ScottR Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said: Of course, for a more even colour all round, that can be a disadvantage because I can't think of any way to prevent the darkening. The only option for that is to go with a different wood choice, as far as I know. Actually, now that I think of it you could seal it first and then tint the clear. But if you want to color the raw wood, you would have to go with bland non figured wood. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitaraxz Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 Please let us know how that bridge turns out! You mentioned Custom Humbuckers, who made them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 I will, just hadn't had the time to work on it since, due to other projects. The hums were made by Fedor Chernyshev, he is a Moscow-based pickup maker. I used to work there for a few years about 15 years ago, so I bought them when I started the build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 Finally, a small update on the SG! Frets are on, but in the process I found a deep crack in the fretboard glue line. Since I was able to push a scraper blade deep enough without much effort, I took the fretboard off. with no damage. Well, unfinished guitar, changing countries for 10 years, time in storage...I guess I'm lucky it's just that. I'll clean it up and re-glue and then I can proceed with fret dressing and final shaping of the neck. 004 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 25, 2016 Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 To say that a gap that big is "not good" is an understatement. A *scraper*??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 Good thing is that no real harm was done - it came right off using a hot spatula so it's just cleaning and reglue. I guess it could be as much about the glue used back then as it could be about truck drive from Moscow to here, years in storage itd... Scraper is one of replacement blades I have turned a burr on...the crack was not very visible, nothing was warped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 25, 2016 Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 Cool. We can breathe easier now then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Cleaned both sides and glued back on. Looking at what I've scraped off, I think the glue was the reason it happened. I had the exact same thing on a Red Special copy I made around that time, probably the same batch of glue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 No pics of actual gluing, but It's nicely back on. I trimmed the fret ends while the fretboard was off, which is a first for me. I liked the freedom of access it gives, but still I prefer the usual way I do it... I'm fine tuning the neck shape now, and changing my opinion on type of finish constantly. I do know the headstock will be black, but the rest - wine red, mahogany+tobacco brown, no idea still. Pore filling soon and a lot of sanding ahead 005 by Goran P, on Flickr 006 by Goran P, on Flickr 007 by Goran P, on Flickr 008 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 It'll tell you what colour it wants to be on that basis ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Probably I even thought of solid black, but that would be a shame I think. Based on your 5 string bass thread I wanted to ask you if you had any experience with raw lineseed pore filling by sanding, followed by nitro final coats? I'll probably just go with water-based filler, but oil might highlight any subtle figure this mahogany has. I can't try it out on scrap as I don't have any of that or similar mahogany at hand. I've spent a good part of morning looking over various SG pics, and I'm leaning toward rich deep wine red, with black headstock, plain black Standard pickguard (which might get some binding perhaps?) and the hardware I got is black, due to black Trilogy bridge I have for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 I haven't tried raw since it doesn't build up like polymerised ("boiled" or "blown") oil or those mixed with dryers (Tru-Oil) do. I mean, it might bind the dust that packs into pores or the grain, but not as quickly or as efficiently as quicker-drying oils. I doubt you'd get nitro to adhere to oil directly, hence why I am using shellac between them both. Alcohol can be used to explore the wood if you think it has chatoyance worth highlighting. Once you apply oil, you can't really go back. It's pretty invasive and unfriendly to anything but waxes or shellac. I think I remember somebody having success shooting finish over Tru-Oil, however I can't say for certain. If I haven't tried it myself, so I can't comment. That said, you can use shellac to pore fill. It's the same method of application as how you would French polish however you use fine pumice to raise a light slurry. Back then you didn't have sandpaper, so things like pumice, rottenstone, etc. were use for sanding and polishing. In this instance, a light dusting of pumice is added to the surface of the French polishing rubber which creates a fine wood dust and shellac mix. This packs into the pores and levels itself out. I don't see much advantage in this process here. In all honesty, a pigmented water-based filler tends to be preferred so that the grain/pores add contrast through the finish. The finish I'm aiming for on my own SG (well, Nina's) is going to use a dark Walnut or even a black grain fill. I'm not trying to highlight any figuring or chatoyance however, and I believe that this would dampen any anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Thanks! Waterbased it is, no point in complicating things. Black grain fill...back to the drawing board This might be just a thing to tie up the black hardware to the wine red finish... Waiting on developments on your SG project! BTW here's the Firebird I've made for my wife when we moved in together IMG_20150523_170359 by Goran P, on Flickr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Bloody hell Goran. That's a stunner. We must really love them, eh? Our wives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Thanks!!! Definitely! It was sort of an experiment that went really well (the guitar, not moving in) as it is made entirely from pine. Just the fretboard is ebony. Completely stable to this day, no bending warping etc, really light, and big open sound. Pine is sort of hard to work with, but well worth the effort IMO. Sides are one-piece, while the center is 3 layers, not side by side, but stacked. I wanted to see will I get any warping if the neck is made like a composite bow, sort of. Maybe I was just lucky, but it seems to work. BTW, could anyone verify if my electronic scheme for the SG will work? I made it up by supplementing the toggle switch in the drawing with instructions from Stew-Mac for connecting the pan pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted September 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 No update so far on the SG, but I did a experiment or two I'd like to show: This is the head cab I've made for my attempt to make a chip amp (LM3886) with FET driven preamp. It's supposed to emulate JTM45, but as I was unable to find a schematic for one with 4 inputs, I've put together something I hope