WezV Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hey Wes V help a brother out looks like i have missed a lot of fun recently, not had as much time to come around the forum as often avengers63, looks like you have already figured out a good solution - automotive buffing compound will get you where you want to be but you might need to spend some time cleaning out the grain of the paduak afterwards since you havnt filled it properly. Its not as good a shine as you will get off a proper buffing wheel and different grades of compound but its certainly good enough if you have the patience to do it right. just because i have given some advice (that probably isnt needed now anyway) please dont feel it means you have to agree with every word i say - you have to find your own way and make your own judgements. We all offer our advice on here as a free resource, a thankyou helps but no one really owes us anything for it. the way i see it you thanked drak for his advice and complimented his skill before pointing out your problem with his attitude.. to me it seems you made it clear your issue was not with the good advice he has given this forum for free! but like i say, been a busy bee lately so havnt had a chance to read all of it and i really intend on avoiding these little spats Drak has. I can understand his frustration, he assumes you owe him something for his advice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I'm really jazzed up for today. I have the day off due to a federal holiday, so I'm going to finish up the guitar as much as possible. My wonderful wife did NOT leave me a "honey-do" list. She instead actually suggested that I work on it today! DUDE! The neck was buffed out last week and the Steinberger tuners were installed. I didn't post any pics cuz I didn't figure it was really worth posting. The finish on the body is finally dry & cured, so the waiting is finally over. Here's what's left to do: wet sand the body & buff it out shield both pup cavities & control cavity pound in the studs for the TOM roller-bridge For this one, I'm figuring to "bevel" the edged of the hole with a dremmel sanding drum. The purpose will be to clear a bit of finish from the edge of the hole. I'm hoping that this will prevent the bushings from damaging the finish when they're pounded in - no direct contact with the finish. If it doesn't work, then I guess I'm just going to be pretty ticked. screw all the hardware together - Bigsby, bridge, pickguard, bridge pup ring do the wiring shim the neck I'm assuming this will be necessary. The whole thing is routed for a standard tele. This is using a TOM bridge instead of the normal one-piece tele bridge, so the angle is probably a shade off. Good thing I went through the process with that cheap-o earlier, huh? It was there that I learned how to do shims. The dude I bought a pair of Padauk knobs from sent me a chunk of scrap Padauk. I had asked him if he could make a Fender-style pup-selector knob, but he only did Gibson. I asked if he'd be willing to sell me some scrap with a couple of knobs, but he just gave it to me instead. It's a fairly decent piece of scrap; he could have made 2 more knobs out of it. But, that means I have plenty to play with to try to make the switch tip. Does anyone have any suggestion on making one? Any pitfalls to avoid or tips to make things a LOT easier? I'll be posting pics when I'm all done. Here goes nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Three hours later and the body has been sanded up to 3000 grit. One thing is certain: I'm NEVER doing anything ever again without filling the grain, nor will I be using spalted maple ever again. Between the padauk & the mahogany, there are a zillion little lines that never buffed out. The spalted maple has such an uneven surface that it wasn't impossible to buff, but it was never going to be 100% flat. Way too much effort was spent on the spalt surfaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 You're supposed to strengthen up that spalted maple up some or else that will happen. Some very thin CA glue will do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 I began working on it around 9AM. I finished the assembly around 6PM, cleaned up my enormous mess, made dinner for everyone with my 13yo step-daughter, ate, then did the set-up. I was finally able to sit down and play it around 9PM or so. This has been a very fulfilling day. The day's pics as promised: Sanding the finish - all images are the back of the body. lacquered wet sanding 1 wet sanding 2 wet sanding 3 wet sanding 4 wet sanding 5 polished I love seeing the pics in series of the wet sanding & polishing. I just think it's way cool seeing the finish mirror out. When I pounded in the bushings, I did have a minor amount of damage to the finish. It came up from the body about 1/4 inch around the hole, but didn't chip off. So... I'm not going to worry about it. It's still there, I'm OK. Next, I shileded the cavities. The wiring wasn't photographed before the plate & jack were screwed in. I used a 4-way switch set up to get both pups singly, in series, and in parallel. On the volume knob, I used the .01 cap & 100meg resistor to not affect the tone when the volume is low. For the tone pot, I used a standard .47 cap. All the hardware screwed on. Finally, here she is in all her glory! All I need to do is make the switch cap & she's complete. As is, I'll be taking it to use on Sunday service instead of the one I have now. The current ax is getting a crackle finish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheIRS Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 DUDE! That is one pretty guitar! Nice work! Everything flows together so well, the wood parts were perfectly selected. I've been waiting to see this one finished for a while and I am