August GOTM

[Curtwo]

Just finished my first build last night, Figured I'd enter it in the running.

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[wazkelly]

Now that is a shade of green I like.

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[blinddrew]

Can't say I agree with Waz on the colour but that looks like a great piece of work. :)

[wazkelly]

Can't say I agree with Waz on the colour but that looks like a great piece of work. :)

Hmmm, on my phone it looked more vibrant whereas now on the desktop computer I am almost thinking Granny Smith. The glitter sparkles sucked me in together with the pearloid plate.

[cork sniffer]

Just finished my first build last night, Figured I'd enter it in the running.


Finish looks GREAT, congratulations on a top job ...
BUT what happened to the last two strings, only 4, I don't understand ;-) haaa haaa.

[Brendan]

August Guitar of the Month (for Guitars and Basses finished in July 2018)

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

Please remember:

For Guitars or Basses finished on (or before) the end of July 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 June closes at the end of July 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!

[Spychocyco]

Sweet finish on that one. Nice work.

[Andyxlh]

I really like that colour, fantastic finish too.

[Je11o26]

Finished mine today :) was a great project and learnt ALOT from building my first guitar. Had a good mate of mine who owns Black Hart Airbrushing in Perth do the amazing art work and then a crazy green flake on the back. Wish my pictures could pick it up more but its crazy how much it pops in the sun. He also learnt a lot with the art work/paint bubbling over and reacting to the stain I originally tried on it. Had to start over 3 times on the paint work!! In the end.. We are botth stoked with how it came out! Definitely be doing another one together at some point.
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[Je11o26]

Heres a pic shortly before it was completed just to show the light hitting the flake. Hope that is alright to put in! 27252

[FrankenWashie]

Heres a pic shortly before it was completed just to show the light hitting the flake. Hope that is alright to put in! 27252

wonderful work the both of you Jello, you learn more from troublesome builds than you do from easy ones. Great job!

[Fretworn]

Just finished my first build last night, Figured I'd enter it in the running.

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Is it's nickname "Kermit"?

[wazkelly]

wonderful work the both of you Jello, you learn more from troublesome builds than you do from easy ones. Great job!

So true Frankie.

[Guvna19]

omg, just catchin up on these awsome finishes

well done guys, cheers Guvna

[nitroburner1000]

Just finished my first build last night, Figured I'd enter it in the running.

27211

27212

27213

27214

Love the colour and finish.

[nitroburner1000]

Finished mine today :) was a great project and learnt ALOT from building my first guitar. Had a good mate of mine who owns Black Hart Airbrushing in Perth do the amazing art work and then a crazy green flake on the back. Wish my pictures could pick it up more but its crazy how much it pops in the sun. He also learnt a lot with the art work/paint bubbling over and reacting to the stain I originally tried on it. Had to start over 3 times on the paint work!! In the end.. We are botth stoked with how it came out! Definitely be doing another one together at some point.
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Looks too good to play, need to cover the whole front in a clear pick guard so you dont damage it..lol

[Andyxlh]

That looks simply wonderful, what a superb bit of airbrushing!

[BigPidgey]

Here's my Pitbull PBA-4 Custom build. This was my first time building or working on a bass guitar in any way, and this job involved a lot of youtube tutorials, running back and forth to Bunnings, improvising tools/workspaces, and dealing with constantly smelling like lacquer.
Being my firs time this also involved a lot of blood, sweat and a few tears of frustration as every step of the way I encountered issues, but it was a learning experience. Here's what I did:

Weeks of testing colouring on testwood, then trying to find the right colours for staining that beautiful grain. stained, sealed with sanding sealer, clear coated (not the best job, one of the things I've learned for next time).
For the colour I did a black stain, and then coated over the top of that with blue alochol based ink.
Upgraded the hardware from allparts, however ordered the wrong size tuning pegs and got replacements from music lily on ebay (Great quality cheap parts)
Bridge was replaced with a string through Hipshot A-Style bridge
Nut replaced with a bone nut.
P'ups replaced with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders, input jack also replaced.
Mega Music hooked me up with a black pickguard.

