My second guitar kit is finished. Lessons learned from my previous kit were followed, and new lessons learned as well. This was a lit from Leo Jaymz. The Strat-style body had a nice grain structure for the most part, so instead of any paint or even stain, I chose to just finish it with Tru-Oil. There are about a dozen coats on the body, with light sanding between every two coats, and buffing/polishing afterward with car polish.
I would give my work on the body about a 7 out of 10, as the back of the body has a few drip spots from the oil that I had thought I sanded out. The wiring is a lot easier to work with than the first kit, which was a Fesley. Absolutely no soldering was needed, so it makes an excellent starter kit. My one problem is that, while the neck/body joint fit perfectly, the cut of the cavity in the body for the neck joint is ever-so-slightly off, by about a 1/32 of an inch. Thus, the low E string is closer to the neck edge near the joint than the high E string. Barely noticeable, but noticeable anyway.
As expected, much of the hardware is low-end. The tuning gears are rough when turning, and if I plan on keeping this guitar, these will definitely be replaced. The pickups are low-output, which is not a concern for me right now, but I could either replace them or do an update with magnetic pole pieces. I’m not a fan of the design of the headstock. I would have preferred a Strat-style cut, and this one is more like the old Epiphone batwing style.
I have a few other kits that I plan on building soon, including a Precision-style bass that I want to put in some modifications to make it unique. But they are being put on the back burner, as I want to spend my free time over the next few months working on playing the banjo again.
Since I haven’t practiced the banjo in so long, and giving my last banjo to my nephew, getting back into the swing of Scruggs-picking has been a chore. The ring finger on my picking hand has a problem known as Trigger Finger, which makes it difficult and painful to bend at times. Fortunately, it’s not one of the picking fingers, but I still feel pain when I rest it on the banjo head.
I’ve also given my nephew all of my instruction books and videos, so I am back to learning on my own and by watching YouTube videos. I still remember a few basic rolls, but in watching the videos on YT, there are not many that are too helpful to the beginner. Almost none show tablature while showing fingering in the video. My best way of learning things like this has always been the combination video and book. Right now, I am shopping around for one or two DVD/booklet packages. But until then, I am committed to spending a few minutes each day just practicing rolls.
And now for something completely different.
Nothing bluegrass, music, or lutherie related. While surfing on YouTube a few days ago, this video popped up. I haven’t stopped laughing since, and immediately subscribed to the channel. The guy has perfectly parodied the modern fashion-show runway and its models. I hope that you enjoy it half as much as I have.
Chew on it and comment.
Luegra 