First Guitar As A College Project Need Help!

[urmymonkeywrench]

I'm in the process of designing and building my first guitar. It's going to be basically a PRS Singlecut only a through-neck (and some other minor alterations to the PRS design). I'm still in the design phase but I need some help. Some stuff I have a good idea on but I still need advice so here are my questions:

1. I'm using a hardtail Strat type bridge so that I can avoid a neck angle (I don't like the angles and I don't like the other bridges, T-O-M etc). With this type of bridge do the strings have to go through the body? If so, do I need ferrules and how do they fix in place and where?

The bridge would probably be either one of 'Chrome Hard Tail Bridge Strat - £21' or the one 2 below that 'USA Tele® or Strat® sized 2 3/32 string spacing - £20'

About one third down this page: http://www.axesrus.com/axehardware.htm

2. How do I now exactly where to place the hardtail bridge? (I'm thinking about the saddles not being straight here) It will be a 25.00” scale guitar. So which part of the bridge I use should align with the bridge line I mark according to the scale of the guitar?

3. Is there an exact position I should have my bridge humbucker in? If so, how do I figure this out without a template? I've put the neck humbucker dead against the end of the neck (including the pickup rings) just like the PRS.

4. How do I decide on the width of the fretboard (i.e. the width at the nut and at the body end) or does it not matter?

5. How much does the positioning of the tuners on the headstock matter?

6. How do I determine the angle of the headstock or is it not important?

7. Does the neck back shape matter or is it up to me what shape I make it?

8. What electronics do I need to buy for a 2 humbucker setup with 2 volume controls (one for each obviously) and 1 overall tone control?

9. How do I determine where to stop routing the cavity for the truss rod at the body end?

Thanks for any help I know theres a lot of questions

[litchfield]

Run a search. Not to be cold or anything. These questions have been answered before. Also, check Wes's neck thru thread in the solid body tutorials. Good pics of the truss rod and carbon rod routes

[urmymonkeywrench]

I've looked in so many places and I've not really been able to find out what I need. Sometimes it will give me an explaination assuming I already know how do do certain things.

I can't find any templates anywhere for a Singlecut PRS, the closest I found was a PRS Hollowbody but thats not what I want.

The question I need answering most right now is where to position the bridge pickup on a 25.00" scale neck?

[Guitarfrenzy]

1. I'm using a hardtail Strat type bridge so that I can avoid a neck angle (I don't like the angles and I don't like the other bridges, T-O-M etc). With this type of bridge do the strings have to go through the body? If so, do I need ferrules and how do they fix in place and where?

If your gonna buy a hartail Strat style, then yes you'll have to buy the ferrules for the back of the guitar. Just drill them out with the correct size bit and tap them in place.

2. How do I now exactly where to place the hardtail bridge? (I'm thinking about the saddles not being straight here) It will be a 25.00” scale guitar. So which part of the bridge I use should align with the bridge line I mark according to the scale of the guitar?

I could go into great detail but why when there is already an article on it.

Bridge Location

PG Bridge Placement Discussion

3. Is there an exact position I should have my bridge humbucker in? If so, how do I figure this out without a template? I've put the neck humbucker dead against the end of the neck (including the pickup rings) just like the PRS.

Just depends on what kinda tone your looking for, but as far as the neck pickup goes it is usually placed so that the pickup is directly under where the 24th fret would have been. But that also isn't always the case.

4. How do I decide on the width of the fretboard (i.e. the width at the nut and at the body end) or does it not matter?

Same thing as bridge placement, it's a matter of personal taste. Some people like a wider fingerboard others don't. Just find a neck that is comfortable for you to play on and get the measurements and modify till you find something you like. You can do a search and find every dimension for Fender, Gibson, PRS, etc. though.

5. How much does the positioning of the tuners on the headstock matter?

It matters more than you think. If your going for a 6 in line then the string should really line up as straight to the nut as possible, that way there isn't any binding at the nut. That's the way a Fender neck was designed and with no headstock angle so you need some string retainers to hold at least the last two strings down properly, due to the small angle. On a 3 per side guitar (Gibson/PRS) you really need a headstock angle and properly slotted nut to not have any problems. Of course this is just guideline as you can build whatever you want. Does this effect tone? Very debateable, but I'd rather not go into all that. Just experiment for yourself.

6. How do I determine the angle of the headstock or is it not important?

Most angled headstocks such as PRS, Les Paul's etc. use around 13° angle, but this again is personal taste. Gibson once used up to a 17° angle until they discovered that the headstock would break easier with that much angle, so they brought it down to 13° and have pretty much stayed that way, but then again there is variations from time to time.

7. Does the neck back shape matter or is it up to me what shape I make it?

There are many neck shapes and again they are all a matter of personal taste, so it'd definitely up to you...Here is a great site for neck back shape comparisons...

Warmoth's Neck Back Shape Charts

8. What electronics do I need to buy for a 2 humbucker setup with 2 volume controls (one for each obviously) and 1 overall tone control?

