guitarbuilder's 2012 Challenge Build Thread -- COMPLETED

YEEEEEES!

I had envisioned a green Popsicle stick pickup with this build. Well done! Can't wait to hear it.

Barncaster

I absolutely love this build!!
Thank You.... I'm looking forward to getting it done.

I gotta admit that pickup really pulls the whole thing together somehow. It really looks complete now.

Well, except for the neck pup. Is that staying empty?

No, I have a GFS neck pickup that I can put in, but of course.... that would be too easy.... I may have to remove the cover and do the stick thing to it too. I am torn between the open coil look and the cover.

YEEEEEES!

I had envisioned a green Popsicle stick pickup with this build. Well done! Can't wait to hear it.

Barncaster

Thanks....I'm thinking red or blue for the neck. :-). I'm trying to decide if sounds Dano- ish or not right now.

I think a red popsicle stick neck pickup would be pretty cool... then I'd put a Mid pickup in and make it yellow, only because I'm a traffic signal guy at heart.

No, I have a GFS neck pickup that I can put in, but of course.... that would be too easy.... I may have to remove the cover and do the stick thing to it too. I am torn between the open coil look and the cover.

I guess I'm gonna go against the flow here (so strange for me :lol:) and say I was pulling for the chrome cover neck pickup, as a contrast sort of. Like "which one of these things is not like the others" :lol:

:rolleyes: This build thread should be a "Sticky!"

Great work, great imagination!

:rolleyes: This build thread should be a "Sticky!"

Great work, great imagination!

Thats a good one....:-). Thanks!

Today I dismantled everything. I sanded the body edges, rounded them over, sanded the top and back again, and brushed on a couple of coats of shellac. I wanted to seal it all up. I went with Zinsser clear over amber in a quart of premixed.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/shellac.jpg

Setback time.... something in the shellac has affected the top layer of sticks... it almost looks like they expanded across their width....the edges are curled up and this means.......ugggghhhhh. I don't know if the ethanol in the shellac dissolved the glue or what..... I'm disgusted.......it did the exact opposite of what I had intended, which was to seal it all up.

my options are:

A. Mill off the top layer and reglue another layer with a different adhesive.

B. Sand level, and use Bar top epoxy.....

C. nothing...leave it as is and be unhappy with it.

D. fill in the blank_______________

The back had the same experience, except not as bad......

Man, my heart just sank reading that... sand it back and go with the bartop epoxy would get my vote, but then what do I know? I'm just a dumb electrician...

Sand it, epoxy.

C is not an option.

Sand it and try the epoxy or some other type of sealer. I'm thinking the faster it dries the better. Less chance of dissolving the glue or swelling the wood.

Setback time.... something in the shellac has affected the top layer of sticks... it almost looks like they expanded across their width....the edges are curled up and this means.......ugggghhhhh. I don't know if the ethanol in the shellac dissolved the glue or what
Alcohol is hygroscopic, it likely drew moisture from the air, and instead of 1,2 or three pieces to spread the curl/twist across, you had 60 or 70. I would try to sand it level if possible, then use the epoxy or a vinyl sealer. An egg wash might have prevented it, but who knows. As I have found, the price you pay for breaking new ground :roll:

Sorry my friend,



Dave


The back had the same experience, except not as bad.....
More exposed edges because of the routes on the top :wink:

Am psyched by the approach you are taking. As for finish, this seems like a natural for the 2 part clear epoxy that will fill all the voids and self level to a glassy finish. Is that what you meant by "bar top epoxy"?

You are so close to the finish, don't get discouraged. It looks awesome.

Yikes Marty, man I am sympathetic!! Well - this is pretty far out of my depth to be any help, but you have a lot of people pulling for you.

Well' here's a thought... Knowing that once I get some experience doing something - doing it again takes a lot less time; I would be inclined to use a router planing jig or perhaps a Safe-T Planner to "A. Mill off the top layer and reglue another layer with a different adhesive". That would give you the best fix and may actually take less time than messing with that bar-top epoxy: unless, of course, you borrowed Dave's ladle :)

I think B sounds like a good option.

I vote for B, but my popsicle stick tele build experience is zippo, nada, zilch. So really don't put much weight on my vote. Good luck, really hoping this turns out ok. I like this build too much for it to go sideways now.