The frets took a little while, as expected being my first time doing a levelling and crowning job.
The nut had originally been installed a little wonky but was an easy fix.
the neck joint was a little loose so i spent a little time making a shim for the socket.
drilling the holes in the back to make it string through was a nightmare without a proper drill press (hand drill mangled it a bit)
stencilling didn't work out the best and I ended up covering half my stencil on the body with the bridge, it was supposed to say 一番 which is Japanese for "number one" but now it just says 番 "number". The headstock stencil reads "bender" with an image of a hockey player (ice hockey term for someone who is bad at skating, just a play on fender)
my clear coating wasn't the best, and there were some real rough spots all over the bass, but at the end of the day, for my first time doing anything like this I couldn't be happier with the result, and it actually plays and sounds better than my Fender MIM standard Pbass.
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And what did I learn?
I learned I need to use the proper tools for the job
I can't just go ahead and start on parts of the project before I have every piece arrive (should have done bridge before painting)
I learned I need to exercise MUCH more patience when doing the clear coat
I learned that my next project will be even better than this one, and that I now have so many ideas fro future projects.


-Jason

[wazkelly]

Well done Jason.
Good back story I am sure we can all relate to.
Doing a build diary with regular posts & updates brings valuable feedback from forum members that can quite often point you in the right direction.
Cheers, Waz

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[king casey]

it actually plays and sounds better than my Fender MIM standard Pbass..


After all this is the main goal so I'll pre-empt the judging and declare thee the winner.

cheers, Mark.

[cristof72]

Hi All

I'd to propose my 335 for guitar of the month...

I've played around with this one, my second build.

She's a pen ink stained (my own mix of yellow and blue inks) quilted maple top 335 with gun stock oil finish - about 40 coats (lost count a bit)

On board there are:
Schaller tuning pegs
Graphtech nut
Seymour duncan SH-4 JB for the bridge and SH-2n Jazz Model for the neck.
I've got 4 Bourne 500k push pull pots: in Jimmy Page style wiring:
Bridge Volume: splits bridge pickup
Neck Volume: splits neck pickup
Bridge tone: puts bridge & neck pickups out of phase with each other
Neck tone: puts bridge & neck pickups in series together
There's a schaller piezo in the bridge
with a flagship preamp.

I (nervously) cut a hole in the back, installed a frame and inset magnets to allow the cover to lie flat without screws. There's a matching 'key' to pull off the cover. Inside is the wiring, the flagship preamp, battery access.

The metal knob is piezo volume, the black rotary is piezo alone, piezo/mag mix and mag.

She plays amazingly, and great thanks to Pitbull guitars for the inspiration to make the guitar of my dreams.. I play in a very varied covers band (Eagles, ACDC, Dire Straits, INXS, Crowded House, Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons you know - the guitar needs to do a bit of everything!) and she sounds awesome for all of it.

Cheers all.
Chris

[cristof72]

here's a couple more shots

Chris

[Fretworn]

Nice job Chris.

[Sonic Mountain]

Wow great work on the mods!

[Adam Barnes]

Dude thats a nice guitar

[blinddrew]

Well here we go, a little less adventurous than some of the other entries but here's my effort:
https://i.imgur.com/CtHW4ct.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZLtIXwx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LcSICRN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0FDrjnV.jpg

Grover tuners, bone nut, upgraded CTS pots, Schaller strap-locks, home-made knobs, scratch-plate and truss-rod cover.
Pretty happy with it. :)

[wazkelly]

Nice one Drew. Looks great done in a natural finish.

[blinddrew]

Nice one Drew. Looks great done in a natural finish.

Thanks Waz, mostly down to the sterling advice from you and Simon. Cheers, :)

[wazkelly]

The Adopted ES-1.....finished in 10 weeks. http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8608&page=14&p=169845#post169845

A big thank you to Tony aka VH2580 for offering this kit up for adoption as I had always wanted to do a semi hollow body guitar.

The kit gave me many challenges along the way. First up was stripping back the green stain which turned out impossible to save the micro thin maple veneer. Surprisingly the ply wood veneer underneath had some interesting grain to work with. Downside was the drop in top deck thickness which required a very delicate application of timbermate filler under the section where fret board overhang joins the body. This meant the body and neck had to be joined just after initial stain coats, with a bit more stain required to colour the natural timbermate filler used.

Timber on the back had the weirdest grain structure and was very stringy along the grain and opened up after applying water based ink & dye stain with a bit of swelling in a few places that also required some timbermate filler to disguise.

Next up was the awesome challenge of finishing a whole guitar, not just a separate body & neck, and to try and keep the finish being applied evenly all over whilst avoiding any dreaded runs. Thankfully these are very lightweight with body & neck joined thus making things a little bit easier to handle.

Initially this was going to be a guitar for myself but part of the way in my wife thought it would be a good birthday present for our eldest son who currently lives in NZ. Not a problem as that is mid August except that he was coming over this week for a business trip which cut the time line back considerably. This required a whole different approach to doing the finish, all experimental but with a fair amount of prior knowledge dialled in.

