Build Thread: Stans 57 Harmony Jazz project

[stan]

Thanks Denis and Jarrod

Jarrod, have been asking DB about this a bit.

As for traditional, I wanted to make it a little more modern, but keep it classy.

So it is getting a teak type stain for back and sides - hope something Dingotone suits.
Top will be gloss black or wine red.
Neck the same as the back and black faced headstock.

Hardware is all gold, trapeze tailpiece, gold roller bridge on rosewood bridge mount, black Kent Armstrong handwound jazz pickup, genuine NOS Gibson chicken head style bakerlite knobs. I have a Graphtech nut, but I think I will go bone in the end.

I want to reshape the headstock, which will involve adding timber and relocating the holes.

So quite a ways to go yet.

[bargeloobs]

What a score man, it looks amazingly clean for it's age. If you're looking into removing/replacing the fingerboard how much trouble would it be to replace the trussrod while you're in there?

[stan]

yeah Nige, super clean, no real cracks except for the one highlighted. Really pretty nice.

I was thinking about the trussrod thing too, and seeing if I could go adjustable with it as well.

Trouble with all this is that I have a feeling my ideas far outstrip my ability...

[wokkaboy]

nice looking axe Stan, sounds like you got a bargain. Its a 1957 model and 57 years old. Its in very good condition for its age. Look forward to seeing this restoration progress

[bargeloobs]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from stan on July 21, 2014, 18:39

I was thinking about the trussrod thing too, and seeing if I could go adjustable with it as well.

Trouble with all this is that I have a feeling my ideas far outstrip my ability...

I guess it all comes down to what you discover once the fingerboard comes off. I reckon you could pull it off no worries with a bit of research though. It would definitely make the difference between an average setup and an amazing one.

[stan]

cheers Wokka, I did, it is too might have to put a 57 on the reverse of the headstock, it is , thanks

[pablopepper]

Ok, I'll say it...Holy crap, you sanded off an almost 60 year old, almost perfect finish! That takes some balls.

Now that's out of the way; cool project. Are you using a neck mount pickup or cutting into the top?

[stan]

Nige, you are right, I just have to be brave enough to have a look. If worse comes to worse and I do it carefully, then I suppose I could just stick it back on, haha

Yep Pablo, brave or dumb. It had that nice finely cracked patina that looks good too. Thing is , I didn't actually like the look. It was original and very well preserved. If it was a $2000 Gibson, it would have been a dumb move, but this guitar was not likely to be of much inherent value.

Even though I accept there may be some who think I am doing the wrong thing, this way I have fun working on it, having it look how I want and it lives again as a loved instrument, which is really what it is all about.

To add to the difficulty, it's a body mounted pickup, regular humbucker style. There are parallel rails that run down in inside of the top plate, and I am really hoping it fits between them - otherwise I have to cut into the only bracing in the top of the guitar - which might not be very clever....

[lawry]

Who dares wins, huh?

[stan]

Yep Lozza, or loses - he who breaks the most toys wins!