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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45
Ivison Guitars - Build and Repair Thread
IvisonGuitars
Frets: 6806
Hi fellow 'boarders!
As some of you already know, I've been a vintage Junior 'nut' for a LONG time and 18 months ago, I set about building my own vintage correct Junior for myself and, after loaning it out to a few playing pals of mine, ended up making a few more! This project has had a few false starts, mainly due to time available: I was a touring guitar tech for 15 years as well as a gigging musician myself so free time was at a premium. However, having stopped touring extensively, I now find myself with the time to pursue the project with the effort and attention to detail I expect from myself.
I have been lucky enough to own some superb vintage '50's Juniors:
a 1955 Single Cut Junior
a 1956 Single Cut TV Special
a 1957 Single Cut Junior
a 1959 Double Cut Junior &
a 1959 Double Cut TV Model
Each of these guitars has been meticulously measured and documented and I now feel I am at a point were I can build a vintage spec Single or Double Cut guitar getting as close as possible with the modern materials available that looks, sounds & feels like a vintage guitar but a player is not afraid to take out and gig.
The basic spec is:
1 Piece African Mahogany Body
1 Piece African Mahogany Neck - Profile replicated from an original 1959 DC.
17 degree headstock angle as per the originals
Single action truss rod with maple filler strip
Indian Rosewood fingerboard
Vintage Correct 50's Celluloid dot inlays
Faber Wraparound Bridge - EXACT weight and construction as the original bridges
Faber Studs & Anchors
Either Mojo or Oil City Handwound P90
CTS Pots
Bumblebee cap
Switchcraft Jack Socket
Aged Kluson Tuners
Bone Nut
Aged Knobs
Aged Pointer Washers
Aged Strap Buttons
All plastics are cut from accurate 50's templates.
100% Nitrocellulose Finish
Aniline Dyes used where applicable.
If desired, I can add a personal serial number in the 50's font FOC.
PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT OFFER THE 'OPEN BOOK' HEADSTOCK AS THIS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK.
If you are interested in commissioning a guitar, please don't hesitate to drop me a PM on here or at info@ivisonguitars.com.
Here's a very kind review from a fellow fretboarder who purchased a guitar off me a while ago: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/80611/miserneil-luthier-dc-junior
Here are a few pictures of completed guitars, I will start a thread in Making and Modding in the coming few days documenting the build process:
A ‘59 DC Model:
All Gold ‘59 DC
Weather Checking Detail on an SC Model:
Weather Checking on a Cherry ‘59 DC (Aniline Dye which will fade just like the originals):
As some of you already know, I've been a vintage Junior 'nut' for a LONG time and 18 months ago, I set about building my own vintage correct Junior for myself and, after loaning it out to a few playing pals of mine, ended up making a few more! This project has had a few false starts, mainly due to time available: I was a touring guitar tech for 15 years as well as a gigging musician myself so free time was at a premium. However, having stopped touring extensively, I now find myself with the time to pursue the project with the effort and attention to detail I expect from myself.
I have been lucky enough to own some superb vintage '50's Juniors:
a 1955 Single Cut Junior
a 1956 Single Cut TV Special
a 1957 Single Cut Junior
a 1959 Double Cut Junior &
a 1959 Double Cut TV Model
Each of these guitars has been meticulously measured and documented and I now feel I am at a point were I can build a vintage spec Single or Double Cut guitar getting as close as possible with the modern materials available that looks, sounds & feels like a vintage guitar but a player is not afraid to take out and gig.
The basic spec is:
1 Piece African Mahogany Body
1 Piece African Mahogany Neck - Profile replicated from an original 1959 DC.
17 degree headstock angle as per the originals
Single action truss rod with maple filler strip
Indian Rosewood fingerboard
Vintage Correct 50's Celluloid dot inlays
Faber Wraparound Bridge - EXACT weight and construction as the original bridges
Faber Studs & Anchors
Either Mojo or Oil City Handwound P90
CTS Pots
Bumblebee cap
Switchcraft Jack Socket
Aged Kluson Tuners
Bone Nut
Aged Knobs
Aged Pointer Washers
Aged Strap Buttons
All plastics are cut from accurate 50's templates.
100% Nitrocellulose Finish
Aniline Dyes used where applicable.
If desired, I can add a personal serial number in the 50's font FOC.
PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT OFFER THE 'OPEN BOOK' HEADSTOCK AS THIS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK.