This is the 7th build where I have used Tru Oil for doing top coats and normally would do a handful of full strength, wet sand, then do some 50;50 diluted with turps, etc..... which takes quite a bit longer to get just right. On this occasion it was full strength up to about coat # 6, then 50;50 applied with 1200 grit W & D paper with surplus wiped off for a couple of coats, followed by a few more full strength then same 50;50 wet sand application with 1500 grit W & D paper. This really helped to level the finish back in on itself with excess gently wiped off....very important step as this preserved the level of thickness that was gradually building up. After doing a couple of robust 2000 grit W & D sessions it was back to full strength TO for a few more coats and then a couple more with just a few drops of turps to slightly thin it out which worked better that 50;50 as that ends up rather watery and prone to runs. In the end this was lucky to have about 36 hours curing time from last coat to first final polish, with a second one done the following night. All up, around 20 - 25 coats of TO.

Standard kit hardware used with Bone Nut, Alpha 500k mini pots, real parts 0.022 mini ceramic caps, switchcraft jack, real parts gotoh style 3 way switch, strap locks, push back vintage wire cloth, traditional bell shaped one ply truss rod cover, custom vinyl headstock front & rear logos, ernie ball 10-46 strings. Tony provided me with PUP's that came with his Korean PRS kit and they sound great.

[blinddrew]

:::Applause:::
Incredible rescue job there Waz. I love the way those logos seem to float above the surface.

[nitroburner1000]

Some incredible axes entered this month, invaluable to keep a build diary and awesome save from Waz.

[Brendan]

GOTM is now closed. Will have a new one up soon and will send out invites to the cruë to review!

[Andyxlh]

Wow some fantastic instruments here!
Loving the two basses as well a the wolf guitar PBG 2
The semi hollows have wonderful grain too, classic looks and top quality.........
A very hard pick, I'm glad I don't have to do it!

[Brendan]

And to the comments - apologies on the delay - life's gotten away from me over the past few days...

Curtwo’s PB-4
Love the simplicity and classic nature of this bass – looks like it’d be a cracker to play.
I hate bright green. But I love this bass! Classic example of things being done right being able to over come personal taste. Would have liked to have seen a headstock decal but other than that I can't fault it.That green just works so well.It's a clean green bass machine.
I like the very different colour, nice smooth expanses of sparkly green indicate some serious effort on prep. The neck seems glossy and smooth with maybe a couple of areas of concern (might just be lighting. A really clean and crisp effort, a subtle green on green burst that highlights a wonderfully bright paint job. A nice personalised logo or headstock decal wouldn’t have gone astray here, but otherwise a unique and beautiful bass guitar.
Love the colour. The finish has come up great.

Je11o26’s PB-2
Amazing artwork and has worked well in with the hardware nicely executed.
You have to be so careful airbrushing onto a guitar,it's so easy for the hardware to break up the picture, the black hardware really saves the day here.I have to give the artist credit for coming back time and time again or maybe Jello's a really big guy and very pursusive!Anyway it was worth the effort, again a headstock decal would have been a nice finishing touch.
A colossal airbrush job on this, not sure I’ve seen it’s like in the forum before. A great collaborative effort in problem solving over the finish and a stunning result. Love the depth in the colour on the rear and the added flake. The neck seems well worked and simple, though again a little ornamentation with a logo, or maybe a TRC change out might have helped Bling it out a little. Well finished and a wonderful gloss to it as well. I’d honestly be scared to play it too hard and risk damaging that artwork though.
A work of art in more ways than one. Really glad it worked out in the end. I might be too scared to actually play it though.

BigPidget's PBA-4
Classic, black (ish) and a P Bass. Nicely done. Can see where things haven’t quite worked out, but a great learning opportunity. Well done!
Pretty fine job for a first build. I like the combo of blue/black, yea, shame about the few scars but to quote Apoo from the Simpsons "Every bullet hole is a badge of honour!" or in this case, a lesson learned. Very nice upgrades and I bet she sounds great!
A good honest first build attempt and a testament to how the best laid plans go awry and something else can result. I can see the intent with the inky, not quite black, colour scheme and full block out. It seems that there were a number of issues with fitting and finish but on the whole the effect is cool on a sort of weathered relic fashion. And it plays great and sounds cool apparently so mission accomplished!
I like how the grain is sneaking through the finish. The back does show some of the “lessons learned” though. Play it a lot and it will earn some serious relic cred.