will work. My first serious attempt to cover a cab, btw. IMG_20160910_163026 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20160915_200114 by Goran P, on Flickr And here's the other experiment - scrap wood in form of a 335: IMG_20160927_203617 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20160927_222942 by Goran P, on Flickr The goal was to see how well would the poplar 4mm plywood top and back take the arching, glued to the solid (about 1in wide) sides, with solid wood core, carved to proper arch. Actually, it worked great so far! the back is still off, and the neck is not glued in. The neck was started some time ago as my friend wanted me to teach him how to insert the frets. He lost interest on the 3rd as can be seen in the pics, and the thing was just gathering dust, so, this will be a good use for it. Neck body join is at the 20th fret, 26mm deep, 70mm long tenon, whole width, just with two half circles "pinching" into it. It was actually routed freehand, so no jigs to show, but I went slow and it went reasonably well. I'm still trying to decide how to tackle the electronics installation, I was repairing a hollow bass a while ago and pulling the whole thing trough the pickup hole was not fun...anyone tried to make a big hole on the side to slide the whole harness in? Then I could move the input jack on the cover for that? Even thought of cutting a LP style opening on the back... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted September 28, 2016 Report Share Posted September 28, 2016 I like the 335-style very much. I like the slimness - Hofner Verithin comes to mind. I've cut access panels in a few semi-acoustics ... life is far too short to go stuffing things into f holes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted September 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 (edited) Thanks Andy! It will be 34mm at the sides, I like it so far. I'll have to move the f-holes a bit inland, 2cm I think, because of the sides being wider that usual. Drawn out and ready to cut today. I think I'll stick with the usual method for electronics, I've been looking at some pics of covers on the back, and it just doesn't look right... On the not so bright side, yesterday I've routed the pup holes using my usual LP template, route went well, and upon removing the template, I find that I indexed the template off the wrong side of the mark...I couldn't even scream. Can't bring myself to take a pic. Cutting the plugs, rerouted in the proper places already, when the plugs are set I'll bring them flush to the top with orbital...it is an offcut guitar, but this ...I'll have to get creative, as I still want the usual wine red top. One route went to the dead center of bridge position, so that at least gives me a starting point for some sort of solution. At least the bridge will be on hardwood Edited September 30, 2016 by gpcustomguitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 Its been a while, Goran! Good seeing you, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Good to be back! Thanks Carl! Here's what I've been up to: IMG_20160930_172256 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20161001_154103 by Goran P, on Flickr I've managed to cut 2 plugs for the mistake routs, glued them in and sanded them flush, with arching of course, with orbital sander. Cut the f-holes, as planned I have moved the inwards, 2 cm closer to the centerline, to compensate for the thick sides. Still looks right, at least to my eyes. The other pics shows the inside while still rough, I've since sanded all the roughness away and routed clean inner lines for the sides. One exception is the dip in the side, it's for the pot to have some maneuvering room. The sides are beech flooring ages old we have in the yard, dry and stable. I don't like beech, but this started as an experiment, so I guess it's OK. It may surprise me yet The center is a nice piece of door frame I had left over, and the neck is a mystery hardwood flooring, scarf joint, that I've made a neck from before and it works and sounds nice. So, it's just a set of frets, rosewood fretboard with some plastic markers, two plywood plates of the 1st grade and a hot rod. What's left to resolve is the glue lines around the plugs - most will be covered by hardware, but TOM is in the dead center of one, and the idea so far is to inlay some aluminium wire into them and add some accents, swirls or something, to have the TOM highlighted discretely if possible. I would still like to have it in the transparent wine red. I've wanted to try inlaying silvery wire for some time now, so I guess the time is now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Good seeing you busy. You seem to get a lot done when you're in the zone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 I try to, whenever the day to day stuff gives me some space I found a large piece of sapele veneer (I think) in my stash. I might make the sides prettier if I manage all the bends. I hid it from myself obviously, I bought it back in '00 or '01 Will have to look up some basic veneering... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 Well, my veneer is really dry, probably because of it age, and seems too brittle to manage the tips of the horns without breaking. I have searched the net on bending, but no real luck...any ideas, links? I'll test it first, but would the glue (PVA) moisturize it enough to regain/enhance pliability? If it does crack on the tips, I could inlay a small piece of binding to bridge the gap, or veneer in a patch cross grain? Other bends will be fine I think. I think I'll start with test bending a piece with glue on, followed with bending with glue on with hot iron over paper. Any experiences to share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Aaand - half done! Literally IMG_20161010_220002 by Goran P, on Flickr I didn't want to risk the router bearing damaging the veneer, so I did it all backwards. I'm aiming at 1.5 mm thick binding, I have 2mm binding stock I cut to size, and so I have routed the binding ledge with that in mind. Binding was glued with CA this time, I usually use acetone, but I had limited time. Binding was left proud of the sides, creating a channel for the veneer strip I have cut a hair oversize, and pared to fit while gluing section by section. I used masking tape on both ends to prevent splitting, and pressed the veneer with tape and various cauls. The glue did soften and moisturize the veneer enough that I really had no problem with any of the bends. The binding is still a bit proud , so I'll scrape it down when the other half is done. Besides binding which was done a day before, it took about an hour, preparations and all. The pic shows the idea, the arch is also somewhat visible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted October 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2016 And the other half is done too - I'll have to glue in 2 slivers, but that should be quite easy. All in all, this went well. No pics, will post when I scrape the binding. I'm ordering some parts for this today, some I already have, and then I'm moving to the neck, and making the pickguard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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