Johnny Ramone Mosrite: Sound Demo

OK, so for those of you interested in how this punk rock icon sounds with its DiMarzio FS-1 on-board, I have done a quick sound demo. Please excuse the crap playing. The guitar is being played through a Fender Deluxe 112 amplifier with no additional pedals or effects other than the overdrive and reverb provided by the amp itself.


I'm certainly no great player, but I gotta say, I love the way this baby sounds. The DiMarzio has replicated Johnny's guitar sound really nicely. If only I had a Marshall head and cabinet to top it off.

It was hard to sync up the original backing track with my playing so it's a little off. But hey, you get the picture. It's punk after all - it doesn't need to be perfect. I'm loving playing this beast!

Johnny Ramone Mosrite: She's Ready to (Punk) Rock

Well the Johnny Ramone Mosrite Ventures MkII is finally finished and she looks totally awesome. The stark white finish is a dead ringer for Johnny's signature model (without the relic'ing) and the acrylic clear coats have really brought the shine. Whilst it isn't my first choice for other guitars, I think it works very nicely here.

 

I think I also did a good job with the neck. The Vintage Amber Colortone dye has resulted in a fairly deep yellow but it works well against the rosewood fretboard and the white body. Overall I'm so fucking happy with this axe. It just begs to be thrashed, and I'm just the kind of under-skilled player to do it! The DiMarzio FS-1 DP110 - the same bridge pickup that Johnny used throughout his career - is over-wound and really packs a punch. I'm hoping to have a sound demo posted soon, so stay tuned for that!

Johnny Ramone Mosrite: DiMarzio FS-1

Well, I've been waiting, erm, patiently? for my DiMarzio FS-1 DP110 bridge pickup to arrive in the mail. Today it unexpectedly popped out of the Australian postal service and on to my front door mat! Nice.

I wasted no time in getting the little bugger mounted in the pickguard and wired into the 3-way switch. A quick tap-test revealed that this thing is over-wound out the wazzoo, so I can't wait to crank her up and take her for a spin.

With the wiring finally complete, It was a simple process to get the remainder of the shielding done (adding copper foil around the lip of the shielded cavity) and to get the pickguard screwed into place. Before I drilled the screw holes for the pickguard I added the E strings to make sure the pickups were in the correct place with respect to the bridge. In no time the beast was assembled!

All that is left to do now is to level the frets and lower the nut slots so that the strings are sitting on the 0th fret. I am tempted to take her out for a spin as-is, but I'm trying to resist. Much better to wait until the action is nice and low!

Johnny Ramone Mosrite: Shielding & Wiring

With the body all polished up it was time to consider all things electrical. And even though I still have to wait for my DiMarzio FS-1 to arrive, there's a shitload I can do in the meantime! First thing was the shielding - both the entire cavity and the back of the pickguard.

It's a huge swimming pool of a cavity and it took a great deal of copper tape to shield, but hopefully the results will be worth it. I still have to run a thin strip of copper tape along the top entire edge of the cavity so that the walls make contact with the back of the pickguard. I'll do that just before final assembly as I might want to hit the body with a little more polish between now and then.

With the shielding done, it was time to look at the wiring. I love wiring these simple 1 Volume, 1 Tone kits, especially with all the electronics mounted there on the pickguard. There's nothing to stress about, just whack it together. Two pickups enter the switch, one wire leaves and it's straight shooting to the output jack from then on. In no time I had the neck pickup wired in and could do a tap-test to check the volume and tone circuits.

Tappity-tap - volume, tone, it all works perfectly! Now just waiting on that awesome bridge pickup and everthing will be sweet. She's already looking cool, just one little hole to fill.

Next up is a fret level. I'm in a quandry about how to deal with the 0th fret. My options are to level it with all the rest or to leave it a little higher than the others. I'm leaning towards leaving it a little higher just like a nut would be. Still some thinking to do there..

Johnny Ramone Mosrite: Wet Sanding and Polishing

Well another great day for the Mosrite build - today I finally was able to get stuck into the final finishing of the body! I started with a thorough wet sanding with 1500 grit wet/dry to level up the surface.  After this, it was on to further wet sanding with 2000 grit to remove the scratches. God damn my shoulders ached after those sessions let me tell you.

