Thinking Junior

Well, other than everything I never finished in the old year, the new year will see a couple of customs (more on those later) and general sloth plus the top of the list for me in the little kingdom of Jook is to get the first set of Juniors together and out there in the form of my debut Ganga6.

As I'm sure you'll remember, the idea with these is to make a set of six guitars of one spec, but with different finishes. Each set will be different, but fun nonetheless.

As for my first Ganga6, it is going to be rather cool, with each guitar...

1. Being Tele shaped in a vaguely La Cabronita way

2. Having a Strattish neck

3. Having a Hard tail bridge

4. Boasting a rather cool and unique scratchplate you-cannot-buy-in-the-shops

5. Having a quite wicked Mojo Gold Foil pickup at the bridge

6. Hiding a groovy top notch Mojo wiring loom under the hood, and

7. Tuners and Strap Pins to taste

As for the finishes, well this is where it gets to be real fun, as each of the 6 will have a different one..so:

#0101 - Gold Leaf
#0102 - Rusted Iron
#0103 - Corroded Copper
#0104 - Corroded Bronze
#0105 - Time Stained
#0106 - Paisley

Each of these beauties will come in a lovely hard case with all the usual bobbins that I forget right now.

As for prices, they are likely to come in at a silly cheap £749 each, but for the first time we'll be taking pre-orders at a stupidererer £599 including delivery to your UK doorstep if you stump up before they are finished. It's over to you from there.

And when will these delights be done and dusted? The aim is to have them sorted by the end of March...

No, really. I promise.

And of course these are as ever total one-offs and will never be repeated, as that would be sooooo very boring.

The Ganga6, finally happening, I am so excited.

La la laaaa

Thank You For The Musae

Well, I  hope you did better out of Santa than I did - a 20 year old Boss Multi-fx was the highlight in the end with a delay 'pedal' aspect with RSI. But whether you did or not (and I do care, most sincerely) I am thinking that here in Jookyland, 2014 is going to be fun.

Obviously I got messed about by couriers over Xmas, so The Jamis Vu and Trojan Ones are still here, all boxed-up and ready to go, and The Travellin' Man One has slipped off the radar - which I'm guessing means U.S Customs are taking it to pieces, but they should resolve soon enough. I just hope there are no controlled explosions - those dynamite PIO caps are always a worry.

And going forward, I need to:

1. Find the camera so that,

2. I can introduce you to the newly finished The Diamond Shiny and Sally James Ones, which are each and every way glorious.

And glorious they are.

The Gold Foil/Charlie Christian-esque Mojo pickups in the Tele are genius (not mine obviously, some geezer in Halifax) and I am rather in love with my Mustang Sally.

Next of course I have The Lingering Honey One, which just needs a groovy CoolEtched scratchplate, The Speedbump laden The 668 One, which unfortunately seems to have the HB routing in the wrong place so I need to get brave and cut some wood (which is disappointing, I have to admit) and well, the others on the list.

As I am Jazzmasterless again, I'm stealing a chapter from Mr Mojo's book, and doing myself one, with a pair of proper Teisco style Gold Foils.

And this I am rather excited about. I have a lovely Daphne Blue Jazzmaster body, suitably aged and lacquer crazed, one of my delish blocked and bound necks, the Mojo Gold Foils and loom to come shortly, and a set of Sperzels and I'm ready to go. This will genuinely be a keeper, no honest, although I must admit I did open up The Jamais Vu One earlier and instantly regretted not keeping that one too. But anyway, The Alcman One should be rather groovy indeedy.

But looking forward, I think 2014 will be rather offset in the Jooky Classic department, and if things work out as hoped a few sets of Juniors too. I'm hoping that some set necked Juniors and top notch Les Paul style thingies will also happen, but we'll have to see.

For the first time I've made less guitars this year than last due to my rather extended summer break, but it has been worthwhile I think as the world is straighter in my head.

Yadda yadda yadddaa...

But there we are, Happy new year and thanks for sticking around to read this drivel.

La la laaaaa

Happy Christmas Daze

Well, as I type this Santa is probably over Zaire according to NORAD, which is worrying as I just saw him down Portishead High Street, but it is a time for miracles... I think it was the mini-skirt rather than the bottle of cider (s)he was necking that  surprised me most.

