April Guitar of the Month (for Guitars and Basses finished in March 2018)

[Brendan]

April Guitar of the Month (for Guitars and Basses finished in March 2018)

Enter your finished guitar or bass here to be judged for the Pit Bull Guitars April 2018 Guitar of the Month.

Please remember:

For Guitars or Basses finished on (or before) the end of March 2018

One guitar/bass per member per month
It must be a Pit Bull Guitars kit (mods and upgrades acceptable)
Guitar or Bass must be finished and playable

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 brendan (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. Also while there are some stunning guitars around - you never know what the judges are looking for, so we encourage anyone who's built a Pitbull during the month to enter!

Competition for April closes at the end of March 2018 (Perth Western Australian time).

The sorts of things we judge on include:
· How well have the body and neck been prepared
· Is the choice of finish for the style of guitar appropriate
· How well has the finish been applied
· How well has all the hardware, pickups, etc, been installed
· Does it have the "Wow Factor"
· Which guitar would you make a beeline for in a guitar shop. That is, which one would you most like to take home.


BTW - remember that the winner is invited to be a guest judge the following month!

[Ahabs_beard]

Hey guys, first time posting - hope you'll enjoy!
Here is my 3rd Pitbull build, after my Les Paul Junior and my SG3 (a nice lesson in routing). With a working name of "Morning Wood", "Treebeard", "Sherwood Forest", "Woody" or "Victor Wooden".

It all started with the STA-1M Ash Stratocaster (https://www.pitbullguitars.com/shop/guitars/pit-bull-guitars-sta-1m-ash-body-electric-guitar-kit/) - the grain looks great, and I have a hard time justifying a rosewood or ebony fingerboard on a Strat. Immature and reductive, I know. But maple fingerboards just seem right.

Body
- Phase 1: 220/320 sand down the body and applied Feast Watson Black Prooftint stain. Then sanded the entire thing off. I read somewhere that this improves the contrast of the grain. I can't cite it and I have brought shame to my name. Sorry.
- Phase 2: Coat of Feast Watson Sanding Sealer, and then a 320 sand. Done twice for optimum smoothness.
- Phase 3: Cabott's Walnut Water-Based Interior Stain
- Phase 4: Two coats of Tru Oil and then smoothed it out with 00 steel wool. Repeated this process for a total of 4 times - so 8 coats of Tru Oil.
- Phase 5: Two coats of Howard's Feed-N-Wax. Smells great and makes for a great finisher on a body

Neck
I straightened the neck and levelled out the frets by using the tips from Guns and Guitars' amazing video Make pro guitar luthier tools out of stuff you have (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnzms8dZdVM) - it was the most boring part of the build, but it DEFINITELY made a difference on the finished product.

I pretty much copied Ben Eller's method (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDm4JKtICk&t=1s) for re-finishing necks; while adding a Feast Watson Golden Teak Prooftint stain.
Two coats of Tru Oil, smoothed out with 0000 steel wool, done twice for a total of 4 coats. And then two coats of Birchwood Casey Gun Stock Wax. I love the feel of the grain of the neck and the satin smoothness of the Tru Oil. Can't recommend this stuff enough!

Hardware
- Amber knobs
- Ash pickguard and backplate
- Gold pickup selector switch
All from eBay. Everything else was stock - including the missing screw for the bridge, which Adam quickly sent over for free after I contacted him.

Pickups
Guitar Fetish Premium II (https://www.guitarfetish.com/KP--GFS-Premium-II-Alnico-II-Hand-Bevelled-Strat-Pickups--Kwikplug-Ready_p_22005.html) Strat set w/ Kwikplug harness - 250k pots and a .047uf tone cap
This was so incredibly simple to install. Sweet Strat tone, without the wiring headache.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the photos!
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[FrankenWashie]

Noice. Very noice. Great work mr Beard.

[Sonic Mountain]

Very nice way to kick off the new month, well done..

[Wayne.Mumford]

A very cool look with the timber scratch plate and covers, how does it sound.

