Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm new to the site AND to building a solid body guitar. (I don't know what term one might use....Luthiering?). It started as a companion project to a car I'm rebuilding, but has taken on a life of its own. Here's a shot from when the project first started Feel free to critique, I can use some encouragement, here.

Thanks,
Robb

So I take the car you're rebuilding is a Firebird?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Yup. 92 WS6 Trans Am Convertible.

I hope that drawing isn't to scale...

But it has cool lines. You might want to rethink the placement of the volume/tone pots and switch.

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Captainate

No, its just a draft version, and not to scale. The controls are 2 tone, 1 volume, and a Freeway 6-way switch in a diamond pattern a bit to the right of where the rendering shows them. Once I get home, I'll be posting more shots.
Thanks for responding!

Here's a shot of the body shaped, and still waiting to rout the pickup and control cavities

Your choice for body wood?

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Ash.

Here a shot of it with the neck set.

So far, so good - keep us apprised!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Absolutely.

Here's a shot with the pickups mocked in. All fits very well, so the base color goes on next.
Stay Tuned!

Looks good Robb.
I would name the guitar "jaws", because it looks like the body is gonna take a bite out of the neck.
I like you pickup selection,
biting bridge pickup, and nice single coil pickups.
A lot of tonal possibilities there.

Thanks!
Yeah, you're right about the look, kinda my favorite aspect of the design. The pickups are;
Neck, DiMarzio Chopper hum cancelling
Middle, Dimarzio FS-1
Bridge, DiMarzio Super Distortion.

Should play well.

I like the eagle claw uppers. I think your firechicken needs a spoiler, or gound effects to keep it on the ground. Cool project theme. If you could make those honeycomb rims "smokey bandit rims"small and use them for vol/ tone knobs. That would be awesome. You could just paint it on to give it that touch. Make it scream!

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Jason,
I LOVE the honeycomb wheel idea. I'm not sure how to, but I may have to see what I can do with that. And your idea inspired another... ... On the dash of my car is the "Smokey & The Bandit" car's gold engine-turned material. I think I may add a pickguard with that on it. I have some extra stashed away. Could be cool!
Thanks!
Robb

sounds cool, I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Here's Time Machine with the color coats finished. Next up, 4 coats clear.

Here's TM with the finish done, and the cavity shielding installed....Up next, finishing the wiring.

Here's the pickguard with the Trans Am engine-turned dash material affixed. (BTW, thanks for the inspiration, Jason!)

Yowza! It that stuff gaudy, or what?
Reminds me of some the pickguards I saw back in the 70's....

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Yeah....pretty much. But it works with the car......so.....................

Another shot....this time with the pickguard cut for the pickups.

Here's an update.....Started the wiring 2 days ago and I'm not sure if I have it right or not. I purchased a custom wiring diagram for $35, and it's junk. Maybe the Freeway 6-way switch threw them off, I don't know. I've tried the tap coil test, with no results. So, I now wait for the Gotoh tuners to come in from Stew-Mac and string it up and check it. If it's still not working, I'm going with the diagram that came with the switch., and changing the controls to 1 volume & 1 tone, as opposed to 2 tone pots. Gotta stay focused and not let this sidetrack me into messing something up. *puts nose to grindstone*
Cya!
Robb

I like the look!
Oh, wiring probs?
Those can be really fun sometimes...................
I like simple.