If Aikea made Guitars...

Well, I was having a look at the rather lovely, sixty-year-old pine body I have for what will be The Mielnik One, and generally deciding what I'm going to do with it.

Initially I thought I would just go for an old school Tele, and for once I'm sticking to the plan, although I think it will have a Strat neck - I have a lovely Allparts one I've been saving for a spesh occaze - and when I get around to it, a pair of Gimps.

As for the finish, I don't want to cover up the woody pine-ness so it is destined for oil and wax I think and a simple bakelite 'plate. It will also feature some big bloomin' copper nails, but there is no point having a fetish if you aren't willing to share it with the group.

There may be another twist or two along the way, but it only adds to the groove thang, dontachaknow.

La la laaa

Arty Decisioning

Well, it won't be for a little while - school holibobs and all that - but I got to the bottom of what I'm going to do with The Lingering Honey One as far as the finish goes, and it is all inspiring and wickedly cool..

A long long time ago, I used to work in a wonderfilled place in London called The Hoover Building, though not stacking shelves for Tesco around the back. If you haven't seen the place it is a beautiful old Art Deco style pile, which was originally a Hoover factory, but by the time I got there had been renovated 'in keeping' and turned into rather stylish offices.

Anyway, I've always loved Art Deco - the Rennie Macintosh House in Glasgow I'd happily move into, though I wouldn't trust the chairs - so I figured it would be rather cool to do a guitar inspired in some way by that. I think it is the covers of the Mojo Gold Foils, not really Art Deco but they have that classy classic look.

So it means a few changes to the original spec - the Sperzel tuners will be replaced by Grover 109C jobbies, the pickguard  will be a bit different too and most of all the finish will be a step aside from rust or gold.

I think the back and sides and neck will stay with the old wood look of stain and oil, but the top will be a different design. I'm tempted to do it in acrylics, but thinking about it, keeping with the copper and bronze theme of the headstock would work really nicely, especially as  it will age into new colours. because I think it should have a faded vibe to it, The Hoover Building seems a long time ago and art is dead now anyway, innit?

La la laaa

So Anyway..

Well, I've been all-of-a-ponder about The Lingering Honey One - the Les Paul Jr Jooky Classic that I am desperate to get going with. Well, as desperate as I get, you'll understand. What I really mean is that I just tripped over it in it's case, of course.

But regardless of it's clumsiness-inducing-powers, this is quite beautiful - a one-piece mahogany body, one piece 'hog neck, long tenon thingy, it's going to have an aged Mojo Gold Foil pickup, a Faber Aluminium Wraparound bridge (ta Rob ;o) Sperzel tuners and, well, probably some strap pins too.

What I can't decide is how to finish it, which is odd as that is the bit I normally find easy to decide. No really, I do, everything else is panto and a bit Widow Twanky.

So, my initial thought was to go for my aluminium and copper paint, but that left me cold in the end.

Next, I was thinking pure black with shiny chrome. Cool, but maybe not verily Jooky.

Thirdly, I was thinking I would walnut stain and oil the back, sides and neck - this is sounding like that Amazon review for Veet for men - with rusted iron on top.

But now, after having fun copper leafing The Jamais Vu One, I am tempted to gold top it. But then that may be a leetle flash for a Jr.

So I can't decide really. I mean it is going to be uber cool whatever I do, but you know...

La la laaaaa

Feeling Groovy..

Well, the postie arrived - shocker - and I seem to have got a good way towards finitoing The Jamais Vu One, which is rather nice.

Just a few screws to hammer and a couple more bits 'n' bobs to arrive in the strap pin and string tree areas and we'll be in candy covered clover.

I'm rather pleased with the copper leafing if I do say myself, which of cause I usually do.

Tomorrow then will hopefully see this blighter done, and the rather lovely mahogany of The Lingering Honey One smothered one way or t'other..

I am feeling all very positive at the moment for some reason - I guess it is because I have one day before the brats are on holibobs again and once more frustration thy name is Mc Jooky.


La la laaaa

Jamais Vu - Ah-ha

Well, what an exciting day today is being. Apart from the part where I wait around for the window fixer chap to not show up again.

Firstly, I finally finish the first of the Jooky Customs - huzzah.

And now secondly I get to do a Jamais Vu plonk together.

