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041211 – the crimson guitars workshop blog
The new tremolo design is working perfectly, the tremolo itself is as simple as can be and this is important! The bearing system that the trem hinges on however is a bit complicated in this iteration and needs rethinking.. the two bolts holding it in place are creating weak points and the tension of the strings is bending the steel!
While I consider that it’s back to the PAF Hollow, I wasn’t happy with the lacquer. In the perennial search for tone I laid it on a bit too thin and it came back to bite me while rubbing down.. so, the whole guitar is ‘keyed’ with 600 grit paper so the new finish has something to grab on to.
And the new lacquer is applied..
the first cost of the lacquer has tiny flakes of pearlescent glitter suspended in it.. the same glitter I used when I had the acrylic cast for Charlie Jones bass.
Another attempt at the bearing system..
with smaller screws.. failed!
A better view of the glitter in between coats..
Now, the control cavity of the RF Guitar is shielded
the control positions reamed of excess lacquer.. maybe I should plug these with wax or something?
The first systems to be installed are the basic magnetic controls, volume, tone and a five way switch and the Fernandes sustainer circuitry..
Next up is the ghost piezo and MIDI system.. can anyone say rats nest??
soon tidied up though and bolted to the sides of the cavity.
I’ll need a custom jack and 13 pin din socket plate, standard black plastic fits the bill with this guitar.
nice.. it fits well with the finish, normally I wouldn’t touch plastic!
The same goes for the back plates.. everything is made from scratch, I like the options and flexibility this affords me as a custom guitar builder.
The edges are bevelled and scraped clean with a sharp chisel.
…there’s something not quite right here.. the battery compartment looks more in keeping than the rest of the plastic..
I run a test piece through the shot blasting cabinet and get the required look..
While I wait for the clients thoughts on the matt plastic it is back to the tremolo.. first I drill and thread another piece of steel..
Then I customise a pair of allen key bolts.
And we have a solid steel shaft with bearings on the ends that doesn’t bend and easy height adjustment.. who ever said you had to have only two separate parts to a tremolo assembly.
The, now, matt back plates are fitted, the plastic follows the carved contours of the guitar perfectly.
A closeup of the new tremolo, it is loaded with ghost piezo saddles to run the MIDI and piezo side of this guitar.
I can’t wait for this lacquer to be cured so I can put this guitar together!
Now.. a PRS
the frets are blacked out with permanent marker and leveled.
With the fretboard masked off the frets are blacked again and the profiling begins again.
Finally they are each polished to a high gloss.. a scratchy fret is a slow fret!
..?
Perfect! Jewelers rouge does the trick nicely.
Now, this guitar came in with a few dents and my first thought was to offer to fix them.. the client had other ideas though..
As hard as this is for my gut to accept a few more dents are what was required.. firstly the pickup has a few strings hammered into it and the edges rounded over.
The edges of the fretboard are rolled over… thus making the whole guitar more comfortable to play!
And now to the lacquer.. and the part I was dreading!! It really goes against the grain to be actually damaging a guitar like this!
Buckle burn..
Finally the neck is stripped.. this is not really supposed to look too ‘worn’ more like a guitar that someone has stripped 
the original locking tuners are removed and a set of Klusons are installed instead.. I love these!
I’m sorry.. but the customer will love it!
Now.. the Eyry, a twin neck guitar design in progress
.. erm.. no!
We’ll start with a six string guitar..
And an ergonomic six string bass..
We will develop a new locking system to put the two together, and when needed you can take them apart and have a separate guitar and bass guitar! I love my job!
All my best,
Ben
Crimson Guitars | redefining the UK custom guitar