This is the Guitar I modified for my Son for his Birthday. It's a FireFly "Madcat" with Mahogany body, Maple neck, stainless ball end frets, Bone nut, beautiful finish and binding, etc. I swapped out the stock pickups for a set of Wilde Noiseless Pickups by Bill Lawrence as well as the Tuners for a set of Hipshot locking tuners. I leveled all the frets and did a full set up. When I ordered this guitar the first time I couldn't get an allen key on to the truss rod so I called the company and they just immediately sent me a new guitar and didn't even ask me to send the old one back. The guy made me promise to be loyal to FireFly guitars if they made it right before my Son's birthday. I said hell yeah! Anyway, this one turned out great and my Son loves it. SO, it turned out that there was some kind of resin in the truss rod bolt of the first guitar that was left over so I pulled it out and saved the neck. I thought about it and said to myself that this guitar would be amazing with a Wenge Wood neck. SO I ordered one with Abalone inlays and a compound profile. Wenge is a very hard very heavy semi-exotic wood. The existing maple neck is amazing with a hardwood skunk stripe inlay down the back but its more of a flat shredders profile and I figured if my Son I are gonna have the same guitar they should each be unique.

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THIS is the other guitar body with the new Wenge wood neck installed. I did the work last night. Timing the pilot holes was pain staking because the neck was very close but not a perfect fit in the body pocket. You get one chance to drill those holes just perfectly enough to make those bolts work to center that neck and draw it into the heel tight. The wood was so hard that it started to smoke immediately drilling a 1/2 inch hole. I then used a smaller bit to drill another narrower pilot hole at the bottom. It actually turned out perfect. I was sweating it too. It also got Hipshot Locking tuners but the new pickups will have to wait. Now its time to level the frets with a diamond fret file and do a full action and truss rod adjustment.

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The binding on this guitar is just beautiful.

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The neck is fully bound, almost like a Les Paul. It is however a Telecaster style neck. This guitar is now one of a kind!

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The Hipshot Locking tuners are top quality and really do their job keeping the guitar in tune.

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The strings mount through the body with the hardware perfectly flush mounted. Even though this is a modified guitar the original FireFly design and workmanship is off the chain. I dont know how they do it. Everyone who buys one says the same thing.

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Anyone out there who is interested in noiseless pickup design needs to look at Bill Lawrence "Wilde" pickups. They are American made by the legendary Bill Lawrence and his family. Best noiseless pickups, without sacrifice, ever made.

Click to follow link...

Click to follow link...

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THIS is the other guitar body with the new Wenge wood neck installed. I did the work last night. Timing the pilot holes was pain staking because the neck was very close but not a perfect fit in the body pocket. You get one chance to drill those holes just perfectly enough to make those bolts work to center that neck and draw it into the heel tight. The wood was so hard that it started to smoke immediately drilling a 1/2 inch hole.

Wenge is some nasty stuff. Very hard, yet at the same time it's prone to splinter and tear out. It would have never crossed my mind to make something like a guitar neck out of it... although wikipedia tells me it's a popular choice.

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THIS is the other guitar body with the new Wenge wood neck installed. I did the work last night. Timing the pilot holes was pain staking because the neck was very close but not a perfect fit in the body pocket. You get one chance to drill those holes just perfectly enough to make those bolts work to center that neck and draw it into the heel tight. The wood was so hard that it started to smoke immediately drilling a 1/2 inch hole.

Wenge is some nasty stuff. Very hard, yet at the same time it's prone to splinter and tear out. It would have never crossed my mind to make something like a guitar neck out of it... although wikipedia tells me it's a popular choice.

Its prone to splinter when you cut it or drill it with power tools blades and bits if they aren't as sharp as possible because its extremely hard. It doesn't splinter when its finished properly, like ever. You've worked with Wenge before?

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So I finished leveling and crowning the frets. A little messy but looking pretty much perfect.

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Tools for the job.

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You've worked with Wenge before?

Aye. Used it for a simple inlay on an end table I made for friends. I wanted ebony but the hardwood store I was at didn't have any and they suggested Wenge.

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You've worked with Wenge before?

