Pegasusguitars wrote: How about some of the details on making the metal parts and the plating procedures?
Hi Bob,
Yes the metal bits were a challenge as I hadn't done any metal work before. As the deadline was so tight I wasn't able to track down original parts so had to improvise.
Firstly, my background is as a graphic designer so I have the advantage of being able to draw up plans etc before I build. In fact I couldn't find any plans for the Super 400 so had to draw up plans based on photos and specifications that I found by googling. When I started looking at Scotty Moore's Super 400 in pics and footage (particularly of the 68 comeback special) I noticed the extra bit in the headstock and thought, whet the hell is that??
Anyway, a bit more googling and I discovered that it was a string damper originally designed by George Van Eps and Gibson licensed it for a few years. Again, using as many photos that I could find and even finding the original patent was able to draw up what it might look like and how to make it. It is made out of an Aluminium base with a felt damper and some stainless steel rods all hand tapped etc. The base was just a thicker piece of Aluminium that a shaped with files etc and eventually buffed. Aluminium comes up a treat when buffed.
The tailpiece was similarly designed by looking at pics and trying to work out proportions etc. IT is made form a flat piece of Brass that was thinned, cut out and bent then an extra thicker piece and a block added and held together with epoxy. I still don't have brazing skills.
The last "extra": was the felt block that is under the tailpiece. Again this was something Scotty Moore implemented as he wanted to eliminate any overtones from the strings beyond the bridge. I found one company in Australia that still made genuine felt that thick but they said they supplied in rolls of a minimum 20m in length. Once I explained how little I needed they experimented by turning their machine of and off again and it spat out a strip 1m wide and about 1inch long. It was perfect.
No plating was necessary on the metal work, just good old elbow grease and buffing.
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