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while waiting for the M-77T and the paint for the Jetstar to arrive i decided to go through the parts box in search of a useable tunomatic and the bridge posts that came off the Jetstar, which should screw right into the threaded sockets on the M-77T. not only did i find both, i also discovered that the posts fit the domed thumbwheels i originally bought used for the SG and currently get as new items on Reverb, which should make it a lot happier about staying in tune when i use the Bigsby. i'm going to put the other set i have on the sparkly blue M-75T. i may use the same strategy that was used there of stacking metal washers over the front screws that mount to the body to reduce the break angle...i'll see how it goes when the stuff gets here. i really wish companies wouldn't put B5/B7 Bigsbys on guitars where it creates a 45-degree break to the bridge and a B3/B5 would have enough down tension to work. (while i'm about it, i also wish they would quit putting the B5, which is designed for flat tops, on guitars like Gretsches with arched solid tops.) i took that bridge and the one that came with the M-75 and cleaned and lubed them, running the saddles all the way to both ends to assure things were clean and slippy. i may try using the M-75 bridge out of curiosity as to whether cleaning it helped at all; you might recall that it improved things dramatically when i swapped that bridge out for one in better condition. assuming for the sake of argument that the wiring is OK, the only thing left to get is the pickups. i'll have to wait till the body and pickups are in the same place to figure out what kind of mounting rings i need.

the Jetstar paint is out for delivery. i think i may see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

with a certain amount of regret i'm going to have to stop getting new projects in and getting the ones i've got sorted. after the DeArmond, the Jetstar, and the Double Jet, none of which should require much additional expenditure, i need to pay shit off before getting anything else. and there's always the Galaxiemaster, hovering just out of shot, with enough stuff to do that it's like 2/3 of building a guitar. if that Supro is still on Music Go Round when i have cash to spare i'll grab it because it's at an unusually low price, but it'll have to wait for the Bigsby pickups. the baritone neck is also on the back burner for now. i need to spend some time playing the downtuned Jazzmaster, particularly with effects, to see if it's a thing for me. i'm happy that the total i should have to spend for parts for the Double Jet and M-77T is under $100. once all that is done there's not that much left i really need: my weird Telecaster with the mahogany neck, a Strat with CS '69 pickups, a Tele Deluxe with WRHBs that'll probably just be a Squier with a pickup transplant, and a headless Hohner/Spirit guitar with super clean pickups. that's only 5 things that aren't already in-house. none of those will require anything like the amount of work my previous projects entailed except maybe the Tele, and that still winds up as screwing a few things together. if i ever start playing bass seriously i'll get a Guild Starfire. nobody play me demos of any other cool singlecoil pickups, OK?

jeez, i sound like Robert Fripp planning shit out 3 years in advance.

it won't take 3 years, though...more like a year and a half tops, and a fair bit of that will be waiting to afford things.

the paint for the Jetstar arrived, and the guy out in California finally got the M-77T dispatched. so i have a pretty good idea of what i’ll be doing for the next couple of weeks.

the M-77T is a great example of why you should have a spare parts box if you work on guitars, and only discard stuff that’s trashed or useless. i was able to sort the bridge question in a few minutes, and that’s after just using one of the tunomatics in my box on the M-75. time and time again the parts i’ve squirreled away after 15 years of doing this shit have saved me trouble, e.g. i had switch tips to replace the one that fell off the M-75 as i was unpacking it.

looking ahead, the only thing that’s absolutely necessary for the Double Jet i don’t have is new Filtertron pickup rings because the ones it came with are cracked so i’ll order those and put it next in the queue after the Jetstar and M-77T. i also plan to replace the fairly crap stock tuners with high-ratio open-back tuners from Fox Music where i got the Oriole. its tuners are shockingly accurate, have removable buttons, are sold with either cream plastic or chrome buttons, and are only like $20 the set. the last addition is a banjo-style armrest which is a popular mod for Gretsch Jets and is like $18 on eBay. it would be great to have the Double Jet finished; when i tested it out before gutting it it was a absolute screamer through the Hammond head. the TV Jones Classic/Classic Plus combo is a fair bit hotter than the Filters in the White Falcon.

i love watching things fall into place.

out of curiosity i Googled to see what colors the M-75/M-75T/M-77/M-77T came in, and had a poke at what other stuff was in the DeArmond line. i appear to be safe from other 75/77s because i now own the three finishes i like best: blue sparkle, Moon Blue, and black. there’s also that the only easy replacement for M-series pickups i don’t already have seems to be Firebird pickups.the only other guitar in their line that appeals is the T-400/500, which is a DeArmondized version of the Guild Duane Eddy guitars. they seem to always show up in the Gretsch-alike Tennessee Orange which i’ve never cared for. if i ever see one in natural finish i’m snapping it up. there’s no point in pursuing their other archtops or Starfire bass because you can get used recent Guilds for around the same price, and i’m not interested in the Polara, or other M- and S-series guitars which have bolt-on necks. if i didn’t have the Jetstar and M-75 with the Gold Tone pickups i’d be interested in the DeA version of the Jetstar which comes with the diagonal Guild stop tailpiece and Gold Tones.