Yamaha pacifica modified Partscaster

I mentioned back in November that I had completely refurbed my old  Yamaha Pacifica

Here are the Pictures Check out the awesome ash Body I am a lucky boy.
So far I'm happy with it. Although I feel the musicman pickups are a bit clean for my tastes.

As I mentioned in November. Putting a guitar together with Yamaha parts is effortless. I can recommend it.



 

Another 6 String Cohiba Cigar box guitar.

Yes folks They are coming thick and fast. It probably seems that I'm making a guitar every 2 days at the moment but actually I usually work on 3 at a time as you have to wait for glue to dry parts to arrive paint to dry and then I always like to leave them at least a couple of weeks to settle and make sure nothing is going to break before I put them on sale.
here is the latest and probably the last at least for a while Cohiba based 6 string.
It is for sale at The Shonky Website along with the other 3  have for sale at the moment.

ShonKybox Cohiba HS Cigar Box guitar

Made with a Cohiba cigar box re-used 25.5" scale guitar neck. D profile

Added mahogamy bouts for comfort.

Re-used Humbucker and single coils with volume and tone and 3 way switch.

Re-used Chrome TOM bridge and tailpiece.

Re-used chrome Tuning machines

Plays superb sounds awesome.

neck is finished with an aged walnut wood stain and satin clear coat

Body is finished in a satin clear coat.

Made from 97% recycled or reclaimed material and parts. The re-used parts are in good cosmetic condition and are in perfect working order. "Play Green"

Also Included is the hard case pictured.

Will be sent Professionally packed with a signed certificate of authenticity.

 

What's next on the Agenda well the Beatnik copy's are in progress. I have a commission for a cigar box Mandolin that I should be getting on with and I am also going to concentrate on my unique designed electric guitar that I have been trying to build for 3 years. (the Prototypes have ended up on the fire so far). I think I have it right now but we'll see.

ShonKybox Flor de Santolina 4 String Slide Tenor Guitar

My latest guitar is this lovely little 4 string slide guitar in a tenor scale.
Made from  a vintage mahogany box, added mahogany bouts. braced and re-enforced. A mahogany neck with an offset open book headstock. The neck is attached to the body via a tenon joint.
wenge fingerboard, Grover tuning machines and twin disc piezo's.
I attached the label from the inside of box from the Pleasant dreams 1 String on to the headstock for a bit of colour.
The floating bridge is a banjo style Walnut and Ebony. It has an Ebony nut. The strings are anchored via a Brass Tailpiece.
It does have Strap pins although I didn't have them on when I took the photo's.

 

Pleasant Dreams

The latest Guitar out of the Workshop is this cute little 1 string CBG. Available from my Website

Although it's probably more decorative than a use able guitar it does have a Piezo installed and it sounds as good as you would expect. I have strung it with a flat wound string I happened to have. A conventional string would be better but I'll leave that up to the new owner.

This ShonKybox is a simple very primitive 1 string cigar box guitar. Built to emulate an early cigar box guitar.

It's been constructed from an antique Pleasant Dreams Cigar box.

The box has been re-enforced and braced.

The neck is made from some exotic hard wood that I don't recognise.

It has been hand carved with primitive style scrolls.

It has a scarfe jointed headstock.

The neck is attached to the body with a dowel that goes right through the body leaving the box to resonate freely.

The nut, bridge and tuning peg are hand carved from Ebony.

All the wood used is re-claimed.

It is strung with a flat wound D guitar string.

Due to the label being where it was It's kind of oriented left handed but it can be played either.

It has a disc piezo installed.

The Box is pretty much as found. the neck has been stained to look old and the whole instrument has been bee waxed.

Sound wise it plays as well as you would expect a very small box 1 string instrument to play.

It is designed for playing with a slide.

Length: 68cm

Box Dimensions: 20cm x 11.5cm x 3cm

 

Any how after a fairly quiet couple of months due to the doldrums of Winter I'm back on form and the guitars are coming thick and fast.

A four string Slider will be unveiled shortly. I also have another 6 stringer on the way and also some a conventional electric Using the Beatnik body shape. I am using some old table tops for the wood.

I really want to find some old Tiesco type thin pick-ups for it but they seem to be few and far between and when they do come up they are not cheap.

 

 

Spiderman Guitar

One of 2 commissions recently completed. The other one was a Dulcimer that I forgot to take pictures of! This one was for the son of a friend of mine.
It's a Brand new Tanglewood Acoustic Classical. Even though Tanglewood have a reasonably good reputation I felt the action was still way too high so I changed the strings for some D,addarios and lowered the action to make it as playable as possible for a beginner.. The stock action was pretty bad It had a QC sticker with the action height signed off 4.6mm at the 12th fret make it more 6.4. Maybe the QC guy was having a lazy day!. It's now 3mm.
The Artwork was created using alcohol pens and white enamel. few coats of  Acrylic Clear coat to seal and protect. I nearly used Poly by mistake which would have dissolved the pen!

New ShonKybox 6 string cigar box guitar

Happy new year
Just completed the latest ShonKybox guitar
This one has the obligatory Cohiba cigar box. A little different is the neck from a First Act Sheena CE 220. This is a 25" scale length. very nice and well made neck. I've also used the pickup from the same guitar which is a single coil and has that old school blues sound.
I've kept things simple with a single volume control.
The neck is attached to a central block of mahogany which runs the length of the box.
The  added bouts are also from reclaimed mahogany and hand carved.
It has re-used tom bridge and tailpiece.
It has been given my signature aged "oil stain" finish created using wood stains.
It has new Wilkinson ez lock tuning machines.
 

ShonKy S-Honk 6 String

I just realised I neglected to post a blog about this one. It's quite hard to keep up with listing them on Ebay, my website, here and my facebook page
It has been sold and migrated to California the second of my cbg's to do so. maybe they will start an owners club there soon haha!
Here was the listing as it was from my website.

It features a Cohiba Cigar box with added re-claimed Mahogany body bouts. They are not just for show they are designed specifically to make the S-Honk a very comfortable and ergonomic guitar to play and to add weight.

The neck is a re-used Squier Strat maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. The headstock has been re-shaped. The neck is straight and the frets are virtually wear free.

Brand new tuning machines

It has a single re-used humbucker of unknown origin in the bridge position which has a volume and tone to control it.

It also features the "S-Honk" control which makes the tone more honky. It actually is 2 piezo discs attached to the underside of the box lid with there own volume control. The Tone control also works for the piezo's. Turn it up and you get all the acoustic tones of the box you can even hear your fingers on the fretboard.

The neck is attached to a solid Mahogany core which runs the length of the box. The lid of the box (guitar top) Isn't fixed to the central core so It can resonate. This means the S-Honk can be played acoustically albeit at a quiet volume. Ideal for late night noodling. It has a boxy tone as you would expect from a box!

It is not possible to open the lid access to the electronics are via 2 panels on the rear.

Hardwear is all re-used but very good condition and good quallity chrome.

The body has been given an aged but not too battered finish to offset the shiny chrome.