[Bill Jackson]

Maybe not the 'wow' factor.....but plenty ($$) on the 'whoa' factor. What you see -- and recognize -- is only the half of it. But I know that we, the amateurs, still anguish over detail and the pursuit of perfection. But when it comes to winding your own pickups, it won't be cheap....and it may not be pretty. I paid $79.00 USD for a 'dead' Rickenbacker toaster pickup. I figured it could be repaired? WRONG. Try rewinding it with.44 awg copper wire. Talk about focus. The Thomas wonder was $215.00. But all that aside, it (the pickup) finished @ 6.2 ohms. It RINGS !!! Grover tuners, Rickenbacker bridge and cover, Allparts trapeze tailpiece, heavy duty 3 way switch, Les Paul type jack and jack plate, and to top it off, Pyramid Gold flatwounds. Now, there are some clear coat lacquer flaws ( it's winter up here!!), but quite honestly, the sound is equal to it's appearance. And as I mentioned to Adam Boyle, " all's well that ends well".

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[JohnH]

Yeah, that pickguard looks great

[adam]

GR-1SF Build from Martti in Finland

"The name of the guitar is Mal after the late great(est rhythm guitar player ever) Malcolm Young. The colour on the surface was done with stain, brown to top & bottom and red to the sides. Finished with shell lack, also brown and Pickups were upgraded to tv-jones bridge classic and bridge plus (neck is the plus) and tune knobs upgraded to Wilkinson knobs.

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[FrankenWashie]

Onnea Martti! Very nice work!

[Ahabs_beard]

A very cool look with the timber scratch plate and covers, how does it sound.

Cheers mate!
GFS market the pickup as sounding like Mark Knopfler, and I tried to see what all the fuss was about. When I was setting the guitar up, the closest amp was my Gallien Krueger 400rb - a bass amp. Figuring I'd just plug it in and have a go, it blew me away! I had a jam over Sultans of Swing (because how much more of a casual fan can you be?) and it fit in perfectly in 4th position. Plugged into my Thunderverb and I couldn't fault it, though I'm more of a fan of an HB in the bridge. GFS pickups are proving to be an up-and-coming favourite of mine, mainly due to their ease of installation, as well as the price...and I guess it helps that they sound great ;)

[Gary B]

I will throw my RCA-4 bass into the mix.

Finish - Sanded down to 240grit and stained using Wudtone Burning Sky and Hot Auburn
Neck - Frets levelled and dressed using similar methods to those mentioned by Ahabs_beard :)
Hardware - Tuners as supplied with the kit. Bridge a 'no-name' item from ebay that I liked the look of. Control cavity cover, neck pup surround and truss rod cover I made myself.
Electronics - Pickups as supplied with the kit. Wired for stereo with new pots, caps, switch and jack sockets.
For those who don't know (and I didn't properly understand when I set out on the build) the bass has two jack sockets. One mono which works as normal and one stereo which separates the outputs from the two pickups then using a splitter cable each pickup can be run to separate inputs (eg two different amps).

Build diary is here http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8183

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[Gary B]

And a few more pics

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Thanks for looking,
Gary

[Ahabs_beard]

I will throw my RCA-4 bass into the mix.

Finish - Sanded down to 240grit and stained using Wudtone Burning Sky and Hot Auburn
Neck - Frets levelled and dressed using similar methods to those mentioned by Ahabs_beard :)
Hardware - Tuners as supplied with the kit. Bridge a 'no-name' item from ebay that I liked the look of. Control cavity cover, neck pup surround and truss rod cover I made myself.
Electronics - Pickups as supplied with the kit. Wired for stereo with new pots, caps, switch and jack sockets.
For those who don't know (and I didn't properly understand when I set out on the build) the bass has two jack sockets. One mono which works as normal and one stereo which separates the outputs from the two pickups then using a splitter cable each pickup can be run to separate inputs (eg two different amps).

Build diary is here http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8183

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Holy crap! And I thought competition would be easier this month - looks like I'm wrong!
I've always been really apprehensive about buying kits with binding, in case I get the stain over them...
How exactly do you go about making sure that the white binding stays (or gets) clean?

[Gary B]

Holy crap! And I thought competition would be easier this month - looks like I'm wrong!
I've always been really apprehensive about buying kits with binding, in case I get the stain over them...
How exactly do you go about making sure that the white binding stays (or gets) clean?

When I saw your guitar I thought - no point entering this month ;) Same could be said every month though.
I wouldn't think it possible to do something unique with a Strat but you have managed it!

