This process started by
machining 1/4" off front and back. This will allow me to put a 1/4" maple cap on top and back to bring it to the original thickness.

Now I have what is in essence a blank body to begin my with.
I have always been fond of the Gibson L5S binding which is much wider than the standard guitar binding so I added this feature to my Melody Maker.

I decided to use P90 style pickups and a stop tailpiece and bridge in the Les Paul configuration.
Pickups are actually not P90
but are pickups taken from a Gibson Blueshawk.

Blueshawk pickups are the same shape and size as P90's but have cylinder magnets like a strat as opposed to the two bar
magnets on the bottom.
This gives the pickups
a brighter tone.

With the routing and tailpiece in place it is ready for the finish.