Jim Bonnell's Supro-ish build

[Jim Bonnell]

I finished this build awhile back and I'm just getting around to posting it. Body is alder with cherry cap. Neck is mahogany with slim Gumby style headstock and ebony fingerboard. Mini humbuckers I wound myself. Klusen style tuners with greenish buttons. Cream pickguard. I finished it with Target EM6000 satin waterborne lacquer and applied a light relic finish. I was going for that 60s somewhat garish looking sunburst which I feel worked out for this guitar to give it a vintage look. I'm happy with the sound of the minis.

[Chris Richards]

Looks very retro, I like it, plenty of '60s vibe! I can't say exactly why but it reminds me a bit of a Mosrite.

[Jason Rodgers]

Jim, I really dig your sense of style! This is way cool!

[Hans Bezemer]

That's a very nice guitar, Jim.

[Pete Halliday]

That is very cool! It looks straight out of a pawn shop and I mean that in a good way.

[Steve Senseney]

I agree. Looks vintage and looks cool.

[Jim Bonnell]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the kind comments. By the way Pete, before long I'm planning on attempting to copy that semi hollow body you posted awhile back as best I can. Loved that guitar!

[Jason Rodgers]

Do you use an ogee bit to get that edge? It's fun how you can take a basic shape like that and give it a different vibe with edge treatment. It wouldn't be the same with a simple roundover. This reminds me of some of those funky designs that popped up behind the Iron Curtain.

[Jim Bonnell]

Yes I used an ogee bit. First I found a picture of a Supro Duo Tone that I liked and enlarged it. The body is different than an LP. One thing I forgot to mention about this build. A few months ago I posted a problem I was having with the bridge pickup sounding weak. I wound three different pickups that all sounded the same. I got suggestions from several people, but Mark Swanson nailed it. He said it would sound weak if it was too close to the bridge. I didn't think that was it, but I tried flipping it around so the pole pieces were farther from the bridge and sure enough that did it.

[Ben Castellana]

I like the guitar as well; very retro! The tail piece is really interesting; where did it come from?

[Pete Halliday]

Possibly a dumb question, but using the ogee bit how did you get the top edge rounded over? Or did you just do that by hand?

[Jim Bonnell]

My mistake. It wasn't an ogee. It was a raised panel bit I got at Woodcraft. It was their own cheaper brand, but I don't see the same one on their website. This is the more expensive Whiteside bit. http://www.woodcraft.com/product/200813 ... 212-d.aspx If I were to do it again I would buy the Whiteside. I was experimenting so I went cheap. If you don't lower the bit all the way it will give you the round over.
I don't remember where I got the tail piece, but they have the smaller one just like it at Republic Guitars. Also try ebay. I had to trim the lower end off with a disc sander because it was made for a deeper body Dobro. Normally that would look really bad to cut through the chrome finish but with the distressed body and hardware you can't even tell. I know a lot of people hate distressing but I think it fit well on this one and I enjoy doing it.

[Bob Francis]

Really nice! You achieved the 60's funk you were looking with a killer look.
Bob