Busy Doing Nowt, In Truth.

Well, day one of my newly forged freedom-to-create and I achieved precisely nothing. The Explorer body is however ready to go - can I claim I delegated?

The Funky One - Never To Be Forgotten *sniff*

Or am I in danger of being accused of sweatshop/child labour exploitation?

I did pay my lad in Jaffa Cakes, but will that swing it?

Anyway, one thing I did do was get the neck ready and decide on the body coverage.

As I said before The Crowley One will have a Molten Metal Leaf top, but this will now be accompanied by a low key paisley back and sides, which I think will look pretty cool, it has to be said...

Although I have got some  Platinum Leaf, which might be nice on the back, or perhaps on the scratchplate if I put that back on. Decisions, why can't I make them?

What else? Well, I was going to solder The Blue Moon One's lipstick pickups in, but shaky-hand-syndrome meant it wasn't really a runner, so there we are. Better luck tomorrow I guess.

Oh, I did acquire a Tele custom body that has been routed for either P90 soapbars or humbuckers, that should arrive soonish, which is cool. I love the look of them, and The Funky One - which had a rather hot pickup selection - was one of my fave of the Jooky guitars. Utter lunacy but cool as cool can be once you tamed the savage 'Slag. Pity I got rid of all my P90s, have to find some more I guess.

Ho hum.

Sold: The Funky One

The Funky One is James Burton meeting James Brown on top of a mountain and exchanging little bits of paper to see what happens. It is what Bootsy would play if he learned how to deal with a couple more strings. It is pure lysergic funk mixed with something a lot older, dirtier and hot, hot and a bit more hotter.

But it has a secret under the hood. The pickups are scorching. I mean burning. I mean sheesh.

At the bridge is an IronGear ‘Hot Slag’ which is awesome sounding.

At the neck is a DiMarzio 'Evolution', which is frankly crazy.

But it isn’t all hot and heavy, The Funky One has knobs as well as balls, and the more you take the time to twiddle them, the more you’ll get out of this little cherub.

To be clear, The Funky 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 British funkster. There will genuinely never be another guitar like this and past experience suggests that it won’t be around for long.

Technical Stuff:

Type: Leona’s Groovy Guitar

Pickups: Di Marzio ‘Evolution’, IronGear ‘Hot Slag’

Guitar Type: Fender ’72 Custom Telecaster Inspired

Construction: Cloth over wood.

Strings: Fender 350L Stainless Steel

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: 2 x Tone, 2 x Volume, Three-way Selector

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

Serial Number: JGE#14

RSP: £399 SOLD

The Funky One - Finally, finally....well, nearly.

Well, the OCD One is still bobbling around under the influence of thinners and stuff, and the Peace Train One is equally being finished, so today then, I am wiring up the Funky One, after far too many false starts and distractions. Saying that, to be honest I think somebody else will be doing the soldering as I knacked my hand up and I'd probably set fire to the place.

But I'm talking about the guitar, and in case you can't remember it from all those weeks ago -  it is of course a '72 Custom Tele, type of thing, with it's lovely big sweeping scratchplate and twin 'buckers. I decided to keep the usual two volume/two tone controls in the end after mucho dithering, and pickup-wise, have gone for the unholy alliance of a DiMarzio 'Evolution' at the neck and an IronGear 'Hot Slag' at the bridge, which means this is going to be an interesting old mix. Quite warm around the edges but hopefully with a good variety of tones. Be good to see anyway.

And really, fitting those little beauties was all I needed to do as the rest of the guitar was sorted out months back like. In fact, and I've no doubt mentioned it before, the wiring had been done as well, until my 'little princess' attacked it with some wire cutters.

but there we are.

So today is going to be Funky, that's the plan.

Complete guitar pictures to follow as I get around to it...

Back On Track, All Over Again

Well, things are getting back to busy in Jookyland once more. I'm putting the finishing touches to the Funky One - more on that soon, and my first Custom job, The OCD One is coming along too.

On top of that, I've decided to have a go at another Tele after picking up a beautiful hand made pine body from a chap, and a lovely neck off the bay. I must admit I've always been intrigued by the idea of pine bodies, since I read that some of the original Teles were made of pine, and more recently I (think) that the Fender Baja Telecasters have gone that route again. Actually I just checked on the Fender site and they are Alder, but there we are. They do make Custom Shop ones though, so there. More to the point, what I'm planning to do with this one is something a bit swish.

First off, it will have a rather cool finish - no surprise there, I guess - but I want something that looks a little along the lines of a single pickup esquire, with no pickup at the neck.

Saying that, I'm really tempted to have a hidden humbucker or overwound P90 under the traditionally blank pickguard, so  that the options are there, but without it looking like it.

This has it's own problems, I guess, as the magnets will be further from the strings and covered by a layer of plastic, but I'm hoping that a higher powered pickup should overcome this. I'll give it a wee go... Other than that, I could maybe put a boost circuit in or something...

Anyway, no doubt you'll hear more about that soon...la la la.

Feels like we're back on track

***

Speaking of the OCD One, if you've been following my escapade into Customness, I'm pleased to say that it is coming together quite very nicely, and more to the point it has been a real pleasure working with Geoff, not least because he makes decisions a lot quicker than I do.

