I sure do! And they sure don’t! And they sure are!
Phase II:
The smaller hand drills are next.
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What's On Your Workbench?
- Thread starter HaMMerHeD
- Start date
Phase II:
The smaller hand drills are next.
1965 (probably) Harmony Stratotone Jupiter H49.
The build quality is a little rough, and the finish was damaged in several places due to a coiled instrument cable that had been stored in the case with it. The original controls included a 3-way switch, (Bridge:Blend:Neck) blend, neck volume, neck tone, bridge volume, and bridge tone. When I pulled the control plate, I found both pickups wired to the switch (Bridge:Both:Neck), through a single volume pot, and then to the output jack. I chose to deal with the fretwork and do a full set-up, but to leave everything else as found for now. The frets were all over the place on this. Fortunately they were tall, and I was able to get them pretty level while keeping it playable.
A little backstory:
Ray Twitty (He had a dog named Conway, no other relation.) taught Dad and me beginner guitar. After a year or two he refused to accept any payment, the lessons turned into weekly jam sessions, and we started entertaining at local rest homes and senior dinners. Mr. Twitty passed while I was in college. His widow gave this guitar and the Peavey Studio Pro to my dad. I don't know that he played it much at all - it didn't play well, and he had nicer instruments. He did use the Peavey on a regular basis. Dad is pretty active still, although not physically able to play for more than a few minutes at time, and he passed this pair along to me. It doesn't sound bad, plays well enough now, and I intend to keep it out and exercise it occasionally.
The build quality is a little rough, and the finish was damaged in several places due to a coiled instrument cable that had been stored in the case with it. The original controls included a 3-way switch, (Bridge:Blend:Neck) blend, neck volume, neck tone, bridge volume, and bridge tone. When I pulled the control plate, I found both pickups wired to the switch (Bridge:Both:Neck), through a single volume pot, and then to the output jack. I chose to deal with the fretwork and do a full set-up, but to leave everything else as found for now. The frets were all over the place on this. Fortunately they were tall, and I was able to get them pretty level while keeping it playable.
A little backstory:
Ray Twitty (He had a dog named Conway, no other relation.) taught Dad and me beginner guitar. After a year or two he refused to accept any payment, the lessons turned into weekly jam sessions, and we started entertaining at local rest homes and senior dinners. Mr. Twitty passed while I was in college. His widow gave this guitar and the Peavey Studio Pro to my dad. I don't know that he played it much at all - it didn't play well, and he had nicer instruments. He did use the Peavey on a regular basis. Dad is pretty active still, although not physically able to play for more than a few minutes at time, and he passed this pair along to me. It doesn't sound bad, plays well enough now, and I intend to keep it out and exercise it occasionally.
Oh yeah......I have a good collection of hand-crank drills too, including the large Breast Drills. I actually use mine occasionally, more often than the Braces. A two-speed Breast Drill will do a reasonable job with a Forstner bit.....If you don't happen to have your power tools available.
Super nice and brilliant !
A buddy of mine trashpicked an Ovation acoustic guitar and brought it to me, in hopes I could make it just play well enough for him to learn some stuff.
When I first looked at it, the strings were a mile high. That would be for the fact that the neck was separating from the body, as well as a fairly severe belly bow.
REPAIR BUDGET: $0 (or as close to it as possible)
KEEP IT CLEAN AND STOCK LOOKING? HAHAHAHA... no.
The body is plastic, the neck is wood. So right there, that's a bit of a challenge.
Also, I've never done a neck reset. So I basically asked myself "How would this be fixed mechanically AND cheaply?"
Like this!
The screw has a chunk of maple inside the body to use as a support to clamp into.
That made the neck joint solid enough.
As for the belly bow, I saw that these bridges are actually screwed onto the top.
So I removed one screw and made it so another longer screw could actually be inserted into a brace that runs from the neck to the base of the body, resting on a chunk of mahogany.
Screwed that in place, top is less bowed.
Lucked out that the electronics worked, just needed a battery.
No acoustic strings here, but a slew of free sets of electric ones. And since this has the preamp and would likely only be used either quietly as acoustic or plugged in, I threw a set on.
Also, they are 9s, keeping the neck tension low.
It was a fast and super cheap fix that I'm sure my buddy will like. It is quiet acoustically because I'm sure the lack of top movement isn't helping, in addition to the super light strings that aren't meant for this... but free is free!
When I first looked at it, the strings were a mile high. That would be for the fact that the neck was separating from the body, as well as a fairly severe belly bow.
REPAIR BUDGET: $0 (or as close to it as possible)
KEEP IT CLEAN AND STOCK LOOKING? HAHAHAHA... no.
The body is plastic, the neck is wood. So right there, that's a bit of a challenge.
Also, I've never done a neck reset. So I basically asked myself "How would this be fixed mechanically AND cheaply?"
Like this!
The screw has a chunk of maple inside the body to use as a support to clamp into.
That made the neck joint solid enough.
As for the belly bow, I saw that these bridges are actually screwed onto the top.
So I removed one screw and made it so another longer screw could actually be inserted into a brace that runs from the neck to the base of the body, resting on a chunk of mahogany.
