sexybeast Posted April 8, 2005 Report Share Posted April 8, 2005 I got the JEM plans off of the internet and made a nice fiberboard template. Next I bought a hunk of basswood, halved it, glued the halves and sanded it flat. Then it sat for a long time. I cut the rough shape and monkey handle and began shaping. I'm not sticking strictly to the JEM contouring partly because I like a bit more organic feel and partly because I'm a dork with tools sometimes. So far it looks pretty good. I'm doing it a bit backward because I haven't routed the neck cavity yet and haven't made the neck. The body still has a good centerline and flat areas fot routing pickup holes and neck cavity. I'm seriously considering a non-radiused (flat) fingerboard. I've read good things about them and the Flamenco players seem to like it. It supposedly allows for better string bending and lower action. Waddya you guys think? Next question- Since it's Basswood, is it stainable? I really would like to keep it natural but I know Basswood has two faults, it's soft and therefore a guitar survives un-dinged better when hard finished and next it's porous which means it drinks finish and with so little apparent grain, can appear blotchy and, well, bad. I've never worked at finishing Basswood, so any suggestions would be great. Thanks all and stand by for pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted April 8, 2005 Report Share Posted April 8, 2005 I'm seriously considering a non-radiused (flat) fingerboard. I've read good things about them and the Flamenco players seem to like it. It supposedly allows for better string bending and lower action. Waddya you guys think? 16-17" radius is almost like flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2005 I'm seriously considering a non-radiused (flat) fingerboard. I've read good things about them and the Flamenco players seem to like it. It supposedly allows for better string bending and lower action. Waddya you guys think? 16-17" radius is almost like flat. ← I know. Two reasons for trying it. One, because I'm adventurous and I'm always in search of the ultimate action. Two, I'm lazy and this sounds like a good way to get what I want. We'll see. I may also just transfer the neck from my existing Ibanez, but I think that one needs a little work. One thing at a time, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 (edited) Body shape Rear top contour Area of neck joint needs to be squared up.. Sorry about the focus. Rear bout contour Monkey grip needs to be sanded to shape. Notice the big zizz marlk from the Dremel. nice. Horn needs to be reshaped after rough sawing Rear shaping from top down. Well, so far so good, I guess. I'm posting this project because I want to show anyone that might be nervous about jumping in, as I was, that all the books you read and advice you get won't put the guitar in your hands. You have to cut wood. This forum has shown me that there are hundreds of ways to accomplish every part of planning and construction and just as many ways to recover from mistakes. Jump in and make something happen. Back to the axe, any questions or criticism? lemme know. Edited April 11, 2005 by sexybeast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 What is that bump in the back of guitar???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 What is that bump in the back of guitar???? ← That's a nub I left for the strap knob. Check the top view, you'll see. I may just sand it off though. I thought it looked cool but nowI'm not so sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Aah! I see.......not sure if I like it either. Body could do with AANJ......the square block is soooo SIXTIES. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Ya know, you're right on both counts. The block has to go and it will. I'm doing this by the seat of my pants here so I need some advice. Should I just go and cut the AANJ now or wait until I make the neck. Idea about where neck scarf joint would be. Maybe a bit higher. Think it'd be strong enough there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 monkey grip needs a lot of massaging, and the body is a bit off from the waist down on the sides, like RGGR I don't like that thing in the bottom, add a AANJ and check the tummy cut and it will look better. On the radius, I will suggest a compound if you are so serious about the action, of a 16. A flat fb won't be much playable at lower action IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 (edited) Monkey grip is in desperate need of work, haven't even touched it since cutting. As for the body, I'm not even attempting to get it exact any more, just into a good set of curves and sanded well. Plus I'm gonna square the sides up this week on the sanding wheel. I'm not sure I can handle a compound radius on my first try. Maybe just a 16? Edited April 11, 2005 by sexybeast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted April 12, 2005 Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 (edited) I'm doing this by the seat of my pants here Aren't we all..... so I need some advice. Should I just go and cut the AANJ now or wait until I make the neck. Don't cut the neck pocket unless you have your neck finished. You can cut AANJ before finishing the neck. Edited April 12, 2005 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 Got it. I'll trim of that hideous sixties-ish block, but stay away from cutting a pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User01 Posted April 12, 2005 Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 ← woah, nice body who made it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Yeah, my question exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 OKAAAAYYYY! I decided on a neck with an angled headstock. It's hard Maple with a stripe of Padauk down the center. Now to glue it up and make the joint. Oh yeah, I gotta design a headstock. I'm sorta' find of the Schecter look. Pictures to follow shortly. Any suggestions about the headstock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 (edited) Just glued up the neck last night. Split a piece of Maple and sandwiched a hunk of Padauk betweek them. The Padauk was bought perfectly flat, the Maple was too, so after splitting the Maple I used the factory edges for gluing. Sanded them up a bit to create roughness for the glue to stick to and applied every clamp that would fit. I used Elmer's version of Gorilla glue so I'll let you know what I think of it. Pictures of it in clamps below. Nice burn marks from the saw, huh? Nothing like a dull blade. I'll leave the clamps on for 24 hours and draw in the profile. What do you guys and girls think of the layering? I think it'll look pretty cool. Next question- I can either make the fingerboard from Maple or Padauk. I'm leaning toward Maple, but I have more Padauk and it might be easier to get right. Anyone? Edited April 25, 2005 by sexybeast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Padauk, one of my fav woods. Go with a Paudauk FB, as the Paudauk lam is smaller than the maple, it will be aestheticly better, IMO. Good work so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Thanks Marzocchi, It's nice to hear a little praise, since I'm doing this on my own and I always feel like it's going to be a piece of garbage. It's turning out better than I'd expected to be honest and the learning experience is already irreplacable. Anyone have good advice about gluing the scarf joint? I'm at a loss as to how to clamp it. I did a bit of looking and decided I was wrong earlier. My scarf joint can be just about anywhere, but I do need one. Help me, somebody, with the clamping and gluing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 For my scarf i used a sash clap (from head to heel) to stop it sliding, then just used small G clamps. Hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 It's certainly helpful and I thank you. I also cruised some of the forum's photos and found a couple of great pictures. Hyunsu's great posts have been a real inspiration. Stay tuned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 I guess everyone glues their scarf joint their own way that works for them. I remember the first scarf joint I tried to glue, man was I frustrated.. lol.. I'd get it in perfect position and it would slide right out. But after the 6th try I found a method that worked great for me and have been using it ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 I guess everyone glues their scarf joint their own way that works for them. I remember the first scarf joint I tried to glue, man was I frustrated.. lol.. I'd get it in perfect position and it would slide right out. But after the 6th try I found a method that worked great for me and have been using it ever since. ← And that would be...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 Got the neck out of the clamps and am looking it over. It's nice and tight but now my question is how to square it up. I have no jointer but do have a block plane and a table saw as well as a router and table. Any suggestions how to square it up correctly? The outsite edges are factory. It's also pretty thick, so I need to trim it up. I'm going to glue up a shorter set of scraps to create the scarf joint next so that's it for now. I almost got my hands on a jointer for dirt cheap last night but I can't afford it because I'm moving onto a new pad soon. Stupid priorities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambo Posted April 26, 2005 Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 Just a small point, but looking back att he picture of your body, does the neck joint (the nice square one ) look a bit wonky? looks as if your bridge would go towards the monkey grip side of the guitar! maybe its just hte camera angle. hummm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted April 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2005 (edited) No my friend, the guitar is "wonky", or rather it was. I sawed off the knob at the back and am going to cut an AANJ soon. Also, the block end was sawed WAY out of the template (I didn't cut it out) so the layout would have worked, but it doesn't show in the pictires. I think this is what you mean, crooked block end and the need to move the bridge. But it's a bit wider than it looks and at present the butt end knobby thing is gone so it doesn't visually give the impression of being "off". It would actually look fine when finished but I just decided I didn't like it. There's enough width at the top to pass everything through easily, and with the AANJ everything will line up nicely. *crossing fingers*. It has done so in rough layouts. That said, it'll be a miracle if thing plays one decent note when it's done. But that's what first guitars are for, learning. I'm not being careless, just inexperienced and learning the tools. And I'm having a lot of fun. Edited April 26, 2005 by sexybeast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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