New Partsmaster build: Charcoal Frost Thinline Jazzmaster

[Shadoweclipse13]

Thank you.
I thought about it a lot yesterday night and I also clearly prefer Gandalf/Mithrandir.
And as it has this worn parchment guard... it could possibly cover both Gandalf the Grey and the White - if I'd like to go extreme: I could even work on the vibrato arm tip so it would resemble his staff (the white one, not one of the wooden ones). Probably 3D printing would be easier in this case.

So, I read this before I went to bed, and sat on it for a bit before replying. If it was my project, and I was lucky enough to have the same thoughts you've had about the idea of both Gandalf The White *and* Gandalf The Grey, I'd do a headstock decal referencing the Grey, and a pickguard decal referencing the White. The pickguard being smaller than the body, you could almost say that the potential of Gandalf The White was always inside him. Like, maybe the big gray hat and pipe as the headstock decal (instead of any words), and his staff as a pickguard decal?

I like the idea of the staff as the vibrato arm tip, but for it to be 3D-printed might be tricky. I don't think (I don't know for sure) that PLA would hold up to the force of using the vibrato over a long period. What would be cool would be to have the threads (or just as a push-on!) near the top of the staff, and have the lower staff be a big hole that pushes almost all the way to the vibrato/base of the arm. That way, it would look cool and maybe be a bit stronger. I can draw up what I'm thinking if I described it weird, haha.

But, if you like the idea of 2 decals (one on the head, one on the guard) AND the staff for the vibrato arm, what decal would you pick for the guard instead? The sword? Shadowfax? A simple drawing of his face with no details except the outline of his hair/head and beard? The eagles?!

Too bad you couldn't get a 12th fret inlay of the One Ring... Or find a bolt-on PRS neck and just say that the bird inlays are the eagles

What about the One Ring inscription around one of the pickup holes on the guard?! Or, you could do like HNB sometimes does, and get a custom engraved neck plate with the ring on it...

Idea for a custom neckplate:


EDIT: several, for random cool ideas Seriously, this whole thing is giving me awesome ideas.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

So, I read this before I went to bed, and sat on it for a bit before replying. If it was my project, and I was lucky enough to have the same thoughts you've had about the idea of both Gandalf The White *and* Gandalf The Grey, I'd do a headstock decal referencing the Grey, and a pickguard decal referencing the White. The pickguard being smaller than the body, you could almost say that the potential of Gandalf The White was always inside him. Like, maybe the big gray hat and pipe as the headstock decal (instead of any words), and his staff as a pickguard decal?

I like the idea of the staff as the vibrato arm tip, but for it to be 3D-printed might be tricky. I don't think (I don't know for sure) that PLA would hold up to the force of using the vibrato over a long period. What would be cool would be to have the threads (or just as a push-on!) near the top of the staff, and have the lower staff be a big hole that pushes almost all the way to the vibrato/base of the arm. That way, it would look cool and maybe be a bit stronger. I can draw up what I'm thinking if I described it weird, haha.

But, if you like the idea of 2 decals (one on the head, one on the guard) AND the staff for the vibrato arm, what decal would you pick for the guard instead? The sword? Shadowfax? A simple drawing of his face with no details except the outline of his hair/head and beard? The eagles?!

Too bad you couldn't get a 12th fret inlay of the One Ring... Or find a bolt-on PRS neck and just say that the bird inlays are the eagles

What about the One Ring inscription around one of the pickup holes on the guard?! Or, you could do like HNB sometimes does, and get a custom engraved neck plate with the ring on it...

Idea for a custom neckplate:


EDIT: several, for random cool ideas Seriously, this whole thing is giving me awesome ideas.

Hey Jason! It's so sweet to have someone to share that kind of excitement with! And I really enjoy your thoughts on the pickguard/the power within.

I just don't know yet if I'm going "full in" to geek out - or if it will be just a little nod.

I remembered this from Indra Custom Guitars:
(they also do headstock "guards" - which would be somehow nice on my Coronado neck on the Telemaster to match the matte/black anodized guard... but I couldn't find a photo of one actually mounted to a guitar)





Which would be cool - but probably a bit over the top. I don't dig stickers on guitars as much as others do - but I can definitely live with the pickguard being a canvas... even though I never used it as such (yet).

Regarding the neck plate: I also already have three guitars with "custom" neckplates (two shown, third one being identical to the chrome one).
- so I do know a guy who can make them for me. It's "just" laser-etched and not really engraved - but it does the trick.

Regarding the arm's tip - I though more of Mastery's "UFO"-tip - and something similar in the shape of Gandalf's staff.
And yes, you might be right about this stuff not exactly being up for the job... so I might as well work with a dremel on a piece of wood and get it in the shape I want (once I figure out how). Also I don't know if I follow on your idea of the longer "sleeve" - so, feel free to draw it up.

Couldn't get over the PRS headstock - but I guess inlay sticker are a thing:

(this one seems to be the one from Jerry Garcia).

[skeletonsmith]

This is beautiful. I really like your Ideas and your whole Collection of Guitars.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Thank you Tobi!