If you are interested in commissioning a guitar, please don't hesitate to drop me a PM on here or at info@ivisonguitars.com.
Here's a very kind review from a fellow fretboarder who purchased a guitar off me a while ago: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/80611/miserneil-luthier-dc-junior
Here are a few pictures of completed guitars, I will start a thread in Making and Modding in the coming few days documenting the build process:
A ‘59 DC Model:
All Gold ‘59 DC
Weather Checking Detail on an SC Model:
Weather Checking on a Cherry ‘59 DC (Aniline Dye which will fade just like the originals):
http://www.ivisonguitars.com
(formerly miserneil)
(formerly miserneil)
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Comments
(formerly miserneil)
Stunning work. Seriously.
Sure! The guitar is a GSP DC Junior husk that I used to refine the cherry process (which i'll post up on the build thread). It's 100% Aniline dyes so it'll fade out just like the originals do/did and now resides with a fellow forum member:
(formerly miserneil)
Only which? DC cherry? DC TV? Jeez....are you going to make SC sunbursts....?
Whatever, I will surely die. And be skint. But happy.....
Mine of choice would be DC cherry or sunburst SC....either way...
And yes @merlin, I can make anything you desire....as long as it's Junior shaped! ;D
Regarding price, I'm hoping to bring these in at £1699 with a hard case.
Cheer, Neil
(formerly miserneil)
I have to ask out of interest why African rather than Honduras I imagine price obviously or do you think its not worth the difference. Not a criticism just a question from a junior lover LOL.
Certainly availability of African Mahogany and price are a factor and I can source Honduran/Brazilian Rosewood (as an uncharge) but mainly I don't think it has that much bearing on the overall tone to be honest. To test this was lucky enough to have a 1959 DC Junior here along with a DC I make out of African Mahogany and another that was made out of Spanish Cedar. Weight as resonance wise, they were all very similar, the MAIN factor I found was down to the P90 and Bridge combination. I spent a good while trying various options including a Gibson replacement, Mojoaxe and a generic Mojoaxe copy until I found the Faber wraparound that @streethawk recommended to me. It it EXACTLY the same construction and weight as the originals and really adds to the 'ring' of a junior.
Exhibit A:
1956 Gibson Wraparound Bridge
Exhibt B:
Faber Aluminium wraparound tailpiece
The other main factor in the tone in quite obviously the P90. Now the very best sounding Junior I owned had a P90 that was beautiful and airy and open sounding, it was gorgeous! But it was so microphonic, it was just like having a microphone taped to the guitar! Which was great in isolation but as a gigging guitar, it was a nightmare. So after a LOT of tests and trial and error, I found 2 P90's that I REALLY rate and, low and behold, they are both from forum stalwarts, @Mojopickups and Oil City. Both exceptional pickups, great build quality, consistent tone, have a great 'bite' and clean up beautifully over others I tried. I would recommend these first unless a customer had a particular preference.
So, hopefully this will show that i've not just chucked a load of parts together and hoped for the best, there has been a lot of thought gone into it as well as (expensive) R&D....as well as exposing my freakish Junior obsessions!!
Hope this helps!
(formerly miserneil)
I have a Faber I am putting on a new build from GSP so be interesting to see how it sounds in comparison to a similar GSP with Gibson lightning. Here what you say about pickups they make a lot of difference.
thanks for the insight something else I have to save for now LOL
To be totally honest, it’s still such a new venture, i’m still working on a suitable logo, although I have a few ideas. I might post them up and get the assembled wisdom of the forum...
(formerly miserneil)
A great big stonking I in the middle of the headstock
Love the level of detail, now that’s, err, devotion, obsession - not sure on that one either way impressive!
The guitars look cracking too
It was on this all gold Junior I made:
Another option which I think would look great in theory, but which I need to try, is an inlayed coin, a nickel or a dime perhaps?
(formerly miserneil)
Personally a move away from the Gibson style logo would be a good thing... I like the coin idea or maybe a seal of some kind a bit like Matt at Monty's does?
Sooo, i've just done a VERY quick test/mock up....
I think, against the black headstock and set under the lacquer this would look REALLY cool!
....and then the custom options would be Dime, Quarter, Penny, 10p or £1....!
I think i'm sold on this....anyone else??
(formerly miserneil)
Thrupenny Bit?
Or people could maybe provide a coin from their own birth year?
I like it, but I also like the Ivison logo I must say.
Love this idea... what about vintage pennies or sixpences etc British craftsmanship with the US heritage..?