Ace Frehley UFO Guitar Build, yep im at it again !

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:45 pm

Seeing as i have mastered the harder to build "NY Groove" Ace guitar the "UFO" guitar is the next up for replication.Picked up an Epiphone set neck Studio Les Paul locally and will be using it as the base for the project, got it home and straight into it woohoo !

Here's one of the 6 originals made by the late Steve Carr, 23 MR-11 Halogen downlights are fitted to a modded Les Paul body with single Dimarzio DP-100 pup, plus a great reference pic of the rear with the cover off ( note this is number 6 ).

Here's my newly purchased Epiphone for the base guitar.

Stripped out the electrics and bridge/tailpiece etc in prepartion for the holes that are not required to be blocked out with timber.

Picked up some of the chrome knobs used on the originals today, easy find !

Post by **Genebaby** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:52 pm

Kick ass Tony!!! You the man!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:02 pm

Genebaby wrote:Kick ass Tony!!! You the man!

Love guitar projects Vic, found a guy in Melbourne who's an electronics wiz and is doing my flashing contoller boards to order so thats made life much easier for these specialty guitars.

shramiac · Post by **shramiac** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:37 pm

Did Ace use this in the 2000s??? I pretty much didn't listen/watch Kiss from 97 to 05!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:11 pm

shramiac wrote:Did Ace use this in the 2000s??? I pretty much didn't listen/watch Kiss from 97 to 05!!!

Yep im actually looking for a good clip with him using it to see how the light pattern goes, clockwise or anti.

Post by **Genebaby** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 11:10 pm

Ace uses it here

[youtube][/youtube]

Brooklyn_Born · Post by **Brooklyn_Born** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:50 am

It was great seeing the UFO guitar in action at Carrara Stadium in '01! Looked unreal!

1031 · Post by **1031** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:42 pm

Holy mad routers batman.. thats gonna be a great project

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:51 pm

The halogen lights are 35mm in diameter so i found this cool specialty drill they use for kitchen cupboard concealed hinges and its exactly 35mm and like $9, this project just keeps getting easier as i go ! LOL
Tested it on some pine tonight, perfect fit !

Post by **Genebaby** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:03 pm

Kick ass!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:14 pm

Genebaby wrote:Kick ass!!!

What really kicks ass is im off for 4 days from work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAA

shramiac · Post by **shramiac** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:42 pm

You just happened to have a piece of Les Paul shaped pine lying around???

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 12:50 am

shramiac wrote:You just happened to have a piece of Les Paul shaped pine lying around???

Its just an old pine template for routing out a battery cavity in a Les Paul, just the first bit of timber i grabbed

PinkWiz · Post by **PinkWiz** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:46 am

Genebaby wrote:Ace uses it here

[youtube][/youtube]

Damn, that Olympics video is THE most cringe-worthy thing KISS ever did... godawful haha!

Anyway, good job with the guitars dude!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:21 am

I made a scaled template of the custom Steve Carr headstock using this pic and will be able to get the shape out of the Epi headstock but only 5mm shorter so damn close, again no drama or blockers to hault progress

Post by **Genebaby** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:26 am

I always wondered about the headstock on that one.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:26 pm

Genebaby wrote:I always wondered about the headstock on that one.

I first thought it was V headstock but its much narrower so all good to replicate for the build will just be a tad shorter.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:17 pm

Like this,

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 12:20 am

So, Are you going to add a piece of wood to the tip of the headstock ???

You are a crazy and gifted motherfucker !!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 11:17 am

poserboy71 wrote:So, Are you going to add a piece of wood to the tip of the headstock ???

You are a crazy and gifted motherfucker !!!

I think i may make it slightly shorter than adding a piece, its only about 5mm so wont make much difference.
Its pissing down rain today ( typical im on 4 days off work ) so think i will do so work on this beast today.
Ive had some interest in me making some Ace Flashers so been doing some lights boards in preparation.

You get approx 325 to 350 lights in these depending on the bridge/ tailpiece configeration used.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:46 pm

So its a rainy day what better to do that , WORK ON MY UFO !!!

Ok so Epiphone headstock becomes Steve Carr custom with little fuss, so dowl glued into the top tuning head holes stick my template on and start cutting.

