Guitar Building and Repair

[oceanman]

I thought we could all merge our builds into one thread so that we and others can share and discuss what we have been working on.

[bobbob1313]

I'm going to start working on one in the fall. Probably go with a telecaster body and see if there's a way I can get some P-90 pickups on there. I need to actually look into how to get this done, as I know absolutely nothing about guitar building, but I'd like to start.

[oceanman]

If you wan't to go with humbuckers, the question is, what are you going aftrer? The first being, do you wan't a tele tone with the capability of the classic humbuck sound, or do you wan't a full dual humbuck sound? If question 1 meets your needs, then you'll wan't a standard tele body and route the neck pickup cavity to it's apropriate size. If question 2 is more what your wanting, then I say go with a 72' deluxe tele body that has routed cavities for both pups, and more of a strat neck and head. I eventualy wan't to build a standard tele body with a 60's strat neck and the Joe Barden humbuck neck, tele bridge with l1 switching! Read below.

 

IMO, I would go with option 1 because the varity of sounds you can pull from one instrument. I know it's a pricey option but you could use a toggle switch to blend the two, which actually blends and cancels the active humbucker and bridge pup to bring out a single coil tone, such as a strat sound. So in one kill of a build, you get a Tele, LP(SG), and Strat from a single guitar.

 

Here are some good links.

 

http://www.stewmac.com/

 

These guys will route any pickup design http://www.warmoth.com/

 

http://www.lmii.com/

[In a little rowboat]

I work as a tech part time, so im always working on something...as far as personal projects, im currently big on veneering and refinishing...this is the old ibanez bass im working on...the headstock was plain black gloss, but no longer...now finished with burled wood and tung oil finish

 

 

I have had musician friends for years sign the body and id carve them in...i am going to refinish the body, keeping the signatures...i have replaced the stock bass pickups with low-end sensitive humbuckers and the custom pickguard will be all wood

 

 

 

i am also working on a restoration of a 50's era Airline acoustic (neck reset, new fret board, more veneering), and a dreadnaught sized gut string classical that my grandfather built but never finished, ill post as these come along

 

 

 

j

[oceanman]

My fucking head kills.................30 hours in three days. I had no idea.

 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27425899@N08/

[jimmyjimmy]

My fucking head kills.................30 hours in three days. I had no idea.

 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27425899@N08/

 

Dude...

This is kind of exciting. How about a play by play?

Woods you are using for top, back and sides.

And about the neck blank, did you rough out that initial shape yourself?

 

Continued wishes for good luck with this!

[oceanman]

14 Fret OM/OOO....................More on the process later.

 

 

Top:Adirondack Spruce/AA-AAA grade

Back and Sides:Mahogony

Neck:Mahogony

Bracing:Adirondack Spruce

Bridge and Fretboard:Ebony

Bridge Brace:Rosewood

Binding and Headplate:Ebony

Headplate sandwich:Ebony and Maple

Purfling:(wood fiber)B/WW/B and B/W/B

Position markers:Turquise dots

Kerfling:Mahogony

[oceanman]

And about the neck blank, did you rough out that initial shape yourself?

Oh yeah, we do everything but cut down the tree...........well a few of the other students do. Everything is done by hand by blanks, blocks, sheets.... ect. Hell, I might gut a pig or hunt down an elephant one of these days. Learning is pretty intense, still have all my fingers.

[a.miller]

14 Fret OM/OOO....................More on the process later.

 

 

Top:Adirondack Spruce/AA-AAA grade

Back and Sides:Mahogony

Neck:Mahogony

Bracing:Adirondack Spruce

Bridge and Fretboard:Indian Rosewood/Master grade

Bridge Brace:Rosewood

Binding and Headplate:Curly Maple

Headplate sandwich:Rosewood

Purfling:(wood fiber)B/WW/B

Position markers:Turquise dots

Kerfling:Mahogony

That is awesome. Building an acoustic guitar = the true test.

[oceanman]

That is awesome. Building an acoustic guitar = the true test.

Not really, you should see the work required to make an archtop..............holy shit. I'm off this weekend and have some questions. If you other builders don't mind shootin' the shit. Sat. or Sun. I'm really pushing myself too hard, I need to slow down and not expect perfection. I feel like I'm in Med school while bench pressing at the same time. My fingers are numb from all the sanding and getting the radius correct on the back braces.

 

Thanks for caring people, I hope I'm not bugging you all. And Rowboat..............we need a heart to heart talk my brother, I feel like I jumped into a pool of sharks but love every minute of it. Will this feeling pass? Not the love, but the mind fuck of learning so much right off the bat.

[a.miller]

Not really, you should see the work required to make an archtop..............holy shit.

It's actually carved in a lot of cases, right? That would be a little much. The fact that you're making everything from scratch is a really cool thing. Those numb fingers will be all worth it once they're strumming those strings.

 

How do you hook the neck on with an acoustic? I've been wanting to make a les paul or sg, but the thought of doing a set neck scares me.

[BigWheeledWagon]

I've been wanting to make a les paul or sg, but the thought of doing a set neck scares me.

 

Exact same problem here. I'm quite curious about this.

[oceanman]

How do you hook the neck on with an acoustic? I've been wanting to make a les paul or sg, but the thought of doing a set neck scares me.

I think I'm going with a dove tail, but who knows. I'm running my truss rod at the head, so maybe a bolt on?. All in all the neck and block will be around 8 pieces of wood glued and sanded.

 

Electrics are way easier. Route out the space, and screw or glue the fucker in, clamp, set it and waite. Adjust the rod to flat or a bit of back bow.

