Project: Duo Sonic

[Veenture]

Although not my favourite Fender model, I love to follow this project (or any!) and look forward to see this baby complete and with it's headstock sporting such a smashing logo

[dubtrub]

Well gang, the day has finally come that the Duo Sonic project is completed. The first photo of the Duo Sonic and my newly made Champ amp has a special meaning for me. They always say when a man gets older he enters into his second childhood and that is apparently what I am experiencing now. The first week of my sophomore year of high school, we moved to Santa Maria. Not knowing a sole at the school, I asked the principal if I could play my guitar and amp during orientation assembly. By the end of the day I knew just about every kid in school. From there a band was formed and that was the beginning of my playing in an instrument surf/rock band. The Tsunami Surfers band that I have now is also a phase of my second childhood. This Duo Sonic and Champ amp are a replica of the equipment I used that day back in 1962. Unfortunately after forming that band I needed better equipment, so not having much money the guitar and amp was traded in on the 62 Strat which I still have and a brown faced Vibrolux or Deluxe amp ( I don't remember which ) which is long gone.

[JimPage]

Hey, Danny--

Super jobs on those!!! The color on the Ellison Duo-Sonic looks wonderful, especially once the neck is on the guitar. It reminds me of a MusicMaster bass I had 20 years ago.

The Champ is a beauty, and, if it's like the few Champs I've been lucky enough to play through, it is a treat for the ear as well as the eye!

Good memories; thanks for sharing them with us. You got the jump on me by four years. We moved to Marathon, Florida, in 1966, and I put my '65 Silvertone (Teisco-made) 1435 to work playing at the local teen center in my first "band." First song I remember playing was "Hey, There; Little Red Riding Hood," followed by "Louie, Louie!"

I almost bought a couple of those Silvertones on eBay in the last year, but, knowing how the action is on those things, I refuse to pay $250 for one!!!

--Jim

[MWaldorf]

Looks great! I suppose the delay finishing up the Duo Sonic was meant to be so you could have the Champ ready to accompany it.

[GattonFan]

Great job (as always) Danny! Really like that vintage look to your setup.
Dennis

[Veenture]

It's your story that goes with the Duo Sonic making all the difference, Danny -what a splendid job! ...to be proud of and to enjoy.
Why is it that only now it hits me...you could DUB your little Duo the..."ELLISONIC"!!! ...

[dubtrub]

Why is it that only now it hits me...you could DUB your little Duo the..."ELLISONIC"!!! ...

Great minds think alike. I used that name on this bass that I built in April of 1966 when I returned stateside from serving in Germany in the Army. It's pretty crude as I sawed it out and built every piece with hand tools and painted with spray cans. My brother hand wound the pickup and it still sounds pretty darn good.

[MWaldorf]

Hot dog! Danny, that bass is cool, even more so for being made with hand tools! Any other scratch built instruments you're hiding from us?

[dubtrub]

Hot dog! Danny, that bass is cool, even more so for being made with hand tools! Any other scratch built instruments you're hiding from us?

That's the end of the stash. I guess I forgot to show this to you before when you were here. I also built a two pickup guitar which was a little nicer build (drawing I posted elsewhere on one of Ed Elliott's topics) but I traded it for a motorcycle back in 66 or 67 and have never been able to locate it. I first made the bass body as a six string guitar when I was in the seventh grade. That's what I taught my brother to play on. Then when I got out of the Army we need a bass and since he had purchased the 64 Mosrite (which I have) I took the guitar, built a new neck and converted it into a bass. BTW, that pickguard is three pieces of 1/8" laminated plexiglass that I glued togther to make the laminate. Sawed it out with a coping saw and a file. The neck is mahogany with a piece of 1/4" slab of Oak for a fret board. It has a massive crude truss rod and the neck is still straight. I got the fret wire from Semie. It's all just a faded memory now.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Danny, what can I say that hasn't already been said?? Awesome...Truly Awesome!! .