March 2016 Guitar of the Month

[adam]

March 2016 GOTM
Enter your finished guitar here to be judged for Pit Bull Guitars March 2016 Guitar of the Month.

Please remember:

One guitar per member per month
It must be a Pit Bull Guitars kit (mods and upgrades acceptable)


We need at least 4 photos:



full guitar shot from the front;
close up of the body finish;
shot of the back of the guitar; and
close up of the headstock (please, no brand name logos)




Please post your photos in this thread. If you are having issues posting photos on the forum, please email them to adam (at) pitbullguitars (dot) com

Please note: This competition is open to amateur guitar builders only. If you are making and selling guitars for profit, you are ineligible.

Competition for March closes Monday 29 February 2016.

Winner will be judged by the Pit Bull Guitars Judging Panel, including the winner of the February 2016 GOTM.

[Dajavoodoo]

I will start proceedings with my recently completed Flame Maple TL-1TB . The mods I have installed are the following:

Hipshot staggered locking Tuners
A pair of Railhammer Chisel Pickups
Graphtech Resomax Bridge
Emerson Pre Wired Electrics
Xtrem Vintage Vibrato

I used Keda Dyes to get my Aqua burst effect and used a combination of Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil and Polyurethane for the top coats.

I had the idea to wrap black Kangaroo leather around the sides and give it a matching leather pickguard for that luxurious feel!

How does it sound? Absolutely amazing. I will upload a video demo ASAP.

I am not completely satisfied with these images that my crappy phone made. If and when I get better images I will upload them. The headstock photo will be in the next post.

Simon

http://res.cloudinary.com/ludmmesy6/image/upload/c_scale,w_600/v1454629033/Sonoro_Thinline_body_kyq8le.jpg

http://res.cloudinary.com/ludmmesy6/image/upload/c_scale,w_600/v1454628741/Side_View_lgdrkw.jpg

http://res.cloudinary.com/ludmmesy6/image/upload/c_scale,w_600/v1454628856/Back_View_rq79uh.jpg

http://res.cloudinary.com/ludmmesy6/image/upload/c_scale,w_600/v1454628744/Fill_frontal_view_e6e82i.jpg

[Dajavoodoo]

Here is an image of the Headstock

http://res.cloudinary.com/ludmmesy6/image/upload/c_scale,w_600/v1454628828/Headstock_jg8q56.jpg

Simon

[pablopepper]

Holy crap. That thing is KILLER! Love it!

[wokkaboy]

well done Simon. very nice entry to start the month.
Looks like you are missing the top hat switch tip !

[pablopepper]

Oh look, my tele just ran in to some issues and won't be ready until next month.... ;)

[wokkaboy]

haha good one Pabs, you know the favourite building motto "don't rush your build"

[pablopepper]

Well, I might be cursing myself a bit. I am actually having troubles with my tru oil gumming up like crazy. Gonna try thinning it out with shellite and see how that goes.

[wokkaboy]

Pabs sounds like your TO is just about past it's use by date. Happens to ours after a while and we get 32 ounce bottles.

I was at PBG HQ on Tuesday night and saw the nice stash of TO bottles waiting to be shipped hahah

Ads wasn't too concerned about being dropped off DB's xmas card list haha

[Fretworn]

That's a beautiful guitar Simon.

[vh2580]

WOW, that is a stunner. Love the roo leather on the side a cool touch and the top looks awesome.

[stan]

that is a great build Simon, very nice . the railhammers must add some oomph

[adam]

Here's an entry from amgnrafd.

"My second every build.
Went for a nitrocellulose finish.
Sprayed white, taped up EVH style, then sprayed black coat.
Still haven't got a trust rod cover (see pics) as haven't found a style I like yet.
Below are images from front, back and headstock.

Thanks for the great hobby!"

8305
8306
8307
8308

[Singulum]

Greetings everyone. This is the story

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=3648

and here is my build.

8553

8554

8555

8556

[Singulum]

8557

8558

[DrNomis_44]

She looks great Singulum, let this be an inspiration for me to do a great job when I start working on my STA-1M kit.

[Fretworn]

Great to see it finally finished Ercument. A great red ST! Pity it didn't come with more pictures of your cooking.

