non-Warmoth eBay special - semi-hollow LPS with PICS!!!

[Malta]

Not sure where to put this, so into General Discussion it goes!!!

I'm a bass player but decided I want to start talking guitar lessons....so why not build a guitar to learn on!?! Finish is FAR from perfect but I had alot of fun with this, so I thought I'd share my first real (non tung oil) finish job. No-name swamp ash/quilt maple LPS body off ebay, came in with a horrible splotchy teal green stain on the quilt maple top, bright blue on the swamp ash back, all under a light amber clear coat (wish I would have snapped some before pics).

I sanded down to bare wood, used General Finish water based dye on the top - Black first then sanded back and applied Cranberry Red to bring out the light quilted maple figuring a bit. For the back, I applied some Varathane oil based stain in Espresso...mmmm looks chocolatey!!! Finished it all off by spraying with Deft clear gloss nitro, buffed super lightly with steel wool to leave a nice satin sheen.

Neck is another ebay special; walnut w/ bubinga fretboard 25.5" scale made by Korosa guitars. Nice slim profile, came finished with teak oil. Body was missing the control cavity cover, so I fashioned one out of some 1/8" ash and a coping saw. Also made a bubinga string retainer, since the headstock is not angled. Rounded out with all black hardware, rosewood truss rod cover and a pair of Rockfield  SWC humbuckers with maple covers and mounting rings (same ones in the Michael Kelly Hybrid Special). Just got it wired up last night and snapped a couple pics to share, I'll need to take some when it's sunny out. It still needs a proper set up, it sounds pretty darn good.

PS. I'm posting from my phone and I can't see the pics very well...hope they aren't too poor quality.

 

[dNA]

can't say i love all of it, but i love the finish. i just love anything brownish in color with that kind of subtle texturing.

 

[Patrick]

thats one hell of a starter
where did u get those covers?

 

[Malta]

Thanks. I didn't really have a clue what I was doing on the finish...had to sand the top back down 3 times before I got it right. Hit it with about 7 super thin coats of deft and it came out feeling nice and satiny smooth. What about it don't you like?

thats one hell of a starter
where did u get those covers?

If you mean the pickups, I won them on ebay (along with everything else) direct from Rockfield...they make pickups for bc rich and michael kelly guitars. These are their SWC (special wound custom) with maple covers, which can normally only be found in the Michael Kelly Hybrid Special.

 

[TomPerverteau]

I love LP double-cutaways! Them's some big F-holes.

 

[dNA]

If you mean the pickups, I won them on ebay (along with everything else) direct from Rockfield...they make pickups for bc rich and michael kelly guitars. These are their SWC (special wound custom) with maple covers, which can normally only be found in the Michael Kelly Hybrid Special.

how do they sound?

 

[Malta]

Sounds really good to me through a fender m80 combo, but it needs a setup...and I don't really play guitar very well. Definitely worth the $50 I paid for the set. Ill have my guitarist give it a test on Monday...run it up against a lp studio...

 

[koshersteel]

love that matched grain cavity cover, this was probably hand built rather than ordered unless anyone knows a shop that offers that as an option on parts.

 

[Malta]

love that matched grain cavity cover, this was probably hand built rather than ordered unless anyone knows a shop that offers that as an option on parts.

Actually, a made the cover myself out of some 1/8" ash I picked up for a whopping $1.99 at my local Woodcraft and a coping saw. 20 mins to make a cardboard template and cut the basic shape from the ash, another hour or so sanding down the edges to get it to fit snug.

 

[koshersteel]

I salute you sir

 

[D-rock]

very cool!  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

I think you've done a fine job there, especially considering you're a bass player! Hehe! Just kidding. I'm impressed with the control cavity cover as well. That came out excellent. I'm also constantly surprised at how good the pictures are you can get with phones these days. That's gotta piss off the Canons, Nikons, and Pentaxes of this world.