Introducing: The Alcaeus One

Well, I'm pleased to introduce to you, the latest wee Jooketta to roll in the grass (and weeds) of Portishead, The Alcaeus One, a Mother of Jooky Pearly Blue Jazzmaster of the old skool.

From the top it has:

1. A single piece swamp ash Jazzmaster body

2. A Mother of Jooky Blue Pearl finish. the fotos never catch this well, but man it is pretty.

3. A Posh Warmoth neck, maple and rosewood, a good handful too

4. Sperzel Trim Lok locking tuners

5. Fender AVRI Tremolo and arm (it is here somewhere)

6. Fender Mustang bridge

7. Mojo Pickups famous Jazzmaster pickups - the best of the best in any sane chap's opinion - and a traditionally made wiring loom to hold it all together (Top notch CTS this, Switchcraft that, PIO whatever)

And how does it sound?

How does it play?

How does it look?

Simply put, wicked man, wicked. The old greek would approve.

I'll do proper fotos tomorrow, so excuse the snaps..

La la laaa

So Anywaysup

Well, so anyway, I'm looking forward to next week - The Alcaeus One is next on the block - but can I make up my mind on the pickups? Can I be ekkers.

So from the top - a lovely one piece swamp ash body.
Glorious Warmoth Maple/Rosewood neck.
Sperzel tuners.
Fender AVRI Tremolo.
Staytrem Bridge.
A lovely Mother of Jooky pearly queen of a finish.
Ye Olde Mojo wiring loom, but
I still don't know what to get Marc to wind.

On one side, I'm thinking Jazzmaster pickups. I beatify them, they sound immense - what's not to love?

But then I think I might keep this one (I laughed too) and a pair of the Mosrite styled ones would indeed be pretty darn lovely too.

Yet, there is the classic Gold Foil + Mosrite combo that worked so well before.

Or even Mojotrons, now they would be cool.

Or even even more so, a Wide Range humbucker plus a P90, would be sex on a hard drive.

And that is all before I look at every combination of the above and stick sticky sticks in my eyes.

And worst of all I've spent three months trying to work this out.

I just don't know what to do.

I am tiller-free and generally uncertain.

Maybe I'll sleep on it.

La la laaaa

WIP: The Alcaeus One

Well, no work to report but The Alcaeus One has dried hard now, and is looking rather lovely and pearly cratered indeed. As the one-piece swamp ash body looked rather lovely, I wanted to be able to see some of the grainy action, and that has come across well, so I be pleased.

So I did a quick mock-up, along with the pretty Warmoth neck which has a sneaky two-tone blue headstock...

I must admit I still can't decide on the pickups, but I'll have a think over the weekend, perhaps.

I'm also waiting for an AVRI Fender tremolo and a Staytrem bridge, and will bang a set of Sperzel Trim-Loks on as they are so very sweet.

Anyway...

La la laaaaa

Little Elves Go Brushy Brushy All...Night...Long

Well, due to a lacking in the sleep department, I seem to have been doing an Elves and The Guitar Maker recreation, and have found the front of The Alcaeus One has gone all of-a-pearl.

I love it when that happens, though it plays havoc with the bed clothes.

Unfortunately, I hadn't finished the back, so progress in reality is mixed, but there we are, can't have it all.

As for today, well I was going to be painting the, err, The Alcaeus One, but that is drying, so..well, we'll have to see I guess.

La la laaa

The Back of Love

Well, a day of pearly kins as both The Alcaeus One and the first ever Jookulele had their backs painted.

Still a way to go on the guitar as you can no doubt tell, but the lass is far more professional and decisive than I and is pretty pleased with how her work is turning out.

What you can't see is that it is all underpinned by sparkle which should look pretty tasty indeed.

Other than that, not a lot to report from the frontiers..

La la laaa

Ruinous Blue

Well, OK, I'm over it.

I'm over the smiting of The Alcman One and the only way to fight back is to get back in the saddle.

So I've decided what to do about The Alcaeus One, and it is going to be epiC with a big C.

So gone is the white pearl, and in comes a stunning cool shades-of-ruinous-blue Mother of Jooky finish.

Out are the standard Jazzmaster pickups, and in are a pair of Mojo's Gold Foils all over again.

And that is it, really.

So I have grabbed my rather lovely one-piece swamp ash body, and prepped it like a good 'un, and will start mixing my paints with attitude, because this time it is serious. And man this baby is gonna shine, shine, shine..

La la laaaa

In Alcaeus We Trust

Well, today is all about The Diamond Shiny One, with the slight problem that I came to put the neck on and noticed it has split.

Which is a troublesome detail, but there we are.

Other than that it is looking good -- shorter than nature intended, but as a new neck should arrive tomorrow, it isn't the end of this or even the next world.

On the  plus side I noticed before I started fitting the tuners etc. so I'm not doubly miffed.

All of which made me think of obscure Greek poets from six centuries before the little baby Jesus showed up, which naturally made me think about the rather spiffy one-piece swamp ash Jazzmaster body under my stairs and that I would quite like to make another Jazzmaster.

So that is the plan, and after swearing I would never go for a Mother of Jooky finish again after enjoying the process so much with The Whipped One, I am, err, going to do just that.

Basically then it is a homage to a pearly white Jazzmaster, clearly has to have a red tortie scratchplate, a rather dishy big handful of a Warmoth neck, all the usual fixtures and fittings and there we are.

What I can't decide is what sort of pickups to put in it. Don't get me wrong, you can't beat the Mojo Jazzmaster jobbies, but after my dalliances with Mosrite and Gold Foils, I do have the urge to go west young man.

I'm sure I will work it out though...

So that will be The Alcaeus One, sometime, whenever I can be arsed.

La la laaaa