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Brendan
02-12-2018, 06:58 AM
January Guitar of the Month (for Guitars and Basses finished in December 2018)

I can't believe we're at that time again where you can enter your finished guitar or bass here to be judged for the Pit Bull Guitars January Guitar of the Month - the first for 2019!

Please remember:

For Guitars or Basses finished on (or before) the end of December.

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 closes at the end of December (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!

METAL Rulez 4ever
02-12-2018, 11:33 AM
One of my fave Bass builds to date...A Shou Sugi Ban, olive stained MM5(4) String Punisher Bass with actual 303 Winchester's thru the body and a .50 Browning thru the headstock.

29248

29249

29250

29251

29252

wazkelly
06-12-2018, 07:25 PM
Almost like a mini bed of nails with those 303's poking through the back! Punisher is an appropriate name as I reckon anyone who attempts to play it will surely be punished.

toto
09-12-2018, 04:44 AM
Hello :)

First of all I would like to give my special thanks to Pitbull guitars for the opportunity to
work on two projects of RCA kit ! :)
Please find below some pictures and a specification of my second RCA project:
*) Body - Ash ( Pitbull ) Oil wax satin finish
*) Neck - maple + rosewood fingerboard - transparent semi gloss oil and wax ( fine satin finish )
*) Pickups - Roswell ( both Neck and Bridge )
*) Tail piece & bridge - All parts
*) Tuners - Pitbull
*) Pickguard and trust rod cover - redesigned by me. Made out of opal PMMA
*) Toggle switch - Rickysounds
*) Controls
2 X volume pots - Alpha 250K
1 x bass tone - Alpha 500 K
1 x treble tone - CTS 500 K push/pull ( Changing Modern to Vintage sound )
*) Nut - TUSK
*) Output - Stereo + Mono
*) LOGO - No logo by purpose !
regarding the logo - my first project shown in Rocktober has got a comment that there is no any logo !
Please kindly note that I feel unworthy to place any logo on such iconic model but if you wish to have a logo, then
please consider it as "TOKO instrument")

So far so dully :) Here comes the pictures:
29332
29333
29334
29335
29336

toto
09-12-2018, 04:49 AM
29337
29338
29339
29340
29341

toto
09-12-2018, 04:54 AM
29342
29343
29344
29345
29346

toto
09-12-2018, 04:55 AM
29347
29348

Hope you will enjoy it.

Have a nice weekend :)
Totto

JohnH
23-12-2018, 04:15 PM
My little man and I just finished this Darth Vader themed ST-1JR.

All stock hardware, with the pickguard artwork printed out on an adhesive sheet and stuck down onto the pickguard material.

Feast Watson black stain and Tru Oil on the body, and just the Tru Oil on the neck.

A couple of dings on the body courtesy of the younger sibling during the build, and the finish on the back is less than perfect. Still, pretty happy with it, and a great project for us both.

https://i.imgur.com/BrWjaw7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GAmdpF1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zWhf6je.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FFRUOIp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/V2m41gY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oBvvN50.jpg

wazkelly
23-12-2018, 05:08 PM
Looks pretty damn good to me John. You should both be proud of your efforts on this one.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

chrisp
24-12-2018, 04:06 AM
Presenting .... the Sphinx

29529
29530
29531
29532

Specifications:
* A tele build into a Jazzmaster style body - Pitbull's JTL-1 with a quilt maple veneer
* Gotoh InTune Bridge
* Australian hand wound Sliders Nocaster bridge pickup
* Q Pickups A3 in the neck
* Grover locking tuners
* Custom engraved control plate and neck decals
* Hawks Head headstock
* Dingotone Bondi Blue oil finish to front, Deep Blue finish to back and headstock, clear finish on neck back

The wiring scheme incorporates what I have though are the best elements of a tele build
29534
* Lindy Frahlin wired 4 way selector (neck, neck/bridge parallel, neck/bridge series, bridge)
* Fezz Parka tone circuit wiring using a 15nf orange drop tone cap (sort of like a treble bleed with greater tone travel)
* Push/pull switch on volume to unload the pickups (wow! first time I've done this, it adds a whole new voice)
* 630V DC safety cap separates hardware from cable negative

What I love about this guitar is its tone and playability. The ash body gives nice warm sustain, and the Sliders hand wound pickup drips that early tele sound that no other guitar provides. Think Clarence Brown, Jimmy Wyble, the guys that inspired everyone from Clapton to Townshend to Richards to take up a tele.

