Mateyboy Posted May 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2017 Progress has been slow, I've been really busy at work. So I finally got the frets in, I just need to bevel them and tidy them up a bit: Starting to look like a guitar! Next: Finish the frets, nitro on the body, sand the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted June 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2017 I haven't done much in a while so this weekend I stripped the body back down to the wood, coloured it and started to clear coat it: Still got to finish the neck! JT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 25, 2017 Report Share Posted June 25, 2017 Yes, that bit would be handy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eubie Posted June 29, 2017 Report Share Posted June 29, 2017 I like the red with the dog hair finish. That will look good with a nice shiny clear over the top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted July 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2017 OK so I finished the guitar... I have made so many mistakes on this build that I am keeping it as it is to remind me of all the places I went wrong. It is honestly the worst guitar I have ever played in my entire life! So here are the top 3 mistakes: Neck angle is not right; action far too high, some fret buzz (which may not entirely be the angle I guess). Headstock is too thick, the mistake was I didn't thickness it at an early stage and struggled to make it right. The lacquer didn't polish up too great, I didn't use a sealer so I'm wondering if the lacquer (or some of it soaked in to the poplar. Any advice on any of these three subjects would be GREAT! The good news is it looks quite nice, I have learned so much from my first attempt (and it is after all a hobby, if I was pro I'd be broke by now!!!!), I have had loads of fun and I can't wait to get started on the next one. To get the neck better on the next one I'm going to do a bit more research rather than going wild with the files and rasps!!! The next one will be better, I hope!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 8, 2017 Report Share Posted July 8, 2017 Let me get some beer down me first. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted July 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2017 5 minutes ago, Prostheta said: Let me get some beer down me first. Nice one... have a few! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted July 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2017 I put a little shim in the neck joint and adjusted the bridge, so I have a playable guitar now but there's a bit of fret buzz on the low E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 9, 2017 Report Share Posted July 9, 2017 I'll take it from the top, and say what I can see. Firstly, a Tune-o-matic bridge almost guarantees that a neck angle is needed. Either that or the neck sits a lot higher than the plane of the body at their coincident point. The latter is what we have here. The best fix to my mind would be to shave the mating face of the neck, since it looks like you have plenty to play with here. By increasing the angle slightly (careful not to add in any twist or overshoot the mark) you can lower the neck towards the body. At least, that is what I would do because I've never liked necks sitting high off the body. Is the fretwork straight down the string paths? Is the string-to-1st fret distance sitting high? These are all things that can be fixed. I would figure out what is wrong here and why, then take all this forward to the next build. It'll be several times better. This is perfectly recoverable though. I don't like Poplar much, because even though it's easy to work with, it's not good for transparent finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted July 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2017 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: I would figure out what is wrong here and why, then take all this forward to the next build. It'll be several times better Thanks for the feedback, that is exactly what I am going to do. Looking at it now that I've finished I can see that the fretwork is a little shabby in places. The fret that buzzes isn't seated fully into the slot, I could remove it and redo it, maybe later but I've started my second neck now - hopefully learning from my mistakes. 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: I don't like Poplar much Neither do I now, I think it is pretty ugly, especially with a clear coat. It may work better for a solid colour build, I don't know. Not decided on the next body wood yet, plenty of time for that... I've got a neck to make! Thanks to everybody that has offered advice during this build - if only I had listened!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 9, 2017 Report Share Posted July 9, 2017 re: fret seating. I have a fret rocker which I don't use as a fret rocker (really). Instead, I go along my frets and tap each one along the length and listen to the sound. If it sounds dead or hollow, it's likely not seated properly. Easy way to fault find your fretwork. Usually you can see them visually, however listening to your frets is vital. A loose fret that happens to seat flat might not cause buzz, but will certainly kill notes played on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted July 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2017 (edited) Looking back my logic was totally flawed! I just made the assumption that because it was a bolt on neck it wouldn't need an angle... Duh! Looking at my 'commercial' guitars I can see the ones with a tunomatic bridge (LP and SG) have an angled neck (albeit glued in) and the Ibanez (doesn't have a tunomatic bridge) has no 'visible' angle, and that has a bolt on neck. So I made a link between the neck and how it is attached and not the bridge. I have learned two very important things today: 1) I am stoopid! 2) The type of bridge is very important on how I construct the neck! Edited July 9, 2017 by Mateyboy Spelling mistake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 10, 2017 Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 4 hours ago, Mateyboy said: 2) The type of bridge is very important on how I construct the neck! Truer words were never spoken. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 10, 2017 Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 You can also recess tune-o-matic bridges if you like that bridge style but don't want to angle the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted July 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 4 hours ago, GregP said: You can also recess tune-o-matic bridges if you like that bridge style but don't want to angle the neck. Hmm, hadn't even considered that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted July 10, 2017 Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 A tapered shim is less risky than trying to do a precise re-angling of the base of the heel. They can be made using only hand tools and sandpaper if you don't want to splash the cash at Stewmac. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateyboy Posted July 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 13 hours ago, curtisa said: A tapered shim is less risky than trying to do a precise re-angling of the base of the heel. They can be made using only hand tools and sandpaper if you don't want to splash the cash at Stewmac. Yep, that's what I've done for now. I made a shim out of maple. I like this idea, seems easier to do than trying to angle a neck pocket using a router. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 That reminds me! I never did write up my "Shim Factory" tutorial!! Sanding the face of the heel down is completely dependent on experience and confidence, I agree. Shims are a completely non-destructive option. Sorry I forgot to disclaimer myself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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