My Guitar Build.

[D|s]

hi guys, ive recently been drawing loads of sketches so i might actually build a guitar sometime this summer...

well after lots of pencil breaking and rubber smashing, i've concluded that this will be my final [or near final] design.

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/2633/guitardesign3fo.jpg

suggestions and critisicm is greatly appreciated. any useful tips about beginning to build a guitar/any tools u wud recommend etc.. plz post!

i doubt that i will be making the neck myself, ill probably buy it online.
im settling for a bolt on, i think its the easiest option.

Cheers

[ForReal]

Do you actually mean build or just assemble parts?


Because if you're actually going fashion a body out of a piece of wood, you'll need to know the exact measurements of the neck you will use so that you can carve the joint correctly.


Try http://www.warmoth.com/ for the neck. I hear they use good quality wood.

[D|s]

yes im gonna build the body, altho ill probably take it to a pro wood cutter so i wont regret it :)

of course, measurements is a big issue im tryin to be as cautious as i possible can!

[Dam0n]

yes im gonna build the body, altho ill probably take it to a pro wood cutter so i wont regret it :)

of course, measurements is a big issue im tryin to be as cautious as i possible can!
aww just do it your self. save some money and it will make the guitar yours. so to speak

[DLR Guitars]

The only two things I saw that caught my attention were the horns. First, I'd consider putting the strap button on the back of the guitar like an SG. They don't look like they'd hold the mass of the guitar...It's suck if you broke it because the top one snapped off. The only other thing is that the guitar looks somewhat square-ish. This is purely an aesthetic thing, but you might consider moving the top side of the horns closer to the neck. Thats all. It looks good, and good luck with the building.

[tvolkmann80]

once its built you should paint it so the horns are like the ones on one of those giant beetles.

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/404/beetle9cz.jpg

It might turn out cheesy though. If so...it wasnt my idea.

[martinedwards]

well, now that I'm nearing the end of making my bass, as few suggestions that you are free to ignore!!!!

Thru neck means you don't have to worry about the neck pocket. You KNOW it's gonna fit!!

if you are making the neck, route the truss srod slot while the block of wood is still square,not after you have shaped it.

PLAN!!!!!!!

Tak three times longer than you want to

[aussie_skater]

it resembles a burns bison

[SigFig]

"Try http://www.warmoth.com/ for the neck. I hear they use good quality wood."

Warmoth's woods are nothing on the quality of USACG's fine timber. I'd reccommend USACG for the body blank too, since they can rout the neck pocket and any controls / bridge placement, leaving you to get on with the body shaping. Seriously, the problems you will have building your own guitar shape are much more likely to be involved in routing and scaling than the shaping. www.usacustomguitars.com

[D|s]

excactly my thought, the routing is gonna be one tough biggie. apart from that, ill only give it to a carpenter to cut out mainly becoz i dont have adequate tools. altho if it will be expensive ill find another way to do it.

i agree with DLR on the strap button being like an sg, i actually am more fond of it that way [manly bcoz i love it on my sg ahaha]

take a look at it now guys, iv'e improved it a bit..
http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/6775/pict00024qx.th.jpg (http://img378.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00024qx.jpg)
it should be closer to my final design!

the HSS combination is just a mere sketch to visualize how it might be in the future :) i think an HSS will be the best option. altho its probably harder than other combos??

i appreciate all the help! keep the feedback comin! :D

[xecutech]

I am not trying to knock your design, but it's not much different than an Ibanez, Jackson or any other style. I would think if one were to design and build a guitar, it's design would be something new.

Maybe I will see something different after it's complete. Good luck with it, and I hope you do get started on it.

The main reason I have always talked myself out of a build is that if you mess up the cutting, you may have to buy more wood and start over again. What kind of wood are you planning to use?

[GuitarownzU]

Build it yourself, it'll make the guitar even better, your special one you can keep forever, and its YOURS. YOU built it.

[StockLX]

I would not worry too much about that horn breaking if you plan to make it from a good hardwood, and thick (like an american strat body). It would take an awful hard smack to break a piece of hardwood a couple inches thick.

That design looks real good and like sig said earlier... buy it with the neck pocket already carved. the last thing you want is spending tons of time just to see things not line up at all... The neck pocket should be extremely precise.

Its not as hard as it looks... try building an acoustic!

Maybe glue a few pieces of softwood or plywood together and practice your first one on that.

most importantly take your time and have fun!

[D|s]

first off. I am gonna build the guitar myself, im just gonna hand it to a craftsman who i happen to know to help me in the process. mainyl cutting out the shape and routing. ill be doing all the rest...sanding..painting and what not. so i do consider the guitar pretty much Mine.

as for the shape, ive tried numerous original ideas but when i drew this, i liked it most. its basically designed on a strat style, but i dont see such a big resemblance to the rg, mayb to a dinky at most :S

[D|s]

i still have to decide bout which wood to use... what would you recommend that is cheap and easy to cut?

[Andr3w]

Not sure on price, but mahogony has a lovely tone!

[martinedwards]

Do like Brian May did. salvage a big old hunk of Mahogany from a fireplace or a tabletop. His red special has survived pretty well!!!

My bass I'm finishing off used to be a desk in a science classroom!!

[D|s]

lol thats pretty cool, recycling the odd way!! well ill go fish around for woods soon enough. thanks guys :)

cheers.

