Josephkayeguitars - The london workshop

Josephkayeguitars - The london workshop London Vintage Guitar Workshop

Removed all the old frets, cleaned the fret slots & got the new wire in .. Ready for the fret dress & set up next week ....
31/05/2026

Removed all the old frets, cleaned the fret slots & got the new wire in ..

Ready for the fret dress & set up next week ..

31st May 26

Pots & loom in & tap tested : Electrics done & dry build complete .. Pickups at the jack read ,,Bridge 8.6kNeck 7.7kPot ...
30/05/2026

Pots & loom in & tap tested : Electrics done & dry build complete .. Pickups at the jack read ,,

Bridge 8.6k

Neck 7.7k

Pot dates are the 134 6043 :

Which is 43rd week, Oct 1960

30th May 26

These Original PAF’s from late 1960 are Neck 8.9k and Bridge 7.8k coil readings.. Which was quite common during this era...
29/05/2026

These Original PAF’s from late 1960 are Neck 8.9k and Bridge 7.8k coil readings..

Which was quite common during this era to have the strongest pickup in the neck position :

But 7.8k neck & 8.9k bridge is the better option ..

So today I swapped the base plates & braided lead wires to get those coil readings in the correct position & installed the 3 way switch & loom,,

*The bridge pickup was missing the metal keeper bar, assembled in the factory without it, so I found a late 50’s keeper bar & put that back in,,

*With the covers back on : The pickup readings are:

Neck 8.3k and Bridge 9.2k

29th May 26

Fitting the pickups, the M69 rings & the Guard - Machine heads & back plates ..28th May 26
28/05/2026

Fitting the pickups, the M69 rings & the Guard - Machine heads & back plates ..

28th May 26

This project is older than the Workshop.. I started collecting parts & bought the wood a few years before I moved to eas...
27/05/2026

This project is older than the Workshop..

I started collecting parts & bought the wood a few years before I moved to east london to set up ‘The London Workshop’ ..

I hadn’t realised until recently I hadn’t drilled the jack hole, So today was the day .. and then started looking through the boxes & making choices on the M69 pickup rings & guard ready for the build ..

The pickups & pots are Oct 1960..

Started the refret a few days ago..

Old wire out & new nickel sliver wire in ..

27th May 26

Charlie’s Parlour : This has been in the family for as long as anyone can remember, looking into it’s history it was mad...
27/05/2026

Charlie’s Parlour :

This has been in the family for as long as anyone can remember, looking into it’s history it was made by a cabinate maker here in London who worked at ‘Heals’ which opened in 1810 in Rathbone Place and later moved to Tottenham Court Rd by 1818..

This guitar is roughly dated to about 1880 - 1900..

This guitar arrived a few years ago and wood had dried out & split.. It’s taken a long while to rehydrate the wood and get those splits to close .. Second stage was to repair those splits with hide glue and let that glue shrink pull those gaps together ..

Further work included, Shellac, Fret work, recondition the machine heads and lower the bridge ..

Oversized bone bridge pins and silk & steel strings ..

Structurally sound & very usable ..

27th May 26

An Original Nitrate guard for the 63 Duo Sonic, Found & fitted .. 24th May 26
24/05/2026

An Original Nitrate guard for the 63 Duo Sonic, Found & fitted ..

24th May 26

I was asked last week about the neck profile on this early 60’s SG, How would I describe it.. and also about the lacquer...
21/05/2026

I was asked last week about the neck profile on this early 60’s SG, How would I describe it..

and also about the lacquer, binding & fret dots ..

I have steel templates I use for carving necks taken from a 59 LP Standard ..

The templates mark the 3rd & 12th frets..

Apart from being slightly flatter on the crown, the neck profile is very close match to a 59 ..

Later SG’s often had quite flat skinny necks ..

And the wood on these pre 63 guitars is the last of that old growth mahogany ..

21st May 26

Attention to detail : New unbleached bone top nut stained with mentholated spirit stain .. 1963 P Bass restoration ..20t...
20/05/2026

Attention to detail : New unbleached bone top nut stained with mentholated spirit stain ..

1963 P Bass restoration ..

20th May 26

1963 Olympic White P Bass : New bone top nut, final fret dress, waxed & polished the board, cleaned the pots, reinstalle...
20/05/2026

1963 Olympic White P Bass :

New bone top nut, final fret dress, waxed & polished the board, cleaned the pots, reinstalled the Nitrate TS Guard, electrics & pickups.. Got the stings on & cut the nut..

Set up complete ..

As you can imagine,, It’s an exception P Bass

We’ll leave it under tention, & final lacquer touches & body polish next week ..

20th May 26

Address

The Briggs Building 2/4 Southgate Road
London
N13JJ

Opening Hours

Monday 1pm - 8am
Wednesday 1pm - 8pm
Thursday 1pm - 8pm
Friday 1pm - 8pm
Saturday 1am - 8pm

Telephone

07882443217

Website

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