Guild Thunderbird replica

[Tumtrah]

Rescued this Eko 12 string neck from trash years ago. Missing binding, worn-out frets. Ideal candidate for a Thunderbird conversion.

[CROSS_guitars]

Not sure if you're using that scaled up image of the body as the body but I found an accurate version of the body on their website, if that helps.
https://guildguitars.com/wp-content/upl ... _guide.pdf

[Tumtrah]

Oh thank you, that will help! Didn't found a printable outline for making a template.
I'll check the drawing from the gretsch website against my scaled up pic.

[Tumtrah]

Templates...

Old german Klira pickups and diy tremar (unfinished) made from stainless steel.

routed pickguard, I'll leave the metal switch plate and go for a toggle.

[ohm-men]

Oh! This is gonna be good!
Subscribed!

Klira pickups are a great choiche. Those are nice.
I like you made the Hagström trem by hand, very nice work!!

[Singlebladepickup]

Love the thunderbirds, looking forward to this build

[Tumtrah]

Oh! This is gonna be good!
Subscribed!

Klira pickups are a great choiche. Those are nice.
I like you made the Hagström trem by hand, very nice work!!

Can't say anything about the pickups, except that the coils are well. I decided to use them for this project because of the similarly look to the Guild single coils. Hopefully they'll sound good too.
At the moment I'm thinking about how I'll manage to build the collar for the trem arm...

[Tumtrah]

Meanwhile small progress on the body.

[epizootics]

This is looking supercool already. Total respect for going through the trouble of replicating that Tremar unit. Did you bend the parts yourself or did you take it to a metal shop?
A lathe would obviously help in the making of the arm attachment. You're probably better off going with the modern version that has a set screw at the top to hold the arm in, rather than the old one with a slotted thumbwheel screw. Depending on how close to the original you want it to be, and if you want to keep it all stainless (the actual arm itself is easy to make from small round stock), you could use something like that: https://www.miamistainless.com.au/blind-barrel-nut (yeah, that's an Australian link, sorry) that would save you the trouble of having to drill that perpendicular hole yourself.

Keep us posted, I'm looking forward to seeing how all of this unfolds!

[PorkyPrimeCut]

Oh yeah, this is great!!

[Tumtrah]

This is looking supercool already. Total respect for going through the trouble of replicating that Tremar unit. Did you bend the parts yourself or did you take it to a metal shop?
A lathe would obviously help in the making of the arm attachment. You're probably better off going with the modern version that has a set screw at the top to hold the arm in, rather than the old one with a slotted thumbwheel screw. Depending on how close to the original you want it to be, and if you want to keep it all stainless (the actual arm itself is easy to make from small round stock), you could use something like that: https://www.miamistainless.com.au/blind-barrel-nut (yeah, that's an Australian link, sorry) that would save you the trouble of having to drill that perpendicular hole yourself.

Keep us posted, I'm looking forward to seeing how all of this unfolds!

Thanks for your suggestions and sorry for the late response! Yes, I bent the parts myself, I own a small sheet metal bender.
Using a blind barrel nut for making the arm attachment is a good idea! I will keep that in mind due to the fact that working on stainless steel without the right tools is dissatisfying and I'm not well trained with metal works.
However, i's a fun project and I can stand variation from the original...

[X-Ray Spex]

Love Thunderbirds, are you going to give it the infamous kickstand?

[Deed_Poll]

Very nice!! Is the body wood Idigbo?

[Tumtrah]

Love Thunderbirds, are you going to give it the infamous kickstand?

Yes I did it, don't know if this was a good idea. Seems to be very instable...

Very nice!! Is the body wood Idigbo?

Thank you! I think the wood is a kind of Obeche/Ayous/ African Whitewood. I got some planks years ago and its lightweight and soft. I used the heaviest pieces to build the body. I built a Firebird in the past and reinforced the neck with maple layers and it's a very resonant guitar.

[X-Ray Spex]

Love Thunderbirds, are you going to give it the infamous kickstand?

Yes I did it, don't know if this was a good idea. Seems to be very instable...

Very nice!! Is the body wood Idigbo?

Thank you! I think the wood is a kind of Obeche/Ayous/ African Whitewood. I got some planks years ago and its lightweight and soft. I used the heaviest pieces to build the body. I built a Firebird in the past and reinforced the neck with maple layers and it's a very resonant guitar.

They were famously unstable, apparently it's a huge reason why there aren't many vintage examples left. That and Dan Auerbach keeps buying them all

If it was me designing it I would've widened the stand and given it more width at the bottom like an upside down T shape to give it more grip and balance.