[D|s]

im searching for hardware to go with my guitar. im probably gonna paint the rig black, with gold hardware.

now ive seen bridges and tailpieces that are in one piece. like schaller: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_tailpieces/Schaller_Fine-tune_Tailpiece.html

or

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_tailpieces/Schaller_Bridges_with_Fine_Tuner_Tailpiece.html

Do you think a seperate brideg/tailpiece would be better? or do these one set hardware offer some advatanges?

cheers.

[D|s]

i seemed to have made a slight mistake. the first link is a "fine tuning tailpiece" while the second is a bridge and tailpiece combined..


is the fine tuning tailpiece worth the extra money spent?
or should i get the combo?
or the seperate usual bridge/stop tailpiece?

cheers!

[D|s]

another note. what do u guys wud be the sexiest lookin?

black/gold hardware
dark green[ala prs]/black hardware
White/black or gold hardware.

hmm touchy touchy

[FadedCayenne]

dark green and gold.

[paul_jam]

i think black and gold would look great :)

[Ukalali_Solo]

Personally it seems the top of the body is too big, wheras the bottom isnt big enough. Personally the design looks awkward to me. What i would do is sit down with a guitar and trace it, something similar to what you want, but not exact, then modify the trace and make it your own to make sure you get down all the proportions and measurements correct.

[GuitarGuy]

I think it would be cool if you made it out of Myrtlewood, very unique.
http://www.myrtlewoodgallery.com/what_is_myrtlewood.htm

[martinedwards]

Never heard of a guitar made of Myrtlewood. there may be a reason for this!!

by all means make the body out of mahogany or ash then drop on a 1/2 inch slice of anything you like.........

[Dam0n]

Never heard of a guitar made of Myrtlewood. there may be a reason for this!!

by all means make the body out of mahogany or ash then drop on a 1/2 inch slice of anything you like.........
because of the rarity of them?

too expensive??

[D|s]

tomorrow im off to find a mahogany block.

i was wondering... why do most use 2pc wood not 1pc??

[Dam0n]

because of the wood warping. one piece would distort causing all sorts of problems

2 pieces would counteract each other, therefore making it better to use

[GuitarGuy]

Myrtlewood
The best way to describe Myrtlewood is that it has the powerful voice of rosewood coupled with all the clarity, brightness and balance of maple. Myrtlewood can be found in the coastal mountain regions of northern California and southern Oregon. With coloration anywhere from an elegant whitish/straight grained look (a blonde mahogany), to yellow/green with flame, the tonal personality of Myrtlewood is consistent. Use of this wood on a guitar was first done by Breedlove and is featured on the Breedlove "Northwest" guitar. Prior to this, using Myrtlewood to build a guitar has never been done.

That's the description, it's been done before but it would be much to expensive to import it probably, it's available near where I live or Israel.

http://www.breedloveguitars.com/products/guitars/master_class/northwest_classic/index.html

[SG_74]

A 1pc body will be better for sustain, but like Damon said, will be more prone to warp. A 2pc body will be cheaper.

Be careful which bridge you choose. Don't use a Gibson bridge with a Fender neck cos the two E strings will (quite possibly) hang over the edge of the fretboard (or will be really close to the edge).

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT FORGET TO MARK THE CENTER LINE!!!!!!

[D|s]

i see.. well could you elaborate more on warping? i have seen guitars using 1 pc of wood though.

about the bridge... i am buying the neck from stewmac most probably, with a blank headstock[but with finished tuner holes]. i suppose it is modelled on a fender neck :\

however im first gonna buy the neck.. so i may model the body precisely to the neck's dimensions and such. on alll the parts im going to spend approcimately $300. all hardware in gold ie and including neck price.

[D|s]

after seeing this: http://www.ibanezrules.com/images/gallery/js1000wh.jpg
from another thread.

ive decided what colour to paint my geetar. white on black! really strikes me :O

[SG_74]

i see.. well could you elaborate more on warping? i have seen guitars using 1 pc of wood though.

Umm, i'll try. Basically you know if you leave a plant by a window, it will eventually bend toward the light source. I think the same principle applies to wood (I think? Correct me if i'm wrong).

You counter-act this by glueing two pieces of wood together (side by side) with opposing grains (hence a 2pc body). This is cheaper as the wood isn't as rare (not as big a piece is needed).

however im first gonna buy the neck.. so i may model the body precisely to the neck's dimensions and such. on alll the parts im going to spend approcimately $300. all hardware in gold ie and including neck price.

Good plan. I'm buying my neck. I'll probably make the one for my next build tho. I'm getting mine from warmoth.

Another note: When you're cutting the body out, leave a few mm excess on either side of the neck pocket for tweaking. Better to have too much than to fall short.

[D|s]

precisely.. sanding will wear it down!

ive finished modelling a headstock design for the bugger, when im up to it ill take a pic of it and post! :)

[SigFig]

I'd go to USACG for the neck, I'm experienced with companies like allparts and warmoth, but I couldn't reccommend USACG's product highly enough. They have great finishing too, but that would probably be a bit on the pricey side, so I'd finish it with some oil or other. I'm a good guy to ask about hardware if you have any queries or need suggestions, or if you know what you're going for then that's cool too!

http://www.usacustomguitars.com/webspecials.html

Check out neck #6, man that's sweet!

