If i wanted to do a blue flower esquire...

[kylef]

how could it be done?

got a blue flower body coming my way, and would like to do something different with it. i have a cij paisley, and a cij 62, so something different in direction is on call. i really love the sound of the 'crocked wah' that some esquires do, and would like to do this with one of my tele's, so if i could manage to do an esquire out of this, i will.

problem is, i like the see through guard thing, but if it was a see through guard, then the route for the pickup would be on show? but then if i did an esquire white guard, its not going to be the same.

so was just wondering if any you guys had an idea of what to do. there might be nothing, there may be a small trick. always come to you guys for advice first before i do anything tho. you guys are great

cheers

[jwells393]

Your simplest solution is to get a clear Esquire guard and spray a patch of Lake Placid Blue on the back side in the neck pickup area just like the original pickguard.

To spray the LPB patch you need to make a mask from a manila folder or stiff cardboard. Cut out an oval shape and hold it above the surface when you spray. This of course will require some testing and practicing to get the right size oval shape and correct height to hold the mask.

You could also just cut out a circle and move the mask around as you spray.

After thinking about it some more I would cut an oval shape out of stiff cardboard. Use your pink spray pattern on your paisley to get an idea of the shape and size for the oval. I would use double sided tape to mount the mask on two wood blocks on the sides of the pickguard. This will allow you to hold or mount the pickguard vertically so you can spray perpendicular to the guard.

[kylef]

this is exactly what i had in mind. thought this was the best way....wouldnt hurt to ask though, maybe a little technique someone had done before me.

you think this would look ok?

if i cant find an fender 69 RI neck, im thinking of going down the route of a modified squier 51 neck to look more vintage, tinited to an amberish colour.

ive got a bridge and pots there for the wiring....then just got to find out on the wiring of an esquire for the crocked wah sound.

looking forward to this build after having a good experience on my last build.

[CatfishStudios]

Should look nice!...Flash us a pic of that body when she gets in!

[Buckocaster51]

I don't see you making that route go away in any way that is going to look better than the route itself.

There is Blue Flower plastic sheet listed here. It doesn't look exactly like the guitars, and it is currently out of stock, but it might give you an idea.

Or not.

[jwells393]

Here's a little test I just did. I cut a 1 in. by 3 1/2 in. slot in some poster board to make a mask. I cut some 3/4 in. wooden blocks to hold the mask off the target.

......

Here's the result. The fuzzy area measures approximately 4 1/2 x 1 3/4 in. I'd probably use a smaller slot if I were you but I think the 3/4 in. spacing between the mask and target is about right.

......

[mistermullens]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Here's a little test I just did. I cut a 1 in. by 3 1/2 in. slot in some poster board to make a mask. I cut some 3/4 in. wooden blocks to hold the mask off the target.

......

Here's the result. The fuzzy area measures approximately 4 1/2 x 1 3/4 in. I'd probably use a smaller slot if I were you but I think the 3/4 in. spacing between the mask and target is about right.

......

Nice job. Exactly what I was thinking.

[Buckocaster51]

Jack's method works.

I have used it a few times but cannot find a photo right now.

Maximize the distance between the sprayer and the mask. You want to culminate the paint droplets as they pass through. Just like the electron mask worked on the old color TV CRTs.

[kylef]

jack, big thank you for the effort youve put in. thats what i like about this place!! so thanks for that! the finished spray looks quite dark doesnt it?

ive noticed on the back of my paisley guard, that the pink spray is then overdone with white...dont know if this is to seal it, or give it an undercoat to brighten it up?

looks like this could go ahead then. all i will have to start with is the blue flower body, blue flower pickguard, 69 bridge, and i have an unwired control plate with a 3 way, 250k volume and 250k no-load tone sitting in. unwired...until i decide on what im going to do.

always wanted an esquire, so as this will be my 3rd telecaster, i think id be aswell doing something different with it. looking forward to the build whatever i do though.