[wokkaboy]

well done Singulum love the red ST-1M

First time I've seen Amgnrafd's EVH LP, you have done a great job on the paint. Some traditionalists would say sacrilege to do this paint job on a LP but it's come up nicely

[tonyw]

very nice build well done

[adam]

Here's an entry from Eric Mconrath in the US. He was having a few issues posting on our Forum, so I am posting on his behalf.

Eric, if you're reading this, your images were too large, they need to be 1500px at the longest edge.


"Hi Adam, thanks for the deal on this bass, I had a blast making it. It was a bit ambitious for my first build but I love the end result, sounds great. I'm a special effects by trade so I wanted to experiment with an elaborate sculpted finish."

Check out his ESB-4SC...

(Yes, he will be doing a video...)

8711
8712
8713
8715
8714

[tonyw]

Wow, what an effort from Eric Mconrath, not my thing but very very impressive.

[Arzi]

That Eric's ESB is unreal! What he could do with "less is more" - I mean a little more subtle effects. If one has that kind of mad skills, smaller 3D enhancements to personalize a more classic type of a build and only sky is the limit. Can't wait to see the video! Good job!

[wokkaboy]

wow Eric that is very different but I can only imagine how much work went into the build.
Look forward to a video demo !

[darthdamo]

That's amazing! What an incredible amount of detail..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Andy40]

Wow....just wow.

[Tweaky]

It's certainly different.
I'm just trying to work out what he's made it out of, I'm suspecting he first carved a relief model out of wax using a hot pen, then made the top out of acrylic .... but I'm just wondering how heavy that would make it, maybe too much for the top, so it could actually be something else...guess we shall find out soon enough.

[wazkelly]

Looks like that expanding foam stuff you spray into wall cavities that has then been carved as that wouldn't add much weight at all.

Very intricate, highly detailed, and truly unique.

[wazkelly]

It's Alive......The EX-5 is Alive!!!! http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=4257&page=10&p=98020#post98020

Six months after kit was ordered it is now finished. All stock PBG kit parts except for Allparts Switchcraft Output Jack, 3 x Bourns mini 500k Audio Taper Pots, 1 x 0.022 Orange Drop Cap, 2 x Volume Fidelity Upgrades, Rosewood Truss Rod Cover, Custom Transfer Paper Headstock Decal.
90949095909690979098

[Andy40]

Nice 1 Waz, that thing must sound sweet!

[wokkaboy]

well done Waz this colour is so vibrant and I love the explorer shape and 5 string bass what a combo.
If I am judging have to take off half a mark for the XXXX reference haha just kidding, nice build buddy. How does it sound ?

[FrankenWashie]

Gentlemen, I stand and applaud you all. Sterling work, immensely inspiring.

[darthdamo]

Cool lookin machine Waz! How's it sound?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wazkelly]

Thanks Guys.

@Andy, Wokks & Damo it sounds really fat and chunky. Having previously had mostly F style basses which have predominately single coil PUP's they tend to have that same, same typical bass sound. The Ric 4001 I previously owned also had that hollow single coil sound too, whilst the Yammy BB1200 fretless was the only one with some low end grunt. The standard PUP's on this are good enough straight out of the box and it sounds very much like a Thunderbird which is another axe I longed for before committing to this one.

Just waiting for the neck setup to settle before tweaking it a bit more plus that will give me more time to finish the EX-1 and also figure out how and what to use for video or sound clip.

Still trying to figure out what to do with that fat 5th string but not finding the fingerboard too wide as thankfully the depth is quite thin which makes it easier to reach all the way across, and only 78mm wide at end of fret board but who plays bass up that high anyways?

[Nickosaurus]

Love that headstock logo!

[stan]

Hey nice build was, so the stock pups seem like they are quite good on these? Either way, looks great

[adam]

Five incredible entries again this month. I would gladly have any of these 5 in my personal arsenal, so it's going to be very tough to pick one winner.

Assuming there's no 11th Hour entries, we'll get the Judges on the job now and hopefully have the results up on Thursday or Friday night.

Good luck to the 5 entrants.

[wokkaboy]

wow end of the month already ! Yes Ads looks like another tough month to judge

[adam]

Yeah, it becomes a bit repetitive to say "this month is going to be hard..." but, as a Judge, it is definitely getting harder.

We now have builders from around the globe, bringing new techniques and amazing results to the competition.

In think it may be time to hand over my seat at the Judging Table to someone more worthy. Any takers?

