widefault
09-27-2008, 11:31 PM
Got a little sidetracked from my case mods, plus I'm in a new apartment. I need space to put all my tools before I can really get back to work.
In the meantime, I'm putting a few guitars back together.
A few years back I bought a ~1965 Silvertone guitar, same as the Harmony Bobkat model of the same age. When I got it, it was missing all the electronics, the original pickguard, and the wooden bridge. It did have the hard-to-find tailpiece, which is badly pitted. At the time I was going to route the body to fit humbuckers and never got that far. I did install a new bridge, which just barely does the job. The original bridge spaced the strings very close together. The new one has them a bit wider, which makes it a bit nicer to play, but as you get near the body the low E is very close to the edge of the neck. That's probably jibberish to non-players. I also replaced the original pure crap tuners with some modern ones salvaged from a japanese Fender Strat. The guitar is actually very playable, if a bit beat up.
Anyway, a pic of that guitar.
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/stonebobkat0908.jpg
A month ago I bought the Harmony version of the same guitar, complete and in excellent shape, but no output. Pulled the pickguard, yanked everything apart and found the pickup's windings were broken. Ugh. Didn't put the pickguard back on, but have been playing it as is because it has a very good acoustic quality for practice and plays like a dream. Orginally crappy tuners have also been replaced. Pic below.
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/harbobkat0908.jpg
In the last two weeks I've searched and found one original pickup for the Harmony, and a pair of late 60's NOS Harmony GoldTone "Mustache" pickups. The pair is here, waiting on the single.
Original dead GoldTone
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/goldtone0908.jpg
Mustache Goldtones
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/gtmpups0908.jpg
While waiting, I started cutting new pickguards using the Harmony one for the pattern. That one was set up for a single pickup, so I have an extra step for the two pickup version to make sure I copy the control and pickup locations properly.
Now, I've previously had two other Harmony Bobkats, one of which was junk and scrapped out. Sold the pickups(stupidstupid), but kept the pickguard and other electronics. Comes in handy now. The problem was, that pickguard had been reshaped since it broke on the corners. So to make my two pickup pickguard, I first copied the single version, then lined up the reshaped two pickup one to mark everything.
A few pictures.
Original pickguards
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/bkpgorig0908.jpg
Replacements, did these in black because I had the material
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/bkpgnew10908.jpg
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/bkpgnew20908.jpg
I've got the single pickup version pretty much ready, and have the original 43 year old electronics temporarily installed. I still need to desolder, but I'll wait til I have the new old pickup.
The two pickup version is rough cut, need to be drilled and sanded down to the final profile. Holding off on that because I have to devise a new way of mounting the pickups. Originally they were riveted to the guard, and I don't have a way to do that right now.
Now what's really funny to me is someone is reissuing these old guitars (http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductLine.asp?pl=vintage&pid=F2E2D769E80C3A44409AA067DC24E262F25EA3253582DB 24). When they were new in the 60s, they were sold through Sears and JC Penneys for under $100. They were also very hit and miss, some good but most awful. Right now, originals sell on Ebay for between $200-$250. The reissues start at around $450. Granted, the quality is greatly improved, but it seems silly to pay double what an original sells for. Plus the reissues are made in Korea, which isn't a bad thing, but the price seems high to me for a Korean copy of what were cheap catalog guitars.
I do like the fact that these are suddenly part of the "vintage" guitar market. These reissues are already driving up the prices on other Harmony guitars, which means my cheapies(have an original version of this (http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductLine.asp?pl=vintage&pid=07D671547B35222D95D7E38D93FDD3596A3AEF4B628C0C F6)) might someday be my retirement money.
In the meantime, I'm putting a few guitars back together.
A few years back I bought a ~1965 Silvertone guitar, same as the Harmony Bobkat model of the same age. When I got it, it was missing all the electronics, the original pickguard, and the wooden bridge. It did have the hard-to-find tailpiece, which is badly pitted. At the time I was going to route the body to fit humbuckers and never got that far. I did install a new bridge, which just barely does the job. The original bridge spaced the strings very close together. The new one has them a bit wider, which makes it a bit nicer to play, but as you get near the body the low E is very close to the edge of the neck. That's probably jibberish to non-players. I also replaced the original pure crap tuners with some modern ones salvaged from a japanese Fender Strat. The guitar is actually very playable, if a bit beat up.
Anyway, a pic of that guitar.
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/stonebobkat0908.jpg
A month ago I bought the Harmony version of the same guitar, complete and in excellent shape, but no output. Pulled the pickguard, yanked everything apart and found the pickup's windings were broken. Ugh. Didn't put the pickguard back on, but have been playing it as is because it has a very good acoustic quality for practice and plays like a dream. Orginally crappy tuners have also been replaced. Pic below.
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/harbobkat0908.jpg
In the last two weeks I've searched and found one original pickup for the Harmony, and a pair of late 60's NOS Harmony GoldTone "Mustache" pickups. The pair is here, waiting on the single.
Original dead GoldTone
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/goldtone0908.jpg
Mustache Goldtones
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/gtmpups0908.jpg
While waiting, I started cutting new pickguards using the Harmony one for the pattern. That one was set up for a single pickup, so I have an extra step for the two pickup version to make sure I copy the control and pickup locations properly.
Now, I've previously had two other Harmony Bobkats, one of which was junk and scrapped out. Sold the pickups(stupidstupid), but kept the pickguard and other electronics. Comes in handy now. The problem was, that pickguard had been reshaped since it broke on the corners. So to make my two pickup pickguard, I first copied the single version, then lined up the reshaped two pickup one to mark everything.
A few pictures.
Original pickguards
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/bkpgorig0908.jpg
Replacements, did these in black because I had the material
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/bkpgnew10908.jpg
http://www.widefault.com/guitars/bkpgnew20908.jpg
I've got the single pickup version pretty much ready, and have the original 43 year old electronics temporarily installed. I still need to desolder, but I'll wait til I have the new old pickup.
The two pickup version is rough cut, need to be drilled and sanded down to the final profile. Holding off on that because I have to devise a new way of mounting the pickups. Originally they were riveted to the guard, and I don't have a way to do that right now.
Now what's really funny to me is someone is reissuing these old guitars (http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductLine.asp?pl=vintage&pid=F2E2D769E80C3A44409AA067DC24E262F25EA3253582DB 24). When they were new in the 60s, they were sold through Sears and JC Penneys for under $100. They were also very hit and miss, some good but most awful. Right now, originals sell on Ebay for between $200-$250. The reissues start at around $450. Granted, the quality is greatly improved, but it seems silly to pay double what an original sells for. Plus the reissues are made in Korea, which isn't a bad thing, but the price seems high to me for a Korean copy of what were cheap catalog guitars.
I do like the fact that these are suddenly part of the "vintage" guitar market. These reissues are already driving up the prices on other Harmony guitars, which means my cheapies(have an original version of this (http://harmonyguitars.com/ProductLine.asp?pl=vintage&pid=07D671547B35222D95D7E38D93FDD3596A3AEF4B628C0C F6)) might someday be my retirement money.