Project Unison-That Jazz

BillStickers · 07-20-2010, 05:21 PM

OK... wacky tacky X-Files Thread titles and even crazier guitars.

Some of you may know my Strat '51 design under the thread "Project 51-the Strat".
http://www.squier-talk.com/forum/squier-stratocasters/1091-project-51-strat.html

Now begins a redux of my very first project. A Kramer VT11S piece of crap; you can use plywood to good effect but this was NOT to avail it. It was in a no way a Oscar Schimdt blues charmer. I tried using Jimmy Page wiring on it as I was a novice and a fan. It failed miserably in that it was rubbish.

Now that I am better self-taught, I have revisited the project with plans to rebuild from the Ground up. It is certain that the Guitar will only possess the neck plate as an original part

.

The initial inspirations are numerous so I'll list them with a commentary:

The other Cob Strat (not the Vandalism Strat, the one with the rails in the Bridge)
The Fender Strat (It is a Strat)
The Fender Telecaster (It has a Tele neck PUP)
The Fender Esquire }(it has a setting that mirrors all 3 early Tele designs)
The Fender Broadcaster}^
The Fender NOcaster}^
The Fender Jaguar (the strangle switch has also been echoed but with a strange twist that doubles as a Broadcast/NOcaster reference)
The Gibson Les Paul (an HH configuration is possible)
The Gibson L-5 (these old Jazz Guitar aesthetics really appeal to me as a modest ripple from the past; thusly it's a Rosewood fingerboard, Maple neck, Vintage Sunburst body and 3-ply B/W/B scratchplate.)

It's a GAS cure-all. YES, A GAS CURE-ALL.

At least for my GAS

It's a Unison and it's got that Jazz influence. Project Unison-That Jazz will create:
The UniStrat

Enjoy this zany drama!

BillStickers · 07-20-2010, 06:13 PM

Firstly, how does one install a Tele Neck PUP in a Strat?

-A cheap Strat pickup cover (I think the one I used is a bridge PUP cover)

-Sharp knife or scalpel maybe even a sharp chisel. ( I used a sharp chisel to cut the grooves; I'd been carving recently

)

-The Wood screw type pickup screws, not the fine threaded Bolt-like ones. You could try the usual Strat screws like on my Middle PUP but it's bleeding difficult esp. if you have Fibre Bobbins not plastic ones.

The way you do it is:
-Lob the top off the Strat PUP Cover
-Cut small Triangular grooves in the Tele PUP parallel to the oroignal pre-drilled holes
-Add the Strat PUP Cover
-Position onto the Scratchplate them add the screws and springs
-Wedge the screws between the grooves you made in the Tele PUP the the outer edge of the Strat PUP Cover. This may take some difficulty but it's the Springs that'll help keep everything flush and in place.
Apologies for the blurry pics

So here we go:

If you try this, good luck and try not to cut into the pre-drilled Tele screw hole or it might bugger things up as well as not allowing you to use them in the future if needed. A BIG good luck to getting the screws in right

I got it right straight away but the screw wasn't straight so I started again and spent 5 mins getting it right again

These PUPs are from IronGear and they're gorgeous. Each one cost less than £30 and they're damn well made. Waxed cloth on the Tele PUP along with them all using proper Fibre Bobbins rather than cheap plastic ones. The Tele even has the cover correctly Grounded!

I hope this was helpful to someone

more when I get myself a body for this thing

BillStickers · 07-27-2010, 11:21 AM

Just bought this body:

BillStickers · 07-27-2010, 11:23 AM

Guy said it was Ash but maybe Alder.
Methinks it's Alder. Almost a One-Piece body but for the piece on the upper bout.

Stratatattat · 07-27-2010, 12:15 PM

squier body? or unknown?

BillStickers · 07-27-2010, 01:26 PM

Don't know... Could be a whole number of things... He called it a 1954 Strat Body Replica, presumably because that was the title it was sold under to him. Could be a generic body, an old Tokai, some Squier or other.

Methinks it's just a generic body, but if my curiosity itches I'll look around.

BillStickers · 07-27-2010, 03:57 PM

Concept

Jazzmaster-esque headstock though and all-Chrome components.

