Author Topic: Well, at least I turned the knobs!  (Read 2070 times)

Offline Les Symonds

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Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« on: May 24, 2016, 10:23:44 PM »
My son is a mad keen guitar player and asked me to make him an electric guitar. 'How hard can that be?', I thought, '...just cut out a fancy shape and screw all the bits onto the front of it'.
WRONG!!!!!
What a nightmare job for a first-timer. He chose a style based on the late 50s Danelectro Twinhorn, with hardware to produce that twangy, west cost, surfing sound that we all probably best associate with the Beach Boys. Just to add a little difficulty, whereas the original Danelectro was a simple solid body with cavities machined through the front face for all the hardware, and then made to look presentable by covering it all with a flash bit of marbled plastic, he elected for me to be allowed to hollow out the body so that resonance chambers could add to the 'twang' and then to insert all the electrics from behind. Nightmare!
Anyway....some straight-grained ash was bought and machined, a pair of 1cm thick book-matched walnut facings were bought and it was all end-stacked for 4 months in an un-heated room, before work commenced. The lathe forgot that I existed and I resorted to listening to that awful screech of the router as I plunged and hollowed the body, then cut through to the underside to make an entry point for all the wiring. Me-laddo had originally thought of a full sunburst effect on the face, but no way was I going to lose all that beautiful walnut under several layers of paint, so I told him that he could settle for a black-sprayed rim and exposed grain on the face.
Must admit...we're well pleased....and yes, it did involve some turning in the end.... four small knobs for the volume and tone pots and a tiny cap for the rhythm switch.
The finish is 3 brush-coats cellulose, 3 brush-coats melamine, 2 coats black cellulose spray and 5 coats acrylic spray lacquer, followed by burnishing cream and polishing cream.

Can't wait to get back on the lathe...it was fun, but a hell of an intense week....quite a learning curve!








C&C always welcome!
Education is important, but wood turning is importanter.

Offline philstevenson

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2016, 07:09:47 AM »
You've done a brilliant job with this. I too would be very sceptical about a sunburst finish - I really never understand why guitarists want this except that Les Paul put it on so many of his early guitars. Your walnut looks beautiful to me in its natural state. Was the neck pre-made and how is it fitted to the body? Truss rod etc? I've always had a twinkle in my eye to build an electric guitar and have looked at quite a few kits of varying completeness. I also turned some knobs for a build project for a professional guitarist here in Brum  but maybe this is going too off-topic for a turning forum! I'd love to know more about this project, though.

Offline Les Symonds

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2016, 07:27:16 AM »
Hi Phil....I'm away from home for a few days, but will pm you with more details when I get home.
Les
Education is important, but wood turning is importanter.

Offline GBF

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2016, 08:16:19 AM »
WOW that is fantastic

Regards George
The man that never made a mistake never made anything

Offline malcy

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2016, 08:52:56 AM »
Great job, Les. If it sounds as good as it looks, your son should be very pleased and proud. Malcolm.

Offline Les Symonds

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2016, 01:51:05 PM »
WOW that is fantastic

Regards George
Thank you George....I know how much you appreciate and value well finished work, so your words are much appreciated.

Great job, Les. If it sounds as good as it looks, your son should be very pleased and proud. Malcolm.
Thanks, Malcolm....we're delighted with the sound, it's very west-coast surfing....lots of twangy crisp sounds.

Les
Education is important, but wood turning is importanter.

Offline edbanger

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2016, 05:30:49 PM »
Don't like the knobs much :)

Looks great Les and something that will get much use with pride is my guess.

All the best

Ed


Offline John D Smith

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2016, 07:14:56 PM »
 
 Hi Les,
              What a fantastic piece of work I bet your Son is very pleased and proud of Dad it would be great if you could video him playing this and put a link on this this thread to share with everyone.

                                                                               Regards John
John Smith

Offline georg

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2016, 07:32:10 PM »

      Love the way the grain shows in the third picture ....... Bet this looks amazing in the flesh .... a very neat bit of
      skilful craftsmanship there Les......
      Think the middle bit of brass work needs a good polish  :) :) ;D ;D
      Kind Regards
      Tony di
 

"If you always do what you always done, you always get what you always got" 

http://www.anthonygeorge.net/

Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2016, 09:48:09 PM »
Les,

that's another string to your bow guitar! (Awful pun, you can groan.)

I hope this will be treasured for many, many years to come.

What a beautiful guitar, personally I prefer Fenders for the rock sound to the Gibson for the country twang, but as that's a music preference as I cannot play a note on either.
Oh Lord, Lead me not into temptation…

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Offline rick_dobney

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Re: Well, at least I turned the knobs!
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2016, 11:05:21 PM »
Beautiful work that Les, I'm sure your son will treasure it for years to come.
Being a custom build it'll have a unique sound that both you and your son can stake a claim to.

Great craftsmanship. I know it's the only bit of turning is the knobs but do look a little plain....maybe some detail on them would be more in keeping with the rest of the style of the guitar.

Wish I could play guitar.....never got past "Smoke on the water"  :)

Cheers
Rick