Oh, hell.....

.... I just cannot be trusted, really. After all of my hot air about not buying any more guitars.... I've bought another, and whats more it's a Westone!!

It's a project and it looks quite rough but it's in Australia, it's one of very few that I've ever seen for sale and - and this is quite important - it's in my price range!!

Now I have to decide what colourway to do - there is a selection of factory colours that I like, and what pickups to equip it with as the OEM ones are AWOL.

It is a late Raider II with the Bendmaster Precision trem and when it arrives, I'll show y'all... these were only available in red or black, but I've got plenty of red and black guitars, so one of the early bi-colours is going to be the go; the black/silver, gold/orange or the blue/gold; Lucy has already vomited on my personal fave, the blue/gold so we'll see...

so.... anyone got a set of MMK 45s for a good home, lets talk!!

opinions on the colours, guys!!

http://www.iqui.de/raider/raider.htm

'Like' is a difficult word to apply wholeheartedly in this case (), but I think I prefer the Sparkle Gold & Red, myself...

You do love a pointy...  

Black'nSilver more 'class'

Sorry the gold'nblue looks like something you'd find in an African location.. 

The world is your oyster!

corsair wrote:...After all of my hot air about not buying any more guitars.... I've bought another...

  Some will power!!

I'll go with Damian on this one. The blue/orange looks more like an Olympic flag.  

Silver/black all day long.  good luck John!

The seller you bought it from has 1 MMK45 for sale and I have one here that you can have if that's any help to you

Damian, you've got one, yes? Could you take some photies of the tuners for me please? And does yours have pull pots??
Sorry, gang.... I'm really liking the blue/gold.... however, I may well be overruled!

Mines a Raider I later 2 pup version, 22 frets, pull/push coil tap on tone control, volume, 3 way.
Sgt. Vimes also has one to hand which is a 'sparkly'

The tuners are more Schaller style with the screw tang at right angles. Still if your doing a refurb you could fit normal Spectrum style.

mine is a 83 Raider 1.   mini oval tuners.....my fave    with the screw holes at right angles to the post

Here's another set from a '83 model Raider I. Recently sold on ebay.



See no reason why this style won't fit. Also more readily available and cheap!!

used these a good few times as replacements on various guitar.
Nothing wrong with them, hold tune fine.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-In-line-Electric-guitar-Machine-heads-Concave-Button-CR-/271355785431?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3f2e10b0d7#ht_5320wt_936


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Inline-Guitar-String-Tuning-Peg-Machine-Head-6R-/271371362071?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3f2efe5f17#ht_5314wt_936

Are those the Jin Ho brand?  if so they make the Wilkinson tuners.....I have a couple sets...as you say Damian...they hold tune very well and the build quality and finish is great. recommended.

This is all the same gear as sold by pappa d's, ch guitars etc.
At twice the price in the UK

My vote goes for the Red/Gold Sparkle same colors as USMC Semper Fi. I have both the red/Black models in single and double humbucker models and I love them both.

Ahh... you're a good bunch; thank you for that; yes; it will be a ground up refurb so the normal 45° screw tang will do the trick as the headstock needs attention. This poor bloody thing has seen some abuse, believe me...

Actually I was thinking of locking tuners and my spare FT bridge, as it will drop straight into the gap left by the Precision.... thoughts, guys?!

I'm starting to think that orangeyred/gold sparkles may be the go; I like the blue/yellow but I seem to be the only one that does, and silver/black is a little staid for my tastes and I would like to stay close to the factory colours... rightly or wrongly! Of course, that's going to be a pig in a poke as I can only really go off the brochure colours, on a screen .... unless someone with one takes it into a paint shop and gets the paint analysed!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/chrome-Auto-lock-Electric-Acoustic-Guitar-Machine-Heads-6R-/121261241844?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item1c3bbbb5f4

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Auto-lock-Electric-Acoustic-Guitar-Machine-Heads-6R-/271381716236?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3f2f9c5d0c

Cheers, Damian!

Is patriotic Aussie Green and Gold an option ?

Would be if I was an Aussie..... but I'm not!!

Besides, I've got a plan for an Australian themed finish for a guitar along the lines of my 'Corsair' Avenger.

corsair wrote:Would be if I was an Aussie..... but I'm not!!

 Have to be silver n' black then... 

Too drab! My provincial colours, however, were blue and gold....

Bay of Plenty or Otago?

The more color the better!   You've been wanting one of those for a while!  So glad you're getting one.

Blue and gold - Otago.... blue and yellow - BOP!!

Thanks, Chad!!

OK, team... a box has arrived from NSW and here we go; this thing has seen some action, by crikey; the case has a band logo oversprayed on the outside and a tour lot number on the inside. case is a little tatty - as to be expected but is in better nick than the guitar.. to whit...





... doesn't look too bad from out here, eh!!



headstock and tuners are in dire need of repair/replacement. Damian, is the nut in yours a standard Fender-y type one, as per the Spectrums??







... all the points badly munted...



Bendmaster Precision bridge



*shudder*





...drilling out the frozen bridge screw



... into its constituent pieces



.. this is interesting; the bridge post insert hole on the bar side of the bridge has very little wood left in the cavity, eh!! The thin piece of wood between the neck pup hole and the neck butt is gone also..



... and just for the record, the factory marks in the neck p'up cavity.

I've enough to be going on with....

Oh hell indeed!!

Got a crack along the fingerboard?

Keep you occupied for awhile.


Nuts the same as Spectrum.

