Andyjr1515 Posted March 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 2 hours ago, curtisa said: You sure the string is buzzing at the 2nd with the first depressed? It could also be buzzing at the maximum string displacement when plucked, which would be somewhere around the 13th/14th. I guess you could use the fret rocker across the 1st/2nd/3rd frets, press it towards the 3rd fret side and see if you can get some feeler guages between the fret rocker and the 1st, and then repeat at the 2nd/3rd/4th to see if the same gap exists at the 2nd position? Buzzing exclusively at the 1st is not something I've experienced. Getting the neck to buzz all over the place, however, is one of my specialties Definitely just the second fret. It buzzes on all strings and no other buzzes on any of them all the way up to the 24th. And this is the point. Normally, I would use the rocker and conclude that the 2nd fret is high. And once I'd filed that down, I would probably find that the third fret had mysteriously gone high . How I did it in the end was check the 2nd to 4th with a rocker to check for daylight under the 3rd and the 3rd to 5th with a rocker, then laid a 6" rule edge on across the 1st to 5th and pressed down over the 1st fret. Sure enough, it rocked (and not in a good rock 'n roll way ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said: then laid a 6" rule edge on across the 1st to 5th and pressed down over the 1st fret. That's what I would have suggested 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadaegd Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 Awesome thread !! : * ) I need cheapest tools, and how the whole thing comes together ! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 I never use a fret rocker, even though I have one (somewhere). The first port of call to get good fretwork is to have a good radius down the fingerboard to start out with. Frets will telegraph low spots quite well, which is the issue that you might be having with the low frets when levelling. After I've built a neck ready to be fretted, I'll check the fingerboard for flatness against a light source. Peeking light at the ends and corners is common, as is a low spot here and there. Remedying those before fretting as much as is possible is key. I'm probably preaching to the choir here, however this is useful for anybody else following this thread that might experience the same issue. Buzzing at the 2nd means that the string is hitting a higher fret; 2nd is low and not high. Hold down the string at 2nd and hammer on at 3rd, 4th, etc. to get a better idea of what's happening. If the 2nd fret were high, you'd get buzzing or an incorrect note at 1st. Have you marked all the frets with a pen and then done a test with a sanding stick to see where the marker is removed and where it isn't? I'd suspect that the marker would be left on the 2nd fret due to it being lower than the rest. The choice of remedy is your own. Pulling that one fret and replacing it with larger wire to make up for a potential low spot is one fix. Chipout on a new build isn't the most attractive of possibilities here though. The only other good alternative is to aggressively level the entire neck. It seems like a waste of good meat on the wire, however there isn't much else that offers guarantee of success. Like any intrusive fix, it's worth confirming the problem at least two ways. Like you pretty much said yourself, end up playing whack-a-mole is never fun. I had a single low point on my '51 P-bass at the 13th fret on the 1st string. Right up there in the solo pokey bits. I had to dial in mild progressive falloff, and could only do that thanks to the position right up top. Buzzing in the nether regions requires some proper topical application of the sanding stick. Wire brush and Dettol, ma'am. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 3 hours ago, Prostheta said: Buzzing at the 2nd means that the string is hitting a higher fret; 2nd is low and not high. Apols, @Prostheta - I worded this badly (no change there, then ) What I meant to say is "when I fret down at the 1st fret, the string buzzes against the 2nd fret". While the fretboard itself was very straight and evenly radiused (yes..I know...I don't usually achieve that) and the frets were well seated, I'm pretty sure I didn't tighten the truss rod enough to straighten the neck itself properly before I levelled. I use a full length beam so I think it would have done this (exaggerated just a touch!): The curve of the neck will have amplified the amount of material removed from the 1st and 24th frets. Anyway - sorted. I've replaced the 1st fret and just polished it rather than levelling and crowning it and all the buzzing has stopped . The 24th fret is probably also lower than the 23rd but that, of course, doesn't matter. Nonetheless, there is a lot of very useful info in your post that I will squirrel away and, when everyone has forgotten who it came from, I will declare bits of it from time to time as Andyjr1515 wisdom and guidance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2018 Four jobs left: Tweak a couple of high spots on three of the frets Finish scrape to final shape and slurry and buff the neck Fix the hatch and trussrod cover with magnets Fit the strap buttons Jobs recently completed is basically the electrics - it is now fully playable and sounds (to my biased ear) great I've stuck with a simple master volume and master tone pluse three way switch: Mainly because Jane is a complete beginner and I doubt would have her learning experience greatly enhanced with coil splits, etc. Having said that, I've wired it '50's style' - so actually, she would be able to get pretty much any sound she likes if she turns out to be a fast learner! The hatch and truss rod cover will be held on by neo magnets and, for the former, I'll carve out a more obvious thumbnail access at the left hand side: The home-made knobs look pretty good Probably the prettiest one I've done so far. Certainly the lightest - 5lb 4oz before the final wood removal from the neck 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 22, 2018 Report Share Posted March 22, 2018 Great work, and