Mooncaster build

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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Ayrton
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Mooncaster build

Post by Ayrton » Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:17 am

I have lurked here for some time and thought you guys (gals) would like to see this.

Surfing the web looking for Jazz/Jag ideas, I stumble across this Warmoth body on clearance. I bought it with no real plan, but then decided I wanted to combine the look of a Jazzmaster, Starcaster, and Coronado.

The idea being it could have been something Fender would have offered. The build part is the neck that I wanted to go along with the body.

Ordering a B&B neck is hella expensive, so I started with a new Allparts neck.


Pulled the frets and dots.

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Added strips of wood to prevent rocking

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Bearing bit in the table

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So far so good, now the inlays

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I normally use melted binding as my "glue", but I was lazy and went with CA glue. I paid for it by having a slight gap along the maple seam. (Doh!)

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Making a mess

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Red side markers

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Jescar 57110 stainless

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Rattle can black lacquer on the headstock

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Lots of clear

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Hipshot lockers with pearl buttons

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Neck meet body

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Wired it up with Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers
-Chris

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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by HNB » Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:34 am

Looks nice. :D
Christopher
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Deed_Poll
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by Deed_Poll » Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:01 am

Very nice clean work indeed! I love the binding and inlays :)
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07hubbardj
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by 07hubbardj » Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:09 am

Awesome work. Seeing the work on the neck makes me want to add binding to my VM jaguar. Want a bound neck with matching seafoam green headstock haha. But seriously man, lovely guitar

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kdanie
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by kdanie » Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:57 am

I dig it!!

ken
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Kwyjibo
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by Kwyjibo » Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:38 am

oh man- so lovely. neck inspiration right here!!

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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by garyptaszek » Thu Feb 15, 2018 11:27 am

Goddamn that was some fine work on that neck!

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Steadyriot.
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by Steadyriot. » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:20 am

Looking good!

I have thought about doing that with a neck; how did you overcome the round edge screwing with your bearing? You don't really have a straight edge to push against.
"If someone duetted with a Bald Eagle, they could rule the Country charts from here to eternity." ~shadowplay

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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by ThePearDream » Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:22 pm

Wow! Looks great. Super gutsy job on that neck. I like the touch with the red side markers. This would be awesome with a Duesenberg Les Trem.
Doug
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by Deed_Poll » Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:50 pm

I also love the red side markers... Is there a special tool you can use to make them? I have some beautiful tortoiseshell offcuts I'd love to use for side markers!
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Ayrton
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by Ayrton » Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:55 pm

Deed_Poll wrote:
Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:50 pm
I also love the red side markers... Is there a special tool you can use to make them? I have some beautiful tortoiseshell offcuts I'd love to use for side markers!
Thank you, everyone, for the kind comments.

The red markers are just plastic rod stock available anywhere luthier supplies are sold.

I have punched out tortoise dots before from various picks. You just need to drill a hole into a piece of metal the size of the dots you want and then use the same bit (reversed) to punch out the markers.

Same thing here

http://www.guitarify.com/2011/05/make-y ... oard-dots/
Last edited by Ayrton on Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-Chris

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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by OV7 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:16 am

droolworthy

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Ayrton
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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by Ayrton » Mon Mar 05, 2018 6:29 pm

Let us revisit, shall we?

Pro tip, don't use clip-on tuners with fresh lacquer. :fp:

There were a million little things I was not happy about with the headstock paint, but I ignored them until my tuner left an impression.

Heat gun time!

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The heat gun made quick work of the lacquer and left the sanding sealer intact.

More black

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Since I was going to all this trouble, I decided a more appropriate decal would be nice. The body shape is a Fender Starcaster, but the headstock is Jazzmaster. The look I went for was a combination of the Starcaster, Coronado II, and the Jazzmaster.

So I got with Scott @ GuitaRestore and he combined all the ideas to create a custom decals for me.

The inspiration

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To concept

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To cutter

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Add plenty of clear

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and one pickguard

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I highly recommend GuitaRestore for custom decals. Scott is a very cool guy who takes great pride in his work.
-Chris

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Re: Mooncaster build

Post by smjenkins » Mon Mar 05, 2018 7:25 pm

Wow. Still a stunning guitar and now looks even better. I love the Starcaster II idea for the name.

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