ShortScale.org

Cross made me a custom Cyclone body back in August. It got her from Australia today, so I got to work on it. He basically set me up with a hardtail bridge vs the strat tremolo and a slider switch instead of a toggle. Nice piece of alder. I started pickling stain today and I am pretty happy with it.

20161031_123702 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161031_123722 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161031_123736 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Stained

20161031_132429 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161031_132423 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161031_132448 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161031_132438 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Let me start this by saying I do love all the projects you do and I love the threads they spawn...

BUT I can't get around the fact it's hardtailed when the only reason these were as stupidly thick as they are is due to the dimensions of the Strat trem. The worst things about Cyclones has always been the body being so thick compared to the size.

Let's get a small bodied guitar then make it unnecessarily thick?

Dude I love your projects but this has left me adrift. If you like the fatness vs the size then more power to you. I just don't get it. (At least tell me it doesn't have the same horrible steep roundover as the original?

(as you can probably tell I HAET the Cyclone. It's like they looked at 2 amazing guitars then thought...Hmm... what would happen if we made a guitar based around all the worst aspects os a Strat and a mustang??

I think it has the same roundover as a Jazzmaster or Jaguar as far as I can tell. I think this body is around 1.5 inches thick. Doesn't seem overly thick to me? My Jag-Stangs are about 0.25 inches thicker. The body isn't very large so it doesn't feel heavy or anything?

That sounds cool. I hated the one I had. The roundovers felt really square and the body was full strat thickness. Mainly because I was used to a vintage mustang so it just felt incredibly bulky/heavy in comparison.

Enough of my moaning. I'm sure you'll knock it out of the park with this (as usual).

The back is stained.

20161101_174618 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161101_174627 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161101_174642 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

So are you keeping it natural and light as it is now?

Yeah the plan is white wash stain and clear. I have a white black white guard for it.

That sounds like it'll be a real looker. Very cool indeed!

Semi gloss finish going well. I think this is coat three. I will try to get ten or so.

20161104_204846 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161104_204853 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161104_204900 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161104_161047 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161104_161030 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161104_161042 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

By the way, I love how the white stain brought the grain lines out. It highlighted them so well and in such a subtle way, I am just so excited. Stain (for me anyways) can always end up a surprise in how the wood will take it and what it shows. I think it worked better than I expected.

Front Tung Oil is done. Tomorrow I will do the last coat on the back and then I will make sure to let it dry for the week just to be safe.

20161106_181103 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161106_181044 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20161106_181052 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Long time no post. I finally got the kick in the pants to order parts so this will be getting finished this month. Kluson tuners arrived. The bushings fit in the holes, but not snug, so I did the trick where you wrap the bushings with masking tape and that did the trick. The back side installed fine since it had screws and tuners already. Just had to put the tuners on and screw them down. Waiting on the string tree and neck plate with screws to get it attached to the body. I also need to drill a hole for the bridge ground. (Or run a bare wire between the body and the plate to under the guard.) Pickups are coming in as are pots, jack, and switch.

20170105_163306 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170105_163319 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

I noticed that there wasn't a bridge ground hole drilled yet, so I put tape around where the bridge sits so I knew where I could angle the hole. Got it drilled and went to work assembling. I put in the ferrules, did the wiring, and installed the strap buttons and the bridge. I don't have all my pickguard screws yet, but I was able to get the control plate screwed down. The neck plate is a logo from a great Japanese band called The Pillows. Their lead singer uses a custom Cyclone. Mine has a little of those elements with the slider switch, but is a hard tail like I like.

20170107_182559 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_182806 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_183502 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_181938 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_184955 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_195056 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_195112 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_200930 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170107_200959 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

Knobs are on! All done! Sounds great. Just like my other Cyclones, but with a flatter bridge.

20170111_160357 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

20170111_160451 by Christopher Louck, on Flickr

sweet. what pickups have you used?

Texas Special and Atomic Humbucker.

so stock ones. great.

Yup! I really enjoyed how they sounded in my stock one and I put them in a Squier one. Figured since I liked them, I didn't feel like changing them. I just wanted a slider switch instead of a toggle and a string through body instead of a Strat tremolo.