Kinda liking the 'beak' on the headstock. Ya gotta put a bead/rhinestone/googly eye on there.

Yah, we'll see. That wide part of the finger board will come off tonight, I think. I'll do that by hand with a razor saw. I have to leave enough for the nut to rest on, and I haven't ordered nuts yet. I may have to take the finger board off from the bottom of the groove if it hangs over, and let the nut sit on the neck wood. It's close.

Looks like a B.C.Rich headstock. (gallery at link)

junglejim, did you see this?
Mutant Bodies & Experimental Electronics: Navigating the Unmapped Territory of Soviet Guitars

Yes.

Now I need to think about what hardware I'm going to use. Do I go cheap because this is my first attempt, or spend a couple hundred for good stuff because I'll probably be keeping this first one.

Leaning toward the latter.

I need a bridge, pickups, controls and tuners.

Get good hardware. You want your first build to sound good, so you're encouraged and feel that it was worth the effort. I think hardware is the difference between "cheap" and "decent" instruments-- mainly I think this because entry-level drums can be converted to mid-level drums by replacing the hardware (and maybe re-cutting the bearing edges).

I did mostly

920D Fender Strat Wiring Harness Hendrix 60's 3 Way w/Blender Treble Bleed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GP0NS0M..._-WbmCbT71BWS2

Fender American Series Stratocaster Tremolo Bridge Assembly - Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002KZE8G..._FXbmCbRE5CC5H

Gotoh Magnum Lock-Trad 6-In-Line Guitar Tuners, Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077K6PD8H..._6XbmCb8E3845V

The pick ups I went kind of cheap.

Set of Wilkinson HOT Single Coil Pickups for Strat[emoji2400] Guitar White MWVS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015Y1TOO2..._TYbmCbQ9JJA7M

I can upgrade them easily enough later if need be

I second the good stuff, you know you'll never let this one go except maybe to your son. Wouldn't you want your son to have the best? :D

I can't wait to see/hear the finished product. Super cool build project man.

thanks, It's fun and a little scary. I guess that's part of the fun.


I was re-watching a crimson guitars build to prepare for routing out the neck pocket and body cavities, and found something I did wrong on the finger board glue up. I should have used a clamping caul to disperse the pressure to the edges of the neck.



Attachment 66042
He used a 2x4 that he had carved a radius and hollowed center. If I had done that, I think I wouldn't have had the gaps at the edges where the glue sucked up inside. Hopefully the bond holds as is, but next time.... I'll remember to do that.

he also used locating pins to prevent the fingerboard sliding around. He went through the fret slots to put them in, but I was too scared to mung mine up, so I was just super slow and careful to make sure mine didn't move.
Attachment 66043


here's the gluing up that I didn't photograph:

I did a bit more neck shaping this morning. Also cut the end of the fret board off.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...80362691cd.jpg

There were similar gaps at the end to what I had on the side, so I did the same sawdust and super glue cure.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c82d3214d2.jpg

The shaping I did was mostly to make the heel of the neck level and flat. That led to taking the whole neck down about 1/8".
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...83630517f2.jpg

It fits the template very snugly

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dc80edd6ce.jpg

I'll use the template and Router to clean up the edges and bottom, but I took most of the material out with a forstner bit on the drill press. I want it 21mm deep so the the surface of the body comes up under the over hang of the fret board. To get close, I set the depth stop to 15mm from contact.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...abd858bce9.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...cf46553911.jpg

Result
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...55b2e97e04.jpg

Then went back with a smaller forstner bit and took another 4 mm or so, got closer to the corners.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...23a45fb59e.jpg

There is playoff football to watch, left over dinner to eat and a nap to take. I'll try to get the routing done after the Eagles beat the Bears.

I'm getting excited.

Whoa, easy there. I'm a Bears man, and I'm delicate.:lol2:

I'm expecting the same thing, really, but, I ain't gotta like it!

Not to get off track, but holy shit what a game!

Really though!

My Bears lost, but damn that was a great game.

Double Doink!

After that great win, I went back out to the shop.

I glued the template to the body and set the router up with a 1/2" bit.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...373034a098.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0c7e495f3c.jpg

I couldn't reach about half of the pockets with the drill press, so I had to go slow on those.

This is the first pass with the short bit.




I progressed to 3/4 and 1" bits until I had 35mm depth including the 14mm template.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...35a6b5385f.jpg
Took forever. Like 45 minutes.