cristof72's ES-1Q
Lovely depth in the quilting – you’ve done a nice job and it’s good to see you’re happy with it. Overall looks like a great guitar.
If I were a better swimmer I'd dive straight into that swimming pool top.Gorgeous colour! The upgrades, wow, so many options, obviously a well planned out build.Something , something something....head stock decal.
Lovely adaptive mods with the piezo and it’s own little controls recess in the back. Would really love to have seen a build diary on this one and a sound demo. The blue has brought up the quilted top really well and the brown/blue combo works well. There appears to have been some consistency challenges in the finish on the rear though. I’m not sure of what has gone on with the rear of the neck, it seems a bit dull by comparison to the body. On the whole the package looks good, from the photos, the finish doesn’t seem as glossy as it could be? A really great job though and a wonderful personal adaptation. Like the personal TRC, though it could have used a good silver or gold logo on the headstock.
The inventiveness of the battery cover is great. Unfortunately the close up photo shows some issues with the finish.

blinddrew's ES-5V
Love the elegance of this guitar. Simple and understated. Love what you’ve tried with the scratchplate – just doesn’t gel as well with the rest of the guitar for me.
LOOK! a headstock decal ! LOL and I like the name.Nice little truss rod cover although I'm not sure about the pick guard, maybe too dark against that beautiful natural finish. Nice upgrades, I bet she sounds sweet! Simple is often the best.
Love this guitar, the personal finish touches; pickguard, knobs, TRC and brand logo stand out on a superb blonde finish. The gloss and it’s smoothness are a testament to some painstaking work in prep and subsequent smoothing of clear coats.
Nothing flashy, just clean simple good looks and hard work. The only potentially detracting features for me are:
the pockmarks in the fretboard, an unfortunate discovery with the new Blackwood boards, but live and learn.
The shape of the knobs themselves. Perhaps a simple barrel or speed knob type might have gone better. Wonderful job and a stand out for me.
A blonde beauty. The finish looks great & the pickguard & truss rod cover are inspired.

Wazkelly's ES-1
Classic red and shiny. Great job! Hope it has had enough time to cure properly in NZ!
Along comes Waz and proves you CAN make a silk purse from a sows ear. Great rescue job on this. The choice of colour is a classic and gleams as typical of Waz's builds.Nice upgrades, another gem for the collection.
An absolute stunner, especially given that it was a rescue job.
A gorgeous colour under a ripper of a clear coat and a stupendous gloss. The care and attention taken to detail to pull this one off is monumental. This guitar appears without flaw or fault and it would be a certainty for me to pick up and play in a store
A lovely, shiny, cherry red semi-hollow. Classic!

[Brendan]

And the runner up - congratulations wazkelly - your recovery job looks stunning!

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=27425&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1531653996

And the winner - congratulations blinddrew - your extra details like handmade knobs and pickguard made this a standout this month.
https://i.imgur.com/CtHW4ct.jpg

[blinddrew]

I'm gobsmacked. I thought Cristof or Waz would surely take this one. Thanks very much everyone. :o

[wazkelly]

Congrats Drew and all other entrants. Plenty of good axes again this month.

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[Dedman]

Congrats guys, a tough month to judge.

[blinddrew]

Sorry, that was a much more dignified response from Waz.
Ahem, seriously well done to all the builders, more gorgeous guitars are being built here every month.
Excellent work everyone.

[Sonic Mountain]

Heh, don't worry man, easy to get caught up in the excitement. Well done as usual to the winners and everyone who got a guitar up.

[FrankenWashie]

Sorry, that was a much more dignified response from Waz.
Ahem, seriously well done to all the builders, more gorgeous guitars are being built here every month.
Excellent work everyone.

Congratulation Drew!...and for september you now have the fun of being a Judge! There's two cracking SG's already, good luck!

[DarkMark]

Top work everyone. Congratulations Drew and Waz! Natural and cherry red are certainly two of my favourite finishes. Good luck judging next month Drew, haha.

[blinddrew]

Ha! Yeah the judging is going to be interesting. Have to take a microscope to the photos to spot any flaws in some of these builds. :)

[ozzbike]

Congrats Drew and all other entrants. Plenty of good axes again this month.

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Well done Waz....great save.

I really love the effort and finish on the winner....great work drew.

Another month of wonder axes.

[Fretworn]

Congrats everyone!

[Andyxlh]

Well done Drew and Waz, excellent work!
Wow that was a great month of fantastic instruments again. It could almost be guitar of the week, sometimes the day!
I really enjoy the GOTM forum.

[Andy40]

Congratulations Drew and Waz!! beautiful guitars

[wazkelly]

Congratulations Drew and Waz!! beautiful guitarsCheers Andy. Haven't seen or heard from you for a while. How are your projects going?

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