r/Luthier • u/akinatronic • 1d ago
ELECTRIC Meet the Space Pallet : an inspired Bowie electric build
When I learned 7 years ago that Brian May built his own guitar, I wanted to do the same ; design my own. So I went and draw something while bored in class, inspired by the striking make up of my late hero, David Bowie. I didn’t knew it then, but it would soon become the project of my life : the Space Pallet. In march of 2019, I’ve completed the first version of the guitar (end photo). The body would be made from pallets (pine), and I’ve made the CNC program myself for cutting the neck from oak. Precut fretboard was my only option, along a badly applied Tru Oil finish. It would weight near 4.5kgs.
Then, starting late 2019, I’ve started working on a new version. That one arrived in 2020, the version II (penultimate photo). Lower horn redesigned, one kilo less, added bridge pickup, uniform color with matching headstock. It really started to look like a proper electric guitar, despite evident flaws.
In 2022, due to the multiple structural and finish problems, my own bettering at woodworking and my furthering ambitions for the instrument, I made the decision to completely make the guitar over again. I thought it was possible to make it in a few months ; it took me more than two years.
Why ? Because I only could work on it during vacations in my hometown… Also I’ve done a lot of retro engineering to fit what is still the same neck from the beginning and the same pickguard for 5 years now. It knew something like 4 fretboards in total, because of mistakes…
But I’ve worked hard, and tried everything possible to make my ideal electric guitar.
It still has flaws, but these one are a reflection of myself, so who am I to pretend my rock and synth machine will ever be perfect ?
FULL SPECS : -Burned pallet body and matching headstock -PU satin finish -carbon reinforced headstock and neck -ebony fretboard with pearl inlay and blind fretslots, custom constellation -stripped ebony backstrap -SS frets -burned and stained pallet body with maple reinforcements, -cavities with HDF reinforcements -locking tuners, with drop D -stetsbar vibrato pro III -SH pickup config with 6 ways freeswitch and series/parallel switch for neck HB, 2T 1V (I may change the layout in the future it’s a bit clunky) -slide magnet in the upper horn -a functional piezo sound with MIDI capabilities from Graphtech ; custom bracket for a seamless integration in the pickguard
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u/AaronPseudonym 1d ago
Lot's of great little features hidden in this edgy design. The hidden magnet to hold onto a slide should become standard on guitars that have a pickguard, IMO. It would be harder to implement on full solid bodies, but on a pick guard guitar it is a super easy mod, there is no reason for it not to be there.
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u/miserybob 1d ago
That’s cool af!! Congrats on a beautiful and original build! Got a video demo?