As far as the future goes, I am actually quite keen to try it again, so if you have always fancied one of our guitars, but never quite seen what you want, give me a shout, and who knows...we could make beautiful musical instruments together.

I am sooo very cheap, you wouldn't believe it. Laaa.

Jookadelic Baby

OK, enough belly-button-spotting, time to get back into Jookyland proper like.
First things first, is the Funky One. If you remember this is a lovely '72 Tele-esque guitar, with a rather crazy and yes, funk-filled, paisley finish to it. I love the Seventies Teles, all monster scratchplates and double humbuckers, and this one is a lovely player, I'm pleased to say.

Anyway, I have a decision to make about the thing, and it is my usual dilemma of pickups, as basically I've got some interesting ones to choose from.

First up are the Wilkinson PAF-like pickups that came with the guitar. I must admit, despite the rather excellent Vintage (tm) guitars, I'd kind of assumed that these would be a straight pull-out-and-chuck-away thing.

I know, me of all people being snobby, can you imagine?

Anyway, that changed in the nano second it took me to play my full six string repertoire, as they sounded amazingly good. Couldn't quite believe it, and I'm really tempted to keep them. But as ever, I have some other pickups to hand and so there is a...

Second option, which was really what I thought I'd do in the first place. These are an odd couple. At the neck would be a Di Marzio pickup who's name escapes me, but that was taken out of a Fender HM Tele. This has an amazing, tone to it and is quite unlike yer bog standard humbie. I really like the pickup, but not enough to remember its name. With this then, I was planning on slapping an IronGear Hot Slag into the bridge. Again, a bit of a monster of a pickup, but one that cleans up amazingly nicely - you could almost take it home to meet your mother, if not mine.

Third option, and a bit of a wild card, is a pair of Tokai PAF-esque pickups that came out of a Japanese Les Paul. Are these called 'Love Rocks', or am I getting muddled-up about that? Whatever they are called, these are a bit more traditional sounding and I think they would be lovely like a lovely thing in the Funky One.

So what to do? Stick with the Wilko, go heavy with the Slag or take a punt on something from the orient?

I don't know.

The wiring too, I'm dilemma-angsted about. I had originally wired it a la Les Paul with two volume, two tones and a switch (like a '72 Tele, surprisingly), but I'm coming to the conclusion that (apart from if I use the Di Marzio and Hot Slag where the extra controls might come in handy) it might be nicer to go more simplistic, with one tone and a single volume.

Again though, what to do.

Still, I have time to decide, how hard can it be...?

Back In Black

It's funny, but after going around in circles for the last few weeks, I've finally got it straight in my head about how exactly I want the 'New Jooky' to work. With me the hard part is cutting down the ideas to those that I can actually get finished without turning in 28 hour days, nineteen days a week, and that is the case again - there are so many cool things to be doing, that I need to keep it simple if I'm ever likely to do something I'm happy with. Blah blah blah. I know, I go on a bit. Tis boring already.

Anyway, lots of R&D to do, but of more interest is the one-that-has-been-sitting-patient-like-on-the-bench, the fabled twin buckered '72 Tele-a-like, The Funky One. Basically, it is waiting to be wired for the second time, as I probably said, due to the fact that my daughter took pliers and wire cutters to the insides and I haven't had a chance to look at it again since. The time though is right now - well, next week anyway - and I'm going to get it sorted out.

I haven't done many Teles before - this will be the second in fact - which is mainly down to there being a lot less second-hand parts available for some reason, but this is a bit of a beaut and I'm starting to itch about it all. The finish is absolutely beautiful if mad and colourfilled paisley is your thing, and there we are.

I've also promised to get my act together on the Growler pedal project, which has had far too many false starts and unavoidable delays already, but is all cool...

Anyway, meandering through fields of vague promises again, time to stop.

Going With A Hot Slag After All

As I mentioned the other day, I am having to rewire the Funky One from scratch due to a little mouse with a pair of wire cutters and a pair of Handy Manny pliers.
Squeeze, if you are unfamiliar.

Which brings me to dilemma's gates once more. You see, I had decided to go with the stock Wilkinson pickups for the first time ever, as they sounded really rather good. But now that I have a roll of wire in front of me, I'm thinking about the Di Marzio neck pickup that came out of a Fender HM Tele, and the Hot Slag that got usurped when I was doing the Mellow One the other week.

I mean, it sounds a fine old combo, does it not?

The only concern is aesthetic as the Hot Slag is a Zebra and I'm not sure how that will look with the TV Jones-esque covers I’m intending to put on. The  H Block tribute, as I hear they are called somewhere or other.

Still, that would be a wee bit funky, so maybe I should go that way after all.

I never thought I'd be lusting after wooden knobs

I know, best planned lays and all that, but I never got around to sorting out The Funky One in the end, and so it will have to be this week.

I was a bit gutted as it happens, as somehow the wiring I'd done has all become disconocorated - a helpful three-year-old is the prime suspect - and trying to work out what went where looked a bit depressing for a weekend's entertainment, not least because my well thought out notes and diagrams seem to have disappeared too..