OctoberBassRCA-4
24-12-2018, 04:16 AM
Hello :)

First of all I would like to give my special thanks to Pitbull guitars for the opportunity to
work on two projects of RCA kit ! :)
Please find below some pictures and a specification of my second RCA project:
*) Body - Ash ( Pitbull ) Oil wax satin finish
*) Neck - maple + rosewood fingerboard - transparent semi gloss oil and wax ( fine satin finish )
*) Pickups - Roswell ( both Neck and Bridge )
*) Tail piece & bridge - All parts
*) Tuners - Pitbull
*) Pickguard and trust rod cover - redesigned by me. Made out of opal PMMA
*) Toggle switch - Rickysounds
*) Controls
2 X volume pots - Alpha 250K
1 x bass tone - Alpha 500 K
1 x treble tone - CTS 500 K push/pull ( Changing Modern to Vintage sound )
*) Nut - TUSK
*) Output - Stereo + Mono
*) LOGO - No logo by purpose !
regarding the logo - my first project shown in Rocktober has got a comment that there is no any logo !
Please kindly note that I feel unworthy to place any logo on such iconic model but if you wish to have a logo, then
please consider it as "TOKO instrument")

So far so dully :) Here comes the pictures:
29332
29333
29334
29335
29336

Nice Finish. Makes me double think my own finish options. Great job!

JohnH
24-12-2018, 04:18 AM
The Sphinx looks so good Chris!

Sonic Mountain
24-12-2018, 02:03 PM
My little man and I just finished this Darth Vader themed ST-1JR.

All stock hardware, with the pickguard artwork printed out on an adhesive sheet and stuck down onto the pickguard material.

Feast Watson black stain and Tru Oil on the body, and just the Tru Oil on the neck.

A couple of dings on the body courtesy of the younger sibling during the build, and the finish on the back is less than perfect. Still, pretty happy with it, and a great project for us both.

https://i.imgur.com/BrWjaw7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GAmdpF1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zWhf6je.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FFRUOIp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/V2m41gY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oBvvN50.jpg

This is just so much fun. Great work man.

Sonic Mountain
24-12-2018, 02:05 PM
This is pretty cool as well. The control plate is rad.

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29529&d=1545598009

toto
24-12-2018, 05:13 PM
Hi, Thank you for your comment ! I appreciate it :)

I use oils OSMO oils + waxes for finish of my guitars
https://www.osmouk.com/
If you wish you may try them. They offer matt, semi matt and glossy oils with wax as well as different colors
but you have to check whish oils and color suit to which kind of wood. It is described in OSMO catalogue.

chrisp
25-12-2018, 03:39 AM
This is pretty cool as well. The control plate is rad.

Thanks Sonic - I'm a fan of the steampunker so that means a lot coming from you. The control plate is from Entermusic (http://www.ertmermusic.com/tele-style-1.html) - they have some great tele control plate designs that can inspire, I was thinking of a celtic knot design for a future build.

Hardcoretroubadour
28-12-2018, 02:13 PM
Well it is said it takes a community to raise a child, so here is our bad boy, The Eliminator. Being a huge ZZ top fan I thought it would be fitting to do homage with an iconic explorer shape and even get the flying V headstock mod like Dusty had on many of his 80's basses.
It has;
standard PB humbuckers for now till I know what I want,
full black hardwear,
Standard PB TOM bridge
Aftermarket TUSC nut,
500k borne push / pull pots, 3 way switch and treble bleed with orange drop capacitor.
The truss rod cover was fashioned from a peice of car bumper I found on the road and shaped to mirror the headstock.
I didn't have the room for the name on the headstock, but I might hit Sonic up to do one on the reverse 😁
Finish is Dingotone Coolangatta Gold with Feast Watson gloss wipe on poly topcoat.
Due to the lifting of the engineer Blackwood timber on the fretboard it also received several coats of wipe on poly to help seal it.
Huge thank you and kudos to Wazkelly, without him this would still be 2 bit of pretty firewood.

Yo_Wattup
28-12-2018, 02:59 PM
This is a pitbull guitar kit I bought a few months ago and finally got around to finishing. Its the Telecaster one with ash body and black hardware. I replaced the bridge and bridge pickup. For me, kit guitars are all about the look, I spend a lot of time on the finish.