Again it's personal taste.. lol.. Man, it really just comes down to what sound you want and what features you want. Check out this site to get some good schematics that tell what you need and will even sell you kits.

GuitarElectronics.com

9. How do I determine where to stop routing the cavity for the truss rod at the body end?

Depends on what kind of trussrod your gonna use. If it's the Hot Rod Truss from Stew Mac, just leave about 1/4" for adjustment space, otherwise you need to be more specific on which your planning on using. As you can see in the picture below, we drew a line for start and stop points to make sure we didn't go too far.

Thanks for any help I know theres a lot of questions  

Your welcome, and yes that was alot of questions.. lol

I almost got VIP for this one.. haha..

Good luck

[urmymonkeywrench]

Wow thanks you got pretty well all my questions, that's a huge help.

I just have a few more things... sorry...

With the bridge humbucker, even though it's preference, are there any guidelines anyone knows of for a 25.00" scale neck? And if I wanted to have the neck directly under the 24th as is most common, which part of it actually goes under the 24th or does it not matter so long as the humbucker is actually underneath it?

How do you measure the fingerboard radius, and when you start work on it do you just sand away? Can you just sand until it feels right?

And finally, how big I make the cavities and where I place the knobs/switches is completely up to me right?

Sorry about all the questions, once I've got this one sorted there won't be any more annoying beginner questions from me. I just wanna be sure of what I'm doing.

Oh yeah, I'm from England so I won't be ordering any parts from American sites thanks.

[genbloke]

Hi urmymonkeywrench,

I'm in England too. The pound is pretty strong against the US dollar at the moment so it could work out cheaper if you buy your stuff from the US. From my experience stuff like hardware and pickups are a lot cheaper and if you buy from one place you'll only get stung once with the dreaded import duty.

genbloke

[urmymonkeywrench]

Thanks genbloke, I'll think about it but it depends how quick they ship. I'll need the parts soon.

If anyone could answer those other questions that'd be great.

Eeek, just one more as well...

At the moment I'm making my neck out of plain maple, the fingerboard from rosewood, the wings out of mahogany and the top out of flame maple. Can anyone comment on that combination?

[Daniel Sorbera]

a good starting point for the bridge humbucker is 1" away from the bridge saddles. (I had the same question and just measured just about every guitar I could lay my hands on (with different scale legenths) and most were 1" away) For the neck humbucker you need to place the pole peices of the top set of pole peices right under the 24th fret. on the fingerboard radius the easiest way is just to buy a preradioused block from stewmac sanding block. It's like 10 bucks and will make your life a lot easier. And yes where you place the switches (ever notice how every manufacture is different ) and how big you rout the cavitys (ever heard of a hollow body? ) is totally up to you.

Edited December 27, 2004 by Godin SD

[westhemann]

most people put the neck pickup as close as possible to the end of the fretboard...i put mine where the mounting ring is touching it

[urmymonkeywrench]

a good starting point for the bridge humbucker is 1" away from the bridge saddles. (I had the same question and just measured just about every guitar I could lay my hands on (with different scale legenths) and most were 1" away) For the neck humbucker you need to place the pole peices of the top set of pole peices right under the 24th fret. on the fingerboard radius the easiest way is just to buy a preradioused block from stewmac sanding block. It's like 10 bucks and will make your life a lot easier. And yes where you place the switches (ever notice how every manufacture is different )  and how big you rout the cavitys (ever heard of a hollow body? ) is totally up to you.

Thanks, I think I'm pretty much sorted now, great help! I know some questions were stupid but it's better safe than sorry. Also, thanks wes that's what I was already doing just wanted to check. Cheers

[urmymonkeywrench]

Gonna have to bump my thread I have more questions, sorry .

Anyways...

Does anyone know how deep the carving is on a PRS Singlecut. I found a thread that gives the body thickness at the edge and the middle but not how deep.

The reason I would like to know is not accuracy it's because I'd really like to do the top in a flame maple and the shop I should be getting the wood from sells guitar tops in 3/8" or 1" and obviously 1" is a fair bit more expensive. I'm guessing I should take the effect on the tone into account as well. I'm making the guitar 4.5mm thick (roughly 1 3/4") like PRS. So the thickness of the top is gonna determine the back.

Also, on PRS guitars with a fixed strat type bridge does anyone know if the bridge is sloped downwards away from the neck by the body contour to avoid any neck angle at all?

Also does anyone have any comments on the wood choice for a through neck guitar of maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, mahogany wings and maple top?

Thanks again...

(I can't promise I won't have more questions... I keep getting stuck seeing as it'll be my first guitar built by me )

[Primal]

Take the body thickness at the middle and subtract from that the body thickness at the edge. That will give you the required thickness for the "top cap". Most top caps are either 3/8" or 1/2" in thickness. Either one should do fine, just make sure you don't go too far.