I think some people manage to successfully mask the binding but the majority just stain over it then scrape the binding clean afterwards with a blade which gives a nice clean edge.
It is not that difficult but mighty tedious and certainly in my case gives continued entertainment in spotting bits that have been missed :rolleyes:

[Fretworn]

Holy crap! And I thought competition would be easier this month - looks like I'm wrong!
I've always been really apprehensive about buying kits with binding, in case I get the stain over them...
How exactly do you go about making sure that the white binding stays (or gets) clean?

If you polish the binding smooth first then it can be quite stain resistant making it easier to clean up after.

[Ahabs_beard]

I think some people manage to successfully mask the binding but the majority just stain over it then scrape the binding clean afterwards with a blade which gives a nice clean edge.
It is not that difficult but mighty tedious and certainly in my case gives continued entertainment in spotting bits that have been missed :rolleyes:

When you say 'mask', you mean just covering it with masking tape when staining, and hoping for the best, right?
Stewmac have a good video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNbsZsSabPs); is this what you meant by scraping? I'm a noob, but I'm gonna try to hound all you guys for as much information as I can get! haha


If you polish the binding smooth first then it can be quite stain resistant making it easier to clean up after.

What exactly do you mean by polishing? Like, steel wool, sanding sealer etc? What products do you recommend? Cheers!

[phrozin]

quite like Garys Bass lovely and even stain with nice extenuated grain nice job

[Gary B]

When you say 'mask', you mean just covering it with masking tape when staining, and hoping for the best, right?
Stewmac have a good video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNbsZsSabPs); is this what you meant by scraping? I'm a noob, but I'm gonna try to hound all you guys for as much information as I can get! haha



What exactly do you mean by polishing? Like, steel wool, sanding sealer etc? What products do you recommend? Cheers!

I'm new here myself so maybe not the best to be giving 'advice' :)
Masking - yes, covering the binding with masking type. My view was that I don't have a good enough eye or steady hand to get it just right (especially on the really narrow binding on the guitars top) so would be likely to get stain on the binding and have to scrape anyway or, even worse, get tape over the wood and miss bits with the stain.
The Stewmac vid is it. He makes it look easy! I like the tool he uses - I did all mine with what he calls a utility blade (Stanley knife blade in the UK)
I don't know about the polishing, would be interested to hear if Fretworn replies on that.

[Gary B]

quite like Garys Bass lovely and even stain with nice extenuated grain nice job

That means a lot coming from you. Thanks man!

[Simon Barden]

It's difficult to mask binding well, especially when staining, as some liquid always seems to creep under the binding. Standard masking tape tends to allow seepage under the edge, so use something like Frog decorator's tape that's smoother and seals better. Some bindings develop small stress cracks in the surface (from being bent - especially on the sharper curves) that you can't see with the naked eye, but stain can find their way into the cracks and look very obvious with a dark stain. Of course if you just try staining a pat of the guitar at the time, it's easier to wipe the stain off the binding as you go along.

It is quite easy to scrape the binding, it's just quite time consuming.

However it's a lot easier to mask the binding when spraying than spraying and then scraping the paint off. You can scrape it easily if the paint is only a couple of layers and it's still fresh, dry enough to handle but nowhere near cured. The longer you leave it the harder it gets, and the harder it gets to scrape it off. Even so, you'll have to do it quite a few times to do it as easily in the StewMac (or Gibson) videos.

Even so, it it's only 0.5mm or 1mm wide binding showing on an edge, then I would always scrape that edge rather than try to mask it.

If you are just masking the binding, then I'd suggest using 3M 3mm or 6mm wide 'fine line' masking tape as it's a stretchy plastic and it is actually pretty easy to follow the binding with it (look online, or auto stores normally carry it or similar products). Just beware when using it (or even standard masking tape) on concave curves, that it needs to be use din short lengths. Any attempt to stretch the tape here results in the tape being under tension and being pulled away from the guitar. Even small changes in temperature can cause differential movement between te tape and the guitar body and pull the tape away. So use short sections of tape on concave curves.

As Gary says, it is quite difficult to put masking on binding with pinpoint accuracy. You are better off leaving a small part of the binding exposed (and scraping that if necessary) than covering up some of the wood near the binding and leaving a gap in the stain (or paint). Almost all binding stain or paint marks can be removed by scraping. You'll be amazed at how much scraping you can get away with on the binding.