But I am rewarded at the end of the day with this sight :
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c6d9b00b4e.jpg

It took a bit of filing in the neck pocket corner and the heel of the neck, but it's snug as a bug
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3135944a94.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...91b2b267c8.jpg

It's a milestone, looking like a guitar now. :thumb:

Heh, he said body cavities.

Dang it is a guitar, we had our doubts. :)

i should have held off on that bridge pocket. Just realized. I went with the template, so it's probably ok, but I should have measured to see if the nut is 25.5" from the front edge. The variable is where I glued the fret board to the neck. The saddles adjust back and forth, and hopefully that is enough to correct the distance if I was high or low with that when I glued it on.....

I did some shaping of the body today. I cut to within 1/16 to1/4" around the perimeter of the body with the band saw. Then I set the drill press up as an oscillating spindle sander. That's the feature that made that the one I asked Santa for.



At 44 seconds, I show you a sand paper de-clogger. It's just a huge eraser, but it works a treat.

Next job was routing out the back cavity. That's where I'll mount a claw that gets hooked to 3 springs. The springs attach to the bottom of the tremolo block. This provides tension on the strings, as the strings go up through the block and over the bridge via the saddles then on to the tuning pegs. The idea is to balance the tension to where the back of the bridge plate floats 1/8" or so above the face of the guitar, so you can pull on the tremolo bar and bend the note upwards.

I've been resisting drilling holes in my template and guitar body, preferring the super glue trick. So to get the back lined up to match the front, I had to shape the body first so the template was easier to mount.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...236070bc16.jpg

This pocket is 3/4" deep. The ones I did on the front are too. That's 1 1/2". The body is 1 3/4" thick, and they overlap, so you can't go too deep.

The right side has that elongated section. That's where I have to cut all the way through the body so the bridge can fit through.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e2cbc9bd6c.jpg

To be able to rout a straight line on the left, I need to make a little jig. I used a piece of the left over plywood I made my bench out of because it's 3/4" thick. First I need a template to transfer the shape.


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4a95dcddd1.jpg

I cut the paper out with an exacto. Then tape that and trace on the plywood. Cut that out with the band saw.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...08ae354139.jpg

Took me 2 tries. But with that in the large area and taped down, I routed the remaining 1/4" through to the front.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8d68622261.jpg
And we're through!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...702de77dce.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a4aebb9d17.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...635b9271f5.jpg

The bridge arrived
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...782ea2b399.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...32c473e7eb.jpg

I'm about 3/8" long on the scale. This may be a problem.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...52aeba81a8.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...057f5d2555.jpg

I'm going to do a bit more research. I can probably come another 1/8-1/4" into the body with the neck, and shorten the heel the rest....

I will adapt and overcome. Or I'll do another neck and use this one for the next guitar. We shall see.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...75dfa18198.jpg

That drum sander attachment is pretty cool, I've never seen one.

I like it.

I talked to a couple guitar people and watched a couple more videos on bridge placement in my down time today, and I do need to fix that distance issue. There are a couple ways to correct it.

I could get longer screws for the saddles so they reach out farther. I could cut further into the body where the neck fits in. I could shorten the neck under the finger board.

The latter is what I'm planning to do. I looked at a few pics of guitars, and the fret board over hang is longer than what I have by a good 1/4", so it shouldn't even look weird. The high E needs to be 25.5" from nut to the break over point on the saddle with that saddle 1/8" from locked down in order to give the best intonation. I may have to be a bit further out with the saddle, but it should serve. Friday evening when I return from visiting Spencer, I'll get to it.

Then I think I need to poke holes in the head stock for the tuners. I need them installed in order to center the bridge before I drill holes in the body to mount the posts. Next Sunday, I'm going to visit Pete and get a fret install lesson.

Weeeeeee!

You mean you're putting visiting your boy ahead of keeping us entertained? Good for you, you've got your priorities straight. :notworthy

WTF?

It's like you people have lives, or something.:eyebrow:

I think I fixed it.
I routed another 1/8" from the pocket
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...eb3eddc3d3.jpg

Then sanded an 1/8" from the heel with the drum sander set to let the finger board under while I reduced the heel. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...29e6af0429.jpg

The line is the end of the truss rod inside, so I wanted to make sure I didn't tear through.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...57ff4d95b4.jpg

The 3rd 1/8" I'll account for by extending the saddle screws. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e723676112.jpg

Did some body sculpting this morning

I love this rasphttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...06c7c3b093.jpg

This is called the belly cut :

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3c1e2b3a39.jpg
It's to keep the edge from digging into your belly.

Contour lines drawn on the face
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...de26bb4a33.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a71dab9fc0.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...132dbe46d5.jpg

Dead sexy!

