Hello

[IIIBOOMERIII]

Just droppin in to say hi to all. I have been playing and collecting for 20 years and I am getting into building.....I am about to ask a stupid question.....where do you guys stand on composites??? I am toiling in that area. Feel like a mad scientist sometimes.

My goal is to use all poplur and use composites to reinforce the entire guitar as an exoskelton and no truss rod. I am experimenting with fiberglass....for now, it is cheap.....and then will move onto Carbon.....gggeeezzzz that stuff is EXPENSIVE!!!! I am going to play around with electrics and acoustics.....the composite angle mainly has to do with the fact I live in South Texas...meaning.....HUMIDITY!!!!! I am working out of my garage so to try and control humidity is not an option.

Anyone else charting these virgin waters? Oh ya stole most of my techniques from surfboard builders. HA! Special Thanks goes out to Jason at Tribal Surfboards....thanks BRO!

I LOVE THIS SITE. I would love to help out in any way I could....maybe we could start a composite section on the board...I have learned alot about that stuff.

Ed

[westhemann]

i also have been considering a truss rod free neck.(adjustable anyway).my idea was a 5 piece maple/walnut laminated neck with 2 graphite reinforcement rods and a solid aluminum square tube down the center.seems like it would be stiff enough to resist bowing or twisting.i am in the middle of a flying v right now but that is my next project.have you seen moses graphite necks?

[Brian]

Hi Ed and welcome to the forum

I've been toying with the idea of an acrylic neck lately myself

[IIIBOOMERIII]

acrylic is cool....but doesn't it weigh a ton? I heard the acrylic Strat that was made for one of the NAMM shows weighed almost 20 lbs!!!!

I am sure weight can be control by the use of chamering.

What do you know about working with acrylic? I am interested also.

I have mainly worked with Polyester and Epoxy. Getting ready to try out Vinylester but can not find any in town.

I am getting ready to use Polyester as a top coat for a guitar I am making for my bro in law. I have heard that is what PRS uses and I know Padula Basses use a Polyester finish....They charge $500 for that as a finish!!!!!

[Sacred]

Hi

[LGM Guitars]

I use a ton of composites in Radio Control Jets.

Fiberglass as an exoskeleton won't do alot for you I don't think, it doesn't have the rigidity of Carbon Fiber. you will want to use a vacuum bagging system I would imagine to get a good tight even bond on a guitar body with any cloth and resin system.

As for stabalizing a neck, I think a 5 piece maple/walnut neck would be damn near rigid enough without reinforcement! however, the 2 graphite (carbon) rods would be enough, the aluminum square in the size you would be putting it would do virtually nothing, aluminum is not a stiff material in any way shape or form. The carbon rods are still meant to be used in conjunction with a truss rod on a steel string as humidity will cause neck bowing, without a truss rod you're at the mercy of the neck. Even my Parker had a truss rod adjustment and that is an all composite neck.

Vinylester is nice stuff, but a pain to work with as it doesn't allow other glues to bond as well. I prefer epoxy resin, but Polyester works well, it's just that it smells so bad.

When using Carbon Fiber or Kevlar, be sure to use a mask and wear gloves, the stuff can be deadly when it splinters off. Also, when sanding or grinding all composites (regular fiberglass included) use a mask, you don't want to be breathing the dust in.

[IIIBOOMERIII]

Actually, Parkers are Basswood necks and poplar bodies with carbon fiber as an exoskelton. They are not all composite. I think the figer board my be all composite, but not sure. They are made from wood and then wrapped in a fiberglass/carbon weave. I have a Parker Deluxe. I had seen pictures of a Parker cut in half. Then the site that had the pictures was mysteriously shut down. Bet that pissed Parker off seeing those pics online.

I have a vacuume pump that is designed for medical use....but I have not laid up using it. I am working one step at a time.

I am using fiberglass just to experiment. I want to make my mistakes with with the glass and not the carbon.....carbon is not cheap. I should start working on a full blown carbon guitar in about another 2 months. I am getting comfortable with the process of lay ups.