After the wet sanding it was on to the Meguiars compounds to bring the shine. Firstly I applied Meguiars Ultimate Compound. This is all by hand mind you - no buffing machines here in Holgate unfortunately! I needed three passes with the ultimate compound - working in little circles a small area at a time - before all the sanding marks were finally gone. It's quite amazing how shiny the acrylic lacquer looks after just this cut!

To finish things off, I moved to the Meguiars 2.0 ScratchX. This is when the shine really takes off! I'm very happy with how the body has come up. There's a few little marks here and there that pay witness to my outdoor clear-coating activities (damn little bugs!) but all in all she looks awesome - I'm one very happy pinhead!

I finally ordered my DiMarzio FS-1 today to go into the bridge pickup slot. It's exactly the same pickup as Johnny rocked. That should arrive in the next few days, allowing me to get this baby wired up and rocking!

Johnny Ramone Mosrite: Speeding up the Curing

Well, I sprayed the final coat of acrylic clear on the Johnny Ramone Mosrite Ventures MkII and it's been 4 days curing in the bathroom. I've already gotten mega-impatient waiting. How the hell am I going to wait a whole month? No way Jose - not going to happen. And so I went to Bunnings today and bought myself an outdoor heater to speed up the curing process. If it's good enough for the guru Dingobass (in-house luthier with Pitbull Guitars), then it's good enough for me!

I had the Mosrite under the heater for a couple of hours each side today. I'll give it another few hours under the heater again on Monday and that should mean I can start cutting and polishing. Hmm or does it?? Using the IR lamp is a new technique for me so I'm not 100% sure of the times involved. I'll just have to play it by ear (and smell!) to see how long it needs. At least the impatience is gone and excitement is building again!

Johnny Ramone Mosrite: Autobiography

While the acrylic clear coats cure on the Johnny Ramone Ventures Mk II build, I thought I'd sit down with Johnny's autobiography. Written by Johnny after he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999, it's a great read for a fan of the man and of the band.

Told in his own words, it narrates the struggles the band had both internally and externally over their 20 year (odd) career. Pick up a copy to fill that wet Sunday afternoon and to show your support for one of the world's most influential (and angry!) rock guitarists of all time.

Johnny Ramone Mosrite: Clear Coats & Headstock Decal

With around 10 coats of Tru-Oil on the neck, it was time to get the white vinyl decal on to the headstock. The decal, as usual, came from Andy at City Signs and Print in Port Lincoln SA and went on like a dream.

I could have gotten a more traditional look using a knock-off Ventures decal from ebay, but I'm not as desperate for the real thing as all that. Better to have a well made "Tribute" build rather than trying to pass my work off as something it isn't. I think my own logo looks mighty-fine perched atop this beast anyway.

Today was also exciting because I managed to get the first coats of acrylic clear on to the body. I was a little nervous - clear coats are always a little tricky - but the acrylic went on without incident and the Septone white spray gloss stayed beautifully unaffected underneath.

Happy days! Now just 3 more spray days to go and I can let the clear coats cure.

Mosrite Ventures Mk II: The Paint is On!

Well today I got the painting finished on the Johnny Ramone Mosrite Ventures Mk II (fingers crossed!!). In the end I put 4 coats of primer on there with a gentle sanding of 800 grit in between each. It would have only been 3 coats, but on the 3rd coat a mosquito got stuck in the primer and had to be extricated. Here's how she looked with the primer dry and ready for gloss.

With the body nice and clean and smooth after the primer, I was a tad hesitant to go ahead with the gloss. Nothing like taking a beautiful surface and marring it with some spray fail like drops of paint, insects or dust. Anyway, I had to bite the bullet sometime! And so it came to pass that, after two coats of gloss acrylic, with absolutely zero mishaps (phew!), the body came to look as it does now.

Do the photos really look any different?? Well, believe me they are ;). Two perfect coats of acrylic gloss white and now ready for clear coats. Yet another chance to mar the surface, but a chance which I'm going to have to take! I'm going to let the gloss acrylic cure for about a week before attempting clear coats to avoid any issues with cracking and so on.

Anyway, she's really coming together now. The neck has 8 coats of Tru-Oil and is feeling nice and smooth. Two more coats with 2000 grit wet sanding in-between and I'll call that done. Stay tuned punk rockers!!

