Doing Things Wrong

Reverse Fenderbird (1/2)

Solid poplar body, lightly stained and finished in polyurethane. Korean Squire neck, active electronics. Is it a reverse, or a non-reverse? Since this is a reverse of the original Thunderbird body ( more-or-less ) I say it is a reverse. If this is a non-reverse, then the original would have to be the reverse. Reverse of what? Makes no sense.

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Well, I left the two Fenderbirds alone in the woodshop when I went on vacation, and when I got back, this is what I found. I should have known. This is what happens when you leave your guitars unsupervised.

He's a cute little guy though. Not really little at all - 10 pounds, and he's got a full 34" scale already. No finish yet, the body looks like a piece of poplar that I had from the lumber yard, and the neck says Squier Korea. His mini-humbuckers are wired to the switch and jack, but the rest of his electronics haven't dropped yet. I'm guessing they will be active bass and treble like his parents. I wonder who he will take after in the pickguard and finish.

The proud parents are understandably protective and haven't let me play with him much, but he seems like a winner already. I guess I'll just have to go get him his own stand and make the best of it. The damn Stratocasters have been breeding like crazy too.

( Looking at the picture, it appears the bridge and pickups are crooked. That is an artifact of the wide-angle camera lens. I assure you, the baby is completely healthy, and LOUD. )

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The belt attachment is what makes it far superior to an ordinary spindle sander. Belts have a far greater working area than the small cylinders most spindle sanders have. They last longer and are cheaper to replace, and are available in a wider variety of grits. The #36 belt is ideal for removing material to make a rough shape, then clean up with a #80. The big end of the belt drive is a 2-1/2" diameter, which turns out to be by far the most useful part of the machine, and exactly matches many of the curves on a Fender neck. Of course, there are smaller spindles all the way down to 1/2" for tight spots. The flat on the belt will cut reasonably straight for small parts that fit entirely in it, but anything that overhangs the ends is going to be gouged by the rollers unless you are very careful - light touch and always moving the workpiece. It's good exercise.