[Blazingmonga]

Hey everyone!

My life recently has been pretty chaotic. I haven't been able to spend as much time on the forums as I used to. So I thought it was time for an update on what a fool such as myself spends his time doing.

I have been attempting to build an 'electric guitar', sort of. I am converting the body of an old child sized acoustic into a full functioning electric with 2 single coil strat-esque pickups. As this is a child sized guitar, the strings are much closer than a standard sized guitar, so I have had to install the pickups at a wonky angle.

Its all in good fun though! I am just wanting it to function, even if that is in some messed-up noisy sort of way. Once I have everything wired in I will paint it with some enamel, do something 'artistic' to the 'guitar'.

Anyway, I am half way through, or a third maybe, and thought I would show you guys my progress thus far:

The thing in all its beauty...I mean ugly. I have scribbled on it ages ago and also put paper where I will be fitting the pickups and volume/tone assembly:

So shiny:

As you can see, I am still finalising my wiring, heh. What a mess!

The rig you see is a cardboard test jig. Thing. I am just testing everything with this before I cut into the bodywork, and risk totally messing it all up:


So I basically I am mutilating an innocent guitar for no good reason. I just wanted to make a record of its transformation.

When it is finished also, it will need a name, to christen it sort of. My first thought was 'The Wooden Axe of Doom'. Any other suggestions? How about 'Big Mangoiter the Bold?'.

PS: I can't play guitar anyway. Oops!

Dude, thats a pretty cool project, I'm in support of the 'sacrifice'.

I nominate 'The Crytone' as a name!

[Blazingmonga]

Dude, thats a pretty cool project, I'm in support of the 'sacrifice'.

I nominate 'The Crytone' as a name!

Neat, thanks. It's only stage one, but I am sure I will get there.

'The Crytone' would be a great advertising label for this product.

"'The Crytone'...when you've heard our tone, you will want to cry!"

Or something.

Ahh, it almost seems a shame to cover up those wonderful patterns! I'm sure you'll make it look just as excellent in the end though.

Also, typically pickups are placed under harmonic 'sweet spots' to function optimally, so they might be a bit weird otherwise. I'm sure they'll work though (as long as you don't have nylon strings of course), it should be very interesting to hear how this turns out.

[Blazingmonga]

Ahh, it almost seems a shame to cover up those wonderful patterns! I'm sure you'll make it look just as excellent in the end though.

Also, typically pickups are placed under harmonic 'sweet spots' to function optimally, so they might be a bit weird otherwise. I'm sure they'll work though (as long as you don't have nylon strings of course), it should be very interesting to hear how this turns out.

About the pickup placement...yes I realise this, but I thought I would try this strange alignment anyway. So far it seems to work! I figure that as the 2 pickups are kind of mirrored, that whatever weirdness there is will be compounded when they are wired together. Hopefully they will give some kind of humbucking effect also.

The weird patterns will be replaced with a similar painted on version. I am thinking something with black and red.

[Blazingmonga]

Progress...

Couldn't resist posting these latest pics. I am so chuffed with what I have done so far, I can't believe I have managed to get this far without totally ruining the bodywork.

You can see the pickup rig I have made screwed beneath the body surface. This is actually a piece of hardboard tiling from my bathroom...but you can't see the tiled side. Heehee.

Now that I have the rig in place and alignment with the strings, I can tidy up the bodywork also. It is kind of a bit 'hack and slash' at the moment. Hopefully it will be more presentable next time I post a pic.




Looked at paints today also. Was considering using spray enamels with some stencils in some fashion. Hmm.

Any other suggestions for names? Somebody suggested "Big Bertha" to me recently. Strangely fitting as it will be a big beast in a little body.

PS: Apologies for the dodgy photos. They are from my phone as my camera is AWOL.

WOW! :shocked:

its a frankencaster!

[Blazingmonga]

WOW! :shocked:

its a frankencaster!

Cool name!

Maybe I will do a poll with the best name ideas and everyone here can choose.

Yay.

WOW! :shocked:

its a frankencaster!

Is it just me or is that vaguely reminiscent of the name given to EVH's first guitar?

(And before you say anything I do know it was called the Frankenstrat )

Looking great indeed! Can't wait to see/hear the finished thing.

When it is finished also, it will need a name, to christen it sort of. My first thought was 'The Wooden Axe of Doom'. Any other suggestions? How about 'Big Mangoiter the Bold?'.

Maybe just "Mango Blazer"?

PS: I can't play guitar anyway. Oops!

Yeah, that's sad. I know how to (and did) replace pickups, switches and make coil split in guitar and still can't play to save my life.

But guitars are pretty. It's cool to have at least one.

[Blazingmonga]

Update:

Today I have finished the bulk of the bodily mutilations. I still have to wire everything up properly, but that is relatively easy, mostly. Hardest thing I need to do is somehow work out wiring up a string ground when the bridge is made of wood. I guess I will have to loop a lead around the ends of the strings or something. Hmm.

Anyway, here she is:




The white bits are splodges of tippex, to give me a surface to mark on. As for the final finish, I am considering painting it in mostly white enamel and then just doodling on it again. That could be fun!

Wow, what a beast!

That's fairly incredible! I didn't think it even possible. It's all technicky and stuff.

[Blazingmonga]

The beast is almost complete...

Just had a few problems with wiring it together. The wires from the pickups seem to be extremely brittle, so I am having to rethink a few things.

Hopefully by tonight I will have the thing in its first stage of completeness!

And I imagine it will sound like a donkey. On crack. Overdosing.