The Next Victim! Vintage Tele Wrap And Tool!

[chancey77]

What did you use for color on that one.

BLACK:

[Cyberthrasher]

So it's just darkened with oil then?

[chancey77]

So it's just darkened with oil then?

My home made black antique and NF oil and a clear coat....

Well...OIl,Clear,Antique,Clear in that order:)

[Cyberthrasher]

Now it makes sense

I knew it was darker than natural.

[Iron Pounder]

Lovin the tele!! Been a while since I have checked in. How many hours do you have in at this point?

[chancey77]

Lovin the tele!! Been a while since I have checked in. How many hours do you have in at this point?

Not sure I stopped counting since I just put a price on it....but if I had to break down the back piece...it was 3-4 hours to draw it, 10 hours to tool it....smae for the front..even though I am going to do the front over with different color (same as the back) with a black pick guard...and I have been doing the sides today but brain storming for about 4 days on what I am going to do....I started the sides and didn't like what was happening so I started over from scratch with a better idea....just part of the process I guess....but I am making it as if it was going to be mine, so I am being very picky and re-doing some aspects.

But here is the beginning of the sides...Hand Carved conchos with a turquoise dot in the middle and bullets in between conchos.

Edited June 13, 2012 by chancey77

[ironhead13]

But here is the beginning of the sides...Hand Carved conchos with a turquoise dot in the middle and bullets in between conchos.

Now that would be cool as hell to do that as a bullet belt with actual bullets..

[chancey77]

Bullets Or NO BULLETS????

And if no bullets then what????

I kind of don't want the sides to take away to much from the front and back and I would like to keep it simple!

But I will be dying the dots in the middle of the Concho Turquois!

I just can't decide...I have been going back and forth about making it an actual BULLET BELT with Real Bullets...but again I am trying to keep it simple and it already hardly fits into the guitar case as it is now.

If I put "real" bullets (empty of Powder ones) then IT WON*T FIT IN THE CASE.

[WinterBear]

What about "bullet conchos" chancey? They look like half a bullet. Or the shotgun shell concho, that looks like the primer end. I could get some measurements for you to see what the height is from the back to the front along the screw and you could decide if they'd make things too "fat" to fit in the case.

You could always have a matching guitar strap later, with bullet loops and real (dud) "bullets" in the loops if you wanted to carry the theme forward as well.

[machinehead]

Chancey you surprise me. So what if you gotta make a new case. Ain't no hill for a climber

[chancey77]

What about "bullet conchos" chancey? They look like half a bullet. Or the shotgun shell concho, that looks like the primer end. I could get some measurements for you to see what the height is from the back to the front along the screw and you could decide if they'd make things too "fat" to fit in the case.

You could always have a matching guitar strap later, with bullet loops and real (dud) "bullets" in the loops if you wanted to carry the theme forward as well.

Yep the strap is in the works already as well, and it will match the tooled sides, but I have the chrome conchos that match the design I am using.

The case might not be such an issue, we could make a case for it, but it is just more money he may or may not have now after this part of the project is done, but it will be on his wall.... But a case would be nice and we have chatted about it as well. I think all in all he has thought about buying maybe 4-6 of these guitars in the near future to have a whole collection of them with different themes...

But back to screw backs and anything nailed or riveted,

My only other concern, besides not fitting in the case is that these conchos have ended up well being on a curvy guitar, I do like the shotgun shell primers, and I have seen them in a furniture nail version...but I am fighting time and leaving for tour in 2 weeks and this guitar has to be finished before I leave...I am hoping someone comes up with an idea that does not involve me ordering anything more, I am really looking for a Tooled option.

Simple easy to repeat and again SIMPLE! K:I:S:S:) My motto!

The gap is 1 3/4" roughly...4cm exactly tall and 4.5cm wide in between the conchos.

The strap MUST HAVE DUD BULLETS!!!!!!!

Edited June 13, 2012 by chancey77

[Sylvia]

Chancy

Have you considered making leather bullets? Wet form them and glue/sew them on?

I personally like the sides the way it is now with the carved conchos. Sometimes less is more.....

[chancey77]

Chancy

Have you considered making leather bullets? Wet form them and glue/sew them on?

I personally like the sides the way it is now with the carved conchos. Sometimes less is more.....

I did think about that I even made 3 leather bullets, but again...seems to congested.

Maybe less is more...It just seems like it is missing a very small element. Just not sure what! Maybe just a fancy brass furni tac???? like 3 in between the conchos????

I started making the sides like this with bullet belt look...and right away I knew I HATED IT...So I started making some scrap tests and I am trying to keep it classy not cartoony, especially for the sides, simple and classy, and easy to repeat and carry on to the strap. each strap is about 6' long, so a simple, classy solution is welcomed!

Edited June 13, 2012 by chancey77

[WinterBear]

So why not just tool shotgun shell butts and primers? A could of circular punches in the right sizes can be used to mark the end and the primer, the lettering can be done with a filigree blade, a modeling tool, or a small blade. Paint them black with a wash of light red-brown, then dry brush silver and copper on the raised portions?

