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Alembic Club » Miscellaneous » Archive: 2005 » Archive through May 15, 2005 » I made a new guitar « Previous Next »

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blazer
Member
Username: blazer

Post Number: 54
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 8:55 am:   Edit Post

Okay then, as I told you people before I work as a luthier and once again I decided to make something odd and sexy.

I made the body of what eventually became a 3/4 sized Jazzmaster. Its body being far smaller than a normal one but with a normal full scale neck. I painted the body in alpine white and made a tortoise shell pickguard which houses two P-90 soapbar pickups. Well then today has been the day that I put the guitar together and stringed it up and played it for the first time.

But before I get to the saucy parts, let me get back to the construction of the petite beauty. I bought a relatively inexpensive MacMillan Jazzmaster Vibrato (see the picture) which differs from a real Fender Jazzmaster Vibrato in the way that it doesn't have the trem-loc (notice, no sliding knob on the base plate) and I was generally impressed with how well this thing was constructed.

But because of the smaller body I didn't think I could put it on the guitar since the bridge would be so far back. But when I checked out the dimensions I found out that I could put the vibrato on it if I placed it really close to the bridge, the bridge it self is now placed directly above the two upper mounting screws. In exactly the same location where a buzz bar would be sitting. Boy was I glad that that Vibrato didn't have the trem-loc, otherwise fitting it in the first place would've been impossible. And because of the bridge BEING so close to the tailpiece, the break angle of the strings is much higher than on a normal Jazzmaster so it adds sustain and it keeps the strings in place. I didn't need to order a Mustang bridge as was my original plan.

If it's the Fender construction, the wood that I used for the body (Alder in this case) or the vibrato, I can't tell but the Gibson P-90 pickups I fitted have a very convincing Jazzmaster tone. As soon as I strung it up and plugged it in, I turned up the Reverb of my amp and was playing all those Classics by the Ventures and the Shadows. I even had to spray paint the black dog ear pickup covers of those P-90's white, so they looked the part in the tortoise shell pickguard on that Vintage white body.

This guitar has so far been a great succes. The picture is a little dark but shows what I have done nevertheless
Mini Jazzmaster
the_mule
Senior Member
Username: the_mule

Post Number: 478
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 1:25 pm:   Edit Post

Ha die Wouter, nice little guitar you've got there, but I really think this belongs in the Misc. section as this couldn't be more unrelated to the process of dreaming about what could become a new Alembic masterpiece. Unless you want to know if Alembic is able to build something similar I don't see why you posted this here..? But again, nice work...

Wilfred
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 439
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 6:03 pm:   Edit Post

Wilfred:

What you been smokin' bother? Either this is the Miscellaneous section or I'm trippin'. Maybe it's like the Coriolis effect where water swirls in different directions above and below the equator. The Alembic Club sections change on either side of the pond? LOL

Bill, tgo
jagerphan84
Intermediate Member
Username: jagerphan84

Post Number: 178
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 6:08 pm:   Edit Post

I think it's the work of a stealthy moderator.
the_mule
Senior Member
Username: the_mule

Post Number: 479
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 10:56 pm:   Edit Post

Heh heh, good one Bill! Although we Dutch seem to have a strange (and might I add mainly undeserved) reputation across the pond, I swear I was completely clear minded when I wrote that post! Adam is right, typical case of greased lightning moderating and me talking before my turn...

Wilfred
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 1673
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, May 03, 2005 - 7:55 am:   Edit Post

Whoops! Sorry for the confusion! I guess I should have said something <g>. I did email Blazer that his thread was being moved. And Wilfred, I don't think you were "talking before your turn"; it was a reasonable suggestion. I'm thinking that sometimes, and perhaps in this case, it isn't always entirely clear what subjects are appropriate for which sections of the board, especially when English may not be someone's primary language.
bassman10096
Senior Member
Username: bassman10096

Post Number: 717
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 - 10:24 am:   Edit Post

Nice guitar. I've always loved that body style...

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