Category: Updates
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Building pickups
I built both pickups myself using kits from http://www.axesrus.co.uk, my homemade winding machine and a 42awg wire The neck pickup is a mini humbucker (LP Deluxe style). It will be installed in a p90 frame, which gives the option to swap it with a real p90 down the line. The pickup is built with an…
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Installing frets
The neck is ready for fretting! Tricky process, since the fretboard has a compound radius and I can’t use press inserts to press the frets in. Getting closer!
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Cavity covers
Working on back cavity covers for the #005. Made of offcuts of the spalted beech top, they will be bound in black plastic binding and lacquered clear. The back of the guitar (and sides) will be black, so this will give a nice contrast and the covers will visually relate to the top. Very exciting!
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Parts delivery
I just received the binding and fret wire for #005. The classic 1.5mm black plastic binding for the neck and the body, and the medium (2.4mm width) nickel-silver fretwire. Of course, a new tool, because why not :)
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#005 in progress…
Progress is being made with weekly updates on YouTube. You can see this guitar being made in detail! Just follow the progress here:
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New bridge day!
A new Gotoh GTC201 left-handed bridge just arrived from RealTone Music. For build #005 I reversed the bridge pickup and headstock to create a more distinctive aesthetic. These choices are purely visual, designed to break symmetry and add character without affecting playability The bridge is a thing of beauty – exactly what you’d expect from…
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Fretboard
Three fretboards on the bench. Final choice will depend on the design – each one suits a different look and feel. I’ll decide once the rest of the build starts to take shape. Black ebony – a classic, no question. Dense, smooth, and jet-dark with just a hint of sheen. Always a solid choice when…
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Neck blank
Quarter-sawn white cedar – featherlight at just over 1kg. Not your usual neck timber for an electric, but it’s got the colour, the grain, the stiffness, and with two carbon fibre rods, it will be plenty strong. Should make for a neck that’s fast, stable, and a little unexpected.
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Spalted beech top
Bookmatched spalted beech – this one’s from Crimson Guitars, weighing in at 1.13kg. The spalting is wild but balanced, and the grain lines are already telling a story. Should make for an interesting top.
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New body blank
Starting point for the next build: a two-piece swamp ash blank from StewMac, already planed down to 40mm. It weighs just 3.5kg — light enough to feel lively, but I’ll be carving out a few chambers to take it even further. Should make for a resonant, responsive body with plenty of air under the strings.