As you can see I've added bevels to the top and a curved edge on the bottom side. What isn't so obvious is the ghost gold pearl over the white top. This is very hard to capture on camera and its visibility depends on the lighting, basically its completely white under ubiquitous light (shade), and the gold pearl emerges when under sunlight or artificial light.

For the back and sides I wanted a mirror gloss finish of the ash - no texture. So I filled the grain, stained it walnut and sprayed it with varnish until there was enough layers to wet sand and get completely flat. Something like 20 coats.

I also stained the neck a walnut colour to match the back but I left the fretboard its natural maple. Both the neck and fretboard are gloss. Actually the whole guitar is now that I think about it :D:D:D.

All finishing done with a spray gun. You simply cant get as glossy/flat a finish using a brush or cloth.

https://i.imgur.com/1thFCLV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/04M9WA7.jpg


The following 3 photos with reduced exposure sort of show the pearl a little better.

https://i.imgur.com/vBuzHJi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/14eJMuS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/u8GjBae.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nJVkIp7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2Dxyl01.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZdUY66M.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tNeYHSN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ooeRmIA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/q1bGr7K.jpg

brisboy
28-12-2018, 03:20 PM
That is a super sweet tele!

Sent from my SM-J120ZN using Tapatalk

wazkelly
28-12-2018, 07:41 PM
You have done good Hardcore. Looks great.

Let me know when you are up this way and we can see if it fits into an Epiphone 6 string Hard Case. My EX5 only just fits but reckon yours will be fine with that smaller headstock.

wazkelly
28-12-2018, 07:44 PM
Well done Yo. Looks like you have had lots of practice using a spray gun. The back is absolutely stunning and front is a very modern twist on an old classic shape.

Cheers, Waz

blinddrew
31-12-2018, 04:25 AM
That is a lovely piece of work Yo!

JohnH
31-12-2018, 06:50 AM
That Tele is killer Yo

Old Tooth Hopkins
31-12-2018, 07:14 AM
This is my first build - sunburst Thinline Tele. Completed on 15th December.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/f462e85db30438c5a7b245aa119a90ef.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/aa896358350d7f8d041091e249f6388d.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/d3e0b3e6fa5e9b8a056188b145728ca2.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/f26a9c099a7abc18f72b11b5c31cbcd7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/51760ac288daa154539fc0100864e4be.jpg

Body: sunburst with honey oak background, mirotone black for the burst and mirotone clear final coat. Polished with cut and polish compound used on cars.

Neck: maple pitbull neck with Adobe illusatroar designed, laser engraved headstock. Shalom means holistic sense of “peace and contentment in Hebrew. Finished with dingotone acacia and dingo wax on the fretboard.

Wiring: stock pickups. changed the stock 3-way switch for a 5 way switch. The settings are:

- neck humbucker
- neck humbucker + bridge split single
- bridge split single
- bridge humbucker

I was going to split the bridge humbucker but figure I wouldn’t use it as much so leaving it off. So the lady setting on the 5-way is currently a master kill switch- although I may add a piezo pick up into the hollow cavity in the future for a more acoustic sound - see what happens.

Had a custom white pickguard designed and laser cut but didn’t end up using it - the sunburst will be largely obscured if I used it.

More details to on my build diary. Very happy with the finished results but with a baby coming won’t be building many more for at least a while!

Marcel
31-12-2018, 07:22 AM
This is my first build - sunburst Thinline Tele. Completed on 15th December.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/f462e85db30438c5a7b245aa119a90ef.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/aa896358350d7f8d041091e249f6388d.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/d3e0b3e6fa5e9b8a056188b145728ca2.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/f26a9c099a7abc18f72b11b5c31cbcd7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181231/51760ac288daa154539fc0100864e4be.jpg

Body: sunburst with honey oak background, mirotone black for the burst and mirotone clear final coat. Polished with cut and polish compound used on cars.

Neck: maple pitbull neck with Adobe illusatroar designed, laser engraved headstock. Shalom means holistic sense of “peace and contentment in Hebrew. Finished with dingotone acacia and dingo wax on the fretboard.

Wiring: stock pickups. changed the stock 3-way switch for a 5 way switch. The settings are:

- neck humbucker
- neck humbucker + bridge split single
- bridge split single
- bridge humbucker

I was going to split the bridge humbucker but figure I wouldn’t use it as much so leaving it off. So the lady setting on the 5-way is currently a master kill switch- although I may add a piezo pick up into the hollow cavity in the future for a more acoustic sound - see what happens.