Uh! You have my full sympathy. I am not s fan of epoxy. If you can find the schedule and afford it, I'd glue up several test pieces of sticks. I would then test different finishes in parallell to decide what works best.

Then sand down to flatness or replace upper layer of sticks before applying the most workable finishing solution.

That is my humble suggestion for an approach.

What's the biggest bottle of CA you can get your hands on? I'd CA the heck out of it.

OK... Things didn't go quite as planned but I'll adjust to the situation. I'm going with choice D. Leaving the body alone overnight allowed the wood to settle back more or less. It has a texture now that probably is similar to snake skin on a bigger scale ( pun intended). There were butt joints that overlapped and I took an xacto knife and ran a chamfer down the joint to remove the high spots. I have to keep reminding myself that it is a craft stick body and it'll be OK no matter what happens. It's kind of organic looking and feeling, with some texture now, but probably less than what that BFG Les Paul feels like. We're moving forward... I like the shellac but will switch to poly for the rest of this. Thanks for al your sympathy, ideas, and suggestions..

I have to keep reminding myself that it is a craft stick body and it'll be OK no matter what happens.

AWesome attitude. Here's hoping you're right; I'm sure you are. Look forward to seeing you overcome this.

AWesome attitude. Here's hoping you're right; I'm sure you are. Look forward to seeing you overcome this.

Same here. Full of admiration.

We're moving forward... I like the shellac but will switch to poly for the rest of this. Thanks for al your sympathy, ideas, and suggestions..

Yeh, I'm a big fan of the Zinsser's too, but it'll work out :smile:

Today I thinned down the pickguard, put a bevel on it and the control plate, and shot them with a coat of lacquer. Sunny, 50 degrees and winds about 15 mph. Just about ideal conditions.... didn't see one bug in the air. :-)

I also sanded the neck and shot a couple of coats of lacquer on it.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/finish.jpg

You can compare the "in the white" with the" in the finish"
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/sticktele2.jpg

That is turning out very nice. I would think the lamination would be as strong or stronger than a solid wood body. The innovation opens doors for the rest of us. Thanks.

It looks good to me. If you still have any problems, you can't see them from here.

Of course I am about 1500 miles away!

Today I thinned down the pickguard, put a bevel on it and the control plate, and shot them with a coat of lacquer. Sunny, 50 degrees and winds about 15 mph. Just about ideal conditions.... didn't see one bug in the air. :-)


Looking great. can't wait to hear it.

I should have been working on a guitar instead of cleaning the garage! It was a beautiful day here in Rachacha.

It looks good to me. If you still have any problems, you can't see them from here.

Of course I am about 1500 miles away!

It was flat after the sanding and now it feels like it has texture. Not horrible feeling....The heat was on yesterday so they shrank back for the most part.

Been to High Island lately? I used to live in Winnie, Tx back in the late 70's.

Looking great. can't wait to hear it.

I should have been working on a guitar instead of cleaning the garage! It was a beautiful day here in Rachacha.

Thanks. It was a good day to be outside. I went to the flea market in Avon for a bit. Nothing guitar related to speak of was calling my name.

That is turning out very nice. I would think the lamination would be as strong or stronger than a solid wood body. The innovation opens doors for the rest of us. Thanks.

Thanks for watching!

It was flat after the sanding and now it feels like it has texture. Not horrible feeling....The heat was on yesterday so they shrank back for the most part.

I sure hope it works out. It's a great looking guitar.

Been to High Island lately? I used to live in Winnie, Tx back in the late 70's.

Not lately, I used to drive down the Bolivar peninsula every time I came back from LA. Hurricane Ike tore it up over there in 2008. Whole communities were gone. I hear people are rebuilding now.

By the way - I grew up in western NY. Tonawanda

Small world eh? I'm from Sweet Home and Sheridan...

Sweet Home, Amherst Central, or Ken East?

I worked in Port Neches. Right in the middle of the path from what I heard.

Yep - it's a small world......but as a comedian once said "I'd hate to paint it"

I Watco'd the rest of the parts. I thought that the knob colors would be a bit bolder for a while til UV takes over. I think I'm right.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/color.jpg

We need a Hall of Fame section with yours being one of the charter inductees.