[pete]

I'de put loops in and add real bullets. That's just me.

[Sylvia]

I think I have an idea that might work.

You have those conchos carved in... so why not carve or stamp a Diamond Shape (like on a deck of cards) in between each of those. Heck you could alternate each of the cards symbols in between the conchos.... so it would be Concho, Diamond, Concho, Club, Concho, Heart, Concho, Spade.... that might be a bit much but you could just go with diamonds or spades....

[chancey77]

I think I have an idea that might work.

You have those conchos carved in... so why not carve or stamp a Diamond Shape (like on a deck of cards) in between each of those. Heck you could alternate each of the cards symbols in between the conchos.... so it would be Concho, Diamond, Concho, Club, Concho, Heart, Concho, Spade.... that might be a bit much but you could just go with diamonds or spades....

You and my wife just said the same thing...LOL ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!

That may be the ticket!!!! and when I run out just put in a bullet. and start over:)

Simple and fast!

I dig it!

I of course would love to do the whole bullet belt thing, but ...really just to much involved for the sides in my opinion. The focus should be on the front and back pieces, and with the turquoise dots, it may just be subtle enough to still pop.

Edited June 13, 2012 by chancey77

[ironhead13]

Still like the bullet belt concept, but yes of course probably alot involved. Though, if you were planning on doing the strap like that, then it would probably be overkill. If I had to choose between the guitar sides and the strap for bullets, I'd choose the guitar as that has probably NEVER been done before.

I've never paid conchos any attention... my personaly opinion would be to avoid them though. Concho just sounds cheap. If the guy is paying a good amount of cash for this, I'd keep everything as custom/authentic as possible.

Other than that Im afraid Im of no help. You could have indians scalping people somewhere! Yeah, I dig that idea.

[chancey77]

Still like the bullet belt concept, but yes of course probably alot involved. Though, if you were planning on doing the strap like that, then it would probably be overkill. If I had to choose between the guitar sides and the strap for bullets, I'd choose the guitar as that has probably NEVER been done before.

I've never paid conchos any attention... my personaly opinion would be to avoid them though. Concho just sounds cheap. If the guy is paying a good amount of cash for this, I'd keep everything as custom/authentic as possible.

Other than that Im afraid Im of no help. You could have indians scalping people somewhere! Yeah, I dig that idea.

hahahaha

I have about 6 of these planned in my head, I won't say what they are because of the vultures, but...they are all original and I guarantee there is NO TELE IN THE WORLD LIKE THESE!

Conchos on guitar straps are very cool looking as long as it is done RIGHT, a lot of the ones I see do not have them even put on properly. But maybe I just have a couple on there anyway. Personally if it was my guitar, I would have the bullets on the strap, not the guitar.

I was hoping some of the cowboys would join in on this discussion....but I guess they are to busy.

[Cyberthrasher]

Well Bro, I'm a little late to the game (lot going on at home). But, I think you should go back to a single bullet between each "concho", alternating directions. Without them it really looks like the side was an afterthought that's part of a different piece. The single carved bullet leaves it classy and brings them together with the main art as part of the overall theme.

Basically, trust your original instinct and quit over-thinking it!!!

The really funny thing is that while you were struggling with this I've been working on the EXACT same thing on a guitar strap

[chancey77]

The really funny thing is that while you were struggling with this I've been working on the EXACT same thing on a guitar strap

LOLOL Wel lets see who makes the sickest guitar strap then:)

[Cyberthrasher]

LOLOL Wel lets see who makes the sickest guitar strap then:)

I'm going to bow down before I even touch knife to leather on this one

Then I'll retract that statement when I WIN!!!

[electrathon]

Reading through and looking at the pictures I saw the side stamping and feel it went is a wrong direction. Alone it would stand as a good guitar strap, but it is a very different style than the carvings. The simpleness of the knife cut carvings looks very good. The side "belt" part is a stamping, not a carving. I feel that if the side was a carving it would look better. Something along the lines of rocks, possibly a trail, would be good. The sides need to not have a top or a bottom, so no matter how you are looking at the front or back it will be a continuation of the other carvings.

Aaron

[chancey77]

Well..it goes like this...teh client is always right:) And he loves them how they are now, and wants some random bullets! So THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR OPINIONS AND WE CARRY ON!!!!

THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA AARON! BUt I have a boss on this project and after seeing this design I am to carry on:)

[rosiart]

Reading through and looking at the pictures I saw the side stamping and feel it went is a wrong direction. Alone it would stand as a good guitar strap, but it is a very different style than the carvings. The simpleness of the knife cut carvings looks very good. The side "belt" part is a stamping, not a carving. I feel that if the side was a carving it would look better. Something along the lines of rocks, possibly a trail, would be good. The sides need to not have a top or a bottom, so no matter how you are looking at the front or back it will be a continuation of the other carvings.

Aaron

For what it's worth, I agree with Aaron on this. I think extending the landscape would maintain the continuity of the piece.

I think bullets on the strap would continue the theme.