Had a custom white pickguard designed and laser cut but didn’t end up using it - the sunburst will be largely obscured if I used it.

More details to on my build diary. Very happy with the finished results but with a baby coming won’t be building many more for at least a while!

The finish on the body looks distinctly antique... I'd almost believe this was an actual '50's guitar if the neck had a few tiny signs of wear-n-tear... Well done !!

FrankenWashie
31-12-2018, 07:29 AM
I've never been a great fan of the Tele but Yo and OTH you may have converted me!
Fantastic effort on that reinterpretation Yo, painstaking attention to the contours and the paint.

OTH yours is definitely old school feel, I love your Honey burst and the grain pattern coming through it. Really nice work with that big shiny Bigsby setting the whole thing off.

You should both be really chuffed with those builds, fantastic work by everyone this month!

Old Tooth Hopkins
31-12-2018, 07:45 AM
Thanks Frankie - I also popped the original grain with jarrah before applying the honey oak.

churchie
31-12-2018, 09:39 AM
Yo..that Tele is unique. I love the finish, and the contrast between front and back.

Great work!

Richy17
31-12-2018, 04:44 PM
Both tele's look great. The first one gives off a PRS kind of vibe.

Brendan
01-01-2019, 09:20 AM
Comp closed - new one to be opened soon!

G-Axe
02-01-2019, 08:28 AM
Some outstanding entries this month, but Yo_wattup's Tele is insane! Even without being able to fully appreciate the pearl coat, that bevel and the contrast between solid colour, stain and natural finish are just phenomenal. Just stunning.

Brendan
07-01-2019, 09:00 PM
So the judges comments...
But first a comment on logos from the Mod... – key reasons we encourage builders to put a logo on their build is so that its clear that we as a community don’t support rip off guitars – no one wants to buy a fake and we encourage every builder to own their guitars. However its up to you if you don’t want to. The other reason is that you've put a lot of work into building the guitar - get some ownership and recognition for yourself!


Metal Rulez 4ever's MMB-5
Love the Punisher – and the innovation here, but this doesn’t gel for me – appreciate the effort that has gone into the build. Not sure why it’s a four string not five???
The finish is great & the execution of the idea is inspired. It just seems a bit “too much” to me, but to each their own.
This is an exercise in OTT appropriate details. A punisher themed bass would be cliche in black and white. The shou sugi ban coupled with the olive drab stain works for me.
Love the punisher detail scratch plate
I’m rather intimidated by the use of ammo, but again given the theme, its all on point. The dog tags are a nice touch and the chrome accents help break up the darker colours. There isn’t a clear shot of the fretboard or the headstock but i think i see punisher skull fret markers?
Great example of what kit building is all about. Lots of mods and personalisation. The use of 4 strings on a 5 string kit is intriguing - I'm guessing there is reasoning there, but without a build diary its hard to know. I do also wonder about the playability with the bullets, especially the ones poking out the back! It looks like its ready to take revenge for every guitar that's had buckle rash. That aside this is very well executed, unique and certainly 'Metal'.
Shou Sugi Ban a very cool way to make basswood look good. Complimentary staining too. That bling on the bass is cool too. I love the originality of this build. I'm not sure that I would enjoy being poked by the bullet heads on the back......especially if its slung too low. Owww!
Amazing looking bass with all the add-ons and features, absolutely crazy good. Fantastic body colour and effect, but maybe a little too form over function for my taste.

Toto’s RCA-4
Nice job on the stain and extras – looks the business. Love the dual output and box to split at the end. Nice job!
I like the authentic looking pickups and bridge. The colour choice is perfect.
A nice clean looking build, simple colour scheme very well executed.
I like the grain highlighting, and the very tidy presentation
Understand the viewpoint on the logo, it is an iconic design and i get the reluctance to imitate.
I like the comfort profiling on the edges and the satin looking finish it fits the build nicely.
Very nice interpretation of a very popular kit. Many upgrades to the hardware and very clean execution. As much as I enjoy wild custom versions of the kits, there is a lot to be said for doing straight forward finishes and a assembly with a high attention to detail. I understand the reasoning for not including a headstock logo, but it really does help to finish off the guitars and make them your own. There are lots of iconic shapes that have different interpretations made by different companies. Don't be shy about owning such a high standard of handiwork.
The Oil wax satin finish on this is just gorgeous. This build speaks to me, its simple elegant and beautiful. I truly wish there was a build diary...but there wasn't. I was this bass.
Excellent, clean, well finished RC. The colour really suits the Ash grain perfectly. Nice upgrades and great overall build.

