51. MORE SWEET IDEAS!!!!
OK....PRETTY FIRED UP ABOUT THIS IDEA. AS I WAS FILLING IN SOME MISGUIDED SCREW HOLES (WITH GLUE AND TOOTHPICKS AS YOU CAN SEE!), I WAS GOING TO DRILL THE HOLE FOR THE ON/OFF SWITCH. THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS GOING TO BE TO SIMPLY MAKE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A SATELLITE AND ATTACH IT TO THE SWITCH. WHILE LOOKING AROUND FOR SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE A SATELLITE, I FOUND THESE LITTLE SPEAKERS OUT OF A TOY.....THEY.....KIND OF LOOK LIKE A SATELLITE...HMMMMMMMMMMMM
52.
53.
54.
I AM PRETTY PUMPED ABOUT THIS....SO NOW WE HAVE AN ON/OFF SWITCH THAT ALSO SERVES AS A SECOND SPEAKER. NO IDEA HOW TO WIRE IT IN OR HOW IT WILL SOUND...BUT WE CAN WORRY ABOUT THAT LATER....NICE!!!!!
55. PICKUP CAVITY
WORKING ON PICKUP PLACEMENT HERE. THE CAVITY WILL HAVE TO BE CUT OUT OF THE BODY, BUT WITH THIS TOP PANEL WE JUST NEED THE PICKUP TO PEEK OUT A LITTLE BIT...
56.
THEN SINCE I HAVE NO PATIENCE I DECIDE TO FREEHAND ROUTE IT...
57.
TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD, JUST NEED TO CLEAN UP THE HOLE A LITTLE...
58.
FOR WHATEVER REASON I DIDN'T TAKE ANY PICS OF CLEANING UP THIS HOLE...BUT I PROMISE I DID. SO NOW I CAN DRAW ON THE BODY WHERE THE CAVITY WILL BE FOR THE PICKUP TO SIT IN....
59.
60.
I FELT THE HOLE WAS GETTING DEEP AND I WAS NOT YET AT THE BOTTOM OF MY HOG HOLES. I CAN ASSURE YOU I USED A HIGH TECH DEPTH STOPPER (PIECE OF BLUE TAPE ON THE DRILL BIT), BUT I ENDED UP GOING A LITTLE DEEP. NO WORRIES, I CAN MAKE A LITTLE SHIM FOR THE PICKUP TO SIT ON AND HELP WITH THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT...
61.
GOOD FOR NOW
62.
BACK TO THESE THINGS....THEY SEEMED A LITTLE BULKY TO ME...SO I GAVE THEM A LITTLE TRIM AND SHAVE......
63.
AS I WAS SITTING AND STARING AT MY WORK, (WHICH I OFTEN DO TO LOOK FOR WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED...), I GOT AN IDEA FOR THE INPUT JACK. ALTHOUGH THIS GUITAR WILL HAVE AN INTERNAL AMP THAT RUNS OFF OF BATTERIES, I STILL WANT THE OPTION TO PLUG IT IN AND ROCK...SO I GOT THIS THING OUT....
64.
I DRILLED THE HOLE AND PUT IT IN...PRETTY COOL. WHY NOT ADD SOMETHING ELSE I HAVE NEVER USED BEFORE TO BE WIRED INTO THIS CONTRAPTION.....BUT I DIGRESS...
SIDE NOTE...THE ABOVE RIGHT CIRCLE THINGY LOOKS VERY WOBBLY...BUT I THINK ITS JUST AN OPTICAL ILLUSION WITH THE DIFFERENT GRAIN COLORS...I'M NOT THAT BAD OF A CRAFTSMAN!!!!!!
65.
I HAVE TO ADD A LITTLE SHIM SO THAT I CAN INSTALL THIS INPUT JACK AND HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE NUT TO TIGHTEN TOO...SO I GLUED THIS LITTLE PIECE IN
66.
OK...NEW DAY...HERES THE PATCH I MADE TO HELP WITH PICKUP HEIGHT/ ADJUSTMENT
67. A LITTLE MORE DETAIL WORK...
68.
PUT THIS LITTLE RED LED LIGHT IN THE HOLE AND SCREW IT ON...
69.
THIS WILL BE A NICE LITTLE INDICATOR THAT WILL COME ON WHEN I SWITCH ON THE INTERNAL AMP THROUGH THE SATELLITE SPEAKER....IF I CAN WIRE IT CORRECTLY...
70. KNOB PLACEMENT
HERE I'M DECIDING WHERE I WANT THE CONTROL KNOBS TO GO. 3 OF THEM WILL BE FUNCTIONAL AND 1 WILL BE A DUMMY FOR LOOKS. I HAVE THESE GENERIC KNOBS THAT WILL WORK GREAT, BUT SIT A LITTLE TOO HIGH FOR MY LIKING, SO I WILL NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO SHRINK THEM...(AND THEY WILL NOT STAY ORANGE!!!)
71.
72.
SO FAR SO GOOD...NOW I DRAW WHERE THEY WILL SIT ON THE PANEL...
73.
...AND CUT THOSE LITTLE HOLES OUT. IN THE SECOND PICTURE I HAVE GLUED ANOTHER LITTLE SPACER TO PUT THEM AT THE HEIGHT THAT I WANT...