After the shitty football games, I went back out and did the fret board inlay. It's as easy as it looks. Provided you have the right tools. I used a brad point bit and the drill press to get precise, flat bottomed holes.

.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...bd660edd45.jpg



Dots go at 3,5,7,9 (2x12),15,17,19,21. 10 dots. Just draw an X from corner to corner, making sure they intersect at the center line.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a67c2f6c45.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...10230c5b71.jpg
For the 2 at the 12th, the Xes go from center line to corner

I laid out all the dots to choose which and where.
They are turquoise flavored. Some are pretty cool looking
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0f958721e6.jpg
I see a face

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d038fc170c.jpg

I have water thin and thick viscosity super glue. I used thin for the wicking element
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7b6252a7fd.jpg

They come with a few wisp tips for detailed application.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...260ed979b7.jpg

I chipped the first one, so I had to widen the holes with a bigger bit by hand.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...705f6732fe.jpg


Just drop the dot in and touch a drop of glue in on the edge, and it wicks into the hole.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...10f0026ec8.jpg
When I sprayed the accelerator, a couple had too much glue, I guess. They erupted with what looks like salt, but was the texture of spray foam insulation.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...89a18530df.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1ff7a348f9.jpg

Cleaned that, and the glue ring on each dot with a Scraper and the radiused sanding block with 150 paper glued to it.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...916d2acd9c.jpg

Fuckers put the made in China right on the business surface.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...07c52e278d.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...235dd71053.jpg

Scrapers are a thing. Seems like cheating for some reason. They work really well if you have good ones.


Anyway, it's all done.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...fa4ea3abc0.jpg


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...048a4efec6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...80f1309a90.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...73883aba50.jpg

Right? I think Leo knew what he was doing when he designed the Stratocaster. It's a woman's side, waist and hip. I'm tempted to carve an ass crack on the back. Maybe glue some buttocks on there too.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...68a2c33028.jpg

I completely forgot about doing the side dots. Guess I'll do that tonight.

This is coming together nicely. It's beautiful.

The little tiny ones on the topside of the neck?

Right. They're even easier. They come in little plastic sticks like a wire with no wire inside. Black or white. I'll go white with the dark fingerboard.

I was thinking of using them on the surface and doing them like pips on dice, but then... 12 and up would be pretty busy.

Measure half, drop line. X9.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...18e872834a.jpg

Half way horizontal. Also X9.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...057e453b77.jpg

Depth stop and....

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f5f3c44641.jpg

Fan to blow away the dust.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...91ffec16e1.jpg

Awl shucks.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...03b679f1ef.jpg

Drill dem holes
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6276f85729.jpg

The inlay sticks
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6322b9582b.jpg

Fill dem holes
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...65b7cb276b.jpg

I found that once I had the stick crammed in as far as it would go, if I just gently bent it one way, and laid the razor knife on the other side, very slight pressure sliced it off pretty close to the surface.

Bit of work with the mini Scraper.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0fdfb78c3f.jpg

I tells ya. Inlay and scrapers go together like peas and carrots.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2432fe30f5.jpg

Art shot

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f484ed2305.jpg

This vise is the tits.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...85387329b4.jpg

I've got those threaded inserts in the bench top. They screw right in slicker n shit. You don't even have to tighten them down. The base of the vise is threaded the same, so once the bolt grabs thread, they're joined tight. I put three holes in, but only need two.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dd2db64fb4.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8c367ecc8d.jpg

Articulates like a boss.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0d2caa84ff.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3b59e2463d.jpg

Scrapers aren't cheating. They're plane blades you hold in your hands. If you've filed them flat and sharp and burnished a cutting burr onto the edge, you can just coax the filmiest curl from the surface. They're lovely, when they're used for the right purpose.

The guitar looks really beautiful, what a great project.

I like them more and more. I say cheating because you're shaping, carving, sanding and polishing at once if you're getting it right. I got the groove going on the neck, and scraped what felt like a soft film off the entire side of the neck. It actually occurred to me as I did, that it felt like a scratch off lottery ticket...Now it feels like it's got a sealer on it. I know I'll need to oil the wood to protect it, but I like the way the scraper leaves that matte finish.

If ya still feel like you're cheating w/the scrapers, use a piece of broken glass. Same outcome, only w/more effort.:)

That is a cool vise.

The only complaint I have is that there is a bit of wiggle that comes from the rods that go through the aluminum housing in the center not being terribly tight. They have to be loose enough for the thing to slide along the rods.

