My Custom Design Guitar

[maikman]

...if you dont have anything good to say dont say anything at all? haha

lookin good btw

[DC Ross]

Not my style, but good on you for following it through to the end!

[Andronico]

Here is a pic of the wiring. You can see ive used a push pull pot for a coil tap:

Is your first guitar and is good that you can design, build and finish your projects. But I have some advices for your guitar :

1) Isolate your control cavity and connect it to ground.

2) Avoid the ground loops connecting all the grounds forming a star and only one wire from this star to the ground of the output connector.

In this way your guitar will be very quiet.

[Zeb_hendrix]

Here is a pic of the wiring. You can see ive used a push pull pot for a coil tap:

Is your first guitar and is good that you can design, build and finish your projects. But I have some advices for your guitar :

1) Isolate your control cavity and connect it to ground.

2) Avoid the ground loops connecting all the grounds forming a star and only one wire from this star to the ground of the output connector.

In this way your guitar will be very quiet.

Thanks Andronico.

I was wondering if you could explain what your saying in depth a bit more because I'm a beginner with the electronics business.

I'm not sure what you mean by "connect them in star", im assuming u mean the pots which are connected in a pentagon but connecting in a star still uses same amount of wire. And also not sure about how to isolate the control cavity.

Zeb.

[hexa-db]

How does it play & sound? It's hard to tell from the angle but the action looks pretty good considering the neck angle issue people mentioned. The controls do look a bit cramped - I'd be tempted to change the wiring to a single volume and tone knob, and remove the two knobs nearest the bridge (then fill the holes with some dowel, shouldn't be visible if you paint it).

I think it would look cooler with bevelled edges (kind of like a lot of BC Rich guitars) - it would be easier to do than binding too Then again installing the binding would be good experience.

By the way - if you still like the idea of a design on the top, have a look at the fabric top tutorial. I've seen some nice stuff done with Origami paper on the reranch.com forums too.

Good on you for actually getting it done and not being put off by the comments made by a few people.

By the way - the star grounding thing refers to the way the ground wires are arranged, in star grounding they all ground to a single point. Google for "guitar star grounding" and you should get the idea.

[Zeb_hendrix]

How does it play & sound? It's hard to tell from the angle but the action looks pretty good considering the neck angle issue people mentioned. The controls do look a bit cramped - I'd be tempted to change the wiring to a single volume and tone knob, and remove the two knobs nearest the bridge (then fill the holes with some dowel, shouldn't be visible if you paint it).

I think it would look cooler with bevelled edges (kind of like a lot of BC Rich guitars) - it would be easier to do than binding too Then again installing the binding would be good experience.

By the way - if you still like the idea of a design on the top, have a look at the fabric top tutorial. I've seen some nice stuff done with Origami paper on the reranch.com forums too.

Good on you for actually getting it done and not being put off by the comments made by a few people.

By the way - the star grounding thing refers to the way the ground wires are arranged, in star grounding they all ground to a single point. Google for "guitar star grounding" and you should get the idea.

Thanks Hexa,

I think I said this earlier on but I'm on a long holiday on Europe and I wanted to have a "test" set up before I left to see how it sounded. I changed my mind about binding ages ago and decided to bevel just as you said.

Ill be back in 6 weeks as soon as I get back Ill take it a part and start shaping, scraping, sanding the body then finishing it.

[Zeb_hendrix]

How does it play & sound? It's hard to tell from the angle but the action looks pretty good considering the neck angle issue people mentioned. The controls do look a bit cramped - I'd be tempted to change the wiring to a single volume and tone knob, and remove the two knobs nearest the bridge (then fill the holes with some dowel, shouldn't be visible if you paint it).

I think it would look cooler with bevelled edges (kind of like a lot of BC Rich guitars) - it would be easier to do than binding too Then again installing the binding would be good experience.

By the way - if you still like the idea of a design on the top, have a look at the fabric top tutorial. I've seen some nice stuff done with Origami paper on the reranch.com forums too.

