White Summer Posted June 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2007 Ha! This thread and my project didnt die!!! Stuff i did a while ago, too lazy to put pics up before though Scarf Joint!!!! http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0620.jpg Heck Yea! Neck angle!!!! http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0619.jpg Back!!! http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0618.jpg Neck Joint!!! http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0617.jpg Front!!! http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0616.jpg i still need to go over the neck with a spokeshave and do all that stuff, but all my hardware came in. i got my gotoh 510s and my p-90 pickups most importantly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 22, 2007 Report Share Posted June 22, 2007 Those are, like, the most intense photo titles ever!!! It seems to be coming along quite fine! Are you going to have a neck plate for the screws, or are you going to screw them into the wood directly? I'd feel safer with a neck plate, less potential to crack the finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Is it just me or does it look like that neck has very little or no taper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted June 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Is it just me or does it look like that neck has very little or no taper? it doesnt have taper, i could put a taper on it though, i just got a REALLY rough shape with the router. does it need taper? my tele seems to not have taper....or very little Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Is it just me or does it look like that neck has very little or no taper? it doesnt have taper, i could put a taper on it though, i just got a REALLY rough shape with the router. does it need taper? my tele seems to not have taper....or very little 'seems to not have taper' is not a good response here. You need to know these things and have measurements. If you're patterning your neck after your tele neck do you have exact measurements of that? And does the string spread on your chosen bridge match that of your tele? There is a thread on here in the tutorials that tell you exactly how to determine neck taper. I don't have the link offhand, but do a search and you should be able to find it...A guitar is about planning and research as much as it is about 'woodwork'. If you don't know exactly what your process is then woodworking knowledge in and of itself is not that valuable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 (edited) The neck on my tele is based on the specs of my strat, 2 1/4" at the butt and 1 5/8" at the nut. All necks have to have taper, unless you want your nut to be the same length as your bridge. The usual nut size is 1 5/8" up to 1 3/4" (usually classical guitars) and larger for guitars sporting more than 6 strings. Once you know outside string spacing (distance between both e's) of nut and bridge as well as scale length / fb length then neck taper should fall into place. Edited June 23, 2007 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I can't help but think I suggested drawing everything out before going any further, must have been another forum member I guess! But seriously, draw everything out full scale on paper before going any further or else you're in for a lot of trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted June 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of course i planned it out, my bad i understood incorrectly! LOLOL i thought you meant where it is thicker near the bridge than at the headstock, of course my fingerboard is tapered. its a tad stronger than 1 11/16" and 2 3/16" at fret 24 (if i remember correctly.....) lol sorry for making yall waist your breath, i thought you meant the depth (whatever you call it) i just sanded and shaped a lot today and yesterday. pics tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 I think he means the thickness of the neck--the part that's usually around 3/4" with the fingerboard. I'm pretty sure that THAT taper is totally up to you. As long as you don't go too deep, it won't affect the structural parts of the guitar that've been planned on paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted June 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2007 ^yea, i meant the thickness uPdAtE!!!!!!! i made my neck not bad!!!!!!! (shaped it) sry the pics are so bad, its kindof one of those got-to-be-there things. back http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0627.jpg this one's pretty good http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0623.jpg man the lighting is soo bad on that camera these days http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0629.jpg sry for no close ups of the grain which is just POPPING out, and the shape is very even, it looks like an ibanez (good or bad thing?), but it been a while since ive played one of those. When i was hitting out the rough shape with a file, i though i took out too much wood, and i got a bad feeling in my stomach. its now maybe the PERFECT shape!!!!!!! Man it is swwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttt!!! its just the right amount of speed and comfort. Im quite satisfied to say the least. nighty nite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted June 27, 2007 Report Share Posted June 27, 2007 Heck Yea! Neck angle!!!! http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0619.jpg I think you can remove some wood of the underside of the neck, where it sits on the neck pocket, or your