While I'm waiting for the Watco to dry I made a speaker baffle....ah...doing something different is wonderful therapy.

Wait...a speaker baffle on a Tele? I'm not so sure that's going to work out.
....this being spoken to a guy that builds Telecasters out of popsicle sticks. Duh.

On a serious note, glad to see that you're forging onward, and I for one, like the
idea of the knobs garnering a lot of attention.

Wait...a speaker baffle on a Tele? I'm not so sure that's going to work out.
....this being spoken to a guy that builds Telecasters out of popsicle sticks. Duh.

On a serious note, glad to see that you're forging onward, and I for one, like the
idea of the knobs garnering a lot of attention.

Thanks. I'm loving the knobs.
This is my first amp cabinet ever so I'm doing something new for a change.

We need a Hall of Fame section with yours being one of the charter inductees.

I think that there are others that deserve that section more but thank you. If this ends up sounding OK, then my job is done here. For me it's more about de-mystifying tonewood than anything else.

If this ends up sounding OK, then my job is done here. For me it's more about de-mystifying tonewood than anything else.

I concur. Hence, a concrete guitar... :grin: I guess we're kinda like the mythbusters of guitar :wink:

Thanks. It was a good day to be outside.

I'll agree up to the point when the ice cream truck came down the street.

Went to get me a toasted almond and All they had was ice cream sandwiches. Seems there is a shortage of sticks or sommat - go figure.

and I for one, like the
idea of the knobs garnering a lot of attention.

:shock::shock::shock:


:lol:

Small world eh? I'm from Sweet Home and Sheridan...

Sweet Home, Amherst Central, or Ken East?

I worked in Port Neches. Right in the middle of the path from what I heard.
Very small world - I grew up in Eden, New York :cool:

AND LOVING THE BUILD!!!

since the suggestion was made earlier, maybe these will be in your best interest:

since the suggestion was made earlier, maybe these will be in your best interest:

Believe it or not, there's actually a smaller gauge. Billy Gibbons uses a set of these: 7-9-11-20-30-38

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/dunlop-reverend-willys-electric-guitar-string-set--extra-light/712949000000000

Very small world - I grew up in Eden, New York :cool:

AND LOVING THE BUILD!!!
Thanks... lots of WNY'ers here and you about as far away from it as you can get.

I started to assemble some parts. It's not wired yet. I decided to use a commercial pickup since I didn't want to have a big mismatch with the neck pickup. I only had one tele bridge pickup here and that didn't fit the bridge. The holes are off enough that I didn't want to redrill them bigger. I opted to improvise with an alnico strat pickup and cover. I had to cut the "ears" off in order to fit into the cavity. All in all I think it works for me.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/body-3.jpg

I still have the tone bar/ Ferrule/Ground issues to complete, but I've had enough today and have a solder fume and hot glue gun headache which will necessitate a slice of pizza from the local stone oven guy.

OMG! that is just too much! I love it! That all tied together beautifully! Can't wait to hear it in action. Maybe a lil VH "Ice Cream Man"? :razz:

since the suggestion was made earlier, maybe these will be in your best interest:

No faith in the laminations? :-)

Believe it or not, there's actually a smaller gauge. Billy Gibbons uses a set of these: 7-9-11-20-30-38

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/dunlop-reverend-willys-electric-guitar-string-set--extra-light/712949000000000

I wonder why? I bet he has some calluses and strong fingers by now.

nice! What if you made a craft stick 'cover' for the pickup?

nice! What if you made a craft stick 'cover' for the pickup?

I thought of milling out a stack for each of the pickups, but didn't think enough detail would show to make it worth the effort. I think the black and chrome give it some dignity...:-).

