Tommy's Non-Reverse Firebird/Jazzmaster/??? hybrid dream guitar build

My dream guitar for the longest time has been some variation on a Non-Reverse Firebird (NRFB). However, when I was playing Gibsons, they didn't have a model available for a decent amount of money... and now that they do, I am pretty in love with Fender style offsets (especially that vibrato and single coil pickups, etc).

Therefore.. I have had this dream of getting someone to make me a NRFB, but with a bolt on neck, single coil pickups, and a Jazzmaster vibrato. However, that also looked like it could only be done by pawning one of my (actual flesh and blood) children, and I am far too fond of them to do that.

Along comes Pitbull guitar kits, and I start to think that as long as I could find someone to make an NRFB body routed for a JM vibrato... I could build this from parts myself!

Once I talked to Rosser Guitars in North Carolina, it all started coming together. Since I pulled the trigger on getting the body made, I have been sourcing the other parts from all over the place. I _think_ the last parts (a Mighty Mite Tele neck and a good aftermarket JM vibrato) will be here early next week! (until then I have some lower quality parts I can use for mocking up and measuring etc).

There is one sour note, however. The body arrived yesterday and I discovered something I didn't know before. I was under the impression that there were two types of TOM bridge: the older ABR-1 style with the small posts and the wheel for adjustment, and the newer style like you see on many guitars like the Pitbull JZ-1 kit, my Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster, etc. I thought this newer style with the larger posts and the flat-head screw adjustment was the one called a Nashville.

Nope. There are three variations, really. The Nashville is a small post and wheel type, but it sits in thimbles like the newer one instead of going directly into the body like the actual old ABR-1. Sadly, I specifically asked Rosser Guitars for a Nashville bridge route, and that's what I got. D'oh!

I had been wanting to use either a roller bridge TOM or (even better) my StayTrem AOM replacement that is currently on my Squier J. Mascis JM. I was going to decide depending on the radius of the neck I settled on... and since the Mighty Mite is 9.5", I was really hoping to use the StayTrem. It is a drop-in replacement for the newer style TOM with the larger posts and thimbles... but clearly won't fit on the NRFB body that arrived yesterday. :(

So, before I can do anything else, I need to work out just how difficult it will be to modify the body to take the bridge I *actually* want instead of the one I mistakenly thought it was :(

Pictures of everything to follow ...stay tuned.

Generally mocked up (I can't find the vibrato I took out of the JZ-1 to mock that up too):

https://i.imgur.com/0uQKxBA.jpg

Closer view of the body:

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

Close up of the post holes next to the closest to Nashville bridge posts and thimbles I have (even these are kinda loose in the holes... metric vs imperial?):

https://i.imgur.com/04X4kuq.jpg

And here with a pair of posts and thimbles the size I actually want to use:

https://i.imgur.com/LgMSdZ7.jpg

This is the bridge I really wanna use:

http://staytrem.com/WebRoot/Namesco/.../Picture_2.jpg

And this is what I might have to settle for if I can't make the holes bigger :(

https://www.realparts.com.au/media/c...1/0150-010.jpg

At the moment I am leaning towards playing it "safe" and using the Nashville roller bridge I mistakenly got for my JMJM ages ago.

Note: I seem to have a history of TOM/AOM mistakes. I should be an expert by the end of this, hah.

The fender mustang/jazzy bridges are lower than the Gibson style ones. Double check your string height before doing anything. I had to shim the neck up (about 3mm) on my Jazzmaster or I could drive a truck under the strings at the end of the fret board when I used a gibson style roller bridge (and bigsby)

Yeah, the neck pocket of this body is supposed to be angled since it was routed for the Nashville bridge. But worst case, I have some StewMac shims coming with the neck and vibrato.

Ok. Safe is for other people. I bought a set of drill bits increasing in size by 0.5mm from 6mm all the way up to the required 11mm.

Going to go slow and if I bugger it up, I can fall back to plugging the holes and redrilling.

Success!!!

Only had one minor set back... turns out my cheap drill is only a 10mm chuck! I couldn't use the 10.5mm or 11mm bits!


I was trying to figure out what to do about that when I noticed my neighbour was in his back yard. He is a builder by trade, so I asked if I could borrow his "proper" drill for 10 seconds... and TADA 🎉

https://i.imgur.com/W4gwIyR.jpg

Note, they are not hammered in yet as I still need to sand the body...

I assume I could put them in before I start to paint and mask them off, or just mask the holes so that no paint gets in there and makes the holes smaller again 😂

I follow a guy on instagram that pushes the posts in before painting. He then does a bit of a mask to keep the threads clean and any excess he missed masking comes off when he polishs the finish. You could go to office works and get some dot stickers I reckon.

Remember to put the bushes in the freezer for a couple of hours before inserting them into the wood. They go in more easily and then expand for a tighter fit.

You can buy drill bits with a reduced section (called 'reduced shank' bits in the UK) for use in smaller chucks. I bought a 1/2" one for the longer (and wider) bridge bushes I bought for my ESB-4 build. This one has an 8mm dia. part for the chuck. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

Remember to put the bushes in the freezer for a couple of hours before inserting them into the wood. They go in more easily and then expand for a tighter fit.

You can buy drill bits with a reduced section (called 'reduced shank' bits in the UK) for use in smaller chucks. I bought a 1/2" one for the longer (and wider) bridge bushes I bought for my ESB-4 build. This one has an 8mm dia. part for the chuck. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Two great tips! Thanks!!

The neck and vibrato arrive tomorrow, apparently. These are the last two pieces. Assuming the neck fits, it's 100% GO TIME!

I am very excited. Going to be a fun weekend :)

The neck and vibrato are here. That's EVERYTHING.

