New Rick on the way

[ramonet]

A friend of mine asked me to help him building a Fred "Sonic" Smith tribute guitar, a replica of his famous Rickenbacker PAF equipped (neck one reversed)

 

[CrackedPepper]

That's either a really big guitar or a really small fellow

 

[ramonet]

It's not a big guitar; it's a small guy and a shopt in perspective.

Everything starts with a nice piece of swamp ash (I know, the original is maple, but it's a tribute guitar, not a replica)

 

[ramonet]

After this, transfer the blueprint, taken from the original and enlarged because the original is a set neck and this it's going to have a maple/rosewood neck.

 

[ramonet]

I rotue the neck pocket first. It's not he usual way, but I find that it's easier for me to have the whole surface plain to move the router freely.

 

[ramonet]

After a contour raw cut, here is the first try with the neck. Barely seems a guitar.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Looking good. Don't skimp on the amount of pictures!  :icon_thumright:

 

[ramonet]

Raw cut and routing, everythin done freehand. I haven't found router bits with bearings to follow a template; i bought a couple from Stewmac but doesen't fit my router (too small shank). A lot of patience and elbow grease with files and sandpaper will do the job.

 

[ramonet]

To fine shape the contour I'm using a circular sander on my drill press, it saves a lot of time and the result it's really good. I can't imagine my first guitar, a hard rock maple Telecaster body, totally rounded and cutted with a big hand saw; filed by hand and sanded with a big pile of sandpaper.
The next step is the making the big pickguard that holds the pickups (two Golden Age overwound humbuckers, the neck one reversed as is on the original), pots and jack socket. I cutted this from a single ply white piece of plastic, shaped with the rotary sander and finished with sandpaper. Due we are going to look for an original old school Rick pickguard, the edge it's not beveled.

 

[ramonet]

Here is a shoot of my friend working in his guitar. He wants to do his own instrument and let me the most tricky jobs. For me it's really nice to share my (limited) knowledge of guitar body building.

 

[ramonet]

This is the step were we are for the moment. He starts his holidays last week and I don't want to do nothing without him; this is his guitar and the final decisions are not mine. The instrument it's going to be finished in trans amber, to give the guitar an oldie look. More pics at the fall of August.

 

[ramonet]

Sorry, I missed the pic.

 

[bpmorton777]

that looks awsome!!! Just curious about how you guys are sanding in the sharp inside corners of the neck / upper horns....when I did my PRS copy I was worried about this and made those corners rounded .

Brian

 

[ramonet]

First with files and cheching with a metal square, going from a big one to a smaller, smaller, smaller... After this, wraping a sandpaper on a cilinder like a plastic tube, after a smaller diameter tube, after a round pencil, after a big screwdriver (on the round metal part), a thin screwdriver and so... This is the thoughest part but if you want something you must pay, in a way or another.

 

[mayfly]

Looking very nice!

 

[Nando Vallart]

Nice, what neck are you using? Is really this Tele? :-\

 

[chrisg]

Looks good so far. I'll folow this build with interest.  Best wishes with it  :icon_thumright:

 

[ramonet]

Hi SustainerPlayer, I can't post more photos of this project for the moment because it's stopped for holidays, but if you want I can prepare a new post with all the construction proces of my two previous guitars: 12 string crossover and Blue Rick, both with a similar shape and both posted in the section Misc. Guitars. Some Pics:

 

[ramonet]

oene more

 

[ramonet]

and the other one