I thought that the tone bar situation could be made easy or hard. I opted for easy. I remembered that I had a routing template here for a TaipanTone Bar that Vince made for me when I did an install a few years back. Taipan ceases to exist I guess, as I haven't heard from Vince in a few years and get no response to inquiries. If you happen to read this Vince, I hope all is well and thanks for making this an easy install. :-)

align the template with the brass insert using (2 ) 1/8" pins. Yes that dremel tool and drill bit are pins.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/bar1.jpg
Remove the brass insert.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/bar2.jpg
I drilled a 7/16" access hole for my 3/8 Stewmac pattern bit...worth its weight in silver. I keep it in a laminate trimmer for immediate use. Not often but once in a while.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/bar3.jpg
Rout out the material.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/bar4.jpg

Completed slot for a tone bar/ ground wire.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/bar5.jpg

Had a stack that was not usable for the build, but was fine for this tonebar. I'll drill some holes and add a brass plate to it for a ground.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/block.jpg

So awesome :cool:

So awesome :cool:
Thanks for watching!

tone stick-- I like it :grin:

tone stick-- I like it :grin:
I think it is a tone stack....:-)

Here is the brass sheet attached. I drilled from the bridge down into and through the stack and brass sheet to get the holes lined up. A bit crooked, oh well, I hope it works.

I drilled an access hole. Now I need to find some solid wire for it.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/brass.jpg

I soldered a piece of solid copper wire to the brass. Recently I bought a Weller soldering gun from Lowes. Man, I wish I'd done that about 25 years ago. It is so nice not to have to fight with the pencil with certain tasks. The brass ground seems to work. Now hopefully the strings will cooperate.

Recently I bought a Weller soldering gun from Lowes. Man, I wish I'd done that about 25 years ago. .

I did the same thing - 37 years ago - I don't think Lowes was around at that time. still use it - it's the only soldering gun I own. I make my own tips for it out of copper wire.

I'm sure you know this, but at the risk of sounding pedantic-- if you really mean a "gun" soldering iron-- keep it AWAY from the pickups! Those can demagnetize a pickup. You probably already knew, but just to be on the safe side... :)

I'm sure you know this, but at the risk of sounding pedantic-- if you really mean a "gun" soldering iron-- keep it AWAY from the pickups! Those can demagnetize a pickup. You probably already knew, but just to be on the safe side... :)

I never really thought much about that...thanks for the suggestion.

I should add that one should keep pickups away from computer magnetic storage...I still use floppies on one computer that runs XP...:-)

Tonewood??!! We don't need no stinking Tonewood!!

All I can say is: Open up and say "Aaah-some"

Great work, I love this build.

Tonewood??!! We don't need no stinking Tonewood!!

All I can say is: Open up and say "Aaah-some"

Great work, I love this build.

Thanks I'm Tongue Tied.....:-)

You may be thinking....what's new here??? It looks the same!

Today it got wired up. I used the guitar electronics diagram for 2 humbuckers, 1 vol, 1 tone, 3 way lever switch.
http://www.**********************/product/WD2HH3L11_00/Guitar-Wiring-Diagram-2-Humbuckers3-Way-Lever-Switch1-Volume1Tone000.html

If you noticed earlier, I had a used harness in there with mini pots ,and of course it worked, but intermittently. I replaced it with 2 new cts pots and jack. It worked first time.... I believe most of the kudos go to the Weller soldering gun which makes the ground connection soooo....easy.....
If you struggle with the wiring portion, 3/4 of the battle are those pesky grounds. 98% done at this point. I just have to buy strings, add a few pickguard screws, adjust the nut, and set it up.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/wired-1.jpg



I also attached the tuners and fastened the knobs and jack plate in for a while. The brass tone bar ground seems to be working well. I'll have to make sure the string ball ends are brass.

Maybe I missed it, but how heavy is she?

Are you using a flat washer on your intonation screw heads? With a wooden bridge I would think that the tension from the strings might try to pull the screws through the bridge. On a related note, I think I may have figured out why there a small springs on the three intonation screws. they do nothing to a saddle compared to the force that the string tension is putting on it already. So, they must be there for a reason when the guitar is not stringed up. I'm thinking during the assembly process, Leo added them to keep tension on the saddles without strings in order not to have them dangle out the bridge and scratch the finish.

Maybe I missed it, but how heavy is she?

About 5.5 lbs best I can tell on the bathroom scale.

Are you using a flat washer on your intonation screw heads? With a wooden bridge I would think that the tension from the strings might try to pull the screws through the bridge. On a related note, I think I may have figured out why there a small springs on the three intonation screws. they do nothing to a saddle compared to the force that the string tension is putting on it already. So, they must be there for a reason when the guitar is not stringed up. I'm thinking during the assembly process, Leo added them to keep tension on the saddles without strings in order not to have them dangle out the bridge and scratch the finish.