Polishing the binding is done by getting it as smooth as possible so maybe start with P400 paper and work up to P1500 or P2000, then buff with a cloth (or switch to Micro-Mesh and work all the way up to 12000 grit). I'd avoid putting any wax on it as it would be hard not to get it on the wood and so prevent it staining. Whilst you could use steel wool, I'm always wary of the steel fibres it leaves behind that can stick in the wood and affect the later finish, so you then might want to mask the body off first round the edges! However I've never tried polishing the binding before staining, so I'd let others who've done it tell you what they've done.

[FredA]

And here's my entry for this month: Fred's JBA4 JPJ

Body abused with steel wire brush to deepen the grain, then tinted black with Feast & Watson Black Japan Prooftint, with about 10 coats of True Oil, no sanding or buffing.
Neck natural with 4x coats of True Oil.

Upgrades:
* Upgraded tuners
* Tusq graphtec nut
* Silver dot markers
* Babicz full contact bridge
* Routed to accomodate 3rd pup and switches
* Custom pick guard to accomodate neck and middle pups
* Jaguar switch plate and switches to select pups
* Jack moved to side to allow for 4x knobs on front plate
* Tonerider Pickups: Jazz Plus for neck and bridge and Precision Plus for middle
* CTS pots with Orange Drop cap

Build diary: Here (http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=7872)

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Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Fretworn]

When you say 'mask', you mean just covering it with masking tape when staining, and hoping for the best, right?
Stewmac have a good video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNbsZsSabPs); is this what you meant by scraping? I'm a noob, but I'm gonna try to hound all you guys for as much information as I can get! haha



What exactly do you mean by polishing? Like, steel wool, sanding sealer etc? What products do you recommend? Cheers!

Our resident luthier, Dingobass, suggests polishing the binding with 0000 steel wool prior to staining.

[ShazzRandom]

I’m so excited to have finished this beast! It’s been almost a year since I purchased the kit but unfortunately Uni took priority. Here is my modded triple hum SG. Was originally a 2 pup, but I routed in the middle pup hole. She looks so mean and plays rather well. This is the first time I’ve used dye on timber, I believe I did the burst quite nicely considering!
All hardware is stock except for a no named push pull for the middle pup and I used braided and tinned wire.
I have a build diary and also a Vlog of sorts on the tubes, but I am behind on the vlog exiting... but if you want to check it out here it is YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxrNLDaMD3-bKkt-O9z5p48nAaTbJkgGs
Build Diary: http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=133947

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[ShazzRandom]

I can only post low quality pics... how can I get around this? Does being on a computer make a difference?

[ShazzRandom]

She changes colour in the light, here’s a few other pics!

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[Marcel]

Love the colour in/of that SG Shazz...

[ShazzRandom]

Love the colour in/of that SG Shazz...

Thanks marcel!

[wazkelly]

Gorgeous shade of Purple Shazz. Nice and shiny too. Has the fretboard had any wax or oil as it looks quite light in comparison to the rest?

Cheers, Waz

[ShazzRandom]

Gorgeous shade of Purple Shazz. Nice and shiny too. Has the fretboard had any wax or oil as it looks quite light in comparison to the rest?

Cheers, Waz

Hey Waz. I did oil it, though it didn’t seem to hold. Gotta get some nice proper fret oil

[Simon Barden]

It is probably is very dry (it looks it), so will soak up quite a lot of oil. Just keep applying it a bit at a time until it's not disappearing within a few hours, then wipe the excess off.

[ShazzRandom]

It is probably is very dry (it looks it), so will soak up quite a lot of oil. Just keep applying it a bit at a time until it's not disappearing within a few hours, then wipe the excess off.

Hey Simon, I will give it a go :) cheers

[Lukas]

Hi Guys here is some photos of my first build. EX-1 kit Bass wood. Antique white Nitrocellulose finish.
I started with the frets levelled crowned and polished.
Then sanded and shaped body neck and headstock with 320.
Set the neck in place.
Applied 5 coats of Sealer primer with a light sand with 600 between coats.
Applied 5 coats of top coat and left for two weeks to cure.
Flat sanded the finish with 1200 then sanded with 1500 then 2000.
Polished finish with Meguiars ultimate compound.

