paintingrookie

Hi, Can anyone tell me how thick a drop top needs to be before it stops being a "thick veneer" and starts to influence tone? I', thinking 1/4 inch to 3/8inch quilted maple over ash. ta J

Sorry not been around to keep up with this thread, thanks all for the info lol. This project started off as a frankenguitar, based upon a "butchered" Parker p38 body, with a drop top instead of a pickguard, and an Ibanez RG neck with aanj. So what I am going to do is fit the neck and trem then check that the thing will intonate, after that I will do the rest of the surgery and finish. I am having a bit of a struggle with the concept of 26 inch scales etc, but as the Ibanez neck is a 25.5 scale then that is what i'll have to build. Incidentally my sons jem measures 12.795 inches (325mm) nut to 12th fret and 12.717 inches(323) 12th fret to bridge, which is 25.512 inches(648), which as it intonates no problem seems to be within spec. J

Hmmm, Thanks for all that advice guys. I think I will ignore the possible problems and bash on with 24 frets. But a slanted pickup like on the 27 fret Caparisons might look great. This guitar will be set up for drop c. It's technical death metal with solos and some none screamed vocals, and not too much of a processed wash of distortion, so that's why I was concerned with the sound. Ta J

Hi, I am hoping to build a 24 fret guitar specifically for metal for my son. The thing will have emg 81/85 pups, Wilkinson trem and be a thin solid body not unlike a "Blackmachine". However I am a bit concerned about the problem with the 24th fret being over where the neck pickup should be for a 25.5 inch scale length, and ruining the tone. What I want to know is why can't I move the trem and hence the saddles up the body, and the neck back a bit, and therefore have 24 frets and still have the centre of the neck pickup at the 2nd octave node. Obviously this will make the guitar longer by 2 frets, but to my novice mind the 25.5 inch scale length is still maintained. Or do the expert builders here think this node theory is just physics, after all I don't see anything wrong with the tone on a Jem. I have not decided on bolt on aanj or neck through yet. I see StewMac do a neck through 24 fret neck now. Thanks J

his fingers would do me

hi, Thanks guys, yes these extra switches are not essential for playing, however in this case best included for completeness. Yes its all in the fingers, still doesn't stop these guys using monster effects boards and rigs though. J

See also john

Hi, So I have confused you all sorry. I am talking about the Black Strat not the candy apple red one, which indeed uses emgs. The mini toggle switch is used to switch on the bridge pickup so it can be on at the same time as the neck or the neck and middle. Just like a push pull can do. It is a fairly famous mod and i'm surprised you have not heard of it. It is recessed because when David Gilmour did the mod, he wanted it to be unobtrusive. Regards John

Hi, Can anyone help me with a strat wiring diagram so I can fit a concealed sinle pole SPDT mini toggle to a strat as per david Gilmour. Thanks J

I know this is a very old post but if you are still interested, go to Gilmoursh.com it is all explained there.

Hi all, I have an alder strat body in poly 3 tone sunburst which I need to relic to show wear and paint black as for David Gilmour's black strat. How much preparation do I need to do before I do the overspray coats? I also need to do a similar job for the neck which is a 1994 Squier, and requires to be amber as for vintage necks. This too will be poly not nitro, same question regarding preparation. J

Hi, One of my sons knocked my TW55 (Blue) and caused a nick in the top about 3/8 inch long. It has not effected the sound of the guitar but I cringe every time I look at it.I was wondering if anybody can give me advice on fixing this. I wondered if I dripped poly into the mark then rubbed it out with G3 would this work, and then continued with the whole top as it has a few light marks anyway. I am assuming that this is poly finished. The depth is about 1/16th inch, and the poly is slightly cracked for a very small area around the nick. It is a nick, through to the wood, not a dent with the finish still intact Is it possible to produce an invisible repair or will it look worse? John

Hi All, 5 string electric violin made using guitar techniques finally finished. Pics here http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1815188 Its full of flaws and really needs taken down and given one more sand with 2000 grit and a final coat of poly, then machine polished. But i'm fairly proud of it, and it sounds cool in acoustic mode and through M Audio black box. Sycamore body with a few fine coats of Shellac then loads of coats of poly, hand applied using a kind of french polishing technique. Maple neck with 3 coats Shellac. Ashworth electronics piezo transducer bridge. Passive output to mono jack. Thanks to all who gave advice and especially Drak for helping me calm down before Christmas when I was panicking that my son would have no present because it wasn't finished!!!! I mocked it up for xmas day. Now for the next project.!!!!!!! Dave Gilmour tribute Candy Apple Red 57 Reissue Partscaster, with EMG DG20 pups setup or Bare knuckle Apaches, and LR Baggs X Bridge (if I can figure out how to wire it to a Fender S1 pot). John

Hi, Help urgent I need to clearcoat an electric 5 string violin by christmas.( due to production stopping due to a heart attack) I intend to use a fast curing floor varnish from Ronseal. Uk folks will know the name. It is a water based poly and can be recoated in 1 1/2 hours, and will be hard enough to walk on in 12 hours. Has anyone any idea how I can buff this to a high gloss finish quickly. John

hi, Mike Thanks forr your reply and my delay in responding, but have spent the last week having and starting to recover from a heart attack !!!!!! new this painting thing was way to much pressure. Right what about this then. The wood is well figured sycamore, cut in 1992 fro a 200 year old tree, and figured a bit like the Bad Boy Blue Strats, hence the blue colour decision. I am goin to have to take it real easy for a while, so I have looked around here in Fife Scotland for somebody to paint the thing for me. But all I can find apart from car paintshops is one bike custom gu. Howeer he only shoots 2 part. It has been suggested to me that since sanding etc is out of the question for a while is that I use coloured lacquer, in either red or blue available from Manchesterguitartech.co.uk. They are nitro cans, and it has been suggested 2 or 3 coats then swith to clear. The fiddle is solid, andfairly thin, and I am really looking forward to posting a pic on this site. Best regard John