TimingChainCover

out of many, one

Some day I'm going to make a guitar out of this.

during #stayhome That day came.

It started in 1998

I gave up my VW bus
for a brand new GMC Savanna with a diesel engine and an extended wheelbase. I was behind the wheel for almost every mile it went during its lifespan. There were many interior configurations over the years but it always had a place to sleep inside. We put a lot of miles on it going to the gigs and traveling cross-country with the band. When it finally died it was barely worth anything on the market but it was still precious to me. Then, my dad said, "Why don't we part it out?" That sounded like a good idea to me! It turned out to be a lot of work but I made back five times more by selling the parts on eBay than I could have ever gotten if somebody paid me top dollar for the whole thing with a broken engine. One day when I was sorting the parts in our back yard, I picked up this timing chain cover and it felt like a guitar to me. You can see it in the lower left on thiss picture.
image

When we had time...

we eventually made the van into a trailer.
In the junkyard, they have vans just like the one I bought in 1998. So I went there and asked them to cut the back section off, like a loaf of bread. They did. And we used it to enclose the front of the trailer so it has an extra set of doors and windows. I plan to pack it full of guitars and set up at the Brooklyn Flea.

out of many, one.

E Pluribus Unum was once the motto of the United States of America and references the fact that the cohesive single nation was formed as the result of the thirteen smaller colonies joining together.

 

Materials:

  • Neck

    25.75" scale
    Kramer Shredder I never had the guitar this was on. I scored it on eBay.
  • Body

    Aluminum
    6.5 GM diesel timing chain cover
  • Beam

    nil
    One of the few designs that do not have a beam.
  • Bridge

    G style
    Tune-o-matic®
  • Pickup

    Hum-bucker
    unknown brand
  • Amplifier

    AC1 RhythmVOX
    SPECIFICATIONS: CONTROLS Master Volume, Genre Selector, Variation Selector, Tempo, Volume, Gain, Tone, Bright Switch RHYTHM PATTERNS 66 (including 6 song patterns) TEMPO RANGE 40 – 240 bpm

First "test drive" video

 

#stayhome

This is the 6th one that I started during #stayhome. I got most of it done in 3 days by working on it all day and not tinkering with other projects at all in this case. I really like the way that it relies on a reclaimed tv speaker in more than one way as it has the obvious use and it also functions to make the sculpture stand on its own. Aesthetically, this one ranks in the top tier for sure. It also plays remarkable well and sounds great in a small room. It can also be used just like a standard electric guitar on-stage but alas, it is quite heavy to have on a strap, or even on your lap for more than a few songs. However, its statuesque appearance and visual weight more than make up for these detractions.