Gav's MKA-2

Hey Ho Let's Go!!

It's on again. My MKA-2 arrived today and she's a beaut. The ash body is quite dark, with a subtle grain running top to bottom. The neck is nice with quite a bit of grain to be seen here as well.

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I bought a tremelo and roller bridge the other day for another build, but would really like to use them here. Trouble is, the post holes for the stop tailpiece aren't quite covered by the tremolo. I can easily fill them with dowel, but the fix is going to show. I wanted to stain this bad boy (tobacco burst) so now I'm in a quandary.

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Is there anything I can do? Maybe I need another tremolo (eg. bigsby with adapter)? Any suggestions greatly received.

cheers,
Gav.

if you cut an ash plug an aligned the grain it might blend in pretty well... You could take a piece from down the bottom between the pups that will be covered by the scratch plate: just shorten the rectangular bit that separates the pups then cut it from that.

I presume the trem is not where you want it if you simply slide it all forward a bit more...

hey Gav, nice looking kit you scored mate. Is that headstock the maple grain ? looks very nice.
Maybe with the tailpiece post holes I'd fill them with dowel then could you cut a small black acrylic surround to cover the holes. Would be a unique look but would look better than a veneer covering the holes.
Doesn't have to be big, maybe similar shape to a tele coverplate, and drill holes through if necessary to mount the roller bridge. Just needs to cover the dowel

@stan - yeah the tremelo can't come much furher forward as it'll be too close to the bridge. Unfrtunately the tremelo isn't wide enough to cover the holes completely anyway.

@wokka - yes i think it's all maple. i've never seen one with so much grain. i had also thought about something like your coverplate idea as well. extend the black as a cover plate to sit under the trem. i'll think a little bit more about it.

thanks for the quick feedback fellas!!

cheers,
Gav.

that may also work what Stan suggested Gav, if you can try match the grain as best you can. Or as Stan suggested can the roller bridge move a bit more forward to cover the post holes ?

dowel it, put a black stripe (or any solid colour) through the centre, stain the rest

yeah a one piece pickguard that covers the post holes would be cool Gav, bit of work, maybe Pablo can cut one ?

there are really only a couple of options:
Hide it
make a feature of it

or,use the original hardware...

see if a big fat Bigsby will cover it...

shape up a thin steel base plate

hey Stan on another topic, you are only 93 posts off 2nd ever overlord of music forumite !
join the elite club soon mate !

wow, better post some mindless drivvel in Gav's thread then

go for it Stan, what do you think the Barge and Woks show consists of hahaha

Gav, another build on the go. Like your work!

Thanks @andrew - this makes 3! I have had 5 on the go before but I don't want to go there again. It's just too much juggling. Trouble is, the next order hits the doorstep and it just begs to be started!

cheers,
Gav.

tell me about it Gav, think I had about 10 builds on the go when I was beta testing dingotone. The cobwebs in some of the control/pup cavities prove they have been hanging far too long !

I'd get shown the door if I had any more guitar stuff happening, and I am way behind most of you...

Hi Gavin check out the Bigsby B7. Looks like you don't need to change the holes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWyGMfb243Q

Sorry I think the vibramate v7 is the one that requires no modifications.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stan

I'd get shown the door if I had any more guitar stuff happening, and I am way behind most of you...

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Too funny. I now get comments such as 'your building another guitar?'. For the time-being I can put this down to learning another skill in luthiery...

@simon - thanks for the heads up on the b7/v7. I would probably go b5/v5 since the back edge of the guitar isn't perpendicular to the centreline. Unfortunately they are around $200 a set which is currently a little rich for my blood. Might have to save for it...

cheers,
Gav.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by andrewdosborne

Too funny. I now get comments such as 'your building another guitar?'. For the time-being I can put this down to learning another skill in luthiery...

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haha, yeah, the skill of getting another guitar and staying married...

if someone cracks the secret, please let me know!

cheers,
Gav.

usually telling the missus she can buy a pair of new shoes for every kit we buy is a fair trade off Gav !

wont get away with it that easy Wokka

haha @ Stan, how about a new pair of shoes, dinner, flowers and chocolate ? Then you got to weigh up the additional cost of the kit !

Just over 80 post till Overlord status Stan !

getting warmer now wokka...
yes, Gav's threads are great for bumping up the post count ;), not sure I'm an Overlord of anything though... typing maybe, haha

The expensive option would be a Stetsbar. They are designed to be mounted using the tailpiece holes.

http://www.tolvanenguitars.com/stetsbars.html

now those look nice Fretty

Yes @fretty very nice indeed! Now you've really given me some food for thought...

cheers,
Gav.

I know the body is rounded, but have you thought of a veneer through the guts of the guitar.

Oh and Stan - I'd better start deleting some of your old threads and keep you under the "Overlord of Music" title - don't want Wokks to be ursurped ;) !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brendan

I know the body is rounded, but have you thought of a veneer through the guts of the guitar.

Oh and Stan - I'd better start deleting some of your old threads and keep you under the "Overlord of Music" title - don't want Wokks to be ursurped ;) !

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haha, I might make it to Overlord, but I'll never catch Wokka!

@Brendan - the veneer is a great idea. i might look into that!
@Stan - i better make a couple more posts so I can creep closer to overlord myself :P .

cheers,
Gav.

you're not far off Gav!

And pretty soon you will have built one of each kit - Overlord of Construction!

haha go for it Stan and Gav, more Overlords the better. My next goal is 5000 posts and hope to get a new tag for that !

hi guys,

The kit building has slowed down of late as I'm in training for my next karate grading. The upshot is that there has been little to no progress on my two builds. However, yesterday I received a custom scratchplate from Pabs for my ash mosrite, so I just had to spend an hour looking it over a re-routing the control cavity to fit. You see, the plan is to swap out the stock pickups for some P90s - to be specific a pair of Entwistle X90s, and Pabs has created the perfect scratchplate for it! It fits perfectly, looks awesome and the P90s seem to be positioned perfectly with respect to the neck and bridge. I havent done a mock build with them installed as yet, but by eye it looks perfect to me.

I'm planning a poor-mans tobacco burst, with walnut timbermate to pop the ash grain and finished off with the white scratchplate. I hope it's going to look as good as it does in my head ;).

cheers,
Gav.

looks awesome Gav, good to have you back !
nice job on the pickguard Pabs as always.
What colour is it Gav, Black or white ? looks white from a small tear off of the adhesive paper

Yep white Wokks. Thought it would look best with the tobacco burst. kinda like this..

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cheers,
Gav.

yeah looks good Gav, a black pickguard may have looked too dark

Looks like another awesome build in the making Gav!


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nice plans Gav, it will look great