Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

New esquire project... COMPLETE!!!


Recommended Posts

Ok, this is going to be a long term bench project. So, don’t expect frequent updates. But, I’ve decided to do an esquire project. I’ve got 90% of it planned out so I’ve got time to make changes as I go. Talked to josh @JGravelin and I’m gonna have him wind me the pickup. My brother got the wood for the body and made the rough cuts. I was originally thinking of just doing a Tung oil over the raw ash, but I’m also considering a stain and grain filler to make it pop a bit more. Gonna go with a joe barden 3-saddle bridge. 
 

Haven’t decided if I want to do the esquire wiring with volume/tone and 3-way switch or if I wanna just do a volume/tone kind of like a LP junior.  
 

I am totally open to any and all suggestions. This is going to be a months long thread so we’ll see how it goes...

 

0B203301-CC5F-49EF-99D3-CA3DCB0553C9.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 74
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Esquires rawk.

This is a look at the inside of my next one...well, ONE of the next one(s):

Mahollow Tele inside 0218.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Playing around with stain options. Got a little progression on some of the scrap wood. 

34A7C504-FB13-4CE0-A03C-4A06C7F25D6B.jpeg

966F962A-105D-4E3B-8128-227D84FD3D5F.jpeg

C9B5FA54-09B9-42AE-BB57-7A3F70C0F990.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took that last one and applied 3 costs of oil to see what a final product might look like. I’m digging it...

D3176D10-CB2C-44B9-9028-67776383FCEB.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Update:  the wife likes blue better than red. I have two bodies available to choose from. Why not one of each color...?

 

Looks like the esquire project is becoming TWO projects!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are the inspirations

One will be an Esquire. The other will be something a little crazier, but still single pickup in a Tele body shape...

237FCE0E-552F-414E-A757-66A7F8478328.jpeg

054E5D39-64C8-415C-A894-F00A0773752F.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, RobB said:

I'd go with the blue, as well, but only if you can make it look better than the two hideous examples above. Sorry, just sayin'.

Oof...  what don’t you like about them...?

 

fyi, I’m thinking about a transparent blue ash esquire with a cabronita style pickguard. 
 

the transparent red will be something else...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Travis said:

Oof...  what don’t you like about them...?

fyi, I’m thinking about a transparent blue ash esquire with a cabronita style pickguard. .

They have a 70's, high school shop class look. If you're doing a straight blue transparent, cool. Just not a fan of the dyed black grain mixing with the color. That said, your two color examples already look better than the finished guitars above. You're on the right track if you chose to go forward.

You've got a great chunk o' ash, there. Maybe you could do the, "double-staining" thing? Do you plan on having the raw-grain texture, or a smooth clear coat?

I'm not trying to crush your dreams, far from it. I worked doing finishes at a cabinet shop, so I'm pretty aware of experimenting with coloring wood. "Your finish is only as good as your substrate", as my boss used to say.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, RobB said:

They have a 70's, high school shop class look. If you're doing a straight blue transparent, cool. Just not a fan of the dyed black grain mixing with the color. That said, your two color examples already look better than the finished guitars above. You're on the right track if you chose to go forward.

You've got a great chunk o' ash, there. Maybe you could do the, "double-staining" thing? Do you plan on having the raw-grain texture, or a smooth clear coat?

I'm not trying to crush your dreams, far from it. I worked doing finishes at a cabinet shop, so I'm pretty aware of experimenting with coloring wood. "Your finish is only as good as your substrate", as my boss used to say.

I really appreciate that feedback.

I wanted to stick with an oil finish to keep the “openness” of the wood and not smother it with laquer. Honestly, I would’ve been happy with raw wood or tung/tru oil over the bare wood. The stain idea was to give it some color. 

This will be my first experiment with coloring a guitar body. My only previous experience is a straight tung oil over mahogany. I’m not a painter or a finish expert by any stretch. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, RobB said:

Cool. Tru-oil is great for bodies, and can be built up to whatever sheen you want. Are you going to level the grain before the color phase?

Still experimenting with grain filler vs stain and sand back to keep an open grain. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Travis said:

I wanted to stick with an oil finish to keep the “openness” of the wood and not smother it with lacquer.

Lacquer will not smother your instrument's ability to resonate.  The reason lacquer is so popular is because of the way polyurethane finishes were so thick in the 70s.  Even polyurethane could be sprayed thinner, and eventually it was.  Think about how thin the finish is on your Hamers, no more than the thickness of a light B string.  There is no way that is going to smother anything. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

Lacquer will not smother your instrument's ability to resonate.  The reason lacquer is so popular is because of the way polyurethane finishes were so thick in the 70s.  Even polyurethane could be sprayed thinner, and eventually it was.  Think about how thin the finish is on your Hamers, no more than the thickness of a light B string.  There is no way that is going to smother anything. 

I should have been more specific with what I meant. I want to feel the texture of the open grain on the ash as opposed to having a completely smooth feel in the finish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

With a bunch of shipping delays and parts I want being out of stock, this build has been on hiatus for quite some time. Got 1 tiny step closer with some additional parts delivered yesterday. This should match up well with josh’s pickup...

 

 

48C1B712-8ED7-4F2B-B7A0-F8748F7F3EFD.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/13/2020 at 8:04 AM, JGravelin said:

Suggestion: Kahler trem. 😃

Pay no heed to this guy.  You gotta go with the best:  The stealthy Washburn Wonderbar. 😄

spacer.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...