killemall8 Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 That gel CA is pretty nice. I am fairly certain i will be gluing in all of my frets now, just because of all the problems ive had recently. I forgot to mention, I used the XJ frets from frets 1-16, then used the next size smaller frets from 17-24. I took the time today to take out 1-16, and glue them in. I guess it worked. STill took a ton off the tops while leveling. Gonna SUCK to crown these, since they are SS. Now that i got all the crap work out of the way, I can start on the easy parts of the build. Here is the neck pretty much done. I dont carve heel of the neck until its glued in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 anyboyd think the maple does not go well with the bubinga? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2010 Thanks a lot! I have been Looking into a decent inlay for these for years. I am a lot more confident for more complicated inlay designs now though. I just really cant make up my mind on what to inlay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted March 10, 2010 Report Share Posted March 10, 2010 I don't know if you clear your necks, but if you do, then that flame is gonna jump out pretty nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2010 Yeah, i clear the whole guitar. I have wiped it with mineral spirits, and it is INSANE! It should look great if i dont get dust contaminants from the fretboard on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2010 Got the neck pocket routed, and the bridge holes drilled, along with the bridge humbucker routed. I did not have time to take pics before i came to work though. It is looking pretty good though. I'll get some tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Looks good, the only things I don't like on this guitar is the volute, I like to round mine over more like this: and also, it looks like the neck lams don't quite line up together. Other than that, the guitars are looking great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuffinPunch Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Looks good, the only things I don't like on this guitar is the volute, I like to round mine over more like this: and also, it looks like the neck lams don't quite line up together. Other than that, the guitars are looking great! +1 I agree. What you have appears to be very high quality, professional looking work, but the hard edges around the sides of the volute make it seem a bit unfinished and maybe slightly less comfortable to play. But everyone has their preference I guess. Impressive work man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 I don't mind the hard edges, but the voulte does look a little thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 I think its quite obvious the neck lams dont line up Nothing i can do about that though The volute is pretty dang thick... But thats the way i want it. The edges will be softened up a bit when i do the final sanding. Its not like square and sharp like it looks, and it feels perfectly fine to play actually. so im not worried about it. Progress pics will follow a bit later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Killemall, you should try putting the scarf in the headstock, then just backstrap it. Then you don't have to worry about aligning the lams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 (edited) MM, Sorry, but i absolutely hate doing it that way. I dotn know that it is about it, but it just turns me off and worries me to have the scarf right in the middle of the headstock. I just dotn like doing it that way. PLUS, I know i could not backstrap it successfully. I fail at complicated things like that. Edited March 11, 2010 by killemall8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Actually,I like Kill's volute much better than the other one....thickness aside.It is how Ibanez does their's and how I do mine as well.Although I do soften the sides up much more than that... Seriously..if the volute is in the right place you hardly ever even notice it...I would much rather make it a feature than try to hide it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Exactly wes, Its about placement for the volute. Here are some more pics. Ive sicne drilled the switch hole and the volume holes, and routed the control cavity. Last up is to machine in the neck angle, then glue it up. Finally getting to the end of this thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 And here is wher eit stands... Had a band saw scare earlier... Somehow the guide that the belt runs on FLEW OFF while the bandsaw was running... Prety crazy. took me forever to fix it, it stripped the set screw and engraved the metal. I really need to get a new bandsaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 Ready for this? I have made a FATAL error... NOTE: I usually measure everything 3748374 times , ok? so no crap that i should have measured! I had recently made a new KL headstock template. I had used the exact same one for the past 10 KLS ive made. This one, I changed a bit, made it a bit wider, blah blah blah.. For some reason, I made this one a LOT wider at the nut area... Since i had this all memorozed for the old KL headstock template, I just drew my taper from 2 2/4" at the heel to the outline of the headstock. HUGE MISTAKE! I turns out my headstock template was SO WIDE at the nut, it is just bad.... so now, i have a really bad taper on the neck, and a really really wide nut... It is about 1 7/8" wide. I dont know how i did not even notice how wide it was just by looking at it... I have conviced myself recently to not go by how thigns look, and for a while there i had been doin things right without having to worry about them. then, i FINALLY get comfortable, and i scfrew myself over... I am trying ot think of ways to take off 1/16" off the each side of the fretboard... I dont know how this is goign to work. I did not even notice it until i strung it up tonight... I fretted one chord and went "HOLY CRAP WHAT WENT WRONG?? WHATS WRONG??? WHAT IS IT WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE THIS???? " I mean, it feels like a freaken classical at the nut... WHY DID I NOT MEASURE THE ONE TIME I NEEDED TO?? Ok, done whining. Just man, I really thought this guitar was going to make me proud... I have lost all pride in it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Buttman Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 VERY nice explorer, especially i like the neck. The volute fits thit neck and wood combination very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 Thanks BM. Well, worked all morning on getting the neck the right width... HUGEST pain ive ever had..... It just sucked to file, sand and grind thru the frets to get it thinner. Worked out though, strung it up, and all is alright... that was a HUGE scare though. thought it was going ot be scrapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 (edited) Here it is ready to spray... Edited March 12, 2010 by killemall8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Foreigner Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 care to share the secret of your gorgeous neck/body join? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 I'd say mostly it's setting the neck before finishing the carve at the join. It helps to really good at it too! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 Yup, scott has it. THe secret is leaving about 2" uncarved above the extra part of the neck pocket. THen you glue the neck in, and carve after. I use an angle gringer to get the bulk of it done, then i use a random orbital sander to clean it up. Finish teaser pics ( only teaser because i had a problem with my spray gun, and it sprayed mega orange peel, haha) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 13, 2010 Report Share Posted March 13, 2010 That really looks good,dude.Especially the back.i think you should keep this one though,because of the misaligned laminates in the neck and everything...If you don't want to play it,I will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
low end fuzz Posted March 13, 2010 Report Share Posted March 13, 2010 hmm;i thought somethig was wierd there, i thought maybe the picture got obscured; still prettier scarf joint than anyhting in music stores around here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted March 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2010 Thanks guys. I knew youd like the back, Wes I did a great job on making it look like 1 piece, too. I grainfilled before i sprayed this time, so this should be ready for final coats VERY soon. Probably 1 more application of sealer, then final coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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