Fitted a set of EMG active pickups HET SET,Gotoh tuners(cosmo Black) Tusq nut.
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[Guvna19]

Hi Guys here is some photos of my first build. EX-1 kit Bass wood. Antique white Nitrocellulose finish.
I started with the frets levelled crowned and polished.
Then sanded and shaped body neck and headstock with 320.
Set the neck in place.
Applied 5 coats of Sealer primer with a light sand with 600 between coats.
Applied 5 coats of top coat and left for two weeks to cure.
Flat sanded the finish with 1200 then sanded with 1500 then 2000.
Polished finish with Meguiars ultimate compound.

Fitted a set of EMG active pickups HET SET,Gotoh tuners(cosmo Black) Tusq nut.
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hi Lukas - Wow, that looks mint !

[FrankenWashie]

Hi Guys here is some photos of my first build. EX-1 kit Bass wood. Antique white Nitrocellulose finish.
I started with the frets levelled crowned and polished.
Then sanded and shaped body neck and headstock with 320.
Set the neck in place.
Applied 5 coats of Sealer primer with a light sand with 600 between coats.
Applied 5 coats of top coat and left for two weeks to cure.
Flat sanded the finish with 1200 then sanded with 1500 then 2000.
Polished finish with Meguiars ultimate compound.

Fitted a set of EMG active pickups HET SET,Gotoh tuners(cosmo Black) Tusq nut.
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That is so naughty it needs spanking. Great job Lukas, how does the Het Set sound? And where did you hide your battery?

[Lukas]

Thanks Guvna19

[Lukas]

Frankenwashie the hetfield emgs sound really good. And the battery fitted in the control cavity just.

[FrankenWashie]

Frankenwashie the hetfield emgs sound really good. And the battery fitted in the control cavity just.
Wow, I used the ZW set on mine with the connector bus and it was TIGHT! Good job to get it all in man, I had to rout a battery box into the side below the control cavity on mine.

[Fretworn]

Great job Shazz. You must be thrilled to have it finished.

[Fretworn]

Wow! that EX is so shiny you can see the clouds reflected in it. Two thumbs up.

[Joe3334]

Nice job with the finish Lukas, very nice.

[Lukas]

Thanks Fretworn it came up good im happy with it. Might have to build another.

[Lukas]

Thanks joe3334

[wazkelly]

Nice Explorer Lukas. They always look good in white.

Judges usually give more points for a non-kit truss rod cover and a headstock logo. The kit truss rod cover could still work with tip rounded off to match the rounded off headstock? Just a thought.

Cheers, Waz

[Simon Barden]

If you look closely at the pics, Waz, you'll notice that the truss rod cover isn't screwed on yet (in fact there are no holes drilled for it). So maybe Lukas has something in mind?

[Lukas]

Thanks for the tips wazkelly and your spot on Simon i just sat it on there for the photos
Cheers guys.

[ShazzRandom]

Great job Shazz. You must be thrilled to have it finished.

THanks Man. So stoked to have finished her finally! It was a slow and steady race, but she was worth every second.

[Adam Barnes]

Very nice shazz

[Sonic Mountain]

Great looking build!

[dave.king1]

THanks Man. So stoked to have finished her finally! It was a slow and steady race, but she was worth every second.

I was starting to think you had gone to the moon or something, you did say done during the uni break and the diary had become rather slow

It looks great, does the third pup add much to the tonal colour

[ShazzRandom]

Very nice shazz

Thanks Adam! I’m a little in love

[ShazzRandom]

I was starting to think you had gone to the moon or something, you did say done during the uni break and the diary had become rather slow

It looks great, does the third pup add much to the tonal colour

Yep, it’s hard wanting to put time into something when I just gotta get into uni!
Honestly, not really. I really need to invest in the freeway switch to get the combos I want. The push pull works, but it didn’t work how I thought it would. But that was a misunderstanding on my part.

I’m think of one day investing in some EMG’s or something, make her really sing!

[nitroburner1000]

Some great builds guys with an emphasis on the timber look this month. But i must admit that purple flash just hit me when i saw it Shazz. Great work.

[ShazzRandom]

Some great builds guys with an emphasis on the timber look this month. But i must admit that purple flash just hit me when i saw it Shazz. Great work.