Made a timber block for the top PUP hole, more wood less filler is my motto,

Its now taking shape, the Bunnings ( hardware store ) guys think im either GUITAR GOD or completly NUTS for cutting up perfectly good guitars and sticking downlights all over them LOL !

Post by **Genebaby** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:48 pm

Mad, good work Tony, you don't muck around!!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:10 pm

Genebaby wrote:Mad, good work Tony, you don't muck around!!!!

Yep im on a roll thats for sure.

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:26 am

Kisstrooper wrote: Yep im on a roll thats for sure.

I bet you'd taste good with some man-mustard shot between those buns.

I couldn't stop myself from typing.

Post by **Genebaby** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:24 am

Yes Rick, you have a problem.....

shramiac · Post by **shramiac** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:45 am

poserboy71 wrote:
Kisstrooper wrote: Yep im on a roll thats for sure.
I bet you'd taste good with some man-mustard shot between those buns.

I couldn't stop myself from typing.

One handed??????

ZING!!!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:55 am

poserboy71 wrote:
Kisstrooper wrote: Yep im on a roll thats for sure.
I bet you'd taste good with some man-mustard shot between those buns.

I couldn't stop myself from typing.

GULP

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:18 pm

Its drillin' time folks ,

Used the reference pics for the loactions,

Drilled & Filled,

More of the same,

Brooklyn_Born · Post by **Brooklyn_Born** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:22 pm

Nice work Tony!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:45 pm

Thanks, going to countersink the holes now for a snug fit, looks like the original guitars had the lights siliconed in also have to timber fill where the toggle switch was and the lower volume and tone dials were as there's not meat behind them to drill into.
Some fiddly stuff but its coming together faster than i thought !

Brooklyn_Born · Post by **Brooklyn_Born** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:48 pm

You are one ambitious Guitar Afficianado Tony!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:12 pm

If im playin' in my Kiss band and its flashing away and the crowd loves it that will be reward enough for my labour !

Brooklyn_Born · Post by **Brooklyn_Born** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:18 pm

I hear ya!

KissMyAss · Post by **KissMyAss** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:20 am

Holy fucking crap! That UFO guitar fucking rules!! I am in total awe.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:21 pm

KissMyAss wrote:Holy fucking crap! That UFO guitar fucking rules!! I am in total awe.

Thanks mate, all the halogen lights arrived today, thanks ebay !

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:11 pm

Bit more work on the modded headstock.

: Headstock.JPG (26.88 KiB) Viewed 37838 times

Post by **Genebaby** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:06 pm

That looks......ACE!!!!!!

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:41 pm

Test fit of the Grover tuners etc, all works a-ok, hard to believe that was an Epi headstock the other day.
I also made that truss rod cover from 3mm perspex and fitted hologram paper behind it, dosent show up in the flash im afraid but looks super cool in person.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:45 pm

Toggle switch hole blocked in timber.

Unwanted volume and tone dial cavities blocked in timber,

Custom truss rod cover with Mr Frehley in a hologram background,

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:48 pm

Quick mock up of the progress so far

Post by **Genebaby** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:46 pm

Looking good so far Tony!!!

Slayer · Post by **Slayer** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:07 am

Totally fascinating! Can't wait for the baby to be born

Brooklyn_Born · Post by **Brooklyn_Born** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 6:36 am

This is just great! I can't wait to see the final product

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 7:19 am

Will do a bit more today during quiet breaks in the Bathurst race, i normally dont move from the lounge hahahahaha

Brooklyn_Born · Post by **Brooklyn_Born** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 7:21 am

Rightfully so, it's Bathurst after all

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:49 am

great work

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:00 pm

doublev2 wrote:great work

Thanks, got some work. done today, all 23 light holes drilled, and made the rear mirrored perspex back plate that covers all the electronics, we have a gig looming on the 18th ( just a half hour set at a local pub in the city centre ) so im trying to get this thing done in time.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:15 pm

Mirrored back plate,

Noticed on the original the dials were moved up a tad ( away from the halogen bulbs i would guess) so did that as well.

Kisstrooper · Post by **Kisstrooper** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:21 pm

Sanded the body today and laid down some primer to see any areas that need work, getting close now,

Brooklyn_Born · Post by **Brooklyn_Born** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:00 pm

This is coming along really well, great work Tony!