The Evolution of Oliva 135th Anniversary Prototype #1 to My W4WVK Beater

 (The instrument in its mid-2025 state, first-ever performance with it.)

There's always going to be a testbed, or prototype, whenever you're building something new or different, and when I started building cigar box guitars, I know eventually I'd want to make instruments which can serve the player in just about any performance situation they'd need. I took one of my favorite Oliva 135th Anniversary boxes that had some dings and dents, and decided I'd make it into an instrument that I could test some ideas on.

(Wiring scheme #1--note the "secret weapon" mod on the tone control)

I had a scrap piece of wood I could use for the center-plank on this one, and along with some other scraps I ran across for creating risers/spacers and reinforcement, I decided I'd make this a basic tune-o-matic bridge configuration with a simple string anchor tailpiece. Originally it was to have a single humbucker pickup in the bridge position, an MGB "ghost" flat-bucker in the neck position (under the lid), and a pair of passive piezos inside, just behind the bridge (volume for each, and a master tone control that also functions as a light subtle passive clipping "fuzz" when pulled into the "up" position). I made a mistake when I mounted the tailpiece, accidentally putting it between the center-plank and the lid frame, so I had to move it forward, For about a year, I covered the 3 rogue screw holes with a plastic plate and a tape label declaring it as a "PROTOTYPE".

("The Prototype", as it remained for over a year hanging on the wall in the laboratory.)

Having served its purpose as more or less a "test jig" for early ideas, the guitar hung on the wall in the shop for a while. Then it was given a higher purpose...

One of my musical projects that I've mentioned before is W4WVK, a power-duo wherein I provide both "guitar" and "bass" via customized instruments and pedalboards set up to split signals accordingly, and...well...you just have to see it on action to see how it works. But trust me, it works. Anyhow... For many years now, I've made a habit out of having a rig for "nicer gigs" and a separate rig for the "hostile environment" gigs. As of mid-2025, "the VK" hadn't played many of the latter, but I wanted to cobble together one of my CBG's that would serve as exclusively a "beater" for those performances. And what better subject to take that slot than the prototype otherwise just hanging around???

(The first iteration of the "beater".)

Seeing as how in W4WVK I have to have a very specific configuration, I disconnected the piezos and wired in a custom single polepiece pickup under the two low strings, ran it to the former piezo volume control and to the "ring" output on a TRS jack. This would be the "bass" signal (ran to an octave/pitch-shifter pedal and into a bass preamp), while the guitar pickups would go to the "tip" of the TRS jack, ran into the guitar rig.

(Closeup of the "bass" pickup, in front of the guitar humbucker.)

The "zebra" black/cream pickup in the guitar was an Epiphone Probucker, and it sounded great, but even then, I knew I might end up eventually swapping it out. The single-pole pickup (obtained from MGB) actually picked up both the low strings sufficiently, so I was pleased how it worked. At the time, I chose to anchor it in place with a little hot glue.

(Note the "purdied-up" old screw holes behind the tailpiece.)

While I was working on the instrument, I also decided to "purdy-up" the screw holes from the erroneous tailpiece placement by adding some decorative tacks, and it looks awesome. Almost INTENTIONAL, even.

After a couple of gigs, I decided to make some changes to the guitar, because we decided we'd be doing some occasional covers-gigs in the format (which is wild, but by gum, it works!), and I'd need to bring at least a couple different guitars so I could cover a couple different tunings, with this guitar becoming my "open G" (actually more like "open F-F#") instrument to do Stones, Steve Miller, CCR, ZZ Top and a few other cool numbers.

(Flanked by "the Mongrel" and an Epiphone G-310 SG at our first all-covers gig.)

After a couple all-covers gigs (including one that flat-out SUCKED due to the venue in general), I took notice of some imbalances between guitars, and decided that I needed to mod the "beater" one more time, finally---I THINK---nailing down what it needed.

(Now with the pickup mounting plate on the "bass pickup", cool knobs and a different guitar humbucker.)

The "bass" pickup was picking up a LOT of string noise from the other 4 strings, so I wanted to lower it away from the strings some. I figured the best way would be to use the little wooden cap/cover plate that MGB sends with those pickups, supporting it underneath with some foam as well. I also wanted to use a little higher-output pickup for the guitar so I could get more out of my built-in "fuzz" device (works better with hotter pickups), compensating for the increased output by lowering the pickup away from the strings. This pickup was a pull-off from a beat-up old Epiphone (may have been another G-310 model), and the polepieces were rusted terribly. BUT, I just happened to have a pack of polepieces lying around, and they fit(!), so the pickup looks much better now, and functions just fine. I also swapped out the milquetoast "speed knobs" with some set-screw silver-topped knurled knobs that look like they'd be right at home on a Rickenbacker or Teisco Del Rey or something. Just wanted it to stand out a little better.

(Note the nearly-matching pickup cover--finished with nail lacquer to blend in.)

It is now ready to perform at a couple upcoming performances that I might not have wanted to put The Goose through. It was super rewarding to see this instrument go from forgotten wall hanger to stage banger!

(The final result.....at least for now.)