[dingobass]

I reckon you should still have the casting vote in case of a draw, Adam..
Unless you want to relinquish that to me?

[wokkaboy]

Hey Ads, thats a good idea if there is a draw give the casting vote to DB. Think there are enough judges now ? I am happy to be a permanent judge as my days of entering are over.
@ DB what if there is a draw between a Mozzy and an Iceman ? will the model of guitar cloud your judgement ? haha

[stan]

That would come down to ball hitting ability Wokka...

[wokkaboy]

haha yeah Stan the best axe at hitting a cricket ball would win in DB's books

[dingobass]

In the event of a hit off, I have booked the services of Glen Maxwell...

[tonyw]

My wife could have the final word, she always does and is an expert at it.

[adam]

Ok, the results are in.

Thanks to our star-studded judging panel, including FredA, last month's GOTM Winner.

Here's the Judge's comments in submission order:

Dajavoodoo's TL-1TB

What a beast! Blue / green so deep you could swim in it and some hot upgrades! Overall looks the business and some amazing enhancements with the leather.

Tele thinline, one of my favourite guitars, some really cool upgrades, especially that Graphtech bridge. You have done really well with the headctock too. A bit of work needed on the binding as there does seem to be a lot of residue left over. One of the ways you can save a lot of time is to get the binding shiny smooth before painting. Also seem to be missing the switch cap but then that may have been intentional?

Sweet looking build Simon you have added some nice upgrades and the leather pickguard and sides are a nice touch. The burst and finish has been well done, this is a great looking axe. I have to knock off half a mark for no top hat switch tip and picture quality. It's a small detail but that's all it takes these days the level is so high

Loving this build mate. The dragon burst, the bigsby, the aggressive headstock – just gorgeous! An absolutely killer build that I would love to have a jam on.

Amazing blue green colour and very nice hardware upgrades. Love the big tremolo.


Amgnrafd's LP

Stunning choice of colours and outcome - certainly is very individual and a great outcome! Love how the back of the headstock continues the theme! Truss rod cover will finish it off, but I agree that it will need the right one. What would finish it off for me is a logo - some love 'em - some don't, but to me it screams MINE!

Unmistakable influence of EVH, would have preferred an ebony / dyed fretboard to complete this -it's not too late! Very nicely put together, pity about the missing truss rod, and I know that feeling of looking for the right one!

Interesting concept doing the EVH paint scheme on a LP shape. Paint job looks pretty clean. Not much information on the build, looks like gold hardware but can't really see much detail in the smallish images. Would love to know more about the build like how it plays and sounds and if there were any other upgrades. In the past someone has lost a GOTM comp due to no truss rod cover !

I’ve never seen an EVH style LP but I’m really digging it! Loving the combination of black/white/gold – classic.

Nice work with the stripes. Look very clean and well defined.


Singulum's ST-1M

Lovely red Strat - classic and stunning. Great effort and a worthy contender!

Looks great, that headstock is terrific. Well put together. A guitar to be proud of. Loved your build diary, but it always left me feeling hungry....

love the colour and shine on this build. For a first build you have really nailed the look and headstock shape looks great. On a closer look the bridge saddles are all angled to the treble side so a bit more care in the setup of this axe and it should play and sound better.

I’ve loved this build from start to finish. Red shellac painstakingly applied, red/white/gold combination, and a killer decal on the headstock.

Great build diary (good read at lunch time too with all the food photos!) and great looking finish! If anything it could have looked a bit more custom as it looks like it’s been bought in a shop (which is also a compliment).


Eric's ESB-4SC

Pool room bass (sorry Eric - but highest accolade from an Aussie). This is not a bass - it's a work of art. The whole thing comes together and man - that would be on display if it was at my place! My only fear would be playing it and damaging the surface - how bomb proof is it?


An interesting build, not sure how safe it would be to play, particularly on the back (heavy) and on the fingers, as they smash into the beautiful artwork that is on this guitar.
Not my cuppa-t, but being someone that appreciates art, I'd have given it a closer look and as an art piece it is certainly special. I really like how you have 'encase' the controls and switches and made them part of the artistic creation. Well done.


first reaction was how did you do all that sculpting, it looks different but unique the look you got. Would hate to know how many hours went into this build. Like some other builds very little information provided about the technique and materials used. Sculpted axes are not really my thing but I really dig what you have done on this build. Great work

What a cool finish! The texture looks awesome and I’d love to see your process. Bit of a marmite build but love the gnarly root systems. (Eric, let me know if you need this comment translated from Aussie to US - Adam)

Wow… that’s so very different! Amazing guitar finish! Not sure I would want to play this though, I’d be scared this thing could try and eat me like in a Harry Potter movie!


