tiesco del ray ala pens

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:39 pm

i got this beast yesterday, and started sizing it up for what i needed/wanted to do to it.
the frets are decent enough to keep. just need a good leveling and crowning. the bridge will be the biggest deal, i know i can get an unslotted TOM but if i remember correctly the og posts will be closer together than the TOM post spacing so i'll have to rig something together, probly involving duct tape and spit.
i know i have a trapeze piece that will fit, but i may try doing a string thru dealio in the future.
the one thing im sorta worried about is the heighth of the bridge pickup. the photo i have taken of the side is with the neck plate working as a shim and it seems that it will just clear the bridge pup with decent action.
I was rather suprised as how "fender" ish the headstock was.
all in all, it was a killer fucking deal for me and pens came thru like a champ for me. it will be a fun lil weekend sorta project for me to get back into the whole guitar thing. im going to hold on to this one. for sentimental purposes and cuz it won't be worth shit, no matter what.

sorry for the crap pics. they with my phone and i can't stop shaking most days.

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 2:53 pm

you can get those bar bridges on ebay for cheap. or just drill a couple holes in a metal rod and file in some groves. probably sound better than the tinny ones they came with.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:18 pm

i think you should try to fashion something out of glass for it. like a long glass cylinder with some grooves filed in it like jack white did with that coke bottle in it might get loud.

it sounds like i'm joking, but i'm totally serious.

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:31 pm

Cool! Love that headstock.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:56 pm

im deffinitly going the TOM route with it, cuz i know i can have files and stuff where im at. i have NO access to any sort of electric machinery so everything will have to be done by hand with some sort of mcgyver/handtooling stuffs.
i played with the idea of scoring one of those squire jaguar vibrato systems on the cheapz and then routing out the guitar all the way thru, but taking the body 130 miles south to route something in 30 mins, when it should be time spent helping me mum with the house seems a bit selfish.(shes getting old, needs help around the house)
so i will have to stick with some sort of hardtail, easy thing for the time being.
progress will be very slow on this, since i will only have time on the weekend evenings to do anything to it, and i have to wait for my hand tools to be sent and then cash to buy what i need.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:39 pm

Yeah, had I kept it my plan was to install a TOM bridge on it as the existing post is just that bar with two screws holding it down, so there's no nasty routing or big holes to fill. I wouldn't advise bothering with the existing bridge system, it uses the same bullshit bridge that my Decca has which means zero intonation possibility. The tailpiece unfortunately wasn't intact when I found it, so that will probably have to go, though it might be possible to locate a new tailpiece for it. I'd just hardtail it if I were you.

The one thing I'm curious to see how you fix is that gouge in the forearm area, seems like it would give you splinters as it is.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:48 pm

i was actually able to pull out some of the wood that was shoved up in there and depress it back to a normal ish shape.
i think im just going to score some epoxy, fill it in, clamp it, without a clamp, i will figure something out.
and then fill in the rest with more epoxy and sand it flush. like i said. i don't have alot to work with up here and really. its not that deep bro!
besides. it should look like it was found in the trash, cuz it was. and there is no way in hell they would let me bring areosols anywhere near the property, becuz heaven forbid some jackass steals my paint can and decides to get high off of it.