Wazkelly's EX-1

When I ordered the EX-5 a few months ago I thought it would be great to have a matching EX-1 too and the kit arrived yesterday with some pics below. Xmas has come 6 weeks early at my house. :cool:
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On this one I spent a bit more time and money contemplating what I wanted and ended up modding it with Tonerider Alnico 4's, Burns 500k push pull pots, 0.47 orange tone cap, volume resistor/cap, DB Neck & Bone nut job. After experimenting with Dingo Tone Outback Sunset & Coolangatta Gold brew on the EX-5 will keep this one simple and do just Coolangatta Gold. Happy with the grain on all sides of the body as well as on the neck and fretboard. Thought the headstock would be more pointy like on the EX-5 however this one is a bit more stumpy but still looks ok. This now gives me something else to work on whilst waiting for DT coats to cure on the Bass and before I start the hardware and wire part of the set up.

Looks like I have had an avatar hijack?
Don't mind the Ned Kelly one, looks good, feels like a merit award for exceeding 100 posts milestone.
Here are some more photos of the kit.
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Above shot of the tuners show 2nd one (A string) sitting a mm or so high but otherwise all good. Kit also arrived with Slinkys so really happy with that too.
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At first I thought someone had stuffed up with the bridge post holes until I checked that on my Les Paul to find out it was the same. Phew, started to panic thinking filling with dowel and re-drilling would be required.

Hey Waz, looks like a great kit. The black hardware is really great and those Toneriders are gonna rock! The position of the tune-o-matic bridge posts are always offset for string compensation.

cheers,
Gav.

Thanks Gav, procrastinated over which Toneriders to pick and the sound clips on their website were extremely helpful. Hope to wire up series & parallel on one push pull pot and coil split on the other.

Finally got around to sanding the body today.
Started with 120, moved on to 180 then 240 and had to call it a day as it was getting dark.
Just a small tip with using the lower grits - whilst good at removing factory machine marks this grade can also leave it's own sanding marks, particularly on the side edges where there is plenty of end grain and had to sand across the edge at 90 degrees to the body before I could the start sanding in the direction of the edge. With plenty of different edges and angles on EX shape this can be quite a challenge. Neck was quite smooth out of the box and will start at 240 on it in a couple of days. Some of pics below show the progress.
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Originally Posted by wazkelly

Thanks Gav, procrastinated over which Toneriders to pick and the sound clips on their website were extremely helpful. Hope to wire up series & parallel on one push pull pot and coil split on the other.

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Me too Waz! Isn't it funny, I actually went for the Tonerider Alnico II for my current LP-1SS over Seymore Duncans (mainly price) but I was torn between the IV's and the II's. It's much of a muchness but my preference lay with the II's. Would love to hear the IV's sometime when you finish the build.:cool:

Cheers Andy. At current rate of progress hope to get around to doing a soundclip by Feb next year, if not sooner.

Finished sanding down to 320 late yesterday and took a few photos after damping down. Apologies for crap quality as poor light and only using iPhone 4.
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Another light sand to take off raised grain after damping down. Taped off the neck and heel joint and then went looking for the DT in Coolangatta Gold that arrived 3 months ago. Last batch I bought was clear with a dark yellow to almost orange appearance and this batch looked clear sitting in the box but when given a shake looked the colour of peanut satay sauce??? Same for Intensifier too??? Not sure if batch has gone off as it has never been opened? Anyhow, below are a couple of shots again in poor light using the dreaded iPhone. Photos make it look darker than in person and to the naked eye it almost looks like the colourless swatch under DT on the webpage. I will post separately under DT for DB to have a look at and comment. Not unhappy with progress so far as there is plenty of grain to show off however neck looks like it will need more as it came out quite pale compared to the body.
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This is the DT referred to above where a bottle of small amount left from the EX-5 colour experiment appears in the later shots.
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Here are some better shots with soft natural light as it is overcast here today.
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After 4 or maybe 5 stain coats to the body and either 5 or 6 to the neck plus one intensifier coat this morning things are looking good.
Last shot has an empty can of Qld's finest drop, which just happens to be my favourite and serves a colour reference.
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Loving the colour waz looks a bit like a Korina body. Dubious on the Qld's finest though.

Cheers Tony. So which brew do you reckon is Qld's finest? Being from NQ suppose you prefer Great Northern which I also rate highly as a mighty fine drop too.

Definitely the great northern. Just could never get into golds. The xxxx was definitely better than a powers though.

great state Queensland but the beer there is bloody awful. XXXX and Great Northern have less flavour than a warm water cooler ! hahha

Took some outdoor shots earlier today and it also contains an import that requires either lemon or lime to make it taste right!!!
Hey Woks, happy for you to pour me what you think is a better drop, ha ha.
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Love the color and agree very Korina -ish.

Looking great Waz. Love the colour!

cheers,
Gav.

Looks good, Waz! Through in some red highlights and it can be a Four-Ex-1

Looking good, Wazza.

However, you are sentenced to six month in the NW to undergo beer re education....
Honestly, XXXX and Corona???

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Originally Posted by dingobass

Looking good, Wazza.