This afternoon will be a date with the sanding block, and I should be able to start painting tomorrow!

It's all starting to come together, finally.

Here is a new mock up with the real neck and vibrato:

https://i.imgur.com/M8ZPBqd.jpg

How much better is that neck colour? hahah. It feels really nice too, no sharp fret ends, etc.

I'm assuming that's the Might Mite neck with the lighter maple colour?

This looks like one to watch. It really says something different while echoing some iconic guitar profiles. Sold. Where can I buy one? :)

Yeah always nice to see something a bit different. I find the proportions a little odd on this one, but I'm interested to see it finished up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain

Yeah always nice to see something a bit different. I find the proportions a little odd on this one, but I'm interested to see it finished up.

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I think its the odd proportions i like the most! :) In my head a see a version with a large 70's style strat headstock though.

Yeah, I always liked the Telemaster style guitars, so went with a Tele headstock on this one. I did put the strat style one from my JZ-1 on it just to have a look and it looked great. I think it would look great with the 70s headstock.

And yeah, it’s a mighty mite from StewMac.

Today is spray day. Yay!

Happy spray day!

The blue has turned out different than I expected. I think I still like it, but it’s not as baby blue as I thought it would be. Has more grey in it, and it’s a tad darker. I tried to take a pic but the lights in my garage were misrepresenting it. I’ll take pics in the morning.

Ok. It’s the next day and I was still disappointed with the blue.

Then I had a brainstorm.

https://i.imgur.com/xyk0MUe.jpg

No, that is not a reflection. I have sprayed clouds onto the blue.

Now when I look at it I smile and get excited. So much happier.

Might call it the Skycaster or Skymaster or something. Heh.

Interesting. Might be nice to cut some cloud shapes out of paper and do a light stencilling effect to make it look a bit more intentional.

Overall colour impression is good though. And the shape is growing on me.....

me likey!
:D

Yeah, I am pretty excited now.

I realised without a multimeter, I am not sure which pickup is the bridge one and which the neck. Oops. One has black and white wires, and the other has black and red. So they are different. Maybe GFS uses a standard wire colour and I’ll be able to google it, hah.

edit: worst part is, the boxes were marked... why didn't I take note when I took em out? haha...

That’s looking awesome!! Are they GFS gold foils? I was looking at them just the other day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VonScott

That’s looking awesome!! Are they GFS gold foils? I was looking at them just the other day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Yeah, they are. I have high hopes, we’ll see.

Looking forward to hearing how they go when you get there. Are they made to fit a P90 cavity or custom sized?

P90. GFS has all kinds of variations, but these are the soapbar ones.

I like(d) that original blue!

It’s basically done!

I am not 100% sold on the pickups, we’ll see how it performs at practice tomorrow night. They are a lot brighter than the Tomerider P90s in the JZ-1... sounds closer to my VM Jaguar, but maybe even clearer?

Tomorrow night at full volume will be the decider. If it’s a 👎, then I’ll order some GFS P90s. The kwikplug harness will make it easy to try different pickups.

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

I had a 1965 Harmony guitar with there real gold foils on. Clean, but more powerful that I thought they were going to be for such small windings. Like a Strat, the neck pickup sounded best. The bridge one was very near the bridge and sounded very thin and plinky as a result.

It may be worth trying to adjust the pickups a bit. Try raising the height on the pole pieces and lowering the overall pickup height and you will get a different sound. Whether it sounds any better is up to you to decide, but it should sound that bit different.

Interesting. Yeah, pickup height is still yet to be adjusted with any real consistency.

I even need more foam in there if I want them higher. They vary from 3-5mm from the strings with the last fret fretted. I need to try some different heights. The bridge one is the furthest unsurprisingly.

Here’s another curious point... the GFS pickups didn’t come with either springs or foam. I guess they are usually used as replacement pickups so some existing hardware is expected. I had to cut up some of the foam left over from installing the Toneriders in the JZ-1.

With P90s, Gibson's have a metal base plate that the height adjustment screws screw into, with springs fitted on the screws shaft. Other P90 users normally have a foam block stuck to the base of the cavity. But it is a bit unusual not to have al least some screws and springs or foam.

But a look at the GFS website confirms that you should have some. "We ship the pickup in a GFS box with wiring instructions, foam mounting pads and mounting screws". So double check the box(es), then get on to them and moan.

Hah. Well, there were screws but no foam. The JZ-1 had screws and springs, but I was glad of the foam that came with the Toneriders. It made for much better adjustment.

Also, pickup update: Simon was right... pickup height was key.

I actually lowered them and it lost some of that intense treble also leading to less feedback when I hit the Muff. They now sound more like a best of both worlds between my Jag and the p90s in the JZ-1. I actually really like it.

I am so in love with this guitar it's ridiculous.

Practice tonight is gonna be awesome.

Sucks I have to use a crappy old bass case I have laying around with a T-Shirt rolled up at the end to get it there. It's just such an odd size!

That’s great that you got em sounding so good, and congrats on the dream guitar - enjoy playing it and making your bandmates jealous!

You should record a sound demo for us so we can hear what it sounds like, I have to admit that it's turned out to be a cool looking guitar.

Didn't you only spray this a couple of days ago? Did it get a clear coat?

Hah. It got some clear on it. Mostly to protect it a bit... but I don’t go for shiny, much less a mirror finish.

I don’t do “patience”, and I like guitars that are hacked together, reliced, etc.

Lol, fair enough. I'd be more worried about the hardware melding itself to the paint.

The only pieces that are really touching paint are the vibrato and the pickguard.

The JZ-1 has been modified and rebuilt a few times since it was an impatiencecaster, heh. It was fine.

I go by the old adage: “good enough for EVH...”