An homage to Old Black for dad (Neil content, but no Warmoth content...)

Shiny go-fast parts....

I very much did not want a mirror-like reflective surface on this hardware. It's aluminum and it is PERFECT. Thank you, DangerousR6!

Switch cavity cover, control cavity cover, and truss rod cavity cover:
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Pickguard and pickup mounting ring (The pickup ring is chrome):
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Oh my goodness yes...
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Wow, that really looks good. $25 for those knobs seems reasonable to me. That's only $6.25 each for custom work. Not bad.

Doug did you proud with those covers. This guitar is going to be an outstanding gift for your dad.  :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
 
In the beginning, Old Black (Who was actually gold at the time) had P90s in both the bridge and neck. The neck P90 has remained, although at some point it got a metal cover. The bridge pickup has gone through some changes but has sported a Firebird humbucker since the mid 70s.

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It is installed in the P90 route with a plate that I think fits within the route. Judging by how much of the Firebird is visible, I think the plate must sitting be right on top of the mounting ears? While perfectly functional and certainly distinctive, I've always thought that it could have been executed more.... elegantly. So I took a different approach.

Along with the templates for the aluminum parts that he created, I sent Dangerous Doug a chromed nickel-silver P90 cover that I picked up at Philadelphia Luthier Tools. He modified it to accept the Firebird pickup.

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While it was no small feat getting the cover, screws, spacers and pickup to stay together long enough to get the pickup lead routed and to get the support padding situated in the route, she ultimately went in fine.

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Elegant indeed!

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Oh mama...

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As I went to complete the wiring by tying in the bridge pickup, I realized that I had not left myself a place to ground the Firebird's frame. I ended up going to the tab on the base of the bridge push/pull with it. The meter told me I was good from there all the way to the output jack sleeve. I normally avoid soldering to the case of those switches as it's so easy to overheat them and damage the switch internals, but I made it quick and all went well. It's a full house in there!

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With all the goings-on in there, it seemed prudent to put a layer of tape between the cavity and the metal surface of the cover.

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And it was good...

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Oh Yeah...

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For a nice solid string tension and a Bigsby that floats like a cumulonimbus, I set her up with Thomastik Infeld Power Bright 10-50s and a "Super Squishy" Bigsby spring from Brick's Biggs Fix. That combination doesn't work so well on a Fender scale, but it is the bee's knees on a Gibby...

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She plays wonderfully and sounds killer! All of the electronics work as intended. If time allows, I'll follow up with Glam Shots and some sound clips.

I think I have accomplished what I set out for: a guitar that harkens to Old Black, but with a flair of her own and without coming across like a cheesy knock-off. I am overwhelmingly happy with how she turned out! While there aren't any Warmoth parts on her per se, it wouldn't have turned out this well without this forum. I can't say enough good things about the work of DangerousR6, the parts he made are just perfect. And without the input of Rgand she'd have the wrong knobs!
 
-VB- said:
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She plays wonderfully and sounds killer! All of the electronics work as intended. If time allows, I'll follow up with Glam Shots and some sound clips.
This isn't a glam shot? Frikkin outstanding!
 
Thanks guys! I continue to be very satisfied with how things came out. I’m totally smitten with the aesthetics, and I spent some time with her today getting pickup heights dialed in and such and I am really digging what she has going on sonically too. I think I should probably just put her away lest my resolve to give her away should begin to weaken...  :laughing7:
 
-VB- said:
Thanks guys! I continue to be very satisfied with how things came out. I’m totally smitten with the aesthetics, and I spent some time with her today getting pickup heights dialed in and such and I am really digging what she has going on sonically too. I think I should probably just put her away lest my resolve to give her away should begin to weaken...  :laughing7:
Just let this be the motivating factor for a new one.  :icon_biggrin:
 
I never did get an opportunity to do any recording, but I did snap some pictures. Not very good ones, but whatchagon'do?

Focus? Who needs focus? I kept this shot because it had a kind of "Old Timey" feel that I dug...

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In this picture, I was actually able to capture the guitar's MOJO, glowing from within. Clearly it is originating in the Bumblebee capacitors. This may be the first time MOJO has been captured on film?

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He'll never guess!

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Man, that came out soooo good! Very well done.

Capturing mojo in a picture is like capturing orbs or UFOs. Well done, there, too.
 
Very, very fine! Your dogged persistence was admirable, and paid off in spades! He's gonna be blown away!! 
 
She is in good hands now. Plugged into dad's Princeton Reverb with some Tape Saturation provided by his Strymon Deco, she really sings.
 
What an outstanding gift.

:icon_thumright: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
 
That turned out to be a real looker VB..I'm sure your dad will or is pleased...Sweet LP indeed... :icon_thumright:
 
He is loving it indeed. Thanks again all for the input and feedback, and especially thanks to you Dangerous Doug for the stellar hardware!
 
-VB- said:
He is loving it indeed. Thanks again all for the input and feedback, and especially thanks to you Dangerous Doug for the stellar hardware!
:icon_thumright:
 
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