Scratch Pine Toronado: Pickguard

So I got in this morning and completed the routing of the red perloid pickguard for the Toronado. Not an amazing result, but I gave it my best and it's not bad for a first attempt with sausage fingers and poor router skills. Hopefully the next one will be better - I have to remake my MDF templates for both body and template so that they more closely correspond. If you don't look too closely, the end result still looks pretty good.

I've got two coats of acrylic clear on the body now. Just a few more coats and then I can leave it to cure. Probably 2 more days worth of spraying if the fine weather continues. She's coming along!

Scratch Pine Toronado: Red Perloid

A sheet of red perloid scratchplate material arrived in the mail today. I got straight in and attempted to fashion a scratchplate for the Toronado. It wasn't easy and the results reflect that. Still first attempt and all that. What do you think of the colour?

When I pulled the sheet out of the envelope I was pretty non-plussed. Now it is growing on me. I think it will look great with the humbuckers sitting in it. I was after a shoe-gazer look to this guitar and I think the red perloid and black certainly delivers...

Scratch Pine Toronado: Pickguard Mockup

Only a little progress on the Scratch build this weekend. I'm waiting on a couple of router bits to allow me to route the control cavity deep enough, and to round over the edges of the body. Until these come, there isn't much to be going on with. Despite this, I was able to decide on pickup placement and get my pickguard mock-up completed.

I'm really happy with the way it's looking. I really do think the Toronado is such a great body shape - no idea why Fender discontinued it. I could have built a Telecaster for my first scratch project but I'm so glad I went this way instead.

I've ordered some tortoiseshell material to create the final pickguard. I'm thinking of going with a black dye body finish, so hopefully these colours will go well together. With a little luck, I'm going to have a real shoe-gazer at the end of all this!

Les Paul Jnr Double Cut: Adeline Skulls!

Well, I couldn't wait any longer. After receiving my 'Adeline Skull' decals from Andy at City Signs and Print in Port Lincoln SA, I've been itching to see what they look like on my custom tortoiseshell pickguard and truss-rod cover. Well, here they are. They look freakin awesome and I couldn't be happier with them. This isn't a tribute build per-se, but a little salute to Green Day's Billie Joe was always on the cards with an LP Jnr.

Cool huh? Can't wait to see everything assembled and hear this baby scream.