Wokka's scratch original 4D shape

[wokkaboy]

started this project easter weekend. One of those new projects that just started. Pulled out a blank slab from the shed and traced the original 4D shape we cut from a ST-1 body. This is also a project both myself and Wayne are working on.
We don't even know what type of timber it is, bought it last August from the Perth wood show in the bargain bin for $20 !
FYI it's the piece on the far left and the other stash I bought at the time. Think it might be some sort of blackbutt but its pretty hard to cut and weighs a ton. Took it up to show DB and he almost dropped it it's so heavy !

[wokkaboy]

next step was to make the body lighter. I made up a template for a rear chamber. Still need to clean up the nibs for screws for a cover will go over the chamber

[wokkaboy]

the sides need alot of cleaning up. DB kindly put it through his thicknesser and went from about 43mm to 40mm thick.
Went for 2 humbucker configuration. Got the cavities routed.
We rubbed in a dark stain to pop the grain, then rubbed on butterscotch to see how it looks.
Thinking rosewood neck, what is everyone's preference on a neck, maple or rosewood please ?

[dave.king1]

Looking good Wok, the necks just gotta be rosewood with the tones you have chosen for the body.

I've got some really nice NSW spotted gum that I'm thinking of doing a chambered TL body with

[wokkaboy]

cheers DK, I had rosewood neck in mind for sure. Maple too light in colour. Ads is out of ST rosewood necks so I am thinking about putting a mix match of brands on this and got a LP bolt on neck that was going on my Paulownia LP build.
The neck in the photo is going on another build, bondi blue ST-1

[gavinturner]

Rosewood neck for sure Wokks. Those stain colours have mixed so nicely! The resulting body colour is amazing.

cheers,
Gav.

[Fretworn]

I will always pick rosewood for the neck on any guitar.

[wokkaboy]

cheers Gav and Fretty. As soon as the rosewood neck was in place the decision was easy.
I still like maple necks Fretty on some colour combinations

[gavinturner]

How is this going Woks? Has the body colour deepened any more? I love how this is looking man.

cheers,
Gav.

[wokkaboy]

cheers Gav, was at the V8 supercars 3 days last weekend so didn't get any more done on the weekend. Need to route the control cavity and that is noisy and should be done in daylight hours.
Hopefully do some more this weekend. I haven't checked if the colour has changed but doubt it this was only one coat to see how it looked

[keloooe]

Rosewood fo'sho!

Call it the "Back Breaker"

[wokkaboy]

cheers Pest, once the control cavity is routed and an elbow cut sanded it should be about the right weight

[wokkaboy]

got some more work done on the scratchy, curved the neck pocket to suit the curved neck plate, stained sides/back old baltic, shaped the neck near the heel to suit the new pocket shape, drilled holes for volume/tone pots and switch.
Drilled string through bridge in place and drilled ferule holes by hand as my drill press is too small.
The pics had to be reduced to below 97kb the forum is getting harder to upload decent size pics

[stan]

thats a hot axe Wokka, very nice. In running for scratchy of the year!

[wokkaboy]

some pics of the back and showing the covers. I need to sand the covers and stain them.
Also the control cavity is way oversized, trying to trim the weight of the body is still a bit on the heavy side with the huge chamber routed out.
I'm going simple wiring on this build. One 3 way switch and master volume and tone. I'm putting Tonerider Rocksongs in

[wokkaboy]

thats a hot axe Wokka, very nice. In running for scratchy of the year!

cheers Stan, there haven't been that many scratchys posted by the forum this year.

The chrome on the bridge is growing on me, was hard to see in the photo when I ordered it that the saddles/springs/screws were chrome. I could only find a chrome neck plate as well in the curved shape. There's some black plates on ebay from UK and postage is about 4 times the cost of the plate !

[keloooe]

I agree with Stan on SoTY! Spectacular stuff Wokka!

[wokkaboy]

cheers Pest. You need to put your new bass down and continue on your Franken Pester !

[Nickosaurus]

Man you should do something crazy with all that space in the cavity. Selectable on board pre-amps? On board fuzz/tube screamer? Octave (green ringer or similar?) ?

[wokkaboy]

haha not a bad idea Nicko. Think I'll keep it simple and don't want to add any more weight

[keloooe]

Pedals don't add much weight at all....

[andrewdosborne]

Nice work Woks, coming along very nicely. I like the idea of on board effects

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[WeirdBits]

Looks great Wokks. I'd just clear the cavity covers with TruOil(?) to match the neck colour, I think the contrast looks good with the darker body.

[keloooe]

I like the colour of the covers too!

[wokkaboy]

Thanks Andrew and Weirdy.
Thats a good idea Weirdy I'll clear the camphor covers and see how the contrast looks.

