Projects (3/7) ~ Luthiery Laboratories

Projects (3/7)

Audiovox Gibson-style Bass

Audiovox 736 Replica Bass

Audiovox Gibson-style Guitar

Audiovox Danelectro-style Bass

Audiovox Fretless Bass

Audiovox Electric Upright Bass

Audiovox Strat-style Guitar

Audiovox 12-string Guitar

Audiovox Ukulele Bass

Audiovox Mandolin

BC Rich "Osprey" Bass

Brownsville Violin Bass

Cowbell Bass

Danelectro Pro-1 Bass

Danelectro "Super-63" Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1457 Rescue Guitar

Danelectro Longhorn Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone U-1 Guitar

Danelectro Companion Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1443 Bass

Danelectro '67 Hornet Guitar

Fender Jazzmaster Bass 1

Fender Jazzmaster Bass 2

Fender Jazzmaster Bass 3

Fender Stratocaster Bass 1

Fender Stratocaster Bass 2

Fender Stratocaster Micro Bass 1

Fender Stratocaster Micro Bass 2

Fender Stratocaster Fretless Bass

Fender Stratocaster Bass VI

Fender Stratocaster Bass IV

Fender Stratocaster 12-string Guitar

Fender Stratocaster Uke Bass

Fender Squier Stratocaster Guitar

Fender Telecaster Bass

SX Precision Bass

Gibson Fenderbird Bass 1

Gibson Fenderbird Bass 2

Gibson Reverse Fenderbird Bass

Kubicki Bass

Schwinn Stingray Bass

Mosrite Bass

Rickenbacker 325 Guitar

Rickenbacker 325 Bass 1

Rickenbacker 325 Bass 2

Rickenbacker 325 Bass 3

Rickenbacker 4001 Bass 1

Samick SG450 Guitar

Danelectro Pro-1 Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1448 Guitar

Danelectro '63 Guitar

Danelectro Silvertone 1457 Guitar

Harmony H617 Bobkat

Danelectro Silvertone 1450 Guitar

Harmony Silvertone 1478

Danelectro Silvertone 1472 Amplifier

Danelectro Longhorn Bass

My projects are generally inspired by classic designs, but with a twist. I like to build things like basses on guitar bodies, non-standard scale lengths, and occasionally originals, and experiment with materials, finishes, and electronics. One of my great interests is driving the cost out of luthiery by sourcing parts and materials from the hardware store. I prefer to build more guitars than simply more-expensive guitars.

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1 2 3 4 7

Epiphone Fenderbird

This started out as a broken Epiphone, one of the very nice Pro models. Turns out the Epi copy was a bit too authentic - it even reproduced the standard Gibson pop-off headstock. I removed the neck, re-finished the stump, routed out a neck pocket, and installed a Fender Mexico Precision neck. The pickups are stock, the active electronics are a replacement as the originals blew up. I also made the pickguard. The high frets are basically inaccessible, but the trade-off is much better balance.

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Harmony H617 Bobkat

This pretty little thing is a Harmony H617 Bobkat. The H-bodied series of guitars, originally known as the Silhouette, began in 1963 and ended in 1973. This one is from 1972 or 1973. Harmony built a number of guitars for Sears under the Silvertone name, at first as a step up from the Danelectros, and ultimately replacing them. See the Silvertone 1478.

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Jazzmaster Bass 1

This started as a Squier Jaguar body with a Mighty Mite neck. Stock pickups ( which are pretty decent ) with cream-colored covers and upgraded electronics. I used a MusicMan bridge to evoke the round Jazzmaster tailpiece, and likewise cream Strat knobs. I think it is a vast improvement over the Jaguar it started out as. The Cowbell inherited some of the Jaguar electronics.

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Jazzmaster Bass 2

This started as a stock Squier Jaguar bass body. This 32" conversion neck was my first bass neck build. Stock pickups ( which are pretty decent ) with cream-colored covers and upgraded electronics. I used a MusicMan bridge to evoke the round Jazzmaster tailpiece, and likewise cream Strat knobs. I think it is a vast improvement over the Jaguar it started out as. The Cowbell inherited some of the Jaguar electronics.

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Jazzmaster Bass 3

Hollow plywood body with Mighty Mite 34" neck. Graphtech Ghost piezo saddles with a backup soundhole-mounted magnetic pickup, active electronics.

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Kubicki Factor Bass

Sort of like a Kubicki, but not really.

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Kubicki Factor Guitar

I was so pleased with the bass that I thought I'd try a guitar. This is a little more complicated, as there are six tuners rather than four, but it worked out well. The battery is for an Artec tone control that I wanted to try. More later ...

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August 24, 2020

Kubicki Factor Guitar Final

August 24, 2020

I went into the electronics, and reversed the leads on the volume control for a nicer 'sweep'. Then I started troubleshooting a problem with the passive tone control that turned out to be an interaction with the EXP circuit. Long story short, the EXP disables any tone control that is downstream from it. I moved the tone control upstream, and now it works fine. I have a separate review for the EXP tone control, I'm not all that impressed, but I'd say try it yourself, it's not expensive or difficult to install.

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Mosrite Bass

This one went through a long and torturous build process over almost two years. All I can say is don't believe the "advice" you find on talk_ass. However, in the end, it turned out to be a pretty nice instrument.

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Musicman Stingray Bass (OLP)

This OLP Stingray was one of the first basses I ever modded heavily. I routed a battery and a second pickup cavity, and did all sorts of experiments on it, before returning it to it's original single-pickup configuration, but with upgraded active electronics and pickup, and a nice new pearl pickguard.

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Projects

1 2 3 4 7

Polyurethane - Water-Based

Water-based "polyurethane" is not alcohol-proof, even when fully cured. In other words, it is not a suitable finish for furniture, floors, counters, bars, or basically anything. And that's any kind of alcohol, including drinking alcohol. As far as I am concerned, that is no kind of finish at all - as bad as lacquer. I'll go forward with this debacle because that seems to be the easiest thing, but now I have an alternative if need be - I know what I can strip it off with.

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