080510

Saturday the 8th of May 2010

 

so, this is the custom made left-handed tremolo that is destined for the blue paf hollowbody..

 

 

the trem block just needs shaping..

 

 

and here she is, ready to go!

 

 

the igor does some woodwork for a change of scene..

 

 

while I get to work on Steinars extended range bass guitar.. the tuning system still has a few bugs..

 

 

igor enjoys using the router, installing truss rods is a step up the job ladder..

 

 

the tuning knobs on the erb need grub nuts

 

 

because we’re using slightly longer stainless steel bolts…

 

 

it also looks rather good..

 

 

mm.. thinking face.. how to fit the routing template..

 

 

nearly there.. though come to think of it the springs are probably not neccesary..

 

 

the new brass top-plate (to account for the longer bolts..) needs a logo..

 

 

I mark around the printed logo with a sharp scalpel..

 

 

and, eventually, engrave it..

 

 

the igor teaches Caroline how to fold up a bandsaw blade..ish..

 

 

she then moves on to practicing on the planer/thicknesser..

 

 

while igor pulls faces and oils the rf slim..um.. elmtop..

 

 

the final bits of Nick’s 45rpm are rubbed down through the grits..

 

 

and igor moves on to a new trem for the vanquish hollow.. the original works fine but wasn’t as pretty as required..

 

 

I start buffing Nick’s guitar..

 

 

and igor starts milling out the tremolo

 

 

we also have need of a more out-of-the-way storage space for proto-guitars.. this works quite nicely..

 

 

now, I was worried that this natural lacquer finish would look a bit anaemic.. but buffed up it’s starting to come to life..

 

 

I like the look of this so far.. very post-industrial..

 

 

the Helmet.. Caroline starts rubbing her down..

 

 

and I finish buffing the 45rpm..

 

 

mmm.. this is starting to look good..

 

 

the dimensions of Mike’s neck are marked out.. the same width as Parker’s.. about 4m wider at the 12th than standard and very very nice to play!

 

 

the bandsaw comes in to play..

 

 

now, non-dusty stuff.. Nevio’s Robert Fripp Slim..

 

 

she’s been buffed up to a stunning shine!

 

 

the edges of the fretboard are rounded over with a scalpel to give that comfortable vintage feel..

 

 

the fretboard is masked off then

 

 

the frets leveled

 

 

profiled..

 

 

and polished to a mirror gloss for comfort and playing speed..

 

 

she is oiled.. repeatedly, it’s been a while since this guitar was begun..

 

 

but pretty soon she will have all the neccessaries..

 

 

now, we check out the positioning of the new tremolo..

 

 

and start brainstorming the final design.. pretty soon these will be made by an engineering firm off-site to free up valuable time!

 

 

now.. the ground wire ~(a guitar string offcut of course) is bolted in to the trem cavity..

 

 

and finally the Kahler tremolo is installed..

 

 

oh I do love titanium!!!

 

 

igor’s finished building the trem block etc..

 

 

and i just need to finalise the push-fit trem arm’s cavity..

 

 

finally I carve the tremolo..

 

 

and check that everything is as it should be..

 

 

the final bit of buffing on Nick’s 45rpm is completed.. I love this new lacquer..

 

 

now, a very expensive but slavish copy of the original, tunematic bridge..

 

 

the igor goes through the grits on the tremolo readying it for buffing and anodising..

 

 

now, Nick’s custom guitar goes through the same processes as the rf slim from before..

 

 

mmm.. how does this thing work??

 

 

ahh.. this does it..

 

 

now, we don’t want to damage these m4 threaded rods so I put a locking nut on the end and use that..

 

 

the Pigtail bridge is installed…

 

 

now.. this pair of holes look a bit wierd..

 

 

but then Bigsby’s don’t often feature on our guitars!

 

 

and neither do Lollar pickups, but I must say I’m impressed by the level of thought and detail that they’ve put into this set of  imperials..

 

 

and finally we see a vision of the future!  This guitar is anything but anaemic and boring… I love her!!!

 

good night all!

Ben

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