New Budget Build: Silvertone Bullet Esquire

Painting? Routing? Set-up tips? Or just straight-up making a guitar from scratch? Post here, and post pics!

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cooter
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New Budget Build: Silvertone Bullet Esquire

Post by cooter »

This all started when my son wanted to get rid of an old pine bookshelf in his bedroom. Free material is always inspiring. :D
I planed off the finish, glued up two of the shelves for the frame, added the masonite front and back and made this Dano/Silvertone style body based on the shape of a Fender Bullet Deluxe from the early eighties.

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I had a strat style neck that I reshaped the heel and headstock on.

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Touched back up with trans tint and truoil.

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Added some paint.

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Some Dano/Silvertone style binding and a few things from the parts box. I wound up buying a big pole, ceramic tele pickup and making a single ply aged white pickguard for it.

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I wrapped the pickup with some string to give it a vintage look.

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Here's where I'm at now. Still need to string it up, add some string trees and do a setup.

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Non stick, cookie sheet, back control cover.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
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Post by sunshiner »

You're a wizard. Your builds have always been some of the most tasteful on the whole guitar forums interwebz
matte30is wrote:Someone man up and get a balloon.
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Post by plopswagon »

Lovely!
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ekwatts wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Post by Hurb »

sunshiner wrote:You're a wizard. Your builds have always been some of the most tasteful on the whole guitar forums interwebz
Agree with that!! Absolutely stunning!
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ekwatts
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Post by ekwatts »

You make it look easy.

That's an absolutely wonderful guitar.
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Brandon W wrote:you elites.
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Post by robroe »

This rules. Would love to own one
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Post by cooter »

Thanks guys! I think I love doing the budget builds the most. You start looking at things differently when you're out shopping.
Stuff like Hurb's budget mastery is exactly the kind of stuff that gets me excited about a build.
Smells like Rock n' Roll
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Post by Hurb »

cooter wrote:Thanks guys! I think I love doing the budget builds the most. You start looking at things differently when you're out shopping.
Stuff like Hurb's budget mastery is exactly the kind of stuff that gets me excited about a build.
Cheers man x
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Post by plopswagon »

Just wait till you see the modular synth I’m going to build out of Lego blocks and an old hair dryer!
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ekwatts wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Doog
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Post by Doog »

That is SO sick; I particularly love the colour choice with the side tape and lack of control plate.

What was the name and brand was the paint?
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Post by Fakir Mustache »

I like how it really looks like it was made by Danelectro back in the day.
NickD wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:44 pm
plopswagon wrote: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:05 pm Fuck! My car runs on Tubes!
When you press the accelerator past halfway it doesn’t actually go any faster, but the engine noise distorts
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Post by cooter »

Doog wrote:That is SO sick; I particularly love the colour choice with the side tape and lack of control plate.

What was the name and brand was the paint?
I used this with Krylon Matte Clear on top.

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ekwatts
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Post by ekwatts »

Would love to see a budget Jazzmaster made in exactly this way, with Hurb's DIY Mastery and a single Jazzmaster pickup in the bridge and a single volume and tone.
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Brandon W wrote:you elites.
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Post by BillClay »

Just another voice chiming in with a "hot damn, the stuff you throw together out of spare parts looks cooler and classier than 90% of the custom shop pieces out there"
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Post by NickS »

BillClay wrote:Just another voice chiming in with a "hot damn, the stuff you throw together out of spare parts looks cooler and classier than 90% of the custom shop pieces out there"
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Post by kingkiller »

NickS wrote:
BillClay wrote:Just another voice chiming in with a "hot damn, the stuff you throw together out of spare parts looks cooler and classier than 90% of the custom shop pieces out there"
Hurb wrote:I love Jizz
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Doog wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 1:50 pm(bussy?)
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Post by dots »

WHOAH! what a looker, man! and pine, too... those tones are going to be dark and earthy!