[sugarandopium]

Awesome on every level!

I want my next jm project to be a cfm thin line.

How do you like the finish work from rosser?

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Awesome on every level!

I want my next jm project to be a cfm thin line.

How do you like the finish work from rosser?

Thank you.

To be honest: not so much as I hoped I would.
I don‘t understand why so many guitar shops offer aged finished bodies/guitars only. Is it an excuse for not having to do a proper paint job?

That aside (the relic job is very mild) the color is great per se - but could use a metallic clear
I mean I could believe that a 60ish year old guitar buffs out and develops a duller finish over time - but I just expected a metallic finish as charcoal frost is a color I clearly associate with the M for metallic.
(But I do get the point that a metallic finish might be „more expensive“ and definitely more work for the starting bid he offers them.)

If the body was vintage white or sonic blue (some intended solid color) it wouldn‘t bother me at all.

I‘m very happy with the fit and the reduced weight and 85% happy with the finish.

[Steadyriot.]

Awesome on every level!

I want my next jm project to be a cfm thin line.

How do you like the finish work from rosser?

Thank you.

To be honest: not so much as I hoped I would.
I don‘t understand why so many guitar shops offer aged finished bodies/guitars only. Is it an excuse for not having to do a proper paint job?

That aside (the relic job is very mild) the color is great per se - but could use a metallic clear
I mean I could believe that a 60ish year old guitar buffs out and develops a duller finish over time - but I just expected a metallic finish as charcoal frost is a color I clearly associate with the M for metallic.
(But I do get the point that a metallic finish might be „more expensive“ and definitely more work for the starting bid he offers them.)

If the body was vintage white or sonic blue (some intended solid color) it wouldn‘t bother me at all.

I‘m very happy with the fit and the reduced weight and 85% happy with the finish.

Oh it’s a 100% a cost cutting measure. If a body gets dinged somewhere in a “pristine” production line? Binned. Buffed through the clearcoat? Binned. Buffed through the color coat? Binned. Orange peel? Binned.
Call it aged? Anything goes!
Can’t blame a small shop for going this route, especially with the popularity of relics these days. You could always go elsewhere or get an unfinished body.

That being said, CFM should be metallic. It looks like there’s some sparkle in yours but the orange peel conceals it. I’d consider buffing the finish.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Oh it’s a 100% a cost cutting measure. If a body gets dinged somewhere in a “pristine” production line? Binned. Buffed through the clearcoat? Binned. Buffed through the color coat? Binned. Orange peel? Binned.
Call it aged? Anything goes!
Can’t blame a small shop for going this route, especially with the popularity of relics these days. You could always go elsewhere or get an unfinished body.

That being said, CFM should be metallic. It looks like there’s some sparkle in yours but the orange peel conceals it. I’d consider buffing the finish.

Thank you!

The weird thing is they wouldn‘t even sell me an unfinished Jaguar body with the same (Thinline + Swimming Pool) routing - isn‘t that what they have done before switching to colored bodies?
I understand when they say, „sorry no custom work“ (like too pristine or exactly the color you want)- gives them their liberty to do what the f they want. But unfinished would imply least work of all.

Orange Peel. Thanks for the tip. I‘ll get in contact with my woodworking cousin. He should hopefully have the tools for making it shine.

He offered his help to finish a body recently - so I should probably take that offer.

[gibs]

Oh it’s a 100% a cost cutting measure. If a body gets dinged somewhere in a “pristine” production line? Binned. Buffed through the clearcoat? Binned. Buffed through the color coat? Binned. Orange peel? Binned.
Call it aged? Anything goes!
Can’t blame a small shop for going this route, especially with the popularity of relics these days. You could always go elsewhere or get an unfinished body.

That being said, CFM should be metallic. It looks like there’s some sparkle in yours but the orange peel conceals it. I’d consider buffing the finish.

Thank you!

The weird thing is they wouldn‘t even sell me an unfinished Jaguar body with the same (Thinline + Swimming Pool) routing - isn‘t that what they have done before switching to colored bodies?
I understand when they say, „sorry no custom work“ (like too pristine or exactly the color you want)- gives them their liberty to do what the f they want. But unfinished would imply least work of all.

Orange Peel. Thanks for the tip. I‘ll get in contact with my woodworking cousin. He should hopefully have the tools for making it shine.

He offered his help to finish a body recently - so I should probably take that offer.

Totally agree, I was ready to order a body from him at the time because they were offering custom work, (I wanted a Thinline jm with no control routes so I could make a 6 string electric xii out of it) they weren’t doing finished then, now can’t even get them to not finish the guitar, that seems pretty wacky. Btw, alpine will do custom work, just message them through eBay.

[Daitong II]

As a Tolkien nerd, I approve of this. It needs a cool Elvish weapon name now.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

The body just came back from polishing (getting rid of that orange peel) - and it looks way better now. Still not really a metallic finish - but at least a little shiny. Next up is finding a (spray can) color that matches the body. And then it will hopefully finally get a setup (nut slots are still only pilot slots).