They are round head machine screws. Being string through, I'm hoping the leading edge of the body and string through holes will bear the brunt of some of the string tension and the saddles will take an angled downward force vector I think. We'll see how things hold up in a bit. The saddles will probably move before the bridge screws I think. Steel string acoustic guitars that are top loaders seem to do ok and have more tension on them.

The saddles do tend to flop around without springs until strings are on them.

About 5.5 lbs best I can tell on the bathroom scale.

Wow! Not bad!

Wow! Not bad!

Yeah..I thought it would be an anchor by the weight of the original glued up stacks, but much of that was probably waste and glue moisture. Remember there isn't a truss rod......yet....

After sitting with the guitar yesterday and thinking what Motor City mentioned yesterday, I started to think about the strain on the bridge in more detail, I have decided to add some angle aluminum to it. to help support the saddles and change the break angle of the strings over the saddles.

I took the day off from it today, as I didn't want to cut my hands before practice tonite.

Looks great, and totally unique! The colored parts
definitely add to the playfulness vibe that a guitar
like this needs, I think.

Your tenacity in realizing your vision is inspiring!

Your tenacity in realizing your vision is inspiring!

+1. Stick-to-it-ness!

I wonder why? I bet he has some calluses and strong fingers by now.

I was surprised to hear that as well, since he has great tone obviously. But I saw an interview with his guitar tech and he said Billy just has a really light touch. And he said he never breaks strings. :!:

+1. Stick-to-it-ness!

Pun intended?

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/alum.jpg

Looks great, and totally unique! The colored parts
definitely add to the playfulness vibe that a guitar
like this needs, I think.

Your tenacity in realizing your vision is inspiring!
Thanks for that!

+1. Stick-to-it-ness!

Thanks...it wasn't as bad as I was expecting.

Pun intended?

I hope so...:-)

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/alum.jpg

ah... guess there was either a structural issue or a grounding issue?

Still looks awesome! To tell the truth, I'm shocked that you've managed to make so many parts out of sticks and glue alone.

ah... guess there was either a structural issue or a grounding issue?

Still looks awesome! To tell the truth, I'm shocked that you've managed to make so many parts out of sticks and glue alone.



A few days ago, it came up that the saddles would be taking the brunt of the tension, so I wanted to beef up that area before I strung it up. My last task is going to try and elevate the break angle of the strings on the saddles so it is pushing down more than pushing forward. My goal was to make as many things out of sticks that was feasible.

Here is a shot of some pre-saddles I made. The aluminum was a cutoff from a piece of aluminum angle that I cut the rounded edge off of. I saved it for some reason and this must have been the reason. I drilled the holes to line up with the mounting holes and hopefully with some luck, it will all work together to ramp the strings up almost to saddle fretwire height and take some pressure off the saddles.... we shall see. I'll buy some screws tomorrow at the hardware store and see what happens. If they work, I'll clean up the rough edges and then put some strings on. Just some nut work and we're done (assuming this works).
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/presaddles.jpg

Really cool build, and really unique idea. Good job so far!

Really cool build, and really unique idea. Good job so far!
Thanks.... I see light at the end of the tunnel now.

This might actually work. That's a scary thought, eh? My original temporary screws in place. I'll swap a couple of these and put the short ones on the ends.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/presaddles2.jpg

That looks like a great piece of engineering there, Marty. Don't you love clearing new ground and forging new pathways?

That looks like a great piece of engineering there, Marty. Don't you love clearing new ground and forging new pathways?

Thanks. If I had a real milling machine I could have done a onc piece kind of device to do it all, but this should do the same thing.

It's usually the "simple little things" that are the coolest. Well, at least to me anyway.

Love the little string-rest-thingys.

Thanks.... I see light at the end of the tunnel now.

The light at the end of my tunnel was a burglar's torch! :lol:




DC

I had my doubts about the popsicle sticks, but this is turning out really cool. Great job, and imaginative fixes!

Nice work. At first I was like, he's not really going to... Oh yes he did.. Holy creamsicle! I wouldn't have thought it was possible to do the neck, but wow you pulled it off. Good for you. I probably would have gone with fiberglass cloth between the layers, but its easy to say that after the fact. Its another thing altogether when your facing new frontiers! Good luck and again nice work!

