Monday 4 August 2008

What HAVE I done?????!

A while ago I bought this guitar:

Some of you might remember.

I love the look of it but the sound left something to be desired, so I started dreaming of changing the pickups (the bits that detect the string vibrations and produce the sound - each one can be seen as 8 silver dots in the photo) so that sounds more like it looks.

My ideas grew - instead of just replacing the original 2 pickups I have not grand plans to add 2 more (Fender Jazz-style for those who know about these things, Zig), for a total of 4 pickups! This will be totally awesome.


So I have started work, drilling and chiselling away to make the holes needed to fit the new hardware:





What HAVE I done? THis had better work!

17 comments:

Ali said...

You are a brave man - that looks pretty scary to me! Have you done this before? Or how do you know what you're doing?
Eeek!

Anonymous said...

I can't wrap my head around what you are trying to do, but I have NO doubt that you will make it sound fantastic when you're all done!

Rock Chef said...

Ali - I was looking for reassurance! ;-)

I have done less drastic things than this in the past - minor changes like removing frets from an old, doing new paint jobs and, most recently, putting the pickups from the V into the bass that I turned into a fretless. It all makes sort of sense. Something this drastic is new to me, but I am really enjoying it so far - Clare has already said that she can see this turning into a new hobby, creating outrageous guitars!

Rock Chef said...

Terri - Thank you SO MUCH! This is the sort of supportive comment I was hoping for! I am sure it will be good in the end, but when I sat back last night and looked at what I had done...

Ali said...

Oh geez, talk about making me feel bad...hehe.

How's this?

ROCK CHEF!!! You are so smart! That is going to be one smokin' guitar when you are done and I have absolutely NO doubt that you know exactly what you're doing, you smart, handsome, guitar fixer-uper you!

Was that more along the lines of what you were looking for? ;)

tz said...

I am constantly asking myself 'what have i done' actually my husband is also constantly asking what I have done ..hahaha

anyhow...if you don't ever ask yourself that question then maybe you aren't living your life to its full potential

kudos to you for thinking outside the box. Whatever comes of it (and I'm sure success) you tried!

Rock Chef said...

Ali - I nearly choked on my Coke! Hilarious!

But you are right - it WILL be one smokin' guitar when I have finished!

Some of the other stuff is clearly not as accurate.

Rock Chef said...

tz - I am not sure I like feeling that way too often, but you are right - I will have tried. And if the worst happens I can just get a new lump of wood and design my own from scratch!

Logzie said...

I'm impressed!! I'm not nearly as creative or smart or daring!

I can't wait to see...I mean 'hear' the end result!! hint*hint

Rock Chef said...

Logzie - Well I had decided that I WOULD do a VBlog playing this guitar when it is done - if all goes to plan it should sound awesome.

Jen said...

Just think, you'll be the only one in the world with THIS wicked sounding guitar!

Slainte!

Anonymous said...

If you do not rock us like a hurricane, I will be severely disappointed.

Love the 80s axe.

SAmou

Jahooni said...

hope it will sound better than what it looks like!
saw zztop last night. they sure can play a guitar!!!

mr zig said...

that is awesome man! - I've been thinking about doing something similar to one of my guitars! I just haven't picked my victim yet! - can't wait to see how it turns out! :)

Sitting In Silence said...

Oh dear me...you are one brave fella....
Hope it works...let us know and dont forget we all want to see a picture of you playing it....

x

Rock Chef said...

Jen - You are right, I don't think anyone else is mad enough to do this!

Sonny amou - I will do my best. I always loved the classic shapes - V and Explorer. I got the explorer when I was 18, the V had to wait.

Jahooni - It will certainly sound better than it looks now - it will also LOOK better than it looks right now. I think it is currently at that point that all projects reach, when you stand back and think S%$£! ZZ Top are great aren't they?

Zig - You should definitely do it! I am already planning my next one - getting a cheap strat copy and doing an Eddie Van Halen on it: 1 mega humbucker, a volume control and tons of electrical tape to make the stripes!

Sitting in Silence - I amk sure it will work, and when it does you will all know about it! He he!

Marie said...

Nice guitar. Good luck with it!