Jupiter Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Well, i started working on my first custom guitar today! Like i mentioned in my other thread, i'm making it out of some pine that i found in my garage. My stepdad helped me cut the board into two usable lengths, then we took it to my grandpa's shop, ran the edges that were going to be joined through the joiner, glued it, and then clamped it using 5 clamps. The only problem is that my grandpa, being a stubborn old man, will only use Locktite wood glue. I bought some Titebond, and i told him i had it, but that stuff is all he'll use.... will it be okay? Here's another thing... The pine that i'm using is only 1 3/4 inch thick. I measured my other guitars, and they're all a little under 2 inches. Should i consider putting another quarter of an inch of wood on top of the pine? Grandpa has some cherry, walnut, and i think even some oak around the shop. Or should it be okay at 1 3/4 inch? Thanks for the help, wish me luck! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryeisnotcool2 Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 well sounds like your off to a good start! 1 3/4 is fine for thickness, i mean sg's arent even that thick! but if he has some nice wood that you could use, you could laminate it and maybe do a carved top? they arent to difficult and a cherry or walnut top would look nice! but you may want to reserch and find out if those woods will go good with pine. im not really sure. but if you want i could tell you an easy way to "carve" the top. what type of bridge are you going with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted June 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Thanks Rye ! Although i love the look of carved-top guitars, i don't find them to be comfortable to play. I really like having the big forearm contour that most strat-style guitars have, that just makes a guitar so comfy to me. I'll be using a string-thru fixed bridge on the guitar. It'll have a two humbucker configuration, one volume, one tone, and a three-way toggle. The body design is a variation on a bass that i saw a while back... i don't remember the maker, but it was nicknamed the 'Claw' bass. Anyway, i took one of my Dillion RG-style 7-strings, traced it onto posterboard, then basically worked that platform into kind of what that bass looked like. I ended up with a body style thats slightly smaller than your average electric guitar, very curvy, and has equal parts evil metal/shred monster and classy axe It's very different, but thats what i like about it. I'll definatley find a way to post some pics and see what you guys think about it. Well, if the thickness won't be an issue, then i may just leave it be. It'll have a mighty skinny neck joint! Forgot to mention, i'll be routing this thing out to use the fully scalloped neck from my Schecter 7-string. Should be sweet. Well, even though i'm not going to do the carved top, i'd like to know how it's done! Please tell. Any tips are welcome! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 Look up the "How to make a Les Paul the Hard way" over in the reference section under build sites............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted June 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Well shoot. I went by Grandpa's to cut the body today, and he said that the wood has too much moisture in it to use right now. He reccomended i let it sit upright for a few years . I'm not trying to be a punk and prove him wrong or anything here, but how can i tell if the wood has too much moisture in it? I know you can check it with one of those moisture checkers for wood, but i know he doesn't have one of those. I'm not too sure how old the wood is or anything like that. It came from a local hardware place's lumber. Should i conctact them and ask if they know old/dried their woods are? I'd like to use this wood or something else cheap if possible. That way, i don't run the risk of messing up a really nice piece of walnut or something. By the way, i'm sorry i ask so many questions! I think i probably post more quiestions that anyone else on this board! Guitar building is just something i really want to learn more about, and hopefully be great at. Thanks for the help and patience! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 i haven't seen this pine of yours but if came cut into boards it was probably already dry enough.here's the thing,if you are just using it to practice then get after it.i used pine in the same way to practice on and it helped me alot.but i didn't use it in a guitar.you can go to a wood shop(not a lumberyard) and hand pick a piece of alder the right size for abot $20-$30 or a piece of mahogany for about $40.their wood is already dried.then you can build it worry free.use the pine to practice routing and shaping and leave it at that.just my opinion but that's what i did. by the way if you are dead set on using that wood for a guitar a woodshop with a kiln could dry it alot faster.but when i was researching wood drying i learned that air drying wood takes more than a few years and you have to place it properly so it won't warp.i think pine has a habit of being unstable which is why you don't see it used much as guitar wood.(meaning it has a tendency to crack while drying.) you can order wood over the internet too.check the supply section of the main site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted June 22, 2003 Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 yeah I would get a cheap Basswood or Alder Blank, shouldn't cost more than 25-30$$ and if it turns out that you like it then you can actually use it as oposed to the pine which probably wouldnt sound good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockler707 Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 Where can you get a cheap blank? I could really use one, because I don't want to screw up a good one on my first project. If I remember correctly, the cheapest one at StewMac is like $75. -Hugh :..lj..: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 I just got a solid piece of mahogany at a local lumber shop for a little north of $40. If that doesn't work, warmoth has body blanks that run for $50-$65. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 try ebay for blanks, just dont trust the figured maple sellers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 any local wood shop will sell fairly cheap.the key is to know what size you need and take a tape and just pick out something the right size from the inventory.alot of places like warmoth and stewmac pick out defect free pieces at a general size which you might not need all of.you can search through b grade wood and find pieces that are plenty workable.especially if you are going to paint it.i go to paxtons.maybe you have something similar near you. unless you are creating a clear finished masterpiece,in which case you are going to spend extra for a beautiful piece of wood. those other places are charging extra for planing,joining,etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Posted June 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Thanks for all the tips, guys!!! You all rock! I think i'm going to try to make this body out of the pine i have anyway. It couldn't hurt to try! If nothing else, i'll learn a lot from it. I think the wood is actually very pretty. It has a lot of straight vertical lines in it, kinda like Zebrano. I'd like to do a natural finish on it, but there's a few places that i'm going to have to fill, so that may not be an option. I think i may even attempt a swirl! I'm thinking if i do, it will be neon green/black or black/white/silver. Wish me luck! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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