Robb. · 07-27-2010, 07:36 PM

I like it already man, good luck with this one

BillStickers · 07-28-2010, 06:51 AM

I also already have a Mighty Mite neck with a paddle Headstock... I cut it a while back but it looks retarded and too chunky, amazingly. I'm it cutting to be like a Jazzmaster headstock as I like the "Right angle" that comes from the Nut over the Strat "45* Angle". It should end up looking as chunky as a Jaguar headstock or some of the nicer original Duo-Sonic IIs but as nice looking as a Jazzmaster headstock... still trying to get the template right.

Methinks I'll try it in MDF first so I don't have to cringe if it's not right; there's not much left to cut off, gotta be careful.

BillStickers · 07-30-2010, 10:41 AM

Switching Chart for Version 1 using a 5-way Super Blade Switch:

Switching Chart for Version 2 using a regular 5-way Blade switch:

The difference between them is in Version 1 the Bridge uses the South Coil so it's like RWRP with when the Neck. I suppose that'd mean it would work better... but is it worth the extra money and effort spent on a 5-way Super Switch?

If you want to see my wiring diagram you can...

(I hope I might get accredited a little for this design and that some folks may adopt it and say "Bill Stickers made this"... but I get the feeling it might not catch on... or people will just give no credit whatsoever and perhaps praise themselves for a while... or miraculously, folks will say "WOW well done! I wanna try that!" and it'll be all nice and innocent...)

BILL STICKERS IS INNOCENT

BillStickers · 07-31-2010, 02:20 PM

My word... My idea was to emulate as many of the popular Fender and Gibson models as I could within one Guitar.

Seems Bill Lawrence himself had the same idea! He even reminds me of many of my own thoughts... kinda eerily almost.
http://www.billlawrence.com/Pages/L6S.htm

Another random thing I came across on Google is this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalopanax
That's "Japanese Ash", "Sen Wood", "Sen Ash" and etc. a thorny tree that grows easily and is a member of the Ivy Family...

BillStickers · 08-02-2010, 06:10 PM

I think I've got the headstock right... haven't cut it yet.

Guy forgot to post the body... so STILL waiting.

If someone wants the wiring I'll reluctantly share

but as you've seen by the Switching Charts, there are 2 versions; one with a 5-way "Super" Switch and the other with a Standard 5-way Switch.

edandis · 08-02-2010, 06:16 PM

Good luck, should look great.

Robb. · 08-03-2010, 07:17 PM

this should be awesome

BillStickers · 08-06-2010, 08:45 PM

The bridge and knobs:

A real Chrome Fest

I took the Trem Arm Tip off as I like it stripped to show the Grip... I may replace it though with a Chrome Tip

BillStickers · 08-06-2010, 09:01 PM

The body arrived on Tuesday and I took some photos:

I then took it over to my bros to put together.. not immediately though, I haven't got all the parts

The screw holes were all over the place. So I filled them in, aside from the one at the tip of the plate on the lower horn cutaway and the one furthest to the Right of the Bridge on that "hump".

BillStickers · 08-06-2010, 09:06 PM

Here you might be able to see the only two screws that are correct:

Pre-filling the holes:

And I forgot to do a "Post-filling pic... it's not important but lots of pics s nice

even if they're arbitrary.
Please keep in mind I have Photographed all my stuff in a RAW format (.DNG) and I put 'em through Photoshop for some quick adjustments. I've only fiddled with the Light and such, no specific colour fiddling or adjustments with a brush. If you don't like my pics in this setup, I can and will post JPEGs instead

The Jack rout also needs to be drilled a little... dunno what the technical jargon is but this picture faces the area I mean to drill. This is so the jack I'm using will have enough room.

Here's the Neck. Mighty Mite Paddle Headstock with Jumbo Frets and Rosewood Fingerboard. First cut was crap. I copied the headstock shape from my Strat '51 project http://www.squier-talk.com/forum/squ...1-strat-2.html and drew it on the back. I then extended it to suit the "Right-angle". After that, I enlarged the circular bit using the pen rest from my bros tablet

a small jam jar lid would do it too. Strat headstock shape>change 45 degree to 90 degree*>enlarge round bit to CBS size.

