Vintage Hondo Explorer Build

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:40 pm

My mate Wayne ( aka Small Stanley ) still has the first guitar he owned , a sad and sorry Hondo Explorer SO sick of seeing it neglected im going to give it a new lease of life with a sexy rebuild.

Here's the poor old thing, been on a guitar stand that long the rubber had fused to the body and neck NO JOKE !!

Pulled down and filling the neck pickup cavity, he wants a Paul Stanley Tiger look paint scheme so he shall get it !

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:06 pm

I like Hondo necks.

Post by **Genebaby** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:13 pm

This is gonna be good!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:55 pm

He's looking at something like this gem,

Pickup hole filled in timber, much better than car filler that ends up cracking and im going to wood fill the other cavities for a very clean minimal front ( 1 dial,1 PUP & wraparound bridge) for the Tiger to be released !

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:29 pm

Blocked the dial cavity,still got to fix the nasty spot where the bridge was ( dear oh dear Wayne what were u thinking ? )

Looking at stencils for the TIGER theme,

1031 · Post by **1031** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 4:06 am

sweet...

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:57 pm

Body work almost done, just got that bridge area to contend with, going to use a wraparound bridge.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:43 am

Mock up of how i see this evolving,

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:52 pm

I'z said it befoh but you iz one talented mutha fukkah!

Keep the pictures coming because we love this stuff!

Kev

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:00 pm

Slayer wrote:I'z said it befoh but you iz one talented mutha fukkah!

Keep the pictures coming because we love this stuff!

Kev

Will do !

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:25 pm

Got nice solid timber block installed ( glued & screwed ) to mount the new bridge dont want it popping out under tension from the strings, also drilled for the volume pot.

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:08 pm

WOW.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:56 pm

Body work done, high filler primer on and curing ready for a wet n dry rub back.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:30 pm

Final mock up before we get all giggy with the paint,

Post by **Genebaby** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:04 am

That was quick Tony!!!

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:46 pm

Tony are you going to make the headstock match the body? (Tiger)

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:06 pm

Slayer wrote:Tony are you going to make the headstock match the body? (Tiger)

The Paul Stanley one has a black headstock but i think the tiger pattern would look cool, got some new Grover tuners coming for it as well.

n3p · Post by **n3p** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:14 pm

Looking good Tony! Does this mean that DTK are going unmasked?!

Superstrats at the ready sir!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:38 pm

n3p wrote:Looking good Tony! Does this mean that DTK are going unmasked?! Superstrats at the ready sir!

nah were far too ugly for that hahahahahaha

n3p · Post by **n3p** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:32 am

You've seen Ace Frehley, haven't you?

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:48 pm

Yep Ace is a bit rough, i have a face only my GF could love hahahahaha god bless her LOL

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:23 pm

Gettin down some Tiger Yellow, grrrrrrrrrrr

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:23 am

It needs to be a more FLAMBOYANT yellow !!!!

You can do it !!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:22 pm

poserboy71 wrote:It needs to be a more FLAMBOYANT yellow !!!!

You can do it !!!!

All the Flamboyant was out, could only get Tigerish yellow.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:55 pm

New mini Grovers,

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:27 pm

Bit more base colours going down,

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 5:35 am

Now we're talking !!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:22 pm

poserboy71 wrote:Now we're talking !!!!

Dripping with Yellow Sexiness hahahahahahaha

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:33 am

That yellow looks a lot better in that picture than it did in the previous picture. The lighting helped a lot.

The white also will bring it to a more authentic look.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:16 pm

Yep i rubbed it back and hit it again in yellow then dusted on some white, the black will bring it alive.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:44 am

Mock up of the Hondo Tiger, nearly ready for some stripes !

Post by **Genebaby** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:51 pm

Great work, as usual. You don't mess around!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:10 am

Masking the beast,

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:42 am

I love it !!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:59 pm

Lots more detailing on the stripes but its close to Mr Stanley's Hamer.

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:09 pm

Your quite talented bro!
I could keep you really busy working my own and my friends collections if you lived in Southern California

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:34 pm

Hey i love SoCal, been there 6 times so far, Arcadia, Ventura got friends in those areas even up in Victorville as well, always call in on the way to Vegas

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:48 am

My GOD how I wish I had your drive to complete things. YOU are an inspiration.

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:40 pm

Kisstrooper wrote:Hey i love SoCal, been there 6 times so far, Arcadia, Ventura got friends in those areas even up in Victorville as well, always call in on the way to Vegas

LOL

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:11 pm

poserboy71 wrote:My GOD how I wish I had your drive to complete things. YOU are an inspiration.

I suprise myself, some of me Ex's would say im lazy hahahahaha, "honey can you pass me my spray gun "

Thanks mate, im keen to get it done for some upcoming gigs.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:38 pm

Well this build has ended abruptly, friendship over, guitar will remain unfinished im afraid.

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:15 am

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:17 am

I love how that banana geadstock is parallel with that upper wing.
It has to be Hell on the sideways tension at the nut.
It's pretty ridiculous.

Post by **Genebaby** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:05 pm

Yeah, that's a pretty crazy angle to use.

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:38 pm

It has had a gentle life

Post by **Genebaby** » Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:06 pm

I'll bet!! Like a lot of my horde.

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:11 am

I bought that Explorer new around 1981 or 82, before I know it will be 40 years old..................

Such is the passage of time for old men as we age, time goes by very quickly which is one reason why I'm so hard on Cusano. If he is going to do something he needs to live in the now in the event that tomorrow never comes. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us...........

Post by **Genebaby** » Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:37 am

True man.

Time is scary now.