what a horrible, horrible idea...

It was done (Not by Fender) in the 80's, they weighed a ton, played dead as a doornail and sounded horrible.


But if you really want one, call up the custom shop and have them build you one.

_________________
Marriage is like playing cards...

At first all you want are Hearts and Diamonds.

But in the end, all you really want is a Club and a Spade.

You can´t play that thing beeing naked though

Cheers,
Robin

_________________
_________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
_________________________________

Here's what you want.

http://www.musicgearreview.com/article-display/1784.html

Keith Richards used one on the Stones' '69 tour. He gave it to Ronnie Wood who used it extensively with the Faces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBdQjayB2TU&feature=related

Them pair got it sounding ok.

You'd be ok Robin, tuck it behing the pickguard and pickup! No we don't want pic's.

_________________
No no and no

I´m sure no one wants to see that, including myself
Otherwise a nice Lady wearing the guitar only

Cheers,
Robin

_________________
_________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
_________________________________

A while ago Ebay was smothered in Lucite Stratolikes. Not many to be found right now (at least I can't see them - haha), but here's one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Deluxe-6-String-Cle ... 53df2e2435

Very inexpensive too - though who knows what the quality of the thing is as an instrument, rather than a visual novelty? The shaping of the body is not very accurate as regards the horns and the edges.

'Course, you could always work on that yourself: lucite and other cast resins are easy to shape with files, sand paper and such. It's ultimately just a glorified paperweight - if anyone had one of those paperweight making kits as a kid? (Ah, we had to make our own entertainment in the days before computers...)

Cheers - C

_________________

What always struck me as odd about those ebay lucite guitars is that they always slapped a big scratchplate on them. Covering half the lucite on the body, taking away half the visual effect.
Would be better with a plexiglass scratchplate or rear mounted electronics.

_________________
No no and no

Here´s a guy from France who built one using Fender parts (except the body of course) doesn´t sound too shabby at all. Clear sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RdovFMnUwc

Cheers,
Robin

_________________
_________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
_________________________________

Downright impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z8X_BPUm70&NR=1&feature=fvwp

_________________
No no and no

Nikki, I've worked with plexi a lot and it is very soft. It would scratch very easily and with that glossy finish, would look pretty frumpy in no time. A clear pickguard? Sure, but it would have to be sacrificial as it would get scratched as well. I kind of liked the silver, (or was it chrome?) one.

You could make the body out of Lexan and then it would be bulletproof as well. You know, just in case you're expecting gunfire during your performance. (Scratches even more easily though.)

Gridlok

Hey gridlok: that's very interesting. Care to tell us more about that?

I've worked with polyester casting resin a good deal. I've toyed with the idea of making a transparent neck (cos everyone does bodies but there are few clear resin necks in the world). But one problem would be getting the trussrod in (though would you even need one?) and the other thing that is holding me back is the idea of pouring that much resin into a two part mould without getting a single bubble in there spoiling the whole thing. Resin is quite cheap - but not that cheap that you want to go through several duds to get a good one.

Your thoughts...?

Cheers - C

_________________

Hi Ceri. I can't see a plexi or resin neck being anywhere near strong enough. At least in the same dimensions as a Fender neck that is. Another property of plexi is that it expands dramatically in heat.

We once did a show, (one of the "Look Who's Talkings), where we built a 20 foot high clock that Kirsty Alley was supposed to hang off one of the hands, (kind of an Audy Murphy thing). The face was made up of square plexi pieces and when we moved it out into the lot to shoot it, the sun hit the (perfectly fitted) plexi pieces and they expanded and began popping off! It was a bad moment!

So, intonation? Don't think so.

Cheers,

Gridlok

Well well, how interesting. I just did a Google image search in the hope of finding Kirsty Alley hanging off that clock. Couldn't locate it - but it was a happy enough search anyhow! Thanks!

The polyester resin I work with is the same stuff they use for doing fibre glass:

It claims less than 1% shrinkage during curing and is massively hard and stable thereafter when cast in blocks. Of course, the surface would still be susceptible to scratches, but no more so than a polyester guitar finish. And they'd polish out again.

There's also polyurethane resin, but I've never used that one.

What I've heard about the Dan Armstrong Ampeg resin bodies is that they are very heavy and also considered rather lifeless in tone (though that could easily be mythology). In addition to what you say that should put me off the idea of bothering... And yet it doesn't!

No fool like an old fool, I guess. One day I'll get round to trying it for myself - and no doubt then discover why the instrument making world doesn't do it that way. D'oh!

Cheers to you, Gridlok - C

_________________

Aren't lucite and plexiglass different materials anyway. Plexi for a scratchplate lucite for a body? Or as I said, rearmount *snigger* the 'tronics.

_________________
No no and no

Like you, I can't see the point of the clear Stratolike without a clear scratch plate to go with. So that's the first mod you'd do. What's the betting the screw holes don't match the standard layout on this clear pickguard?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WD-Pickguard- ... 5ad3c2953e

Cheers - C

_________________