In Summary...

Gone, soon to be, gone...

Well, The Grecian 201 One looks to have gone  to a nice chap called Laird Brandon, which means we're back to the more natural state of talking about things I haven't finished yet, rather than trying to sell the ones I have.

Which always hurts, it has to be said, so it is quite a relief for the cupboards to be baring-all once more.

The Porn Shop One remains untouched 'awaiting a Piledriver', and The Off Key One too needs a few extras that are being held hostage by postman across Europe.

I went for some aged bronze tuners in the end for that as they looked gorgeous and somehow fitting. Everything should be here next week anyway, so all is well. I really want to hear what Jess' P90 is like, my guilty secret. The one I talk about all the time.

As for the others, The Drip Dry One is my next focus, I think as I think it is going to be a really cool guitar, maybe stretching my Marmite principles even further than normal, but there we are. Though The Old Burny One, I keep forgetting my golden beauty, surely only needs a tweak.

But that is all for next week, methinks, for tonight we party like it is 2011.

Saturday Strumming

Well, not a lot likely over the weekend, but I did finally get around to putting some string trees onto the Grecian 2011 One, and then spent a couple of hours having a fumbly strum, as is my want.

I have to say, with all due humility and grace, that it is quite probably - no, it is quite definitely the nicest Strat I have ever played.

 The neck is beautiful - quite a handful, which I like, the action is low, which again isn't my first preference but just feels right on this one, and the Gotoh tuners mean it tunes like a rock. Not a twinge of out of tuneness.

Loving the pickups too, though more bluesy than jangly...

*sigh*

Just thought I'd mention it,
I've got another
1/2 an hour to kill....

Sold: The Grecian 201 One

Moody, arty shot that is utterly pointless

Taking its lead from a time-stained sculpture, The Grecian 201 One has an aged and corroded Bronze finish. A variety of chemicals have been used to create a genuinely patinated and cracked surface, which is truly stunning. The scratchplate has been coated with a rough finish copper that itself will age over time.

In terms of the sounds, The Grecian 201 One has a pair of Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick pickups, which not only jangle, but give a beautiful SRV-soaked bluesy tone. At the bridge is a GFS ‘Hot Liverpool’ Retrotron, which can be coil-tapped using a mini toggle switch.

A left handed neck complete the picture and the guitar just sounds awesome.

This is the first guitar to feature one of our “Pam’s Baywatch Bronze” finishes.

*

To be clear, The Grecian 201 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 Clevedon. There will genuinely never be another guitar like this and past experience suggests that it won’t be around for long.




To treat yourself very well and buy The Grecian 201 One, along with a tweedy hardcase, delivered to your day (in the UK at least) for a quite stupid £399, simply click on the big yellow button before somebody else does. And they will, they always do...

*** SOLD ****

Technical Stuff:

Type: Pam’s Baywatch Bronze finish, Lulu’s Copper Top scratchplate

Electrics: Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick pickups, GFS Hot Liverpool Retrotron

Guitar Type: Fender Stratocaster

Construction: Alder body, Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, corroded metallic paint.

Strings: Nickel 10s

Output: ¼” Guitar Lead

Controls: Single Volume, Single Tone, 5-Way Switch

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

Serial Number: JGE#37

RSP: £499

Sort of Introducing The Grecian 201 One to the Family

Well it was a spurt, a late spurt, but a spurt that nonetheless saw me drag my act together and finish The Grecian 201 One last night. I blame Sky+ and a greater than average rainfall in the local area.

The Tripadelic, Grecian 201 and Moulin Rouge Ones

Anywaysup, in between swearing at couriers yesterday, I'm pleased to say that my lovely antiquated bronze baby is all together and sounding rather neat. Proper fotos will follow when the light shines again, but here are the unholy trinity...

But The Grecian 201 One, from the top then, let me introduce you to my latest trick, featuring or maybe even revelling in the mud of the glory that is having:

1. An Alder Strat body, but not just any Alder Strat body, this is

2. An Alder Strat body ladled with reactive bronze enriched paint. In fact it is

3. An Alder Strat body ladled with reactive bronze enriched paint that has been tortured with acid, varnished, corroded and generally mistreated in ways too evil and vile to comprehend.

4. A maple neck with a rosewood scratchplate. Left handed for your pleasure, flipped upside down for your delectation.

5. Gotoh tuners, Wilkinson bridge/tremthing

6. A raw copper leafed scratchplate

7. A GFS Retrotron Hot Liverpool humbucker at the bridge, coil taps being provided via a mini-switch thingie

8. Two Hot Lipstick Kent Armstrong Lippy pickups

All of which means that The Grecian 201 One jangles as well as grooves and generally has lots of cool, hot and interesting tones for you to extract, if ever you get to play with her.

So there we are. And man is she fotogenic-like.
What a girl
What a battered babe.

Three little Jookies, standing in a row

WIP: The Grecian 201 One

Well, as we're paddling in the uncommon waters of having two Jooky guitars for sale at once, it probably seems perverse that I'm getting closer today to expanding the harem, but there we are.

