djhollowman Posted September 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Yeah, good point, thanks - I'll certainly keep that in mind! I intend to take as little as possible off anyway - more of a "dress" than a thorough sanding. DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 i agree that the post fix must be made more permanent. i would suggest also routing and fitting with some kind of really hard wood. that being either maple or cherry, something basic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Right, here's a snap of the fret chipping: Just a tedious amount of careful gluing and filling required then! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 And here's the retainer scenario, see if you can spot the broken screw end: Methinks perhaps it has been paid a visit by Messrs Heath and Robinson??? DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Furthermore, see how little room I have to re-do the trem post bushings: Yikes!! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
factory5150 Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Make a base out of ply or masonite then make a template of the tremolo cavity and just cut it out on the base. That way you have some wiggle room and less chance of the router tipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 To be fair, the body would be more worthwhile as a template for making a new body properly out of better wood. Black CA would gapfill the rosewood nicely also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 It is tricky to really tell what is going on here but the wood in these things, even the originals are pretty light bass wood and cant stand this abuse and the wood is likely to have been compressed. Replacing with a new set is not necessarily going to fix the problem or it reoccurring. You might want to consider drilling or routing out a channel and inserting hardwood then reinserting the posts straight. Another option is perhaps a steel support hidden in the trem cavity to lend support to the posts or something. My 1987 Jem is made out of Basswood and I've had no issues with the trem posts whatsoever and I've used the hell out of that thing. I don't see a problem with the use of basswood. If the post wasn't snug to start with, it only gets worse from there. If it was tight at the factory, there should be no issues. The posts are an easy fix with just a bit of epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 To be fair, the body would be more worthwhile as a template for making a new body properly out of better wood. Probably. BUT... didn't one of the earliest posts, if not DJ's 1st post, say that more would be learned from fixing this thing than in making a whole new body? It seems to me that learning by fixing has become the whole point of the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 I just saw this thread so I'm a little late to the party. Yeah thats easily the worst (attempted) fret job I've ever seen. You can avoid having that much fingerboard tearout if you heat each fret with a soldering iron and very slowly pull each one. For the studs I'd either try routing in a hardwood block and re-drilling or just epoxying the suckers in there really good and see how it holds up. If it's no good you can always go back and do the hardwood block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 To be fair, the body would be more worthwhile as a template for making a new body properly out of better wood. Probably. BUT... didn't one of the earliest posts, if not DJ's 1st post, say that more would be learned from fixing this thing than in making a whole new body? It seems to me that learning by fixing has become the whole point of the project. Yeah, both points are right here I think. I'm already confident that I can make an entirely new body for the neck. I'm really only bothering with the existing "Jem" body to gain valuable experience, in the hope that one day I'll be getting repairs like this more regularly. I just saw this thread so I'm a little late to the party. Yeah thats easily the worst (attempted) fret job I've ever seen. You can avoid having that much fingerboard tearout if you heat each fret with a soldering iron and very slowly pull each one. For the studs I'd either try routing in a hardwood block and re-drilling or just epoxying the suckers in there really good and see how it holds up. If it's no good you can always go back and do the hardwood block. Hey Daniel, your opinion is always welcome too! Grab a beer bro'! Honestly, most of that tearout was already there before I started pulling frets! I actually did heat them to remove them, and they were superglued in as well...nnng! Hmmm....regarding the bridge stud: due to the fact that I can always go back to my initial plan of routing out the bush area and replacing it with new hardwood, I'm now thinking maybe I should try one of the more easy suggestions first. I think if I am to epoxy the bushing in there, it would be wise to epoxy in a NEW one though???? Just in case the old one has changed shape internally, as soapbarstrat suggested. Here's how the neck is shaping up: As you can see, I'm repairing the tearout by filling with rosewood dust mixed with superglue - still more sanding to do, and some more detailed filling. Everytime I gently sand it I find a little bit I've missed, or that could be better! I had already glued down as many lifted tearout splinters as I could, but there was always gonna be some which broke off and vanished! I'm building up superglue to repair where the inlay has chipped out at the fret slots. It should look fine once sanded and fretted. I'm pretty pleased with how it's turning out - once it's finish-sanded and oiled with lemon oil the colours blend together in a much nicer way, and make the repairs look almost invisible! (The repaired areas look very dark right now.) This is how it looked before. This is quite a fun job actually! I'll have to run the saw through the slots again before fretting as well. Everyone's thoughts welcomed. Thanks, DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 Though For The Day: Y'know, even on a cheaply-made neck, even made using CNC, that full-length vine inlay must have been quite a lot of work to fit! