Dual Build: GSJ-1 and GSM-1

[FrankenWashie]

The past couple of days I've been spending my time on the headstocks, spraying the face black and building up enough depth of paint so I can sand back the abalone level with the paint. But I sprayed some on when it was too warm, and the paint has bubble up - trapped gases under a set skin I presume. So I'm letting that dry harder before sanding back and spraying again.

I also had a look at the bridge that came with the GSJ-1 kit. It was OK, a copy of a BadAss wrapover bridge, but not that well executed. The chromium plating in the string mounting holes was blocking some of the holes and was leaving sharp edges on others that could cut into the strings. I had a go at clearing the holes with needle file, which improved things, but they were poorly positioned for access with sandpaper, so I decided to have a look around for something similar, better, but low-cost.

I found this on Amazon, and bought one. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The same seller was also selling the kit bridge for a very similar price.

But I much prefer the new one. The post heads are that bit wider, there is double the amount of intonation adjustment travel available and the whole thing is that bit more compact. It's also lower overall, the top of the saddles only come up to where the top of the main bridge ends on the kit bridge. The kit saddles sit up a long way from the bridge itself, so that's less comfortable for palm muting. Some wrap-over bridges can be really too tall for the guitar they're fitted to, making it difficult to lower the bridge enough for a low action. This one is about as low as they come. The one kit bridge advantage is that it does had a far more rounded string path at the back of the bridge.

GSJ-1 kit bridge on the left, replacement on the right:


As I have glued the necks on the GSM-1 and GSJ-1 and also my ES-1, I needed to build my better spraying support. My mic stand experience with my EX-1 last year wasn't a good one. So I ordered the bits to make a proper upright stand I could hang guitar s safely from, and they've come over the past couple of days.

Wood (was supposed to arrive on Monday but turned up first thing today):

Far more than I needed but I had to get it online and delivered.

So I started cutting, and drilling and gluing. Another glorious hot sunny day here in the UK, far too hot for this sort of work really.

So is it surprising that when I came to attach the cross-piece to the second upright I found this?


So many pieces of wood lying around I'd picked up the wrong one. D'oh!

And it's amazing just how strong a bond Titebond can make in less than 5 minutes! Took some prizing apart.

But eventually I pieced it all together. I'd just fitted the last of two corner supports to complete the frame when Amazon man turned up with the last missing piece - the primary hooks to hang the swivel from. Which was nice. because the swivel has two closed loops, I'd ordered open hooks rather than staple types to hang it from. But the hooks were shallower than I had expected, so I used two of them reversed, and made a mounting that the swivel couldn't escape from:


I use a couple of large S-hooks to suspend the guitars form, like so:



Then installed it in the spray tent.

Puts on black cap. "Pit Bull GSM-1, you shall be taken from this place to a place of spraying, where you shall be hung by the neck until red":



I'd have liked it to be a bit wider to reduce the risk of the guitar swinging and touching an upright, but I made it to just fit in the tent. To get something of a similar height but larger, I'd have to go for a much larger tent, family size, which would just be far too large and take a long time to put up/take down. So like everything in life, I have a workable compromise that's quick to assemble.

i was just thinking you could have angle the legs out to match the trapezoidal shape of the spray booth, that would have given you more lateral space for potential swing avoidance, or an a frame style side which would have given you a void either side of the guitar.

unless it’s really blowing I don’t know that it would be such an issue would it? Great work though, some inspiration there for similar plans I have for the labs finishing processes. Thanks for sharing the set up.

[Simon Barden]

Splaying would have meant cutting lots of angled ends to do it properly. If it becomes an issue, then I may have to modify it, or make another frame with all the spare wood I've got left over and make this one just a drying frame (maybe extend it to fit more guitars on then).

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for sharing the pics and setup. In the past , reading about your pop up spray booth - I always wondered how you supported the guitars in there. I also thought, how the heck does he fit in there while spraying. Now I rekon you stand outside with the front open while spraying and then zip it up afterwards to prevent the dreaded foreign bodies and dust bunnies settling on your precious jobs. Do you have any issues with stuff flying in while your spraying at all?

[FrankenWashie]

Splaying would have meant cutting lots of angled ends to do it properly. If it becomes an issue, then I may have to modify it, or make another frame with all the spare wood I've got left over and make this one just a drying frame (maybe extend it to fit more guitars on then).

Fair call there, it adds a further layer of complication doing the angle legs, and to be fair, I like the simplicity of what you’ve done. It’s very well built and totally functional.

[jugglindan]

It's like a well built and sensible version of my setup. Except I just have a chain hanging from an overhead beam in the shed, with a large cardboard box (it's one of those removalist boxes that serves as a wardrobe) cut out at the front that serves as a spray booth. A d-shackle lets me loop the chain and adjust the length.

After painting my hand primer gray, I have learned to wear a glove. Primer washes off easily enough, but it bonded to my fingernails and didn't come off for near 2 weeks.

DC

[Simon Barden]

I spray with the flap open, then shut it up for 5 minutes whilst the surface of the paint hardens (one benefit of using nitro), then open it up again for ventilation. I can spray in maybe a force 3 wind (maybe more for some wind directions), but above that there are too many eddies that affect the spray pattern. Apart from odd days when there is masses of pollen or small flies around, I haven't really suffered from any dust problems on the paint. There's normally more dust inside the house than outside and I keep the flap closed most of the time except when spraying.

[McCreed]

What kind of tent is that?

Judging by it's shape and foot print, it's not meant for sleeping in. Is it a latrine tent, or something for hunters?

[Bakersdozen]

I thinks it's a shower or toilet tent

[king casey]

I thinks it's a shower or toilet tent

Dual purpose. Concurrent?

cheers, Mark.

[Bakersdozen]

Dual purpose. Concurrent?

cheers, Mark.

Depends on how efficient you like to be with your time whilst camping I guess.