The cure for that is a huge rubber band that I had from some work out jinx had me doing 8 years ago. When I need it super stable, I strap it to itself with one of those. I even put some foam from a window unit AC down on the base of the clamp part to protect the work from getting dinged if it should slip down.

Oh, and when I say it's 'the tits' , I mean it's round and fun to play with.

I made a thing today. This is made from the left over body blank. Design inspiration came from this Stew Mac product, which I'm sure is refined over years by luthiers going way back.


https://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tool...kaAneJEALw_wcB

I made mine 3 parts

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...08765ca924.jpg

Comes apart, goes together for storage
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6e8fe22137.jpg

Gives me 6 height options and other uses I'll discover, no doubt. And I'll have this going forward. Saved $25 too.

I used contact cement, stuck the felt on and trimmed the edge with a new xacto blade. Took about 30 minutes. I love having a band saw right here all the time.

I just ordered a jointer, a planer a burn in oven and a Swedish vise.

Check this thing out:

I've been waiting for this little chrome back plate.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...072a37ae40.jpg

I'm going to carve that corner down at an angle so I can reach farther across the high end of the finger board.
I laid a straight edge against a square to make sure I had exactly where the neck fits.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e97b063502.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...09445f6dd7.jpg
Check length
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e5f713400a.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...818b0ed07f.jpg

It goes right here. Exactly right here.



The screws need to go in perfectly in the center of those holes, and perfectly perpendicularly.

Say that 5 times.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6fb810a76e.jpg
This is a way to get that right.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...62576e5a8f.jpg

Then..

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d16974a5d5.jpg

The cross hairs are key. Find the right size circle template, line it up and strike a +

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...72692ebb1e.jpg

Very pointy scratch awl to make a little hole big enough to fit the brad on my smallest Brad point bit.

Now I need the depth.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1b206253d3.jpg

Looks good.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...aa1590df63.jpg

To be double sure, I'm taping a stop line on the drill bit, and setting the depth stop on the drill press. Also awesome to have one of these handy... (shhh.... I have 3 more cool machines en route.(i got an unexpectedly large bonus this month))
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c54eb8fd07.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...268f082822.jpg


Measure, measure, cut. errr... Drill

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5e678cb483.jpg

Zip zip zip zip. Just as easy as you please.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5aad1e00be.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8f0d0de020.jpgThe neck posed a slight complication. It's not flat when it's laying on its face as it needs to be in order to drill the pilot holes.

I stepped away to consider. And pee. And eat something. Amanda's flight got delayed 45 minutes, so I had the time to finish before I had to go pick her up from PHL.

Saw some skewers while I was in the kitchen.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2dfae92d71.jpg

Improvised a kind of sled. Just taped them to the edges trying to keep the thing flat and stable for drilling.

I'll hang on to them. That worked well.


All holes drilled, let's do this. Because I'm a gentleman, I use lubrication for the first time I penetrate its body.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...99cc060187.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8f38a735be.jpg
And because I don't want to fight it and strip chrome screws.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...86ba0c95b6.jpg

Stated them with my trusty genuine Snap On #2 Phillips carbide tipped driver. Ran the middle down with the Dewalt and took them home by hand, gently and lovingly.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...57176b1c0d.jpg

It's apart now because I have to account for the 1/4" I lost fixing my scale length.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...64638eaa14.jpg

I'm going to have to shave that from the neck heel edge of the pick guard.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9e62fb7a89.jpg

I think I have to be careful with that. 3 layers. I think I'll mark it and take it to Pete's. He has a laminator and binding machine.

When I disassembled it, I color coded the screws so I know which hole to return them to.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c1096c0ca9.jpg

I'm going to paint the control cavities now.

You use conductive paint or copper foil to line the interior of the body cavities. Because of feed back or some science stuff. I'll probably need to understand that at some point, but for now, it's monkey see.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0730294e83.jpg

When the cat's away the mice will blow their bonus. :haha: Good move, there's no better investment than capability.

Good move, those chromed countersunk ovals tear up easily, then you have burrs that will rip your hand just as the stage manager at the Royal Albert Hall say 2 minutes Jim. :smack:

Guh. I picked up the new blue guitar for the first time since we decorated for Christmas today. Calluses totally gone again.

I actually need to poke some more holes before I put this paint in. There are wires that go from chamber to chamber so you can wire the pickups and outlet jack to the pots. Gotta do that research and drill them first so I can paint the inside surface of them with a cotton ball on a string. Sounds messy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...87791454a1.jpg

And this paint is purportedly noxious and stinky.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d79f0cd73b.jpg