Obviously, it is school holibobs so my usual slovenly pace will slacken further, but I do intend to finally finish The Sally James One over the next few days and will pop up to display my wares once again.

Sally, is of course my lovely corroded copper Mustang, and the first Mustang I've ever made, so I'm looking forward to it, and as the missing bits finally arrived there are no more excuses to  be uttering.

I went for a lovely red tortie 'plate in the end, and I would love to show you it, but can't be arsed to find the camera, but then why spoil the surprise?

But anyway, for those of you that keep reading this drivel, I commend your bravery and stamina yet question your sanity, but I love you all, each and every one of the both of you, and hope I can do something worth reading about in 2014.

So terrah for now...and have a Happy Fun Filled Crimbulmus

La la laaaaa

Free The Jooky One

Well, a while back I did this little 'how to Jookify your guitar' thing on The Fretboard, and at the time one of the founders of said forum - we'll call him 'Tony', as that is his name - also gave me a second body to defile (that is going to pop up on some strange web searches) but I completely forgot to do a thing about it.

Anyway, thru guilt and for no other good reason, I decided to do something for once and in the process hopefully raise a few bob for the forum, which has no advertising, is UK based and accounts for 90% of my spare time and the Classifieds probably 120% of my residual income.

So the plan is that I will take the body that Tony made and turn it into a rather cool guitar.

And the guitar will be a bit special - the body you can see, but it will also have a neck, which is useful, one of those rosewood/maple/bound/blocked jobbies I've been pleased with in recent times.

Tuners will be Sperzels, the bridge will either be a Fender Tele one or a Hipshot hard tail jobby, not sure yet, and the pickups will be a Gimp Tele pup at the bridge and a Mojo Gold Foil at the neck.

So basically it is going to be one groovy mama of a guitar.

As for the finish, well, haven't quite decided that yet but I think I'll have a little fun with it.

And as for the finale of this little show, I'm going to give it away to a random member of the Fretboard community.. For free. no money and basically bugger all.

Or rather I will give it to one member that has shown his/her dedication to the cause of interwebby freedom by making a  donation toward the running costs of this oasis of GAS.

So if you fancy your chances of getting a shot at what is destined to be a spectacular lump of guitarish delight, you need to...

1. Join The Fretboard - and if you do, stick around, there are some great people on there and I've learnt more about guitarythings there, than from anywhere else. If you are on Facebook or Twitter you don't even have  to register, just logon by clicking a little icon thing, and then

2. Make a wee donation to the cause, the thread Here explains all

3. Cross thine fingers...

La la laaa

Lingering Honey With The Paper Plate

Well, I just realised I had put this back in it's case as I am waiting for a super cool scratchplate to be etched, but I hadn't shown you just how lovely my Honey was looking.

I must admit the paper 'plate look doesn't really work, but imagine that with a bit of quality etched metal, and hopefully you'll see where I'm headed, if not where I'm coming from.

Probably.

And I have to say she is a wee dream. The corroded bronze top is understated yet displays moments of brilliance. The neck is a beaut - long tenon and all - and I have to say I am totally in lust with the Mojo Gold Foil pickup, which is a dirty sick puppy yet cleans up for church quite nicely thank you very much.

The 'plate is of course a finishing touch, as is the epic Hipshot Baby Grand bridge/tailpiece thingy and the ornate Art of Deco Grover tuners.

I even left the back just stained and waxed to show off the one piece of mahogany the body is made of.

And I think I may have found my keeper of a Jooky, for now anyway...who knows what futures will bring.

Well, until I pickup The Trojan and Jamais Vu Ones, when I change my mind rapidly.

La la laaaa

Just Call Me Double Jazz

Well, I have to admit I have a smile on me mush today - The Trojan One had a final tweak or three and plays deevine and oh, oh and oh, those Mojo Mosrite pickups are something else. I won't try and describe them - as clearly I will just confuse myself and not be alone - but wow. Simply that. Double wow.

And the middle position is just Creamy McDreamy.

So what next, I hear nobody cry?

Well, I'm glad you never asked as with the last  couple of days before the Xmas holibobs are upon me, I am going to try and finish something else.

I know what you are thinking, what's with all the  last minute bobbins when all you've done is sit on your chuff since "taking the summer off to find yourself", and it would be a fair point. A fair point indeed.

