DavMrkGor

This page details the hand made custom 'Rossi' guitars built during 2008 for David, Mark and Gordon.

Click on the following links for more amazing pictures of the completed guitars: David, Mark and Gordon.

Click on these links to see what the guys thought of their custom built hand made Quo guitars: David, Mark and Gordon.

Tony and the completed guitars

This is the story of three Tony Rockett Custom Francis Rossi replica guitars, which have been built in Tony's workshop during the summer of 2008. As per every Tony Rockett Custom guitar, these instruments have been completely hand made (as the pictures below testify). All three guitars were ordered to be finished 'as new' (i.e. non-relics). Two were to be built as per the current configuration of the 'Great Man's' guitar ('Cool Rails' neck pickup and Graphtec nut & guides), and the third as per the three 'Lace Sensor' configuration.

Francis Rossi Custom Replicas

Early stages of David's body

The body is Swamp Ash...

... made up of 3 pieces

The 3-piece body is made as an exact replica of the real thing (Francis's guitar is shown above right * 2)

Tony marks David's body

No mistaking who this is for!

Early shots of the maple neck

Picture shows the selected piece of maple with the neck template

David's 'Cool Rails' Seymour Duncan neck pickup...

..and a shot from the back (for those interested - well I was!)

The bridge and middle position 'Red' & 'Silver' Lace Sensor pickups..

'Fender Lace Sensor' of course (the 'Lace' box didn't come with the pickups)

... and David's G&L bridge just for good measure.

Early stages of Gordon's body - again 3 pieces of swamp ash just as per the real thing!

Gordon's body has been cut..

David's 3-piece body is also taking shape, shown here on top of Gordon's.

David's separate maple finger board and neck on Tony's router.

.. and a close up..

Gordon's finger board and neck.

Tony shows me the Graphtec parts..

.. the string guides..

.. and the nuts!

First picture of Mark's!

David

Gordon

Gordon again!

Mark - David - Gordon (top to bottom)

Same again!

Mark

David

Gordon

Gordon

David

Mark

Shaping and fine sanding of the three bodies is now complete, and the pictures below show the three bodies now in sealer.

David #1

David #2

Mark #1

Mark #2

Gordon #1

Gordon #2

Tony now turns his attention to the three necks...

Work begins on shaping the necks with the headstocks.

All three are shown together on the left, with individual pictures taken at this early stage below.

David

Mark

Gordon

Each headstock has now been shaped and fine-sanded. All three necks are once again shown together in the picture on the right, and individually in the pictures below..

David

Mark

Gordon

The necks now have 'dots'!

Dave top, Gordon, Mark bottom.

David #1

David #2

Gordon #1

Gordon #2

Note that at this stage the back of each of the three necks has still to be carved by Tony.

Each neck now has all the dots (or position markers) in place on the front of the finger board and the sight markers along the edge.

Also note the correct 12th fret spacing!

Mark #1

Mark #2

The pictures to the left and immediately below show the necks having been carved.

The next stage will be to fine sand..

David #1

David #2

Gordon #1

Gordon #2

Mark #1

Mark #2

The pictures below show the bodies now with the green and black finish on. The necks have been fine sanded, fretted, sealed and tinted. Now for the lacquer!..