[oceanman]

Exact same problem here. I'm quite curious about this.

Go to the above stewmac link and get this book.....a must have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Guitar Player Repair Guide-third edition by Dan Erlewine.

 

Very few basic tools needed. Pretty much the same tools for a setup. And you will never have to pay for one agian.

[oceanman]

It's actually carved in a lot of cases, right?

Yeah.......................weeks of sanding. A few of the other students are enforcing I build one. Carving, scraping and sanding to get a certain tap tone note.

 

Week one photos updated.

[In a little rowboat]

And Rowboat..............we need a heart to heart talk my brother, I feel like I jumped into a pool of sharks but love every minute of it. Will this feeling pass?

 

Any time man...ive learned from experience, jumping right into projects, and i just plain love wood...grew up in a family of woodworkers...you are going to learn so much cool shit, im jealous

 

I think I'm going with a dove tail, but who knows. I'm running my truss rod at the head, so maybe a bolt on?. All in all the neck and block will be around 8 pieces of wood glued and sanded.

 

Electrics are way easier. Route out the space, and screw or glue the fucker in, clamp, set it and waite. Adjust the rod to flat or a bit of back bow.

 

I have found that once you get used to dovetailing, its hands down the best joint...just remember to cut the dove a little large, then shave it down to perfect fit into the block...mortiseing is easier but a weaker set (yes martin, its true)...remember to set the rod with a bit of tension before gluing the fret board, otherwise you risk the incorrect relief once tightening and tuning to pitch

 

I have found the scraper to be the most important woodworking tool there is for necks and bodies, you just have to get used to setting the burr

 

8 pieces sound like alot of glue...can you get those pics up. im curious...?

[Golden Smoghead]

It was just today, in this very thread, that I realized the irony of a guy who lives in Missouri calling himself Oceanman.

[oceanman]

I have found the scraper to be the most important woodworking tool there is for necks and bodies, you just have to get used to setting the burr

 

8 pieces sound like alot of glue...can you get those pics up. im curious...?

My fingers wen't completly numb for two days using those finger scapers.

 

Reconsidering the amount of work I really wan't to do on my first neck. I'm routing my rosette and gluing my soundboard braces the next few days. I ran into some riples on my side so I have to brace them.....oh well. I imagine I'll hit the neck towards the end of the week. I'll post my weeks photos on weekends.

 

I'm over the shock and have had my hands on 90% of the tools. I have never even ran a band saw before. I'm amazed that only one fuck up is all it takes. No third times a charm going on in this line of work.

 

Thanks for the input!

 

 

 

And I have been to the ocean before.......thanks.

[oceanman]

Anyone, or Mr. Rowboat for that matter, ever played or used a solid rosewood neck? I think I wan't to start a solid body build and I'm pretty sure I'm going with a one piece mahogony blank for the body and want a one piece Indian Rosewood for the neck. What are the pro's and con's? I see two pro's, one being that no fret board is needed and the second being the value, not really pricey at this point. The only con I see is refreting, dressing, and not having the option to replace the fretboard. This I guess might be a problem for someone without access to a shop, or the working musican. The blank is only around 20 bucks, I'm sure with all the wood trade laws and such that further on down the line, import wood from India could be a problem as far as availibility and cost goes, especialy for blanks large enough to build a neck with.

[In a little rowboat]

Yea, the one screw up factor makes you think hard before making any cut...youll get used to the band saw, just always hae to make you cut a hair too thick...one plus from using handtools is the strength you develope in you fingers...youll go up in string gauge in no time

 

did you say the rosewood neck blank is $20? That sounds really, really low...unless just for the fretboard... mahogany maybe...with all one piece for the neck, theres no way to fit a trussrod or steel re-enforcement, meaning steel strings are out...you'd be better off putting a fretboard on it, this makes fret setting easier as well, as you can seat the frets before gluing it to the neck

 

My understanding is that rosewood can be unstable with all of its twist in the grain...but its not hard to work IMHO

 

its been done before (fender gave George Harrison that all rosewood tele in 1969)...id suggest getting on harmony-central and looking up the all rosewood tele reissue for reviews on this construction...

[oceanman]

...one plus from using handtools is the strength you develope in you fingers...youll go up in string gauge in no time

I'm already playing 12's, but not scared to jump to custom 13's or 14's soon. My damn fingers are getting quite the work out, all bloody, scabed and blistered.

 

Turns out that neck blank is a fraction to small to get a strat head out of it. This was going to be an all mahogony body with one piece rosewood. So I can't go LP either.....with the neck set. LMI has 2nd grade neck blank for 20 bucks, I might just pick a few up for the price and sit on them, you never know. Shit man, a bridge, bridge plate, and fretboard together are around 30 to 40 bucks.

[a.miller]

What are eveyone's thoughts on some really cool strat pickups? Since the world has gone guitar-building-crazy, I have developed some snobbery for nitro finishes, etc. Now I am thinking of building a really cool strat...

[oceanman]

Pickups can go either way.......really it's what you wan't. What are you after? Their are some good prewired mods out on the interweb. Coil taps,paralel/series/phase/out of phase. I'm really hitting the books right now on all of this and could probably swing some of this soon. If you can solder, I say go crazy. As soon as I'm done with my OM, I'm making matching Nick Lucas models for my kids which will take me till Sept. Then doing a soild body build that will cover any tone I wan't, one guitar with capabilities of Strat, Tele, LP, SG.

 

At first all the enginering terms can fuck your head up. Really not much to it when you learn the range of farads, henries and so on....................what pots and capictors and so on fit together. Anything is possible man. I have some good hand outs and booklets I can photo copy and send you.