The Phoenix... the restoration of a rare custom-made "Thunderbird"

[Highlander]

Thanks George (and Dave), I've managed to make use of all the goodies you've sent over (Jules is the recipient of those I couldn't use, and he is most grateful, too)... that pup ring will make an excelent thumb rest...

I don't know if you remember when I routed out the 'Bird to fit your MB in, but there was a small edge of wood left over, and once the veneer was in place, it just looked odd, so a quick rout (which showed up a difference between the way the fins were fitted, but not a problem) and it just works..

On a more serious note, George, I am still having trouble locating a suitable token of thanks in a confectionary vein, to send over to your fair State, but I am happy to report that it is "suitable for vegetarians..."  

[chromium]

Man that is gonna be a looker!  That's a gorgeous veneer.  I especially like the pics where you've cleared it and its takes on that amber hue.  Alembic Exploiter meets Thunderbird 

[Highlander]

That's my biggest dilema now, Joe... gonna be cherry or a natural/amber fin... just has to be... may end up with a cherry body and an amber top...

[Lightyear]

I vote cherry with perhaps a slightly lighter cherry top.  The reason being is that once you've put a chemical stripper on wood it never looks "completely" natural again - at least in my eyes.  Add to it that mahogany naturally lends itself to a red hue.  Just my .02 cents worth

[Highlander]

Sand and seal day - presently hanging up and drying... the stuff I used is more related to furniture making, by a UK supplier called Liberon... shake it up and brush it on... tried a sample piece yesterday, then tried on her head today.. ending up with a velvety finish after sanding with 320...

That sounds like a good idea, Buzz...

[Lightyear]

Liberon is a name I recognize and a lot of what is used in wood prep for this type of guitar work is easily used in furniture finishing and vice versa.

Not to be a downer or anything but if you have put the sanding sealer on you are now limited to spay dyes and tinted top coats but, this is the common practice on most production and many custom finishes anyway

[Highlander]

I was probably going down that route anyway, Buzz, but will have to now  I guess...  (tsk... tsk... amateurs...)

The veneer sucks up anything that goes near it...!

[Chris P.]

Wow, it'll turn out great!!

[Daniel_J]

So, it's already glued to the body in that pic? Looks great! Really good job, Kenny!
I'm not a fan of veneers, I'm against using it for new projects build from scratch, but it works great for restoration and refins like that.

Great job, it sure looks like you're having fun!

[Highlander]

Glued indeed... I understand your feelings, Daniel... when you are doing a "scratch" project, if you want something "exotic" you can go for some "exotic" timber... whilst I was picking up my veneer there was a luthier picking up some "spalted" wood for a "Strat" body... looked beautiful...

Chris and Daniel (et al) ... definitely having fun... and the odd nightmare... and she is looking very good for her age...

[Hornisse]

It is going to look fantastic.  Plus it is a very rare beast.  How many do you figure still exist?

[Highlander]

There is a strong possibility that she is a one-off, Robert...

Peter Cook specialised in customs and was not a prolific maker of instruments, but so little is written up on him, and as he dropped-off the radar so many years ago...

Everyone here knows of his "FenderBirds", some may possibly know of the "Lightning" bass he made which was the model for the "dot-to-dot" on "The Who By Numbers" cover, and he made an early "active" instrument called an "Axis" which I have found someone on Jules' site who has one; other than "Hard Rock", who owns one...?

But who would have had a case made this flamboyant to go with this instrument...? Couldn't have been many of these made in the 70's, could there...?

[Highlander]

"School's out" this week past so have been away most of it... RnR... a "drinking session" with my West-Country friend...

Came home to find a couple of bubbles on the veneer near the string attachment area...

Well, today I popped into a chemists to try and get hold of a syringe and some needles... I got a "look". from the ladies and people waiting for their prescriptions... They are not widely available in the UK, without being a "registered user", or diabeetic... eventually, the chemist accepted my explanation and gave me some "time-ex" items he kept "for special occasions"... Heaven only knows what he meant by that...!

So... a bit of 2 to 1 titebond and water, a little squirt in each, a clean and clamp, and I'll check in the morning...

[nofi]

hey ken, what's going on with the t bird project.

[Highlander]

Stalled by weather and Christmas outgoings I'm afraid, Nofi... also, we have had a run of poor weather and dampness...

Not been slacking on my research though...

Posted on the ReRanch site to source some UK paint suppliers (No ReRanch products available to the UK) and I am almost certainly finalising on an amber and cherry burst... something John posted the other day about a Guild has given me an idea about the neck, giving a lighter "spine" and a cherry edge...

The problem will be that the only place I can spray is within the shed and as there is no heating I will have to store within the garage (where our CH boiler lives, so stays reasonably warm but not "house" warm), so I can only work in dry conditions...

I am still studying details over at the ReRanch... I may re-fret due to a binding issue - the frets did not have their edges beveled; this was part of the binding; this will be a fiddly job if I recreate the original binding... still have to source the binding...

Work has been busy leading up to Christmas too... I have three nights next week to re-cable some cameras in a big shopping mall so that is complicating things, too...

As soon as I have some real news of ongoing work I'll be posting here first...