7 string SG

[Renkenstein]

I'm assuming all your builds were going on in school? Did your work pieces have to stay at the school or do you still have them? If you don't have spray equipment, I'd at least finish those in oil and get some hand tools here and there. Hate to see someone that's doing so well just throw in the towel. Best of luck, man.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

daaaaamn that whomps...

 

[jwade]

I brought everything home with me, but there's not much chance of buying tools as I'm so ridiculously in debt now that it's going to take a miracle to even pay off the student l.o.c money. As for oiling the SG, I had a number of issues that I've not pointed out that would've been hidden away by the white finish (one such area is the bridge post hole on the treble side).

This has just been a very long, stressful year, and having to walk away with things not finished has really killed my enthusiasm for building things. I know I can't possibly afford the kinds of tools/machines I'd need to be able to do this to any degree that could result in an income, so now I'm stuck with a massive debt, no future prospects for work, and can't even go back to my old job where I made semi-ok money. Maybe one day, I won't feel so negatively towards everything, but right now I can't honestly imagine having anything to do with luthiery in general.

Apologies for coming off as Captain Buzzkill, it's been a really bad week.

 

[Forkface]

Start a kickstarter, get some hand tools and paint, and save this project , I would gladly donate 20 bucks just to see this finished and to help a fellow sso member

I feel ya man, but you'll see everything will be alright in the end

 

[IanCBoss]

I just read through this thread. It reads like a very short story with a happy beginning and a sad ending. Breaks my heart, it was coming along so beautifully.

And this might be the wrong time to bring this up but would you ever consider selling your progress as a project for another member to finish? I know it would be like giving away a child but the money might help off-set some expenses and might help you recoop the money you put in.

But if you can put it in a closet and come back to it in a few months to finish it out then by all means do it. It might even be a "light at the end of the tunnel" sort of thing for you. Thats just my two cents though.

 

[Renkenstein]

I'm sure that school made it seem like all those specialty tools and big power tools are an absolute necessity, but that's not the reality of the situation. Look at Alex(Purelojik). He's a builder working out of an apartment. Poro at Luthiertalk, same thing. Barnaby at MLP and LT is in a tiny apartment in Japan. The latter 2 don't even use a single power tool.

As for the student loans...those aren't going anywhere. It's good to get ahead of those, sure...but they're not going to throw you in the brig for not paying those immediately. I recommend paying them, because they will wreck your credit, but there's time for that later. I've still got student loans because I was in a similar situation to yours.

I went to DeVry, which is as predatory a school as these luthier schools seem to be. When times got tough, I had to put school on hold(mind, I was providing for a family while going to school and working full time). When I tried to go back and finish my bachelor's, they said my 19 remaining credit hours was now 75 to finish my degree.

It took me 10 years to find a job in a related field.

Just because you don't have that piece of paper does not mean you cannot do the job. Just because you don't have a set of nut files or a band saw doesn't mean you cannot do the job. I can understand having the wind taken out of your sails. I understand discouragement. You can't let that overwhelm you and keep you from your dreams.

Build on, dude. Build on.

 

[jwade]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I don't know how long it may take to get to a point where I can get something happening, but when I've been able to work awhile and figure out a way to get this finished, I'll update this again.

The new plan will include a very different set of pickups, as I have absolutely no way to wind my own pickups anymore (not to mention that I ended up leaving before learning how to wind in general). I have a bit of money in my Paypal account right now saved up, just need to put in a little bit more in a couple weeks when I get paid by this new job, and I'll be able to send a payment off for some special pickups.

It may be a while from now, but I can't let the situation ruin something I was so excited about/proud of. I've had a few people suggest that I should just offer the school $50 or something to let me go in for a day and spray the guitar to get it finished. Don't know if they'll be receptive to that, but it's probably worth a try.

 

[eddiewarlock]

i think you could give it some kind of sealer, to protect the wood and prevent it from moving and to make it playable. Don't use oil.

Sanding sealer works fine. That way you can seal the grain for future refinishing and you can mount all the hardware which i assume you have and be able to play it.

 

[jwade]

So I dug out the guitar this afternoon and put the hardware on. I need to make a nut still before I can string it up. I figure there's no point in waiting until I eventually get the guitar sprayed. Anyway, crappy iphone pictures:

 

[celticelk]

Looks fantastic! Great to see this one resurfacing.

Maybe we need an ss.org SG7 group buy? Just a thought.

 

[jwade]

hokay, crappy cellphone video:

Instagram

 

[jwade]

Maybe we need an ss.org SG7 group buy? Just a thought.

I don’t know how I never saw this before!! I would be completely in, is this something that can actually be arranged somehow? Something along the lines of how Zimbloth does those Ibanez runs?

I’d want the simplest configurations for people to choose from. I’d say it should be based on the 1961 Standard or Custom, choice of blocks or trapezoids, chrome or gold hardware (no idea about pickups but only bridge & neck) available in either black, heritage cherry, alpine white/classic white.