My *finally* complete guitar project... (1092 hits)
Category: Sound & MusicRating: 1.08 on 51 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by CT (View user info) at 2008-02-06 15:44:40 EST
...and it only took me a YEAR plus a month of off-and-on work to get it done!
For those of you that remember (which I'm sure is probably none of you), I "stole" my brother-in-law's old crappy junior acoustic guitar in late '06 while helping him and my sister move...and revealed to him last year on his birthday that he would be getting a revamped Minnesota Vikings acoustic guitar for his sports room, as a belated birthday/Christmas gift. (Read: he's a Viking's nut.)
Unfortunately I didn't quite get it done in time for Christmas this year due to other priorities, but it's close enough! He got it last night, finally, and was duly impressed.
All I really have to say about the whole thing is that:
1. Stripping and repainting/refinishing a guitar is a MASSIVE undertaking and learning experience.
2. I ended up redoing the body and neck (resanding, repriming, and repainting) more times than I care to count.
3. The smallest error in sanding the neck or placing the bridge will have a HUGE effect on the sound after stringing the guitar.
4. Thank God he never played the guitar to begin with and is happy with it as a display item.
Anyways, other than to share my newfound hobby with y'all, let this serve as a warning to the lot of you that things ALWAYS end end being more complicated than you think they will be...
Peace,
CT
User Reviews
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-02-21 00:28:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
it might be because it has decals on it
im such a dick
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-02-21 00:27:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I dont know what Im talking about man, I never ever finished the one I tried, good on you for completing it.
it still needs more sanding. :)
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-18 17:00:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
rad - I did spray it with clear coat sealant. Several times.
Apparently not enough for the likes of your tastes, though. :)
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-02-18 14:43:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I did, however, pull the frets out of the neck because I wanted a jaco thing, but I never finished it.
I found the purple body in a box in the garage two weeks ago, after 10 years in storage.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-02-18 14:42:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I used the exact same paint on a bass I attempted to restore back in 1995, a Tanara 3/4 bass. it turned out crap as well.
I suppose krylon spray paint isnt a good choice.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-02-18 14:40:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
continuing on what Berty was saying, couldn't you have oh I dont know put a clear coat on it at the end there, or sanded it a little more? Oh, and you really could have covered up the sound hole before you painted it, I mean the purple inside looks a little crap. Oh, and an old Kay guitar from back in the day is really quite the catch if restored correctly. Its what all those black dudes were playing back in the 30's and 40's. A little american nostalgia right there.
Submitted by wardy (user info) at 2008-02-18 14:30:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i'm giving you this rating based on effort alone. you really fucked up though, by painting it fucking purple and making it an nfl 'douchebag' guitar.
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2008-02-18 14:17:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-02-07 09:05:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Um, well done for doing a big project and taking so long to do it and having all that fun.
And Everything.
But... Well...
It's hideous. It looks cheap and rubbish. I would say that you have basically ruined that guitar for all people who will ever look at it with their eyes
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2008-02-08 08:19:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Sweet.
I have a homemade Fender Precision bass.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2008-02-07 10:33:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-07 09:55:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Fair enough. To each his own opinion.
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-02-07 09:45:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Not really, no. Sprinkling glitter on a turd does not transform it into a lump of gold.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-07 09:25:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
But was it not more cheap and rubbish to begin with, Berty?
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-02-07 09:05:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Um, well done for doing a big project and taking so long to do it and having all that fun.
And Everything.
But... Well...
It's hideous. It looks cheap and rubbish. I would say that you have basically ruined that guitar for all people who will ever look at it with their eyes.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-07 08:55:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Hookhand (user info) at 2008-02-07 07:39:24 CST (#)
Ranking: 2
Vikings? wtf
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The favored team of the guitar's recipient. I'm not into pro sports myself, but he got what he asked for... :)
Submitted by czwij (user info) at 2008-02-07 02:33:33 CST (#)
Ranking: 2
the paint used was what? also what kind of sealant/varnish?
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Glossy purple and metallic gold paint, regular fast-dry polyurethane sealant. All of the spray variety.
Submitted by Hookhand (user info) at 2008-02-07 08:39:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Vikings? wtf
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-02-07 04:15:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice!
Submitted by czwij (user info) at 2008-02-07 03:33:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i prefer electrics, but that's much easier isn't it?
just bolt a warmoth neck to a 2x4 and shove a PU innit on the end and whammo, yer eddie van hayren, the japanese geetar virtuoso.
this is more awe inspiring.
the paint used was what? also what kind of sealant/varnish?
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2008-02-07 03:05:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Atta boy.
Submitted by bjrog2 (user info) at 2008-02-07 01:31:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Good effort, and it always feels great to know you 'made' something of beauty. Even if it is ugly as sin (go cincinatti) :P
Submitted by HotWillie (user info) at 2008-02-06 19:27:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
That is the ugliest fucking guitar I've ever seen.
But the stickers are a real nice touch.
Classy!