proud to say I really like it. Great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks, IRS. I appreciate the kind words. Neck issue: It's a little bowed right now. The neck bows towards the front at about the 5th fret. I know this requires a truss rod adjustment, but I've never done one before. From the way it's bowed, do I tighten or loosen it, and how much should I try at a time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Oooh baby! I dig a guitar made out of just wood and metal. It all comes together nicely, especially the fretboard and covers. How are those Steinberger tuners? Worth the price tag? I'm not a huge fan of how BIG they are on the front of the headstock, at least on the StewMac pictures. But I suppose you can't really tell when you take the guitar as a whole. http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/trussadjust.htm /\ Good ol' PG homepage for your truss rod woes. I've used the same method as described, but I might want to wait a bit in between turning the nut and checking the clearance, just to let things "settle in" more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks for the link. I should have looked there first. The Steinberger tuners have their good & bad points. At this stage, I can't give a full testimonial since I really haven't had the experience with them. The only thing I can say so far is DON'T cut the string until AFTER they've stretched. The tuner only descends into the headstock so far, unlike normal "winding" tuners. The way they work, you pull the string through the tuner as hard as you can and clamp it down. The "peg" lowers into the headstock, tightening the pull on the string. The high E stretched so far that I had to re-string it twice so far. I'm going to give it about a week before I trim the ends. What I CAN say, though, is that Bigsby's are a royal PIA to string up! Any suggestions on tips on making a switch tip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAGGOTBRAIN Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Your guitar looks great!...nice work. No clue on making a switch tip, unless you have a lathe. If you have no luck making one yourself try here http://www.thgknobs.com/ peace jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 WOW but TKG Knobs is really expensive! Truss rod: This just ain't right! I have the neck off & I'm trying to tighten the truss rod & straighten everything out. When I turn the screw, the tension from the neck un-turns it!. I screw the nut to the right, it unscrews itself back where I started. So what do I do now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 I called three different repair shops in the area this morning. One of them, Gravity Strings, is the only shop in St. Louis to ba an authorized Gibson, Fender, and Martin repair shop, so I trust their opinions. All three agree that there's something wrong with the truss rod itself and that it's most likely damaged or faulty. It was this referal that led me to get a neck from him in the first place: Jim at JCS Musical Instruments make a great neck. Check them out here: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZqsc1230 So I emailed him today explaining the situation. We'll see how he handles it and if he's worth any further recomendations. FWIW: The neck feels great in my hand. Were it not for a faulty truss rod, I'm positive it'd be a first-class piece. I'm really hoping he'll stand behind his work. I'll let y'all know one way or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 He emailed me back wanting me to give a couple of things a whirl. He also gave me his home phone number and an assurance that he'll stand behind his work. Cool. I like a stand-up guy. There are so few left with integrity. We'll see how things pan out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 I talked with him when I got home today. He wants me to mail the neck back to him and he'll make a new one for me. FLAMING MONKEY POO!!! I was finally done with it, and now it'll be another 4-6 weeks minimum. At lease he's standing behind his work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bygde Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Sorry to hear about the neck! The guitar looks amazing, even to me who doesn't even like Teles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 That's really tough about the neck, man. I really hope he pulls through for ya! This design is just too cool to be waylaid by that. I'd make the switch tip on a lathe too, it seems the only logical way to do it. I've made candlesticks and whatnot, and trimmed the stock for my poor-boy side dots, so I'll say it's definitely doable if you have the right equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 Thanks guys. I'm sure everyone has been waylaid at the last minute, so the frustration is understood. Who'd have expected this on their first build! There is a positive to all this. Since I don't have a lathe, and I have a pretty big chunk of padauk to play with, I have plenty of time to carve out a switch tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted February 21, 2008 Report Share Posted February 21, 2008 can you do it mounted to a drill. - cut it close to shape and mount it on something you can put in a drill to take it down to the final size.... i havnt done switch tips but have done a few knobs this way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 After getting a chance to inspect the neck personally, the builder identified the problem. The wood has more natural bow than the truss rod can handle. Also, he missed a washer on the TR, so that didn't help things either. He's making me a totally new neck. I'm currently estimating about 5 more weeks until it can be "finished" again. Maybe my tax refund will be back by then and I'll have some tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Beautiful build. A bit more busy than I like for myself, but it is gorgeous. Sorry to hear about the neck woes, but it's awesome that he's helping you out. The finished thing looks great. Love me a bigsby, that's for sure. You mention stringing woes - are you blocking the Bigsby's motion as you string? If you don't, sometimes you get it strung up and realize you have no downward range! Certainly keeping it from moving makes stringing it easier - I believe Bigsby suggests a foam block wedged against the string bar - but I always just removed the spring from the cup, and put in an socket from my socket wrench set in it's place - strung it up just a little slack, and swapped in the spring before tightening it up the last bit. When I pounded in the bushings, I did have a minor amount of damage to the finish. It came up from the body about 1/4 inch around the hole, but didn't chip off. So... I'm not going to worry about it. It's still there, I'm OK. I've had this problem in the past - certainly a little bevel to the finish edge helps a bit, but I've had the best luck pressing them in with my drill press. Of course, depending on the build, and the drill press, reaching this far in can be difficult. I've also used a piece of wood wrapped in leather on each side, (one to protect the back of the guitar, and one to protect the front and the chrome on the studs) and pressed them in with clamps. This can be a little more difficult, takes some jiggery. (notching the blocks to accept the clamp faces helps, or using two clamps.) I don't know why, but pressing rather than pounding seems to make bushings go in with a lot less chance of finish damage, at least in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted February 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 When I pounded in the bushings, I did have a minor amount of damage to the finish. It came up from the body about 1/4 inch around the hole, but didn't chip off. So... I'm not going to worry about it. It's still there, I'm OK. I've had this problem in the past - certainly a little bevel to the finish edge helps a bit, but I've had the best luck pressing them in with my drill press. Of course, depending on the build, and the drill press, reaching this far in can be difficult. I've also used a piece of wood wrapped in leather on each side, (one to protect the back of the guitar, and one to protect the front and the chrome on the studs) and pressed them in with clamps. This can be a little more difficult, takes some jiggery. (notching the blocks to accept the clamp faces helps, or using two clamps.) I don't know why, but pressing rather than pounding seems to make bushings go in with a lot less chance of finish damage, at least in my experience. I'll make mental note of this for any future TOMs I use. Thanks for the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted March 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 The scrap of padauk the dude sent along with the knobs has come to great use. I made a switch knob and fashioned an inlay for the headstock. The knob was pretty easy. I did what WezV suggested: I mounted a small piece of wood to a mandrill, stuck it in my Dremel, clamped the took to the table, and shaped it with sandpaper. I then literally dipped it in some poly, then came back the next afternoon and dipped it again. The finish is not getting buffed out. I figure it's small enough that it won't be noticeable. It doesn't fit very snug, so I'll need to super-glue it onto the switch, but that's OK. The inlay wasn't too hard to shape. I haven't put it in the headstock yet, but you can see the approximate placement. In case you're wondering, it's the letter 'J', shaped like I write it. It's the first letter of my first name. As you can see also, the neck builder came through with a new neck. I'll be inlaying the J and doing a test fit before I put a finish on it this week. I'll snap some pics of the inlay process and finished result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bygde Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 Sweet! Looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted March 16, 2008 Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 the switch tip came out quite nice.. i wouldnt superglue it on though.. what i would do is fill the hole with epoxy... but wax the metal bit of the switch first so you can push it in and let the epoxy set in place.. hopefully the wax will let you remove it if you need to and it should give a nice tight fit have a practice on some scrap before you inlay your headstock... inlaying into maple can be frustrating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted March 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2008 the switch tip came out quite nice.. i wouldnt superglue it on though.. what i would do is fill the hole with epoxy... but wax the metal bit of the switch first so you can push it in and let the epoxy set in place.. hopefully the wax will let you remove it if you need to and it should give a nice tight fit have a practice on some scrap before you inlay your headstock... inlaying into maple can be frustrating Thanks for the advice. I DO have some maple scrap I was going to practice on. I just know that I'm not going to get it right the first time. It's not a self confidence issue - it's a lack of experience issue. There are hazards that WILL pop up that I won't be aware of and techniques that will have to be learned. I'm figuring to do 3-4 practice runs before I do anything on the real deal. As for the epoxy/wax trick, would wood filler work? I don't want to hunt down & buy a product I might never use again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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