flying v guitar prep

Flying V guitar session No. 4. My kit is closer to being a guitar. Kevin, of New Vintage Custom Guitars, said the next step is to mock-up the guitar to make sure everything fits. Before that, the new pickguard needed to be cut. That was all Kev. He’s highly skilled around band and scroll saws. He traced it and expertly cut it out, plus other bits, from the tortoise shell material. It’s multi-ply plastic. No tortoise was harmed. We then mounted most of the parts and drilled holes where the strings will pass through the body. It all fits together. Perfect. It almost looks like the guitar it’s going to be, except for the colour. After a couple of weeks off, the painting will begin.  

flying v guitar update

Sanding the Flying V headstock and neck.

Session No. 2 on the Flying V kit. Two vaccines for Kevin and me so we’re up close and personal. Sanding and more sanding to make sure the neck is smooth, 200 grit, 400 grit, 1200 grit. Also, touch ups plugging tiny nicks in the wood so they become invisible. One special job is rounding off the top of the headstock. (see photo) Guitar kits come with angular headstocks to avoid a Gibson lawsuit. A minute on the sander and it has that classic V look. We are going a little rogue on the design. Changing the bridge and making a custom pickguard so some plugged holes on the body were required. Glued in some wood. It has to set. Ready for session three – sanding the body.  

Check out Kevin’s custom guitar website - The New Vintage

my aussie tenor

I have never been to Jupiter Creek, Australia, but I own the guitar, a tenor guitar. I bought it about 10 years ago on Ebay. One of the attractions was the large Australian penny embedded in the body. I’ve always been intrigued by tenors – four strings, sometimes tuned like the high four of a six-string but there are many tunings. Vintage ones are expensive and rare, like the Gibson played by Neko Case. The one I bought was relatively cheap. I recently had it cleaned and set up. It plays like a charm. I finally learned its origin story. It was handmade by Rob Dick which makes me love it even more. If memory serves, the seller said it was the first tenor Rob made. I wish I could ask him.