bridge will be too high. have you considered this? is this height correct? do you made drawings to see if this is right? and most necks do have a taper on it's thickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 ^hmmmm i will if i run into a problem with it, i think it will be alright though.... ok did a little more at the shop today. after my baseball game i got a 1/4" aluminum rod to do the inlays on the face. today i did the sides in aluminum wire. check the pix..... I also made a brass accent piece to go under the fingerboard at the last fret, and routed the pickup cavities. its getting closer. tomorrow will be my last day working on it before going on long trip so im going to inlay and fret tomorrow. sry bout the pics again, the camera seems wobbly now....hmmmm.... Aluminum nav dots http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0647.jpg Brass accent piece http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0646.jpg pre assembled headstock http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0645.jpg the guitar as a whole http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0644.jpg the brass nut (left) and accent (right) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted July 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 ok i do have my aluminum face inlays, which are sanded to 220 for now, and i am working on making the heel of the neck less tall, and with more angle, although i looked at it and i wont run into a problem. i also marked out strings on the nut. i still need to start on the fingerboard and route the wiring cavities. i have a few questions though. 1) i have heard that the neck can be left unfinished, but my neck is already really dirty and i dont even play it! how can i keep a quick neck that looks great? 2) my fingerboard looks awesome with water on it, but i dont want to finish it, i heard tung oil does a good job once a lot of coatings are applied. what should i do? 3) if i dont finish my neck, when i do finish the headstock, how will i blend it into the play area of the neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 1) i have heard that the neck can be left unfinished, but my neck is already really dirty and i dont even play it! how can i keep a quick neck that looks great? I think Danish Oil might be your best bet for a simple and natural finish that will give it a nice look. I have no experience finishing a neck off with only this oil, I would look for more advice on it first. Tru-oil will work as well, but I would not recommend this finish if you want the fast feel. I have to polish the neck I have finished with Tru-oil after every song I play with my band because my sweat beads up and leaves a grimy feel behind. I did not have this issue when it was finished with Polyurathane. 2) my fingerboard looks awesome with water on it, but i dont want to finish it, i heard tung oil does a good job once a lot of coatings are applied. what should i do? You may want to search for some kind of glossy varnish to keep things simple (saying we're avoiding spray equipment). Tru-oil might be a good choice here. I'm not positive how a varnish will work with more oily woods such as Rosewood, though. I have accidentally gotten a little Tru-oil on my fingerboards from time to time when finishing and it didn't cure, given I only gave it 2-3 hours before sanding it off. If you can get it to stick, it's probably the look you're asking for. 3) if i dont finish my neck, when i do finish the headstock, how will i blend it into the play area of the neck? To keep things simple, just finish the top of the headstock. Finishing the sides and the back will prove difficult to blend in with the play area. Yes, simplicity is the theme of my response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted July 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 (edited) ok cool. i think i can say i dont want to use tru oil, but come to think of it i know what your talking about. ive seen people need to wipe their necks after every song, and i think it would be tedious. i heard you say danish oil, but will that be quick? here is my guitar (slow) and two others (fast). my guitar specs say it came with a satin poly finish http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document?do...&sku=511388 my friends guitar has a super quick neck, and the specs say it has the same satin poly finish. http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0265106537 the guitar on the first link isnt on the fender site anymore, so could the finish have changed? finally another one of my friends (yea i have a lot of friends) has a fast-necked guitar similar to this one, http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0118502767 but i think the parts were from fender and someone assembled it, because it has a nitro body finish, different inlays, pickups, etc. why is my neck so slow? its definately not because of some slippery compound, its in the finish. could someone link me to the different types of finish also? what is satin and varnish? why am i asking so many questions? thanks ahead of time Edited July 31, 2007 by White Summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 (edited) Just to throw another option out there... Someone shared this recipe with me. (scroll down to reply #15) http://www.el34world.com/Forum/yabb2/nph-Y...?num=1168216998 Advantages: 1) cheap 2) no special equipment needed 3) neck is nice and fast Disadvantage--doesn't seem very durable compared to a factory spray-on lacquer finish. Edited August 2, 2007 by Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 