Jimothey Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 (edited) After following @Christine's Thunderbird build it has swayed me (as I was never really a fan of them) to make my own...... It's going to be a Fenderbird but I haven't decided whether it's going to be 4 or 5 string as yet?? As I've been told they suffer from neck dive would a 4 string would be better to keep the weight of the headstock down or would the difference in weight be negligible??......... If I decide to go down the 4 string route I would string it BEAD anyway I know this isn't going to be a popular choice but I'm going to make the body out of chambered plywood (I tried one of my friends homemade ply bodied bitsa Telecaster and his American deluxe Telecaster and couldn't tell the difference in the sound if anything the ply bodied Tele had better sustain so that got me thinking??) it's going to be painted and I'm leaning towards Yellow with black hardware and pickguard something a bit like this? With a maple/maple block neck........... I don't really like the 3 point bridges tha t are normally on them so I'm thinking about a tun-o-matic bridge instead and I might go active with active/passive push/pull bypass like on my Quincy, 5 string and 6 string build Edited February 2, 2021 by Jimothey 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 I've always liked the combination of a strong yellow with black. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 On 11/02/2019 at 02:14, Jimothey said: After following @Christine's Thunderbird build it has swayed me (as I was never really a fan of them) to make my own...... It's going to be a Fenderbird but I haven't decided whether it's going to be 4 or 5 string as yet?? As I've been told they suffer from neck dive would a 4 string would be better to keep the weight of the headstock down or would the difference in weight be negligible??......... If I decide to go down the 4 string route I would string it BEAD anyway I know this isn't going to be a popular choice but I'm going to make the body out of chambered plywood (I tried one of my friends homemade ply bodied bitsa Telecaster and his American deluxe Telecaster and couldn't tell the difference in the sound if anything the ply bodied Tele had better sustain so that got me thinking??) it's going to be painted and I'm leaning towards Yellow with black hardware and pickguard something a bit like this? With a maple/maple block neck........... I don't really like the 3 point bridges tha t are normally on them so I'm thinking about a tun-o-matic bridge instead and I might go active with active/passive push/pull bypass like on my Quincy, 5 string and 6 string build One of the best sounding guitars I ever owned, an Epiphone Junior LP, turned out to be plywood when I modded it. Plywood can sometimes be on the heavy side but sonically there is nothing wrong with it at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted February 14, 2019 Author Share Posted February 14, 2019 (edited) On 13/02/2019 at 15:03, Andyjr1515 said: One of the best sounding guitars I ever owned, an Epiphone Junior LP, turned out to be plywood when I modded it. Plywood can sometimes be on the heavy side but sonically there is nothing wrong with it at all. I thought that it might be heavy so it's going to be chambered so hopefully that with keep the weight down a bit I'm going to construct the body with a 25mm ply core with 6mm front and back the 25mm core will be chambered like this.............. Edited February 2, 2021 by Jimothey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Oh - and very wise to drop the three point bridge...design engineering at its worst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Yellow and black is a winner in my book, my RD gets loads of compliments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) I got started today the template has been rough cut just got to sand it to smooth it all off I've changed the shape slightly from the original by making a more of a curved bottom of the body, bringing the waist slightly closer together which I think looks better? I'm not sure if I'm going to put the raised centre section in as I think I might prefer it flat topped but we'll have to wait and see?? 🤔 Edited February 2, 2021 by Jimothey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 On 17/02/2019 at 12:40, DarkHeart said: Yellow and black is a winner in my book, my RD gets loads of compliments. It works very well on a Yamaha RD400. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Oooooo, speed blocks on the raised center section. It's got to be done, and you know it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 2, 2019 Author Share Posted March 2, 2019 (edited) On 02/03/2019 at 00:21, Si600 said: Oooooo, speed blocks on the raised center section. It's got to be done, and you know it I think you'd lose most of them with the pickups and bridge but I spose I could lose the pickguard and have them running down either side of the raised section 🤔 Edited February 2, 2021 by Jimothey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Genius! 