Wow, thanks heaps nitro! There are some great quality builds that’s for sure!

[Wayne.Mumford]

Nice work people, looks like some tough competition this month, anyhow here is my IB-1S. Good luck everyone.
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[ShazzRandom]

Nice contrasting colours there Wayne! She’s a beaut! The colour definitely pops!

[Wayne.Mumford]

Thanks Shazz, I tried to get a close color match to the dragon inlay on the fret board and get a faded, driftwood type of look.

[Sonic Mountain]

Yeah, love the contrast of the colours and gloss of the finish on this one.

[Adam Barnes]

Very nice Wayne thats come up a treat

[ShazzRandom]

Thanks Shazz, I tried to get a close color match to the dragon inlay on the fret board and get a faded, driftwood type of look.

I think you’ve pretty much nailed it man!

[Wayne.Mumford]

Thank Shazz, a lot of hard work has gone into all of this months builds, and that purple on yours looks brilliant. Is that a Pitbull stain?

[Guvna19]

throwing the JB4-A Bass in the gotm ring, been a real good experience, thanks to all you forumites for many learnings!

finish;
ebony timbermate
craftsman pigmented stain (nitrocellulose-based stain) 'tinted' with green /blue tinters by hand
wattyl rediseal nitro sealer 'toned' with green/blue tints sprayed
wattyl Stylwood pre-cat nitro lacquer sprayed
back of neck/headstock is just sealer and clear coats

hardware;
used all the stock PBG kit parts
great fun building and now playining this kit - cheers all!

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[Guvna19]

more pics in sunshine..
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[nitroburner1000]

more pics in sunshine..
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Beautiful effort mate, pristine finish.

[Sonic Mountain]

I just had a look back over this months entries.

I am glad I am not a judge this month, the field is pretty outstanding.

Good luck all. I was going to name my favourite.. but I honestly cannot pick one right now.

[ShazzRandom]

Thank Shazz, a lot of hard work has gone into all of this months builds, and that purple on yours looks brilliant. Is that a Pitbull stain?

Sure has!
Nah it’s not, the Black is a brand called RIT and the purple is a brand called folkart. They’re both fabric dyes by trade but work great on timber!

[Adam Barnes]

That looks fantastic guvna

[Adam Barnes]

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Sorry guys but im going to have to remove this one from this months comp i just picked it up to play and the neck is pull up ot of the pocket there's .5 mm to a mm gap between the neck heel and the body, im going to have to pull the neck out and re do it somehow.

[nitroburner1000]

Sorry guys but im going to have to remove this one from this months comp i just picked it up to play and the neck is pull up ot of the pocket there's .5 mm to a mm gap between the neck heel and the body, im going to have to pull the neck out and re do it somehow.

Bummer mate

[JB RETRO]

Havn't been looking or posting lately, but this month is such a wide variety of builds. Good luck to everyone, awsome efforts. Think I have my favourite at the moment.

[Wayne.Mumford]

Nice one Guvna, like what you did there with the name.

[ShazzRandom]

What a bummer Adam! Hope it’s an easy fix!

[Fretworn]

I just had a look back over this months entries.

I am glad I am not a judge this month, the field is pretty outstanding.

Good luck all. I was going to name my favourite.. but I honestly cannot pick one right now.

Brendan, I think Sonic just offered to help judge........ ;)

[Wayne.Mumford]

Sorry to hear that Adam, hope all goes well with repairs.

[Adam Barnes]

Sorry to hear that Adam, hope all goes well with repairs.

Thanks wayne

[Brendan]

Comp is now closed - we'll get out to the judges and get responses back as soon as we can!

[Brendan]

Okay - to the judges comments - please note that we do little to filter these and our judges are esteemed members of the forum who have been long term contributors, who put in some time each month to review what are getting to be very close and amazing guitars. Putting out a big thanks to all who have judged, and who do judge - its not an easy task but I know that this is keenly anticipated by the forumites each month.

