aidlook Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 I just got my saga T-style kit that I´ve been waiting for... I´m a complete newbie at building guitars...And I have some questions that I´d like answered...So plz help me...cuz I´m really anxious to get started on my project... 1. Will a stainless steel (or aluminum) pickguard affect the pickup? 2.I got a maple fretboard for it..Should I finish the fretboard or only the neck? 3.One of the frets is loose...what do I do? 4. Where do u suppose I could get tinted clearcoat...I don´t want to order from stewemac´s or anything since I live in sweden.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northendem Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 A metal pickgaurd won't affect anything, well. Unless you mean the pickups are mounted to it. I don't know if it would be bad, since it would make a total ground. And I'm not sure you can really ground that well to it. But, that should'nt really be a problem. I would'nt reccomend it though. About loose frets, I've run into loose frets. I just either take them out, clean the slot, put some filler mixed with some wood particles, let it dry, and repress the fret. Or, you can just try glueing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted August 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Ok...thnx..what type of glue would be preferable?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northendem Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Ok...thnx..what type of glue would be preferable?? Damn...........Some types of Super Glue work fine, just be careful how you apply it. You can just use poly types of resin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 21, 2004 Report Share Posted August 21, 2004 The odds of having buzz on that re-glued fret are fairly high. Still, I can't think of what else you can do other than return it to the vendor for a replacement. If you're lucky, the above idea will work and you'll have no worries. For the neck, you can either finish it or leave it unfinished; it's up to you, really. I think it's more common to have finish on the maple; on the other hand, Eddie Van Halen insists on UNFINISHED maple for his necks. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted August 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2004 well...I live in sweden, and I ordered it from universaljems, so returning it would be pretty costly I think...I´´m gonna try to superglue it..and I probably will finish it somewhat tinted..there are som scratches on the fretboard..Do I need to fill them with grainfiller If I want to clearcoat the fretboard?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 22, 2004 Report Share Posted August 22, 2004 I don't think the metal pickguard will be a problem for the pickups at all. If anything, it may shield the wires from the neck pickup a little better. As for the loose fret, just like a loose tooth, just gingerly remove it and reset it. EVH use to superglue in his frets, and Dan Erlewine wrote in his Guitar Player Repair Guide that you could glue in the frets; you just need to widen the slot a smidgen just to give the glue enough area to grab hold. Keep in mind you'll probably need to dress the fret with a file to get the profile right so it won't buzz. The finish on the neck is up to you. True, EVH and many other high-profile shredders like unfinished, quartersawn necks. However, if EVH, Kirk Hammett, or Zakk Wylde wants a new guitar, they just call up Peavey, ESP, or Gibson and one is sent out to them, free of charge. Unfinished necks will warp over time, especially necks that aren't exactly made from choice quartersawn lumber like your Saga. So I'd say give it a nice satin finish that will smooth out over time. Also, you do need to fill the scratches if you can feel them when you run your hand down the back of the neck. Otherwise, you'll feel them forever. Anyway, good luck with the kit. Even though you've had a couple of problems, better to learn how to solve them now on something cheap before you tackle something bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted August 22, 2004 Report Share Posted August 22, 2004 Hum shouldn't have all of those problems with that neck unless it got banged around alot in shipping. If you find the repairs are not simple enough for you to handle send it back and I'll replace it plus refund your shipping cost no questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted August 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 wow...that´s som great customer service..But I think I´ll try to fix the fret myself..and hopefully learn something... The scratches are not on the back of the neck but on the fretboard, running from the first to the second fret..I don´t know if they will be a problem, since they´re not very deep, will it work if I clearcoat and then sand it down evenly? When I finsish the fretboard...can I mask the frets as on the scalloping your neck tutorial on the main site? And in what type of shop would I be able to get tinted clearcoat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 What do yo umean by refinishing...like the back of the neck, or the acual fretboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Well, if the scratches are on the fretboard and not on the back of the neck, the only problem is going to be cosmetic, and that's only if you use a gloss finish. Gloss looks great for a little while until the strings eat through the finish. Check out a pic of Springsteen's Tele sometime and you'll see what I mean. You could probably sand the clear down evenly to fill the scratches, but it would take several coats and a lot of tedious sanding to do that. Grain filler may work better, but you'll still have to deal with sanding a very small area. It's up to you whether you want to spend the time with it. Also, Brian's offer to take care of the neck is real customer service. I wish more people and companies were like that more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted August 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 What do yo umean by refinishing...like the back of the neck, or the acual fretboard? the whole shebang..I want tinted clearcoat for everything except the top of the headstock, wich is gonna be black. All I need to get me started is to find out where I could possibly get tinted clearcoat.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 Your from sweden right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted August 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 yep that´s right.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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