glad that it was a simple fix! I'd say that a "50's style" circuit is best for anybody that plays the amp....that is, cranks the amp and controls the tone with the vol/tone controls. Was this the intent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2018 12 hours ago, Prostheta said: Great work, and glad that it was a simple fix! I'd say that a "50's style" circuit is best for anybody that plays the amp....that is, cranks the amp and controls the tone with the vol/tone controls. Was this the intent? Yes - I was staggered just how different and flexible it was on my LP junior double cut when I installed it and have since installed it on a double humbucker 2tone 2 vol setup for someone and it was just as much a transformation. Pleased to say that with two humbuckers and 1 vol and 1 tone it seems to be the same flexibility coming out. The only difference to the 'standard' circuit diagram I use is that I prefer using a linear pot for the volume (although on Jane's at the moment it's a tapered one because I ran out of linear pots!)....I find that makes it much easier to find the sweet spots of the combinations. And those sweet spots include being able to go from smooth jazz to acoustic jangle to crunch to full overdriven without pedals and without going anywhere near the amp settings. Remarkable, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 23, 2018 Report Share Posted March 23, 2018 This is entirely why Nina's SG will have that setup. I can't say that I know the reason why this went out of common usage. Laziness? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 23, 2018 Report Share Posted March 23, 2018 This is entirely why Nina's SG will have that setup. I can't say that I know the reason why this went out of common usage. Laziness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 And finished! I think Jane will be well pleased with it. It is spot on 5lbs 4oz, it balances and sits great on the strap or over the knee, it sounds excellent with a HUGE range of tones and the neck has worked out really nicely. I'm well pleased with it - it never bothers me to hand over a build...but I would have loved to keep this. I know slim guitars and guitars with fancy tops aren't to everybody's taste, but this will be one I will persnolly miss when it's gone Anyway - here it is: As always, folks, many many thanks for your encouragement and help along the way 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 Simply gorgeous 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beltjones Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 Looks amazing, man. Totally inspiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 That's a stunner Andy! Hopefully you will get visiting rights. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 53 minutes ago, ScottR said: That's a stunner Andy! Hopefully you will get visiting rights. SR Hopefully . Pity that both Jane and my brother in law are quite a bit younger than me, otherwise I could have asked her to leave it to me in her will.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hittitewarrior Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 Great build! Very impressive. Gonna have to remember this 50's circuit thing when I get to wiring. Sounds cool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 The Jane-ocaster lives! Do want! Any chance you could just pop it in an envelope and send it this way? Doesn't weigh much, so postage would be cheap. ...No? ...Was worth asking 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted March 29, 2018 Report Share Posted March 29, 2018 I must have missed this post- just saw your gotm entry-great job Andy. < 6lbs. with two humbuckers- you should have named it air guitar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2018 2 hours ago, Mr Natural said: I must have missed this post- just saw your gotm entry-great job Andy. < 6lbs. with two humbuckers- you should have named it air guitar And there was me being a pessimist! Final weight was 5lbs 4oz ... maybe, therefore the name could even be Lighter Than Air Guitar, or shortened to an utterly memorable acronym: LTAG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2018 Many,many thanks to those who voted this as GOTM ! I'm really chuffed - although it was a close call against some scarily impressive competition! Andy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 7, 2018 Report Share Posted April 7, 2018 Indeed! It's always the case though, that builds which are documented in the public sphere attract a lot of the vote on that basis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted April 7, 2018 Report Share Posted April 7, 2018 congrats on the GOTM win. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted April 8, 2018 Report Share Posted April 8, 2018 Congratulations! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted April 9, 2018 Report Share Posted April 9, 2018 Beautiful. Clearly a joy to look at and I imagine a joy to hold and play also! So what is this secret 50's wiring that you guys are discussing? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2018 7 hours ago, pan_kara said: Beautiful. Clearly a joy to look at and I imagine a joy to hold and play also! So what is this secret 50's wiring that you guys are discussing? Nothing secret...it is just the way that the tone pot and volume pot / capacitor are wired and were generally wired in the 1950s. I'll post a pic as soon as i'm back on the desktop. The difference is that the tone and volume settings become interactive so turning the volume pot affects the tone and turning the tone pot affects the volume. It takes a bit of practice to learn what position of which pot for each tone you want, but basically, especially with a valve amp just on the edge of break up, you can achieve smooth bassy jazz, sparkly acoustic, crunch and full distorted overdrive without touching the amp or adding any pedals...and that can be all achieved with just one pickup. I'll pop a circuit diagram on shortly and a link to an excellent youtube clip demonstrating it in action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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