GarageRocker

Not again! Warmoth calls them double expanding, which they are. Warmoth does not call them double acting. They're single acting rods.

The Warmoth works like a single action rod because that's what it is. Warmoth does not call their rod double acting. They call it double expanding, because of the upper/lower construction, but it's definitely a single acting rod. It works like the TRST one-way rod from Luthier's Mercantile.

Those are called mortising bits in the US. They're available from Router Bit World and elsewhere.

If anyone is tempted to buy from Vintique, I have a suggestion: take whatever money you planned on spending with him, burn it, and then repeatedly whack yourself between the eyes with a 2x4. Believe me, doing that will be less painful than actually having him take your money, hold it for years, treat you with contempt and not deliver the product. If you doubt this, just go to the TDPRI and search for Vintique or Jay Monterose. Better yet, just have a look at this thread from January (and it's still unresolved!).

It is rock maple, but the Rick 620 is neck thru body, definitely not a set neck.

So if the StewMac is a "knockoff," and not as good as a Mitutoyo..why pay the huge price difference? Durrt. Perhaps if it was a true Mitutoyo then it would be worth the price? Then you followed up by If you RTFA you would know that the reviewer still uses his original HF calipers, and liked them so much that he bought a second pair. I guess more power to me and I should "suit my myself" I agree with you that a lot of the Harbor Freight tools are cheap knockoffs, but in this instance we are not making valves for the space shuttle..just measuring fretwire. I think "0.0005 is plenty good enough for measuring crown height. I didn't contradict myself at all. I never said the Stew-Mac was a Mitutoyo or as good as the Mitutoyo. I have no idea if it's any better or not. What I did say -- and I'll say it for the third time -- is that the HF and Stew-Mac units are not identical. And I said this because you claimed that they are the exact same, implying that Stew-Mac is ripping people off. There are a number of identical looking units. Just because they look the same does not make them the exact same. I read the review, no need to get all hostile about it. He said "Although I've had pretty good luck with the import dial calipers, they seem to have a lifetime of about a year under the conditions in my shop." I pointed out that I've used mine (yet another Mitutoyo knockoff) for much longer to make the point that they're not all the same quality. I'm a semi-retired woodworker who spends many hours a week in the shop. Mine has seen plenty of use in a shop with less-than-ideal dust and chip collection, and it's still going. I have a friend who has been in the guitar repair business full time for many years and he's used the Stew-Mac gauge ever since it came out. Another case of longevity. And once again -- reading to .0005 is not the same as accurate to .0005. My bathroom scale reads to 1 oz. I guarantee you it's not accurate to 1 oz. If you can grind the slots as accurately as Stew-Mac, and your time is worth $0.00 per hour, then I guess it's worth it to you to save the bucks. Just don't represent it as the exact same as the Stew-Mac unit.

There's no replacement rod you can just buy, unless Gibson will sell you the components from one of their current long scale basses. You would have to make it using Stew-Mac's "traditional truss rod kit" or using your own locally bought rod, threading die and adjusting and anchor nuts. It's a traditional compression rod. You'll have to remove the fretboard and then remove the fillet of wood that sits on top of the rod.

