So cool BB!,my son plays guitar,I’m a finish carpenter and I think I’d like to give building him one for next Christmas a try,where are you getting the parts?
Thanks Saff. I saw a video about Bohemian brand oil can guitars, and after building that really heavy muffler guitar, I figured it would be fun and lighter. I found this video of guy taking a peek inside one, and that helped me design this one. I saw a lot of builds using 1 gallon cans, but they looked too small compared to the length of the neck. Some use 2 gallon cans, but they're about the same height, just thicker. I found the height of a 2-1/2 gallon can was about the same as a typical guitar body, about 13", so I searched online for 'vintage 2-1/2 gallon oil can' or '10 quart oil can', and found one that I liked on eBay. I had a couple of pickups laying around, and chose a P90 because they're great sounding and they are simple to mount, using two screws spaced closely together near the center. I also had several sets of electronics, like potentiometers, input jacks, wiring, etc. If you don't have any of this stuff laying around, and don't want to spend a ton on your first build, I'd recommend shopping at Guitar Fetish- https://www.guitarfetish.com It's a one-stop shop for inexpensive parts; they have everything you'll need. I hope you give it a try, and if you have any questions or need some help, I'm PM-ing you my email address.
Got a lot done today- cut the neck pocket, attached the neck to the internal 'spine', mounted the neck to the body, and mounted the pickup and the bridge. Everything is lining up perfectly.
I agree! I dunno which is my favorite; I'll have to wait till this one's played, see how it compares to the muffler guitar
Thanks!my son would love it,he’s a graphic designer and always gives me gifts he makes and designs himself,I’m sure I’ll pm you with questions
What a crazy, fun build. Functionally, it works just like an electric guitar should; ergonomically, it's a freakin' nightmare to play, at least sitting down, even more so than the muffler guitar (but A LOT lighter!). It might actually play better on a strap, but my strap is set up for strap locks, and I don't have the special strap buttons needed right now. The thing that draws me to these weird builds is the opportunity to figure out how to make them work; head & hands stuff, much like working on a car. I'm enjoying these auto-related builds, and have an idea for another one; can you say "Cobra air cleaner"?
"Cobra Air Clear?" Uh, the air from a Cobra, it isn't exactly clear, especially at WOT. Say, could this guitar be played upright, the way Les Paul played?
That turned out really nice! Along the lines of an automotive air cleaner guitar, there's this guy that made one from a pair of hubcaps. He also has one made from an old corrugated washboard. The hubcaps one would be cool with a traditional neck, I'm not a fan of the broomstick neck you can only play slide on.
I know it's a fine line between an oil can guitar and those, but when you start talking hamburger spatulas and washboards, I'm channeling "Deliverance". Not for me. I'm thinking: or:
Final additions to the oil can guitar- vintage airline armrest ashtray/pick holder and checked flag strap:
Heh, for that matter, how about a steering column guitar? The shifter handle could become the whammy bar....
BB, truly fine workmanship. Especially cutting the back of the can. No over cuts. And if you want to do a heavy metal version, I have a 289 block you can experiment on HaHa.
