I had an apartment in the early '70s that was paneled in barnwood - it was full of spiders...
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100-year-old Barn Wood Mustang
- Thread starter RaniBrandt
- Start date
Got a little sanding done tonight. Worked on smoothing out the roundovers. As it stands right now, before cavity routing, it's approximately 5 lbs. Another reason to think it's chestnut, as I'd figure oak to be a bit heavier than that.
Here's some low-light shots of the front and back, which are more amber than it is in reality, but might give an idea what it will look like when it's all oiled up:
Here's some low-light shots of the front and back, which are more amber than it is in reality, but might give an idea what it will look like when it's all oiled up:
Did you consider plain oldfashioned bee's wax? I think that would look great on that.
sweet, i was told chestnut is extinct, or at least the kind used for lumber 100 years ago is, we restored a chestnut floor and my master was freaking out about that wood.
looks like chestnut to me,as far as I can remember anyway, is it colored between maple and walnut, with darker streaks here and there? darkens a lot when wiped with naptha?
I imagine the worm holes will add to the resonance, there is a theory that one of the reasons Stradivarius instruments (wonder if he ever made a double bass?...) sound can not be duplicated is that the wood he used was floated down a particular river that has a particular microscopic wood boring organism.
looks like chestnut to me,as far as I can remember anyway, is it colored between maple and walnut, with darker streaks here and there? darkens a lot when wiped with naptha?
I imagine the worm holes will add to the resonance, there is a theory that one of the reasons Stradivarius instruments (wonder if he ever made a double bass?...) sound can not be duplicated is that the wood he used was floated down a particular river that has a particular microscopic wood boring organism.
Got a little sanding done tonight. Worked on smoothing out the roundovers. As it stands right now, before cavity routing, it's approximately 5 lbs. Another reason to think it's chestnut, as I'd figure oak to be a bit heavier than that.
Here's some low-light shots of the front and back, which are more amber than it is in reality, but might give an idea what it will look like when it's all oiled up:
I can't help but say I really like what you're doing with your wood.
I haven't been able to get into the garage in a bit, but I wanted to give you something, so here's all the goodies in one place:
I cut my own pickguard from brown bakelite, which will be lacquered before installation. I have my center line taped onto the body, and the neck rout area is taped off, so I'm ready to get to it, as soon as my kitchen table is done with a refinish.
I cut my own pickguard from brown bakelite, which will be lacquered before installation. I have my center line taped onto the body, and the neck rout area is taped off, so I'm ready to get to it, as soon as my kitchen table is done with a refinish.
Love it. Love it. Did you know bakelite is a plastic made from wood? They dissolve sawdust with a phenol and formaldehyde somehow it the process, I always thought bakelite felt warmer or more natural than most plastics. The were even entire guitars built from it.
There is some barnwood slabs I pass on my way to the shop, going to check email out.
Can not wait to hear this thing!! There was a test done recently where they put the pickups and hardware from a 1957 les paul into one built now with the same material and supposedly the older one sounded much better.
Have you determined conclusively if it's chestnut?
Also where did you get that bakelite? I want to try some as a fretboard. Can it be worked like wood?
There is some barnwood slabs I pass on my way to the shop, going to check email out.
Can not wait to hear this thing!! There was a test done recently where they put the pickups and hardware from a 1957 les paul into one built now with the same material and supposedly the older one sounded much better.
Have you determined conclusively if it's chestnut?
Also where did you get that bakelite? I want to try some as a fretboard. Can it be worked like wood?
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,621
- 222,161
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Didn't know wood was involved w/Bakelite - the ochre brown is cool, haven't seen sheets of it before. Bakelite was used a lot when it was first produced and the vintage desk-top radio's were made of various strains of it. (sometimes mottled/swirled) Amazingly enough, you can still buy new Bakelite knobs (made in Chicago at the orig Dakar company) at most hardware stores in the small-parts isle. They are exactly the same as ones from 50-60 years ago! I've used them on a few basses.
just looked at this - pretty interesting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite
just looked at this - pretty interesting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite
Yea, bakelite is cool, I sell glass beads and I couldn't believe vintage plastic jewellery was going for so much$$. Looked into bakelite it is really cool stuff, has interesting heat properties. Somebody definitely built a bakelite guitar back in the day,danelectro maybe? can't find the page, I used to have it bookmarked.
1. No, I haven't determined conclusively, but that's what I'm calling it until someone tells me it's not.
2. I got the bakelite here: http://www.mcmaster.com/#8525k161/=tfowlu I don't know if it can be worked like wood, but it definitely cuts better than regular pickguard material, which tends to melt if your blade/cutter is going too fast.
Thanks very much, I'm going to try it out. yea most pickguard material is nitrocelluose I think , that's what tortoise shell guitar picks are anyway, and not only is it hard to work with the dust is explosive. Try it, light a fender toritse shell pick on fire, crazy hot flame.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,621
- 222,161
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
oh yah - McMaster-Carr is a great source - I use them often. Wouldn't have thought to look for such there but actually considering it's uses it's understandable they would provide it. Very cool - thanks for that! The price is right - I'm ordering a square!
Old pedal-steel guitar bodies were sometimes made of Bakelite - never seen a Spanish guitar body of it.
Old pedal-steel guitar bodies were sometimes made of Bakelite - never seen a Spanish guitar body of it.
Also called phenolic plastic,(sp?) Bakelite is the brand name. Again, nice choice, I was going to use veneer to do my Stratocaster into baritone conversion for the "plectrum scratch reduction plate" (keeping with 1950's lingo), but now I think bakeliteq. Funny, my spell check keeps turning bakelite into baseline.
The melody maker guitar by Gibson had a bakelite fretboard, the reissues have something called baked maple. Sounds like a pie.
Gibson also used bakelite for fretboard on mandolin and ukes in the 50's. Google rules.
The melody maker guitar by Gibson had a bakelite fretboard, the reissues have something called baked maple. Sounds like a pie.
Gibson also used bakelite for fretboard on mandolin and ukes in the 50's. Google rules.
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I do actually have enough of the sheet left over to make another pickguard, so I may consider it. I'd just have to rout a rectangle that would allow me to switch from one configuration to the other, which would be easy enough to do.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,621
- 222,161
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
So, being 100 yrs old, will that make it an uber vintage bass? (a "pre Leo", Fender?) 
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I got the routing done now. All I have left to do is some hand sanding before I can put some finish on it and wire it up!
Front:
Back:
As you can see, my ferrule holes got out of line, but it'll do. The combination of tiny, fake "pilot" holes everywhere plus only having a hand drill makes for a few flubs. Since it's on the back anyway, I'm not too bothered.
Front:
Back:
As you can see, my ferrule holes got out of line, but it'll do. The combination of tiny, fake "pilot" holes everywhere plus only having a hand drill makes for a few flubs. Since it's on the back anyway, I'm not too bothered.