JohnH’s ST-1JR
Great adaptation to a couple of challenges and changes. Overall outcome is great!
A near perfect finish. Would have liked the truss-rod hole to be finished cleanly as well. The pick guard is superb.
My inner SW geek is screaming “Winner Winner!”
These are a great little kit, and i know from the diary this has gone through a couple of iterations.
I like the scratch plate detail and the coloured logo
There appears to be a hint of un evenness in the finish, but this may just be a trick of the light.
Alignment and neck finish look superb on the whole a great little package.
Another great example of what kit building is all about. Lots of fun this one. Nicely executed theme, tidy assembly. Some of the smaller imperfections are offset by this being used to encourage a new generation of guitarists/builders. I hope this one gets a lot of use from its recipient.
Queue appropriate "star wars" line here. Brilliant pickguard and the build is great too. Black paint is difficult to get right. Love the Vadercaster name. Great work John.
Perfect for the budding rocker with a Sci-Fi slant, any youngster would instantly grab for it. Great image for the pickguard artwork, although to me the blue of the image is a touch too light for the black body and it clashes a little bit in the photos. But just a bit. What a great father son experience.

chrisp’s JTL-1
Love the mods to the wiring – sounds like a killer guitar! Nice details with the finishing – you’ve done a great job.
Beautiful, swimming pool finish. The headstock is great. Personally I would swap the gold tuners for chrome ones to match the other hardware.
This is a unique build, a TL in a JM body
The front looks like an odd shaped puddle of water, good enough to dive into!
I like the the deep blue of the headstock matched into the back, both front and back look smooth and even.
On personal taste i find the fretboard markers a bit much, but the thing is called the Sphinx so they work.
The control cover is off the hook, a nice little embellishment that works well with the Fretboard details.
I’m not sure about the mix of metal colours though, the gold tuners for me clash with the silvery fret images and the silver of the neck pup and the ashtray, then you have the darker control cover, its probably my only real ?? in the whole thing.
Great use of colour and theme to create a very unique guitar that would certainly stand out in a shop. Nice details on the control plate and neck really help to tie it together. Lack of headstock logo is a bit disappointing considering the rest of the embellishments. There also appear to be a few imperfections in the finish. It might just be the pictures, but it also looks like the control plate isn't quite parallel to the bridge plate. So there are just a few very small details holding this back from being truly outstanding - I believe it’s a first build, so I'm expecting big things on the next one with everything that has been learnt and a bit more attention to the little things.
The Sphinxcaster. Just look at that quilt. DT Bondi Blue looks fantastic. I'm very jealous of the upgrades on this build, it would sound world class. Not sure about the saddle placements? is that intonated right, the saddle screws are fully wound (or was that just for the glamour pis?) I bet you play that guitar everyday.
Really love the look of this build, the blue of the top is just stunning. Love the headstock shape and the contrast of the two blues between the top, back and headstock face, but the mix of gold and chrome hardware detracts a little for me. Excellent upgrades for a really tasty build.

Brendan
07-01-2019, 09:00 PM
Hardcoretroubadour's EXA-4
Lovely and classical – clean lines and nicely finished. Awesome work.
I can imagine Mr Hill playing this. Simple, clean. Great job
Another simple, understated build, nice even colour and some great grain highlight.
I like the original headstock treatment and the change to a 2+2 configuration.
The Logo is clear and appropriate for the build and adds to the build character with its minimalism.
The carpet gave me flashbacks.
Really nice finish, looks nice, flat and shiny
Another very clean, almost commercial level, execution of a PB kit. Great attention to detail make this a very cohesive build. Headstock logo & TRC look like a factory signature model. Finishing appears to be a very high standard in the pics. Not as wacky and conceptual as some of the other builds but very well put together
What a great EX Bass. Perfect amount of Coolangatta Gold just sets the black hardware just right. It looks so clean and great. I just want to play it. Good job Hardcoretroubador.
The colour suits the body nicely, further complimented by the black hardware and cool TRC shape. A nice looking bass and a fitting homage build.