Aye. Used it for a simple inlay on an end table I made for friends. I wanted ebony but the hardwood store I was at didn't have any and they suggested Wenge.

Yeah, I wouldn't attempt anything more than what I've done here with Wenge. Its like cutting tile. I bought this neck from a guy who specializes in it. He spends a lot of money on tooling, Ill tell you that. You cant beat the feel of wenge on a guitar neck thats been finished properly...Its amazing

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Wenge. Its like cutting tile.

An apt description.

While I don't have a pic of the table I built for friends, I liked the design so much I glued up some walnut and made one for myself.

No nails. No screws.

As you can see I need to put some oil on it.

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Wenge. Its like cutting tile.

An apt description.

While I don't have a pic of the table I built for friends, I liked the design so much I glued up some walnut and made one for myself.

No nails. No screws.

As you can see I need to put some oil on it.

Beautiful table, Stumpy! You're a fine carpenter.

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As you can see I need to put some oil on it.

You mean earl? Or awl?
Great looking table.

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As you can see I need to put some oil on it.

You mean earl? Or awl?
Great looking table.

Earl is the thing stuck awn yer fender so's you can get raydeeoh stayshins in yer truck.

Awl goes in the modur.

I yooz a combinayshun of ball'd linseed awl and bees wax awn mah woodwerk.

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Wenge. Its like cutting tile.

An apt description.

While I don't have a pic of the table I built for friends, I liked the design so much I glued up some walnut and made one for myself.

No nails. No screws.

As you can see I need to put some oil on it.

Beautiful. You got some talent right there. Old School

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As you can see I need to put some oil on it.

You mean earl? Or awl?
Great looking table.

Earl is the thing stuck awn yer fender so's you can get raydeeoh stayshins in yer truck.

Awl goes in the modur.

I yooz a combinayshun of ball'd linseed awl and bees wax awn mah woodwerk.

Hahahahhahahahahahaha! Ya gotta bruuuuush it on! And then buuuuffff it on out!

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Great job, BF! Can't believe all of the skill involved with your repairs! Great stuff. Would love to hear you play.

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Beach Farmer your guitar creativity is outstanding.
Stumpy the walnut table is simply beautiful.
You both are very talented craftsmen. Thank you for sharing your work.

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Finished the set up and installed the string trees with a roller string tree on the wound D string to keep it from binding up. She plays amazing. Probably the lowest effective action of any guitar I own with virtually no truss rod adjustment needed. This neck was really well made. I GOT LUCKY! She's ready to go!

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Finished the set up and installed the string trees with a roller string tree on the wound D string to keep it from binding up. She plays amazing. Probably the lowest effective action of any guitar I own with virtually no truss rod adjustment needed. This neck was really well made. I GOT LUCKY! She's ready to go!

Oh cool, a Vetta!

Super cool on the tele style build for your boy, def a labor of love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanks all for the kind words.

Now, back to gee-tarz.

BF, for many years I worked with an engineer named Paul Vogt who helped us out with our manufacturing automation and controls. I'd known Paul for a few years before I found out his passion was guitars. I found out over lunch one day when I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a small CNC machine for my woodworking hobby. Paul said, "Build one yourself! That's what I did." Right. Mamma didn't make no engineer and I still don't have a CNC machine.

I don't remember exactly when it was, but a few years ago Paul left his engineering job to "pursue other interests".

See the "About" page and the "Our Story" sub-page at the link below.

Now that I'm re-tar'd I need to go see Paul.

www.pvxguitars.com/

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Thanks all for the kind words.

Now, back to gee-tarz.

BF, for many years I worked with an engineer named Paul Vogt who helped us out with our manufacturing automation and controls. I'd known Paul for a few years before I found out his passion was guitars. I found out over lunch one day when I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a small CNC machine for my woodworking hobby. Paul said, "Build one yourself! That's what I did." Right. Mamma didn't make no engineer and I still don't have a CNC machine.

I don't remember exactly when it was, but a few years ago Paul left his engineering job to "pursue other interests".

See the "About" page and the "Our Story" sub-page at the link below.

Now that I'm re-tar'd I need to go see Paul.

Oh wow, thats so cool. DEFINITELY get up with him.

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