April 2016 Guitar of the Month

[Maddogm]

Hey Adam, does WA have a different calendar? 31st is Thursday in NSW 😜

well W.A. are a bit behind :P

Also whoever wins should be really proud as there are some absolute beauties this month

[dave.lee2003]

Here is my build. It has been great fun.
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Some info.
TL-1R
No upgrades - except for addition of some Ernie Ball straplocks. Otherwise out of box as received fom Pitbull.
BODY = 1Coat Dingotone Nullabor Ochre, 1 coat intensifier, 4 topcoats. Then Dingowax.
NECK - Started with the colourless Dingotone neck finish but topcoats were very patchy, so sanded back until even and applied an acrylic finish - result has lovely smooth satin feel.
Decal is anagram. Decal was ordered from Rothko and Frost.
Fretboard finished with lemon oil.

Im a bass player but I do love a nice Telecaster. And that is a nice telecaster.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[ShazzRandom]

well W.A. are a bit behind :P

Also whoever wins should be really proud as there are some absolute beauties this month

Ba dum tsh! Haha
Def some great entries this month!

[DJP]

Thanks. I am absolutely stoked. I had a mate who is a much better player than me give it a whirl yesterday - it sounded fantastic and I recorded it on my phone. I had planned to make up a build diary video and use the recording as backing, but just ran out of time due to work pressures ! Will try and do sometime next month. Feel inspired to try an LP build now !

[Brendan]

"The Biz"

Davey - try "fully sick" - another one is that it deserves to go "straight to the pool room" (The Castle reference). Both generally work in Aus - though - I'd say it's much like the US where slang varies from State to State - e.g., Speedo swimwear varies from CJ's to speedo's to budgie smugglers - depending on State - and don't get me started on backpacks / ports / etc.

[ShazzRandom]

Good luck to all the entrants!

[Fuzzbeard]

How do you even begin to pick a winner they are all great looking guitars. Extra points to the "Dickiewacker" for making me giggle like a kid.

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[adam]

Ok, looks like all entries in and May GOTM is now open for new entries.

Thanks to all 12 entrants, we'll give the Judges the hard task of sorting out a winner from this sensational range of guitars and basses and announce a Winner by the middle of next week.

EDIT: I can't count and forgot GeorgeK2200's TLA-1 which was in a separate thread. So, there's 12 this month, not 10. Lucky Judges.

[adam]

Thanks to the 12 builders for submitting their amazing guitars, and our Judges for taking them on.

Not even going to say how it gets harder every month... it's getting ridiculous. A couple of the judges have had to resort to tenths of a point to try and separate them.

Here's the Judges comments in submission order:


1. Hey Ho Let’s Go! Gavin’s MKA-2 is a stunning example of what can be done with a
Pit Bull Guitars kit. His upgrades, particularly the P90’s are spot on and the colortone
burst he has achieved is awesome. I really can’t fault this entry.

Another classic! Great work on this one Gavin.

Really well finished guitar and love the elbow and tummy cut mods. A build to be proud of, well done Gav

Classic build and flawlessly executed. Classy stuff Gav. Love the subtle burst.


2. MichaelLouie's first effort demands attention for its simple beauty. The gold
hardware, the pearl pickguard and the natural finish blend together well.
The headstock looks well cut but without a headstock yet.

Elegant and classy - nicely finished and a great all round STA!

love a natural ash body, looks well finished. Took off small points for no headstock logo and bulk of the images were too small to zoom in to see the detail

Classic strat shape, colour and style. Nice to see the wood being highlighted in a natural style.


3. Mulldoe's IB-1 is one I noticed in the “Build Diary” and I was looking forward to see it finished. It doesn’t disappoint, although the Green colour is not really me I can still appreciate the time and effort put into making the flame maple look this magnificent. The headstock reminds me of the colour and shine of New Zealand’s Paua Shell…which is good.

Great finish on this - love how the green has really made this IB sing!

Got to love a green guitar, You popped that flame maple nicely and the green goes well with the amazing fingerboard inlay - well done

There aren’t enough green guitars on the forum. Loved the style of this build from when I first saw it. Great work on the gloss finish.


4. Dekka28’s ESB-4SC is pretty much standard except for a upgrade to the electrics and that super cool truss rod cover. He (?) has used Keda dyes and Tru oil to finish it. These are my two favorites things to use. The binding looks relatively untouched by the black dye which I found to be a hard thing to do.

Classy and elegant - black is never out of fashion - love the truss rod cover to bring it all together.

Black really suits this model nicely and love the truss rod cover. Might be the angle of the photos but some of the staining near the edges doesn't look as consistent as other parts, but maybe it had glue on the top. Overall good effort.