Did you even look at the pictures? How about this review regarding if "they may be as good"...: HF Caliper Review You are gonna tell me that the molded plastic LCD housing is different? You can see the same exact calipers, except for one difference. The Stew Mac version appears to have a silver track, where harbor freight's is black. The button placement, button colors, battery cover, LCD size, functionality, specifications...are all the same. And as far as accuracy, as stated in the Harbor Freight review: "The readout module is in a plastic housing with a 4-1/2 digit LCD display. The 1/2 digit reads out to the nearest 0.0005" Stew Mac's: "An accurate measuring tool for other guitar shop jobs as well, this caliper has hardened stainless steel parts. It's switchable for readouts in inches or millimeters, and measures outside, inside and depth dimensions up to 6" (152mm), with .0005" (.01mm) resolution. The jaws can be locked at any position." Gee. I am not saying don't buy from Stew Mac. However if you feel the extra 200% markup is well worth the cost (on some of their items including this one) and nothing else will work...fine. I will be enjoying the extra money I saved that could go towards some wood, glue, MOP, strings, AAAAA flamed tops, etc... I've seen both products in person. They are not the identical product. Both the Stew-Mac and the Harbor Freight are Mitutoyo knockoffs. So are several dozen other brands out there. The knockoffs all look identical or nearly so. But they aren't all identical. And FWIW, reading out to .0005" doesn't mean it's accurate to .0005". And the Stew-Mac may not be either. I doubt either would meet A2LA accredited calibration standards. The Mitutoyo will. If the accuracy and lifespan of the HF unit is good enough for you, then more power to you. I'm using one that cost me $25 and has lasted for 3 1/2 years in adverse conditions, which is a lot longer than the HF unit as reported in that review. Whatever. Suit yourself. You think anyone who pays Stew-Mac prices is a sucker, but HF exists because of suckers who devoutly believe that if it looks the same it has to be the same. I see them post at my favorite woodworking forum about how they got the same thing for less, then a few months later I see them post about their problems (inaccuracy, shorter lifespan, etc. etc.) while my more expensive tools and machines run year after year with routine maintenance. David Hannum was right.

In addition to the experts mentioned, Rickenbacker and Musicman specifically state that truss rod adjustments should always be made at full tension. A properly installed, properly operating truss rod will not break unless you overcrank it. And if you don't know how to adjust it without overcranking, then you need to take it to someone who does. OTOH, I've seen a couple of allegedly qualified repairmen who shouldn't be allowed within 500 feet of a truss rod wrench.

Wow. So 'taken for a ride' or 'suckered' are emotive terms, but 'criminally expensive allparts' isn't? Allparts is a wholesaler. That's the overwhelming majority of their business. If you qualify, you get the wholesale price. I qualify because I have a registered business name in my state. They don't encourage you to buy direct. They would rather you buy from a retailer who carries their products. And in my area, most retailers discount their products 30% or more off list. Their direct to the public price is full list price because they don't want to undercut the prices of their clients who are selling retail.

It's not the same exact caliper. It's one of many almost-identical looking calipers on the market. HF sells lots of tools that look identical to more expensive tools. In some cases they may be as good. In my experience, most of them aren't. Of course both Stew-Mac and Harbor Freight buy bulk wholesale. But HF is a very big company that imports direct, while Stew-Mac is much smaller and no doubt buys through a direct importer. They would be paying more even if it were the identical item. Faulty analogy. These are specialty tools, not an everyday commodity used by almost everyone. They have a very small potential market. Yes, they can, and if you have the knowledge, you should. Just don't kid yourself about the amount of time you put into making your own. If you think you can buy these at wholesale, accurately grind the slots, operate a web business, sell them for substantially less than Stew-Mac, provide the same customer service, and make a reasonable profit, then you should do it. I'm sure people would be interested. It's helpful to point out how you can do it yourself, without bashing Stew-Mac. It's not helpful to say that Stew-Mac is taking you or anyone else for a ride.

If you're going to buy Crapsman, Black & Decker or Mastercraft, don't complain about them breaking down or their batteries not lasting. They're consumer grade goods made for occasional use. My only cordless drill is a Hitachi 12V. I bought it primarily for driving screws into hardwood with my Kreg jig. 12V is plenty for that and keeps the weight down. Three years of regular use and it hasn't missed a beat. That's because it's a commercial grade tool. You get what you pay for. One other thing, what Harbor Freight and Big Lots sell are definitely not the same tools as the name brands. They may last as long, maybe not, but they cut even more corners than the low end of the Crapsman or Ryobi lines.

I have those clamps, they're great for any edge gluing and IMO well worth the money. But I don't consider them fancy at all. You should see some industrial clamping systems out there.

How about going back and rereading what I said and what the original poster asked? Or is your reading comprehension at the same level as your spelling and grammar? The lemon oil that Rista asked about is a skin care lotion that has nothing to do with lemon oil for guitars. Its first ingredient is peanut oil, which is a non-drying plant oil that contains fats. It will eventually go rancid. Lemon oil sold for guitar use is fine when used as directed. It's a petroleum based cleaner. And you'll need more than "a drop" if you expect it to do anything.

Standard "nickel silver" fret wire is non-ferrous. It's brass and nickel.