74.
IT TURNED OUT PRETTY COOL....AND A BETTER HEIGHT FOR THESE THINGS
HAD TO MAKE A LITTLE ROOM FOR IT TO FIT INTO ITS HOLE...
75.
AND HERES A BACKED UP VIEW...I'M PRETTY HAPPY WITH IT. NOW I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR ON THE OTHER SIDE...
76.
I CUT OUT THE LITTLE HOLES....AND MAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENT SPACER. THIS IS THE SIDE THAT WILL ONLY USE 1 OF THESE AND THE OTHER WILL JUST BE FOR AESTHETICS...
I GLUE IT ON WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO...
77.
AND WHILE THAT GLUE DRIES...I CAN WORK ON THIS A LITTLE...
78.
GETTING PRETTY CLOSE WITH ALL OF THE LITTLE THINGS...
79.
HERE IS THE OTHER SIDE....ONLY NEEDED THE 1 SPACER. I WILL ATTACH IT ON WITH A NUT INSTEAD OF A SECOND WASHER AT THE BOTTOM.....
80.
HERE I AM MAKING THE HOLE FOR THE "DUMMY" CONTROL KNOB THAT WILL SERVE NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN TO LOOK COOL!!!
81.
HERE ARE ALL 4 INSTALLED...YOU CAN SEE IN THE PIC BELOW THE IDEA I WAS GOING FOR.....
82.
PUT THIS BACK ON...I LIKE THE SMALLER SIZE MUCH BETTER....
83.
HAD TO CLEAN UP THE HOLE A LITTLE BIT...AND GOT A TOP COAT LAYER OF PRIMER ON TO SAND AWAY SOON...
84.
GOT THIS HOLE READY TO GO....IT WILL STILL NEED A LITTLE SHAPING...
IT ATTACHES WITH A LITTLE NUT IN THE BACK...I PUTIN A COUPLE EXTRA STOPS TO GIVE THE NUT MORE TO GRAB ONTO
85.
GOT THE TOP ONE PRIMED AND PUT BACK ON...
86.
SWITCHING BACK TO THE CONTROL KNOBS....
87.
HERE THEY ALL ARE AGAIN...
88.
CURRENT PROGRESS SHOT
89. STRING THROUGH HOLES
THE STRINGS FOR THIS WILL FEED UP THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE GUITAR...SO I NEED TO DRILL 6 LITTLE HOLES ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I WILL HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE ON THIS ONE...MY DRILL PRESS IS NOT BIG ENOUGH, I'LL HAVE TO PLAN A TRIP UP TO SCHOOL...
90. THE SCARIEST PART TO DATE....
OK, I'VE BEEN PUTTING THIS OFF LONG ENOUGH. I NEED TO DRILL THE HOLES WHERE THE NECK WILL ATTACH. THIS WILL INCLUDE HOLE IN THE WOODEN GUITAR AS WELL AS THE BACK OF THE ALUMINUM NECK.......HERE WE GO...
91.
SO FAR SO GOOD....STILL HAVE TO GET IT TO LINE UP WITH THE NECK...
92.
BECAUSE THE NECK IS SO HEAVY...I ADDED THIS 5TH BOLT AT THE END. MY DRILL PRESS WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH SO I HAD TO FINISH BY HAND. HOPE IT WORKS....
93.
GETTING VERY CLOSE NOW!!!!!!
94. STALLING....
I'M READY TO DRILL THE HOLES IN THE NECK BUT KEEP FINDING OTHER THINGS TO DO INSTEAD....MY WORKSTATION HAD GOTTEN A LITTLE OUT OF CONTROL.......
95. STALLING COMPLETE....
THATS BETTER.....AT LEAST IT WILL BE CLEAN FOR A LITTLE WHILE
96. GETTING EVERYTHING LINED UP
OK....GOT THE "LASER" ALL LINED UP....AND CLAMP THE NECK IN PLACE
97.
THEN HERE IS MY HIGH TECH PLAN TO TRANSFER THE HOLES......I GET A NAIL, DUNK IT IN SOME PAINT, THEN TWIRL IT IN THE HOLES THAT WERE DRILLED IN THE BODY. IT WORKED OUT OK.....
98.
HERE I DO A CENTER PUNCH IN ALL THE MARKS....THEN GIVE MYSELF A DEPTH GUIDE ON THE DRILL BIT....
99.
I PUT ON SOME CUTTING OIL....THEN ITS DO OR DIE TIME....
100.
TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD....THEN I TAP ALL THE HOLES...
101.
FIRST ATTEMPT ON THE LEFT GOT ME 3 OF THE 5 HOLES LINED UP.....THEN WITH A FEW LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS / AND SOME CHOICE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.....I GOT IN ALL 5!!!
102.
AS YOU CAN TELL I'M BESIDE MYSELF WITH JOY!!!!!!!
SORRY FOR THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.....I JUST HAD TOO!!!!!!
SINCE I'M DONE "BUILDING", AND THIS THREAD HAS GOTTEN RATHER LONG....I WILL CONTINUE FINISHING THE BODY IN THE CLEVERLY LABELED TAB "BODY FINISH"!!!!