This build looks like a real rockabilly. The figure in the wood looks awesome under the black stain. Not sure if it is just the photo but it looks like the binding might’ve been a bit chewed when scraping. Otherwise a very nice build.


5. What can I say about DaveyCustom’s “Kilmister One” – This would have to be a sentimental favorite as Lemmy has played a important role in my musical inspiration over the years. This bass absolutely drips rawness and this is down to Davey wanting to keep the finish non-sheen and organic. I would love to hear this play…how about “Victory or Die”

Great tribute axe - nicely done with lots of great touches all the way through.

Love this tribute bass and the carving and mods you have done look really cool. A stunning build indeed

This build was a classic from the start. You’ve really put an eye to detail here – I’m sure Lemmy is proud.


6. Bluesmartyboy should be really proud of his first build. A very clean looking guitar. All the upgrades have been considered well. With the natural finish and the cool upgrades I would buy this in a minute if I saw. No headstock logo L.

Lovely natural colours - really gives this a nice organic look.

Another nice natural ash body, like the black pickguard really suits. The headstock shape looks in between a strat and tele. Upgrades look good, String through ferules a bit out of line but overall a good build for a first build

Letting the ash speak was a nice way to finish this axe. Looks very classy. Black strap pins are nice with the black guard.


7. VH2580 has submitted another very clean natural guitar. His use of the Dingo
Karijini Red is superb. All his upgrades especially that inlaid Tremolo cover, the
colour and let not forget that excellent headstock all make for a great guitar.

Nice and classy! Mix of beast and classic… Great work

Really nice looking strat with really tasty upgrades. Standard high level entry from Tony looks really classy.

The pro kit finished! Looks amazing. You’ve gone the extra mile with the custom touches like the headstock shape and veneer. Looks ready to shred.


8. WOW, The Dickywacker, Dikkybee007's entry is my clear winner and not just for the name. The detailed work, the upgrades and the stunning finish has inspired me to perhaps tackle something similar.

Hot, red and smoking! Nice job on getting a consistent red finish across a range of woods. Excellent all round effort.

Really love the shade of red on this build, it looks good enough to have a real Rickenbacker logo on it, well done

The RC-1 is always a classic in red and this is no exception. A nice flat finish and tidy execution.


9. dave.lee2003’s RCA-4 doesn’t say anything about how it was done but it looks sweet and if I was a bass player and saw it hanging up in a shop I would definitely give it a second look.

Great looking RCA. Quality of these is really high, and this is right up there.

More of a traditional looking Ricky bass, you lost small points for not cleaning the chrome hardware for the photo shoot !

Looks like April is the month for natural finishes. The light reliccing is a nice touch.


10. DJP’s build is another great looking axe. The use of Dingotone Nullabor Ochre and the 4 layers of topcoat combine to make one great looking guitar. The headstock looks well cut.

Great grain and beautifully applied natural colours make this a stunning guitar - great work.

Another tasty ash tele looks nicely finished and love the headstock logo

Another natural finish executed very well. Lovely colour.


11. ShazzRandom”s GF-1SF is something different from this month entries. The GF-1SF is actually a kit I would like to try myself but maybe with more experience. In saying that this is ShazzRandom’s first build and it is faultless. The Dingotone Uluru Red and the kangaroo (bone) nut make this a uniquely Australian guitar; well almost expect for the Japanese headstock logo!

Stunning GR-1SF. Just stunning. Love it from the burst through to the attention to detail.

Been following this build, good effort Shazz for first build. The burst transition needed a bit more work but overall a very cool looking axe. I'm not a fan of the PBG truss rod covers you might look at upgrading to a sexier shape

It was an epic thread and we have arrived at a very nice example of the GR-1SF kit. Love how the Dingotone came up and certainly all the hours that went into it. Nice.


12. …And finally GeorgeK220. I now that I am repeating myself here but this TLA-1 build is clean and simple and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.. George has given some thought into the design of the headstock and his use of Dingotone Natural combine to make a smooth looking first build.

Love the simplicity of this guitar - nicely chosen clean colours and a simple overall effect - great job!

It's been the month for ash tele's ! Another nicely finished build but the photo doesn't have any strings on. You need to show photos of the finished guitar!

Lovely natural finish and an awesome present for a significant birthday. Well done.

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First Runner Up.

Congratulations ShazzRandom, an epic Build Diary and an even more epic GR-1SF Build.

Runner Up

Dickeybee007, your DickyWacker got a lot of love from the judges.

And the Winner is...



DaveyCustom’s “Kilmister One”.

Great work DaveyCustom, a one-of-a-king tribute an equally original musician.

[Dedman]

Congrats Davey, I am gob-smacked at the detail you put into this and Lemmy is probably pushing those girls off his lap so he can lean in for a look for himself.
Congrats to everyone who entered, all awesome in their own right.