Although - and I'll know if you have not been paying attention - there are one of two parts missing.

However tomorrow should see the arrival of the errant tortie scratchplate, and I know - I mean, really know - that I put the pickups and wiring somewhere very safe indeed. I must have. Probably with the tuners and the strap pins.

The copper leaf looks good anyway, so small blessings am we.

La la laaaa

Sold: The Sappho One - JC#1 The First of the Jooky Customs

The Sappho One is the first of our new range of Jooky Custom guitars, numbered JC#1, and is basically Jookified in-excelsis.

The swamp ash body has been given a Lake Placid Blue Nitro Cellulose finish, the right way, with the correct sealers and silver underpainting. It has then been aged so that the lacquer crazes, but hasn’t otherwise been relicked. Sort of a Freezer Classic, rather than a Closet one.

The neck is a real beauty, with a Wizard profile, made of Goncalo Alves with a Pau Ferro fretboard, this isn’t an obvious Jazzmaster neck. Stainless Steel frets will give a lifetime of service and a Tusc nut means tuning is lush.

On top of this we have gone for Sperzel tuners which are super cool and yet groovy too.

Other hardware is traditional Jazzmaster – a Fender branded tremolo matched with a Mustang bridge handle the wobbly bits and a minty clean scratchplate is partnered nicely with Gretsch knobs.

The final flourish is a pair of deeply unusual pickups, courtesy of uber pickup guru Marc Ransley of Mojo Pickups. At the neck we have his reissue of the trash classic Gold Foil pickups, while at the bridge we have his equally vibrant sounding Mosrite pickup for lo-fi joy and tidings. And these really are a stunning combination, which we’ve joined-up with one of Mojo’s beautifully traditional wiring looms (all CTS pots, Switchcraft Switches and socket, Paper in Oil caps and cloth covered wire), which is destined to last generations.

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

*

To be clear, The Sappho 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: Jooky Custom

Electrics: Mojo Gold Foil and Mosrite Jazzmaster Pickups, Mojo Jazzmaster Wiring Loom

Guitar Type: Jazzmaster

Construction: Swamp Ash body, Goncalo Alves/Pau Ferro 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: JC#1

RSP: £1249

WIP: The Jamais Vu One

Well, it has been so long since I did a WIP I almost forgot  how, and only took one foto, but I got a riddle on yesterday with the body and the lovely lump of alder became blacker than a darkly black thing, and I even got the back copper-leafed while I was at it.

Today followed on nicely, with the front catching up and rather splendid it is looking too. Reminds me of a slightly battered Wulfes fan, which is never a bad thing.

I wanted a shinyish finish on this one as the copper can dull down a bit otherwise, and it is looking good so far. Few more coats and we'll be crimson with deelite.

Once this is all dry and polished and the rest, I'll nail on the rather lovely neck I had custom made with it's ebony 'board, flamed maple woodiness and stainless steel frets. It is meant to be a U shape, but I think it is more like a Gibson 50-something which  is a nice hand-filler indeed.

I'm waiting for the pickguard - a nice red tortie one, but have the lovely Mojo Pickups and wiring loom and a gorgeous Bigsby B5 to go with them. I've also got a set of Gotoh tuners I was going to use elsewhere, but will divert in this direction as they have a lovely solidness about them so all is groovy.

Other than that I've got a Jazzmaster bridge, but may end-up with the usual cool Mustang replacement, and I'm thinking aged  Telecaster knobs will be a final flourish.

So basically, if the postie gets his finger out and delivers some Jiffys I may finish this quite soon. Which will be handy, has to be said, as I want to play it.

As for The Sappho One, I have finished that now, so I'll do a proper intro soon as I stop playing it, methinks

La la laaaa

Whoops, I did it again..

Well, three new guitars in as many (working - ha!) days, is probably pushing it, but I seem to have had an old Aria Les Paul copy arrive ce matin, and rather lovely it is too.

Now I don't know loads about old Japanese Les Paula, but it seems to be from 1980, is solid rather than pancaked, has a volute on the back of the neck, a long tenon with a screw thru it and weighs a happy 9lbs, in old money.

Being pernickety, I asked Aria about it and they confirm the age and suggest it is either an LS800 or an LS1000, but will come back with more details.

