Members Elias Graves Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Originally cut by Gretsch to become an Astro Jet but got left in a warehouse til I got hold of it. Should be a fun project with a very light weight chunk of timber. Here's an original for reference. Tell me there wasn't some LSD involved in the design of this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Preacher Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Wow, while an unorthodox shape that could end up being a real looker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted May 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Wow, while an unorthodox shape that could end up being a real looker! Not a fan of the Gumby headstock. I tried a tele neck template to see how it looks with an in line headstock. Im very tempted to go with a longer scale and make a baritone out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Definitely needs a 3 x 3 LP type headstock not a straight 6 (and the 4 x 2 looks insane, I agree ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Nice chunk of wood. It should sound good. I have one that's pretty similar I made from some 125 year old mahogany. The sap in the wood turns to rock when it ages and the wood sounds even better when it gets dried out like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted May 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Yes, the oils are definitely crystallized in this one and I can't believe how light it is. Despite the size, it should come in under 8 pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Preacher Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Definitely needs a 3 x 3 LP type headstock not a straight 6 (and the 4 x 2 looks insane' date=' I agree )[/quote'] Yes, I agree, though a 'good' 4x2 might be workable even if this one is a little ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 You probably know this but be sure you drill pilot holes for any screws going into the wood. When the wood gets that hard it doesn't give at all. The screws will either strip, snap off or split the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 I bought EIGHT of those bodies when they were discovered in that warehouse about 3 years ago. It's pretty easy to carve up a standard Les Paul neck to fit in the pocket and make it work: Here's a 12 string Astro Jet model that needs pickups and hardware. BTW that mahogany is probably over a hundred years old. For one thing Gretsch usually stored it for decades before using it. And on top of that there also the fact that the TREE was at least 100 years old before they felled it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 Looks like it was designed by a fan of Salvador Dali. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted May 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 You know it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted May 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 I bought EIGHT of those bodies when they were discovered in that warehouse about 3 years ago. It's pretty easy to carve up a standard Les Paul neck to fit in the pocket and make it work: Here's a 12 string Astro Jet model that needs pickups and hardware. BTW that mahogany is probably over a hundred years old. For one thing Gretsch usually stored it for decades before using it. And on top of that there also the fact that the TREE was at least 100 years old before they felled it. Nice! Im planning on just making a neck to fit. Saw one guy who filled the pocket and re-cut for a tele neck. I keep wavering on going all original (except headstock) or doing something different. The baritone idea appeals to me. I have Firebird pickups that would make a killer bari set but I do like the odd duck idea of just doing it original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJ6stringsting Posted May 22, 2015 Members Share Posted May 22, 2015 Looks good to me ....Elias's guitar looks good the way he's doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted May 23, 2015 Members Share Posted May 23, 2015 You can also whittle these bodies down into something more like an SG in shape. A problem you might run into with a baritone guitar is that there's not a lot of "pocket" with these bodies and that joint might fail under the heavy stress of all those strings and long scale. It might also be unbalanced looking with a longer neck. Heavy as well. I'd consider sanding these bodies down a lot as they aren't totally finished at any rate. Coincidentally...... I built a baritone guitar myself using an old Gretsch Corvette body. I started with a bass neck salvaged from an old Japanese guitar and added a Brazilian fingerboard to it that I made from scratch. It's red with a Bigsyby and fixed roller bridge. The scale length is 31" and I think it sounds best tuned C to C. I based some of the specs off of the TV Jones Spectrasonic. After some pickup swapping I settle on a TV Jones Magnatron at the neck and a 1960's Gretsch Supertron at the bridge. Since these pics I changed the clear pickup ring to a black one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted May 23, 2015 Members Share Posted May 23, 2015 That is a wonderful looking piece of wood. I hope you go for a natrual finish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted May 24, 2015 Members Share Posted May 24, 2015 Can't remember where you weighed in on the tonewood issue EG, but I'll bet you're a believer after you string up that Bad Boy. Big congrats, can't wait to see and hopefully hear what you come up with amigo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted May 24, 2015 Members Share Posted May 24, 2015 Looks like koa. I like the Mosrite meets Gibson shape too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted May 24, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 24, 2015 I'm thinking of going with a heritage cherry finish. Like this one. As for shape, I'm working on that now. I'm liking this variant here. I think that humpback on top needs to be shaved down some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted May 24, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 24, 2015 Can't remember where you weighed in on the tonewood issue EG' date=' but I'll bet you're a believer after you string up that Bad Boy. Big congrats, can't wait to see and hopefully hear what you come up with amigo.[/quote'] I like wood. I like tone. That's where I stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted May 26, 2015 Members Share Posted May 26, 2015 I don't think you really need a monster heavy mahogany guitar to get the tonez.....but it is cool. These are Honduran mahogany (one piece!) and huge....and ancient. They look glorious under finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted May 26, 2015 Members Share Posted May 26, 2015 For finish, I'd either do whatever I could to accentuate and feature the wood/grain, or go truly psychedelic, maybe even find an artist to 'do something' on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted May 28, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 28, 2015 I don't think you really need a monster heavy mahogany guitar to get the tonez.....but it is cool. These are Honduran mahogany (one piece!) and huge....and ancient. They look glorious under finish. At 14 3/4" by 1 3/4" I was expecting an 8 pound chunk of wood. I was surprised to find it weighed half that. Should end up in the 8 pound range or so. Not bad at all. As for finish, I think I'll go with a nice heritage cherry. I'd like some color but I don't want to cove it up. It is a beautiful piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted May 30, 2015 Members Share Posted May 30, 2015 This wood loves shellac French polish. I found that the bodies I bought varied a LOT in weight. I guess it's true that back in the day there was a lot of lighter Honduran mahogany out there compared to today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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