"Kustom" 12 string progress, almost there!

[chuckocaster]

Here she is! I'm getting real close to being done with this guitar. So close that I'm having to calm and slow myself down so as not to mess it up in the last straight away... I've been known, here and there, to do that.

Info on parts and such, in case you've forgot or I didn't mention it in previous posts. I started amassing parts for this guitar "many moons ago", it's been close to 12 years that I've been dreaming this thing up. Gotten side tracked too many times, and also forgot about it. I'm using a 1969 Fender Shenandoah neck i bought off Ebay for a good price. The body i bought from a good friend for $75, unfinished, it needed a lot of work to finish out. It started life as a NAMM project, but that fell by the wayside as my buddy decided to build something else for it. It is technically a real Fender body as it was cutout in the Custom Shop. Tuners, bridge, and tailpiece are also Fender. Pickups I just got from Angeltone music, they are close copies of the pickups in my Jazzmaster. They are custom "one off" pups, assembled and wound to my specs. A3 magnets in the bridge pup, and A5 mags for the neck.

I'm using Alpha 500k audio taper pots, a pulled "Tropicap" brand .047uf cap, and Switchcraft jack and selector. The guard (won't be uncovered til it's complete) is made by Terrapin Guitars, it's a chrome mirror with no cutouts for the dreaded "rhythm circuit". This will also get straplocks, probably the cool Fender ones i bought awhile ago.

I'm planning on finishing this guitar sometime this week, the nut is roughed out and I need to mod the tailpiece. Like i said, I'm working REALLY hard to take it slow and not "screw the pooch" in the last bit.

If you got any questions, feel free to ask. I think I got everything I've done to make this beast work. If I were to do this again I'd buy a Jazzmaster, then buy a neck from Warmoth as they now offer a vintate correct version of the "hockey stick" neck. Sadly they didn't when I started this project... Oh well, that's life!

So, without any further ado, HERE SHE IS!!!

[chuckocaster]

A pic of both my Jazzmasters.

[ch willie]

That is an interesting looking guitar. Wish you lived close so I could have a left-handed go at it. I dream of being able to do something like this. Alas, my hands won't allow it. That and I have a neurotic thing about doing things like soldering and tiny-piece work.

[chuckocaster]

Shit, you kidding me? Fenders are the easiest guitars to work on! I know you can do it dude. Stick with me kid, I'll take ya to the top...

[Don]

Cool guitars! I'm intrigued by Jazzmasters though I've never even played one.

[ch willie]

Chucko, thanks, but my fingers just won't do small jobs like soldering. Got too much shake and pain in the fingers.

[chuckocaster]

I understand CH W!! I can only work a little at a time, so as not to stress out my right hand and wrist.

Thanx DON! My Jazzmasters are more Akin to pre 55 Teles than "normal" Jazzmasters... We'll just leave it at that! If you're curious about the geeky specs, I can email ya. I'm not going to just post it tho.

[chuckocaster]

I need a machine shop, the bridge mod requires more tooling than what this has. :/

[tugboat]

Schweet! Been curious about jazzmasters and jaguars myself. Can't wait to see the finished axe!

[chuckocaster]

If you guys have played teles then you'll kinda understand what they do. I grew up playing a JM, so moving to a tele was easy. Strats, well, never really cared for em. I do play them in cover bands, but they aren't my first choice personally.

[chuckocaster]

Oh forget it! I just went ahead and ordered a Fender Jazzmaster trem for it... I'll get a 12 string tailpiece made later, can't afford to get one made, and I wanna play this darn thing.

[chuckocaster]

So I decided to string her up as a six stringer... Oh WOW!!! I've never been more enamored with the combo pup position as I am right now... It just has this depth to the low end with the right amount of mid scoop, allowing that sought after "mellow chime" I love to have as a rhythm tone. Hard to explain, but imagine the greatest aspects of the 2 & 4 positions of a Strat, combine that, add in the cool resonance that happens behind the bridge on a Jazzmaster, and you'll get what I'm talking about.

Now I need to do an actual setup and she'll be good. I know somewhere my mentor is shaking his head in disgrace at the atrocities I committed upon this guitar.