Sparky Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 (edited) First off, I would like to thank everyone here. Didn't post much, but got a lot of info that helped me dive in head first into the deep end of guitar building.... Sure, there's a few things that I would do differently, but that's part of the learning process. A few pictures: http://students.washington.edu/naf/photo/guitar/ Details: Run of the mill 5/8" flame maple top (blue/black dye). Swamp ash back. The shape is partially derived from a PRS McCarty (love the look of those!). Plays very well...although I don't have much experience so I can't really compare...lets just say it works for me. Things I would do differently: The neck joint. It came out looking fine, but I really didn't think enough before I just started cutting...made for a fun time of fixing mistakes. I would use a thicker maple top, and probably would go with something other than ash for the back...just proved to be a little to fussy when routing out the channel for the white trim. The fretting could use some work...but find me someone that did it right the first time and I'll kiss them. I could aslo use a bit more practice with the spray gun...oh well. Other than some small little things, it came out great. I am already dreaming of building my second one. Now I gotta find (or make) some chrome trim rings for those pickups.... Edited December 31, 2004 by Sparky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 WOW this is you first very well done very tight and clean design great work I realy like the color of the top and that's some nice maple Good stuff and welcome to the forum Sparky! !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Mailloux Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 Very well made! Excellent work there. Care to explain how the neck joint was made? That picture got me confused... Is the neck bolted on or glued on? and is the whole black part of the back only the body or did you paint part of the neck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 Nice! There are a few very small imperfections, but for a first, or even a fourth guitar that's very slick! The litte things which you should avoid on the next (there will be more right ) are: Headstock shape - I'd slim it down, so that the 2 E strings run in a pretty much straight line to the tuners. I think they current design looks a little hefty, and the curves at the bottom look a little off because they have to spread out a lot in a short distance. I'd also play special attention to corners when sanding - it's very easy top over round the corners, and leave the binding a little thin in these areas. Ferrules - I'd prefer something smaller, not least because the ones you've used cause your strings to spread out a little after they go over their saddles. Try using the big ferrules at the back, and something smaller, like a string ball end on the front, or just squeeze them as tightly together as you can. It always looks best if the strings run dead straight after the bridge. Hope this comes across as constructive criticism, because the things I've pointed out are minor points, all outweighed by the stuff you've got right - such as: Fretting - looks very respectable to me The board looks immaculate, and the ends look neatly bevelled and dressed. Binding - looks very tidy for a first attempt. I know my first go looked very sloppy compared to that, infact I've just routed it off and rebound because it bugged me so much. The Carve - Very nice! Looks smooth and flowing, and most importantly. it looks very comfy to play. And finally... The finishing - great job off getting a deep colour on the maple without hiding the figure, and from the detail shots looks like a very nice gloss too. It's no walk in the park getting a smooth shiny finish like that first go. Kudos on a great looking piece, I look forwards to seeing what's next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 Well done! You must've had a fun time filling all that grain in the swamp ash to give you such a nice smooth back. The ash+maple is a bright combo...what kind of pickups do you have, and how's it sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 Sparky, well done. Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted December 31, 2004 Report Share Posted December 31, 2004 man thats a really FAT heasstock. other than that it looks cool. I HATE that headstock though. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluke Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 (edited) Awesome build!! I like the head stock, its unique, I like unique things. I'd of went wit a tail peice instead of the ferrules though. But where'd you get those trippy pickups?? Edited January 1, 2005 by Fluke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 I like the back of the neck, the way you brought the color up...looks cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeR Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 I really like it! To my eyes, all the design aspects are in proportion. I think it is a very cool looking, original guitar. It reminds me of the Patrick Eggle Berlin guitar. Very cool- congratulations on such a great first result! Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted January 1, 2005 Report Share Posted January 1, 2005 Very nice, I think that's a Carvin neck? And the -22's sound great so that guitar must sing. Like Setch, I would have prefered to see the headstock slimmer and a bit longer. Just to get that string pull a bit straighter. I like the Blue, blue is my weakness. my guitar and my deceased Squier . Like Setch mentioned for the top ferrule you need somenthing smaller. This is the one that is sold in a few places online. I will be using 1/8" Steel Rivets like this but in steel, The back of the heel should I think should be a bit smoother, but looks OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted January 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Thanks for the comments guys. I'll try to answer a few questions and give more info on the design.... Scale length is 24 9/16. Makes it a bit frustrating when learning because my acoustic uses a much larger scale length. But I do like it being shorter. Fretborad is a 12" radius (though my radius sanding block said otherwise...found that out during the FIRST fret job). Schaller roller bridge works great. Didn't really use it to adjust the string spacing (thought I might need to). Good deal for 30 bucks or so. I originally had one of those tone-pros bridges. Got it and took one look and wanted to shove it up their collective ass. Sixty bucks for THAT?! The no-name ones are The body is about 2" thick in the center. I wanted a smaller, thinner guitar. I think I nailed it. Weighs in at just under 8 pounds. Is that really light? Fretting - easily the part of the build I despised the most. Pain in the ass AND it can single-handedly ruin the guitar. Wonderful. I had a ton of bad frets the first time. Turns out I was bending the frets to the profile of my 12" sanding block...not the same radius as the fretboard contrary to what those stooges at stew-mac say. So I tore them all out and did it again. One or two of them took some large chunks of the ebony out...needless to say I was very pissed at this point. There are still some edges that