Better-er Days...

Well, it's all a little upsy-downsy in the Jooky Kingdom right now. The Glory B One got finished and is delish with a capital dish.

All my guitars are on the block as I am too indecisive to decide which one should go, and,,,

I still haven't got to grips with the woodwork.

Nice summary.

This week then, I am planning to get Fabulous (sick brats permitting), though there might be a touch of a small change in spec as something special from Mojoland might be landing in my lap. Something a bit different to the P90 I was planning on using. So we'll have to see.

I am also planning to bite the full metal jacket and get on with The Pearly Dewdrop One and at least chop some of the wood. I have a few different 'blanks' to play with now, so I'm working with Annette, as it were. (Nice lass but no head for heights.)

But despite that, I think starting is the key, and at least I'll know how likely it is that I will ever finish.

Moving forward then, I've been having a think and The Fabulous and Pearly Dewdrop Ones will take a while, so I'm going to do a Tele, just to keep my hand in like.

It will be pink paisley topped and probably an Esquire as I keep promising myself I'll make one and then get sidetracked by other bobbins.

Unless it isn't and I use the walnut veneer which I also keep saying I'll do. I haven't got any of the parts of course but then that's half the fun methinks.

I'm trying to avoid big-massive-long lists again as I just get confused, you might have noticed.

La la laa

Sold: The Glory B One

The Glory B One is perhaps the lightest Strat I’ve ever played never mind made. It has an alder body, maple/rosewood neck and a quite beautifully corroded copper finish.

I’m really rather proud of the finishas the colours from the corrosion of the copper are stunning.

What makes this a special guitar though, is a complete one-off pickup, The Mojo’Tron, made by our friends at Mojo Pickups. This takes the Gretsch/TV Jones sounds as a starting point, and all the twang and jangle you’d hope for are easily found, but there is also a lot more to it than that. Beefining it up a bit gives some great P90 grit and when overdriven it cuts thru clear as a dinging bell.

Overall then, a lovely single ‘bucker guitar with moresounds on tap than your average Strat, that looks grimly fiendish.
*


To be clear, The Glory B 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: Lulu’s Copper Top

Electrics: Mojo Pickups Mojo’Tron

Guitar Type: Fender Stratocaster

Construction: Wood body, maple/rosewood neck, Corroded Copper Finish

Strings: Nickel 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: JGE#53

RSP: £799

Introducing: The Glory B One

Well, I'm kinda happy to introduce you to a new member of the Jooky cabal, The Glory B One.

From the top, it is a lightweight alder bodied Strat, with a nice maple/rosewood neck. Tuners are pre-aged Wilkinsons which work a treat and the body has luxuriated in a bright and summer breezy (makes me feel, err, finey) corroded copper finish. And man that copper sulphate is lush. Sulphuric acid, can't beat it.

Under the plate is a lovely Mojo Pickups wiring loom replete with CTS pots, cloth smothered wire and a PIO capacitor the size of a swiss roll. (Maybe not quite the size of a swiss roll, but it is big.)

Most interesting of all though is the pickup I sort of challenged Marc at Mojo into making, and at the moment it is a complete one-off, but I have no doubt the boy has a big future and will be rolling a few more (Winding? I forget the technical chat).

This looks like a radiator from space, but sounds gorgeous. It's hard to nail the sound in words, not that I won't try, but there is definitely a bit of a TV Jones/Gretsch twang about it, but with maybe a touch more soul and tears. If I'm going to try the Book of Guitar Reviewer Cliche's I'd trot out articulate and airy and resonant, and talk about even with high gain and fuzz there being plenty of separation, but enough to say in my inarticulate way, it just sounds Gah. The tone control, for once, becomes your best friend as it varies between classic single tone cleans and more of a gritty oomph.

Oddly, in my head I find myself comparing it to Mojo's Wide Ranger, and this would make a lovely bridge to a Wide Range neck as there is a cross over, but not enough to confuse.. I'd love to hear a middle-position-mix 'tween the two, maybe I will on another one. Hmmm..

Given everything I've said, I'm loving it with bluesy-ness as it has something about it that just sings and wails. That P90 breaking-up-sound you just keep hitting.

So there we are, I'm rather pleased I asked now, as the pickup maketh the guitar.

(Not sure I'm getting this the right way around, somehow)

La la laa

WIP: The Glory B One and a Bit of Angst (Slight Return)

Well, I'm all-of-a-cringe at the moment, as I decided to put three of my guitars (not Jookies, I mean, from my private stash) up for sale, and see which one goes first, as I can't decide which to keep and what to lose.

