With a touch of understated class, this looks like a Guitar that I would want.
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With a touch of understated class, this looks like a Guitar that I would want.
This is how she should look! Really wonderfull :)
Slightly ordinary I agree, but they do fit the ret of the guitar a lot better.
Can you artificially age the plastic?
I rather liked the Cheesy Dice but the squareness was a bit much with all the other curves on this. Maybe go dungeons and dragons and use a couple of 20 sided dice?
I can't believe its finished Weirdy almost 2.5 years in the making !!
any chance of a sound demo ? looks the business with the Bigsby
You could always put a few coats of TO on the dice to make them looked as aged as the binding.
Have only just caught up on this thread and saw your were struck with the DT curse too and kudos for a top save and recovery effort to bring it home looking so good.
Yeah, considered that Waz but I think I'll stick with the chrome for now. Currently working on something to finish it all off, ao may see after that.
I originally planned not to have a pickguard on this build, but with the switch to Tru-Oil I'm re-thinking that decision. TO is fairly soft finish and I'm worried that it won't take long for a bit a strumming to wear through and expose the orange Dingotone, which would be a major problem. So, I'm thinking a clear pickguard could be the solution.
With the tweaks and mods I've made to the kit the stock pickguard is a little outside tolerance to be used as a template.
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So, the first step was to make up a paper pattern which I could use to create a template.
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Once I was happy with the paper pattern I superglued it onto some 4mm ply.
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This should be a one-off template, or at least specific to this build, so I'm only using the thin ply. The 4mm ply is easier to cut and shape (or fix if I stuff it up) and it's all I need for a one use template like this. The downside is it can chip when shaping, particularly on sharp corners.
Rough cutting to shape with a coping saw.
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To shape the template I'm starting by routing the straight edges (using a humbucker template) and then the control plate cut out using the stock pickguard. Double-sided tape is your friend.
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To shape the curves I used a sanding drum in my drill press. Slow passes taking a little off each time allows you to smoothly creep up to the line/edge for a nice continuous curve. Taking too much off at once or sanding small sections at a time can cause undulations and ripples rather than a smooth curve.
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Once the template was shaped and sanded I toughened up the ply's edges by coating them with thin superglue and left it to dry overnight.
Rough cutting 2mm clear acrylic to shape (coping saw again). I need the template to be on the back of the pickguard plastic to enable one of the later steps, so I do that from the start. The risk is that if you're not careful you can scratch your nice new soon to be pickguard face before you've even cut it to shape and taken the wrapping off.
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Carefully routing to shape, lots of light passes working my way up to the template's edge. Pickguard is face down with the template on the back.
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Drilling and counter-sinking holes for pickguard screws (template is still on the back).
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To bevel the edge I'm using my Dremel routing table and a piloted chamfer bit. The pickguard needs to be face down with the template on the back for this to work, as the pilot bit needs the wooden template edge to run along (it will melt plastic). It's difficult to detach and re-attach a template and get it to line up perfectly, which is why I've been doing all the shaping with the template on the back from the start. The blue masking tape is to remind me which sections not to bevel.
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Edge bevelled, again light passes. If you're doing something like this it's wise to test the bevel on some scraps of the same material to ensure the edge is the way you want it. In this case I tested on a scrap of ply with a scrap of the acrylic stuck to it, did three adjustments before I was satisfied with the bevel and moved on to the actual pickguard.
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I then sanded the bevelled edge up through the grits from 400 to 1500+ and finished with steel wool so it was nice and smooth and almost crystal clear.
good stuff Weirdy you have to take DOTY award dairy of the year the detail you go to !
One custom clear pickguard.
Attachment 18029
Now, before I commit and drill the holes… a question for the forum. Do I go with the clear pickguard to protect the finish, or does it detract too much for the protection it adds? The acrylic is quite stiff so I can get away with only 5 screws. Its surface is hard but scratches/scuffs pretty easily so it won't take long for it to have wear marks and start to look a little cloudy/opaque in places. So, over to you guys, what do you think*…
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(*any decisions made by the forum may be ignored anyway ;) )
nice one Weirdy, it gets my vote the clear pickguard !
I like the clear scratchplate. You've still got the template, so why not make another clear pickguard now, in case the first one does scratch over time? And if it does scratch very easily, you've always got the option of painting the back of it so that the scratches don't show so much. If it is scratching, then it's doing its job and protecting the finish, so you could treat it as a disposable/replaceable item.
I think it looks better without the guard. The edges draw my eye away from the lovely finish.
Oh that's a tough one. I prefer without the pick guard but having a clear one will protect the guitar so the choice is a clear pick guard from me.
If you must have a Pickguard, then this is a pretty good option, Personally I prefer no Pickguard but that's not possible with the Guitars I am using at the moment, and I don't use a pick, so it's less of an issue for me. If it was my Guitar, I'd say No Pickguard and refurbish as required. The worn look is quite popular anyway... nothing wrong with a few Battle Scars.....
A tough Clear Coat on top would help too.....
Either way, That is a Great looking Instrument with or without a Pickguard.
as an aside, if you do scratch and don't feel like refurbishing it, it you can put a nice pearloid guard on it later.....
Thanks for the feedback guys.
Now if you made a baize green scratchplate, you could add your dice knobs back.
Hi Scott, looks good either way but for me I'd go naked and take the risk with the actual top coat. Besides, you can always periodically use some of that Meguiar's Scratch-X stuff to bring back the full shine.
Instead of Dice, how about Casino Chips.....