Manchester Guitar Tech
Making a Mini Firebird
Inspired by a guitar forum challenge to modify a guitar I decided to make my Granddaughter a Firebird based around a Harley Benton mini strat from which I’d use just the neck. I chose a left-handed guitar as the donor so that my guitar would have a reverse headstock. I carved the headstock to have a Firebird style rebate and refretted in Jescar Evo gold fretwire.
I made the body from meranti which is a very light wood with properties similar to mahogany and used a CNC Shopbot to make the body which comprised three parts butt jointed and glued.
I glued the neck in.
Once the meranti was grain filled, I primed and sprayed using a specially mixed colour close to Gibson’s Heather Mist Poly.
The pickguard was made on a laser-cutter which etched the Firebird logo and I assembled using gold plated hardware. I even strung it using Optima 24ct gold plated strings for extra bling.
How much for another one in Olympic with with white neck binding???
Thanks for asking but I wouldn’t make another. This was a labour of love for my granddaughter!
Hi Steve,
Great build on the mini Firebird.
I’m on with a Firebird and also have a lefty Strat neck. I’ve been pondering putting a carve in the headstock to more closely mimic the ‘real thing’ and wondered what tooling you used to create the carve on yours.
I’m guessing at a router and template?
Thank you. I used a Stewmac binding routing bit with a couple of different bearings for the two indents and routed it freehand.
Thanks Steve, I’ll take a look at those
Cheers
Stuart
Brilliant creativity, Steve. What a fortunate Granddaughter! Was it a surprise or did she follow along as you worked yer magic?
I’m a Blues & Blues-Rock guitarist who’s done a bit of customizing woodwork & refinishing on just two guitars over the years. So I appreciate more the range of skills…and metrics!… a fine luthier must have to do what you’ve done here.
BTW, I’m a former Mancunian, 1968 and 69 at University of Manchester. I lived on Oxford Road between the Moss Side and the Eye Hospital. I’ve stayed in touch with me mates and will return for a visit this July. They now live one in Oxford and the other in Ballycastle, County Mayo. But if I happen to get to Manchester, I’d love to drop by your shop.
Doug Pratt
Thanks Doug. The guitar was a birthday surprise.
Oh the reaction! What was that like?
And in what neighborhood is your shop?
Doug
I think nonplussed is the right word. I bought her a keyboard too which she much prefers.
My address is on my contacts page but I don’t have a shop in the British sense of the word.
Yes, I see you on the map. A bit SouthWest of my old neighborhood. I did volunteer work at Rusholme Junior Training Centre, closer to you and about as close as I ever came to your area of Manchester.
Cheers,
Doug
Love it!! Never heard of cnc shopbot? Are they expensive?
I imagine they are expensive, yes. I hired the one at the now defunct Trafford Fablab.
cracking job well done