Mosrite Ventures Mk II: Sanding Finished, Primer Going On..

Phew! I finally finished the sanding on the Mosrite Ventures Mk II today. In the end I sanded with grits 180, 240 and 360, then pore filled with Timbermate before taking it off with 400 grit, raising the grain and then finishing with 600 grit. It took forever, but it's done! Now the body is nice and smooooth, and definitely ready for paint.

I'm going to be finishing this guitar in Acrylic gloss white - the same colour and brand that I used on the Stone Roses Tribute build. It's just cheap stuff from SuperCheapAuto - but it goes on without spits and drips and looks pretty damn good with a couple of layers laid down. Before the paint can go on though, I need primer! And so, I quickly got the can out and whacked on a first coat. She's looking more and more like Johnny's signature axe now!

A couple more coats of primer and a wet sand with 800 grit and she'll be ready for the white gloss. I've been thinking very strongly about spraying the face of the headstock black (or white) to match the body. It's looking pretty yellow at the moment, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll give you guys a look at the colour combo when the white gloss is done and you can tell me what you think. For now, it's on with more primer!!

Postscript 27/7/2014:
The third coat of primer is on and she's looking really nice and white. The surface seems free of dings and blemishes and everything is progressing nicely. It's time to let the primer fully dry and then give it a wet sand with 800 grit. Then it's on with a final primer coat before moving to the white gloss.

Mosrite Ventures Mk II: Pore Filled Body, Oiled Neck

Today saw the 5th layer of Tru-Oil go on the neck of the Johnny Ramone Mosrite. Despite the neck ending up a tad more "yellow" than Johnny's original, I'm really digging how the neck is shaping up. The colour is bright and the Tru-Oil has produced a depth of finish that is really remarkable.

I've been giving the oil a very light steel wool in between coats, and after the 4th coat I gave it a light sand with 1500 grit wet and dry. I think I'll give it another few coats, with another lick of 1500 in between each, and see how she feels. It's already feeling smooth and looking shiny, so I don't think it will take many more coats before I am satisfied.

While the Tru-Oil has been drying, I've also been sanding the body. I started with 180 grit and gave the body two solid sessions, concentrating on the end-grain. I'm not sure I got *all* the machining marks out, but I did my best. Since I'm painting this axe a solid colour, it doesn't much matter if they all come out. Any remaining mess will be removed during pore filling.

After 180 grit I moved to 240 grit, where I again gave the body a really good work over. After 240 grit, it was on to 360 and then I pore filled the body with a slurry of Maple coloured Timbermate.

The Timbermate was sanded off with 400 grit paper. In the process of sanding it off, I dropped the body on the concrete (!!!!). There were no major shape deformations, but I did created a few small scratches and scrapes here and there. This meant going back to the Timbermate (as putty/filler this time) and patching it all up. I was not a happy boy let me tell you!

Anyway, she's patched up and sanded to 400. Shame this isn't a stained build as the Timbermate has really brought out the grain on this body. When I wet the body down with Metholated Spirits to clean the fine Timbermate dust off, I couldn't help admiring what a nice piece of basswood this is - and I don't often get to say that!

Anyway next steps are a quick sand with 600 and 800 grit paper and then on with the primer. The excitement is building!!

Mosrite Ventures Mk II: Dying the Neck

Here's how I go about preparing a rock maple neck with Colortone dye, be it Strat, Tele or in this case an uber cool Mosrite Ventures II, ala Johnny Ramone. The aim is to get the neck sanded smooth and dyed to the correct shade so that it is ready for it's decal and clear coats.

For this build I'm aiming for a light yellow colour as per Johnny's original Mosrite. To achieve this I will be using Colortone Vintage Amber dye mixed with water.

Step 1. Sanding
Rock maple necks are generally machined to a high standard straight from the factory. The finish is nice and smooth from the get go. Therefore, there is no need to start sanding at very low grits. Generally I start at 360 grit and then progress to 400 and then 600. I find that's all that is required for a super silky neck. You don't want to go too low if you are going to be dying the maple - you want *some* dye to get in there, and it wont if the surface is too "polished".