Best of luck with it,

Sig Fig

[SigFig]

FWIW, a one piece body is actually desirable for tone and shouldn't warp under application as a solid body. The main reason manufacturers don't use one body blanks is because larger pieces of wood are more expensive than many smaller bits. My latest USACG project has a one piece 3lb 2oz alder body, and that cost me over $100 upcharge.

[D|s]

thanks sigfig, i needed clarification about the 1 pc wood. ill see which is the most cost effective! from the site you gave me, i didnt quite like the headstock design. im going for stewmac's necks with a blank headstock with pre drilled tuner holes... and they're pretty cheapy too :)

[D|s]

another note about wood. what main differences is there between alder/mahogany/maple for the Body construction?

[SG_74]

FWIW, a one piece body is actually desirable for tone and shouldn't warp under application as a solid body. The main reason manufacturers don't use one body blanks is because larger pieces of wood are more expensive than many smaller bits. My latest USACG project has a one piece 3lb 2oz alder body, and that cost me over $100 upcharge.

Nice. How does wood warp then? I've got a bookmatched maple cap (5mm) which is slightly warped :confuse:.

I have a 1 piece Mahogany body for my tele :D. Good to hear it wont warp :smile:.

[SG_74]

another note about wood. what main differences is there between alder/mahogany/maple for the Body construction?


A quick summary.

Maple is probably the easiest to work with.

Mahogany has thick, round, warm tonal properties, but can lack clarity.

Alder is more definative than mahogany but not as warm (clarify?).

[DLR Guitars]

A quick summary.

Alder is more definative than mahogany but not as warm (clarify?).


I don't know about definative, but it is brighter (in tone that is).

[D|s]

bad news.. just heard from stewmac.com and their necks are all fender type, so a tune o matic wont work with them:\

so i either gotta buy a gibson neck.. or what else can i use as a bridge?
which is the better option?

cheers

[Dro0]

you can use either of these:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_bridges/Hipshot_Hardtail_Bridge.html

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_bridges/Hardtail_Bridge.html

[D|s]

i see. those tye of bridges would fit ic, are they any good?/ or is a gibson neck and setup a better option?

thanks dr00!

[D|s]

are jackson necks compatible with the gibson setup? i found a sweet deal for a jackson neck thats why

[martinedwards]

All down to personal taste.

I don't like the way tunomatics stick up so far. I prefer a flatter bridge like a hardtail strat.

My next build will PROBABLY be a semisolid with a glued in laminate neck with a 3 a side head and a LR Baggs fixd xbridge piezo and a pair of p90s.

maybe........

or maybe i'll........

[StockLX]

about "easy to cut"... this is all going to depend on what you have for tools to work with it. Maple is anything but easy to cut, as it is very hard and dense.
Personally i would use ash, but thats just my opinion. I like how ash has a complicated sound to it.

[D|s]

what do u think of this neck? taken off a js1 Dinky. could i use it? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7385462953&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

[D|s]

update:

re-designed the guitar a bit, drew it full scale.http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/5917/guitardesign17er.th.jpg (http://img157.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guitardesign17er.jpg)

also, i bought a jackson 22 fret neck which just arrived today. it matches perfectly with my design.
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3342/pict0001copy7az.th.jpg (http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0001copy7az.jpg)

cheers,
D|s.

[Dam0n]

very nice. how about a tremelo instead of a tunomatic?

that would suit the guitar style better. looking great though.

[D|s]

im gonna settle for a standard hardtailo bridge, without tremolo.. im not such a fan of trems to be quite honest. and thanks
;)

[D|s]

oh btw damon, since ur already experienced in te field. how did you copy the design onto the block of wood?

[DLR Guitars]

make a template out of plywood. Then use a router (plunge router I find works the best, if you don't have an adjustable table router) to shape the body after securing the plywood template to the wood. Obviously you'll have to use a band saw to cut out the general designe on the hunk-o-wood, and then use the template. You have to make sure that your template is exactly how you want the guitar becuase with a bit with a ball bearing guide, every imperfection will show on the final product.

[Stray Dog]

My next build will PROBABLY be a semisolid with a glued in laminate neck with a 3 a side head and a LR Baggs fixd xbridge piezo and a pair of p90s.

maybe........

or maybe i'll........


You WILL make that guitar!!!!

[Dam0n]

oh btw damon, since ur already experienced in te field. how did you copy the design onto the block of wood?

i stuck the paper template onto card. then cut round the guitar shape. then with some double sided tape i stuck the card template to the wood black. then used a band saw to cut it out.

:toohappy: just give me a PM if you need any help with anything at all

thanks

[D|s]

hey guys, back up with an update. not much progress to list since im really busy with exams and the sort. hopefully this summer i'll dedicate much more time to this project!

basically i bought the wood and drew the design on it!

what d'ya think:
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/4210/guitarwoodalder3qo.th.jpg (http://img252.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guitarwoodalder3qo.jpg)


thats a 1 piece alder block. im really in love with the grain.
i got it quite cheap (the guy cut a few extra inches free!)

it measures roughly 15x2x28 inches [all i needed was 13x2x19 :D]
it cost me about $28 in your currency.

[Dro0]

^ lookin' good man :D

do you know what colour you are gonna finish it in???