Screwed that in place, top is less bowed.
Lucked out that the electronics worked, just needed a battery.
No acoustic strings here, but a slew of free sets of electric ones. And since this has the preamp and would likely only be used either quietly as acoustic or plugged in, I threw a set on.
Also, they are 9s, keeping the neck tension low.
It was a fast and super cheap fix that I'm sure my buddy will like. It is quiet acoustically because I'm sure the lack of top movement isn't helping, in addition to the super light strings that aren't meant for this... but free is free!
It’s now “semi-acoustic”.
You kept it out of the landfill even if it won’t win any beauty contests anymore.
This is true! Though the front doesn't look that bad.
But that plastic back will NEVER decompose, so you're right, hopefully this allows it to see practical use through the rest of the natural lifetimes of anyone reading this post in the 21st century (beyond that... you're on your own!).
If he had wanted to spend money on the project, I may have been inclined to make a body for it, ala the Gibson Chet Atkins... but this was way easier and likely sounds as good or better than my take on it with these components would have been.
But that plastic back will NEVER decompose, so you're right, hopefully this allows it to see practical use through the rest of the natural lifetimes of anyone reading this post in the 21st century (beyond that... you're on your own!).
If he had wanted to spend money on the project, I may have been inclined to make a body for it, ala the Gibson Chet Atkins... but this was way easier and likely sounds as good or better than my take on it with these components would have been.
"Strat" rebody:
Little bit of an anti-Strat: Bound body, slab topped (no arm relief), with figured wood. It did get a tummy cut, though.
Maple over a grape stake core.
Here's the body with the first coat of lacquer. I popped the figuring a bit with some Transtint dye.
Home depot often has very nice pieces of figured maple, if you take the time to do some sorting.
Little bit of an anti-Strat: Bound body, slab topped (no arm relief), with figured wood. It did get a tummy cut, though.
Maple over a grape stake core.
Here's the body with the first coat of lacquer. I popped the figuring a bit with some Transtint dye.
Home depot often has very nice pieces of figured maple, if you take the time to do some sorting.
All done with the anti-Strat.
Added to the wall-o-Strats.
Book-matched HD maple top, pearloid pickguard, surplus set of Peavey Predator (USA) PUPs (under black covers), Fender(ish) bridge w/ a full size zinc block, "7 sounds" wiring - push/pull volume. Nice old lawsuit neck, rosewood fretboard, jumbo frets.
On the bench, ready to set up.
All done, on the wall.
.
You bet 12AX7, 50C5 and a 35W4. She crackles down and dirty when cranked.
Nice! Make sure you use an isolation transformer with that sucker so you don’t go *POOF*!
I have a similar series-string amp, also Canadian, that uses a 50L6 for the power tube.
Good Lord, I've been away a while. 
Just a quick update to say I'm still alive. My workbench is covered in crap right now. Been doing a big drywall job for my daughter so the workbench became a landing spot.
I spent the better part of my younger years as a Union Drywall Finisher that also did hanging, painting and drop ceilings, so I have a knowledge base in pretty much all of that. She has this big shop behind her house, I think it's like 24'x26' and 11' tall and she wanted to finish it out, so I've been reminding myself how old I am now every Sunday for the last two months. But, you know, we did a thing....
Also spent the summer either racing my car, or crewing for my niece (I'm her "spotter" for those who know what that means). We did good with my car, ran three races this year, set pole in 2 of them and 2nd in the other. And we found victory lane once...
As for bass building, it's all on pause. The "Bird" templates are still laying under all the stuff that got piled on the workbench, so I'll get to that at some point. We're closing in on the fall season here in the PNW so once the rain hits I'll be all done gardening. So yeah, I'm still alive.
Just a quick update to say I'm still alive. My workbench is covered in crap right now. Been doing a big drywall job for my daughter so the workbench became a landing spot.
I spent the better part of my younger years as a Union Drywall Finisher that also did hanging, painting and drop ceilings, so I have a knowledge base in pretty much all of that. She has this big shop behind her house, I think it's like 24'x26' and 11' tall and she wanted to finish it out, so I've been reminding myself how old I am now every Sunday for the last two months. But, you know, we did a thing....Also spent the summer either racing my car, or crewing for my niece (I'm her "spotter" for those who know what that means). We did good with my car, ran three races this year, set pole in 2 of them and 2nd in the other. And we found victory lane once...
As for bass building, it's all on pause. The "Bird" templates are still laying under all the stuff that got piled on the workbench, so I'll get to that at some point. We're closing in on the fall season here in the PNW so once the rain hits I'll be all done gardening. So yeah, I'm still alive.
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I’ll say!!Good Lord, I've been away a while.
Good to see you back! I’m not sure what your daughter does with that shop space but, at 24x26 it is almost exactly twice the size of my little shop (23x13-ish) and the ceiling is 4’ higher. I know that whole coveting thing is supposed to be bad but I’m experiencing some serious shop envy right about now.
Picked up a couple of lost souls today.
I don’t have the missing pieces. I’ll start thread on them when I get to them.
Good times. I like the Billy Gibbons SG with the Flying V style headstock. Might look good on the other one to.
Crummy photo. First thing I found on the Googles.