Ahab's Beard's STA-1M
Interesting take on an old classic shape. Like the ash timber scratch and tremolo spring cover plates. Not completely sold on the Gibbo style amber control knobs. Body grain popping has left a lot of black behind which makes the timber look more aged and earthy. Headstock logo MIA.
There is something raw and brutally organic about this guitar. This is probably the only time that a decal on the headstock would look wrong. There are minor finish issues, but they only seem to add to the overall effect.
Sure to produce a woody or two. hehe. Gold hardware is a superb match to the woodgrain loveliness on show here. Excellent work on the pickguard and back plate. Looking damn good.
I like the effects achieved on the body. Nice use of colour, and the Ash pickguard and back cover plate are a nice touch. Love the choice to show the grain on an Ash Body. Very F shape headstock...no logo though. Love the pickup changes.

Bill Jackson's RC-12
First 12 string build I have seen in one of these. Like the authentic looking PUP’s and control knobs. Headstock design is a tough one as the innermost strings look like they are resting on the posts of their nearest neighbours. Plenty of room available for a logo and a truss rod cover too. Acknowledge bridge string spacing may have been sorted since photos were posted.
This guitar was a definite learning experience. Like the mods & the headstock. Glad you got the string spacing fixed in the end.
Unusual string spacing aside, this thing is gorgeous. Model appropriate upgrades, high quality finish. This kit has seen some serious time and attention and it shows.

Martti's GR-1SF
Nice dark and sultry looking axe. Mismatched PUP mounting rings and black Gibbo style speed control knobs don’t quite work for me and reckon both crème mounting rings & brass control knobs might have been a better match with remainder gold trimmings. Another build without a headstock logo.
Honest work. It's a bit hard to see the full effect from those pictures unfortunately. An upgraded truss rodd cover would be a good future addition.
Some hits, some misses. Love the brown, suits this model very well and TV Jones pickups are perfection. But, the mix up of gold and chrome hardware and non fitting, non matching pickup rings do my head in a little. Also, you are in desperate need of a new nut and trim your string ends (pet hate).
I am amazed at the finish on the binding with this stain. Wow great work. Nice headstock shape..but no name...??? (Please cut your strings.) The T.V. Jones pickups would squeak very nicely. The mix of Gold hardware and silver hardware not so much.

Gary B's RCA-4 – Good to see one of these in another colour other than black. You should be proud of how that colour has brought out the best in the Ash grain plus you have also blended same colour exceptionally well on the maple neck which is not so easy to do. Creating your own control plate, neck PUP mount and Truss rod cover worked well. Extra kudos for the stereo/mono setup and sensible bridge choice too.
Love the colour. The burst could have been blended better, but this can be very hard to do. The pearloid cover looks great.
Great subtle burst, instantly appealing colours. The black pearl is an effective contrast, but the shape doesn't do it for me. Beautifully planned out and well presented.
Yes Yes Yes a great Bass. How good is the grain on yet another Ash Body done with a great stain. The pickguard and truss road cover are great. But no name or logo??? Nice try on the burst with Wudtone. Hard to do on a headstock at the best of times.

FredA's JBA-4M
Seriously modded J Bass with an industrial looking finish plus wearing some high end hardware.
An inspired beastie. Clever mods, extreme headstock shaping and the "3D" black with the grain showing through. It deserves a name, or yours, on the headstock.
Whoa! I bet Fred orders his burgers with "the lot"! Love the concept, would love to hear it in action. Awesome set of upgrades. Finish is a tad too shiny for my liking. Love it though.
Why do this to an Ash Body Bass? Really nice grain buried under a cloud of gloss finish? Give the Bass a wipe down with a cloth before you take the piccies....lots of grease and fingerprints. I love the 3 pickup option. The Jag switch panel is awesome too. The Toneriders rock. Great use of the Big Bad Babicz Bridge. The neck has some great upgrades...dots and nut. The custom pickguard wraps the extra pickup together nicely.

ShazzRandom's SG-1
Nice and shiny lovely shade of purple with black hardware providing a slightly sinister look. Headstock shape works but where is the logo?
Great colour. This guitar would grab anyone's attention.
Purple and black is already a classic combo, add a third pickup and this SG goes to the next level. A very cool guitar.
Wicked colour....purple haze. 3 humbuckers...yeah.....and push pull pot as well. NIce. Personal headstock is nice.....put your name on them mate. Love the attention to detail here....enjoyed the videos...watched all these and that last build. Nice idea.