[andrewdosborne]

Yes they would come up lovely with a drop of the naughty oil!


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[robin]

Gee that looks nice Woks. Love it. Coming together superbly.

rob

[wokkaboy]

cheers Rob. What you building at the moment ? Haven't seen much activity since the tele was finished

[wokkaboy]

got the build assembled and wired over the weekend, pretty happy how it turned out.

[wokkaboy]

got a few tweaks to make and need to replace the volume pot doesn't work. Also will hide the natural hole near the switch. Need to recess the switch a bit more so I can fit a washer to hide it.
Also a pic of him meeting his mates for the first time

[pablopepper]

Ooh. I like it. I know it's a small thing, but that bridge is super tight. Chrome saddles on a black plate, sweet.

[wokkaboy]

cheers Pablo. When I ordered the bridge it looked all black in the photo and when it arrived I was a bit disappointed. Now the chrome on black has grown on me and I could only find a chrome curved neck plate so I don't mind the mix of black and chrome hardware.
What is your new avatar ? looks like he's taking a dump on his bass neck haha

[pablopepper]

Jimi Hendrix played with his teeth, this guy's just got his own technique. :P

[wokkaboy]

so he plays bass with his bum ? that's original give him that !

[pablopepper]

Yeah, probably sounds a bit shitty.

[wokkaboy]

haha well said Pabs !

[pablopepper]

He's a really good bass player. Talent coming out his bum hole.

[pablopepper]

OK. Stopping now. Lol.

[wokkaboy]

your on a roll Pablo, you can be part of the thread jacking squad LOL

[crundes]

Looks sweet as Wokka! I can't wait to try a scratchie in the future.

[wokkaboy]

cheers Tim. Sure you have the experience now to build a scratch axe !

[wokkaboy]

I finished the build on the weekend and recorded a quick sound demo of the axe on bridge pickup.
I'll post some daylight photos tomorrow, lost internet at work for most of the day and have all the resized pics saved there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3EmR0-FMjU&feature=youtu.be

[pablopepper]

Sounds tops dude.

[wokkaboy]

cheers Pabs. Made a pile of mistakes but you get the drift.
Here's some daylight pics I took over the weekend

[wokkaboy]

few more pics. Just need to cut a bone nut, play it in and this axe should smoke

[stan]

that's a shred beast Wokks, nice job

[crundes]

Nice work Wokka, looks amazing. Really like the contrast of the control cavity covers on the back. Sounds sweet too!

[wokkaboy]

cheers Tim. I'll record another video sometime when I'm a bit more sober haha

[vh2580]

Nice Work Wokka. cool demo

[wokkaboy]

cheers Tony

[andrewdosborne]

Nice one woks sounds and looks awesome

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[bargeloobs]

What were you playing that demo through Wokks? sounds the balls!! Came out sweet as bro. If you ever build another one it would be a perfect candidate for using magnets on the back plates I reckon.

[wokkaboy]

Cheers Andrew and Barge.
@ Barge using two amps. Marshall quad JCM 800 cabinet with Fender Mustang V digital head. Other amp a Crate GX212 twin 100W combo. Couldn't have it too cranked being late during recording.
I agree with the magnets on the covers. Far too many screws in the back

[bargeloobs]

Cheers Andrew and Barge.
@ Barge using two amps. Marshall quad JCM 800 cabinet with Fender Mustang V digital head. Other amp a Crate GX212 twin 100W combo. Couldn't have it too cranked being late during recording.
I agree with the magnets on the covers. Far too many screws in the back

Orr yep cool, the Fender head's got a great sound. I used to run a JCM 900 quad.

[wokkaboy]

yeah cool Barge, I still got the Marshall head (can't remember the model) the tubes go crackly after a while and cost an arm and leg to replace and bias.
Picked up the Mustang V head for about $420 and it's got 100 programmable channels and can edit on PC via USB. Don't have to change tubes on a digital head !

[bargeloobs]

yeah cool Barge, I still got the Marshall head (can't remember the model) the tubes go crackly after a while and cost an arm and leg to replace and bias.
Picked up the Mustang V head for about $420 and it's got 100 programmable channels and can edit on PC via USB. Don't have to change tubes on a digital head !

It's unbelievable how far they've come with amp sim technology now, you don't really need a tube amp to get a great tube sound anymore.

[wokkaboy]

yeah thats it Barge. I used to think there's nothing like the sound of a tube amp but now digital technology has caught up

[wokkaboy]

recorded another quick demo last weekend using a Pablo's pick. They feel really good Pablo and there's not much flex in them so you can hit the strings really hard. Thanks again Pabs ! Watch the last second when I turn the camera off you can see the shape of the pick and I give you a plug haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Av2mKlzTY