Yo_Wattup’s TLA-1
Beautiful finish – love the attention to detail. Is there a problem with the nut? Seems a bit out of whack in the closeup of the headstock.
A unique approach, executed to near perfection. A stand out T-style guitar.
This one is a jaw dropper, in a shop, this is leaving with me, shut up and take my money.
The stark black of the pups, the pick guard and the cover plate float on that icy white body, the bevels add some drama to what is effectively a plank.
Those bevels could have so easily have looked naff, but the symmetry and the uniformity of the profile is testament to the work that would have gone in to getting them right.
Flip side, some very nice grain popping work highlights a tasty 2 piece body, the painstaking work to get the Maple neck to match has to be applauded.
The careful ergo rounding of the back contours adds more red to a unit that is most definitely not your average Tele.
Only detracting point is i would have liked to have seen a logo 1/2 point off for that.
Where do you start with this one? Beautiful finish, fantastic work on the bevel mod. Really brings the TL shape into the realm of 'modern' looking guitars. Almost superstratish in style. Fantastic attention to detail and assembly. It's hard to find any faults. Does look like the nut needs to be glued in place in one of the head stock shots- its hanging out the low e side slightly. The only real negative I have is that lack of logo on the heads stock. Apart from that this definitely looks like it belongs in a shop and would be snapped up pretty quickly.
The back of this tele is drop dead gorgeous. 20 coasts have done it well mate. The front comes into its own category though. I bet that Ghost pearl looks fantastic in the light. Sorry to say but unfortunately the front look a little plain compared to the back.
I love the look of this. The contrast between the almost liquid gloss walnut back, sides and neck with the bevelled white top and headstock face. Stunning. The more natural look of the maple fretboard plus the black hardware just finishes it perfectly. My kind of modern Tele.

Old Tooth Hopkins’ TL-TH1
Nice use of the kit and nicely finished. You’ve done well!
Real good burst finish. There are a few finish issues around the edge unfortunately.
This has got old world Tele writ large on it.
I like the burst and the grain popping out through the honey in the middle.
The use of Pup rings to showcase the grain was a great idea.
For a first up build, throwing a bigsby on was gutsy but i think it suits the whole build. really like that laser etched logo on the HS. I wonder if its possible to get that done and then epoxy or resin fill it for different colour effects.
Seems as though there might be some slight orange peel/undulation in the finish?
From totally modernised to very traditional. Classic style done just right. Burst looks good and finishing appears to be a pretty high standard. Assembly is also very good and I'm enjoying the laser cut headstock logo. Another guitar that is hard to find fault with. If anything perhaps a few more coats of clear on the body and a good cut back to get rid of some of the orange peel would elevate this from very good hobby build to something closer to a commercial level guitar.
Great job on the tele burst. Great headstock name too. Love the bird. Its still slightly rough in the photos, A little bit more care on the finish would bring it out man. Them buckers are going to sing!
Fantastic vintage looking finish, it really suits the Thinline style with the bare no-pickguard look and Bigsby. Nice touch with the laser engraved headstock, detailed but subtle, and works well with the overall look. A really appealing build, well done.

Brendan
07-01-2019, 09:02 PM
The runner up is Toto with their RCA-4 - congratulations!

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29332&d=1544304990

Brendan
07-01-2019, 09:05 PM
And the winner - Congratulations goes to Yo_Wattup for his TLA-1! Stunner!
https://i.imgur.com/1thFCLV.jpg

Fretworn
08-01-2019, 03:39 AM
Congratulations guys!

FrankenWashie
08-01-2019, 04:46 AM
Well done everyone, some really wonderful work going in to these. Congrats to Yo_wattup and Toto, another tough field this month.

dave.king1
08-01-2019, 04:53 AM
Once again some startlingly good builds, congrats to all

Sonic Mountain
08-01-2019, 06:24 AM
Congrats to all entrants. Yo's effort really knocked it out of the park this month. Toto's build is a worthy runner up as well.

JohnH
08-01-2019, 06:29 AM
Well done everyone! Both builds are amazing, but Yo's is particularly great - really well deserved

wazkelly
08-01-2019, 08:46 AM
Congrats all entrants, winner & runner up.
Was too busy to cast my votes this month but reckon fellow judges got it right.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

Yo_Wattup
08-01-2019, 10:19 AM
Woohooo! Thanks for the win, guys. I really appreciate it. Does this mean i get to take part in judging next months?

Re the nut: I was a little hasty with the photoshoot, as soon as I got the strings on the camera came out. I hadn't setup the guitar up yet and thus was yet to lower and glue the nut on :D

Re a logo: I designed one in Photoshop but the cheapest quote I got to make a sticker was $80? In not spending that on a $180 guitar :D. I'd love to see a how to on cheap headstock logos.