I'm not taking it weeeeell so far, I have to admit. I keep shouting 'Nooo' every time one of them gathers another 'Peeper'.

I know it is the coward's way out, or at least one of them without having to scribble notes and get involved in ropes or hosepipes, but I guess it appeals to the randomness in my soul, even as it breaks-me-up-inside. (It is offish crap-80s-lyric-day in Jookyland, in case you are wondering.)

The sad thing is I don't want to sell any of them and will be all upset and melancholy-shopping-trolley when/if one of them goes, but there we are.

And then somewhere deep down is a little voice asking me whether I even need them at all... Which is of course stupid and basically a subtle form of sacrilege and not something I'm likely to think about ever again. I feel somewhat dirty even mentioning it, and not in a good way

The ones that haven't made the list are my Jazzmaster and the Gordo, which with a P90 and a '57 'bucker covers most of the bases the other three do, but that sort of rationalisation isn't helping overly-much-at-all either. Though I'm going to bite the bullet and replace the SD Phat Cat in the Gordo as it is annoyingly-too-nice, especially after playing the Mojo P90 in the PRS. I am tempted by one of Mr Mojo's Wide Rangers, but I do like a P90, it has to be said.

Though I chased-up The Golden Shower One at the local tech, which I know was maybe a bit pushy as I only dropped it in back in September, but you have to chance your arm, and that has a couple of P90s in it, so maybe. It'll be ready by Christmas, I expect..

In more distractingly-better news, the scratchplate for The Glory B One arrived and is now suitably copper-covered and acid dribbled, and the aged tuners are in the aged neck.

I will hopefully be putting it together sometime tomorrow, despite still being brat-infested. I need to do it just to find out what the Mojo'tron sounds like, for myself and in a way, I like to think for each-and-every-one-of-you out there. (ahem). Looks pretty stunning when it is plonked, if nowt else.

Right, off to play my Jazzmaster and Gordo, sequentially, to convince myself I don't care about the others

*sniff*

La la laa

*sniff*

Dirty Little Pleasures

Well, despite my deep and tenderly caring love of the raunch that is now my Mojo-equipped PRS, I still find that I can only bring myself to play it with the curtains drawn. So perhaps it is answering my which-one-has-to-go question all by itselfdom.

Either that or there are days ahead with me in me pants and string vest, eating out of takeaway trays and strumming all by myself with the curtains shut.

I don't know.

Not a pleasant thought, well, for anybody I'm sure.

All of which distracted me from The Fabulous One somewhat, but for not much longer, so getting that sorted is today's job. Sorted as far as disfigured can mean sorted. With less wood than I started. Literally, I mean. That isn't bringing me back to the PRS.

But today, yep. if things go to plan, it will be routing The Fabulous One and copperifying The Glory B One's 'plate before putting the rest of the guitar together tomorrow. I have high-ish hopes of getting some Glory this week.

I just have to think about finishing it and I find myself having thoughts about finishing it and then I realise I've been thinking about it and ultimately I realise I was thinking about it and then it's time to get the brats from school - game over.

So instead of just thinking I'm going to try doing, you never know, it might catch on.

So where to start.

Dunno really.

Ah, an instant update of breaking news from the Jooky front-line.

Sick brat stops play.

I should have known better, than to hope, to dream that perhaps, just perhaps, that one sunny day we'll meet again. I might be mixing my metathingies there somewhat.

Ho hum. Hope the scratchplate comes, at least I can be-copperify that.

La la laaa

p.s. Saw Obama got to meet Beckham yesterday.
Must have been a high point for him.
Is it me or does he look more like George Michael every day?
Beckham too, now I come-to-a-ponder it.

Nice, but well, Nice.

PRS SE One: In Need of a bit of Mojo methinketh

Well, yesterday was a bit of a strange day all-in-all. Had to be out and about, so I managed to miss the arrival of the PRS SE One and that was pretty much it.

Haven't really had a good chance to try it out yet - the One, I mean - but I'm not entirely convinced. The odd thing is that the pickup is a lot more gentile and polite than I ever remember it being when I've used such pickups before, transplanted into other guitars, so I'm a tad underwhelmed at the moment. Playing it louder always helps, mind, so I'll do that in a wee bit and see.

