I made this experimental musical instrument out of an old wall clock I found. When I saw this clock I immediately imagined a vintage guitar! So this is how I made it!
First of all I took the clock apart.
Then I sanded it with the angle grinder. I used a drum sanding bit on my drill for the curved areas.
I removed material from the headstock so I can fit my tuning pegs. I used the router form this job. I completed the process with two passes.
Then I started shaping the neck using flat and round rasps and files.
The gender was pretty aggressive, so I used my random orbit sander, to even things up.
To flatten the area of the fretboard, I used an Ikea table leg as along flat sanding block.
I made the pickup holder out of plywood. I first removed as much material as I could, using a forstner bit on my drill press. I finished shaping with some chisel work and sanding with my rotary tool.
I glued the pickup holder in place. I cut the excess on the bandsaw and sanded everything flush.
Using a forstner bit, drilled the hole foe the volume pot.
The cables of the electronics were placed in a groove which I opened using my router.
I made a jack plate out of copper. I first scored the copper sheet with a knife and then broke it of on the vise. Then I drilled all the necessary holes. I used a file to round over it’s edges and I bended it to shape.
Then I drilled the holes for the tuning pegs.
To make the fretboard, I first flattened a piece on my planer jointer. Then I cleaned it’s edges on the table saw.
I shaped the fretboard with rasps and files and rounded over it’s bottom on the belt sander.
The scale of my instrument is 51cm from nut to bridge. I used an online fret calculator to find the fret positions.
First I marked the fret positions with a pencil. I then carefully cut the fret slots using a miter box and a handsaw. It is important to use a saw, that creates a slot in which your fret wire fits snugly.
Next I used a punch to mark the fret position indicators.
I cut a groove on the bandsaw for the nut.
The nut and bridge bone were made out of plexiglass.
I then clamped the fretboard temporarily in place and drilled two holes. The holes would receive 6mm dowels that act as fret position indicators. But the dowels will also hold the fretboard from sliding around, while glue up.
Next I glued the fretboard
When the glue dried, I added the rest of the indicators. I cut them flush with my flush trim saw. I used a paper sheet as a shim to avoid hurting the fretboard.
I covered the headstock with a piece of plywood, I cut it on the bandsaw and glues it in place, I then sanded it flush with my rotary tool and opened up the tuning peg holes.
I then cut the fret wire to size and hammered the frets in place. I secured the frets with a drop of super glue.
I then filed the frets flush with a file. I finished them with a sanding block. I then tilted the sanding block so I can add a bevel at the sides of the frets, This made them smoother and safer to the touch.
I also modified the jack plate a little. I soldered a little cap on it and shaped it flush with a file and sandpaper.
I then sanded everything with 100grit.
Using my wood burner, I named my guitar “Clocky” to kind of honor the original item.
Finally I applied the first coat of water based varnish. I applied three coats in total while sanding between coats with 220grit.
Next I applied primer on the jack plate and then painted it black.
Moving on to the electronics. I first added flux and coated everything with solder. I then soldered everything. I temporarily connected everything and checked that they worked.
To connect the electronics, I used a wiring diagram for one hum bucker and one volume from Seymour Duncan’s web site.
Next I screwed the pickup in place and organized the wires using heat shrinking tube and hot glue.
I finished the fretboard with my homemade beeswax and mineral oil paste.
Next I installed the tuning pegs and the string guides.
I used rivet heads as string holders.
I made the bridge and I shaped the bones. I opened the string slots on the bones using a V shaped small file.
Finally I added a volume knob and set up my instrument.
I leveled the frets with a sanding block and polished them with steel wool.
The set up process still needs work but I was running out of time and stopped here at the moment.
The guitar came out much better than I expected.
I hope you enjoyed this build, as much as I did.
Tools and materials I propose:
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