As you may be able to notice, my bridge, tuners and neck all arrived yesterday for The Grecian 201 One and I am halfway thru spoodling them.

The Gotoh tuners I've gone for mean that I need to ream out the holes in the headstock a wee bit.

As you can see I've done a couple but managed to lacerate my finger in the process, so gave up for a while.

Maybe the kids will do it for me later...

After that there is a bit of wiring to be looked into and probably screwed up and then we aren't too far away.

I'm really loving the knackered bronze look of this one.

After that, I really need to get on and finish The Old Burny One. I've ordered the bits I need and got the lacquer, so hopefully it won't be long now.

I know I won't get it sorted during the summer holibobs as was the plan, but such is life...

The Moulin Rouge One, and other bobbins

Well, it took a while in the end, but I'm pleased to introduce to you, my sweet baby The Moulin Rouge One. And what a hot and heavy wee girl she is too.

From the top, my latest trick is a Classic Custom Telecaster design and features:

- An alder body, smothered in variegated and then patinaified gold leaf

- She has a rusted iron covered scratchplate

- A maple neck with a roseywood fretboard

- Wilkinson EZ lock tuners, graphite saddled err, fixed bridge thing

- A PRS P90 soapbar at the neck, which as a wise man once said - is sex-in-your-face

- A Bare Knuckle Holy Diver humbucker at the bridge

- Les Paul-esque switches and knobs for twiddling purposes

Playing, well as expected as a whole symphony of different sounds and can be tweaked in many directions. I really love the PRS P90s (I may have mentioned that), but this is a first for me as far as the BK Holy Diver goes and it is seriously hot and loud. Thru a nice wee valve amp this really does the business.

In summary, this is my attempt to do the BFG thing, but err, with a Telecaster instead of a Les Paul and with a finish in stead of just bare wood. But there we are, I never said I was accurate.
So there we are, rock 'n' roll..

In other news, the neck showed-up for The Grecian 201 One, and amazingly it fitted without me getting blisters with the sandpaper. I also got some nice Gotoh tuners and a bridge which means that tomorrow I can move onto warmer climes... Looking forward to a bit of jingle to go with me jangle..

La la laaaa

Bye, Bye 1980s...

Step 1: Find a girl you love

Well, I thought I was there with The Moulin Rouge One, and then I noticed that the pickup ring was broken. Being a chap in possession of a bit between what is left of his molars, I took it back to pieces to fit a new one, before I realised I err, didn't have one to fit. Just big chunky monster ones. Which was a tad annoying. And so I await yet another part.

Typical, but there we are.

Looking around, I thought I'd take stock of where I am with everything...

Firstly, I noticed that The Old Burny One needs lacquer, plastics and a bridge. I haven't got any of those to hand, so...

Secondly, The Drip Dry One is missing a pickup and some tuners. Haven't got them either, so...

Thirdly, the neck for The Grecian 201 One never arrived Saturday, or the bridge and tuners, come to that, but hopefully they will show up in today's post, whenever that arrives. Can't do a lot until they do though, so...

Step 2: Throw acid in her face

Fourthly, I realised that there was indeed not a lot I could do yesterday so I might as well do something else.

Five minutes later and bored of cooking, gardening, entertaining the brats, my gaze turned toward The Little Red Charvette and I vaguely pondered.

Now this is missing a few parts as well, but unlike the others there was some stuff I could do to save my sanity. OK, that's a bit ambitious. But, ignoring the as yet unscavenged parts for this one - I'm going with a lippy single coil and a Filtron or P90 when I get around to it - what I could do was strip it down and smother it with copper paint, and then generally degrade it chemically. And, hopefully as you can see from the snaps, so I did.

As for today, I'll probably lacquer the top of the Charvette, before I copperify the back (it is still fluro-orange at the moment) and then it is back to waiting-for-parts, all over again.. I need a name for this one though, hmmm.

Something typically '80s that signifies the image over substance belief in the flash, overheated consumer and corporate greed driven thirst for unsustainable credit that ultimately fell about our ears.

The Bye Bye Buy One,
there that wasn't so tricky.

Then it's just a case of waiting for the postie, I guess.

Ah, that Monday morning feeling.
So many things to do, but none of them ready-to-go.
Might as well have a coffee.

WIP:The Old Burny and Grecian 201 Ones

The Old Burny One
24 karat Gold Topped...
Shiny

Well, as I said, yesterday was quite a productive day, in between jumping around to the sounds of Sussex as I explored the Fat Old Man's site all over again.

I was obviously most pleased to get The Tripadelic One sorted out, though felt a wee bit dumb when I got to the bottom of the problem - but such is life. I'm just glad it worked out and sounds sooo very nice...

The Old Burny One though, is a real treat already. I've been plotting this guitar for so long I've lost track, but the 24 karat gold is now on, and I've used an ageing varnish to give it a bit more depth.

The colour looks richer than a 'normal' gold top - which are bronze paint, oddly - and I wanted it to look a different shade than The Golden Shower One's.