Thanks again

FrankenWashie
08-01-2019, 10:42 AM
Re a logo: I designed one in Photoshop but the cheapest quote I got to make a sticker was $80? In not spending that on a $180 guitar :D. I'd love to see a how to on cheap headstock logos.

Thanks again

You can do simple waterslide decals on a home laser or inkjet printer, thats what a lot of guys do. Others get them done in cut vinyl (helps if you know a sign writer or similar). Congratulations again on a stunning result!

Brendan
08-01-2019, 10:51 AM
Woohooo! Thanks for the win, guys. I really appreciate it. Does this mean i get to take part in judging next months?

Thanks again

Yep - certainly - I'll send you a message when we are judging next month!

Andy40
08-01-2019, 12:13 PM
Well done, it was a tough month again.

Richy17
08-01-2019, 01:45 PM
Congrats to everyone that entered. All the guitars look great.

Yo_wattup - I might be able to cut your logo in vinyl for you. My colours are a bit limited at the moment though. Send me a PM with a pic if you like.

Sonic Mountain
08-01-2019, 04:36 PM
You can do simple waterslide decals on a home laser or inkjet printer, thats what a lot of guys do. Others get them done in cut vinyl (helps if you know a sign writer or similar). Congratulations again on a stunning result!

Waterslides are really easy and give great results...

Have a look here at some of mine:

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=9039

I just print on stuff from these guys

https://drdecalmrhyde.com.au/

But there are loads of options around. Cut vinyl is pretty easy to get done, but you need vector files, so Photoshop/Bitmap ones don't work for that process..

DarkMark
08-01-2019, 07:25 PM
Another month of great guitars. Well done all, especially winner and runner up, I agree with the results.

Hardcoretroubadour
09-01-2019, 07:48 AM
Eell deserved Yo and Toto,very nice builds. Thanks for the feedback judges, onward and upward for nextbuild

blinddrew
10-01-2019, 12:05 AM
Awesome set of builds again. Take a bow everyone and an encore for the winners. :)

toto
10-01-2019, 12:22 AM
Awesome set of builds again. Take a bow everyone and an encore for the winners. :)

Hello Guys !

Thank you very much for evaluating of my build and making it a winner :)

All guitars present last month are so well made, so I still can not believe that my bass is winning !

I thank also Pitbull Guitars for providing me with a wonderful kit giving me a space to test and reach a nice finish
and to adjust the design for the new hardware !


Wish all of you a nice and successful year and hope we will meet soon again in a Guitar Of The Month ( GOTM )competition !

Best regards,
Totko
TOKO Instrument :):):)

toto
10-01-2019, 12:30 AM
PS: Regarding the build diary:

I have more tha 150 pics at different stages of the RCA building but I am not sure I could compress them well and post here.
Anyway for those (..about to rock.. :) ) who are interested in the build process - please just send me your e-mail addresses and I will try to send you as much as possible pictures or comments upon any of your questions. Hope they will be in help of you :)

Swanny
10-01-2019, 12:40 AM
PS: Regarding the build diary:

I have more tha 150 pics at different stages of the RCA building but I am not sure I could compress them well and post here.
Anyway for those (..about to rock.. :) ) who are interested in the build process - please just send me your e-mail addresses and I will try to send you as much as possible pictures or comments upon any of your questions. Hope they will be in help of you :)

You can store the photos you have on a free photo hosting site, such as Flickr, Imgur, Postimg etc, and just post the links to the photos in a Build Diary post. There's a guide on how to do this here -> http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8108

toto
10-01-2019, 01:54 AM
You can store the photos you have on a free photo hosting site, such as Flickr, Imgur, Postimg etc, and just post the links to the photos in a Build Diary post. There's a guide on how to do this here -> http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8108


Hi Swanny,

Thank you for suggestion and support. Honestly said I am not very familiar with postings, hosting sites etc.
I am living in 20-th century :) I will look at the guide you've sent and hope I will manage :)

toto
10-01-2019, 07:34 PM
Hi Swanny,

Thank you for suggestion and support. Honestly said I am not very familiar with postings, hosting sites etc.
I am living in 20-th century :) I will look at the guide you've sent and hope I will manage :)


Sorry my English is a bit poor. I have make a mistake - I'd like to say not winner but nominated :)
I apologize for this inconvenience !