*I refer to that bit that curves round from the Nut and meet a corner that follows on towards the round bit... I'm not sure that makes any sense but just compare the headstocks and you should see what looks like a "45 degree" angle and a "90 degree" angle.

BillStickers · 08-06-2010, 09:30 PM

I drew the shape straight onto the back... so I haven't got a template

I had to trace it and apply it to the front... didn't go well...

Looks better on the back. I can't help but notice but the round bit looks like a Bum cheek with the wavey bit as the run up to a shoulder then to a Neck.. whick actually constitutes the Neck itself! Are you seeing it? It's kinda like a woman... think of the Pink Floyd "Back Catalogue" poster... I suppose it kinda makes sense that the Teen Artist favours the Jazzmaster headstock as it anthropomorphizes the Neck into a sculpture of the Female form...

I guess that means Guitars are like African sculptures of woman with those long necks and really big heads... the sculptures of course not the women themselves, their necks don't extend that far... befitting as the Guitar originates from Africa and the Middle East. I guess the body kinda becomes a weird back of the head with hair flowing down into two horns... the scratchplate is then an odd Picasso face then... with 3 eyes!? :S
The Backplate would be a door in the back of their head!

YouTube- ‪Solid (The Dandy...

"CUZ I MUST HAVE A DOOR IN THE BACK OF MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, BACK OF MY HEAD!"

BillStickers · 08-06-2010, 09:33 PM

A quick but badly shot "QuasiPreview"

GukkanGwnarkill · 08-07-2010, 01:55 AM

Looking good!! Can't wait to see the headstock finished.

pictoratus · 08-07-2010, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GukkanGwnarkill

Looking good!! Can't wait to see the headstock finished.

Same here. Let us know how it goes with the cutting/trimming/shaping, etc.

edandis · 08-07-2010, 12:37 PM

Looking great so far, good luck with the headstock.

BillStickers · 08-09-2010, 07:16 PM

...this thing has just had it's Bridge installed...

I'm biting my lip though because I let my Step Dad do it (technically Foster Dad but I've grown used to step dad, he is related... sorta.. legally... I guess... Mum's previous marriage... My Bro is actually a half bro...)

Anyhow...

I measured it all right.
BUT.
That little lip in the Trem Block route, the one further towards the Springs and the Neck, you can see it in the pics... it caused the drill to skewer off so I've ended up with... is it even safe to say... shoit holes...

Maybe it'll work out... maybe...

Reassurance anyone?

It seemed more to me he didn't drill the holes straight and it punctured the side into the Trem Routing. But I could be pointing fingers like an idiotic arsehole...
He then secured the studs with Epoxy... which I voiced I wasn't comfortable with... but it got done.

So I got 2 studs loosely installed, tight only with Epoxy and still needing gaps filled.

I feel I am simply b*tching and should quit typing and deal but I'm thinking pessimistically:
"Damn. £40 buggered. Even if it survives it's sustained will be a tragic story or something."

But I've been making fixes kinda like these at Hobgoblins Music for my internship, something tells me it'll work out fine in some way. Or the master just made a mistake and a father figure in my life has just become seriously fallable.

Then again... I'm catastrophizing.

Maybe I should just keep cool and brush it by... it's nothing to screw my head into a metaphorical wall over

edandis · 08-09-2010, 07:23 PM

It's a shame about those holes and the studs tightened with epoxy. Only time will tell if it actually affects the tone.

Cheer up though, maybe someone at Hobgoblin's can help you with it.

BillStickers · 08-09-2010, 07:48 PM

...yh... me probably xD
I'll talk to Mike (the Luthier there) about it. My Mum just told me of an allegorical story referring to her ear piercings being one crooked and the only one crooked by a guy whom everyone highly recommended. I'm going to be cool about it. Good words with Mum

.

It'll still look great! The wiring should be cool either way.

But I can't decide what I want to do exactly. The Neck/Middle Tone control is decided, no fuss there. I dunno bout the Bridge PUP though...

.022uF Cap?
.033uF Cap?
.047uF Cap?
Greasebucket?

I'm leaning towards a .033uF. Does anyone concur?

BillStickers · 08-09-2010, 10:03 PM

I really want some of these 6-in-Line:
http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images...100-460-70.jpg

Any ideas?
Anyone?