Of much more importantness, it has a lovely neck and thru my little Yamaha toy amp sounds Humungus Mc Massive Fungus.I hit a harmonic when I started writing this and it is still going.

Obviously I will keep it forever etc. until the next time I get bored anyway.

Other than that The Jamais Vu One is now black and drying before it gets some copper leaf plastered on, so that is cool too.

La la laaaa

The Weak Ahead

Well, I've finally got some parts, am fed-up of being a lazy get and I think this week will be epic (as long as I can manage to keep both of the brats in school for the whole week.)

So from the top my adventurous plans are to:

1. Finally finish The Sappho One. I've been close for a while, but it is in my own hands now and the time is right.

2. Black and Copperify The Jamais Vu One. I have the neck, have everything apart from tuners in fact, so that is cool

3. Rustify The Lingering Honey One in all it's Les Paul Junior with a Gold Foil ba-ba-boom. This is going to be stained back and sides and rusty on top. Still got to sort some parts out but it can be close.

4. Do some Strappado bodies - Think I should use some of the Strat bodies and a couple of Jazzmaster ones.

And the world will be a becalmed and grooved-up place.

La la laaaaa

Fridays are Fun

Well, a rather lovely ebony boarded and flamed maple sticked neck arrived today which is destined for The Jamais Vu One, but I'm not as excited about that as I may have been as I also received a lovely old 60s Kay 'Tulip' guitar (Teisco by another name) that is a total deelite.

Obviously it is shonky, but the Gold Foil-esque pickup sounds glorious, it all works, stays in tune and isn't battered to hell, and I can't quite believe my luck.

The strings are rusty of course, and I am sure there is a cure for cancer among the moulds and bacteria growing on the frets, but despite that the action is low and playable, the leccy stuff works without too many crackles and generally it is in really, really good condition for what - 40-odd years old.

Anyway, I'll give it a strip down and err, some love (not sure where I'm going with this), and see how it turns out.

Might even have a crack at Jamais too at some point.

Oh, I also finally got one of those teeny Yamaha THR5 amps, which is surprisingly cool. Haven't quite convinced anybody it is a Bose Stereo yet, but time will tell...

La la laaaa

Free T Shirts - Shocker

Well, after my ill-fated (feted) dalliance with Haut D'Jook T Shirts (where I made one and lost interest) I've finally got my act together and organised some proper printed ones.

Haut D'Jook is Dead, Long Live etc.

I know, I'll be a multi-national by Crimbulmus.

So to celebrate (and remembering that I haven't actually got them yet - so don't bug me, eh?) anybody that has a Jooky guitar and wants to send me a foto of them playing it (preferably clothed and somewhere cool - I've given up on the Calendar Boyz idea) I will send you a Free T Shirt.

In fact as otherwise I'll be wearing them for the rest of my life (I may have over-ordered) anybody that buys a guitar or a Strappado body for the forseeable future will also get one whether they want it or not.

I will apologise for the fact that they are big and that I'm not going to show you what they look like, and if I should run out, well it is tough. I've just realised how many guitars there have been so I may not have over-ordered-overly.

These will be a one-off, never available in the shops, never be for sale at all and will be highly emotive, may upset old people and well, there we go.

La la laaaa

Long Hot Autumn

Well, like I keep saying, I'm waiting for necks at the moment, but have stocked-up on a few bodies to keep me warm in the autumnal months...which I think should be fun.

And don't they look a lovely bunch (there are four more Jazzmaster bodies and another Tele or two as well, but can't remember where I put them (ahem).

But today, I will finally be blackening the body of The Jamis Vu One, with the copper leaf to finito the picture of innocence tomorrow. And if a neck ever arrives, we could be in clover I tell thee, clover.

Right, where do I put this lot then.. Hmmm.

La la laaaaa

Progress, Regress, Family Honour

Well, I realise I am regressing in lots of ways, but after having a brainstorm and getting rid of all of my guitars, I have instead gone back to where I started and snapped up an old Epiphone SG.

Not just any Epi, oh no, this is a 1989 bolt-on jobby (what they would call a 310 these days, but back then I think it was item 2. Page 476 in Freemans Catalogue), and it is the spitting image of my first proper guitar, right down to the black plastic pickup covers and bridge that is guaranteed-to-break-your-strings.

