First Guitar

[JOAMdude]

Hi guys

I am planning on building my first guitar.

It will have mahogany sides with a maple neck-thru (it's ok that im using mahogany on my first time because my uncle builds boats so all of that is covered).

Also planning on OFR with locking nut humbuckers 25.5 scale length 24 frets you know (oh and no inlays).

I just have a few questions.

I have been to the thread about what mistakes not to make and yeah all good advice thanks guys

But is there anything that i really should watch out for other than being careful about 1. Fret slotting 2. OFR routing 3. Body shape?

also does one cut out the wings of the guitar and then glue it all together?

or does one glue ALL the wood together and then put in truss rod/route shape/ shape neck+yadayadayada

and i saw the routing templates on stewmac for the OFR but i noticed it didn't really help in the way of depth and it said that they were made for guitars with standard fender tremolos so can anyone recommend reliable routing templates for that stuff?

i ordered the template and am waiting for that and have the mahogany but is there another place then stewmac to buy maple QUARTERSAWN blanks?

thanks for all the help in the future

-John

EDIT- what does it mean to joint the body pieces before gluing and clamping?

Edited April 27, 2007 by JOAMdude

[aidlook]

1.About fret slotting I'd say buy a slotted fretboard, unless you REALLY want to slot it yourself for some reason.

2.You can use the stew mac templates for a floyd rose, but and your post is suggesting that you might have to read up on templates and how to use them.

3.I don't really understand the concern here since you said you're building a mockingbird.

[JOAMdude]

1.About fret slotting I'd say buy a slotted fretboard, unless you REALLY want to slot it yourself for some reason.

2.You can use the stew mac templates for a floyd rose, but and your post is suggesting that you might have to read up on templates and how to use them.

3.I don't really understand the concern here since you said you're building a mockingbird.

im sorry what was 3 replying to? the jointing thing?

i just saw someone say it around here and wondered

[Rick500]

Jointing is making the surfaces that will be glued together, absolutely flat. It can be done with a hand plane (takes practice; I can't do it yet), a jointer, or if you set it up right, with a router table.

[copperhead]

make sure you determine the neck angle . i made a neck thru les paul style a few years ago . from where the nut would be to the back end of the body was straight then i glued my fingerboard on top. when i put the strings on the action was too high & i could'nt lower the bridge the only way to fix it was to sink the bridge in the body pretty much junk but it was one of my first projects

[JOAMdude]

make sure you determine the neck angle . i made a neck thru les paul style a few years ago . from where the nut would be to the back end of the body was straight then i glued my fingerboard on top. when i put the strings on the action was too high & i could'nt lower the bridge the only way to fix it was to sink the bridge in the body pretty much junk but it was one of my first projects

hrrmmm, ok ill do that too.

also if the OFR was recessed and i had a thick fretboard,w ould that also help?

Is there a way for the strings to be absolutely parallel with the fretboard? i mean i know that every guitar i've played the action is higher towards the 12th fret and also wider but just a question. thanks for the warning!

[aidlook]

But is there anything that i really should watch out for other than being careful about 1. Fret slotting 2. OFR routing 3. Body shape?

1.About fret slotting I'd say buy a slotted fretboard, unless you REALLY want to slot it yourself for some reason.

2.You can use the stew mac templates for a floyd rose, but and your post is suggesting that you might have to read up on templates and how to use them.

3.I don't really understand the concern here since you said you're building a mockingbird.

I was just using the numbers on the questions in the original post when I replied. The number before the answer in my post corresponds to the number of the question asked in the original post.

[JOAMdude]

But is there anything that i really should watch out for other than being careful about 1. Fret slotting 2. OFR routing 3. Body shape?

1.About fret slotting I'd say buy a slotted fretboard, unless you REALLY want to slot it yourself for some reason.

2.You can use the stew mac templates for a floyd rose, but and your post is suggesting that you might have to read up on templates and how to use them.

3.I don't really understand the concern here since you said you're building a mockingbird.

I was just using the numbers on the questions in the original post when I replied. The number before the answer in my post corresponds to the number of the question asked in the original post.

oh yeah well i have a template in case your wondering

[MiKro]

But is there anything that i really should watch out for other than being careful about 1. Fret slotting 2. OFR routing 3. Body shape?

1.About fret slotting I'd say buy a slotted fretboard, unless you REALLY want to slot it yourself for some reason.

2.You can use the stew mac templates for a floyd rose, but and your post is suggesting that you might have to read up on templates and how to use them.

3.I don't really understand the concern here since you said you're building a mockingbird.

I was just using the numbers on the questions in the original post when I replied. The number before the answer in my post corresponds to the number of the question asked in the original post.

oh yeah well i have a template in case your wondering

First off, I'm old, so *** is OFR? please try not to use acronyms here at Project guitar, you may not get all the answers you are looking for, since some may not understand the question.

As far as jointing?. It is the process of making one side perpendicular to the adjacent side of reference.. Therefore creating a 90degree angle, so that all sides can be planed and or jointed to create a perfectly flat and perpendicular board with parallel lines on all sides. I hope that makes sense. If not, please contact your geometry instructor and look at a 3D version of a rectangle.

This can be accomplished using a jointer, a hand plane( takes a lot of practice), a router table or a well setup Table saw. If you have more questions about this please feel free to PM me.

MK

[JOAMdude]

But is there anything that i really should watch out for other than being careful about 1. Fret slotting 2. OFR routing 3. Body shape?

1.About fret slotting I'd say buy a slotted fretboard, unless you REALLY want to slot it yourself for some reason.

2.You can use the stew mac templates for a floyd rose, but and your post is suggesting that you might have to read up on templates and how to use them.

3.I don't really understand the concern here since you said you're building a mockingbird.

I was just using the numbers on the questions in the original post when I replied. The number before the answer in my post corresponds to the number of the question asked in the original post.

thanks:D

(OFR= Official/Original Floyd Rose)

oh yeah well i have a template in case your wondering

First off, I'm old, so *** is OFR? please try not to use acronyms here at Project guitar, you may not get all the answers you are looking for, since some may not understand the question.

As far as jointing?. It is the process of making one side perpendicular to the adjacent side of reference.. Therefore creating a 90degree angle, so that all sides can be planed and or jointed to create a perfectly flat and perpendicular board with parallel lines on all sides. I hope that makes sense. If not, please contact your geometry instructor and look at a 3D version of a rectangle.

This can be accomplished using a jointer, a hand plane( takes a lot of practice), a router table or a well setup Table saw. If you have more questions about this please feel free to PM me.

MK

[MiKro]

<snip>

(OFR= Official/Original Floyd Rose)

oh yeah well i have a template in case your wondering

[JOAMdude]

ROFL haha actually i think i put that in by mistake!

[JOAMdude]

yesterday i ordered

OFR

Fingerboard (ebony)

Saddle shims

Routing Templates

Dragon Rasp

Fingerboard Dye.

[CrazyManAndy]

Just out of curiosity, why do you keep posting your topics in the "Tutorial & Reference" sections?

CMA

[JOAMdude]

right, good question that.

wonder if a mod could move it

[CrazyManAndy]

No need, actually. I would just start a new thread in the "In Progress and Finished Work" section. With pics if possible .

CMA