What's on your workbench right now?

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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horseblanket
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by horseblanket » Fri Jul 16, 2021 9:21 am

That yellow is doing it for me.

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epizootics
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by epizootics » Sat Jul 24, 2021 2:02 pm

A set of Fender XII pickups for a fellow French forum member...

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Making those is fun - lots of little things to pay attention to, like the spacing of the two pickups relative to each other (which is determined by the overall string spacing) when you are making them for a custom string spread. And they have lots of bite from the super-long pole pieces.

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Sat Jul 31, 2021 12:49 pm

Got a couple of projects in the works finally.

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My friend's early 2000s Ibanez GAX70 that I've been working on. He's always wanted a guitar with a tremolo/vibrato, so I ordered a Les Trem II for him. I decided to take a mock-up picture of where I'm at so far. The knobs are just sitting there since I don't have pots for it yet. We are waiting to get together and rig it up with my breadboard to see what he likes the best. Then I'll wire it up. The cool thing there is that since it's a rear-routed guitar, I can get strings on it and the bridge intonated, and he will actually be able to play it while we are trying out pot combinations.

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This is just a mock-up teaser of my Squier CV JM rebuild. I've got it mostly rewired right now and just need the lead circuit pots installed. I'll go through specifics (with pictures!) when I get it all done, but the basics are this: Curtis Novak JM-FAT (bridge) and JM-V (neck), black anodized pickguard from Gdayj, 3D printed orange JM pickup covers designed by Empyrean (Shepherd and Crow on Shapeways), Fender American Pro I vibrato, and a Staytrem 9.5" radius bridge. The best part is the electronics, with 2 Mustang-style 3-way switches (one for lead circuit, one for rhythm circuit). It's been SO fun to play so far. More to come on this!
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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sal paradise
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by sal paradise » Sat Jul 31, 2021 1:32 pm

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Sat Jul 31, 2021 12:49 pm

Image
This is just a mock-up teaser of my Squier CV JM rebuild. I've got it mostly rewired right now and just need the lead circuit pots installed. I'll go through specifics (with pictures!) when I get it all done, but the basics are this: Curtis Novak JM-FAT (bridge) and JM-V (neck), black anodized pickguard from Gdayj, 3D printed orange JM pickup covers designed by Empyrean (Shepherd and Crow on Shapeways), Fender American Pro I vibrato, and a Staytrem 9.5" radius bridge. The best part is the electronics, with 2 Mustang-style 3-way switches (one for lead circuit, one for rhythm circuit). It's been SO fun to play so far. More to come on this!
This colour combo is so great. And also loving what the pickup options could give you… and it’s a lefty. Looking forward to hearing more about this :)
I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Sat Jul 31, 2021 1:49 pm

sal paradise wrote:
Sat Jul 31, 2021 1:32 pm
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Sat Jul 31, 2021 12:49 pm

Image
This is just a mock-up teaser of my Squier CV JM rebuild. I've got it mostly rewired right now and just need the lead circuit pots installed. I'll go through specifics (with pictures!) when I get it all done, but the basics are this: Curtis Novak JM-FAT (bridge) and JM-V (neck), black anodized pickguard from Gdayj, 3D printed orange JM pickup covers designed by Empyrean (Shepherd and Crow on Shapeways), Fender American Pro I vibrato, and a Staytrem 9.5" radius bridge. The best part is the electronics, with 2 Mustang-style 3-way switches (one for lead circuit, one for rhythm circuit). It's been SO fun to play so far. More to come on this!
This colour combo is so great. And also loving what the pickup options could give you… and it’s a lefty. Looking forward to hearing more about this :)
Thanks Sal!!

I can't take credit for everything I used, as I've learned some neat tricks around here in the last 5 or so years. I used a fat ground wire from the output jack (14ga) when all the other wiring was 22ga. I used quick connects for the pickup wires to the rhythm switch, in case I didn't like the pickups, and for easy maintenance (so I can completely remove the guard for repairs without desoldering anything). I've got the grounds all going to a 3-way Wago connector, and one of the wires going to a ring terminal and screw into the body. I've got pictures for all the guts, but will post once I'm done!!

If you're interested in the wiring schematic, here's what I designed for it:
Image

It's a standard JM in almost every way, except the I use a 3-way Mustang slider for the rhythm circuit and one for the lead circuit. The only thing that you need for that is a 3PDT slider for the rhythm circuit (and anew pickguard). I love it because you can use both pickups on the rhythm circuit (semi-common mod), and because of the separate pickup selector switches, each circuit can be preset with whatever pickups you want by switching from rhythm to lead.
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by niksureal » Wed Aug 04, 2021 8:29 pm

just finished up this parts guitar. i absolutely hate strat vibratos but the guitar looks cool.
pickups sound pretty decent too, never used this type.
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Deed_Poll » Thu Aug 05, 2021 4:47 pm

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Asteroida body #1!

Made from a beautiful piece of lightweight roasted tulipwood - I haven't weighed it yet, but it can't be more than 3lb. This one is cut for an offset bridge and wraptail (for use with a LesTrem), WRHBs, and an angled toggle on the bass horn. It's getting a vintage cream pearloid pickguard, and I'm also making some black pickup rings for the WRHBs (these seem to be impossible to find!)

Thanks to Johnny Somerset for providing me the dimensions of the Starcaster reissue neck pocket, which is sort of like a 22-fret Strat neck, only the neck heel extends under the overhang (like a Jag, so there is no overhang).