I'm going to give it a few coats of nitro lacquer now, but that will be next week - the ageing varnish needs a while to cure apparently.

Unfortunate attempt at a Gibson Logo
Better get rid of that quicksmart

I've got a bit of a dilemma on the headstock front, as it has those nice split Gibson things, which I'm tempted to keep. In fact it has a battered fake Gibson logo on there which I need to remove.

Decisions, but nice ones for once. I have just realised that the pickup surrounds and other bits of plastic I'd been keeping for this got used elsewhere in the end, so I'm not quite as ready to go as I thought, but there we are, they aren't exactly difficult to find.

The nice thing of course is that it should go together quite quickly as I have the Shugz '50s wiring harness, and the pickups ready to go. I must say, I've always fancied a Burny, and an '80s one with Jooky appointments is just about perfect.

Can I keep two Jookies for myself?

Nah, one was breaking my 'rules' so either this or The Golden Shower One will have to go, and as is my way, I'll keep the one I like least. Seems fairer and more honest that way.

The Grecian 201 One
Bronze and Copper, like a statue
minus the 'gulls

As for The Grecian 201 One, I'm waiting for the lefty neck, tuners and bridge for that, but the body is finished and so too is the scratchplate which looks amazing.

I've gone for a 'thin skin' approach to the lacquering on both, as I really want the finishes to wear easily.

It is that kinda look.

The aged bronze looks brilliant, really dark and moody and the verdigris is quite stunning in 3D.

Cracking behind, Grommit

 The front is different to the back, but then it should be. It is meant to be randomly chaotic with a sprinkling of pollution thrown on for good measure.

I resisted the urge to leave it somewhere for the 'gulls and pigeons to dive bomb.

You can go too far in the search for authenticness sometimes.

A poodle and a tip.

Getting Going: The Grecian 201 One

Well, I got nowhere on The Old Burny One, as is traditional, but I did at least get a wriggle on as far as The Grecian 201 One goes. Or so it seems.

I'm just working on the back for now, but I started by painting it with an 'Active Bronze' paint, which basically means it has real bronze in a suspension that will react and tarnish - which is of course the point.


I gave this three coats and I have to say it looks really rich - very impressive.





 
Once that was dry, I started attacking it with a selection of my favourite chemicals, which gave it some serious blue and green patina bobbins.

Again, it looked stunning and once it had properly dried it was lacquered.









All of which went as expected until the second coat of lacquer dried and the surface of the most deeply patinated (?) sections started to split like a lizard shedding it's skin.

Which looks fantastic if I can come up with a way of protecting it like that, but is a complete nightmare if I can't.

All plans of doing the other side tomorrow before a final lacquering - being splashed all over - are out the window...
 

Hmmm... It was going so well. I just can't make my mind up whether it is something brilliant and a chaotic gift,  or instead that it is a total disaster and I've wasted the day....

Anyway, I've gone for bust and given it a coat of an acrylic lacquer.

If that works I'll be dragged-up like a good 'un.

Or at least made-up.







Never simple, this Jookiness.

Coming Home

Maybe this time...
Maybe...

Well, I tried. I can say that at least. Many people wouldn't have, but I did. I gave it a go, but as I think I always knew in moments of self-awareness, it was hopeless really. So now it is official - there is no way in the world I can solder guitars with kids around. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that they'd grab the iron or breathe in toxic fumes or cause mayhem. It is the noise, I can't hear myself begin to plan to think.

So soldering will have to be late at night, as I should have realised already, but there we are. Tonight could be solder night then. I might finally get The Tripadelic One sorted. And maybe even The Moulin Rouge One too, if I'm awake long enough.

Today then, I'm planning on something a bit different. Two things in fact...

First up is the Tolstoy-esque-very-long-story-where-not-a-lot-happens that is The Old Burny One.
I think I said before that I had previously gilded the top, but then didn't like my handiwork and so I stripped it back again. Well, today I'm going to have another go at gilding it. I've got some very very verily gossamer thin 24 karat gold, which floats on any passing breeze to use, which should be 'fun', but hopefully worth it in the end. So girdle loined and all that.

Secondly, I've decided that the telemaster is going to be rusted after all, but will be a different shade to those that have gone before. So today I'm going to have a go at using some bronze saturated paint on a Strat body I've got going-and-a-begging, and then attempting two kinds of patina on it, which is a challenge but looked good on the training pitch.

This is quite exciting.

Honest.

Well, it is if you are me.

Jangly Cool Tones
Coming back to Papa Jook

This - The Grecian 201 One - is going to have the ultimate in Jooky pickups, as I've just bought back the Retrotron Hot Liverpool, and Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick pickups that originally appeared nailed to The OCD One, from Geoff, who had tried and preferred a more standard three single coil arrangement. Which is cool, I've always liked the idea of people modding the Jooky guitars, so this seems right somehow. What I haven't got is a neck, so I'm on the scramble for that at the moment. I fancy a left-handed one for this, but we'll see.




So that's the plan... Fotos to follow later if I actually really do anything other than talk a good game.