Gigabyte Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 (edited) EDIT: PRS, not Prs.... Don't know why I typed it like that..... Anyway: Well, just thought I'd post up some of the work on my second guitar making attempt. This time I'm turning my Ibanez GAX-50 into a PRS McCarty style guitar. Basically what I did was strip it for parts (ie: neck and bridge) and I'm making the body for it.... Here's some progress photos: 3 pc. poplar back glued to 2 pc flamed maple top: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0067.jpg Body cut out and routing the cavities ( got brave (or stupid) and did everything freehand). Came out perfect though : http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0006.jpg Another shot of the same. As you can see the neck mounting area will be different since I'm adapting the neck: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0007.jpg Routed around the edges and tapered off at the horns in preparation to arch the top: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0010.jpg Drilling out most of the wood for the back cavity: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0011.jpg Arched top using a 5 inch orbit sander (quick work doing it this way too)..... Had to do the horns with a dremel and sand by hand. Still working on the horns at this point: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0020.jpg Done with top and added the knob circle thingamajigs: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0068.jpg Some work on the back side: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0070.jpg Modified the headstock to look like a PRS neck (won't have any logos or anything though: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/sha...RS/DSCF0069.jpg Edited October 25, 2004 by Gigabyte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyunsu Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Good Work.. Celan.. i am failed.. PRS Copy.. ^^ nice work.. success your work.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 (edited) Nice looking work! Your pictures make it look "easier said than done", . But you obviously took your time and are doing a very precise job, not to mention knowing how to use your tools. Keep us posted. Edited October 25, 2004 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerryL Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Really sweet job there. I've always wanted to do a carved top similar to that and haven't had the nerve to try it yet but It's coming some time. Keep up the great job and Bring us more photo's as soon as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slabbefusk Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Nice work - very clean and carefull. How long did you spend on the carve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pibrocher Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Awesome man. The orbital sander was a good idea. Lot quicker then using a shaver or scrapers. What are the details on that neck you are using? Also nice job modifying the headstock. I am thinking about doing an arched top on my next project, will have to remember some of your tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Thank you for the pics. I am in the process of doing a similar carve. You have given my random orbit sander a new lease on life! Man, how thick is that top, like 3/4 inch? Very nice. Way to go on the pickup routing - livin' on the edge. Excellent work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Hey Iam using the same neck for a 9-string flying-V project that iam working on it's going to be the same idea as a B.C.Rich birch with string mounting ferruls on the headstock I had to MOD the string nut and the bridge but no big deal. any way great looking guitar!! are you going to dye the top. !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddler68 Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Hey gigabyte, what did you use to get those knob recesses? Someone posted a thread in 'Solidbody guitar and bass' wanting to know the best way to do this. Here's the thread: Recessing controls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigabyte Posted October 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 (edited) Thanks for the kind words..... Some answers to questions: As for the top I did absolutely no carving (ie: chisels)..... All I did was start out with routing the edges out like the picture above. To get the curve or arching all I did was use the 5 inch orbit sander with a 100 grit disk on it. Basically I just held it at an angle (down toward the edge). I did this for the whole top until I got to about where the top of the neck pickup cavity is on the top horn and the bottom of the same cavity on the bottom horn. That part only took about 30 minutes. After that the curves gets too small for the orbit sander. The top of the horns I just slowly shaped with a dremel using a small sanding roll followed by hand sanding to smooth it out... Doing the horns took a lot longer because of all the hand sanding involved... As for the color, I'm going to die it scarlett red after dying it black and sanding it back. Haven't decided if I'm going to use the spray on type or do it the old fashion way and wipe it on.... The neck is just a 22 fret Ibanez GAX 50 neck. I believe they use the same neck on all the AX and GAX models.... I took the "Ibanez" off using the wife's fingernail polish remover (for some reason they put the silver logo on after they clear coat it). It came off very easy actually but I could still see where it said "Ibanez" because it was shinier where the letters where so I wet sanded it and polished it out and no more logo.... I shaped the top of the head stock with a dremel and sanding roll after chopping excess wood off with one diagonal cut from the hacksaw..... I love that dremel As for the knob reccesses I used a big cove bit for a router(don't know exact size, just big). Actually I used it incorrectly but it worked. I just took the screw and bearing off the end and put it in a drill press. One thing I noticed when testing it out on some scrap was that when I drilled the pilot hole out larger than the circular part at the bottom of the bit it didn't work very well and got choppy as the wood wanted to jump around. Suprisingly I got excellent results making the pilot hole smaller than the bottom of the bit. Just go slow and don't move to the real guitar until you practice it out on scrap........ Edited October 26, 2004 by Gigabyte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigabyte Posted January 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 (edited) Just thought I'd show some update pictures since I've dyed the body and started doing clear coats over the past couple of days. Please excuss the crappy pictures, they don't do the finish justice; plus some are at night between coats at that.......... 3 stages of dying (Sounds like some sort of theological idea....) side shot at night with some clear and orange peel angled front/bottom shot similar shot with no flash (I know.... I need to learn to take better pictures.....) Couple shots of the front inside with no flash (still crappy looking pictures ) Front1 Front2 I've got a couple more cans of clear to put on, then a month of staring Edit: Here's a shot of the real neck in place since the other neck looks funny (it's the neck I use to hang and paint my guitars with. Anyway, here's the shot: Neck shot Edited January 27, 2005 by Gigabyte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Jeeziz. I need to be less scared of carving... not that it's 'easy', but you're convincing me that it doesn't need to be as hard as I'm imagining. Wonderful work so far. Looking forward to the finished result! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 The heel of the neck looks like it protrudes quite a bit above the top of the guitar. What type of bridge are you using. I guess you wont need a neck angle but you might have to raise that bridge up a bit. Carve looks really nice though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigabyte Posted January 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 (edited) The heel of the neck looks like it protrudes quite a bit above the top of the guitar. What type of bridge are you using. I guess you wont need a neck angle but you might have to raise that bridge up a bit. Carve looks really nice though! ← As far as the neck heel, I based it on how far it went up on the Ibanez GAX. Also if you notice how small the neck pocket is relative to where the bottom horn is at the corner there. On a real PRS 22 fret the neck pocket (top of the guitar) ends at about the 21st fret........ Of course I had to make adjustments because I'm adapting the neck..... I test fitted everything including the neck and the bridge and loosely put some strings on it to see how the action would be and also to see how access to the upper register would be and everything was good Another thing worth mentioning is between 3 of my guitars (Iban. GAX, BC Rich and Strat), I could count 6 frets up and coincidently there was the top of the neck heel on all 3 guitars; so that something else I took into consideration......... BTW, that's my guitar holding neck (POS neck). The real neck sits much better in the pocket...... As far as the bridge, I'm using the one that came off the Ibanez, which looks almost identical to the one in the PRS picture above... Same type of setup basically... Edited January 25, 2005 by Gigabyte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 I gotta say, the natural binding is just -spectacular-. Could you take some close-up pictures of the carve jobs on the top and bottom horns? They seem like they're superbly done, but your other pictures don't really do them justice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CudBucket Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Great job! It looks terrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigabyte Posted January 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 (edited) Thanks for the kind words guys........ Here's a couple of shot during the day This sucker really lights up when the sun hits it. In the last shot on the right it got so bright the camera won't even pick up the grain 3 front shots... Here's some shots of the horns for skibum5545 horns The top horn looks really rounded as far as the carving. It doesn't look so round in real life. I guess the reflections are making it look sort of screwy......... Edited January 26, 2005 by Gigabyte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 Good Gawd, man, this thing is perfect! Congratulations on all the work you've put in thus far; it looks simply amazing. (<--Me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Is that the neck you are going to use on it? If so I think that the neck extends a bit to high from the body. Or you left it that high to compensate for the 3 degree that is suppose to be used? The carve turn out very good! I'm planning on doing a PRS outtake on my next build as soon as I get the wood her, should be here by monday, but the neck won't arrive until 2 weeks from now, I'm getting a Warmoth from their showcase but I have to wait until they do the frets and nut. And on the recessing of the control knobs, it would have been easier if you would have had the holes drilled to 3/8" and then use the cove bit the same way you did but with a 3/8" bearing on the tip. It will prevent the bit from wandering if your body slides by mistake and also from creeping like you mentioned before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigabyte Posted January 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Is that the neck you are going to use on it? If so I think that the neck extends a bit to high from the body. Or you left it that high to compensate for the 3 degree that is suppose to be used? The carve turn out very good! I'm planning on doing a PRS outtake on my next build as soon as I get the wood her, should be here by monday, but the neck won't arrive until 2 weeks from now, I'm getting a Warmoth from their showcase but I have to wait until they do the frets and nut. And on the recessing of the control knobs, it would have been easier if you would have had the holes drilled to 3/8" and then use the cove bit the same way you did but with a 3/8" bearing on the tip. It will prevent the bit from wandering if your body slides by mistake and also from creeping like you mentioned before. ← The neck is actually not sitting all the way in the pocket. I have it sitting off of the body so I don't have to peel it away from the neck heel when it's dry from all the clear coats... A lesson learned from the last project I'll take a pic with the real neck on it in a sec....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigabyte Posted January 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Here's the real neck in place: Neck in place... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Awesome. I like the feel of those Ibanez AX necks and the combo of that body is just killa. Top notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Much better, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndersEP Posted January 27, 2005 Report Share Posted January 27, 2005 Fantastic job there!!! Anybody got a Ibanez GAX50 for sale so I can shamelessly copy Gigabyte? ;-) Cant wait to see more pictures!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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