Wazkelly's EX-5

Hot orange - hot bass - the bass makes me think of the sun in the middle of summer. Very effective outcome!

A nicely finished and well blended colour scheme completes this bass guitar. You have carefully thought through the upgrades and probably 'almost' restored DB's sanity with the headstock.

love the vibrant colours Waz, a really cool 5 string EX bass you have built. I assume the headstock stain colour matches the body, some angles in the daylight pics the headstock looks much more yellow than the orange-ish body. I can see in the indoor pic the headstock colour looks the same as the colour. Rocking bass for sure great effort.

First up – the headstock logo is amazing. Some classy touches like the rosewood logo and upgraded electronics. It was a long process but the results speak for themselves – well done.

That’s very very orange! Interesting mix of a mean looking bass that could belong in a metal group and a quite mellow orange colour.


And the Winner is...

Honourable mention to Eric's ESB-4, I think I speak for most when I say this blew us away with the skilful execution, but, ultimately, it was not to everybody's taste. This was reflected in the scoring, which showed the broadest range of scores I've seen in this competition. Eric's ESB-4 came in 3rd position.

1st and 2nd place went down to a Strat and Tele battle.

Singulum's ST-1M was the Runner Up.

So, the Winner of Pit Bull Guitars March 2016 Guitar of the Month Competition, but just 0.2 of one point, is...

Dajavoodoo's TL-1TB

9298


Congratulations Dajavoodoo! Especially well done for proving that the adage "Blue and Green should never been seen", is complete rubbish.

[Dedman]

Congrats Dajavoodoo (is that a Barry Adamson reference btw?) and Singulum and all who entered. Great works allround

[wazkelly]

Congrats Dajavoodoo and all others who entered. It was an honour to be present amongst such greatness for March 2016 GOTM.

[FredA]

Congrats to all entrants, and well done to Dajavadoo!

[tonyw]

Congrats to all, especially Dajavoodoo.

[Swanny]

Some fantastic looking entries for the month, well done to all, and congrats Simon on your Tele!

[wokkaboy]

congratulations Simon on the win, Singulum for 2nd place and all the other builds were of a very high standard. Was another tough month to judge !

[Fretworn]

Congrats everyone!

[stan]

well done, awesome tele, and well done everyone, great guitars yet again

[andrewdosborne]

Well done all and on the tele win! All great builds.

[Singulum]

Congratulations Simon (Dajavoodoo). It was a really good build. Nicely selected color choices well-applied finish.

Thanks the judges for giving me the runner up.I didn't even guess to be there. It was a though month to pick a winner, but it was a good choice.

[vh2580]

Well done Dajavoodoo love the finish on the tele. The standard of the others was also really high so congrats to all.

[pablopepper]

Another top month. Congrats to Dajavoodoo and well done to all.

[Dajavoodoo]

Thanks everybody. It was a build that I thought would never get finished. I started it in April of last year then due to illness it sat dormant in the workshop for about 7 months. All the time laid up in bed I was thinking about how I would finish it...forward planning has payed off. It was during those 7 months that I misplaced the switch cover, and a Graphtech Tusq nut I had purchased for it, never to be seen again. I will order these again soon. Congratulations to all the entrants, they were all superb.

My son Patrick practising his moves before a show with the Sonoro Thinline.

9327

thanks again, Simon

[MichaelLouie]

Well here is my very first build , this thing rocks @@93709371937293739374

[MichaelLouie]

9375LOL March build is won already and it's only the 10th ...... oh well put my pictures up anyways. This picture was to show the finish on the body .......... smooth.:cool:

[adam]

Hi Michael, sorry for the confusion, we use the title "March Guitar of the Month" for February entries, as the Winning guitar will be on our Home Page for all of March... if that makes sense.

You're more than welcome to post again in the April Guitar of the Month thread.

Nice looking Ash ST kit btw.

[Caesar]

This is absolutely brilliant, congrats Simon.
Thinking of the same style guitar after I finish the one I'm working on..