It could in fact be my original guitar (the dinks seem familiar) but I'd probably be kidding meself if I let my imagination wander in that direction, so I know it is just of-it's-ilk-and-time, and that is close enough.

Anyway, this (being a theoretical *this*) is the guitar I learned my first chords on, wrote my first songs with and played on stage in my first ever gigs (and broke strings everytime, so I flogged it to buy a Jazzmaster, but that is beside the point.)

And playing it now, I have to say it feels great. The neck is like an old sock, and the finish is a translucent cherry which display a very nice looking piece of wood beneath. Well, 3 pieces of mahogany, but looking good and shiny even 24 years later. Acoustically it sustains beautifully as well.

As I remember it, what really let it down was that the pickups were very shush-quiet, but as I also got rid of my amp, I can't tell you that right now. Hmmm, maybe the amp wasn't so bright.

Wonder where I can get an 80s Peavey Deuce, that was what I gigged with all those years ago, never getting the volume over 2...

La la laaaa

Honey on my mind

Well, back in the land of the setting sun, I'm getting all excited about The Lingering Honey One, not least because Marc at Mojo Pickups has again come up with the goodies in the shape of a spiffing pickup and loom.

For those napping at the back, The Lingering Honey One is going to be a Jooky Classic of a Les Paul Jr but with a few twists...

From the top it is a classic single cut - single piece mahogany body, single piece mahogany neck, rosewood 'board, long tenon neck...gurrrt lush.

The body is destined for a right royal rusting, with the neck being stained and oiled which should be rather lovely indeedy.

Where things get really cool is that instead of the expected Dogear P90, we are going to nail on a Mojo Gold Foil - suitably aged in Halifax - and pair it with a top quality loom.

Other than that, it is going to have some fancy pants Grover tuners and a Tonepros wraparound tailpiece.

Now how groovy will that be?

La la laaaa

The Scent of old Pine

Well, this week was the write-off of  write-offs, but normal service will hopefully be  resuming soonishly,and I've been having a think about what to do with meself.

Top of the list will be the black staining and copperification of The Jamais Vu One - not least because the pickups and loom should be here from Mojoland before I am.

But I also snapped up a lovely Tele body that had been made with sixty year old pine, which should be rather cool annd groovy.

And I think I need a nice simple Tele to keep me company on these winter evenings, so I'm going to have to put a Gimp or two in it, a cut down bridge at the back and bosh - lovely and twangtastic. This will of course be a Jooky Classic and so hits the list in a big way...

Groovy is as groovy does

La la laaaaa

Pondering Something Lumpy Bumpy

Well, while I again have time on my hands I thought I'd ponder what to do with the Mojo take on the Kay Speedbump 'bucker, that washed up on the shores of Jookyland just recently like.

I've decided to stay true to form and go for a single pickup Strat. I know, I am predictable in my psychoses.

It is going to have a lovely swamp ash body which will feature something rustic in the finish dept. a neck and some other bits. It is going to be cool and I can't wait to hear the pickup so I'll probably bump (tee hee) everything else to get it done.

This will be a Jooky Classic, of course, if we are talking new money, so wey and hey, anything goes.

I have some lovely copper nails I've been itching to use so I think they may well make an appearance.

So that will be The 668 One, can't wait...

La la laaa

I Love It When Nothing Fits.

Well, I forgot I'd taken this foto of The Diamond Shiny One being as plonked together as it gets when you are neckless of Portishead, which is a sham e as it perfectly captures the moment when you slash your hands opening lots of ingeniously secured little boxes of parts and realise that none of them are going to drop into place without a murmur and that you'll be filing and cutting, snipping and generally tweaking like a good 'un for a fair while yet.

Still, it is all part of the joy and it isn't as though I have much else to do, when I get to do anything much at all.


La la laaaaa 

Black Copper Baby

Well, hopefully I will be home alone enough this week to get a cracking on The Jamais Vu One, as I'm going to try something a wee bit different with the finish and it knows at me until I get it done and see how it turns out.

The Jamais is of course going to be a Jazzmaster but with a Bigsby tremolo instead of the usual Fender style one. I've already  got Marc at Mojo Pickups to sort me out with Es and Whizz (OK, pickups and loom), and there is a rather lovely Jazzmaster neck on the way too from Statesville, USA which will be rather cool as well. But I was a bit up and down on the finish, but now I'm not.