[JustStartin]

hey guys, back up with an update. not much progress to list since im really busy with exams and the sort. hopefully this summer i'll dedicate much more time to this project!

basically i bought the wood and drew the design on it!

what d'ya think:
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/4210/guitarwoodalder3qo.th.jpg (http://img252.imageshack.us/my.php?image=guitarwoodalder3qo.jpg)


thats a 1 piece alder block. im really in love with the grain.
i got it quite cheap (the guy cut a few extra inches free!)

it measures roughly 15x2x28 inches [all i needed was 13x2x19 :D]
it cost me about $28 in your currency.

Nice score on the 15" wide alder. Usually you have to buy the entire board which could range from 4 to 12' long. Its nice you found a guy who would sell you a guitar sized blank, at market rate to boot.

Your body style is pretty cool too. I would try to get that flat grain section of the wood more twards the center of the body, but thats just me. Good luck, looks like a sweet axe ya have planned. :)

[D|s]

im not gonna touch the design just so i wont make any unnecessary mistakes!

yea im really pleased with the wood suppliers, they went out of their way to help me with the right wood and a bonus :D:D
i'm probably gonna just put a stain on it an dleave it natural. or if i do paint it, i'll probably go for something Creamish or mayb white with black hardware. still undecided tho! :)

[D|s]

another update! just back from the carpenter. he did a great job, very happy!

http://img316.imageshack.us/img316/6011/frontcopy5vf.th.jpg (http://img316.imageshack.us/my.php?image=frontcopy5vf.jpg)

close up on the cut aways
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/9706/pict00041hr.th.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00041hr.jpg)
a guitar to be-
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2299/pict00061py.th.jpg (http://img230.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00061py.jpg)

[JustStartin]

Looks sharp. Thats a wicked body shape you got going there. :)

[D|s]

on monday ill get some sandpaper to start smoothing it out. now im gonna buy the bridge and mayb the tuning pegs. im gonna try stewmac, is there any site you guys know of that is european? thanks

:)

[martinedwards]

Forget european. Look at guitarfetish

Stewmac are good though. Both are very fast and don't over do the postage charge

[Dro0]

gavb gave me this site: http://www.axesrus.com/

btw the guitar is looking very good man :D

[D|s]

im intending to use a mini HB for the bridge, what would you guys recomend?

im not gonna be using a pickguard.

ive seen the GFS hot rails. seem nice, but are supposed to be used with pickguards.. so i mnot sure if they apply to my design!

[gavb]

gavb gave me this site: http://www.axesrus.com/

btw the guitar is looking very good man :D

Yeah that place is excellent, next day free delivery to boot.

[D|s]

just ordered loads of stuff from Guitar fetish.

namely, set of 3 Cream lil'killer pickups [mini hbs]
2 mini 500k pots
capacitors
output jack
chrome knobs with abalone top
5-way switch

joy! so cheap!

[D|s]

and yes.. the geetar will be painted cream... or red i cant decide lol

im currently working on the pickup cavities and rear cavity. however, ill have to wait for the pickups to arrive to know how deep the pickup cavities should be. ill post pics later on

[martinedwards]

You won't be disappointed with the lil killers, they're great!!

[D|s]

gr8!

here's the latest progress... sanded most of the edges but still have some minor work to remove those nasty saw marks. marked positions of pickups and control shafts have been drilled.

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/1624/pict00012hk.th.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00012hk.jpg)

[D|s]

top left, the book that made everything possible ;)

[JustStartin]

gr8!

here's the latest progress... sanded most of the edges but still have some minor work to remove those nasty saw marks. marked positions of pickups and control shafts have been drilled.

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/1624/pict00012hk.th.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00012hk.jpg)

Nice!

Dj, I take it you're not using a pickgaurd. If not, mounting the five way switch can be a pain. I'm doing the same thing on mine. The lever isnt long enough to clear through the top unless you route pretty deep for your control cavity. I have to rig up an extension on my lever to get it to properly function.
Just a heads up. You may want to go with a rotary switch. It would be alot easier.

Good luck. :smile:

[D|s]

i see, well the cavity is going to end roughly 1/4" from the top. no pickguard will be used either. could you clarify why it wont fit? ive seen many gutiars without pickguards that use a 5 way switch :/

right now im contouring the edges, making them similar to an sg contour.. with a little touch of my own of course. i should be done in a couple of hours time and will (inevitably) post pics!!

its comin along fine! :)

[Dam0n]

i see, well the cavity is going to end roughly 1/4" from the top. no pickguard will be used either. could you clarify why it wont fit? ive seen many gutiars without pickguards that use a 5 way switch :/

right now im contouring the edges, making them similar to an sg contour.. with a little touch of my own of course. i should be done in a couple of hours time and will (inevitably) post pics!!

its comin along fine! :)

glad to hear that. you will be playing it soon. isnt there a standard height for pickups that you could work to? may save some time

keep it up

[JustStartin]

i see, well the cavity is going to end roughly 1/4" from the top. no pickguard will be used either. could you clarify why it wont fit? ive seen many gutiars without pickguards that use a 5 way switch :/

right now im contouring the edges, making them similar to an sg contour.. with a little touch of my own of course. i should be done in a couple of hours time and will (inevitably) post pics!!

its comin along fine! :)

The shafts on the lever switches are made lengthwise for a pickgaurd that is about an 1/8" thick. With a 1/4" top, you'll find the lever with the knob on, doesnt have the travel to get to the 1 and 5 positions. I can get it to work, but I cant seat the knob all the way down on the lever. I could put a dab of epoxy on the knob to hold it not completely seated, but I dont want to do it.