BillStickers · 08-13-2010, 02:17 PM

Are you ready with your sick buckets?

Well you should've been!

Now here's some previews and parts...

BillStickers · 08-13-2010, 02:22 PM

Sadly I under exposed ALL my pics today so they've turned out REALLY f*cked... it's just not been a good day...

But my parts did arrive VERY quickly I might add

I'm uber psyched I have a genuine Fender part! Like psyched in a "Charlie just got the Golden Ticket and he's in a poor poor family" way. Although I'm almost scared to use it as it feels delicate... I was disappointed that it's "clicky" and not "springy" like a regular Fender switch... oh well...

BillStickers · 08-17-2010, 12:01 PM

Well... the bridge is wonky... I can't change that

I should've taken it with me to hobgoblins and learnt to do it myself

oh well, it's not the end of the world... but near the end of my sanity

LOL

Ahem...
It looks ok... if I'm trying...

Anyway, I was sketching up my diagram again as I changed it to accommodate a Super 5-way switch. When I did that I discovered I could actually get an extra setting!
This is simply OTT and ridiculous

The plan... if it makes any sense...

I made this OK... so if you want to use it don't be taking credit for it... otherwise you'll most likely look stupid because this thing is stupid

it's a GAS cure-all for me and most likely something very egotistical... so... yh...

INNOCENT...
and stupid...

BTW I try to make my diagrams really clean and tidy, therefore, they flow sequentially left to right in relations to the signal chain. So those rectangles representing switches are in fact the switches on the p/ps. They correspond to their labels... if you can see them... and read them...

BillStickers · 08-21-2010, 01:55 PM

Some more pictures to salivate over...

So far this is the best template I've made... as I pointed out before I drew the best template directly onto the headstock so I've had to transfer them to paper user tracing paper

I was fiddling with them in Photoshop to help make them look pretty and presentable not editing just adjusting balances and stuff. I made it look bright blue so I thought... "hey that looks like those bioluminescent organs on deep sea fish. That looks hilariously cool" so I kept it that way. That is why it looks funky.... RAW is a fun and strange format...

BillStickers · 08-21-2010, 02:00 PM

IronGear Jailhouse Rail/IronGear Pig Iron RWRP/IronGear Steel Foundry
Solid Chrome Knobs (which I had to insulate the insides of as I prefer they aren't electrically connected).
Plastic Chrome Plated Switch tip (Nice price yet the same tips for Trem arms costs £5...

I must have a Chrome tip for the Trem... for now I've just taken off the white tip...)
Copper Shielding with Conductive Adhesive
and
My Tele PUP mod using a Strat PUP Cover

That's everything mounted on the Scratchplate that does mount. I do hope that Tele Neck PUP doesn't turn out to be RWRP... it does not state it is on the manufacturer's website so I think I'm good...

BillStickers · 08-21-2010, 02:50 PM

18 Combos planned with a Technical cheat to double that into 36 Combos.

Yes.

36 Combos with NO visible mods.
It's a Rhythm/Lead thing... you should be able to see... or at least you will...

BillStickers · 08-24-2010, 01:00 PM

The Bridge is pretty much done... it is just under half a millimeter off center on the Treble side... but it should be OK... and if not I can actually make the distance by adding a thin piece of veneer in Front of the stud and "re-wedging it".

BillStickers · 08-24-2010, 01:04 PM

I've installed the Tuners... and they were almost perfectly straight except the pencil I used to mark the holes was actually a little crooked... somehow... so one hole was a bit off. If need be I'll fill the hole and redrill

...
I'm also in the process of fashioning and fitting an Ivory Nut.

BillStickers · 08-24-2010, 01:24 PM

The completed wiring with the SOZ mod on show in the first pic.

BillStickers · 08-24-2010, 01:26 PM

The wiring schematic I used at hand.

Squirr · 08-24-2010, 02:59 PM

you da wiring-wizard Mr Stickers!

BillStickers · 08-24-2010, 03:59 PM

Thanks

I'm surprised I got it as neatly as I did... Can you believe this is the second time I've ever soldered anything in my life never mind it being the second Guitar to boot!?