Andyjr1515

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1510267993' post='3405267'] Dilemma: If you point out the Spaniel image to the friend who commissioned the build, he'll never be able to unsee it. It will always be the 'Spaniel Guitar'. Personally I'm not sure I'd be able to resist. [/quote] Ah...but I know where the Hannes bridge is going. Problem solved

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1510262596' post='3405214'] Just catching up with this build. The top has a nice portrait of a spaniel behind the bridge. Nice work! [/quote] So it does

Excellent

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1510231734' post='3404804'] I always use harmonic and fretted at the 12th, not open and fretted. [/quote] walbassist is right here. Do the harmonic at the 12th then fretted at the 12th. Open and fretted 12th is not going to give you a good indication of intonation. Re-intonate on that basis and then let us know if it's still got a problem. I think that will sort it...but if it is still a problem, then we can then all pile in and REALLY confuse the issue

Ah....but remember it has a sister build...and that one is for me. Normal stuff, of course, my own one will always tend to take the back seat

When Pete and I do our two-some rather than the 5-piece full band, we use its bigger brother for a few of the numbers. Assuming we're talking using the harmony functions, then used sparingly - and only where it really is appropriate and necessary - it adds a great deal to those songs. However, I think these sorts of devices are problematic at the simpler and cheaper end of the scale. If you are using them for harmonies, the 'auto' key setting is usually an absolute nightmare...and I think the small pedal version is 'auto' only (may be wrong, of course). With the bigger one, you can tell it exactly what key the song is in (with modal options too) but even then it takes some sorting. And even then it needs to be used VERY sparingly.... As for the other enhancements and presets...well, it's a bit like presets on a multi-effects pedal, ie would you actually use any of them live???

I see exactly what you mean, Pea Turgh In the meantime, the back has had its first coat of gloss: The neck will be left unvarnished - a tru-oil slurry and buffed neck has to be felt to be believed! The top and sides have had their second coat: I'm using standard Ronseal Hardglaze as usual. The only thing I've changed since they altered the formulation to save the polar bears, is that I now brush it on with an artists fan brush (the budget ones seem absolutely fine) rather than wipe-on. The formulation change started giving issues when I tried to add enough thinners to make the wipe-on approach work properly. The advantage is also that the new formulation does seem a little thinner anyway so brushing becomes feasible with the subsequent reduction of the drag on such a fine brush.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1510166584' post='3404450'] Andy Andy would know for sure but i think it's the Satin finish [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Osmo Polyx Raw treated. Still looks beautiful..[/font][/color] [/quote] Yes - the special one that minimises the darkening effect of lighter woods is a satin finish. Mike - the lipsticks will need to be visible to get close enough to the strings (Mick's had some custom pickups made for that installation). Why I am thinking of fitting them from behind is that the fixing brackets are, of course, much wider than the lipstick itself (hidden under the pickguard). If I fit them from the top, I will need to fit pickup rings to hide the cavities. If it can be done, it will probably look quite neat not to have to do that. I'm going to take your Rascal to pieces soon so I'll have a better idea then

Top has been cut out and joined: I'm pleased to see that the flame ripple (particularly nice on walnut) is clearly there on the top horn as well as the bottom one. In discussion with Mike, we're going to go for a similar approach to the Alembic-esque electric build, with a sapele/mahogany back and a wenge demarcation veneer. The original plan was to stain the wood to coordinate with the colour of the headstock plate, but the figuring here is so spectacular we both agree it is worth sticking to natural. I may use the same Osmo 3014 'special' finishing oil I used on Mick (TheGreek)'s Psilos to try to reduce the darkening effect of the finish but we can experiment. Ref the headstock, I have an unconventional but potentially interesting thought that I will be bouncing off Mike which would give a coordinated look without losing the reversibility of the mod... My thoughts at the moment is that the lipstick pickups would be much better being fitted from the back rather than having to use pickup rings. Maybe another carry over from the Psilos? Next task is to pick some sapele that does the back justice

Yes - if you're not going varitone, then there's nothing to be lost to putting as many 4-conductor options as your switching allows. If you are limited, I agree with BigRedX, the series parallel is probably more useful than single coil options, although those can sometimes be useful to balance the tone when the switch is in the mid position

Thanks, folks

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1510047989' post='3403418'] Thought I might reheat this thread as I have an update and a question! Update: I've bought the DiMarzio. Hoping to get that wired up tonight in the most basic manner to test it out. Question: there are approximately ten million different ways I can wire it, for series/parallel, coil tap, and permutations of those. Unfortunately all the wiring diagrams in the manual assume I'm wiring to a three-way toggle switch. My options for switching are: swapping out the volume pot for a push-pull to enable a coil tap; or fiddling around with the rotary pickup switch to see if I can get more settings out of it. It currently clicks through three different positions, but I see it has a lot more terminals - is it possible to 'unlock' more positions and make use of these? [/quote] Having once built a guitar that had 125 sound options, I'm one to talk - BUT, if you are still going to rig up a varitone circuit, I would personally just go for standard series humbucking mode for the DiMarzio. You can always change it later if it really isn't giving you what you want.

And here it is with its first coat of varnish:

Hi, Wilco One will be in the post to you in the morning - paddle-type, dpdt, 2 sets of 3 terminals, on/on

Hi, Wilco Is it the round 'stick' type or the paddle type? Pretty sure I've got something that would do fine you can have for free if you want to PM me your address. I'm pretty sure I've got at least one of each type new and unused.... Andy

In the background, Mike and I have been discussing various details, the most important being which part of which bookmatched set would work best. This is what we've settled on : Reminds me of those wind tunnel shots of concorde

[quote name='scrumpymike' timestamp='1509980110' post='3402987'] Hey Andy - good to see you've finally broken cover Just make sure you finish 'Rascal Mervyn Lyte' before you go (Merv was my late lamented woodcutter buddy btw - and he certainly WAS a rascal!). [/quote] We may have a name for the bass, then...

[quote name='Rikki_Sixx' timestamp='1509904328' post='3402503'] Maybe Andy could do a very limited run of basses called 'The Missus', made from her table. Limited because she might get hold of Andy before he runs out of timber! [/quote] I'm more likely to end up as one of 'The Missing'!

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1509900651' post='3402452'] Seeing the cross section in the pick-up cavities is nice. [/quote] Hopefully, unless I've got the pickup measurements wrong, they won't be visible when it's finished!

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1509903075' post='3402485'] I don't think Mrs Andyjr will be happy if you take a guitar shaped chunk out of her dining room table..... A good way to get a black eye, if that's what you're after... [/quote] But it's SUCH a nice grain. Perfect, in fact. I'm sure she'll understand

With the high tech gadgets consisting of pencil, calculator, set square and scissors, a face-on photo of a Lyte has been scaled up and cut out : Tomorrow, I will choose the best place to position the walnut for the best figuring and cut the two halves out

The finishing is actually going remarkably quickly and well so far If I'd been going for satin, the finish would already be there! But glossing the body and headstock plate is going to make SUCH a difference to the figuring. It needs to sit for a few days for the tru-oil to fully harden before I do that. Can't wait

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1509803286' post='3401760'] There is a good scrumpy mike bass in this I can feel it in my bones. [/quote]

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1509802796' post='3401755'] Having thought long and hart about buying his Rascal I watch with interest [/quote] So it's YOUR fault!!

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1509802360' post='3401752'] It's great to see you're on this phase of he build. When you wet sand with the tru oil, do you wipe off the slurry often and freshen the tru oil? [/quote] Yes - light wipe off of the slurry after each initial application. Later, that will become wipe off and vigorously buff each time