42nd Street Blog
29th July 2020
Neck processes
Every neck that leaves here whether on a fully built guitar or supplied as a standalone order gets the same treatment. Frets expertly levelled and crowned, fingerboard edges rolled and fret ends smoothed. Uniform or gradated old school nitro in our popular super smooth satin or gloss finishes as required. Topped off with optional hand cut bone nut.
6th June 2020
Some replacement Tele and cab bodies.
Covid 19 means we are currently working in separate locations, but this has no impact whatsoever on current or future orders. The system is working out very well. Tig's working hard keeping up wiith the woodwork and prep side of things then it's over to me for the painting/finishing process, here are some bodies in progress along with some finished ones, now on their way to customers.
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3rd April 2020
Broadway with variations
We've just finished this Broadway model with a double bound 2 piece alder body, Bare Knuckle Piledriver pickups and a modern 6 saddle bridge and die cast tuners from Gotoh. Light tinted super smooth satin nitro on the one piece maple neck and old original Lake Placid blue gloss nitro on the body.
13th February 2020
Butterscotch blond, still as popular as ever
14th November 2019
Kits, bodies and necks...ready to go!
Here is a great custom guitar built from one of our custom kits. Shown being played by the guitarist/singer from Linda Martini of Portugal.
Also shown is a lefthanded replacement tele body in Olympic white and rosewood board neck.
The jazz bass body is finished in Lake placid blue and the headstock has been painted to match.
The Tele body is surf green nitro
28th March 2014
More progress on the Myjet
With the neck glued in the back and sides ogf the body and neck were grainfilled walnut, and finished in a satin nitro tint. The front was primed and finished in Dakota red with clear laquer over, to which was added some large metal flake. Decals were aplied to the headstock and we made the see thru perspex pickguard. The guitar is ready for the customer, all set up, ready for him to his own electrics/pots/wiring etc.
8th February 2014
Myjet
Once the mahogany was glued up and left to dry, it was then shaped and routed for the controls required as well as chambered to create the semi solid body. The maple was joined, shaped and glued to the top and routed for top binding. It was then hand carved. The neck was shaped and test fitted.
19th January 2014
Tiger top The sinner now finished!
A true one off custom order now completed!
The customer has now ordered another custom build from us, this time, using reclaimed brazilian mahogany which used to be an old speaker cab, for the body. We will call this one the MYjet model.
So far we have processed the timber and glued it into a guitar body sized blank.....
8th December 2013
custom build progress
The tiger top The Sinner custom build has now been grainfilled black to enhance the figuring. The neck was very carefully aligned prior to being glued in. The back and sides are painted in a dark chestnut tinted nitro lacquer and the front in see thru orange amber. We had a custom set of headstock decals made to the customers design. Once dry the paintwork will be buffed and polished to a high gloss.
11th November 2013
More custom orders
This is based on The Sinner model but has a tiger flame maple front with mahogany back and neck.
We selected some fine timber for this one, planed and glued up before cutting to shape. The customer requested that the neck was to be a little further into the body than normal to eliminate the usual gap between the end of the neck and front pickup.
After routing for the neck, pickups and control cavity we hand carved the bevels to shape.
Once the neck is glued in, we will grainfill with black to enhance the stripes. The finish will be light orange/amber with dark brown back and neck
11th November 2013
Carved top custom finished!
Now finished, wired up with push pull coil split Bourns pots and ready for the owner to add some electronic gizmos! Schaller Hannes bridge and cutaway heel make this a rather special guitar. Finished in striking grey/black flame and set up to perfection.
8th October 2013
Custom orders
The carved top is now nearing completion with all the woodwork finished. We have grain-filled the ash back and stained the top with black water based dye carefully avoiding the edge with is to remain uncoloured to look like a bound edge much like on a PRS. The body is now sealed and ready for translucent black.
31st August 2013
more bodies, necks and custom orders....
Replacement body for La cab medium aged black nitro with neck and hardware kit.
We've rolled the fretboard edges and added clay dots to this replacement neck finished in a light tint nitro.
Currently making a carved top offset custom body in swamp ash and highly figured sycamore.
24th July 2013
2 more builds completed and available from Vintage and Rare guitars Bath
Just delivered this G cab and The sinner model to Vintage and rare guitars in Bath for you to try and buy.