As for the guitar generally, it is very nicely put together. Slightly battered (which I knew about) and the neck is a good handful, but maybe it is because I've been playing the 30-year-old Sonex and the 20-year-old LP Studio, but it seems a little personality-light right now.

I'll give it a blast anyway and then maybe pop the Mojo loom and P90 in and see how it is then. I don't generally give things much of a chance, but maybe I should.

Don't get me wrong, it looks nice (apart from the headstock) and plays nicely, but nice isn't really what I was looking for. More your face-ripping type of thing. I was hoping for something to fill my eternal Les Paul Junior void, but...

As for Jookidom, well, the Mojotron arrived along with yet another wiring loom from Marcy-boy and I can't wait to try it out. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for the other bits for The Glory B One, but hopefully they will arrive today. Scratchplates and tuners, they really do matter. I'll need to be-copper the scratchplate before I can put it together proper, but it should be sorted this week, methinketh.

Other than that I'm planning on finishing the woodwork for The Fabulous One and that is it. Nowt else to get in the way, just that.

It has gone on too long already so I need to finito it, or at least the dangerous part or I won't be able to look at meself in the mirror. Well, if I had a mirror.

Off to give the PRS a blast, then we'll see...


~~~ Later On Like ~~~

Well, I've given the PRS a blast, and I like the neck. Not sure about the finish, and am going to put the Mojo P90 and wiring in, and see if that gives it a bit more organicness and bite, as it is far too polite...

My natural instinct is not to like a PRS on principle - but the One on paper should be my kinda guitar, so I have this horrible dilemma - like finding out you prefer the Tories' policies compared to Labour and despite every fibre in your body screaming that you-can't-do-it, you feel like you have to at least think about it.

Though saying that, the outcome is no doubt predictable anyway...




La la laaa.

In The Crissy-Crossy Hairs

The Radiator From Space - MojoTron

Well, the more-of-a-stripe-than-a-burst The Glory B One is coming together quite nicely. I've finally got my act together and sorted out the single pickup scratchplate, and best of all Marc from Mojo has just sent me a foto of the finished pickup - that will forever now be known as a Mojotron. =>

Basically, it is a slightly warmer Filtertron type of thing, that looks rather cool. He has also done me a loom for it, so Glory B indeedy.

As for the scratchplate, I've decided to go for copper because, well, I think it will look nice. And what else truly matters?

Following on from my thingy the other day, I've kinda decided that I need to get rid one one of my guitars - because I don't include Jookies in the head-count, obviously.

But which one....so I could do with some help:

1. '93 MIJ Fender Jazzmaster : Handy hint this one goes nowhere

2. '92 Gibson Les Paul Studio

3. '81 Gibson Sonex 180 Deluxe

4. Aria Acoustic: Horrible sentimental attachment, so this stays.

5. PRS SE One: Hasn't actually arrived yet

6. '80s Gordon Smith

And I'm finding it tough.

The obvious way is last-in-first-out, which means either the Sonex or the PRS, but I'm loving the Sonex right now and have lusted after the PRS SE One for ages and have one of Mojo's P90s and looms to install which is something to look forward to.

But I can't see me losing the Gordo as it is a complete wreck, but is probably the one that makes me smile most when I play it. It smells gorgeous too.

Which leaves the Les Paul Studio, but again lust comes into it and side-by-side, I'd have to say it pips the Sonex - though that could be a pickup thing. I am liking the ebony board on it though. And the colour, but then the Sonex' neck is a total dream.

So what to do?

Decisions, decisions.

Maybe I should put them all on Ebay and see which goes first.

La la laaa

WIP: The Glory B One

Well, I did the acid thing on The Glory B One and have gone for a bit of an acid burst - which sounds like an Opal Fruit, but probably wouldn't make your mouth water in a good way.

What I wanted was to do a copper top, but then bronze and corrode it around the edges. Partly to give an impression of creeping desolation and corruption as felt by the Western spirit as normal social boundaries disintegrate and social norms become disregarded as antiquities and curios, but mainly because I wondered what it would look like.

And I like it. I'm not decided on the scratchplate yet - I'm wondering whether plain black is the best bet - though I think perhaps I might bronze that too. I would have already if I had gotten around to getting it, but I haven't. It'll be a single pickup either way.

As for the neck, well I've copperified the headstock, and given it a name and number. No rank, that would be silly..

The rest of the bits should also be here in the next day or so, so it is kinda happening quite neatly for once.

