Depression Era Guitar Mods: Zebra Tailpiece

[kiramdear]

Hey all,

The Bigsby had to go because I like the sound of the guitar better without it; the 430 sounds more Rick-like to my ears with the original or "R" tailpiece, and that's what I want for it right now.

So here's a twist on the familiar "R" tailpiece (and bridge cover), done quick and easy to complement the black and silver theme. I did it in an hour with some black nail polish and various grits of fine sandpaper, and then I gave it "the treatment". It could look a little finer from 2 feet away, but that's just because of my impatience and lack of stamina with the sanding. All told, though, I'm pretty tickled with the results, visually, the enamel feels softer and warmer to my hand than the chrome, and it's completely reversible thus I ran no risk to my fine accessory. Blah blah, here's a pic:



Here's a shot of the whole effect. I'm not saying it's set in stone, but I like it today. Tomorrow, maybe coral pink ...

[jps]

Looks like it was original to the guitar, Kira. Great concept. It makes the R really stand loud & proud.

[kiramdear]

Thanks, Jeff.

I'm still using the substitute aluminum bridge plate which, while it looks clunky, sounds fantastic to my ear. I'm debating giving it the black, too, if I keep it on there. I want to try a 330 style plate first. The stock, stamped, stop-style TP sounds OK but looks funny with the "R". The "R" adds a plunkiness to the tone that goes well with the super-snap of the thick aluminum bridge plate. It's the best sound yet for my versatile style. The enamel has no effect on the tone that I can discern.

To continue the theme, I need to silver the tops of the knobs to accent the control array. I could just order new ones when budget permits, but how much fun would that be?

[jingle_jangle]

Kira, if you sanded the chrome, it's not reversible. Puzzled by your "fine sandpaper" comment...

[kiramdear]

No, I didn't sand the chrome. I just degreased it and painted on the lacquer, then smoothed out the one large banner-shaped area as necessary with 600, 1000, 1500, Scratch-X. I was pretty meticulous with the sanding. You can see some finishing marks in the black but I didn't go through and I stayed off the plating. A simple acetone wash would restore it nicely, I expect. If it chips off for lack of prep I can just paint it again, I guess, sorta like my nails. Or even change color

[jingle_jangle]

There's a trick to painting chrome without damaging it, so it won't chip: a spray called "Bulldog". It clings to chrome or even stainless, and you can paint right over it It sticks to the metal and the paint sticks to it.

Before Bulldog came out, I used to use rubber cement...that worked good, but the Dawg hangs on better.

[kiramdear]

Cool, thanks for that. If and when the lacquer chips off I will re-do it that way.

I suppose I am prompted to a disclaimer to my fellows in this thread after considering the perils of getting sandpaper near the chromed surface ... first, I put the lacquer on good and thick, several coats on the big flat area. I knew I didn't want to sand through it. The smaller areas laid down nicely so I didn't bother with finishing the "frame" of the TP. Second, I have a proven record of facility with fine handwork which gave me a lot of confidence going into it, that I wouldn't mess up the chrome. In re-reading my original post I want to point out that this technique is not without risk to the chrome plating for the inexperienced craftsperson. You may not want to try this at home, unless you feel sure of your skills.

[paologregorio]

I imagine the chrome could be carefully masked off as well.

Nice touch Kira. Bigsby does the black/polished metal look with some of their tailpieces as well.

[collin]

Nice, Kira!


At first I thought you had uncovered Chrome from a powdercoat Black tailpiece, not the other way around! (Then realized they have to sandblast the metal before powdercoating).

Bonus too....you probably still have enough to paint fingernails! Goth-er-ific.

[kiramdear]

I imagine the chrome could be carefully masked off as well.

You're absolutely right there, and I should have thought of it myself. II would recommend that to everyone. Just be careful not to scratch the chrome if you must trim the tape near the surface.

Better yet may be Paul's recommendation for the Dawg which sounds like it masks and protects everything before you paint, then you remove it from the unpainted areas like rubber cement (?) I need to check it out.

Now, I freehanded the line with the brush along the outer edge of the frame where the "R" overlaps and I nailed it nicely so that the contour of the letter is smooth and follows the form nicely. But someone else may want to mask that area to make sure the transition is pleasing.

Oh, Gawd, Collin, my stepdaughter used to try to look like that picture. I'm sooooo glad that's over

[kiramdear]

I took a better pic this morning for a before and after comparison. Note that I blackened the bridge plate and cover now, as well.



In summary, I could say that this whole endeavor has been as much or more about the tone than about the styling. The Bigsby looked great but made the tone too dark and heavy for me. I'm not really a big fan of the "R", but it helped with the tone (perceivably, arguably, I dunno) so I found a cheap and fun way to integrate it visually a little better (to my eyes). The bridge plate looks better now to me also in black, bit I still may swap it out for a 330 plate, and of course I nee some silver-top knobs ... finally I like the effect even more when I can see also the black and silver TRC The new upper guard that I made was just for kicks, but I think it looks great.

I'll have to put up one last glamor pic with new knobs and plate soon

[jps]

I took a better pic this morning for a before and after comparison.

Nice comparison, the most important being that it looks like the tide is up in the new shot.

[kiramdear]

Living on a boat surely has its ups and downs, Jeff

Boy did I get long winded on this thread. Sorry about that. It took longer to write about it than to do the mod

[johnallg]

Living on a boat surely has its ups and downs, Jeff

G R O A N ! ! !

I like the look of the R standing out and also with that in place of the Bigsby, FWIW. Nice job, Kira.

[kiramdear]

Thanks, John.

In one way, the 430 was designed to win over some Fender customers, so the slab body with the B5 is a natural combination if you've ever seen a Tele with a Bigsby. But with a couple of nods to traditional rick rigging (the "R", the double pickguard) the 430 becomes more familiar to this Rick lover. Taken to the next step I could live with some S-style comfort carves.

But then we're not talking about mods on a shoestring budget anymore ...