And I have no excuse apart from sloth.

So, self-loathing apart, I will be turning my meager talents toward The Diamond Shiny One, and a Tele I will make. And I have to say that I think it is the best idea ever and mark my words, Fender will be nicking it and flogging Teles with Gold Foil pickups at the neck before too long and claiming it as a masterstroke.

I guarantee it.

They'll give it a funny name, maybe the Vintage-Made-Up-If-Only-We'd-Thought-Of-This-Fifty-Years-Ago model, though probably in pigeon Spanish, and it'll be a Custom shop jobby, move to a Mexican one that nobody likes before getting it right with a Squier.

Writings on the wall, telling you. Probably get Ry Cooder to squiggle his name on the headstock.

So there we are.

Whatever it was.

La la laaaaa

Sold: The Trojan One

The Trojan One is the first of our new range of Jooky Classic guitars, and is basically Jookified in-excelsis. The swamp ash body has been given an active iron coating that has been attacked with nefarious chemicals that have started it to rust. This has been topped with beeswax, which will protect it, but age naturally while the iron below will continue to slowly rust as time goes on. It won’t all disappear in a cloud of red dust though, as there are multiple layers that are sealed beneath and will stay forever more-so.

The neck is a real beauty, with a generous C profile, made of quarter sawn maple with a beautiful dark rosewood fretboard. Here we have gone a step further with binding and cellulose block fret markers which look divine. On top of this we have gone for Sperzel tuners which are super cool and yet groovy too.

Other hardware is traditional Jazzmaster – a Jazzmaster tremolo matched with a Fender Jazzmaster bridge and a no-nonsense black scratchplate is partnered nicely with old school Tele knobs.

The final flourish is a pair of deeply unusual pickups, courtesy of uber pickup guru Marc Ransley of Mojo Pickups. These may look like Jazzmaster pickups, but within are a matched pair of Mosrite influenced noisemakers, which are quite simply awesome. Like a P90 on steroids and genuinely full of sustain, spit and vomit. These really are stunning, which we’ve combined 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 are destined to last generations. In fact as guitars go this is an out and out alt.rock.god (in the old sense), that genuinely wants you to bash seven shades out of it.

*

To be clear, The Trojan 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 Classic

Electrics: Mojo Mosrite Jazzmaster Pickups, Mojo Jazzmaster Wiring Loom

Guitar Type: Jazzmaster

Construction: Swamp Ash body, Maple/Rosewood 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: JL#1

RSP: £1249

Mr Lee Plays Hartlepool

Well, I couldn't help but notice that the rather wonderfilled Mr Lee, direct from the frozen North, has done a demo of The Hartlepool One, which if you are interested in hearing what these Mojo Gold Foil pickups can do, you really should check out.

Can't say I remember it sounding quite that good when I played it, but must be something to do with the thiness of the Atmosphere or something..

Anyway, luxuriate in Mr Lee and his amazing dancing Jooky...

La la laaaa

What Becomes of the Broken Jookied?

Well, I always wonder what becomes of my Jooky offspring and sometimes I know and other times they just disappear into the gloom, never to be heard of again.

One I have heard of, is The Spangled One from long, long ago, that I notice is now for sale over on The Fretboard Forum's Classifieds for a silly cheap £150...

And what a tale it has to tell.

Originally, it was of course paisleyified with a sparkly finish, but John who bought it unfortunately saw it viciously 'relicked' by a wild, untamed err, puppy, which removed a lot of the paisley and left the poor thing in tatters.

(Note to self - don't use that hide glue again)

Anyway, as should be done, John got a friend to paint the even more Jookified guitar than intended, and went with a stunning War of the Worlds vision of fear, pain and a common somewhere close to Woking town.

He also changed the pickups to an Axesrus set and generally it looks rather amazing.

So to cut a long 'un shorter, this is it, and if you fancy it for a tonne and a nifty, John's your man...

La la laaaa

Saturday Night Revelations

Well, I finally get on-line again and wouldn't you know it but I canna find the camera, which is up there with the imaginary pooch scoffing my homework, but there we are. Expel me why don't you.

And the sad thing is that I actually have things to tell and show but the pix will have to wait for another day.

