Lightning Strike 2

Well, we're into the last day of the holibobs, peace and quiet from tomorrow...and still we haven't quite got there with The Lightning Dragon, which is a tad annoying.

Almost, but no banana as of yet.

Almost as annoying is the previously unmentioned holiday homework, lunchboxes that have six-weeks-in-the-sun-unopened-in-the-school-bag behind them and the fact that half my tools seem to have disappeared. (I say that like I have lots, but 2 out of 4 is definitely annoying.)

In summary, bugged.

Anyway, as freedom is glinting it's glass eye at me, I guess I should try and turn the meanderings of the last month or two into something like a plan of inaction.

The Fallen and Betty Blue Ones are the main focus and I'm feeling groovy about The Travellin' man One too as all of the parts - even the strap pins - are on their way, which is long over overdue.

So that is cool. As for the 2nd Gen Jookies, well I think I need to make some space in my garage before I can actually gently tip a doormouse in there. I don't need much room, but being able to get away from my homicidal router is always a bonus as is breathing, of course.

The Betty Blue One looks to be the most likely early win though, so that could be my starter tomorrow. We'll see how I wake up.

Now, if I can find a screwdriver and some strings, I might finito the Lightning Dragon yet. And then face six-week-old-crab-paste-sarnies. Yeurch.

La la laaaa

Insomnia and Gold Digging

Now that's what I call gold

Well, not that I'm obsessing, but I couldn't sleep so I've been checking on the Lightning Dragon scratchplate, to see whether the varnish  has dried on the gold leafified scratchplate, and it seems to be pretty close.

We used an ageing lacquer for this, which is what I used all that time ago on The Old Burny One as it gives the gold a really deep 'lustre' or maybe makes it more yellowy-shiny, I'm really not sure. It looks kinda cool though and stunning against the body.

Once that dries, and I'm hoping that will be sometime this weekend, we can bang it all together, which will feel good.

Getting back to the normal chaos, next week is all about The Fallen One, although I can't imagine I'll leave The Betty  Blue One alone for long, so don't be too surprised if...

I do want to get that pair sorted out before I start chopping wood with abandon. I also need to finally get the parts together for The Travellin' Man One which is starting to get silly.

But anyway....

La la laaaaaaaaaa

Betty Is Beautyfilled

Betty Wears Her Chrome With Pride

Well, not quite finished the Lightning Dragon yet today, but some super-speedfilled sorting out by Liam at Axesrus meant that the scratchplate arrived and could be gold leafed, which proved to be the most interesting experience of all and where I came closest to doing that
Dad thing:

Let-me-do-it-no-not-like-that-Jesus-won't-you-listen.

I didn't even do the:

speaking-slowly-whilst-fuming

stomp, I surprise myself at times.

Speaking of good service, I also received the replacement bridge plate for The Betty Blue One which means that it is ready to go too. Apart from that I ran out of strap pins again. Tis always the strap pins. Oh, and I can't find where the neck has gone either. But apart from that, it is pretty much there-ish. Man I lurve a girl in callipers.

Anyway, hopefully I'll have something to show later on...

Well, maybe.

La la laaaaaa

The Lightning, The Fallen etc.

Well, we're just about there with the Lightning Dragon once the scratchplate arrives, which is all good stuff. I even got the brats to drill new holes for the neck to be bolted on and they came out really well. I can see me subcontracting in future.

The daft thing is that I'm really looking forward to playing it and  have already been told that I won't be allowed to as I keep telling her not to touch my Jazzmaster.

Which is fairy Nuff I guess.

At least until she is at school.

Other than the dawning light, I've decided that the four Jooky days of next week will be all about The Fallen One. I'm determined to sort it out, and on the strength of it dug all the various bits out.

The list of things to do is something I'm refusing to be scared of, despite wood chopping being involved, there is nowt I haven't done before.

