Members BA.Barcolounger Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 Some of you may know, I play in a celtic rock band. We had a gig down in Rockaway beach at an Irish festival. I packed up my stuff in the truck, but I left my guitars in the house because I had some errands in the morning and I didn't want them sitting in the heat. The rest of the band met at my house, piled their gear in the truck and we got on the road. 2 hours down the Thruway, I realize that the guitars are still on the couch. It's too late to turn around. The swear words were flying. Our fiddler fired up google and found a Sam Ash in White Plains. We stopped and I bough a cheap Squier telecaster, got to the gig, played and then drove home. Now I have an extra guitar, that plays nice, looks meh, and sounds terrible. So I took it apart... [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\t65472206_10219062765748389_7656868185487966208_o.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t201.2 KB ID:\t32550292","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32550292","data-size":"full","title":"65472206_10219062765748389_7656868185487966208_o.jpg"}[/ATTACH] I bought a Seymour Duncan Little 59 to replace the stock bridge pickup, because the stock pickup was way too tinny and noisy. It is a used tele with a very significant chip on the body (lower right). So I decided I was going to replace the entire top. With this... [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\t65392519_10219062778628711_4696898818120089600_o.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t255.8 KB ID:\t32550293","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32550293","data-size":"full","title":"65392519_10219062778628711_4696898818120089600_o.jpg"}[/ATTACH] So I sanded off the existing finish off the back and sides... [ATTACH=JSON]{"alt":"Click image for larger version Name:\t65448778_10219062786748914_3635434789495898112_o.jpg Views:\t1 Size:\t251.1 KB ID:\t32550294","data-align":"none","data-attachmentid":"32550294","data-size":"full","title":"65448778_10219062786748914_3635434789495898112_o.jpg"}[/ATTACH] to be continued... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BA.Barcolounger Posted July 11, 2019 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 Then I took it to my dads woodworking shop and used his surface planer to remove 3/8" off the top... [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"65682766_10219062792509058_5418619697996234752_o.jpg","data-attachmentid":32550301}[/ATTACH] Then I distressed it and stained it to match the box... [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"64819569_10219062798709213_3397833363275382784_o.jpg","data-attachmentid":32550302}[/ATTACH] Then glued down the new top (not pictured - it was covered with car batteries), and then used a router to trim it to size... [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"65847815_10219062809509483_4077528799908986880_o.jpg","data-attachmentid":32550303}[/ATTACH] Then I routed the cavities, and began reassembly (including the original box nails)... [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"65873130_10219062815669637_8312748642645573632_o.jpg","data-attachmentid":32550304}[/ATTACH] This last photo was taken before I applied a flat clearcoat sealer, and screwed down the switch plate. I have also swapped out the tuners since with some fender locking tuners with the compensated pole heights (so I could yank the string tree). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goodhonk Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 that looks pretty cool. good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 Nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thankyou Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 That looks great. I've been to Rockaway Beach Missouri. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I can't imagine what a pain it must have been to have to sand through all of the original poly finish! The end results are pretty awesome though - very nicely done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BA.Barcolounger Posted July 11, 2019 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 I can't imagine what a pain it must have been to have to sand through all of the original poly finish! The end results are pretty awesome though - very nicely done! I used a big-ass belt sander. And like 3 belts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gismo recording Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 Very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Daehtihs Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 I love it BA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Into Nation Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 That's fantastic! If you ever get a shot at a cheap rosewood neck, I wonder if it might even be better looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bildo Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 I'll drink to that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I used a big-ass belt sander. And like 3 belts. I don’t doubt it... that stuff can be tough to remove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 Cool story that could have turned out much worse. Happy New Guitar Day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members redEL34 Posted July 11, 2019 Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 Dude, that’s totally awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BA.Barcolounger Posted July 11, 2019 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2019 Cool story that could have turned out much worse. Happy New Guitar Day. I'm just glad I realized it before we got to the gig. There was nowhere anywhere near the gig to buy a guitar. There was one in Astoria, Queens. 45 minutes away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gp2112 Posted July 12, 2019 Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 Not much of a Tele or relic'd fan but I would love to have that guitar. Nice job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members E-money Posted July 12, 2019 Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 Awesome work BA! How does it sound now with the new pickup?Will this be your new main axe for gigging? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Daehtihs Posted July 12, 2019 Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 Yeah, BA I'd like your thoughts on the little 59! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BA.Barcolounger Posted July 12, 2019 Author Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 Yeah' date=' BA I'd like your thoughts on the little 59! [/quote'] Excellent crunch through my tube amp. What I like best is the volume knob roll-off. With the volume knob at 100% it gets a great lead tone. With the volume knob at 75% it gets a great crunchy rhythm tone. And at 50% its clean. And all of it with no loss in clarity. What I like least is the behavior with the tone knob roll-off. As soon as I go below 100% on the tone knob - instant mud. So as a result, my tone knob is always dimed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BA.Barcolounger Posted July 12, 2019 Author Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 Awesome work BA! How does it sound now with the new pickup? Will this be your new main axe for gigging? I tend to cycle between guitars, even within gigs. Having a bagpiper in the band, I always have to have at least one guitar prepped with the first fret capo (one of his sets of pipes are in Bb), so I can just grab and go, between songs. If a song has a ripping solo, I always use the SG. If it doesn't, then I use this one, or the Gretsch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Daehtihs Posted July 12, 2019 Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 Excellent crunch through my tube amp. What I like best is the volume knob roll-off. With the volume knob at 100% it gets a great lead tone. With the volume knob at 75% it gets a great crunchy rhythm tone. And at 50% its clean. And all of it with no loss in clarity. What I like least is the behavior with the tone knob roll-off. As soon as I go below 100% on the tone knob - instant mud. So as a result, my tone knob is always dimed. Thanks for your review! I hate tone pots like that my SG was like that, it had that crappy new wave soldered drop in board we're starting to see, I yanked that out and put a real harness in for a vast improvement in tone for around $60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hoot Owl Posted July 12, 2019 Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 That looks great. I've been to Rockaway Beach Missouri. I've been to Rockaway Beach, Oregon... ...and England. Great job on the guitar. I have a Tele with a SD '59, the full humbucker. It's on a pine body with no pots. Signal goes straight to the amp, and it sounds amazing. May add a SD Antiquities Strat neck too. I already sanded down the body so it's comfy like a Strat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nedezero1 Posted July 12, 2019 Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 I don’t doubt it... that stuff can be tough to remove. Heat guns are a wonderful thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nedezero1 Posted July 12, 2019 Members Share Posted July 12, 2019 What kind of wood was that crate made of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 Heat guns are a wonderful thing. Sandpaper, heat guns, Aircraft stripper... no matter what you use, poly’s a PITB to remove... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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