Self amplified...

This one was a curiosity project for my own collection... A Marshall MS-2 embedded into a guitar - a self amplified electric guitar!
Now I should probably start by saying that this is no way an official partnership with Marshall, nor is it for sale but I did write to them to seek permission for the project and the use of their logo (from the amp) somewhere on the build. As you can guess they actually agreed, providing I don't claim any endorsed connection or try to use it as a means to sell the guitar (never going to happen) which is another mark adding to the reason they are probably my favourite amp manufacturer.
I have done a detailed build thread on 'thefretboard' guitar forum here so I'll keep this as an edited version, you can check out the thread for full details. Btw www.thefretboard.co.uk is an awesome forum for all things guitar, well worth a look.

​Here's the body all cut and routed to take all the amp inards.

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There was a lot of wood to remove to fit all the parts in, and I just managed to fit the main circuit board in, leaving the front about 1mm thick!
The 'YinYang' speaker cut out was routed by hand, and I made a template for the rest of the cavity to make sure the cover was a good fit.

All the covers and battery box test fit. Looking good.

I made the neck in between too, a process I'm intending to do a mini series on soon. You can check how i do inlays on my other blog, and I have a timelapse video on my YouTube channel of how I shape the necks, too.
I went for a Maple/Walnut laminate (looks nice, and adds strength) with a Wenge fretboard and EVO Gold Jescar frets. The intricate inlay design for the 12th fret really tested me, and I'm not 100% happy with it, but it works well as it is the military symbol for Field Marshal (see the link :) ?)
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I went for a pearl white finish with gold hardware, it had to be didn't it! I added some black detail around the body, on the scoop, and the headstock. 

The wiring stage was tricky and fiddly, trying to get all the components and wires in without it turning into a rats nest of wiring. And making sure nothing shorts! A mini toggle switch allows me to select between the onboard amp or running it externally like a normal guitar. I also kept the AC adapter in and speaker out on the Marshall mainly as it was easier than rewiring the board to delete them.
A Faraday cage was added to the speaker to help minimise feedback/microphonic resonance (not sure on it's effectiveness but it certainly has a placebo effect at the least ha).
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That pretty much sums it up, it was a fun little project to make and even more fun to play! 
You can check out how it sounds on YouTube where I do a full detail video of all the features and sounds.

​Thanks for reading, here's some more photos...