So top of the shop is that I realised something - and it was a bit of a slo-mo kind of road to Damascus experience, I admit, but I was explaining to somebody that despite loving The Jamais Vu One lots, I'm not allowed to keep a Jooky for my very ownsome due to the rules, when I suddenly remembered that the rule was not quite that at all. In fact my golden rule was that I could only keep one, and as we currently stand I have, well, none, zero, nada and zilchoid. Nothing. not a Jooky to my name. Not even my initials.

And that made me happy,  hippy and happy as it means that I could give myself a Jooky for Xmas and not have to feel guilty about it.

But what to pick - obviously Jamais springs to mind, but I am also on the cusp of finishing The Trojan, Lingering Honey, 668, Sally James and  Diamond Shiny Ones, so I am spoilt.

The second thing was that I finally made my mind up and finished The Trojan One. You'll have to take my word for it (hidden cameras, don't you know) but the rustiness along with a black 'plate, beautifilled neck and a pair of Marcy Mojo's Mosrite, err, Monsters makes it one uber cool guitar.

OK, it is quite understated, I am the first to admit, but the sound is like a P90 on steroids and the sustain is just crazy incredible. I am seriously in love with it.

But I'll do a proper introduction another day, as my powers of description just won't do in this case.

So there we are, well, here I guess.

La la laaaaa

First World Probz - What To Do...?

Well, for the first time in ages I find myself with time to actually do something useful, but I have a dilemma.

I have two guitar bodies, all the bits 'n' bobs needed for both (though not pictured) and yet, I seem to only have one neck between them.

So do I look behind Door Uno, and finito The Trojan One in all it's rusty Jazzmasterishness and luxuriate in the filthy Mosrite style pickups? or perhaps,

I choose Door Trois (religious grounds stop me peeping behind door Deux, of course) and step into an unknown beyond and sample Mr Mojo's prototypical Blade Tele bridge pickup alongside his gorgeous Metal Mickey of a Gold Foil at the neck of The Diamond Shiny One?

I will have another neck next week, but this is about today, now, right now and I can't decide.

(I've just realised I only have one neck plate too, which would have stymied me further even if two necks were here and available and would have been more of a bug in my snug rug, it has to be said.)

I know in the grander scheme of love, life and poetry this is meaninngless, but this is guitars we're talking about. Guitars I could plug in and make loud screechy noises with, so that has to count for something, surely?

La la laaa

Gee Up Sally - WIP: The Sally James One

Well, I love it when I get parcels from Marc in Mojoland, as they always have cool glittery delights nobody else seems to do..

Today saw a bumper pack with a lovely Mustang/Jaguar neck and pair of pickups sharing the stage with a cool wiring loom - all vintage groovy and top notch of parts.

He has even thought about this poor sinner's issues with personal safety and come up with an ingenious and solder-less solution to joining it all up together again.

And rather lovely I think The Sally James One is looking. The fotos don't really catch how lush and vibrant the copper and corrosion are, but heh, what can you do.

Now if the trem, 'plate and other metal bits arrive in the next day or two I could be movin' and a groovin' down Nirvana way before the weekend..

Jesus Wants me for a Moonbeam

La la laaaa

Some Diamonds Take Forever

Screwdrivers and Biscuits - Jooky Inaction

Well, so I put together a lovely list of what I was going to do this week, the interweb died a death for a couple of days, and so I trot off and start to finish something completely different. I tell people that this blog is my surrogate memory, and it be the truth I tell you.

Anyway, so I started to finish The Diamond Shiny One as I haven't got a Tele to play and this one should be rather swish. And it was top of the  pile.

I gave up on the Bigsby (mainly because I had put it on The Jamais Vu One by mistake and couldn't be arsed to wait for another to show up, I must confess) and instead have gone all tred with a Kluson three barreled thingy type of thing.

But trad ends just about there, as we have a Mojo low powered blade pickup at the bridge, a Mojo Gold Foil at the neck, a lovely Kluson Bakelite pickguard and one of a handful of divine Stratty/Jazzmaster style necks I seem to have acquired, all bound rosewood and maple with blocky marker things). What else, Sperzel locking tuners and a hot sex finish you don't get out of a can.

So there we are, sidetracked once more, but in a good cause. Hopefully this will be together tomorrow, if I remember that is.

La laa laaaaa