As for The Fabulous One, I never got to return to my chopping yesterday, and unless the courier comes early I probably won't today either I am actually pretty much done on the wood bit, just a bit more and we're quids in. But many a slip between alcopop bottle and lip, .so still plenty of time to screw it up.

And while I'm rounding-up, the Sonex, I took that apart earlier on as the switch was a bit weird, and replaced that with a new one. I must admit I'm not sure about the pickups - no idea what they are even - as they get a bit mushy.

I think I've been spoiled by all these handwound, air-filled pickups I've been using lately. I'll have a think about them and save my pennies.

Oh, I wasn't going mad about the mini-switch not doing much, as it isn't connected to anything at all. The rest of the wiring is lovely though - a nice surprise - all good pots and PIO caps and all that.

Still, it all works fine now and I'm rather chuffed with it. Might have to change the knobs though, I really loathe speed knobs.

La la laaa

The Fabulous Glory Day

Well, the morning has given way to such trifles as packing up The Tatty Adonis One, which gets swapped for an '81 Gibson Sonex tonight, somewhere strange, and The Kooky One which will hopefully gently be placed in the back of a lorry before the day is done.

As for other things, I had a chat with Marc-the-Mojo-Man about doing something different pickup-wise for The Glory B One, and he is going to wind me something special, which I'm all rather excited about already.

I wanted something lower output - the Novatron I had from Wizard a while back kinda giving me a cricket pitch to bowl at, but maybe with a different sound. (As you can imagine I give very clear and definitive directions as to what I want and Marc translates these into something cool that to be fair has little to do with me.) All of which is pretty groovy, I feel.

Today though is the starting point as far as The Fabulous One goes. As you can see from the piccy hopefully, I've marked out where I think the pickup, control knob, jack and bridge will end-up. This is very important and in no way should be mistaken for me bottling the cutty-out bit.

I thought of the old maxim about measuring thirty times and cutting once, disregarded it, my bottle twitched, re-examined the concept from a different perspective, stopped shaking and then drew it with a pencil instead of using something more permanent. Though what is more permanent than a pencil, I don't know, apart from maybe indecision.

So anyway, we're in clover, like it is 1999.

All I need to do is dig the drill out, fire up the router, visit casualty, and there we are. I can't imagine anything more simple.

First though, I'm going to give The Glory B One's body a bit of a coppering. I decided that was the way to go right at the start of typing this sentence.

La la laaa

Once More Into The Thingy

Well, once the bank holibob is out of the way and time is mine own, this week is all about The Fabulous One (and you won't distract me from that, let me tell you), and maybe the '81 Gibson Sonex I should get Tuesday evening.

I am a little bit excited about that, but won't for a moment let it distract me from the fact that I'll be doing fabulously this week.

Nothing could.

Nothing at all.

Apart from the bit where I remember the little box of Strat parts I found hidden away for a rainy day. Under the stairs, behind the school bags and shoe mountain.

I'd forgotten I had them, so they were a nice surprise.

I do realise that finding a guitar, even in bits, that you'd forgotten about sounds daft, but I worked for a bloke once who came into work well excited because he'd found something in his garden, and it turned out to be a Tennis Court. So I don't feel so verily bad.

My only excuse is that there are a lot of shoes to climb before you get to the box.

Not for the fainting heart.

Anyway, top-of-mine-mind the chopping down of the fabulous is, in between selling Socialist Worker, but I can't help but wonder what to do with the Strat on the side, as it were.

I have of course just done a single 'bucker Strat, which has got that out of my system for a while, but to be honest single pickuped is how I like my Strats best, so I shouldn't rule it out.

But I do think that maybe something different might be good.

Though I do like single pickup guitars.

But different is good.

Though I like single pickup Strats.

But...then...well..you know.

Hmmm.

OK, assuming that I might do it in between, as it were, I think I should like to  break a habit of a lunchtime and do a proper Strat for once, with three single coils. Not usually my kipper, but what the hell, it'd make a change.

Plus I loved the lippy pups on The Kooky One, so they could be an option.

Or I might do a single P90, just for old times sake and all.

Or maybe a single humbucker.

Or something else.

As for the finish, I am torn between corroded copper and gold leaf. I've always liked the look of shoreline gold Strats, so it might be nice to do a real gold one. Though a completely copperified one would look cool too.

We'll see though. I mean, I'll be busy doing the Fabulous One let's face it, it isn't like I'll have a lot of time to start The Glory B One.

La la laa