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 The fingerboard is looking good considering how messed up it was. The previous owner probably pulled the frets too fast and thats where the problem occurred. Just make sure you don't sand through the (probably) paper thin inlay! BTW I just reread my post and it almost read like I was saying that your fret job (currently in progress) was the worst I had ever seen, but thats not what I meant at all, I meant the hideous frets that were on it before you got it. Just clearing that up so you don't get the wrong impression. To check if the stud had changed shape (bent) just see if the screw goes in and out ok. If so I wouldn't worry about it, I'd just use the old studs and run with it. It is a learning guitar/experience after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 The fingerboard is looking good considering how messed up it was. The previous owner probably pulled the frets too fast and thats where the problem occurred. Just make sure you don't sand through the (probably) paper thin inlay! BTW I just reread my post and it seems like I'm saying that your fret job (currently in progress) was the worst I had ever seen, but thats not what I meant, I meant the hideous frets that were on it before you got it. Just clearing that up so you don't get the wrong impression. To check if the stud had changed shape (bent) just see if the screw goes in and out ok. If so I wouldn't worry about it, I'd just use the old studs and run with it. It is a learning guitar/experience after all. Haha, no worries Daniel, I knew what you meant!! I'm trying to find a photo which shows just how bad the whole fingerboard was when I got it. The length of both sides were covered in gouges and file marks. The fret tops were flat, like FLAT like a table!! This one shows some closeup detail: but it doesn't really capture the full horror of it!! Wish I had taken more "BEFORE" photos now! The inlay is surprisingly thick, around 1mm (which is more than it sounds!), however I don't think it's thick enough to handle scalloping the last four frets!! No problem - I tried a scalloped neck and HATED it! The stud and bushing work well enough together, it's just that there's a little more play in them than I would have liked. Maybe there was that amount of play in them before, when they were brand new??? DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 My 1987 Jem is made out of Basswood and I've had no issues with the trem posts whatsoever and I've used the hell out of that thing. I don't see a problem with the use of basswood. mmm...one guitar has been okay with basswood...oh,well that certainly makes up for the hundreds or even thousands of others that had issues... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 The stud and bushing work well enough together, it's just that there's a little more play in them than I would have liked. Maybe there was that amount of play in them before, when they were brand new??? Most likely...a bit of teflon tape on the threads would take out the play. You could also reinforce and straighten the studs if necessary by routing out the "step" that the studs are in in the cavity and fitting aluminum in there screwed in from the back...but it may well hold up for years as long as it works... pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 when i took apart my horrendous snake guitar I turned it upside down to remove the neck and one of the bushings just fell out! hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElysianGuitars Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 It is tricky to really tell what is going on here but the wood in these things, even the originals are pretty light bass wood and cant stand this abuse and the wood is likely to have been compressed. Replacing with a new set is not necessarily going to fix the problem or it reoccurring. You might want to consider drilling or routing out a channel and inserting hardwood then reinserting the posts straight. Another option is perhaps a steel support hidden in the trem cavity to lend support to the posts or something. My 1987 Jem is made out of Basswood and I've had no issues with the trem posts whatsoever and I've used the hell out of that thing. I don't see a problem with the use of basswood. If the post wasn't snug to start with, it only gets worse from there. If it was tight at the factory, there should be no issues. The posts are an easy fix with just a bit of epoxy. basswood is notorious for tremelo posts ovaling out. maybe you got lucky, but most people with basswood bodies and trems aren't, especially with that old of a guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Do they have a product called JB Weld where you live? It is a 2 part product like epoxy, but this stuff can be drilled even tapped for threads if you want. It would probably make a great filler for that trem post hole. Then you could drill it out straight and to the correct size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Bump! Updated pic of how the neck is shaping up after some serious tearout damage repair, inlay repair and re-fret: That's the frets levelled, crowned and dressed as well. DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djhollowman Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 And I filed the fret tang ends, then filled the gaps with dust'n'glue mix: (Wish I had a better camera...) DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 That's quite an improvement! I've never filled in wood or anything like that, but i can totally notice a good change between the before and after shots. As far as your camera goes, your camera takes good pictures. What you need is daylight as opposed to lamplight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Nice. The fretwork looks playable now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 My 1987 Jem is made out of Basswood and I've had no issues with the trem posts whatsoever and I've used the hell out of that thing. I don't see a problem with the use of basswood. mmm...one guitar has been okay with basswood...oh,well that certainly makes up for the hundreds or even thousands of others that had issues... Of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 Nice work...I can't believe that's the same neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.