Also you'll need to get some mini screws to mount the switch. One more thing, make sure your pots have a shaft length to extend through the top of the guitar. I have pots that as advertised have a 3/8" shaft length. Not so, the threaded section of pot is only a 1/4". Wont work for me. :confuse:

I havent sat down to figure what I'm gonna do yet, but its a simple dilemna to handle. Not trying to freak you out, just a heads up. Heck, your switch may have a longer lever than mine. :smile:

[76Strat]

theres no standard height for pups it depends on he sound he wants...

[Dam0n]

theres no standard height for pups it depends on he sound he wants...
ok i stand corrected :drunk:

[D|s]

The shafts on the lever switches are made lengthwise for a pickgaurd that is about an 1/8" thick. With a 1/4" top, you'll find the lever with the knob on, doesnt have the travel to get to the 1 and 5 positions. I can get it to work, but I cant seat the knob all the way down on the lever. I could put a dab of epoxy on the knob to hold it not completely seated, but I dont want to do it.

Also you'll need to get some mini screws to mount the switch. One more thing, make sure your pots have a shaft length to extend through the top of the guitar. I have pots that as advertised have a 3/8" shaft length. Not so, the threaded section of pot is only a 1/4". Wont work for me. :confuse:

I havent sat down to figure what I'm gonna do yet, but its a simple dilemna to handle. Not trying to freak you out, just a heads up. Heck, your switch may have a longer lever than mine. :smile:


i see, well you do have a point if you've tried it yourself. infact the book im following doesnt use 5-way switches, but a 3 way switch similar to the ones on gibsons. in any case, when the switch arrives [as i have just recently ordered lots of parts] i will double check. anyway if 1/4" isnt enough, removing more wood is easier than adding.. so the adjustment MITE be made easily.

damon, thanks mate but ill wait for the pups to arrive anyway so ill be really precise :) i havent seen a few pics of your project in a while! post some :p

meanwhile: http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/53/pict00117tt.th.jpg (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00117tt.jpg)
and http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9897/flashed6tj.th.jpg (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flashed6tj.jpg)

just finished after a day of sanding the edges and contouring as needed. i might sand down the inside of the cutaways a tad more, but i think they're acceptable. quite happy with my progress, hope u like!

the pics dont do it enough justice tho lol.. i cant wait to see this baby finished! :)

cheers!

[ZampraZ]

Looks great, i can only imagine how fun it would be to make my own guitar, oh i wanna be a guitar luthier, at least for hobbie

[Dam0n]

i see, well you do have a point if you've tried it yourself. infact the book im following doesnt use 5-way switches, but a 3 way switch similar to the ones on gibsons. in any case, when the switch arrives [as i have just recently ordered lots of parts] i will double check. anyway if 1/4" isnt enough, removing more wood is easier than adding.. so the adjustment MITE be made easily.

damon, thanks mate but ill wait for the pups to arrive anyway so ill be really precise :) i havent seen a few pics of your project in a while! post some :p

meanwhile: http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/53/pict00117tt.th.jpg (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00117tt.jpg)
and http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9897/flashed6tj.th.jpg (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=flashed6tj.jpg)

just finished after a day of sanding the edges and contouring as needed. i might sand down the inside of the cutaways a tad more, but i think they're acceptable. quite happy with my progress, hope u like!

the pics dont do it enough justice tho lol.. i cant wait to see this baby finished! :)

cheers!


ok fair enough. make sure you have the very tight fitting pickup cavitys. for mine u have to push them intoplace. they will not just drop into the cavity. this is because i made sure i had cut them as neatly as possible. im sure its something to do with helping the tone. air is no good for tone. (part from acoustics
:drunk: )
i will get some pictures for everyone tomorrow. i have now painted it and i am just about to buy the clear coat to finish my baby off.

[bugman]

The shafts on the lever switches are made lengthwise for a pickgaurd that is about an 1/8" thick. With a 1/4" top, you'll find the lever with the knob on, doesnt have the travel to get to the 1 and 5 positions. I can get it to work, but I cant seat the knob all the way down on the lever. I could put a dab of epoxy on the knob to hold it not completely seated, but I dont want to do it.

Also you'll need to get some mini screws to mount the switch. One more thing, make sure your pots have a shaft length to extend through the top of the guitar. I have pots that as advertised have a 3/8" shaft length. Not so, the threaded section of pot is only a 1/4". Wont work for me. :confuse:

I havent sat down to figure what I'm gonna do yet, but its a simple dilemna to handle. Not trying to freak you out, just a heads up. Heck, your switch may have a longer lever than mine. :smile:

longshaft pots?

I'm worried about mine now...

[Dam0n]

longshaft pots?

I'm worried about mine now...

dont be. unless u have a mega thick top it should be fine.
:toohappy:

[D|s]

back again.

so here's what ive done.

