Feild Craddock Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Hey everyone. First of all thanks for posting all this great information for everyone, I've really enjoyed reading it and keeping up with the projects over the last few months. After fooling around and trying my hand at guitar making on a first tester guitar I decided it was time to start on something real and hopefully end up with a guitar I'm really proud of. I've done alot of reading on here and yesterday I bought the book "Make your own electic guitar" so i feel like i've got a good idea of where to start and where I'm going but I will most definatly need alot of help along the way. I've Had alot of time to think about all the things that I want so im just gonna go ahead and kinda list out what im thinking. (I'm also a awful speller so cut me some slack) - my inpiration if you wanna call it that is trey anastasio's guitar http://www.phish.net/gfx/gwcover.jpg - for the shape i wanna go pretty close to a standard stratocaster - i wanna go with just a flat top with binding around the top edge ( I don't really want to have to worry about carving the top) - for woods I think i can get my hands on some mahogany and i want to do a maple top. for the top i think im gonna have to buy a piece which i donno the best way to go about if anyone knows of any good web sites or what kinda places would sell it around town - Im thinking for the neck also mahogany with rosewood fretboard also bound - I want it set up kinda like a les paul: two humbuckers same kinda tunomatic bridge but probably just a volume tone and switch - also i think it would really be cool for it to be semi hollow with two f holes. (depending on how hard this is i might just go with a normal top. I drew this up in Sketch Up. Its kinda what im going for. Its not to scale or exact or anything just a sketch -I want to do a set neck. some questions come to mind about the neck angle since i want to go with the tunomatic but ill tacle those later. -As far as thickness im not too sure and i think its one of the first things i need to get figured out. So heres what im thinking I'm prettty sure I want an overall thickness of 1 3/4" so at first i was like great 1 1/2" mahogany and 1/4" Maple top. but then if i go simi hollow the top might be awful thick. I'm sure I left out ALOT but I'll remember it later on. NONE of this is set in stone and I really wanna hear what everyone thinks and any recomendations or ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 its all quite possible, i have a strat on the go at the moment with dual humbuckers and tune-o-matic bridge... You have a couple of options with the neck angle, a lot of people find it easier to sink the bridge into the body rather than worry about neck angle but i angled the bottom of the neck heel for mine, i could have angled the pocket instead. Mine has a bolt on neck but really the same principles apply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 (edited) I'm not sure if the Strat-style neck pocket with one side exposed will work for a glue-in neck. If you're concerned about the thickness of the top, you can always route away the underside. This would be really easy with a flat top--just set the router to the correct depth (no gradual removal like with a carved top). To preserve your body thickness, leave the edges of the top and the part under the bridge at 1/4". I've seen a lot of guitar wood on eBay. Of course, buyer beware with that... LMI has tons of wood but they're kind of expensive. http://www.lmii.com/ Melvyn Hiscock's book will explain the neck angle thing. Whatever your final design, be SURE you draw it all out full-size, including a side view that shows the neck angle, bridge height, string line, etc. Edited August 20, 2007 by Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElysianGuitars Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I'm not sure if the Strat-style neck pocket with one side exposed will work for a glue-in neck. If you're concerned about the thickness of the top, you can always route away the underside. This would be really easy with a flat top--just set the router to the correct depth (no gradual removal like with a carved top). To preserve your body thickness, leave the edges of the top and the part under the bridge at 1/4". I've seen a lot of guitar wood on eBay. Of course, buyer beware with that... LMI has tons of wood but they're kind of expensive. http://www.lmii.com/ Melvyn Hiscock's book will explain the neck angle thing. Whatever your final design, be SURE you draw it all out full-size, including a side view that shows the neck angle, bridge height, string line, etc. strat style neck pocket works perfectly fine for a set neck. friend of mine had an old jackson pro series, from the early 90s, that was strat style neck pocket, but glued in, it was quite awesome, and the guitar withstood the test of time. i think you'll need a really tight fit on the pocket, but it'll work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Geo does have a point, the strat style neck pocket isnt the ideal for set necks, but will work fine if done well - personally i would use a thicker heel/deeper pocket and extend it under the neck pickup as well like the PRS style full width neck tenon or whatever you want to call it strat style neck pocket works perfectly fine for a set neck. friend of mine had an old jackson pro series, from the early 90s, that was strat style neck pocket, but glued in, it was quite awesome, and the guitar withstood the test of time. i think you'll need a really tight fit on the pocket, but it'll work. i think its always best to aim for a really tight neck pocket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 (edited) I agree with the advice on the tight fitting neck, I like to be able to place the neck in the body with no fixative and be able to stand the guitar on a chair without the neck falling out. In a long deep pocket you could glue or screw or both! I like both fixed necks and screwed in necks (often incorrectly called bolt ons) but screw ins do have an advantage of being replacable if they become badly damaged. A friend