Mary Kaye White for vikingred

[vikingred]

Thanks for the advice, fellas.  Check out this cool looking bocote switch cover I found:

Whuuut??    :glasses9:

 

[vikingred]

USPS Tracking numbers say I should have this Tonar neck and body in my hands TOMORROW.  Super stoked!  :glasses9:

EDIT 1/22: Delayed due to weather.  Ugh!  The trick to getting guitars delivered "faster" is to not care when they arrive.  :help:

UPDATE 1/24: Stuck in MEMPHIS, TN!  Wow, that's worthy of a song.  :redflag:

 

[vikingred]

Tonar did an incredibly fine and beautiful job on the neck and body.  Wow, what a difference from Warmoth finish.  Been drilling some holes and getting some basics mapped out.  Running into some aesthetic issues, wanted to throw these out there and see what others thought.  See pics below.  I'm wondering if I should use the bocote pickup covers I custom ordered.  They are a good bit darker than the bocote fingerboard, and bocote switch knob.  They don't look bad, just not an exact match.  Also I'm a bit stumped with proper way to mount these single coils with no pickup covers, i.e., straight into the body so that they're height adjustable.  Can't decide if I should scrap the bocote pickup cover idea and sell them and use white, cream, parchment.  What about the knobs.  This is a Mary Kaye classic, but with a modern build but I want to keep that classic look while still tasteful and one of a kind look.  I replaced the zinc trem block with an Aluminum block and Aluminum claw, which shaves off a few ounces.  This guitar is going to be super light.  Again thanks to Tonar for a KILLER job.  I'm taking this one slow because I have a lot going on and I'll probably slow way down this year.  (yeah right).  Here are the pics:

Aluminum Block for the Wilkinson 300:

Just don't think these look right:

A little darker than the neck but still cool:

Yeah buddy!  Don't worry Greg, I didn't put the neck in the pocket!

Small pics, I know, but check that coolio bocote switch button:

Lovely...but do the darker bocote pickup covers work with the neck??

A closer shot:

Had to cut those little posts off the Aluminum block with a dremel wheel and then sand flat/smooth:

COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, IDEAS WELCOME!!  Thanks!

 

[Glimmer]

Glad to see some movement on this instrument / thread.

First reaction: I think the bocote pup covers look nicer than the white ones. I realize the pics are small and lighting may be blablabla, but the difference in color between the fretboard the pup covers isn't shocking to me (in fact, it doesn't look so much like a color difference than a difference in tone due to the tighter grain [= more dark lines in smaller space] in the covers). We'll see what others say.

Looking forward to following this one along as it takes shape!

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Good lord that finish is spectacular! Never cared much for/about Mary Kaye White, but I think I get it now.

My vote is for the wooden pickup covers, hands down. I think they look great. And for knobs, I think that Tele-style flat tops in Gold would be just the thing. Looking forward to seeing more!

 

[Cagey]

I'll pile on: Bocote covers, gold Tele knobs.

Super combination, I must say. That Mary Kay whtle and Bocote neck were made for each other.

 

[Glimmer]

Good lord that finish is spectacular! Never cared much for/about Mary Kaye White, but I think I get it now.

I didn't even know Mary Kaye or her finish until this build! :confused4: Now I'm glad we've met. :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

I'm surprised you haven't heard of her or that guitar. There's an article with a brief history of her and the guitar that segues into the author's shots of the replica he built here if you're interested.

 

[Glimmer]

Very nice! Thanks for pointing out that thread.

Ok, now I'm going to have to look into MK a bit more...

 

[Logrinn]

That is a very unique and at the same time classy look.
I too think you definitely should go with the wooden pickup covers. Stunning!

 

[vikingred]

Thanks, I'm going to have to tuck it away until next weekend.  Busy work week ahead.  I agree bocote covers, and tele gold knurled knobs.  3-way switch, master tone, master volume.

Just need advice on how to attach the pickups/covers/springs or rubber to adjust height.  Will need to put a small layer of foam below the pickup bottoms themselves and the cavities to account for the wires, otherwise they won't sit flat.  Guess I'm just tired, I can't conceptualize this.  Can anyone map it out for me?  Screws and all?  Tnx.

 

[stratamania]

Nothing much to add. Good choice on the wood rings and controls. Good to see it coming together.

 

[treyhaislip]

Here is how I final polish raw wood on necks.
It has been polished with 2000 wet/dry and the next step is to wipe it down with Naphtha.

Next mix the boiled linseed oil with equal parts of thinner. I use one small Dixie Cup of each.

I wipe the mixed solution on with my hands and then rub it in until my hand can no longer stand the heat of the friction.

Here it is after I have rubbed it in. There is no finish on the surface nor should there be. Once the oil stops soaking into the surface it will be ready to get its final buff on the polishing arbor. This is an exceptionally beautiful neck. 

Awesome info, thanks for sharing!

 

[vikingred]

This build has NOT been abandoned.  Just a lot going on.  Hardware is about 80% installed.  Then it will be sent off for fret install and final setup.  Stay tuned.  Again, I'm a little uncertain on how to drill for the mounting of the pickups.  There will be no pickgaurd.  And I want to be able to raise and lower them as desired.  Maybe install small threaded inserts in the pickup cavities and then use the rubber tubing between the bottom of the cavity and the bottom of the pickup?  Don't know why but this is confounding me.  Can anyone spell it out or diagram it for me?  Would be appreciated.

 

[Logrinn]

Couldn't you just use ordinary wooden screws to screw them in?

Like here on the Warmoth page:

 

[vikingred]

Couldn't you just use ordinary wooden screws to screw them in?

Like here on the Warmoth page:

That would indeed work.  Seems like a simpler option.  Thanks.