catch your finger if you run your hand down the side of the neck. Did a lot of fret levelling on those things. There was a time where I thought I would have to do it a third time because the frets were getting so low. I think I would prefer them a bit higher just so I can get a better feel for where they are at. As for the ebony...also a pain in the ass. I thought I was going to get black lung from that dust when sanding it...not to mention it sticks to EVERYTHING. String ferrules - couldn't agree more, I always thought they were too big, but those were the only chrome ones I could find at the time that weren't a flush mount. I would like them much smaller and closer together. One of them is a bit high compared to the others...chalk that up to some carelessness on the drill press. Neck - The neck is a custom DIY, of course. Glued on. The whole neck joint I made was just a case of what not to do. If there was anything I was most displeased with it was the neck joint. Spent forever trying to get the pocket the right size...first it was too tight, started filing...then got impatient and whipped out the dremel and all of a sudden it was too big! Got a shim on one side, though you would never know if you looked at it since the paint covers it. My blank was a bit shorter than I had anticipated and for whatever reason I still forged ahead. THAT is why the headstock is short. I wanted it a good inch or two longer, but I litterally ran out of wood. The joint for the headstock and neck is a little odd too due to a rather unfortuante cut in the early construction...instead of the neck being flat and the headstock cut at an angle and glued on, the neck is cut at an angle and the headstok is glued on top of it...This produces a definte curved glue joint line at the top of the neck. Just looks a bit odd at first. Finish - Like I siad, still need some work on the spray gun. There is some orange peel look on the back. It was one of those things were you can either sand forever until it's perfect or just get it done. I honestly just wanted the damn thing finished at that point and didn't really care that much...there is also a small blemish on the front where some dust or something got on the clear while it was being applied. Looks like some dust but just wont come off. If you look close you can see where I sanded through to the color when sanding the clear. Top horn has a strange birthmark right on the tip. Normally I would have been rather peeved, but this was towards the "I just want it done" stage so it didn't really bother me. I gave up on the grain filler...talk about an excersize in futility there. I guess it would have taken about 30 rounds of cotaing and sanding to fill that grain. So I just went with some really nice bondo (evercoat glazing putty for those that care). Took 3 applications to smooth everything out. Unfortunatley the stuff is white, not clear so I had to go with an opaque finish on the back. I was originally planning for a black dye so you could see the nice grain of the ash...oh the irony. I originally tried the little triangle paint design (for lack of a better word) on the neck with some dye. That didn't work too well since the maple ate the stuff up and it wicked right up the grain...looked aweful. Soooo, once again the black pigment to the rescue. I was a bit concerned it would feel strange on your hand when you played, but it sanded down nicley and although it is noticeable, it doesn't really bother me. Pickups are a carvin M22N and M22SD...I am very pleased with the sound. Although I must admit, I am rather ignorant when it comes to guitar sounds (but making progress) Binding - What a pain in the ass! Especially with the ash back...routed out the channel and watched a chunk of wood fly out...luckily I grabbed it quickly and was able to glue it back in. Oh, they aren't joking when they say the stuff is highly flammable...mwahahaha. The wood is just a flame maple I purchased. Wanted a different piece, but it sold before I could get the funding...oh well, the stuff looks very nice. It was strange, the grain stayed in the top even after the carve...except for the headstock. I ended up planing down the top (big mistake) to get it thinner and watched in horror as the flame dissapeared. Still, there's a bit on one side, but the other has almost nothing. The maple is only 1/4" thick...made for a shallower carve. I knew it was going to be thin from the beginning, but I really could have used an extra 1/8" or so. Next time I think I will do a bigger carve. Wiring - Standard LP wiring, dual concentric pots with volume and tone for each pickup. I will add a phase and switch and maybe a coil tap later. Although expensive, I wanted the dual pots just to keep the top looking clean...never liked the idea of having four knobs on the front. Headstock - Hehe, funny I never thought it was big until now. Like I said before, I would have prefered another inch in length, but the neck blank came up short. One concern I have is that the headstock angle is around 17 degrees (this was litterally the shallowest it could get)...im waiting to smack it on the side of a door and watch the whole thing snap in half. I agree on the tuner placement...first off I want the distances all to be equal. Why I thought not having them equal was a good idea I may never know. I originally had normal tuners on it...it looked rediculous. Not even sure if you could turn one without hitting another. Good thing they make mini tuners. I too dislike the fact that the strings bend out so far...just looks a bit odd. As for the shape...I love it, so TS! I love the color..I too am a sucker for blue. I originally wanted a very bright blue (almost cyan) but then found that the stuff was oil based and wans't sure how my clear coat would behave with it. Turned out looking good though. Anyone know where I can get some chrome trim rings for those carvin pickups? Those dorks have four screws on one side, so it looks like the generic trim rings wont work. The thing balances very when you stand...now I just gotta get used to playing while standing up...whew guess that's it. 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Fluke Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 I think it is a very cool looking, original guitar. It reminds me of the Patrick Eggle Berlin guitar. Contradict'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Looks like you did a good job for your first. Dont get frusterated. Next time just make sure you understand every step and go SLOW. dont rush it, take a mounth on a step. Espicially on the finish. It will take more than a mounth to apply a good finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Itried to find one but I could't. I will keep trying, but you can PM Wes, he got a custom set for his 7 string V and I'm sure the guy can make one to fit your guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 2, 2005 Report Share Posted January 2, 2005 Itried to find one but I could't. I will keep trying, but you can PM Wes, he got a custom set for his 7 string V and I'm sure the guy can make one to fit your guitar. http://www.fretsonthenet.net/other_parts.htm he is a member of this forum(budman68) and is very good to deal with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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