[jwells393]

Don't draw any conclusions from the test I did with regard to color. I used Dupli-Color Metal Specks which has bigger metallic particles than most metallics like Lake Placid Blue. I played around with the picture a little before posting it. The actual color on the target board is closer to the color you see on the mask.

[kylef]

some pics for the people that requested them.........

so far i just have the body. got a '69 RI neck coming though, and a RI blu flower pickguard - which i wont use if its going esquire, and a CIJ tele bridge which ill probably use but put callaham saddles on.

hopefully will be a cracker.

pics:



wierd image:

[Nick JD]

That looks fantastic! I like the flower better than the paisley. Homer says, "WHOO HOOO".

[kylef]

anyone know exactly where i could get a spray to match the lake placid blue edges?

either in the UK or would ship to the UK?

otherwise, what spray cans am i best to go for?

[telel6s]

Originally Posted by kylef

weird image:

What weird image....this is a great shot. Do it again when you've got the whole guitar put together and you've got your self an album cover.

[littlericky]

If the floral pattern by the neck pickup slot is repeated somewhere else on the body you could scan it in, print it out in color and sandwhich it between the body and the pickguard. If you cut the pattern around the flowers(follow the shapes) it would probably be next to invisible.e is no match there is always Photoshop.

[jwells393]

Here in the USA many auto parts stores have an array of small spray cans of touch up paint to match various automobiles. Maybe you have something similar in the UK.

In looking at pictures of the new 2008 Blue Flower models, the paint on the pickguard seems to be darker than the Lake Placid.

......

[freshmattyp]

Anothe possibility would be to just put an empty pickup cover in the rout, it would maintain the look of a tele but would sound like an esquire.

[kylef]

Originally Posted by telel6s

What weird image....this is a great shot. Do it again when you've got the whole guitar put together and you've got your self an album cover.

the image is wierd as the sun light was shining in the room at the time, and really on the guitar....when i took the photo the rest of the light cancelled out and became black apart from the guitar light.

we have car stores all over the place called halfords....this was actually the best bet for me to find a spray can suitable.

i dont really want it too dark, as it will look out of place if its just a dark blue spot on the guitar. i would put in a dummy pickup, but would rather have the esquire lok aswell, as id like something different.

there actually might be a same pattern i could slip in....its on the main edge of the guitar just before the bridge....wonder if it might be something to consider? hopefully it would only be noticable from close range?

[ste993]

^You know, I had wondered if you could do a really high resolution copy of the pattern on the body and carefully cut out a section to use over the hole. Just a thought?

[timmer]

It would be really cool if you could do something like this with the Esquire guard. I don't know if I've ever seen a clear Esquire guard though.



There's a better pic here.

[kylef]

i know where to get an esquire guard...but the stratocaster blue flower has a different pattern printed onto the guard, not a see through.

think the high resolution pic section might be worth a try. dont think any printer of mine would have the power to do it justice though. wonder if there is a sheet i could get available?

i notice that just below the neck pickup route there is the blotched pink, as is there on the body near the bridge......so the flowers that go up from there would be the same as the neck pickup route that has the paper missing because of the route......

[kylef]

i had a little play tonight. got the best camera i could find out, and got the symmetrical pattern and took a picture of it.

this is the best i could get with it. the problem i am going to have is the foil.....nothing about it looks metallic so is why it sticks out. this was a very quick practise, and has however shown me that this is the route i want to take.

so my problem now is getting the shine onto it. never going to happen me thinks. but i am wondering if using a better camera that i can borrow will work. getting the correct size to print off was a nightmare though, and will only be the same again.
another thing im thinking of is scanning it in, or photocopying it even. but again, the metallicness and the foil are goin to disturn that me thinks!

heres some photos i took....imagining it being perfect makes me want to do it all the more!! it would look so good!

[ste993]

It's looking good! I think you're onto something now. Perhaps you can take the body to a decent copier/printer and get a couple of copies done and try different things out.... what about spraying one copy with some lacquer to give it a sheen?

[Nick JD]

Perhaps you could color scan/photocopy the front and back - and post here the two files so we can all have blue flower telecasters! Same with the paisleycasters....