Regards,

Don

Wow!

Well done on the bridge. With the fret inserts on the bridge barrels you should really twang now! Was the inclusion of the fret inserts a result of an amplified sound test or a hunch?

Barncaster

Cleaned up the saddles and bolted the bridge back on. I made a shim out of a stick and bolted the neck back on. I added the strings and tuned it up. It works! The neck seems to be pretty straight so far, saddles are holding fine. Sounds kind of mellowy, jazz guitar-like from what I can tell. Not shrill and not too bassy. I'll need to shim up the 2 and 5 strings by elevating the saddles a bit on those sides. The nut needs more tweaking and the intonation needs to be checked. I'll keep it tuned up for a while today and see what happens.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/tada.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/tada2.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/tada3.jpg

It's usually the "simple little things" that are the coolest. Well, at least to me anyway.

Love the little string-rest-thingys.
Thanks. They remind me of Monopoly houses a little.

The light at the end of my tunnel was a burglar's torch! :lol:




DC

I'm not quite sure how to take this one...LOL.

congratulations, Marty! Such a well thought out theme and design!

Wow!

Well done on the bridge. With the fret inserts on the bridge barrels you should really twang now! Was the inclusion of the fret inserts a result of an amplified sound test or a hunch?

Barncaster

Thanks. I think the wood is a dampener of twang, not an enhancer.
The pre saddles were as a result of Motor City's last response. It made me start questioning the saddle strength.....

Nice work. At first I was like, he's not really going to... Oh yes he did.. Holy creamsicle! I wouldn't have thought it was possible to do the neck, but wow you pulled it off. Good for you. I probably would have gone with fiberglass cloth between the layers, but its easy to say that after the fact. Its another thing altogether when your facing new frontiers! Good luck and again nice work!

Regards,

Don
Thanks. Hey, it's not for everybody... but was a fun project just to see if it could be done. The neck is more rigid than a comparable hunk of solid maple from what I see.

congratulations, Marty! Such a well thought out theme and design!

Thanks... I guess we are both junior tone wood experts now, eh?

Gorgeous! I love the stick look on the headstock. Beautiful all around.

But where are the "Stick"ups?
Any last minute additions or is she pretty much done? Great work GB!

Gorgeous! I love the stick look on the headstock. Beautiful all around.

But where are the "Stick"ups?
Any last minute additions or is she pretty much done? Great work GB!

Thanks!
here are a couple minor things I need to wrap up before it is done-done but it is 99% done at this point. I'm trying to decide if I want a logo or not.

The pickup covers would have had to be so thin that I deemed it a waste of time considering the amount of time left in the challenge to get done.

I can always try stick ups on the Stratostickster which would be next in the series.:-)

Why am I paying high dollar for my stuff when I could get all the supplies I need from the Blue Bunny truck?

Thanks... I guess we are both junior tone wood experts now, eh?
:lol: I suppose so. We're like the Super Friends-- united against the forces of misinformation :razz:

Why am I paying high dollar for my stuff when I could get all the supplies I need from the Blue Bunny truck?

Well I could have made a poplar body and maple neck for less than I spent on sticks and glue, but what fun would that have been? :-)

I've been lurking and observing this build, very very cool. Is a sound clip part of the process?

Wow. It is sort of unreal to see the finished guitar. Makes one wonder if those "as few pieces of whole tonewood as possible is key" dogmas have any real merit when it comes to electric guitars...

Looking forward to hear the sound clips.

To me this guitar is the essence of the challenge. If you don't challenge yourself to do something new, whatever your skill level, then you left something on the table. This has been a fun build to watch an experienced luthier build and solve problems and come up with a really cool guitar. Thanks for sharing the ride.

Brilliant, Marty!

Alas, according to the rules, the next one you make, you'll need to leave the actual popsicle component on the sticks. :wink:

(it's in there somewhere, ask Paul) :mrgreen:

Brilliant, Marty!

Alas, according to the rules, the next one you make, you'll need to leave the actual popsicle component on the sticks. :wink:

(it's in there somewhere, ask Paul) :mrgreen:

Brilliant isn't one of the words that I'd go with here myself :-)... but thanks !

If you want popsicle residue, then we'd have to have the challenge in January and February around here.

