JimRayden Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 I've been looking around on the net for cool guitars and stuff... I suddenly stumbled upon a thing called one-piece neck. I understand the truss rod mounts from rear. Any tutorials on that? Also, that led me to a thought, what about a neck-through with a one-piece neck. That would allow some awesome carving. And that made me think... what if I also had a one-piece body. I'm wondering... are there any guitars built as a whole one-piece? What would be the issues with that? ------------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 There are TONS of one-piece necks out there but the one-piece guitar IS a different breed. It takes a huge piece of beautiful wood and a masterful planner to execute. NO mistakes allowed. I have seen a few on the web and the concept is not near as cool as the craftsmanship involved in the finished product. Project for the very good or the very daring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragasguitars Posted April 14, 2005 Report Share Posted April 14, 2005 Its very possible to do and very difficult, but the end result is more amazing than anything in my experience. The only thing you lose out on is being able to use combinations of woods for different tones but I tell you what, I don't think that you would care once you hear a guitar built out of one piece of wood. Here is on that I did, I have posted this link a bunch but here it is again. One piece guitar Don't have the pics up that shoe the one piece mahogany neck and body but it is one piece of wood, If you want maybe I can put it on my site again for you. It is harder to do and there are things you need to do different. There are a lot of ways to do things, A few of them I tried to do the quick way, got lucky on some of them but trust me, take the time and do it right. You need to make jigs for several parts and processes, they dont have to be immaculate, just need to get the job done. I can help you out more with specific questions if you decide to do this in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Hmm yea... well I was starting to consider it for my next project. I was planning a hollowbody, so i came up with this: one-piece neck, neck-through, "wings" as separate wood blocks, hollow carving and a nice-lookin' top. Then all those golden hardware and stuff on top. It won't be too serious of a project since the only piece of wood I have this size isn't too good of a quality. But who knows, the guitar could play nicely for a few years. And I need some practice. And this big hunk o' wood was an 8-dollar piece. Sadly, the pics in the neck-through pictorial at the tutorial section are gone, so I'm gonna just read the whole thread and need as much help as possible. What to consider differently than a bolt-on, etc. Thanks in advance, ---------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Hmm... I've been wanting to do a LP Jr. type of guitar out of Korina with a claro walnut top. This would be cool as a one piece guitar (obviously top and fretboard would be additional pieces). One design issue that will be difficult is getting the neck angle right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Yes, I figured neck angle would be one of the difficult things at this. But there's nothing in guitar building that you can't figure out with a pencil and a paper. ---------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 The doubleneck I built a couple of months ago has a 1-piece neck for the 6-string, and a 2-piece neck (back+fretboard) for the 12-string. The 1-piece neck was much more fussy to adjust for proper action, despite the fact that it has 50% of the string pull of the other neck. I had to adjust the rod and go over the frets several times before I got a setup I was happy with. The 2-piece neck was much easier to set up, one time & it was done. And all the wood for both necks was from a single plank. So, I attribute this difference to the 2-piece construction. I won't do a 1-piece neck again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Yea, it's expected that the glue line strengthens the body. How much you ask for the "to be reconditioned" neck? I'd recondition it for myself. ------------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Ragas, that is ULTRA-WICKED!!! Is it done? You MUST be insane!! Show me more of your insanity!! That is the freshest design and execution I have seen in years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moreau Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 ragas is the man, i have been following that guitar for so long. got the link of deedsofflesh.org youre gonna be in high demand oneday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Dear GOD in heaven, where has this guy BEEN? That is as inovative an axe as I have seen in a decade or two! Popular music sucks right now because they don't have anyone doing anything creative. TALK ABOUT CREATIVE!@!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragasguitars Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 (edited) Thanks guys. My main site is crappy, don't have my company running yet, gonna be a a few years probably with a full time job to support the company. Anyway here is my main site My Webpage , only got a couple guitars, the one i posted the link to will be painted in a few weeks probably, and I am working n my first standard model, this first one is for me, will be fretless, will have pics soon. Anyway, for JimRayden, a neck angle is not necessary, especially with a one piece build, but If you want you can spend more time building a jig to put a neck angle on the guitar. If you recess the bridge if it is too high you don;t need a neck angle. Adding one will just be more diffucult. Hopefully in a few weeks I will have two guitars to post. Edited April 15, 2005 by Ragasguitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 I've always thought neck angles are cool. The more the angle, the cooler the guitar. Anyway, a neck-through will be without a neck angle. By the way, anyone know if there are such things as fretless guitars? (I don't mean lap steel) I'm having a creative period right now. I'm having a feeling of building something different from a regular guitar. I have regular guitars. I want something different. Something to spice up my show, whenever I get the band back together. Something that would be really different to play, yet would allow something a guitar can't. ----------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragasguitars Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 That's crazy that you would ask about fretless guitars, I am working on on right now, and just got done posting some progress pics of it on my site. Go to the post before your last one and go to the link. I am hoping to be finished with it in about a week or so, unless I can't get the money for a pickup or tuners. $200 might not seem like a lot of money, but trust me if you were me you would understand. Anyway, go check out what I have so far, an keep up on it. Only thing I would suggest is to use a very dense wood for a fingerboard and get some flatwound strings if you decide to go fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 (edited) Sweet looking, as all your work. Flaming V, I like that. Is that gonna be a bass? Cause I was actually wondering about a fretless solo/rythm guitar. Any of those exist? ------------- Jimbo Edited April 15, 2005 by JimRayden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragasguitars Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 That is going to be a 6 string guitar. I think my next one like this for myself will be an 8 string, gonna probably get some sweet ass top wood for the 8. I got an 8 string already but i want to keep it from getting messed up, the first build I ever did, signed by Slayer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 Ok, a few questions: Firstly, how are you gonna mount the middle tuners on that headstock? Secondly, how do you play a fretless 6-string? ----------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragasguitars Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 Gonna use Steinberger gearless tuners. You can have just about any headstock shape with them, they adjust from the bottom, not from a tuning key from the side. As far as playing it, I don't know yet, it's gonna take some getting used to but I will have side markers on it, maybe even some wicked inlays that mark the frets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted April 16, 2005 Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 Wow! Sweet work Ragas.....I saw your page a month or two ago and I have no idea where I found the link to it. Is that all hand carving, dremel carving or a mixture of both? I don't thnik you'll have to worry about paying bills in a year or two if you keep that up. Get a guitar in the right hands and you'll have more business than advertising money can buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2005 What the hell do you carve the curves with? My tools give me trouble cutting the inner curves near the neck pocket of a strat. ---------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragasguitars Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 For the V I used a router bit that has a convex 1" radius on it with a guide. I set the depth and just run it around the guitar. After that I use chisels, dremel sanding drum, sandpaper. The little horns by the neck were done with an 1/8" dremel cutter, i made a template and just had to raise it up a little so the shaft would guide itself on the template, only took off about .050" per pass, took a while but for something that small and unique it was no problem. There are a lot of little tricks you can come up with by not having all the tools you really need, and in the end they end up working better than the specific tool would have done. Its a good thing to not have money for things, helps you get creative. I always use chisels, once you get the hang of themm the amount of control you can get with them is incredible. Sometimes I use a hammer with em, sometimes i just use hand power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 Hooray for the chisel-users! They are not for the impatient but a good, sharp set of chisels is the slowest, most rewarding way to carve wood, IMHO. As you can see from dis guys axe, it is also a very GOOD way to create; lets the brain stay up with the tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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