2010 build: Mockingbird

[Vistoluk]

My first electric. I Figured I'd show the process. Enjoy. Any questions i'd be happy to answer!

Here is after I have jointed the mahoagany body and 1/4" maple cap. I have glued them together in the first shot.

Next I rough cut out the neck blank from my mahogany neck blank. Then, after doing all that fancy junk to the fingerboard (binding/frets slots and what not), I routed the inlay slots w/ a 1/16" dremel bit I believe.

Next step was to chisel out the remainder and fit the inlays. This took about 12-14 hours

[Vistoluk]

Here I have finished the fingerboard inlays and trimmed up the neck to the fingerboard. Very cool to see it come together!

After that I routed the neck/body cavity. Went well.




BTW- It is a bolt on. For my first one, I didn't want to go all out. I only had about 16 hours a week for 7 weeks and w/ no previous experience in building, I didn't want to take on TOO much.

[Vistoluk]

Here I have routed my control cavities from the back.


In the other photo I am starting to carve and shape my neck. I used a rasp.

I have to say shaping the neck is the most fun part of the whole guitar process for me!

[Vistoluk]

[Vistoluk]

first picture I was just getting a final feel to the neck while I scraped it and got the guitar prepped for finishing.

next 2 pictures are after I sprayed a 3-tone sunburst on it. Colors are: yellow, raw sienna, and burst sienna I belive. Came out looking good.

I also gave the guiitar faux binding. This seemed like a good fit since my cap was slab cut w/ decent flame on the top, so the edges were quartersawn and had GREAT flame to them.

[Vistoluk]

Here is the guitar all strung up and ready to play. I had a little difficulty with the wiring... all my wiring diagrams had the ground on the toggle switch reversed w/ the middle position compared to MY toggleswitch. Which I did not notice for some time. lOol.

I guess it made me a ll the more excited when i did get it to work.

Cheers

[stmfitr636]

I dig the faux binding. Great top!

[Connavar]

Very cool guitar. I really like the faux binding too

[Vistoluk]

Any comments or advice are appreciated! Thanks!

[anathemata]

Absolutely awesome guitar! Of the variations of the Les Paul singlecut, the mockingbird is the coolest in my eyes. I was considering building a mockingbird myself, and you've inspired me to do that. But I was wondering: did you have a plan to work from? I haven't run across any for a mockingbird.

[Vistoluk]

Originally Posted by anathemata

Absolutely awesome guitar! Of the variations of the Les Paul singlecut, the mockingbird is the coolest in my eyes. I was considering building a mockingbird myself, and you've inspired me to do that. But I was wondering: did you have a plan to work from? I haven't run across any for a mockingbird.

Thanks man! No there ARE no plans as far as i can tell. what I did was I got a picture of the mockingbird, as 2-d as you can get. Then I put the picture on an overhead and projected it onto a wall. Next I placed my bridge on teh wallwhere the bridge on the picture is and adjusted the overhead until the bridges were the same size. This gives you the approximate dimentions of the body.

As far as scale length, I used gibson: 24.625" (24 5/8"). I'm not sure what bcrich uses but as far as i'm concerned, it doesn't matter as long as it's comfotable to you lool.

I can explain how to draw your own blueprint if you like, but you might know how to do that so I won't if you already know ^,~

Good luck on your build, they are cool guitar. (cept the upper horn really gives some bruises lool

[j.six]

There are mock templates from that guy that does all of those body template kits (guitartemplates.com, maybe?)

Can't say for certain on the newer stuff, but the old BCR guitars were 24 5/8 scale.

[tsk_2980]

wow, that is sick!!!! I've always liked the mockingbird, but my excitement had tailed off at one point since I havdn't seen anything new about them... until this! Nice work man!

[Vistoluk]

Thanks I appreciate it man. Yeah when I was researching it I couldn't find any custom ones. I thought it was kind of odd cause it is a cool model and design. I mean hey, slash even used it when he used a floyd!

[alexvdl]

i made the drawing for guitarbuilding templates.... must have it in cad somewhere on my pc. Will upload it soon.

Awesome build by the way!!!

[j.six]

Alex! Welcome back!

[Thumpalumpacus]

Sweet. Add me to the fans of unfinished "binding." I've always liked the look, especially when, as here, the wood has good figuring.

[LG2]

Nice ax..

[Vistoluk]

THanks, only thing I wish was that I had made it a LITTLE thicker..but, what can ya do lool.

Yeah that would be cool if you got those on there for teh cnc. I just started messing around w/ cnc and cad, man, you can really do some cool stuff!

[Vistoluk]

Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus

Sweet. Add me to the fans of unfinished "binding." I've always liked the look, especially when, as here, the wood has good figuring.

Same here man. looks tight, the problem was having to look at it for a few weeks before I finished it going, man, I hope this turns out okay........(it was my first guitar w/ faux binding).

Scraping the color away was really cool............................but really nerve wracking, cuase it's very hard to touch it up if you take too much off. lool

[Fireproof]

That is VERY cool. Well done!!

[anathemata]

Originally Posted by Vistoluk

Thanks man! No there ARE no plans as far as i can tell. what I did was I got a picture of the mockingbird, as 2-d as you can get. Then I put the picture on an overhead and projected it onto a wall. Next I placed my bridge on teh wallwhere the bridge on the picture is and adjusted the overhead until the bridges were the same size. This gives you the approximate dimentions of the body.

As far as scale length, I used gibson: 24.625" (24 5/8"). I'm not sure what bcrich uses but as far as i'm concerned, it doesn't matter as long as it's comfotable to you lool.

I can explain how to draw your own blueprint if you like, but you might know how to do that so I won't if you already know ^,~

Good luck on your build, they are cool guitar. (cept the upper horn really gives some bruises lool

I never thought of using a projector, but don't have access to one anyway. If you could explain how to draw the blueprint, that would be awesome.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Originally Posted by Vistoluk

Same here man. looks tight, the problem was having to look at it for a few weeks before I finished it going, man, I hope this turns out okay........(it was my first guitar w/ faux binding).

Scraping the color away was really cool............................but really nerve wracking, cuase it's very hard to touch it up if you take too much off. lool

The care you took is obvious. Well-done!

[Fez Bear]

some superb work there! Love the finish you've made!!

[ExNihilo]

That is a beautiful burst you have there.

[EEF13]

Really looking good

[Kammo1]

Have to say that is one of my favourite bursts well done. Did you use a spray gun set up ? which dyes did you use also ? wow that is gorgeous.

[Vistoluk]

Originally Posted by Kammo1

Have to say that is one of my favourite bursts well done. Did you use a spray gun set up ? which dyes did you use also ? wow that is gorgeous.

Yea I used a HVLP compressor gun to spray it. It's a 3-tone. First off, I rubbbed linseed oil over the top to get the flame to pop. Also seems to give the later burst a slight amber tint. WHich I like.

ANyway, for teh dyes. I believe I used Mohawk. I know the colors were either one of these:

Toner(base)-yellow
Middle-raw sienna
Outer-burnt sienna

or

toner(base)-yellow
Middle-raw sienna
Outer-Raw umber

I sprayed 3 coats of yellow toner. 2-3 coats of raw sienna. and 1 coat of either raw sienna or burnt umber.
Turned out exactly how I pictured....for once lool


THanks for all the positive feedback!

[Vistoluk]

Also, I'm new to this, how do I post a picture rather than an attached thumbnail?

[Cpt_Gonzo]

Upload the picture at, say, imageshack and then insert the link of the picture in between [img]"link here"[/img]