To me this guitar is the essence of the challenge. If you don't challenge yourself to do something new, whatever your skill level, then you left something on the table. This has been a fun build to watch an experienced luthier build and solve problems and come up with a really cool guitar. Thanks for sharing the ride.
Thanks for watching.... it is definitely different than your average tele :-).

Wow. It is sort of unreal to see the finished guitar. Makes one wonder if those "as few pieces of whole tonewood as possible is key" dogmas have any real merit when it comes to electric guitars...

Looking forward to hear the sound clips.
Thanks... a recording will be the next hurdle I guess.

I've been lurking and observing this build, very very cool. Is a sound clip part of the process?

Welcome to the forum. A video is part of the challenge requirements and probably the last thing that I really want to do......

Playing with a nameplate/logo idea...not sure I want to use it.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/nameplate.jpg

I like it! Could you mill all the way thru so the letters show the sticks underneath?

Welcome to the forum. A video is part of the challenge requirements and probably the last thing that I really want to do......

Oddly enough - that's the last thing you have to do! :grin:

If you don't like the plate on the headstock, you could always put it on the back somewhere. I like it.

Oddly enough - that's the last thing you have to do! :grin:

If you don't like the plate on the headstock, you could always put it on the back somewhere. I like it.

Yeah...maybe the back... I don't know quite yet.

I like it! Could you mill all the way thru so the letters show the sticks underneath?

I don't have the right bits to cut into it and still make out the letters. I thought I had some laminated plastic but I do not.

[QUOTE=RogerC;4142577We're like the Super Friends-- united against the forces of misinformation :razz:[/QUOTE]

We seriously need a famous quotes sub-forum.

Fantastick :lol:
Great job.

Fantastick :lol:
Great job.

Thanks!

Let's see if this thing works too.
http://youtu.be/uG0O40H1NZo

Let's see if this thing works too.
http://youtu.be/uG0O40H1NZo

Outstanding! I would have never believed it if i hadn't seen it and heard it myself. A Popsicle Stick Telecaster. Amazing build and a great job . Congrats!

uG0O40H1NZo

Unreal!! Dude you built a guitar out of popsicle sticks!!!! I am wicked impressed, congrats!

Matchstick men FTW!

Pictures of craftstick men and you...

I can't seem to view the video. It says it is unlisted and that I need the link.

Edit:

Very strange. Once I clicked on the embedded video above, I could view it.

It sounds like a tele. Hard to believe it is popsicle sticks. I wouldn't know it, if I hadn't seen it.

Matchstick men FTW!

Pictures of craftstick men and you...

That is really funny...I never thought of that....

When I look up to the skies I see your eyes a funny kind of yellow
Glue...:-)

Sounds great. Awesome job - incredibly unique build!

I can't seem to view the video. It says it is unlisted and that I need the link.

Edit: Very strange. Once I clicked on the embedded video above, I could view it.

I kept it unlisted as it's just for those few who can stomach it...:-). I never made a video and posted it before... pretty much took a couple hours to do it and get it on youtube. Spent a whopping 5 dollars on a mic at Walmart this morning and fired up our old laptop..... Nothing but the best...LOL.

Sounds great. Awesome job - incredibly unique build!

Thanks for your support over the last few weeks!

Outstanding! I would have never believed it if i hadn't seen it and heard it myself. A Popsicle Stick Telecaster. Amazing build and a great job . Congrats!

uG0O40H1NZo

Thanks and thanks for posting the video... I had no clue how to do that...:-)

Unreal!! Dude you built a guitar out of popsicle sticks!!!! I am wicked impressed, congrats!

Impressed like Tongue Depressed......:-). Thanks for your support!

YESSSSS! My hat's off to you, Marty. You had a wonderfully unique concept and nailed it! Bravo!

Wow! The popsicool stickcaster sounds great.

This is truly amazing. Very nice work.

Fantastic Marty, you did it! I must admit, when you first told us the concept I thought "this guy's crackers!, it'll never work!" But I am so glad to be proved wrong.:lol: Well done.:cool:

Brilliant!

Good job Marty, Like a lot of other people I originaly thought it would never fly, as the build progressed I was happy to be proven wrong! Looks good, sounds great!