of mine threw his Les Paul standard to another friend a while back, he said as he threw it he realized that you should not treat an instrument like this, you can guess the rest, the guitar was dropped and the neck snapped at the headstock join. I think your design looks great, the f-hole tele is always going to be a classic and you're right, nothing is set in stone you can tinker with the design. A non angled neck pocket will be easier to route and tele bridges are a sinch to put on, but if you love tunematic bridges go for the angled pocket. Make an MDF template with the neck pocket design cut out of it and connect to another piece of MDF, hinge the two on either side of the neck hole, you can recess in thin hinges but pieces of gaffa tape will also do the trick. Raise up the top template by gluing in paddle pop sticks to the desired angle and then use it to finish off your neck pocket. If all that is too much you can also keep the pocket straight recess the tuneo and use ferrules instead of a stop bar. You might want to practice on scrap wood before you risk mutilating your guitar. I'll look forward to seeing how you go. Edited August 21, 2007 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I like both fixed necks and screwed in necks (often incorrectly called bolt ons) Yes, technically you are correct that the neck is screwed rather than bolted, unless of course you happen to be using neck inserts and bolts when it does truly become a bolt on neck. but its an industry standard term to refer to a neck fixed with screws as a bolt-on neck and has been for quite a long time. I dont think it is incorrect to refer to something by its common name in a given community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feild Craddock Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Hey thanks for all the great feedback. I think my huge "Screw In" like neck pocket threw everone off in the drawing i put it i'm def planning a skinnier tennon that will most likley lead into the bridge pickup. What does everyone think about the top thickness. I was thinking about it yesterday. Im thinking i stick with the 1/4" maple top bust then where the cavitys are on the main body i rout mirror ones into the top 1/8" so that its not awkwardli think around the f holes. or maybe its just easier to make the whole top somthing like an eighth ( just estimating a number for now feel free to make any recomendations). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Yeah, I mean, if we get all terminology nazi, we need to stop calling trems trems. They're vibratos, dammit! Just because Leo Fender screwed it up doesn't mean we have to follow suit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 lets not even start on the coil tap one ( its a SPLIT!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 (edited) EDIT: Removed as I was beaten to it and didn't realise Edited August 21, 2007 by Calum_Barrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feild Craddock Posted August 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 I GOT MY WOOD!....well most of it. I worked at the funature maker for a day a few weeks ago and earned a huge pieve of mohagany 8'x14"x2". it seems like a great piece no knots cracks or anything. Its very heavy though. heres some pics of it. look at the close up is it just me or does it look kinda flamed? i dont even know if thats possible haha so i'm just talking from my extreeeemly small knowlege of wood tell me what you think. I still need to find the maple top i dont really wany anything to fancy and i plan on ording a pre sloted ebony fret board from stew mac. Here the pics: http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n34/feildc/P1010915.jpg http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n34/feildc/P1010917.jpg http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n34/feildc/P1010916.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 (edited) Looks nice a nice hunk of mahogany! Honestly, I can't tell if it is flamed or not being the state its in. When I first started learning about wood I thought many pieces were actually flamed figure, but I very quickly figured out that most of this was planer marks, etc. Sometimes and in certain woods it can actually be slightly tough to tell from a distance. It will probably be hard to tell until you get a nice clean smooth surface. Either way that is a nice piece with a great amount or usable wood. Wide enough to make one piece bodies if you want and plenty long to make a few bodies and even necks if you want. Congrats and I can't wait to see what you do with it! J Edited August 25, 2007 by jmrentis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 Looks good. What you're seeing is just saw marks, though; can't tell whether there's mild flame in wood that rough. It's certainly not strong flame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted October 6, 2007 Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 I like both fixed necks and screwed in necks (often incorrectly called bolt ons) Yes, technically you are correct that the neck is screwed rather than bolted, unless of course you happen to be using neck inserts and bolts when it does truly become a bolt on neck. but its an industry standard term to refer to a neck fixed with screws as a bolt-on neck and has been for quite a long time. I dont think it is incorrect to refer to something by its common name in a given community. That's right, technically but not politically incorrect. Now this is a bolt on neck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted October 7, 2007 Report Share Posted October 7, 2007 I guess we shouldn't even call them electric guitars, unless you've got active pickups... ElecTRONIC guitars perhaps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted November 22, 2007 Report Share Posted November 22, 2007 (edited) I enjoyed this thread but at some point I was hoping to see bits getting carved off a blank. What ever happens to these abandoned babies? Edited November 22, 2007 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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