😍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 5, 2019 Author Share Posted March 5, 2019 (edited) The middle core is now cut and chambered I will cut the top and bottom in the next few days out of 6mm ply then start gluing it all together I'm thinking that to make it a but different perhaps go with a PJ pickup config instead of the standard pickup choice??............. Edited February 2, 2021 by Jimothey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown_User Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 1 hour ago, Jimothey said: The middle core is now cut and chambered I will cut the top and bottom in the next few days out of 6mm ply then start gluing it all together I'm thinking that to make it a but different perhaps go with a PJ pickup config instead of the standard pickup choice??............. Cor! That looks like it's going to be great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 (edited) The body is all glued up and I've started to shape it,ive still got to glue on the raised centre and fill the body but it's coming along nicely............ 😀 There's going to be a slight change of plan in not going to do this one yellow (as I really want to do a Yellow 5 string P) so I've decided this one is going to be satin Black with Maple fretboard and probably matching headstock........... Edited February 2, 2021 by Jimothey 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown_User Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 That looks great @Jimothey. It looks from the pictures like the edges of the ply are pretty smooth. Was there a particular knack to that? I'm planning on making my own plywood body and am worried that it'll all just rip around the edges. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Shame we won't see speed blocks like @Si600 suggested. Like the Yamaha RD400, the shape of this body would suit quite well. It will be interesting to see the new satin black colour scheme. It should show off the centre rib a little better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 @Unknown_User I've sanded the top edge to 240 grit so thats why it looks smooth there has been a slight bit of tearout but I'm going to fill the edges with two-pack filler then sand it back again before I prime the body. It also helps if you buy better quality ply I'm using WBP but you don't need to go to the extreme of buying birch or marine ply just make sure whatever your going to use to cut the blank is sharp and not too coarse that should minimise the tearout... Make sure you start a thread when you start doing your build.......... 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 In this type of build if you wanted 'exotic', the ply top (and/or back) could be higher quality stuff e,g flamed etc. I really like birch ply edges in furniture, I keep thinking about this (as above) method for something semi-acoustic and large I have in mind. A very 'low rent' bass I owned in my youth (Kay? Woolworths type Kay?) had a neck made from edge on ply, Rock solid and not bad. Everything else hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 30 minutes ago, 3below said: In this type of build if you wanted 'exotic', the ply top (and/or back) could be higher quality stuff e,g flamed etc. I really like birch ply edges in furniture, I keep thinking about this (as above) method for something semi-acoustic and large I have in mind. A very 'low rent' bass I owned in my youth (Kay? Woolworths type Kay?) had a neck made from edge on ply, Rock solid and not bad. Everything else hmm. If I was not going to paint it I might have gone down that route, I agree the exposed edges of ply can look really nice on the right thing but maybe on another project??.... This build is more of an experiment to see how it comes out and sounds, and maybe dispel some perceptions of ply bodies guitars being inferior to solid body guitars if it doesn't turn out how I'm hoping I'll just use the body as a template and remake it out of solid wood.............. 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 The build inspires me towards a FenderRD, FenderD? RD body and Fender neck, finding an aftermarket bolt on Gibbo 4 aside neck seems hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 (edited) That was one of the reasons why I've decided to go down the Fenderbird-esque route also I don't particularly like the look of the thunderbird neck. I'm thinking now that I can't really call it a Fenderbird as the body shape is probably closer to a not so pointy Explorer?? I spose I could call it a Exploder or a Fenlorer?? 🤨 Edited March 8, 2019 by Jimothey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Exploder bring it on 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Yes. Exploder is a bangin' name for an axe innit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 2 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: Yes. Exploder is a bangin' name for an axe innit. True dat bruv!! 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Sorry, missed this I've been away again. Did you see my Fenderbird? The bridge is Scott Dasson's badbird bridge (as used by Geddy Lee or someone) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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