ShortScale.org

NickD wrote:B5 FTW.

I'm watching this with interest, you have very good taste in guitars from what I've seen.

Tankz, Nick.

Well folks, 7:0 in favor of the B5 is a pretty good margin to judge the right thing to do by, and I'm feeling pretty good about it as well. Much appreciated to all who added some input, a few neck/body shots should be up and posted by late next week.

Got a call from Mr. Ryu telling me that the body and neck are finihsed, and that they've started painting. However, he was quite dissatisfied with the paint blend on the body(as am I, see below), and will have a much darker green in order before they go to the clearcoat and start applying the hardware. Here are the simple shots he sent me, kind of like a funky surf green + sea foam deal going on:





We did heaps of talking about how to do the routes, and decided to have the controls have their own holes with rear covers. The pickup selector is LP style on the upper bout, and the volume/tone actally "straddle" the input jack on the lower tailside, with one of those long shaft-types found on most hollowbodies, etc. The rest of the wings are independently chambered with two oblong cavities, so it won't be quite as light as a true thinline but rather close. I also have a "very period incorrect" bigass '50s decal around here that I'm thinking of applying over the matching smoke-green headstock, but will wait to see how things go before I proceed. First things first, and the side/back paint has got to be taken care of first...

It'll be lush when the paint is matched.

i like the two tone greens a lot like it is

hmmmm, that looks tasty

r40f wrote:i like the two tone greens a lot like it is

Me too. A lot.

If the outer was any darker it would be as cool as a cucumber.

r40f wrote:i like the two tone greens a lot like it is

+1!!!
this guitar looks amazing! ultra, you can trade rings with me, and i don't even WANT your virginity...if you'll build me such a sexy machine!

I always tell you when your projects are the hotness cause they usually are, but I hate that 2 color scheme on the body.

It works on the Gretsch cause it's round and the rim is bigger. It's like a 50's car, and that's where that 2-tone paint comes from. This just looks square and weird.

Do not like.

jcyphe wrote:I always tell you when your projects are the hotness cause they usually are, but I hate that 2 color scheme on the body.

It works on the Gretsch cause it's round and the rim is bigger. It's like a 50's car, and that's where that 2-tone paint comes from. This just looks square and weird.

Do not like.

He's not going to have 2 tone, he posted that the guy is going to sort it out.

GOOD

Comments appreciated, like and dislikes just the same.

I do agree that the relatively body thickness will definitely give it a different look once it's done, along with the fact that the Willows guys aren't adept at doing white binding (the above is cream), due to their experience with discoloration from heat-friction during the clearcoat buffs. To reply to the two-tone issue(once it's sorted out), I think the matching pickguard will make sense out of the contrasting sides and back, but it remains to be seen.

All in all, it's going to be a collective effect with a result pretty much right in between the two desired designs, so I'm honestly just as curious as everyone else as to how it will turn out. Most of it should be done by the end of next week.

Thats really a brilliant idea - nice to see people thinking outside of the box for their custom guitars.

Did you just say 'thinking outside the box'?

If it were more exaggerated, maybe. Now it just looks like a flaw. I have spots in my living room where the sun shines in a certain way and you would swear it was two different colors of paint, but it isn't. Color is a funny thing.

This is lovely.

A lovely guitar being built by a lovely poster for a lovely reason.

I feel all fuzzy.

timhulio wrote:Did you just say 'thinking outside the box'?

ahahahahahahahahahaha

Lookin hawt!

Yar, it's just a matter of days now and we're feeling just as fuzzy about it all as Paul.

Our anniversary was October 1st, but that don't mean there won't be any extra-ordinary lovin' going on when the thing comes home shortly. Matching the guard color in the factory and the having it clear-coat to last will be the only thing left on top of deciding whether to do the headstock label or not, as it's already a bit confused with F-stamped Bigsby and neck plate, in addition to G-arrow pot knobs all on the same page.

Mr. Ryu better call within the next 3 days.

The call came on Monday, so I dropped by with a thumping heart.

First, the good news: The neck is no less than stunning, being a a meaty '60s Tele neck with a little more back end and a superb finising job in all respects, from the binding/fretwork and glossy polycoat to the ingeniously drilled tuner slots that both match the size of the studs and the bushings of the Fender Standard tuners really snug. The work on the body is really well done, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mr. Ryu went all-out with the upper-bout pickup switch hole and simply chambered it all the way up, with no LP cup(good luck with the switch installation!). The guy did a great job.

And the baddish news: They went hardcore with a totally vintage sides/back green that looks like an aged Sherwood green finish, but under the fluorescent lighting it looked almost like a Pelham Blue finish with a darker turq edge, much to my dismay. From some angles it looked fine, but directly under the lighting it was pretty meh. Gonna be patient and see how a pickguard will match for the moment, but may have to consider other ways to go about doing things...











WAY TOO BLOO