Good on you for actually getting it done and not being put off by the comments made by a few people.

By the way - the star grounding thing refers to the way the ground wires are arranged, in star grounding they all ground to a single point. Google for "guitar star grounding" and you should get the idea.

Thanks Hexa,

I think I said this earlier on but I'm on a long holiday on Europe and I wanted to have a "test" set up before I left to see how it sounded. I changed my mind about binding ages ago and decided to bevel just as you said.

Ill be back in 6 weeks as soon as I get back Ill take it a part and start shaping, scraping, sanding the body then finishing it.

[Zeb_hendrix]

How does it play & sound? It's hard to tell from the angle but the action looks pretty good considering the neck angle issue people mentioned. The controls do look a bit cramped - I'd be tempted to change the wiring to a single volume and tone knob, and remove the two knobs nearest the bridge (then fill the holes with some dowel, shouldn't be visible if you paint it).

I think it would look cooler with bevelled edges (kind of like a lot of BC Rich guitars) - it would be easier to do than binding too Then again installing the binding would be good experience.

By the way - if you still like the idea of a design on the top, have a look at the fabric top tutorial. I've seen some nice stuff done with Origami paper on the reranch.com forums too.

Good on you for actually getting it done and not being put off by the comments made by a few people.

By the way - the star grounding thing refers to the way the ground wires are arranged, in star grounding they all ground to a single point. Google for "guitar star grounding" and you should get the idea.

Thanks Hexa,

I think I said this earlier on but I'm on a long holiday on Europe and I wanted to have a "test" set up before I left to see how it sounded. I changed my mind about binding ages ago and decided to bevel just as you said.

Ill be back in 6 weeks as soon as I get back Ill take it a part and start shaping, scraping, sanding the body then finishing it.

When I first put the Bigsby arm on I showed it to my dad and he suggested I do exactly the same thing as you said. The way I see it if I leave them there it makes the guitar appearance worse but if I take them off I make the guitars tonal capabilites less ( unless I put the pots some where else like up near the neck. At the moment I'm ok with them where they are.

The action is fairly good, could be a bit lower though it's not quite as low as my SGs , Its probably a good height for slide guitar at the moment. If I want to make it lower though Ill need to slot the nut.

Zeb.

[Zeb_hendrix]

How does it play & sound? It's hard to tell from the angle but the action looks pretty good considering the neck angle issue people mentioned. The controls do look a bit cramped - I'd be tempted to change the wiring to a single volume and tone knob, and remove the two knobs nearest the bridge (then fill the holes with some dowel, shouldn't be visible if you paint it).

I think it would look cooler with bevelled edges (kind of like a lot of BC Rich guitars) - it would be easier to do than binding too Then again installing the binding would be good experience.

By the way - if you still like the idea of a design on the top, have a look at the fabric top tutorial. I've seen some nice stuff done with Origami paper on the reranch.com forums too.

Good on you for actually getting it done and not being put off by the comments made by a few people.

By the way - the star grounding thing refers to the way the ground wires are arranged, in star grounding they all ground to a single point. Google for "guitar star grounding" and you should get the idea.

Thanks Hexa,

I think I said this earlier on but I'm on a long holiday on Europe and I wanted to have a "test" set up before I left to see how it sounded. I changed my mind about binding ages ago and decided to bevel just as you said.

Ill be back in 6 weeks as soon as I get back Ill take it a part and start shaping, scraping, sanding the body then finishing it.

When I first put the Bigsby arm on I showed it to my dad and he suggested I do exactly the same thing as you said. The way I see it if I leave them there it makes the guitar appearance worse but if I take them off I make the guitars tonal capabilites less ( unless I put the pots some where else like up near the neck. At the moment I'm ok with them where they are.

The action is fairly good, could be a bit lower though it's not quite as low as my SGs , Its probably a good height for slide guitar at the moment. If I want to make it lower though Ill need to slot the nut.