-cut out the neck socket for the bolt on
-removed the Jackson logo on the headstock and re-sprayed the headstock with the colour i am to spray the whole guitar [cream]

whats next:
-wait another day to finish the headstock and finish it well + polishing!

what you want?
pics! here they are:

http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/8163/pict00020pf.th.jpg (http://img400.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00020pf.jpg)
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3379/pict00086sd.th.jpg (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00086sd.jpg)
http://img343.imageshack.us/img343/1987/pict00118uw.th.jpg (http://img343.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict00118uw.jpg)
I've test fitted the neck and bridge and all's well!
just yesterday i revcent some parts from stewmac. very serious packaging :) now all i am waiting for is my last package from GFS [including pickups!]

please comment :)
cheers

[Dro0]

^ dude, im impressed :eek:

[JustStartin]

Looks like a winner to me! Your axe looks good and tight. I like the variation on the radiusing too.

Sweeeeet! :D

[D|s]

thanks guys, today ive received the stuff from guitar fetish including pickups. those killers are really nice :)

so next up im gonna route out the pickup and control cavity and stick em in!

will update u on the progress when this step is done

[mishmannah]

I am loving those cutaways...well done!!

[D|s]

just to let u guys know. its at the carpenter... pickup and control caivties being routed :)

sry its takin a while, but i assure u it will be worth while :p

[mjshailes]

any news yet i wanna see the finished beast

[D|s]

im sorry guys but im just as anxious as u are. its been at the carpenter for almost 3 weeks now! im really ****** at how he hasnt done anything yet!! my dad's constantly bugging him to finish it for me.. goes to show, if u want something done right, get it done yourself! :\

[JustStartin]

im sorry guys but im just as anxious as u are. its been at the carpenter for almost 3 weeks now! im really ****** at how he hasnt done anything yet!! my dad's constantly bugging him to finish it for me.. goes to show, if u want something done right, get it done yourself! :\

D|s,

If he's had it for 3+ weeks, get it back. You're counting on this guy to align the the pups with the nut and bridge. There is some play there with pup rings, but the routes are crucial. They should be jigged. Shaping a body is one thing, but alignment is another.

Ask the guy to be honest. Either he knows what has to done, or he doesnt. If he doesnt, say thanks for the effort, but I need this to be done rightously.

Good luck man, your axe looks sweet. :headbang:

[D|s]

all he needs to do is cut out the pickup and control cavity that I already drew for him. he just has to cut em out. no aligning involved. i did it myself.

he just hasnt "had the time" d0hh
when its done /if ever/ i will smite him with my frontal lobe





like zidane vs materazzi \m/

[D|s]

back again with more updates children:

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/1968/pict0320qu2.th.jpg (http://img226.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0320qu2.jpg)

pickup cavities are done! ive used a dremel to sand around and have perfected them.

however, Bad news! the dumbass mafakkin carpenter did the control caivty bad... too shallow... so now i must take it back for him to finish it off. i hate this person. oficcialy! :@

on the other hand i think it looks sweelll so far
:)

[JustStartin]

back again with more updates children:

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/1968/pict0320qu2.th.jpg (http://img226.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0320qu2.jpg)

pickup cavities are done! ive used a dremel to sand around and have perfected them.

however, Bad news! the dumbass mafakkin carpenter did the control caivty bad... too shallow... so now i must take it back for him to finish it off. i hate this person. oficcialy! :@

on the other hand i think it looks sweelll so far
:)

D|s,
If all this guy did was route the control cavity to shallow, you got no reason to hate him. ;) This guy doesnt know squat about guitars. He's shooting from the hip.
It could be worse! He could of made the cavity to deep. Rule one with carpenters, woodworkers; leave enough material after the first cut to dial it in on the second. :)

Your axe looks tasty to say the least. :D

[D|s]

i know he didnt do such a bad thing, but i wrote specifically to cut in 4.3cms.. and he must have read it 4.3mm... thing is look how delayed this project has become! :|

[entityof1]

i must admit thats a sick guitar, its inspired me. dang now i gots to spend more money.

[D|s]

well u know what they say that when u build your own guitar it tends to be more expensive than just buying one off the shelf? i'll have to disagree with this notion.

my sg costed my roughly $650 and well its an epiphone, relatively cheap choice.

now if my accounts are right.. then my guitar up till now has summed up to not more than the Sg's cost, and so far i can assure you that it is 5 times better. 1 piece wood.. better neck.. better electronics etc etc

so all in all, if u choose the right materials and stores to buy from you shouldn't end up spending more than say $700! which is reasonably good!

thanks for the comments guys! i've given it back to the carpenter to correct the control cavity he had routed so shallow... hopefully ill have it back by friday.

[D|s]

good news! its almost unbelievable! my dad just phoned me up and told me the guy routed the cavity, so its all done! best part is he didnt even charge me for the job :)

this evening ill get to it and start painting it!! hope ill finish it in time for university :D

[martinedwards]

well u know what they say that when u build your own guitar it tends to be more expensive than just buying one off the shelf? i'll have to disagree with this notion.
It CAN be!!!

I get all my hardwood free and my last dread acoustic cost about £75. for a solid wood spruce/walnut guitar.

By the time I put it in a case and add a pup we're up to £125.

WAYYY cheaper than an equivelent factory made instrument.

On the down side resale value isn't great, but it's still gonna be better than a £125 factory axe!!