hey, that sounds great, but would that work with a spray gun? I was planning on spraying it, it seems easier, but what do you guys think? I went to the shop today and got a lot done too, its near ready for finishing, so ive got to make up my mind. pics later tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted August 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 (edited) Ok, today i went to the shop, and got some progress made. i made the pickgaurd, routed out the wiring cavities, drilled the pickup wire holes, mounted the brass nut, made the truss rod cover, drilled the output jack hole, made a sample brass nut slot thing (using scroll and coping saw blades), and attempted to make an output jack plate. i ran into problems with that jack plate because that mystery wood is so hard! i cracked the plate trying to bend it around the body, so i might carve it out or go with a metal one. i want to cover the body in nitrocellulose lacquer, but when we went to lowes i didnt see any. are there any other places that carry that lacquer? Im still undecided on a neck finish, and i know a guy for the tung oil for the fingerboard, so ive got most of it taken care of. all thats left is finishing touches like breaking edges, final sanding, then finish! im gonna fret very last, after all that goop has dried. http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0788.jpg http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p96/temp4/DSCN0782.jpg thanks ahead of time! Summer!!!! oops! two of my pics were shown in the post! sorry! oh yea, the last pic is the best one, if you want to see Edited August 3, 2007 by White Summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Wow, looking very nice!! This project really turned out well. Definately keep taking pics as you get the cavity plates finished and many more pictures when start spraying nitro on it. I'm not sure where you can buy it locally, but all the guitar places sell, stewmac, lmi, grizzly, ect. One places I've been hearing a lot about is Reranch.com They sell that nitro in spray cans, so you can just spray it right on with ease. There is specific directions on how to use their products on their site, you can try them for your finish. Right now I think the guy is backorder because it asks for a password to buy the stuff. But it comes back up pretty quickly and you can buy some cans from them, just make sure you buy a bit extra in case you need more and they are closed when you call. I think this guitar will look wicked once you finish it in clear. Very cool stuff man, congrats on an excellent guitar. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted August 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 thanks alot jrentis, it means alot! Its great to have some good feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted August 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 I think i got the right kind of lacquer yesterday, at lowes, and i also found some tung oil for the fingerboard. i just want to make sure this is the right type of lacquer though, as i didnt pay much for it. it also doesnt work in a spray gun . I got some Deft Clear Wood Finish Brushing Lacquer semi gloss. i dont think thats the right type I also got Formby's Tung Oil Finish high gloss for the fingerboard. Will that work? thanks in advance summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 I'm guessing you didn't find the right thing at Lowes. But I know very little about spray-finishes, so there you go... FYI (if you're still considering it), the finish I shared can't be sprayed as far as I know. But the wood really glows under it. It turned my pinkish-brown mahogany to a rich red-brown. Your guitar looks fabulous. The shape is original, and you definitely picked the right pickups (aesthetically) for it. Don't forget to fret the fingerboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted August 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2007 ^thanks, actually my dad came to the rescue again! he has some satin lacquer we're using. today i rubbed some more tung oil on the fretboard, and brushed on the sealer coat for the body. (eh....brushing was easy) im about to leave right now so that i can put some grain filler on. getting closer!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Summer Posted September 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 (edited) Grrr.... ive been slowly putting on coats of lacquer like a mad scientist, and i finnally got i think 7 coats of lacquer (brushed on), and i went to wet sand it for buffing and went right through in a few spots, especially the edges of the headstock. i practiced buffing it anywho, and got the hang of it. my dad couldnt help me with any of this, he doesnt know a thing about finishing. i guess i shouldnt have sanded for so long. i think i might just hit the spots i sanded through with another coat or two, and give it another go. anyone against? btw, i dont have as many on the body, i had to sand down the sealer coat because of a nail in the table i started to buff out the pickguard and trussrod cover, and im almost done with the pickguard and i finished the trussrod cover Edited September 23, 2007 by White Summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 You shouldn't be buffing laquer until it's fully cure. If you're brushing the laquer on, I highly recommend wet-sanding between each coat or else those brush lines are going to build up extremely thick after each coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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