More to come on this one!
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Loobster » Fri Aug 06, 2021 12:32 am

Dr Tony Balls wrote:
Fri Jul 16, 2021 7:51 am
Amp #2 for the day!

Balls VIP-40. The VIP is for Vox/Plexi and is a sort of taking a JTM/JMP/5F6A approach to the AC-30 TB. It's kinda like an AC-30 except both brilliant and normal channels are "top-boost-ed" and it has a linked input like a jumpered plexi. Separate normal and brilliant volume controls let you blend the two channels as desired. No Vox-style cut control because its irrelevant in this format. Cathode biased and no negative feedback to retain that Vox feel. This is a 40 watt version using 2 EL34s. Sounds killer and super fun to play.

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Holy crap I want one of your amps. Tremendous work!

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Dr Tony Balls » Fri Aug 06, 2021 5:28 am

THANKS!
Instagram: thetonyballs

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by guitalias » Fri Aug 06, 2021 6:46 am

Oxy-acetylene torch valves. Threading for grub screws to control CTS solid shaft pots!

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by antisymmetric » Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:00 pm

Finally found some time to push this thing along. Lack of a trem was the main obstacle- I didn't like the one from the donor SS4/L, and there was nothing in my stash of old ones that would suit, so I ended up whipping something up based around the old familiar JM/Jag style guts. It's a mashup of homemade, '70s Ibanez and Aliexpress parts, and the collet is an experiment using a modded cable gland. That was triggered by my SG2- Yamaha were making a collet way back in the '60s that had tension adjustment/arm release accessible from the top. I don't have the gear or the ability to machine one up, but a cable gland with a few tweaks might just work:
Image
That hole for the collet in the top plate might mean making a replacement plate- the next hole saw down in size was just a bit too small, so I went up a size. Thinking now that I should have used the smaller one and then filed the hole out to suit. To be decided:
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That green piece in the bottom of the collet is the sleeve I added to support the end of the arm. It all seems good in theory, I'll have to see how it works in practice:
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Watching the corners turn corners

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by epizootics » Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:47 pm

antisymmetric wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:00 pm
Finally found some time to push this thing along. Lack of a trem was the main obstacle- I didn't like the one from the donor SS4/L, and there was nothing in my stash of old ones that would suit, so I ended up whipping something up based around the old familiar JM/Jag style guts. It's a mashup of homemade, '70s Ibanez and Aliexpress parts, and the collet is an experiment using a modded cable gland. That was triggered by my SG2- Yamaha were making a collet way back in the '60s that had tension adjustment/arm release accessible from the top. I don't have the gear or the ability to machine one up, but a cable gland with a few tweaks might just work:
Image

Whaaaaaaat? Dude, come on. This is freaking awesome on so many levels I don't even know where to start. The asymmetrical homebrewed trem, the old accordion controls, the red/black color scheme...Wow. Chapeau, as we'd say over here!

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by s_mcsleazy » Sun Aug 08, 2021 4:27 am

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i forgot i got a quarter pounder ages ago and wanted to see how it would pair with a seymour duncan svr. the only problem is the radius of the bridge is hella off. gonna stick some graphtech on there soon.
offset guitars resident bass player.
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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by Flurko » Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:24 am

epizootics wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:47 pm
antisymmetric wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:00 pm
Finally found some time to push this thing along. Lack of a trem was the main obstacle- I didn't like the one from the donor SS4/L, and there was nothing in my stash of old ones that would suit, so I ended up whipping something up based around the old familiar JM/Jag style guts. It's a mashup of homemade, '70s Ibanez and Aliexpress parts, and the collet is an experiment using a modded cable gland. That was triggered by my SG2- Yamaha were making a collet way back in the '60s that had tension adjustment/arm release accessible from the top. I don't have the gear or the ability to machine one up, but a cable gland with a few tweaks might just work:
Image

Whaaaaaaat? Dude, come on. This is freaking awesome on so many levels I don't even know where to start. The asymmetrical homebrewed trem, the old accordion controls, the red/black color scheme...Wow. Chapeau, as we'd say over here!
Seconding the chapeau-ing there - I want to see/read more about this thing !

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Re: What's on your workbench right now?

Post by SuperAxe » Mon Aug 09, 2021 2:03 am

Flurko wrote:
Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:24 am
epizootics wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:47 pm
antisymmetric wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:00 pm
Finally found some time to push this thing along. Lack of a trem was the main obstacle- I didn't like the one from the donor SS4/L, and there was nothing in my stash of old ones that would suit, so I ended up whipping something up based around the old familiar JM/Jag style guts. It's a mashup of homemade, '70s Ibanez and Aliexpress parts, and the collet is an experiment using a modded cable gland. That was triggered by my SG2- Yamaha were making a collet way back in the '60s that had tension adjustment/arm release accessible from the top. I don't have the gear or the ability to machine one up, but a cable gland with a few tweaks might just work:
Image

Whaaaaaaat? Dude, come on. This is freaking awesome on so many levels I don't even know where to start. The asymmetrical homebrewed trem, the old accordion controls, the red/black color scheme...Wow. Chapeau, as we'd say over here!
Seconding the chapeau-ing there - I want to see/read more about this thing !
Wow, that is lovely work! I am going to see and touch this thing in real life soon :)

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