[D|s]

recently....

filler primer has been applied! tomorrow ill give it another coat and sand it down nicely with 320 grade sand paper! NEXT UP- Sprayying the bugger! :D:D

i had a hard time getting the cavity all polished up, and fitting the parts in, but gladly all the hard work as produced a good result. i am very satisfied with my progress.. earlier on i test fitted most of the hardware and it looked gorgeous!


u want pics?!

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/659/pict0395cn9.th.jpg (http://img521.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0395cn9.jpg)http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/4264/pict0391vx7.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0391vx7.jpg)

[strat]

ohhh man, that looks really nice. great job!!

[Enigmur]

That looks awesome man!

Do you know what they use for cutting the shape of the body? Is it like a bandsaw or something?

What colour are you going to finish it

[D|s]

as far as i know its either a hacksaw or bandsaw. but i didnt cut it out personally!

colour is gonna be somethin between white n cream "off-white" :)

[D|s]

another update!

the priming stage is complete. this involved sanding the guitar well with 320 grade paper and applying a filler primer (aerosol). i gave it several coats, sanding between each and checking for dips or crack. to clear dust away, steel wool is useful as it removes dust from any place!

the guitar is now ready for spraying. all holes and unwanted areas are filled and masked:

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/1263/pict0402ag1.th.jpg (http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0402ag1.jpg)


Let the spraying begin!!

It is recommended, in the book i use to give the guitar at least 10 coats of paint... however this is quite costly and i am just gonna give it about 6 or 8 most. its up to its 3rd coat now, and here's a sneak peak while its drying: http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/1825/pict0405dq1.th.jpg (http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0405dq1.jpg)

excuse the bad lighting. the pics just do it any justice!!

hopefully ill go buy another can of spray tomorrow coz its soon finished! each can costs almost lm4.00 so this method is pretty costly. the alternative would have been to use a spray gun.. but i didn't bother getting the compressor from my dads garage lol.

hope u like- i will update u on any progress. buffing the finish is gonna be one hard job :D

[strat]

that looks great, and the shape is really nice also.

[D|s]

hi again, until my guitar is drying up from the paint job.. i decided to slap on most of the parts and check out how it looks! here's a sneak peak, of what the guitar should look like in the coming days. please keep in mind that the paint hasnt been buffed whatsoever!

the judging is left to you guys ;)

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/574/pict0408ci2.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0408ci2.jpg) http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9549/pict0416copyfp5.th.jpg (http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0416copyfp5.jpg)
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4559/pict0412ie2.th.jpg (http://img180.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0412ie2.jpg)

[Grim]

I don't mean to rain on anybody's parade, but what's the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge, and what scale were you looking for?

[D|s]

the scale i used is 25.5 inch. the distance from the bridge to the body to neck join (16th fret) is roughly 10 inches.

the equivalent distance from the 12th fret to the bridge is about 12 inches.

[Dro0]

very mucho bueno :D

looks really good, awesome ;)

[D|s]

thanks m8! tomorrow ill start buffing. i found a good polisihing compound at my dad's garage so ill be using that + car polish to bring it to life


this has gotta look like glass when its done!

[mjshailes]

yah it looks good. did you make shure the neck is a 25.5 scale because if not all fretted notes will be out of tune, if the neck is a different scale length.

[Robot_Boy]

my god that thing is tasty. be sure to post some sound clips when its done.

[D|s]

yah it looks good. did you make shure the neck is a 25.5 scale because if not all fretted notes will be out of tune, if the neck is a different scale length.


sure as hell! ive also used the book to get the right neck to bridge distance. should be fine! ive strung this thing already and played a bit unplugged. it sustains forever!


thanks for the comments :)
cheers!

[Grim]

The reason I questioned the scale was the position of the bridge relative to the rest of the body. I'll (eventually) post pics of some of the guitars I'm working on (about 8 now in progress). My Fender/PRS style axes all have a little bit bigger *** on 'em, whereas the bridge position I see on yours is closer to the relative position you might see on a bass. A couple of things I've learned from cutting my own bodies - you do with 'em what you damn well please, electric guitars are very forgiving, and the only person you have to please is yourself.

\m/ >_< \m/

[D|s]

i see your concern! however the only reason why the bridge is so close to the butt of the guitar is because the guitar is made to be small! think of it as removing loads of cellulite from its butt :)


thanks again, i wish you the best of luck for ur guitar building too :D

[entityof1]

that is epic man, nice color! i like the cream/gold.

[D|s]

today has been a great day for me :)

paint buffed up... all done by hand of course!

first using 600grit wet and dry sandpaper with soapy water to get the surface even.
then using 1000grit the same way to get rid of most of the scratch marks from the previous sanding.

after that, polishing compound was rubbed in until the finish looked somewhat like glass. the further get a gleam, automotive polish was used!

loads of hard work.. but i think it paid off!! :D

pics:
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/4109/pict0446zd7.th.jpg (http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0446zd7.jpg) http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/6523/pict0448vs7.th.jpg (http://img89.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0448vs7.jpg) http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1184/pict0451bv5.th.jpg (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0451bv5.jpg)


funnily enough it seems to fit well in my sg case, so until i find some other case to harness this baby in.. the sg is

[D|s]

and here it is... all strung up!!

