Toaster pickups, but in one of those weirdly cool moments, we have ended-up with Toaster-sized Gold Foils which look quite frankly, stunningly cool. I don't even know where to plug in the hyperbole for these babies...or indeed how the hell he has managed to put them together at all, but the boy is a genius. End of.

So, in summary - all is golden, all is glistery.

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