Lukas' EX-1
Wow, that looks stunning in white with black hardware. Upgrades should make it sound as good as it looks too. Another without a logo?
A glossy, mirror finish. Hetfield approved white EX. The truss rod cover isn't attached, hopefully this means you are looking for a better option.
Wow! Superb finish! White is a challenge, but pulled off so cleanly here. Really loving the monochrome look. Super stylish and really well put together.
Amazing finish. First Build.....what???? The EMG's, a Tusq nut, and Gotoh tuners upgrade are an awesome choice. Shred to the Max. I really like this one and I can understand why no truss rod cover yet...custom. But yet again no name or logo??? One of the best finishes I have ever seen on a guitar here.

Wayne.Mumford's IB-1S
Brave move staining a spalted top and the light DT Bondi Blue tones have complimented rather than detracted. Brilliant faux spalt job on headstock which has a logo. Back and sides done in the darker colour also provided a strong contrast that looks great.
Colours are great. The fake spalting on the headstock is inspired.
I really dig the sort of denim finish and the false spalt on the headstock is outstanding. Not quite sure the back matches, but a lovely finish nonetheless. Very nice overall.
Yet another wonderful use of stain to highlight a great grain and spalted top. That body finish and gloss is magic...very well done. Great Colour. I love the angled surface mounted jack socket....nice touch. Love the headstock logo and Brand Name. Awesome touch.

Guvna's JBA-4
Best Blue burst build I have seen done on this forum. Plenty of awesome ash grain still visible. Attention to detail on headstock is to be congratulated. Not only did you nail the blue burst but also came up with a unique way to attach logos. Well done.
A scene-stealer of a bass. I would be proud to own this. The colour is divine, glossy & gorgeous. Well done!
Blue burst for the win! Love this one and I wish it was mine. Engraved headstock logo is the coolest idea! Not much to fault here.
Wow Wow Wow. I love the colour on yet another high figure Ash Body. Stain and a great finish. Love that the grain shows through and yet the finish is shiny as well. The blue burst is so nicely done. White lettering on the headstock in a curly shape....what a great idea...and executed so well. This is so very well done. Great Bass done so well.

[Brendan]

And the runner up... the Pitbull Guitars pseudo virtual gold medal (Commonwealth Games times at the moment so getting in the vibe of it) goes to Lukas - the EX-1 is pretty stunning...
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=25533&d=1521341322

And the pseudo virtual gold medal - Guvna and his JBA-4...
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=25623&d=1522046100

[FrankenWashie]

Nice work, congrats to Lukas and Guvna in the gongs for the month. Well done all!

[Grubsta]

Well done guys another great month in the books.Love that EX-1

[ShazzRandom]

Good job guys! A tough month that’s for sure

[Gary B]

Congrats to Lukas and Guvna. Beautiful guitars along with the rest of the entries.
Thanks for the judges comments - plenty to take on board for the next one :-)

[Wayne.Mumford]

Congrats Guvna, a well deserved pseudo gold medal , and also a well deserved pseudo silver to Lukas for your efforts. A lot of hard work goes into all these guitars, and well done to everyone .
Cheers,Wayno.

[Sonic Mountain]

Really tough month, I think the judges got it right though, I'd have both of those guitars, Congrats Guvna and Lukas.

Also big well done to everyone who got a guitar up this month. That in itself is a win.

[wazkelly]

Strong field for the judges to pick a winner. Congrats to all entrants and in particular Guvna & Lukas.

[Fretworn]

Congratulations. A really strong competition this month. There were a few guitars that would have romped into 1st any other time.

[Guvna19]

Very grateful. Congrats to all entrants too, so many fine builds. Hope we see Barnesy's RCM-1 back in action soon.

Have to say cheers to everyone for all the help and encouragement recieved along the way. and...Big thanks to all the judges who put in there time to inspect all our builds every month, appreciate it.

regards
Guvna and Adam

[wokkaboy]

congratulations Guvna and Lukas, I'm stoked for you winning Guvna, top effort to you and your son. Also all other entries were of a high standard. Keep up the cool builds formites !

[Adam Barnes]

Well done guvna and lukas, some very nice builds this month

[FredA]

Well done guys!
Very nice builds again

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[nitroburner1000]

Great effort from everyone but Guvna you had it in the bag from the getgo.

[JB RETRO]

Well done Guvna to beat this field .

[Andy40]

Nice job guys, some great builds in there