El Torometer

[maxaxe]

Pressing on:

Pic 1. First fit-up of the mercury tube.
Pic 2. " " of some hardware & custom pup escutcheon.

The job's rolling along pretty smoothly now, but still lots to do.
Among other things I'll need to fabricate a custom metal switchplate which will of course have to be gold plated.
The inevitable sand, sand ,sand is looming up as well - great

More soon . . .

[Gavin1393]

Really enjoying this project. gold bling looks great.

[Gavin1393]

Not sure about the Triton, but I have one of these and pretty sure DB does too.

[lawry]

Ah, Max. You sure come up with some cool ideas. I actually had a play on one of these back in the 70s. All I can really remember is that it looked damn cool and the frets were ridiculously close up high.

[maxaxe]

Cool Lawry, never had my hands on one. I suppose the top fretting's a bit like a mandolin or something.

A little progress:

After carefully making up a replica steel switch plate, I took it to a plater's in Ozzy Park to have it golded. Working on what GP parts cost from China and allowing for the local GREED Factor, I figured maybe 50 bucks tops. Cranky asshole says "three hundered bucks". I say c'mon mate, it only needs a couple of microns on it. He gives me some shit about only doing 15 micron - take it or leave it. I left it.
So - luckily, I had some metallic gold contact in stock and did a reasonably successful experiment (see pics)

Pic 1: Underneath the switchplate. No need to waste pots here, 6mm bolts are tapped & Loktited to the plate & the knobs wound on the threads. Gutted switch attaches the normal way.

Pic 2: In situ - I'm pretty happy with the result. Also, some of the money saved goes on my new "Friday Special" SV-1 kit

[lawry]

Cool!

[bargeloobs]

Great save with the control plate, you wouldn't even know it's wrapped. Speaking of buying local and getting shafted at every turn, God bless the internet and Chinese made products I say!

[maxaxe]

This job went on the the old back burner while I was doodling around with the Redback Spider project.
Got the neck finished today & put it on the wall to inspire/goad me into finishing the rest of it!
The body, which will be in off-white like the neck, is ready to be routed for its black binding.
Might even do that tomorrow (while it's 41 deg C outside) . . . .

[andrewdosborne]

Neat workaround!

[stan]

great progress Max!