Clarity thy name is Jooky.

So what it is going to be is a quite striking black stain - I'm going for a really deep one I think, with a nice covering of copper leaf on the top and around the edges. Maybe even on the back too. The world is my cantaloupe after all.

OK, not radical, but I've not gone for this combo and that is enough to get me excited these days, so there we are.

La la laaaa

It Won't Be Long, My Dear..

Well, I've had a few people asking why The Sappho One hasn't appeared up and for sale, and a few more asking me why I'm being a lazy git and not making any guitars at the moment, and well, there we are. I'm a lazy git.

So for the record, what I'm trying to do at the mo' is get a few guitars together - the list on the right about covers them - so that I can:

1. Have examples of the ones I'm likely to be making as customs in the future, and
2. Have some cool guitars to play for myself for once,
also
3. Have some pretty things to take fotos of for the theoretical web site.

And as I want all of these guitars to be top of notch in every way, I'm getting partsmade and from all over the world and it takes time baby, it takes a leetle beeta time.

But the nice thing is that they are trickling in. I should have everything I need for The Diamond Shiny One this week, and the body for The Jamais Vu One arrived too so I should be smothering that with noxious stuff this week too. So things are looking up, finally.

On the plus side, the lawn is looking deevine

La la laaaa

Travellin' Very Slooowly

Well, I have deliberately not shown any WIP fotos of this, as it had got quite embarrassing, even for one as slack as I, so I decided that the first foto of The Travellin' Man One would be when it is finally clamped in my friend Patrick's talented mitts over in that America place. Hence there is no foto here today.

But as it happens I actually finished the guitar a leetle while ago and have just been waiting on a few final flourishes, which Monday should bring, Royal Mail permitting.


And finished, as far as this guitar goes, has been a rolling feast as so far it has had:

• 3 bodies
• 4 necks
• 3 sets of tuners
• 4 tremolos
• 6 sets of pickups
• 4 wiring looms
• A paisley finish
• A rust finish
• A well corroded metallic homogeneity of a finish, and...
• I really don't want to think about the strap pins. Man, don't ask about the strap pins.

But until now it has never had a set of strings on it.

And this might seem odd, but from my perspective, it got there in the end as it has a whole host of cool tones and the neck is dee and vine. I can't say who made it for me, but it is a special thing indeed.

In fact despite it being a Strat (and my love of Strats being well documented), I am really enjoying playing it right now.

Hmm, wonder if Patrick fancies a Jazzmaster

La la laaaa

Logo-a-go-go

Well, I said a while ago that a top chap called Brendan had been working tres hard and had come up with a lovely logo and some artwork for the new web site, but I never quite got around to showing you his wares.

Which was silly and was mainly because I thought I'd show you the finished web site, but life soooo often gets in the way.

Anyway, one of the things I wanted with the logo was for it to include some paisley - it is where I am from after all - and Brendan played a blinder and really came up with something I'm thinking is verily groovy.

The web site, well it is done apart from some fotos which with a bit of luck should be possible by the end of the month, but, but, but...

OK, I couldn't wait any longer as I lurve it.

La la laaaa

Heading In A Direction

Well, one of the things I've spent ages agonising over, over the last few months is headstocks. I know, I really should get one.

Why? You may ask, if you are truly so bored, and I guess it is because with my new look at the worlde of Jookiness, it seemed a good idea to have my own headstock shape. But it is really tricky to think of something original that doesn't looks pants or just different for it's own sake, and so I haven't got so very far.

In fact as far as the Classics and Customs go, they will usually have licensed Fender necks, so I'll go with the flow on them, but I still want them to stand out to some extent, so I have been playing around with alternatives in other ways. And basically, I think I have crackled it now, as I know what I'm going to do.

And in the end the answer was quite simple. The Customs will now have a bronze painted headstock, whilst the Classics will have copper. The Juniors, well they will be a little different but probably matching the body. And to really capture the vibe I am going to leave them unfettled by finish so like a statue they will corrode over time and generally look pretty cool I think.

I should really show you a foto, of one or two I prepared earlier, shouldn't I?

La la laaaa