ES-3 second build custom.

[DarkMark]

Hello! Back again (not that I ever went away).
My first build (ES-5V) was a good practice run leaving me six months older and wiser. I knew I’d be frustrated by the lack of cut away in the body so the ES-3 was always the guitar I wanted. Sticking with the philosophy that ‘two pickups is one too many’, I’ve customised it with neck pickup only. Positions for tone, volume and input will be drilled later, but don’t expect anything too revolutionary about their positioning.

I planned to keep this natural with gold hardware and perhaps a rosewood laminate headstock with engraving filled with gold glitter and CA glue. This time I’m thinking of giving gloss wipe on poly a go with Tonerider AC2 currently choice of pickup.

Living in Australia I’m lucky enough to have the rosewood fretboard option. Upon opening the box I was pleasantly surprised by the lightness in colour of the rosewood, I think this will compliment the natural finish nicely.

First inspection looks pretty good to me. Now to put it back into its box and (try to) forget about her for a while. I’ve got a nice guitar to play in the mean time, which I might add has set up as good a guitar as any I have ever played. I’m going to take my sweet time, no corners cut.

[wazkelly]

Hi Mark, that top has an amazing grain pattern.
Presume you prefer Jazz genre compared to Rock given just the neck pickup only?

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[DarkMark]

You’ve got it Wazkelly. It’s what I like to listen too and play these days. Having said that I think we always have a soft spot for the music of our adolescence. Perhaps one day I’ll decide to build a guitar to take me back to my Indi/goth/alternative youth. How time and guitar lessons change you. I have no beef with rock though, I appreciate most genres be it rock, surf, spaghetti western etc.

Back to the guitar, looking forward to how that grain looks with some poly on it.

[Dedman]

ooooh, this is going to be interesting

[DarkMark]

Thanks Dedman. I’m hoping it’s not going to be too ‘interesting’, straight forward with everything going to plan would be nice.

[wazkelly]

Just one volume knob then? That would keep it nice and simple.

[DarkMark]

I think I’ll go all out and give it a tone knob too, Wazkelly.

[wazkelly]

I am yet to truly discover why they have them on a guitar haha! Purely there for decorative purposes on all of mine.

Had a jap Strat copy that was hot rodded and it ended up with vol for each pickup and 3 on-off-on DPDT mini switches to switch on each PUP independently. Didn't see a need for tone controls 40 odd years ago, even on a Strat, and barely touched them since.

[DarkMark]

If I understand correctly, turning the pot from the treble to the bass direction increases the resistance. Therefore, if there was no tone pot it would be giving you full treble. I like it almost all the way to the bass end.

[wazkelly]

Fair call, it all comes down to personal preference.