It be:

1. Rout neck pocket. It is too shallow so I need to dig deeper a few mm.

2. Pickups hole things: Same with these, they are a bit shallow, so I need to get deep down, baby.

3. Bridge: I need to drill some holes for the bridge thing.

4. Stain the body and finish with wax oil. No point doing this before I make some holes as it would be a guaranteed way of ballsing that up, let's face it.

5. Drill neck holes. One for the kids.

6. Put it all together. Simple..

And that is it.

How hard could it be?

And if I can't get it done in four days I never will.

Probably.

La la laaaaa

So Near, Or

Well, with a bit of luck we'll get The Lightning Dragon finished before the weekend is out, with the slight wrinkle being a minor cock-up in the wrong scratchplate being despatched dept.

But a replacement is whizzing it's way quick smart double-time and will hopefully arrive tomorrow. Axesrus were brilliant about it, great service as per usual.

So we'll get some done today - tuners, bridge, neck-bolted-on, maybe even wire the pickup up and man it looks cool. It probably sounds daft but I bought a cheapo pickup because I liked the cover, and then swapped in the Catswhisker pup I found in a drawer. The daft thing was it was cheaper than buying the cover elsewhere with the added bonus of something to put in the drawer so it doesn't feel bereft.

All in all, despite the breaks for weather, holidays, birthdays and going-to-the-park, I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised how well this has gone..

I've very deliberately let the bratskis do all of the work, which probably explains why it is getting done on schedule and looking as it should.

I can feel a dynasty coming on.

I'm most proud of the synchronised paint runs on the back and the checking on the side. Lovely.
(Really, I am.)

As for next week, well school opens once more on Tuesday and I'm pretty fired up, though not most other times.

So I'm going to be going for it a wee bit and hopefully Jookyfying the nation once again (ahem).

I've been sketching out body shapes off and on and am going to be making some templates, which is good. This Second-Coming-Jooky lark is occupying me somewhat at the moment and I'm trying verily hard not to offer to run whilst yet to take on to solids, as it were. But still, a boy can dream.

As ever my problem is controlling the urge to start forty-seventy-three projects before I've finished one of them and ending-up bewildered and generally making the big announcement and killing myself to make it happen.

But what can you do?
A baggie can't change his stripes, after all.

So today, bit of Lightning Dragon-ing, is 'bout as good as it gets, and when the 'plate arrives, a bit of gilding, knocking together, the usual WTF moment that defines just about everything, and we'll be there. Lovely.

What was the question again?

La la laaa

Getting Beastlier Like

It's All Inspiration - Dah-link

Well, I realise that we're feeding on scraps at the moment, but I'm pleased to say that the daughter's Lightning Dragon took another tumble forward, and now not only boasts a bunch of funny looking lightning bolts, but also has some groovily berouged blobby spot things too.

These have been haphazardly hacked from some vinyl, fixed and then lacquered so that they will stick around a while, which is all pretty cool methinks.

Hopefully today or tomorrow will bring all the parts, so that we can start putting it together, with the only really tricky bit left to face being that we're gilding the scratchplate with 24 karat leaf.

So basically it is going to be tight, but I think we'll have it together by next Monday which is the main thing.

This may seem to be going on a bit, but that is despite the fact that I'm not doing any of it rather than because of it. Anyway, it's always a slow start, stagnatifying in the middle followed by a flourish of a frenetic-yet-oddly-kinetic ending, lets face it.

I am rather intrigued to see how it plays, mainly as I know the scale length is going to be out of whack, but for her to start learning a few chords on I'm hoping it'll be OK. And when she's older and all that, if she is still bothered we can always fit a full-size neck and Bob's your Anty, if you have a family like mine.

So in summary, waiting for the post, as per.


La la laaaa

Home Straight Home

Well, back from Holiday-Camp-Hell it is immediately into the final days of bratski holibob, err, Hades and the only thing on the agenda that is likely to happen, is for the rest of the parts to arrive for mar lasses' Lightning Dragon, as that just-has-to-be-done before the week is over.

Left to do on the finish is the addition of red spots/splodges and some golden forks of lightning. These we're cutting from vinyl and then dusting with a lacquer cloud for goodly measurement.

