Jeez, time flys...

wow, the last time I updated here was feb?!!

Obviously I've been too busy with all the projects...the rugby...the work...the usual.

I'd better start updating ... OW01, guitar projects, and all the rest.

just started a project of putting together a telecaster ..more on that later..the kitchen is filled with zxr750 parts...the garage filled with an ow01...

I'll be back soon with pics and all the rest of the news.

Gibson Les Paul 71 guitar case

...you probably read that I picked up a case recently for the old Custom...been looking for ages..
Then this one came up for sale in Edinburgh on the ebay and I thought it would be good to have another case...the 56 junior/special needs one anyway. Good price I reckon for the condition compared to the prices I've seen for these cases...62 quid.

ZXR750R ECU

Few parts arrived today for the project.
cost a bit but an important part to the project, an original zxr750r k ecu box. brand new in the box, so hopefully no issues!
As finding a wiring harness will be tough, I'm either going with a full race harness that I'll put together or easier than that, buy an L series wiring harness and modify to fit.
The front and rear spindles also arrived, which basically means that there is a rolling chassis sans tyres..in the kitchen in bits...so not rolling but pretty much all there.
Last parts of the puzzle are the heavy parts..an original ZXRR engine. It's been sourced and is awaiting collection. Obviously and per usual, it's original FCR's have been swiped , but that isn't an issue as I probably wouldn't go for the original anyway as the choke isn't a necessary part.
Once the engine is collected and some tyres have been sourced, the bike will be complete except for some minor bits and bobs , a set of carbs and an airbox.

Unrestored Indian Board tracker 1915

Boxing match ?

I've started so I'll finish....Project ZXRR

Not sure if it's amusing or otherwise as to why this project started...
basically after the ZXRR was stolen and I knew I'd be getting some insurance I scrambled to rebuild another ZXR as I had some parts left over from the first time she was smashed and recovered, including a frame, rear seat unit, muzzy works exhaust system and a set of rear sets.
Obviously I was then informed that the insurance company wouldn't pay out cash, just a cheque that I would have to use to buy another bike...
At this point I'd already spent money on getting the "hard to find" parts....

So I decided to carry on buying parts and keep the project going.
The key was to find the parts that distinguish the K from the J. So obviously an engine was important and that has now been sourced.
The K forks and rear shock have been sourced and bought.
The K ECU has been sourced and bought.
The wheels which are generic to both were also sourced and bought. As they came pretty much complete with discs and drive / sprocket it shouldn't be too long before I have a rolling chassis.
As I had GSR1000 6 pots on my last one, I still have the original calipers as well as the rear linkage set up as I had changed that to the more linear set up with L links and P rocker arm. Or vice versa..

Not sure what the plan is once she starts coming together. Seriously thinking of making her a track bike. We shall see...the parts currently pile up in the kitchen...

Overpriced but imperative...

Last japanese import ZXR750r had an ignitor 21119-1329.
I think the japanese ignitor has restrictors built in..could be wrong but was always on the look out for a European model.
Wasn't cheap as it was new.
But at least I can know rest and know that I have the correct ECU for the R. The idea is to make my own wiring harness working off the diagram in the kit manual. We shall see...
Tomorrow morning and a phone call is booked to discuss a ZXR750R engine that's waiting to be purchased....

sheer desperation...

having purchased a couple of throttle cables for the ow01 I was disappointed to discover they weren't actually for the ow01 but for the std fzr750/1000...
In sheer desperation I just went and bought a second hand throttle with cables for an ow01...

bricks...and stones...

the place where I work is basically an really old suger fasctory...buildings are still in decent shape and they really stand out. Brick work is pretty amazing considering the age of the buildings and every time I walk past this particular building I always think how cool it would be to own the circular room at the top right hand side that looks over the entire bay area.Maybe I should ask if it's empty....
..oh..
and in Noir:

It's all Hitchcock....

Good bye old friend..

Tomorrow and my Marshall Master lead is off to a new owner. A very good amp , has to be said.
Not a tube amp, but by the tone she gives you'd be surprised...Aye well, 2014 will be the year I have to offload gear I don't actually use and it's better she goes to a home where she will be used.

I blame Meccano...

Vintage Guitar gets a Vintage case..

been searching for an old case for Old '71 for a while at the right price.
This one popped up on the bay and was the right price. really good latches on it and delighted at this purchase. The Custom is featured elsewhere on the blog and out there on Gibson blogs..an old warhorse that was brought back from the death...all the patina gold including the pickups are from the 60s, the Grovers are from '59 and she's a very special old beast..

Official Norton team photos found in the loft

Sound brilliant those rotary engines!
And some useless piece of info:
back when the Norton team first started, before the JPS sponsorship, I contacted Brian Crighten who was the man responsible for the team and I was offered to buy a rolling chassis of one of the original bikes.. I didn't take the opportunity (still have the letter and prices) because I reckoned I'd never find an engine to use in the chassis ( which was a Spondon chassis). Aye well, in hindsight...

What a beast!

Apparently a 6 figure euro amount of mods made to this CBX engine which revs to 20,000 rpm and puts out 171 hp..

Sounds awesome!

The black Crowes

...one of those bands that I kept following since the first record I heard. or should I say, CD.
Then I was even more fortunate to have some friends working at EMA Telstar who fixed me tickets for the show in Stockholm.
It's been uphill ever since...

A lesson in Birdseye Maple.....

My own creation. Clean deck. TvJones Extra wind ( Billy Gibbons wind). basic special.
Custom made bridge to suit string spacing of TvJones.
Volume pot.
Vintage Gold spergels.

I've never come across a neck like this again..It's just so compact with Birdseyes .....it's a warmoth fatback telecaster pro with dual trussrod system. I call it the fossil...

Winter brings out the G's

 

 

 

The R9 from 2002 is quite an amazing beast and also quite rare as R9's go.The reason being that they basically ran out of quality tops in 2001 (1500 guitars made apparently) so had to shift over to Eastern Maple tops to make only 300 R9's in 2002. And for some reason they all seemed to have amazing sunbursts, which, looking at the pic, you could hardly argue. If there ever was a guitar that warranted it's price tag, it would be this one.  

 

 

The Cherry burst to the left is also an interesting beast. It's walked out of the Heritage factory, probably because there was an issue with the spraying of the neck as the fret-board had some red flecks of paint on it that I had to remove once I bought it.

Built in 1988 it's quite a rare beast. Heritage H140CMV which in original form should have house some switches for variable sounds from their own pickups.

The guitar came as new from the factory without a nut or holes bored for the bridge nor tail.

I left that job to a pro luthier to ensure everything would match up.Tail and bridge ended up lockable Tone Pros and as I wanted a project for EMG's, I decided to go for a new set of Zakk W EMGs'. To keep the electrics simple and as the 3 switch holes were already drilled, I used the Kerry King EMG overdrive switch in one of them, a phase switch in one and left one as a dummy switch. I then coupled together a couple of 9V's to run the system into 18Vs.

In a way, with the quality of wood in this guitar, it's a bit of a waste to run EMGs. But that's the way it went. The quality of Heritage guitars is fantastic and it's no surprise if you consider it's ex Gibson employees who didn't want to move when they closed down the factory in Kalamazoo.

Neck is fantastic, weight of the guitar reflects the quality and the finish is beautiful. very under rated guitars and they deserve a lot more praise in my opinion.