Maybe one more build?

B

Bakelite1

Strat-O-Master
Nov 26, 2020
565
Vancouver BC
I've got some paulownia teles. They are from Guitar Fetish. They are very light weight. Mine have heavy finishes but they dent easily and the wood is quite brittle. Some examples don't hold a wood screw very well but I didn't have any issues to fix, so I was lucky.
 
ElementMan

ElementMan

Strat-Talker
Dec 14, 2020
184
USA
I built basswood guitar last year, to see what it is like.. Basswood is a softwood like pawlonia. I found the wood too easy to dent, and I would not use it again. When sanding or polishing, if my wedding ring accidentally knocked against the wood, it would leave an indentation. In regard to tone, lots more midrange than ash. Probably good for heavy distortion, but bland and not scooped for clean. Pawlonia might be better, but for me I am sticking to harder woods.
 
StratUp

StratUp

Dr. Stratster
Sep 5, 2020
12,763
Altered States
ElementMan said:
I built basswood guitar last year, to see what it is like.. Basswood is a softwood like pawlonia. I found the wood too easy to dent, and I would not use it again. When sanding or polishing, if my wedding ring accidentally knocked against the wood, it would leave an indentation. In regard to tone, lots more midrange than ash. Probably good for heavy distortion, but bland and not scooped for clean. Pawlonia might be better, but for me I am sticking to harder woods.
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I've been considering a "wood hardener" on softer woods. But I don't think it would be suitable for a natural finish unless you sprayed a colored clear or translucent finish material to do the finish layers. I don't think stain will stick to the hardened surface. But it would work for solid finishes.
 
Exhead

Exhead

Strat-Tinkerer
Jun 19, 2014
3,427
Temples of Syrinx
axejock said:
I'm finding it tough to locate a hardtail S-Type body in a color that I would want to use. I could order one specially made like at Warmoth or something, but I'm trying to really keep the cost down on this thing. Has anyone here ever owned a guitar with a body made of Palownia Wood? Eden Allen sells them, but when I google Pawlonia wood I find that it is quite soft and easily dented or scrtached. It's a lot harder than Balsa wood, but not up there with Alder, Ash, and the other more common body woods. Anybody ever used this wood for the body of a build or owned a solid body guitar made from Pawlonia Wood?
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The Palowina is like Balsa wood IMO. I ordered one from a Wlamart sale for $35 and it got to me with many dents is a scrawny box. I got a refund. I have a few hard tail bodies I just acquired from an estate sale, they all have 2 jack holes the dude was doing weird builds with them. You would have to plug it and refinish. I would send you one if you shoot me your address via DM. Either Red or Black if you like.

1675118596918.png
 
axejock

axejock

Senior Stratmaster
Gold Supporting Member
Jul 26, 2018
2,465
Washington State
Exhead said:
The Palowina is like Balsa wood IMO. I ordered one from a Wlamart sale for $35 and it got to me with many dents is a scrawny box. I got a refund. I have a few hard tail bodies I just acquired from an estate sale, they all have 2 jack holes the dude was doing weird builds with them. You would have to plug it and refinish. I would send you one if you shoot me your address via DM. Either Red or Black if you like.

View attachment 622949
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Thanks for the generous offer but I just scored a body that I love. It is a hardtail in Miami Blue...I have an American Pro II in that color and love it. I will dress and equip this one a lot differently than the Am Pro, but I know I will like the color!!
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Oops, the body that I thought I bought turned out to be made from Palownia wood. So I stopped that! Back to the drawing board!
 
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Bowmap

Bowmap

I nose a thang or two.
Platinum Supporting Member
Dec 23, 2017
13,650
Third Door Down
Exhead said:
The Palowina is like Balsa wood IMO. I ordered one from a Wlamart sale for $35 and it got to me with many dents is a scrawny box. I got a refund. I have a few hard tail bodies I just acquired from an estate sale, they all have 2 jack holes the dude was doing weird builds with them. You would have to plug it and refinish. I would send you one if you shoot me your address via DM. Either Red or Black if you like.

View attachment 622949
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I would guess a MIDI jack.
 
ElementMan

ElementMan

Strat-Talker
Dec 14, 2020
184
USA
ElementMan said:
I love faded Sonic Blue with MG pickguard... Here is one I am getting tomorrow from Dustin at BloomDoom guitars. I am "cheating" on this one, because (1) it is too cold to spray nitrocellulose outside and (2) I am never completely happy with my solid color efforts (as opposed to my shellac guitars). I do not like poly at all (which ruled out Warmoth), so I contracted Dustin to make me the faded Sonic Blue Strat body that you see below. I am in love!!! Plus--super nice guy... I will post the finished guitar on another thread. All the best! LJM.

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Coming tomorrow!!!!
 
axejock

axejock

Senior Stratmaster
Gold Supporting Member
Jul 26, 2018
2,465
Washington State
Well, I guess I'm going to put this build off for a while as I just can't seem to find a hardtail body in Alder and in the proper finish color. I have time and I;m sure something will come along soon that checks all of the right boxes. Sometimes you just have step back, but keep your eyes open!!
 
Bowmap

Bowmap

I nose a thang or two.
Platinum Supporting Member
Dec 23, 2017
13,650
Third Door Down
axejock said:
Well, I guess I'm going to put this build off for a while as I just can't seem to find a hardtail body in Alder and in the proper finish color. I have time and I;m sure something will come along soon that checks all of the right boxes. Sometimes you just have step back, but keep your eyes open!!
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You might noticed by now my builds happen in slow motion.
 
axejock

axejock

Senior Stratmaster
Gold Supporting Member
Jul 26, 2018
2,465
Washington State
Finally, I just bought a Capri Orange, Alder hardtail body from Allen Eden and it arrived a couple of days ago. I've used these bodies before and am fully aware of all of the adjustment and detail work that I will have to do to it to make everything go together properly. But the color/finish is REALLY nice and I have decided to install an older loaded pickguard from my "parts bin" on it and that includes a set of CERAMIC pickups to give it that "vintage voice". This should be fun in that I'm trying to use up a lot of my older parts and make it a new but inexpensive. fun Strat. No hurry, but it's good to finally get back to building!!
 
axejock

axejock

Senior Stratmaster
Gold Supporting Member
Jul 26, 2018
2,465
Washington State
Well, I'm finally back on this build! Had a long interuption with some health issues and loss of our best friend, Teddy (a 10 year old, floppy eared Doberman that was definitely a big part of our lives). It;s sure amazing how these dogs become an integral part of the family and how diffcult it is to lose them. I'm sure many of you have had this experience.
Anyway, my hardtail, Capri Orange Strat is back on the workbench. I have the string ferrules, the bridge, and neck mounted (alignment critical), but have stalled out on choosing a pickguard for the thing. I found a beautiful Paisley orange PG for it, but have also tried mint green, parchment, and pure white (with varying knob and pup colors) and am having trouble deciding what to use. The pictures below will show the guitar in its current state of assembly with a few of the different pickguard and component colors I am considering. I'm looking for opinions even if it's something different than I've shown...let me have it!! (shown are the paisley pg with white components, with aged white components, and the mint green pg with white components).

CIMG2150.JPG CIMG2152.JPG CIMG2154.JPG
 
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