The scratchplate is going to be smothered with gold leaf. I'd got some 24 karat left so that is cool McChilly.

Pickup-wise, I remembered a Catswhisker hand wound PAF 'bucker I'd got in a drawer from somewhere or other, so that is getting a golden can to live in, and should look good and sound pukka.

Other than that it is all Wilkinson tuners and steel blocked trem, with matchingly glistery strap pins and string trees too.

All of which is pretty groovy if you wear shades.



Of course, the parts aren't here yet in the most case, but fingers crissed and all that.

No pressure.
No pressure at all, at all.

La la laaaa

Treacle-Stomping Daze

Now THAT'S  what I call paint dribbles

Well, yesterday was a bit of an odd day.

Got the body of the Lightning Dragon done - looking vaguely battered, chipped, dribbly and scrappily scraped.

It seems red polka dots are the plan now, so I need to work that out, but generally - we're on target.

Going good.

Likely to succeed like a toothless canary.

Sorted.

As for the trem for The Fabulous One, well that was another no-show so I got a bit bugged about that, but maybe tomorrow, maybe today. It would be nice if it was this week.

But anyway, polka dots, not quite sure how that will be accomplished, but where the is a will and all that.

As for other things, I am really going to have a go at the Steinberg tuners today, and if circumstances permit, I may even find meself cutting out some shapes from my lovely planks of wood.

Well, you never know.

It all has that familiar wading thru treacle feeling again at the moment.

La la laaa

Of Fallen Dragons and Fabulous Jazzmasters

Well, the back of The Lightning Dragon is a satisfyingly obscene day-glo yellow, and after a bit of work has some nice crazing here and there too. It has had some lacquer as well of course, but will have more after Phase Deux, whatever that proves to be.

The front gets the treatment today, so that's cool, if not a mellow,
yellow.

In fact I got side-tracked and we have started the spraying already, a few coats in fact. Obviously we aren't looking for pristine here, more of an anti-OCD approach, so the crazing was lovely on the back and we've ladled the stuff on like custard so we have all manner of gloopirific runs down the side.

As for the rest of it, well it is going to have a 24 karat gold leafed scratchplate and all of the hardware will be golden too, if I remembered to order the right stuff.

As for the day job, well the headstock and scratchplate of The Fallen One got lacquered and are pretty much done, and today with a bit of luck and a fair wind at the back, the trem for The Fabulous One might arrive as a finishing touch.

I really want to get this sorted and fettled as it is starting to bug me, hanging around, eating all my chips, winking at the Ukuleles; all actions unbefitting of a civilised house guest.

To try and focus my befuddled brain, I thought I'd plonk together The Fallen One to try and inspire me to sort out the routing for once and ever more. I'm pretty chuffed with the way the 'plate looks against the walnut, though that should end-up a tad darker methinks.

So today - it will be slo-mo-a-go-go, but I should get the front of the yellow peril painted  if nowt else and I've ordered a new router, so things might be on the up soon enough..

Oh, and I treated my Jazzmaster to a nice old Mustang bridge, so that can go on too. Lovely.

La la laaa

Getting Fab All Over Again

Well, a bit of Morning Glory saw The Fabulous One, get a new neck fitted, with the original Grover tuners (nice rusty screws in place - check) and raring to go.

Hopefully the posty will bring me a boxload of new strings and I can get it proper fettled and play the thing all over again.

I'm glad we've ended-up with a maple boarded neck, it was originally meant to be that way but naturally I dithered and changed my mind a few times on the way.

Better still it is straight. (It's the little things in life that make me smile, like Oompa Lumpas and Ronnie Corbett.)

As for the remains of the day, it'll be over to the Dragon's Den for a bit of Hi-Vizzy yellow on the Lighting Dragon.

Masks and goggles have been arranged as have surgical gloves and Dad's old T Shirts - so they will be fully protected from the nasty niffs.

I still haven't organised the pickup I'm going to be using, but all the other bits 'n' bobbins should be here soon enough, so that isn't top of my list right now.

