Guitar Project "Green Monster"

Gear
#1

Hey there,

I wanted to let you participate in a guitar project I started about 18 years ago. to be honest, I postponed it about 17 years ago :wink:
but I picked it up again and I’m looking forward to finish it within the next few months. I, together with a friend of mine, carved a new pickguard yesterday.

body needs to be repainted. I’m thinking about a singlecoil in the neck position, which I didn’t plan to include when I first started the project. I really like the clean look of pickguards with little controls. The first version will thus only feature a volume knob.

Floyd and a white SD Humbucker are going to be installed.
Neck is from my first guitar, headstock has been removed and replaced by a custom made by myself. Got the body from Ebay.

GreenMonster
GreenMonster2240×3968 2.06 MB

What do you think?

Thomas

4 Likes
#2

I’m a sucker for strat-style guitars so I approve - looking forward to seeing it / hearing it in action :slight_smile:

I’d definitely add a neck single coil (or a splittable mini-humbucker) if I could choose!

#3

You removed the headstock and replaced it?

1 Like
#4

Yes, I did.

The neck came from this guitar model (had a pink version):

Hohner-Professional-ST-Viper-II

the headstock had a crack, that I reglued, but it didn’t look good. And I wanted that reversed banana-headstock. At that time I had a student assistant job at the university. The university department had a well equiped mechanical workshop with belt grinder, band-saw, milling-machine and so on, so it was doable. I can provide some close-up shots of the neck joint in case you’re interested.

Now I only have my own tools and a hand routing machine of a friend of mine, but the complicated stuff is already done. I still have to do some hand-filing of the pickguard to do, then i will complete the, albeit quite simple in this case, electrics and check it out.

If everything is fine, we will refinish the guitar in the same color, because the paint job I did back then is terrible.

#5

Yeah, I’m really genuinely curious. Did you cut a new scarf joint? Usually, headstock replacements are in the cases of damage not intentional substitutions.

1 Like
#6

Man I don’t even care what you did, it looks siiiiiiiick. Spartan control layout? Single coil in neck? Reverse headstock? Ticking all my boxes. Have fun!

1 Like
#7

This is how the new headstock has been attached. In fact it was kind of a repair. By replacing the damaged headstock completely. :wink:

IMG_20190508_080842
IMG_20190508_0808422240×3968 1.64 MB

3 Likes
#8

Pretty impressive swapping out a headstock.
I would have thought it impossible for a mortal.
You are mortal?

#9

Not sure (yet).
At least I’ve been told. Give me 40-50 years to make sure. Although I’m afraid I might not be able to answer the question then. I do bleed if wounded (proven when I filed that pickguard).
It helps to have good tools, advice, to work slowly and carefully and not be afraid to mess it up. Try! It’s fun.

1 Like
#10

Exemplary work, man! You can’t even tell. And a through-hole locking nut to boot!

Well done!

1 Like
#11

Update!
I finished the pickguard details and reassembled the guitar. Sounds good, although the electronics are just a quick hack.
Now I have to repaint the body with my carpenter (?) friend.

IMG_20190509_234712
IMG_20190509_234712.jpg3968×2240 3.15 MB

I will post a video when it is finished.

Tom

3 Likes