Zeb.

[Zeb_hendrix]

How does it play & sound? It's hard to tell from the angle but the action looks pretty good considering the neck angle issue people mentioned. The controls do look a bit cramped - I'd be tempted to change the wiring to a single volume and tone knob, and remove the two knobs nearest the bridge (then fill the holes with some dowel, shouldn't be visible if you paint it).

I think it would look cooler with bevelled edges (kind of like a lot of BC Rich guitars) - it would be easier to do than binding too Then again installing the binding would be good experience.

By the way - if you still like the idea of a design on the top, have a look at the fabric top tutorial. I've seen some nice stuff done with Origami paper on the reranch.com forums too.

Good on you for actually getting it done and not being put off by the comments made by a few people.

By the way - the star grounding thing refers to the way the ground wires are arranged, in star grounding they all ground to a single point. Google for "guitar star grounding" and you should get the idea.

Thanks Hexa,

I think I said this earlier on but I'm on a long holiday on Europe and I wanted to have a "test" set up before I left to see how it sounded. I changed my mind about binding ages ago and decided to bevel just as you said.

Ill be back in 6 weeks as soon as I get back Ill take it a part and start shaping, scraping, sanding the body then finishing it.

When I first put the Bigsby arm on I showed it to my dad and he suggested I do exactly the same thing as you said. The way I see it if I leave them there it makes the guitar appearance worse but if I take them off I make the guitars tonal capabilites less ( unless I put the pots some where else like up near the neck. At the moment I'm ok with them where they are.

The action is fairly good, could be a bit lower though it's not quite as low as my SGs , Its probably a good height for slide guitar at the moment. If I want to make it lower though Ill need to slot the nut.

Zeb.

[Zeb_hendrix]

How does it play & sound? It's hard to tell from the angle but the action looks pretty good considering the neck angle issue people mentioned. The controls do look a bit cramped - I'd be tempted to change the wiring to a single volume and tone knob, and remove the two knobs nearest the bridge (then fill the holes with some dowel, shouldn't be visible if you paint it).

I think it would look cooler with bevelled edges (kind of like a lot of BC Rich guitars) - it would be easier to do than binding too Then again installing the binding would be good experience.

By the way - if you still like the idea of a design on the top, have a look at the fabric top tutorial. I've seen some nice stuff done with Origami paper on the reranch.com forums too.

Good on you for actually getting it done and not being put off by the comments made by a few people.

By the way - the star grounding thing refers to the way the ground wires are arranged, in star grounding they all ground to a single point. Google for "guitar star grounding" and you should get the idea.

Thanks Hexa,

I think I said this earlier on but I'm on a long holiday on Europe and I wanted to have a "test" set up before I left to see how it sounded. I changed my mind about binding ages ago and decided to bevel just as you said.

Ill be back in 6 weeks as soon as I get back Ill take it a part and start shaping, scraping, sanding the body then finishing it.

When I first put the Bigsby arm on I showed it to my dad and he suggested I do exactly the same thing as you said. The way I see it if I leave them there it makes the guitar appearance worse but if I take them off I make the guitars tonal capabilites less ( unless I put the pots some where else like up near the neck. At the moment I'm ok with them where they are.

The action is fairly good, could be a bit lower though it's not quite as low as my SGs , Its probably a good height for slide guitar at the moment. If I want to make it lower though Ill need to slot the nut.

Zeb.

[Zeb_hendrix]

Sorry about that everyone, not sure how to delete them all.

Has anyone got any good links that explain star grounding/shielding.

Edited October 1, 2008 by Zeb_hendrix

[avengers63]

The action is fairly good, could be a bit lower though it's not quite as low as my SGs , Its probably a good height for slide guitar at the moment. If I want to make it lower though Ill need to slot the nut.

Shim up the heel in the neck joint. I use cut up business cards. Note cards would work just as well. It's a trial & error method to see how much shimming is necessary. With a Bigsby on that thing, I don't envy the process.