But there we be..ending the week with a flourish, I like that

La la laaaa

Another Day, Another Neck

Well, not a lot done again today, apart from picking the paint for my lasses Lightning Dragon - High visibility yellow, naturally. Nothing understated around here.

I did get the new neck for The Fabulous One though, and it is quite lovely.

I went for a Maple/Maple job this time and the finish is lovely and smooth, like silk it is. I'm really going to have to put that right.

So the old neck is off and I'll swap the Grover tuners across tomorrow. It is slightly wide for the neck pocket, but better that way than too loose. I'd forgotten how much fun this guitar is, that Toaster pickup from Mojo is stunningly cool sounding..

I am still in two minds whether to replace the tailpiece with a horseshoe tremolo or not. The tin bridge takes a bit of care at the best of times so I'm wondering whether the trem would be a step too far or not. Maybe I'll just get the neck on tomorrow and see how it is with the tailpiece and go from there.

Blimey that almost felt grown-up and proper organised and methodical-like.

La la laaa

That Was The Week That Might Be, Possibly

Home again, or

Well, another week in Jookyland and after last week's histrionical deliverance, I hate to say it, but I think this week will be a little less productive. I know, it will probably be difficultish spotting the difference.

What I do want to sort out this week are the parts for The Lightning Dragon, I've organised most of them, but just a couple of bits left to do. It is going to be a single pickup Strat and I'm thinking I should probably be thankful in the future for a very-low-powered-'bucker. Very, very low. I've learnt my lesson from The Fire Dragon. Maybe even hide the volume pot under the scratchplate so it can be accurately preset. Actually, I like that idea.

Other than that, it is waiting for parts and hopefully sharing a few tender moments with my chisel and handsaw.

Couriers are coming into it too - The Ronin One is off to America, and I should find a new home for The Raspberry Ripple One this morning, which is good. When I get back, I've also got to unwrap The Fabulous One and see what went wrong with the neck and bridge there. All a bit annoying but there we be.

So to do:

1. Couriers
2. Lightning Dragon
3. The Fabulous One
4. Routing
5. Parts

Not exactly your specific, measurable, accurate, relevant, time-bound objective there, but then again I'm not that smart at the best of times.

But anyway...

La la laaaa

Dragons and Telecasters

Even Yellow Dragons Have To Start Somewhere

Well, not quite a cigar shaped like a banana, but I'm pleased to report that The Raymond One has been drilled, wired and generally put-together-again, and I'm rather happy.

I even managed to get some strings - I know, I'm shocked too - and it sounds absolutely beautiful.

I'll do a proper introduction tomorrow though, when I find the camera and stop twanging the whammy bar (is that right?)

So basically, I will somehow have finitoed two Jookies in the first week of the holibobs, which is rather amazing, but thinking about it is probably down to wall-to-wall Spongebob to escape from and not being able to have my little nap of an afternoon.

The obvious question is 'What next?' even if it is just me asking it, and I think the answer is likely to be a combination of my lass's Lightning Dragon which now seems destined to be having polka dots as well as lightning and dragons, gold leaf and yellow and orange paint, and err, something else.

The bright and cheery Lightning Dragon is likely to be a bit of a departure from my norm, but there we are. Makes a nice change.

There is a dedicated Dragon Guitars blog up and available now if you want to follow the progress and devastation Here. In fact The Fire Dragon was the first guitar I ever made, a couple of years ago now and no doubt you'll see that all taste was left at the starting line.

I am a little gutted though. I found a lovely maple scratchplate with a real mother of pearl dragon inlayed into it, from Vietnam on Ebay, which would have looked perfect, but oh no, not a hope.

Who'd want that sort of thing?

I should have known better than to suggest such bobbins.

It could be a long, hot summer.

Anyway, the body arrived today and won't need much jiggling to make the neck work, so that is good.

Other than that, I'm really going to have to brave the router and do something about The Fallen One aren't I? I can see it coming.

La la laaaa