Step 2. Mask off the Fretboard.
Before liquids are involved, I generally mask off the fretboard. Even if you are just using water, fretboards (especially rosewood) are often dyed themselves at the factory and you risk the dye running (on to your maple!) if water gets on there. To mask the fretboard I use 6mm 471 tape from 3M at the boundary between the maple and rosewood. This gives the fretboard good protection where it needs it most. On top of this I generally use some blue painters tape to go up and over the edge of the fretboard.

Step 3. Prepare Your Water and Stain
Get some water in one container and mix your Colortone dye with some water in another. Test the concentration of the dye on a test piece of pine or similar - it should be *lighter* than your target colour!

Step 4. Raise the Grain
Before going any further it is important to raise the grain - once the dye goes on you won't want to sand the maple again! To raise the grain, wipe the maple all over with a damp rag and wait for it to dry.

You will immediately feel that your nice smooth neck feels rough again. These are the end grains that have swollen up with the water and are now sticking out! Once the neck is dry, give it a very light lick with the 600 grit paper again to take the raised grains off. The neck should be back to its smooth self again.

It is very important that you don't over sand at this stage. You don't want to expose *new* grains, just get rid of those that have been raised. Repeat this two step process at least 1 more time.

Step 5. Dampen the Surface
Before you actually start applying the stain, dampen the whole surface of the neck again. This prevents streaks in the final dye job by allowing the maple to pre-absorb a little liquid. You'll find that your dye job is a lot more even if you pre-wet the surface!

Step 6. Apply the Dye
Now apply your dye with a cotton rag. Go easy, with only a small amount of dye on the rag at first. Wring the rag out after dipping it in the container o prevent drips and runs. Apply dye evenly over the whole neck before starting again with a second pass.

Keep going over in successive passes until the desired strength of colour is reached. Wait for the dye to dry completely and that is job done!

I haven't decided yet what I will be using as clear coats. I'm tossing up whether to use Tru-Oil or Wudtone clear neck finish. Wudtone is much less hassle, but Tru-Oil adds depth and an earthy tone to the colour. Hmmm, decisions...

Mosrite Ventures Mk II: Mock Up and Test Fit

Well the mock build on the Johnny Ramone Mosrite is done. With a nice tight neck pocket, everything fit together like a dream with absolutely no wiggle room at all. What a quality kit this is turning out to be!

With the neck bolted into position, the E strings sit perfectly up the neck. No adjustment necessary.

That's all there is to report campers! When everything goes so smoothly, and fits together so damn easily, the news is often fairly bland. So it is this day! So without further ado, it's on to the finishing proper for this punk rock beast.

First job - sanding to 600 grit. Gabba Gabba Hey!

Mosrite Ventures Mk II: Hey Ho Let's Go!!

Guess what I found on my doorstep this morning? The most exciting thing to grace it for quite a while. It's my newest guitar kit from Pitbull Guitars: The Mosrite Ventures Mark II as made famous by the one and only, the incomparable punk rock legend, Johnny Ramone!

I'm so excited! I've wanted one of these for years and years, and I've waited patiently for the couple of months it took for this special order kit to arrive. But, I gotta tell you, it was SO worth the wait. This thing is amazing!

Out of the box, the kit is a wonder to behold. The body shape is spot on - exactly to spec - with that under-hanging larger horn and the misshapen back section that made the Ventures Mk II famous. The headstock also sports an exact replica of the immediately recognizable Mosrite "M" shape, and even the Zero'th fret has been included. Unbelievable!!

The body is 3-piece basswood with no obvious glue or machining marks. The neck pocket is quite long compared to your normal Tele or Strat, and that should mean a good transfer of vibration from the neck to the body. The neck meanwhile is a nice piece of Rock Maple with a Rosewood fretboard. It's a 22-fret setup with a scale length of 626mm measured from the middle of the 0th fret to the middle of the 12th. The profile of the neck is super thin so it should be really nice for me and my small hands to play!

All in all I couldn't be happier with the kit. I'm so happy in fact, that as soon as I opened the box I contacted Adam from Pitbull again to order another one; this time in Ash.

I'm going to finish this kit in traditional Johnny Ramone style - white, with a Dimarzio FS-1 in the bridge position. Reportedly, Johnny never played the neck pickup at all (in the end he even had the switch taken out) so I probably wont worry too much about replacing this one.

I'm so damn excited!! Time to get sanding...