Submitted by DeathJester (user info) at 2008-02-06 19:24:22 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
http://coincidences.typepad.com/still_images_and_moving_o/images/carrie_shining_guitar_small.jpg
Hey, it matches!
Submitted by ilikesteak (user info) at 2008-02-06 18:34:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
If you wanted to do the rosette, you could have done it the way one Edward Van Halen painted his guitar.
Also, did you use any kind of finishing or clearcoat?
Submitted by Ltap (user info) at 2008-02-06 17:56:44 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Nice job - you turn a perfectly good guitar and paint it gold and purply pink (ATTN: GHEY MENZ).
Submitted by matnotharry (user info) at 2008-02-06 17:48:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good effort.
I'm not even going to comment on the colour.
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2008-02-06 17:40:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm gonna bump you up because my buddy did this about a year ago and he hated it as well.
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2008-02-06 17:37:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Effort, but those colours are awful.
Submitted by haikumikoo (user info) at 2008-02-06 17:15:08 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Packers fan.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2008-02-06 17:07:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Worst colors for a guitar ever.
I did a similar project once.
But instead of wasting a year and half of blood, sweat and beers, and buying lots of LAVA brand soap, I went to the House of Guitars ( http://www.myspace.com/thehouseofguitars), Rochester, NY and plunked down $800 and walked out with one.
And mine didn't turn out purple.
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:52:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Homebuilding guitars and refinishng them is a lot of fun. Well done. I have three homebuilt electrics in my stable now and I'm currently working on a fretless 6-string guitar and a doubleneck bass (4-string fretted/4-string fretless).
Submitted by whiskey_jack (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:50:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I wander how a actual Viking would feel about his team having such pussy colours?
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:26:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Well, I will forward my proposal to her, post haste.
:)
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:23:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:18:16 CST (#)
Ranking: 1
HAHAHAHA, you went from a really gay guitar to a rainbow puking up faggot penises guitar. Good job, Fagtain Gaylords.
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Says the man who wears Day-Glo hoodies. :)
I said it before, I'll say it again...it was a learning experience.
As in I learned not to do this ever again.
And by "this", I mean both guitar redos and posting about them on here.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:20:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:00:07 CST (#)
Ranking: 0
Had you painted the Vikings logo on it and clearcoated it, I might have been impressed. Instead you painted it an ugly purple and slapped stickers on it.
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Well, my original plan was to print out a Vikings logo on transparency and clearcoat that to the guitar. I'm not the world's best painter, my sister got that skill.
As such, the transparency never came out right, and so I went with the easier of the remaining options. I had to make a decision at some point that it was "good enough" or I'd have never finished the blasted thing.
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:18:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
HAHAHAHA, you went from a really gay guitar to a rainbow puking up faggot penises guitar. Good job, Fagtain Gaylords.
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:12:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:06:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
"Paloma" - whoever you are, since you're obviously an alter - I don't know what your beef is with me, but since apparently you have one, why don't you do the mature thing and e-mail me directly to discuss it?
captainthorns.at.gmail.com
Submitted by Paloma (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:06:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
[comment removed]
Submitted by Linus (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:05:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Effort.
Submitted by Paloma (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:01:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Does Sarah know you pretend she's not your wife?
Are you ashamed to be married to her?
What a scumbag.
I have screenshots from BEFORE you removed the pic, Davey-boy.
Submitted by DudeThatsBOSH (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:00:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
solid
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2008-02-06 16:00:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Had you painted the Vikings logo on it and clearcoated it, I might have been impressed. Instead you painted it an ugly purple and slapped stickers on it.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:59:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
-3 b/c "football" and "acoustic guitar" go together about as well as "scissors" and "penis." Especially a slim, narrow scissor leg being slid up into the peehole, deep, and finally drawn together to meet its partner slowly and finishing with a nice, dull, wet "snip."
+4 for effort. I certainly couldn't have pulled this off.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:55:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Paloma (user info) at 2008-02-06 14:51:32 CST (#)
Ranking: 0
Picture of the real Mrs. Thorns:
http://www.ubersite.com/m/114201
-----------------------------------
ROFLCOPTER
Thanks, I needed a good laugh today.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:53:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2008-02-06 14:51:23 CST (#)
Ranking: 0
It's purple and has stickers on it. Lovely.
------------------------------
Not sticker...DECALS.
Why did I inherently know that this was a bad idea?
Submitted by Paloma (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:51:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Picture of the real Mrs. Thorns:
http://www.ubersite.com/m/114201
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:51:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
It's purple and has stickers on it. Lovely.
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:50:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:48:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2008-02-06 14:47:35 CST (#)
Ranking: 2
This is why I would marry you tomorrow.
-----------------------------------------
I'm flattered but you'll have to ask Mrs. Thorns first if you want a piece of His Thornly Goodness.
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:47:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This is why I would marry you tomorrow.
But I don't care about the sports related thing, that colour is terribly gay.
:)
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-02-06 15:46:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Additional comment:
5. Don't bother trying to do the white circles around the sound hole, or the lines on the body edges, without the appropriate tools. I gave up after three attempts and three shitty results.