Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 BODY: ok my guitar that i'm dreamin' bout is a cross between a JEM and a strat. i love the monkey grip on the jem. however i think that the Jem does not have enough countours. so i like the strats horns better. I also enjoy a thicker heavier body. I like to feel substance. So i dont like how thin the strat is. so i got a 7/8" quilted maple top. And am getting a one inch thick mahogany bottom. I also feel that every top and back should be carved because i just dont like seeing flat surfaces one a guitar and girls chest and back so i figure WHY on mine? so i want a carved back and front. I can definately dig the PRS indented style knobs. So i like that idea, i much prefer them to the strat 3 knob style. I don't think I'm going to round the edges of the guitar as i mentioned earlier. because i think it would look too much like the satch's guitar which i find a lil' too "nubby" near the horn area. I'll also be putting in a Jem styled jack in. Neck: I'll be using a deep tenon 24 fret neck. With 2 mahogany pieces and 1 birdseye maple piece with ebony outlines. I'll also be putting a volute on the neck. its like wearing a condom. you may drop the guitar and if the headstock breaks off your life will change like getting an std. (dont ya love the analogies here?) I'll be carving the neck style to play as a "fast wider neck" with rounded frets "balled off" at the edges. So that for mah supah bends my strings dont go off the edge of the fretboard. Touches: I will be using the acrylic lighting theory as i mentioned earlier to do my inlays and my traditional strat styled pick guard. Electronics: Ideally i would put in 2 holy grail single coils (neck and middle) and 1 hot gold dually 1500 for the bridge. I think 500k pots are better for tone. not sure though. But i can only afford the basic 3 single coil holy grail setup right now. (god i love those quacks) Finish: I will most likely be doing a multi burst stain. maybe not as intricate as a carriburst but a dandy stain none the less. Thats all for now. more to come soon. OH crap i almost forgot. all p/us are directly coupled and fretboard is ebony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 wow that is quite an undertaking!what do you mean by carved top?like mine or a gradual sloping away like an ibanez s series? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 like a crazy carve top. like twice the depth of a prs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 there are a bare minimum of tools you need.if you are going to build the neck you are going to spend much more on tools than you would on a neck. the body you can build with these...router,jigsaw,sandpaper...(bare minimum)if you glue the top on you also need alot of clamps...harbor frieght has them cheap...stewmac has spool clamps which i find quite handy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryeisnotcool2 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 wekk snork also add a drill and sanding disk attachment to my list i made you in the other thred! i didnt know you wanted a carved top and back, by the way is awsome! 1 of the 5 i am building right now is that way and its gonna be sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 like a crazy carve top. like twice the depth of a prs. my carve is about 1/2" deep...the wood itself is 7/8" just like yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 wait.... why do i need a router and a jig. i know its stupid but i dont understand the difference. the router is just a spinny sharp thingy at the end right? and a jig i know is a sawblade that goes up and down and cuts the wood. but why doy ou need two things?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 keep in mind rye he is keeping it cheap.you can carve it by hand in a variety of ways cheaper....also remember how much skill power sanding takes...wouldn't want him to mess up that wood. one thing...do not carve the top until it is glued onto the guitar and the neck pocket and all the cavities are routed.preferably do the neck pocket before you even cut the outline...it gives the router something to set on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 oki. i will. but why DO I NEED A ROUTER AND A JIG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 you don't need a jig... it'll make life much easier though... I think your plans are a bit over ambitious for your first guitar. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's very, very tough... Have you considered making an "easier guitar to build"??? Like a bolt on neck with just a flat body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 the jigsaw does the cutting,the router does the routing...router bits are about $30 a piece,and you will wear them out trying to cut out the body shape,not to mention routing is dangerous and should be kept to a minimum. jigsaw blades are cheap..about $5 for a pack,and one blade will cut the whole body. a router is not for cutting. the only reason to use it on the monkeygrip is because if you cut that with a jigsaw it will be so lopsided you will be sanding for days,and you will still probably not get it right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 you can get a jigsaw at walmart for $20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 and get the thin blades(front to back),they make corners better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 thanks wes. i think I'll just go with the jigsaw for now i dont want to cut off any fingers. And ill use drem for routing. (oh god) and NO i well never make a bolt on. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN BUT I SAY NAY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 hey snork...if this is the guitar you really must build then we will help as much as possible...but you might consider simplifying it...this would be tough for even an accomplished luthier. how about a simple set neck instead of a deep set? maybe instead of direct coupling the pickups just direct mount? maybe a one piece body and save the maple for when you have more experience? use alder or basswood instead....just to get a feel for the work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 I agree with Wes... if this is what you want, then we'll help you.. but it's gonna be tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 i really feel all the hype about the deep set tenon is a bunch of hooey...no better than a neck thru or set neck,and much harder to build. i understand the bolt on thing...i feel the same way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 thanks wes. i think I'll just go with the jigsaw for now i dont want to cut off any fingers. And ill use drem for routing. (oh god) and NO i well never make a bolt on. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN BUT I SAY NAY! not your fingers....a router you must be very careful with because it can and will kick back at some point,no matter how careful you are, and you want to keep both hands on it to keep it from scoring the body,and clamp the body down,you don't want to lose your grip and have it land in your lap with the trigger still on...it CAN happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 NAY!!!!! tis' a task i'm obligated to. And i cant seem to find a guide to direct coupling. Are there clips or something i need to attach to the pickups and push them into teh wood or what? Or do i cut a hole in the neck for the pickups and somehow just push them into the wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 oooooooooo my god falling into lap. such an unbelievably bad thought. i would cry for years on end if that happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 http://edroman.com/tech/directcoup.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryeisnotcool2 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 snork im confused? i thught you already screwed something up with the dremel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 he used a cutting disk...that's why he screwed it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 i didnt really screw up that bad. i just made a few ugly lookin cuts. but it'll sand out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted December 15, 2003 Report Share Posted December 15, 2003 Snork, you got a drawing of your guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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