Recent content by Sleddriver1

Yeah, I guess you can say it was my first AND second guitar builds! In fact, the second time around finishing the thing was much easier because I knew what to expect at every step. I will admit that the second finish actually came out better in the end. The fire pit idea DID cross my mind...

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't consider bass-top/guitar-bottom, because I'm much more comfortable reaching for the bass, whereas I'm not comfortable reaching for the guitar. This is why I had to custom-make the body. On the neck, my real dream was to strip the fretboard surface, paint...

Wow, Ron, thanks for the highly-complimentary remarks! Maybe I should quit my day job and become a suspense writer! Seriously, it was an experience to remember, and I will admit to being HIGHLY RELIEVED when it was finished...the second time! Tom

Well, it's not too late! Thanks for the "coolness" rating!

Hey, thanks. Glad to share. It's fascinating to see such interest.

Hey, good luck! They're out there, and are so worth it to me!

HA! That's a first, aside from being my kids' hero :bassist: Yes, this thread did get rather long, didn't it?

So, as they say...back to the drawing board! After a chemical strip down to bare wood, and a repeat of the sealing, priming, paiting, coating, buffing, and polishing processes, the beast was FINALLY completed. Here are some shots of the Jazzocaster in action, during a performance of...

Now it's time to assemble. This picture shows the aluminum foil applied to the back of the pickguard (guitar side) for grounding. Here, the control pot pocket on the bass side has been lined with adhesive-backed copper. This will provide shielding against hum and interference...

It makes one shudder to take sandpaper to a nice-looking surface. Done right, it's part of the formula to a glass-smooth finish. Here, the final rounds of wet-sanding has begun on the bass side. Here's a closer view. Yes, the guitar side looks good now, but just wait! Here, the entire...

Once sanding sealer is smooth and primer is applied and sanded, color coats and clear coats begin. These two pictures below show the application of color coats. Typically, these are thin, misty coats that are built up over time to an opaque covering. By the time these were taken, a number of...

Once the body is sanded smooth, sanding sealer is brushed on. This high-solids product fills all kinds of surface imperfections, and ultimately produces a dead-level glass-smooth surface on which to apply the finish. This shot shows the finished tummy cut during the sanding sealer...

Here's a shot of my plans for this project. I used tracing paper to take a rubbing of the routed and drilled body cavities, then overlaid it on my plans to make sure things were lining up as planned. In this picture, the body has been cut and sanded to contour, and the edges rounded...

Here is the first of several picture posts that chronicle "A Tale of Two Necks". I'll insert commentary as I go along. Enjoy! This is the pair of Warmoth body blanks I purchased. They are both identical bass blanks. The left one is routed for a Phat Strat neck and electronics, while the...

Thanks so much, guys! I do have pictures around here on a digital camera somewhere, so I'll put together a photo montage of the process. I'm not sure if I have any pix of the "disaster", though! As involved as it all sounds, if you have some woodworking skills, some access to the right...