Swinger Project Build (Finished pics pg. 2)

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:26 pm

First off, I want to thank NickS for being kind enough to make a tracing of his original '69 Swinger for me. I owe you a beer mate.
Also, I sent taylornut a copy of my template to post in the template thread for those of you who might be interested.

Step 1: Glue up a poplar blank and rough cut it out. Then I used the template and table router to smooth up the sides.

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Step 2: Route out the neck pocket, pickup and control cavities. I tried to recreate the Bass V routes from scaling off of pictures from the internet.
Definitely not exact but close enough for me to be pleased with it.

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Step 3: Roundovers, arm and belly contours.

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Addam · Post by **Addam** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:39 pm

That's amazing, I wish my router work was that good!

Oh how I need some better tools.

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:43 pm

Next up is the neck.

One Squier Mini strat neck. It's not a 22.5" scale like the original but it's close enough at 22.75" scale. I can move the
bridge slightly to compensate and it shouldn't be noticeable.

Step 1: Cut the headstock down. Then attach a straight edge and use the table router to square up the edge.
I planed down a scrape piece of maple to the same thickness of the headstock and glued everything up. I tried
to match up the grain pattern as best I could.

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Step 2: Dyed the neck with a little Trans Tint "Honey Amber"

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I'm about 5 coats in with the TruOil at the moment. I need to do about three more coats.

Now I need to decide on a color and start painting this thing.

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:48 pm

AddamInsane wrote:That's amazing, I wish my router work was that good!

Oh how I need some better tools.

That's after some finish sanding. They usually look like a burnt marshmallow right after they're routed.

It doesn't seem to take long for a bit to start getting dull.

Addam · Post by **Addam** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:15 pm

Just a suggestion, please make the pickguard to suit the location of the bridge. A gap would just look gash!

My musicmaster thing has a mini-strat neck, I'd guess it moves the bridge back around 1/2"

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I started making my own swinger template a while back, but tweeked the shape slightly so I would be able to use Mustang or Musicmaster pickguards.

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PS, I think a simple colour scheme would suit, like red/white (parchment/mint/whatever..)

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:19 pm

i think you should do a transparent color on it, coot. that grain is wylin'.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:28 pm

I would darken up the neck and go Dakota! That looks kickass.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:47 pm

amazing work, you do like those strat mini necks!

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:20 am

It's amazing to watch the master work. Good Job!

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:29 am

Thanks guys. Here's where I'm at now. I made a pickguard today and started putting things together.
I still need to drill holes for the bridge but I need to do a wee bit of sanding on the pickguard first.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:38 am

What kind of bridge are you thinking? Musicmaster/Duo, Toronado, or Mustang even? If I do one I would probably go Mustang bridge with 24" scale neck.

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:51 am

hotrodperlmutter wrote:i think you should do a transparent color on it, coot. that grain is wylin'.

It's funny, the dark stripe down the middle smelled just like a skunk when I was routing it. I think it might be Sasquatch shit smeared
on the tree years ago. I'm definitely going to have to paint it a solid color or that smell is all I'll ever think of when I look at it. Plus I want to
do a matching headstock. I'll probably go with Duplicolor since it's a budget build.

stewart wrote: you do like those strat mini necks!

They be cheap, just like me.

taylornutt wrote:What kind of bridge are you thinking? Musicmaster/Duo, Toronado, or Mustang even? If I do one I would probably go Mustang bridge with 24" scale neck.

The control plate and bridge are from a 66 Duosonic.
I might use an Allparts 24" scale neck next time. I used the Squier Mini neck because they are fairly cheap and I wasn't sure how the headstock
grafting would turn out plus they are close to the original scale. The grafting turned out much better than I was expecting. I believe I can do an
even better job of it next time.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:21 pm

Looks good.
The graft on the headstock turned out really nice; there is a slight difference in the tint between the two woods, but, it's not so bad.

Would be interesting to install a hot XII/Maverick pickup in under the pickguard in the Bass V pickup route

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:54 pm

AddamInsane wrote:Just a suggestion, please make the pickguard to suit the location of the bridge. A gap would just look gash!

Already ahead of you on that one. I have two pickguard templates. One for an original an one slightly modified for the 22.75" Squier neck.

AddamInsane wrote:My musicmaster thing has a mini-strat neck, I'd guess it moves the bridge back around 1/2"

I try to split it up a little. I move the bridge back about 3/10" and adjust the saddles the rest. It works pretty well. I've done it on
the Duosonics I've built using Mini Strat necks.

Ankhanu wrote:Looks good.
The graft on the headstock turned out really nice; there is a slight difference in the tint between the two woods, but, it's not so bad.

Thanks, The back turned out better than the front so I'm going to do a matching headstock on this one.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:49 pm

I put the Swinger template on the Template thread that you used to make this project.

JohnnyTheBoy · Post by **JohnnyTheBoy** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:13 pm

This looks fappin amazing!...love how its turning out, especially the headstock mods..
Yeh! Adam's right about your routing..top notch stuff...!!

cooterfinger wrote:I think it might be Sasquatch shit smeared
on the tree years ago

Ha ha!! this is priceless!!!...

DGNR8 wrote:I would go Dakota!

Amen to that!!!....

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 10:10 pm

I had a slight setback yesterday. When I started to install the bridge I noticed that the saddles would have to be raised really high to get the strings the proper distance off of the fretboard. The problem was the neck pocket wasn't deep enough so I had to take it down a tenth of an inch. No big deal really but a setback all the same. I also installed the tuners. It's pretty much finished build wise. Now I get to take it all apart and start the painting process. Oh boy.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:47 am

haha, you MADMAN! I can't believe that's a Squier mini neck with a headstock graft looking at the rear shot in the last post, nice work.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:52 am

god damn. you really took one of the ugliest guitar shapes ever, and made it look tolerable.

my vote is still for natural. or COMPSWANG

EDIT: LOL and yr trashcan is totally photobombing right now

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:50 am

this has me thinking, I'd totally rock a 24" scale swinger w/ duo controls

this thing will look great with some paint, damn fine budget build