Building the Imperfect Beast. Otherwise known as the Gable Jazzblaster.

[Brent Gable]

Earlier this year I traded a semi hollow body jazz machine to an old friend of mine for an old Fender Mustang and just fell in love with it. The more I played it and studied it the more I started thinking to myself, hey I think I could build one of these! So I started to explore Fenderdom and found the old Jazzmaster really appealing to my design sensibilities. I just like the crazy spud like shape of the things, I don't know why, I just do.
So I figured the first thing I should do is find one to trace, but the only guy I knew that had one seemed to never check his email so I started trying to find a blueprint online for free to no avail. I was able to find an image but it was lacking o few important measurements so I just did the best I could visually with what I had. In case you haven't figured this out yet I'm pretty cheap, er, I mean frugal.

 

[alterbridgefan]

YES!!!!

MOARPICZ!!!!!???? WHEREZTONZ????!!!!

 

[Brent Gable]

HELP!!! Someone has stolen my PICKUPS!!!!!

 

[alterbridgefan]

Should have taken the Vibrato unit too. :toothy10:

 

[Brent Gable]

Yes these will do fine...

 

[Brent Gable]

Should have taken the Vibrato unit too. :toothy10:

It is missing some of its guts and it is beyond cheesy

 

[alterbridgefan]

Should have taken the Vibrato unit too. :toothy10:

It is missing some of its guts and it is beyond cheesy

I know, they suck. They are just so cute!!!

Planning any more builds yet?

 

[Brent Gable]

I have a few ideas I'm kicking around.

 

[Brent Gable]

A few pics of the neck pocket and ready for final trim...

 

[ThtOthrPrsn]

That surrreee is puurrty  :icon_biggrin:
What kind of wood is it?

 

[alterbridgefan]

That surrreee is puurrty  :icon_biggrin:
What kind of wood is it?

Looks to me like walnut.

 

[Brent Gable]

That surrreee is puurrty  :icon_biggrin:
What kind of wood is it?

That is Black Walnut. A good friend of mine is a tree surgeon and has a mill and a solar kiln also. It came from a fairly large tree and is a one piece slab. I planed it down to about a third less of the normal thickness because of the weight factor of that species.

 

[Updown]

It came from a fairly large tree and is a one piece slab.

:icon_thumright:

 

[Brent Gable]

That looks like blackened redwood.

 

[Brent Gable]

Final trimming done and pick guard started. I cut the pick guard on a scroll saw and had to be REALLY careful not to lose any digits...slow and methodical.

 

[hannaugh]

Some of those old cheapo guitars have amazing pickups in them.  Still kicking myself for not buy that beat up Bruno Conqueror a few years ago.  That thing sounding so raunchy and awesome. 

Cool build, I love the boomerang pattern.  :rock-on:

 

[Brent Gable]

Thanks hannaugh, you're right there are a lot of non-traditional pickups that sound awesome. I have a 60s Kawai teardrop guitar that has some of the sweetest pups I've heard but it's too cool to part out. Pups cut out and edge routed.

 

[Brent Gable]

Belly contour finished and pups and jack installed.

 

[alterbridgefan]

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brent Gable]

Oh and by the way, I removed the dolphin glitter sticker, replaced the proper knobs and found a whammy bar for the Kawai. And I got a better amp too...just don't have a better pic of it.