However, you are sentenced to six month in the NW to undergo beer re education....
Honestly, XXXX and Corona???

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Happy for you freight me across some of the local WA Craft Beers.

Bwaha see you in the naughty warehouse Waz.
I'll serve you some quality craft beers. We will re educate you mate

Colour is looking good Waz

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Originally Posted by Swanny

Looks good, Waz! Through in some red highlights and it can be a Four-Ex-1

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Hold that thought Swanny as you have just given me some inspiration for the headstock. This guitar will now be known as the XXXXplorer. Rough mock-up below and as I have mainly been drinking cans lately didn't have any labels and had to cut out part of the carton instead.Attachment 7386

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

Bwaha see you in the naughty warehouse Waz.
I'll serve you some quality craft beers. We will re educate you mate

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Can't wait Woks as judging by some of labels used on the Dorkers Axe looks like it would be a great re-education session.

You lot should come for a visit.....Beer City, U.S.A. is ready to tempt your palates.

Hey Waz,

I've just started on the EXA-1 kit, though I am trying to rework the neck heel to create a smooth transition between neck and body. Nothing spectacular with the electrics, just a standard EMG ZW set, on a 3 position toggle.
If I may ask, what bridge and tailpieces are you using? I ran with a standard Gotoh set (Black) and I've found that they are not quite a neat fit to the drilled holes. Did you have a similar experience?

Cheers,

Hi Franken, just running with the standard black bridge & tail piece that came with the kit and from mock build stage it all seemed to fit OK. Only other stock hardware I am using are the knurled control knobs, output socket plate and rear control cavity cover.

My first attempt at a set neck and can see why you want a smooth transition from heel to body however as it is on the back it will not be seen and probably way too hard to make it look good unless you run with a painted solid colour finish. For PUP's I chose Tonerider Alnico IV with 4 wire as I plan to wire split coil and series/parallel to see what sounds can be created.

Have read on some other forum threads where guys have had to fill and re-drill holes for bridges and was a bit worried at first and hope for your sake that is not required. Did you keep the stock parts as if they fit maybe it would be better to run with that instead?

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Originally Posted by GeneralKaos

You lot should come for a visit.....Beer City, U.S.A. is ready to tempt your palates.

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Hi General, how deep is the snow over there at this time of year? Probably don't need to refrigerate your beer as ambient temperature is probably cold enough. Thanks for the invitation, just need to scrape together the bucks for an airfare.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wazkelly

Hi Franken, just running with the standard black bridge & tail piece that came with the kit and from mock build stage it all seemed to fit OK. Only other stock hardware I am using are the knurled control knobs, output socket plate and rear control cavity cover.

My first attempt at a set neck and can see why you want a smooth transition from heel to body however as it is on the back it will not be seen and probably way too hard to make it look good unless you run with a painted solid colour finish. For PUP's I chose Tonerider Alnico IV with 4 wire as I plan to wire split coil and series/parallel to see what sounds can be created.

Have read on some other forum threads where guys have had to fill and re-drill holes for bridges and was a bit worried at first and hope for your sake that is not required. Did you keep the stock parts as if they fit maybe it would be better to run with that instead?

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I went with a body only kit, as it was my intention to make use of some parts I had and to source EMG's for the pickups. Based on what I've measured and what is "Standard" for the Tune O Matics, its going to be a fill and re-drill job. Thats not a big issue as the purpose of the build is woodworking and finishing anyhow.

It may just be that the standard as supplied hardware is a differing tolerance on fit than the Gotoh parts I have, but you live and learn eh? There really is only about 0.1/0.2mm in it but its enough to make a significant difference in the fit.

As far as the building up of the neck heel and the blend to the body, its just an aesthetics thing for mine. Something about the step-down jars my OCD horribly.

Not too much in the way of snow so far this year. It has been getting colder though..

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

As far as the building up of the neck heel and the blend to the body, its just an aesthetics thing for mine. Something about the step-down jars my OCD horribly.

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Yeah, I am a bit OCD too but sometimes there will be compromises to consider. For me, if it is out of sight from the public on the back I wouldn't stress too much.

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Originally Posted by GeneralKaos

Not too much in the way of snow so far this year. It has been getting colder though..

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Global warming perhaps?

http://www.liquorhomedelivery.com.au...images/385.jpg

get it up ya

I think I have seen elsewhere Woks refer to that stuff as Bush Chook plus other disparaging remarks. Judging by the carton you would expect it to be cheap however a quick look on Dan Murphy's found it is dearer than XXXX Gold and looks very much like WA's version of the same thing?

yeah it basically is haha. all hail the 30 can block

Yeah, except on New Years Eve when I went To Dan Murphy's and found my 30 can favourites dearer than 24 stubbies of Corona and bought them instead. Most of the time the cans work out half the price of a craft brew stubbie. Mind you I have been known to buy some Squires in Tap King and that was good fun pouring my own frothies for a short while as you only get about 15 - 20 drinks out of a bottle.

Ben you don't give up on bush chook or wife beater !!

when you guys make it to the naughty warehouse I will edu-mc-cate you all on craft beer is best !