Hee hee... yes, it will! Still, it's not rocket science, just loads of sanding, filling and smoothing, eh!!

Thanks for the nut info...

No... no fretboard cracks?!

I see a big pile of fun laying there John!      Seriously!  You'll have a ball with that.  Not too bad.  One you won't be afraid to play. 

The wood in the neck pocket, they corrected that on the Dynasty (they routed out that piece altogether).  They 1984's were that way, too.  Didn't make sense, as the crack would usually happen on the low E side of the pocket.  

Let us know what you'll need.

And it took all that abuse and still stayed together.  Great quality workmanship was Matsumoku.

This too shall rise!!
Piece o' cake after that Urchin resto of yours eh?

Go get 'em John. Should keep you off the streets and away from the general public until next  St. Swithin's Day.  

I don't really see too much trouble ahead but after chatting to my paint guru, I think the sparkle finish may be a non-runner; the metal flake is quite big and to wind up with a glassy smooth finish, he reckoned that at least 15 coats of clear would be required; he showed me a piece with the flake on it and what he said was 10 coats of clear.... you could feel the flake as clear as mud, and while I'm a patient cove, I'm not that patient! I could get Hans to do it, but he says that the cost of that would be pretty high as it's very labour intensive and, lets face it, with the best will in the world, this is a 200 dollar guitar so spending sh1tloads on the finish would very likely see me emasculated!!

He has shown me one or two other things that could be possibilities, but ... given this is to be a custom finish - as Damian intimated early on!! - what do you blokes reckon??

Maybe a finer grade of flake? my Raider has a small patch of clearcoat missing revealing the flake underneath, and it is quite fine, though it IS the usual thick mats finish.  

Yeah... maybe! We'll see...

Anyway, for those who take an interest...



... underway



... while the points are all missing paint, they are not missing any wood, which is something of an bonus! In fact, there's only about 2 very small dings in the body to be filled...



... that logo is well under the clear!



How the hell do you chip paint in that recess?!?!



.. the grotty hardware under the painters eye



... and all done! I've used my remaining black "Westbone" trem arm in there even thought the collar is present.

Johnny, could you live without the *sparkles* and just do the transitional burst maybe? Not as dramatic, but...

No slackin' 'ere! could've flatted the neck plate a bit....

Don't start stoppin'.... 

The neckplate was indeed flatted a bit; anymore and I'd've lost definition on the stamping.

Hey, Damian, are the pots on your guitar push/pull pots? And that's a standard 3 way, yes?

Yep, pull/push coil tap on tone.
Normal 3 way switch, do you need one? with Mats tip.

Yeah, mate; that'd be good! The box type switch, yes??

Whaddya reckon to these, Damian? Cheap enough; you know anything about them? I think they're Jin Ho.....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6-In-Line-Schecter-Locking-TunersTuning-Machine-Head-Pegs-Cosmo-Black-W06-/400667693144?pt=AU_Instrument_Accessories&hash=item5d49a7d058&_uhb=1

Here is that patch of missing clearcoat where the fine glitter is visible John.

not the best pic, indoor energy saver lightbulb and phone camera...but you get the idea.

Barry wrote:Johnny, could you live without the *sparkles* and just do the transitional burst maybe? Not as dramatic, but...

Nothing?   

Still thinking, Barry!! Thanks, Sgt!

Those tuners are fine.
Nice black chrome.

You'll have to PM your address AGAIN!! bloody globetrotters you..  
if you need a 3 way switch.

Looks like your black 'n silver has a black tint in the lacquer Pete.

yep, all the colour is in the lacquer

Still don't know what to do with mine.... I do think the flake finish is in the too damn expensive basket; I'll go and have another yarn to Hans tomorrow as he showed me a bike tank he had that he used as an ashtray when he was a smoker that I quite liked the look of... it was sort-of a chameleon effect.... black through purple through blue with heaps of multi coloured pearl in it...

Hows about a swirl paint job? Cheap as chips.

Thats just scary!!

Hey, is this the nut?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Graph-Tech-PT-5042-00-Black-TUSQ-Electric-Guitar-Nut-Strat-42mm-/360852197122

The measurements aren't exactly right, but theyre pretty close?!

That's so-o-o 60's tie-dye Damian  

The 60's eh! Don't remember them much. Apart from England winning the World Cup....  and I can honestly say I have never worn a tie-dye anything. Apart from my jeans that got splashed with bleach from washing the yard..me bestists jeans too...  

A swirl paint job is cheap and easy to do.

Just thinking of Corsair as he's a tight wad... 

Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez,Ibanez..............There feel much better now!

My strat is green with a yelloweeee goldeeeee type pearlescenceeeeee type thang going on. What about that TVR "pyramid paint" (i think that's what they called it)?

A La: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?start=105&sa=X&espv=210&es_sm=122&biw=1366&bih=610&tbm=isch&tbnid=8ZgDt_G7YehjfM%3A&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fgomotors.net%2FTVR%2FTVR-Tuscan-Speed-Six%2Fphotos.html%3Fpic%3D0&docid=51-kg9QAs14lgM&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fgomotors.net%2Fphotos%2F44%2Fa8%2Ftvr-tuscan-speed-six_93717.jpg%253Fi&w=400&h=300&ei=dJwLU7qnCaSO7QaB3IHQDA&zoom=1&ved=0CCoQhBwwCzhk&iact=rc&dur=618&page=7&ndsp=20

Ian

My father-in-law was a policeman at the '66 world cup final and only did it for the Overtime!........unbelievable. He got a signed programme and threw it way on the way home!