I will do it soon though, as I need to get on and the parts will probably end-up strewn across the neighborhood’s gardens if I don't.

Getting away from Jookydom for a moment, and unlikely though it sounds, I am thinking about buying a guitar, as my head has been turned by a stripped down, bare of any kind of finish, Gibson Les Paul BFG.

Not sure what the BFG stands for, I have to say, but there we go.

They don't make them anymore, I don't think, but they are basically unfinished and have a P90 at the neck with a Burstbucker at the bridge. Which sounds a tad mayhem-like, but there we are.

I haven't played one yet mind you, but as long as they are what I think they are - tortured chaos incarnate - I'm guessing all will be well if I do get to grips with one. I'll find a foto to post here, but I quite like all the colours which I guess will be handy as there don't seem to be many around, apart from the rather too-mucho-moolah-expensive Gary Moore signature one, but there we are.

While I inhabit Fantasy Island, I also quite fancy a new amp, and the Vox Night Train is appealing. Only 15 watts, which when I used to play in a band would have got me laughed at, but these days seems to be acceptable.

I don't know why that is - do drummers play quieter or are speakers better?

I used to use a 150watt Peavey thing back in the sepia days and still couldn't hear what I was playing.

Actually, I still can't hear that much of what I'm playing, and that is no doubt still down to the same drummer-chap.

Kevin, you owe me a couple of eardrums sunshine.

Ah, whatever...

Sneaky Preview

I know I've mentioned the Funky one, and as it will be ready to roll in the next few days, you'll see it finished soon enough  I guess, but I have to say it is one statement of a guitar, as I hope the WIP fotos show.

The Paisley is stunning and bright and I'm loving the look of it, and the pickups - Wilkinson's that I've never tried before - really do the business. And it is a '72 Tele sort of thing too, and I love the shape of the scratchplate - four knobs and all.

But the reason I mention it, is because I am sad and absolutely love the look of the H Block pickup covers, which really break up and set off the whole look of the guitar.

It isn't quite there yet, but will be soon, and I think it will really, really stand out from any given crowd.

Any gibbon crowd too, as it happens.

Maybe I should have gone for some Rock Monkey pickups, thinking about it.

Feelin' Mellow, Getting Funky

Double Cream Bare Knuckle Lurve-li-ness

Well, I think this week will prove to be genuinely productive by my slackish Jooky standards, after all.

The reason for my optimistic Tuesday morningesque feeling is because I've just wired-up and screwed together the Mellow One, and I have to say it is a wee bit of a dream.

I even tuned it up and everything.

I have to say I've heard lots about Bare Knuckle pickups - they are handwound, made from the finest ingredients and everything else, and I have even played a couple of Les Pauls with their thingies well and truly plumbed-in, and been impressed. But the sheer clarity of the 'Rebel Yell' pickup I've put in the Mellow One is astonishing. As I said before I went with the single knob, but have coil tapped the pickup using a push-pull pot so that you have a lovely glassy single coil sound that quickly switches to a hot git of a humbucker. Absolutely lovely, if I say so meself. And man is it loud, really, really loud and clear as a bell - until you crank up the amp a tad and then - proper mayhem.

The one thing I'm really pleased about though is the neck. I think I said that it was nice, but I've taken some of the gloss off since then and given it a light oil. It looks nice and worn in now and has that slightly rough finish that I love. It really feels like you are playing it, if you see what I mean.

Anyway, fotos to follow a little later after I played it in and tweaked the set-up a wee bit, but #13 is a doozy, nuff said. Here is a rough one though, showing off the 'Double Cream' pickup and quite beautiful knob.

In summary, all good then. Lovely.

***

The other reason for optiwotsit though is that the Funky wee Telecaster one is also pretty close to being done - and should certainly be ready to chug later this week. The paisleyification is all in place and the final coat of lacquer is hardening as I type. For a change I've gone as nature intended and kept two humbuckers in place, although there is a nice touch as far as the covers go. I think you'll approve. I think it will prove to be a bit of a rock god, to be honest and can't wait to fire it up come the weekend.

So there we are, and if I can get my act together to start the Cigar Box Guitar before Wednesday, I'll feel like I'm back on track.

Feeling Funky

Feeling Funky?

Well, The Mellow One isn't quite finished yet as I'm still to break out the soldering iron and get electo-creative - an odd disease.

It is always the electric bit that takes a touch of organising as basically soldering and bratskis don't mix particularly nicely,

What I can do though is unscrew things down, and take things to bits and then do some sticking, as that is far more normalish around here.

So, while the Mellow One will be hopefully done on Monday, if not the weekend, I've kind of leap-frogged forward and started on the rather cool Tele that I mentioned earlier.

For this one, I wanted something a bit more in-your-mush than the mellowness of late - OK The Groovy One was bright, but I'm ignoring that for a moment. In fact I wanted something particularly funky to go with the '70s vibe of the guitar.

The foto then is the first fitting of the finish...still smothered with glue and grain filler, but a couple of coats under it's belt and there we are.

No surprise the that it is likely to be called The Funky One or some such thing.

Groove is in my heart, after all.