That video stuff is not easy is it? I think I had about 30 takes before I managed to play something right through without stopping and uttering expletives, and would have been stumped but for the help of friend Kwerk on the technical stuff.

Congratulations again. DC

Wow , truly amazing build , sounds great :smile:

Simply marvelous

Wow Marty,

The string definition is impressive. It sounds fantastic! Honestly I thought you were going to hit us with Van Halen's "Ice Cream Man". Then you whipped out the very arcane "Pictures of Matchstick Men"! One of my favorite tunes from the waaaay back. Very cool. :cool: Thanks brother. This was a great build.

Barncaster

YESSSSS! My hat's off to you, Marty. You had a wonderfully unique concept and nailed it! Bravo!

Thanks again! The guitar neck is staying pretty darn straight and I'm getting used to the feel of it.

Wow! The popsicool stickcaster sounds great.
Thanks....It would sound better with somebody who knows how to play better.... oh well. I can't do everything I guess.

This is truly amazing. Very nice work.

Thanks! I enjoyed the different problems that cropped up and that I had to try and overcome.

Fantastic Marty, you did it! I must admit, when you first told us the concept I thought "this guy's crackers!, it'll never work!" But I am so glad to be proved wrong.:lol: Well done.:cool:

The only doubt was the lack of a truss rod and later on, the potential saddle issues. I had faith with the craft sticks from my bridge experiences.

Brilliant!

Nah... just persistant....

Good job Marty, Like a lot of other people I originaly thought it would never fly, as the build progressed I was happy to be proven wrong! Looks good, sounds great!

That video stuff is not easy is it? I think I had about 30 takes before I managed to play something right through without stopping and uttering expletives, and would have been stumped but for the help of friend Kwerk on the technical stuff.

Congratulations again. DC

Thanks! The video would have been easier if a hack wasn't playing all the various roles...:-). I don 't have a need to make more youtube videos for a while. It really loaded and rendered too slow.... about 80 minutes.

Wow , truly amazing build , sounds great :smile:

Thanks... It sounds pretty good, I'm still trying to figure out what it reminds me of. I never had a thinline, so I can't tell if that's how they sort of sound.

Simply marvelous

It pretty much came out like I had hoped.... Advanced summer camp crafts class project.

Wow Marty,

The string definition is impressive. It sounds fantastic! Honestly I thought you were going to hit us with Van Halen's "Ice Cream Man". Then you whipped out the very arcane "Pictures of Matchstick Men"! One of my favorite tunes from the waaaay back. Very cool. :cool: Thanks brother. This was a great build.

Barncaster
Thanks. I bought that single back in the day, along with the Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermint, and Hot Smoke and Sassafras by Bubble Puppy, among my other psuedo psychedelic singles. I really liked the different effects they used.

A fine display of craftsmanstick...

Any idea as to how many piece body that is????:lol:

All of the "tone wood" for electric guitar debates on here should be directed to this and the concretecaster.

Great job, thanks for showing us how do-able it really is.

A fine display of craftsmanstick...

Any idea as to how many piece body that is????:lol:

All of the "tone wood" for electric guitar debates on here should be directed to this and the concretecaster.

Great job, thanks for showing us how do-able it really is.


Thanks. Conservatively, I'd say over 1000 sticks in the body. That's about 80 sticks per layer and about 8 layers for the top and back. The neck through part is about 5 sticks wide by 4 long and times about 20 layers. Another 200 or so minimum for the sides. I think I bought 2100 of the big ones and still have some left over in one box

really amazing build and it sounds really good - congratulations

really amazing build and it sounds really good - congratulations

Thank you! I'm thinking of a craftstick LP now.....:-) That could be more involved.

Thank you! I'm thinking of a craftstick LP now.....:-) That could be more involved.

how about chopsticks ? :mrgreen:

Sounds great, Marty! Congrats on sticking it out. A brilliant accomplishment all round.

Thank you. I appreciate you keeping up with the thread.

how about chopsticks ? :mrgreen:

I'd have to deal with the tapered ends... I think jenga wood could be easier.

Thank you to all who have been watching my progress. It has been a lot of fun the past 7 weeks or so.

I'd personally like to wish all the contestants good luck. Win or Lose..it's new guitar day if you finish the contest :-).

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s162/mmgguitars/tada.jpg

uG0O40H1NZo