The G- cab is finished in see thru Gretsch orange and has checkerboard purfling and binding. The Sinner is in heather metallic nitro. Both are our popular "aged not worn" finish.
24th July 2013
Slab Precision bass replacement body, bound
This was an interesting body to make.....Precision bass slab. Premium swamp ash which we bound in tortoise-shell and added checked purfling. See thru blond nitro, and tortie pickguard. We supplied it as a complete vintage build kit with Allparts Fender licensed P bass neck which we finished in a light tinted satin nitro and high quality Gotoh hardware.
14th May 2013
A customer built kit
This was ordered as a vintage build kit by one of our customers. As you can see he has made an excellent job of assembling it and setting it up for optimum playability.
Alder body in aged but not worn surf green nitro, aged mint pickguard, aged nickel hardware throughout and a tinted maple neck with rosewood board to which we fitted clay dots....Nice work David!
15th April 2013
G-cab with a twist!
We made this one a bit different, lovely 2 tone green with bound top, snakehead guard and 51 bass control plate.
Just made these 2 strat bodies and finished them in surf green.....the one on the left is sold along with a nitro finished neck, the other is available and can be aged to taste!
7th March 2013
A very special "kit" order
Premium red alder body, double bound and finished in nitro, lake placid blue over black. The customer wanted some medium body wear much like Brian Fallon's Telecaster. Maple Fender licensed neck with rolled fretboard edges and clay dots, we levelled the frets and shaped a bone nut prior to shipping. All our neck, body and hardware kits have the same attention to detail as our fully built instruments. We pride ourselves in being able to offer so much more than painted up bodies and necks. Looking forward to the customer photos of this once built.
7th March 2013
The latest 2 tone G-Cab now finished and SOLD!
We had this idea veering a little more towards a Gretsch flavour for this build!
Using our Alder replacement La Cabronita body and Allparts Fender licensed neck and all nickel aged hardware set , a unique one off guitar.
13th February 2013
Vintage build kits a popular choice!
We've just finished these 2 build kits, one features our replacement La cabronita body with a special snakehead guard and control plate layout, a full aged nickel hardware kit and Allparts Fender licensed neck with a 10" radius board. The customer wanted a lightly aged butterscotch blond finish. Works well with the custom guard.
The 2nd kit was required as a heavy aged replacement Esquire body along with one piece vintage neck and nickel hardware. He chose a white pickguard for his project.
All that is needed to complete the builds are pickups and electrics.
17th January 2013
2 more builds completed
These 2 newly completed builds are off to Vintage and Rare for you to try and buy!
17th January 2013
Custom build orders coming in!
We will be starting on these 2 custom ordered kits shortly, an Esquire replacement body, neck and hardware kit in heavily aged butterscotch blond. Also a La Cabronita kit in the same colour.....Progress pics soon
9th January 2013
Builds in progress!
The following builds are now nearing completion and will be with Vintage and Rare in a couple of weeks.
La Cadette in aged TV yellow
Carve-top jr. in classic "aged-not worn" goldtop gold
series - 6 in faded Fiesta red
G-Cab II in a rather special 2 tone green with bound top, aged not worn.
13th December 2012
2 More British Masters guitars built and ready to go!
Today we delivered 2 more models to Vintage and Rare, Bath, The Sinner in TV yellow and a Broadway - 6 in Lake Placid Blue over inca silver....Check them out, and more, here.
http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/guitars/42ndstreetguitars
We have a few more builds underway....Progress pics soon....
22nd November 2012
Vintage and Rare London and Bath......approved stockists of 42nd Street "British Masters" guitars.
We are pleased to announce Vintage and Rare Guitars as stockists of our "British Masters" guitars. They currently have some of our models available for you to try and buy. They will have details and pics on their site soon, or contact us directly for what's currently available and specs.
14th November 2012
Bristol Guitar Show
We had some great feedback from the Bristol guitar show visitors regarding the build quality, playability and authenticity of the aging on our guitars, bodies, necks and kits. We took a firm order for a custom build Series-5 model and sold several necks and hardware kits on the day!
5th November 2012
42nd Street website relaunched
Great news! The 42nd Street website has just been relaunched...
Take a look around our new website to see our fab new custom-made guitars and kits!