New project: the Fender Phoenix!

TheTrump

Ever since seeing Feeder play live on youtube, I've been obsessing over how amazing and awesome it would be to have the "jazz-bird" that Grant Nichols plays as the guitarist.

So I decided to take my favorite two guitars (jaguar and jazzmaster) Implement the things I like most about them both (jazz neck, jag trem and jag 3 switch plate) and use my favorite body shape of all time, the firebird.

Next, to make it more "Fender" I need to give it an amazing surf color! Since I love surf rock, I absolutely HAVE to do that, right? RIGHT!

SO I went with surf green on the body, with cream colored binding around the body top and neck, with pearloid bock inlays like some of the deluxe jazzys from the 60s had.

Warmoth neck should be here on Monday, body is currently in the works.

Now as for the pickups, I'm a little torn. I wanted to put (and still do) fender split humbuckers in there from the Tele Deluxe (think sonic youth jazzblaster) but warmoth, although being a custom shop, isn't very nice at doing custom orders. They only route for P90s, hums, or singles. LAME. I asked for p90s instead. I love the sound of P90s in the LP JR DC and think they'd be uber cool on this guitar, making it prone to feedack (what i want!)

I love playing surf rock and early U2 style music, and the delay pedal is my most used feature on my VOX valvetronix, so I decided to slip one of those internal pedal type things Guitar Fetish sells. I'll have an overall volume knob, an overall tone knob, and the delay knob will be a push-pull where when pushed down does nothing, and when pulled up works the delay speed. I MIGHT make the delay knob an internal distortion knob instead, since GFS sells that as well, and it might be more useful to have one of those, since a delay pedal needs more controls than just delay speed.

Got a custom engraved neck plate from lazrart.com (guy is really nice, great customer service) that looks amazing, and I can't wait to put that bad boy on.

Anyway, Warmoth also wont rout for the jag trem either, so looks like the router I just purchased at home depot was worth it...

Here is my model design so far, drawn no tracing paper. I'll keep everyone posted once the stuff gets here so you can watch the build.

~James

TheTrump

Also, does anyone have a template for a jaguar or jazzmaster tremolo route? Or at least the dimensions? I got a cheap strat body off of e-bay to practice routing the hole in, and I successfully put the trem on the practice hole, but I just want to make sure I did it correctly, ya know?

foxyloxy

but it wont be neck through, one of the best things about firebirds!

BanditGuitarist1

But it will be sexy oh will it be sexy.. 😈😈😈

foxyloxy

BanditGuitarist1 said: But it will be sexy oh will it be sexy.. 😈😈😈

it sure will.

TheTrump

Just throwing this out there, but do either of you guys know where I could find a firebird plastic backing plate? I can't find any on e-bay at all.

Are they the exact same thing as a les paul backing plate?

by the way, thanks guys 😁

foxyloxy

LOL! i knew this project reminded me of something.

feedbackismyfriend

sounds pretty freaking sick. I'd say that the onboard distortion isn't really a good idea cuz you then have to hassle with batteries, and also it has to go first in your pedal chain that way, which takes away some of your versatility. However, if you have your heart set on having an effect in your guitar, I personally would recommend a black ice fromhttp://www.stewmac.com because it's passive (if you didn't already know, a black ice is an onboard overdrive)

TheTrump

feedbackismyfriend said: sounds pretty freaking sick. I'd say that the onboard distortion isn't really a good idea cuz you then have to hassle with batteries, and also it has to go first in your pedal chain that way, which takes away some of your versatility. However, if you have your heart set on having an effect in your guitar, I personally would recommend a black ice fromhttp://www.stewmac.com because it's passive (if you didn't already know, a black ice is an onboard overdrive)

I've heard about that unit, and considered getting it a few times, but never did. Do you own it? I read in many reviews that all the black ice actually does is give you a tiny tiny bit of boost, not enough to make it worth it. Your feedback will definitely be important here.

TheTrump

foxyloxy said: LOL! i knew this project reminded me of something.

Isn't that just a JAG HH *lefty* with a different neck?

Still badass though, love the stripes.

JaguarOW

I have the route dimensions for the trem somewhere around but i dont have time to find it atm, ill get it up later today 😀

TheTrump

JaguarOW said: I have the route dimensions for the trem somewhere around but i dont have time to find it atm, ill get it up later today 😀

Thanks man, you're a real help! I've been freaking out about the routing like you wouldn't believe.

feedbackismyfriend

feedbackismyfriend said: sounds pretty freaking sick. I'd say that the onboard distortion isn't really a good idea cuz you then have to hassle with batteries, and also it has to go first in your pedal chain that way, which takes away some of your versatility. However, if you have your heart set on having an effect in your guitar, I personally would recommend a black ice fromhttp://www.stewmac.com because it's passive (if you didn't already know, a black ice is an onboard overdrive)

No I don't own it, but here's a demo of one:

Also, I've heard that the GFS modboards are a pain to install and aren't worth it all.

TheTrump

That's it.... I'm going for the black Ice!

feedbackismyfriend

The Trump said: That's it.... I'm going for the black Ice!

glad I could be of assisstance

JaguarOW

I got that off someone at OSG 😁

TheTrump

Thank you so very much for the trem rout, you have no clue how helpful that was!

TheTrump

purchased a beat up old strat body at a yard sale. 20 bucks. It was an HH strat, sounds pretty nice with the stock pickups, too bad the bridge is falling off.

I got it to practice routing the trem hole for the jag/jazzy so when I get my firebird body, I'll be ready to work my magic.

Then my neck came! :jumpy

I attached it to the beat up strat body. also put on the jazzmaster decal, fitted the tuners, and tried out my backing plate.

It's really really nice. The satin finish they used is amazing, I've never actually held a guitar that feels THIS good in my hands. I'm in love, and the guitar isn't even done yet. Pictures can't really explain how pretty it is. Creme binding, square inlays, rosewood fingerboard, swamp ash neck. I'm in love.

feedbackismyfriend

that neck looks great!!!

TheTrump

I finished it!