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/8559/pict0452bh2.th.jpg (http://img293.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0452bh2.jpg)

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7363/pict0455rz0.th.jpg (http://img201.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0455rz0.jpg)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9803/pict0458sk6.th.jpg (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0458sk6.jpg)

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6008/pict0454wn5.th.jpg (http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0454wn5.jpg)

[strat]

that looks great, how does it play?

[D|s]

unplugged its fine. i tried wiring the guitar up but when i connected it to the amp NO SOUND! im suspecting ive busted some parts :S

im using this kid of wiring: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/3s_1v_1t_5w.html

but instead of the single coils im using 3 mini hbs wired without a coil tap.. soo i guess in theory it shud work :S any suggestions guys?

[D|s]

FINALLY the guitar is complete!!

it was a headache to wire all the stuff correctly, but i managed to get things quite nice and neat :)

this thing sounds great! i love the tone the pickups have to offer at such a minimal price :D

it sounds amazzing in clean with the neck pickup selected. amazingly enough when turned on a high gain setting its particularly quiet! im sayin this because the control cavity needs to be painted with non-conductive paint to reduce hum that pickups suffer from most of the time.. and i did none of this! so all in all im overly satisfied with the sound of this thing.


as for the rest of it.. ill spend a few weeks tweaking little odds and ends to get it top notch. im thinking lowering the pickups a little, adjusting the neck slightly. truss rod and lots of little things that will make all the difference!!

ill post soundclip when i feel like :p

hope u enjoyed this thread.. and mayb inspired a few people ;)

CHEERS!

[Experience Me]

how much did it cost you all together?

[D|s]

http://media.putfile.com/Bluesy-1

heres a small lick i improvised! my guitar connected directly to the valve jnr. :)

[Santah]

Guitar looks excellent. Congrats on a job well done :)

[NeonRainbow]

That guitar looks stunning. Dynamite. Total cost?

[D|s]

thanks again :)

total cost roughly $700!

money well spent ;)

[Yata]

Did you clear coat it?

[D|s]

im not excactly sure what that means.

but the finishing stage was mainly primer>paint>polishing compound>car wax polish!

[Zakk Flash]

D|s,

I just wanted to tell you that reading this entire thread from your first post about some designs you drew, all the way to seeing the completed product, has been both an inspiration as well as a delight.

I have an old guitar that I wanted some work done on it and in my searches for guitar techs and luthiers, I started coming upon many resources about building guitars and started thinking more on the lines of learning how to do that stuff myself.

So, anyway, after reading your story I have decided to purchase a couple books on building guitars and I am going to give it a shot as well.

My wife just bought me a new band saw, for looking so good, so i'm lucky enough to be able to make the bodies and headstocks or whatever fairly easily. I thought I could just practice on cheap wood until I can do it well, then buy some higher quality blanks and move on from there. Same with necks.

Anyway, thanks for documenting your experience and thanks for sharing it.

If anyone has external links to documented projects like this one please let me know, I really enjoy reading about them and gathering tips.

[Zakk Flash]

Oh yeah, almost forgot. I have always like the look of the Gibson SG and I found this template which I think I am going to buy.

http://www.guitarbuildingtemplates.com/SG.htm

[Yata]

im not excactly sure what that means.

but the finishing stage was mainly primer>paint>polishing compound>car wax polish!
Finishing is usually most pain in the *** job there is, clearcoating it is after you have have added however many layers of paint you need, then after you have painted it you coat it with several coats of clear/sanding it each time, it's a pain the *** as it can take ALOT of coats.

[D|s]

D|s,

I just wanted to tell you that reading this entire thread from your first post about some designs you drew, all the way to seeing the completed product, has been both an inspiration as well as a delight.

I have an old guitar that I wanted some work done on it and in my searches for guitar techs and luthiers, I started coming upon many resources about building guitars and started thinking more on the lines of learning how to do that stuff myself.

So, anyway, after reading your story I have decided to purchase a couple books on building guitars and I am going to give it a shot as well.

My wife just bought me a new band saw, for looking so good, so i'm lucky enough to be able to make the bodies and headstocks or whatever fairly easily. I thought I could just practice on cheap wood until I can do it well, then buy some higher quality blanks and move on from there. Same with necks.

Anyway, thanks for documenting your experience and thanks for sharing it.

If anyone has external links to documented projects like this one please let me know, I really enjoy reading about them and gathering tips.


many thanks!! im glad my experience has served to inspire more people to create something they love :)

if u ever need tips/hints or be your guide do not hesitate to ask! best of luck:)

[D|s]

Finishing is usually most pain in the *** job there is, clearcoating it is after you have have added however many layers of paint you need, then after you have painted it you coat it with several coats of clear/sanding it each time, it's a pain the *** as it can take ALOT of coats.


so it seems! well with the procedure i took the guitar looks pretty shiny! i wont say it matches the sheen on my other guitars however for a home made and cost effective process the result is very satisfactory :)

[Teletubby]

Beautiful guitar dude!

[Piet]

hip hip to what zakk flash said, i've also been really inspired, thanks alot d|s, really nice read.

zakk, im also considering building an sg style guitar from mahogany.w/bolt on neck though, cause it'll be my first build. kiss, 'keep it simple stupid' If i start to build, i'll probably start a thread like this one, seeing that it has helped me so much. so zakk if you have any updates, id really like to hear from you. thanks.