Time For My Firsst Guitar Build

[joshatatlasstands]

OK, I've fiddled around with hardwood amp stands for two years now and loved it. It's time for my first guitar build. I am so lost it's funny. here is what I'm hoping for:

butternut one piece body, possibly adding a book matched walnut top or mahogany pinstripe inlays on the top.

Dark pick guard and fretboard...no idea where to get it or how to fit it to the body yet...

chrome hardware and passive buckers, though if I knew how to get more of a ES series sound out of a solid body by using a specific pickup I would.

this is the body, I still have a good half inch to clean up all the way around it, but was thinking I should finish the back and top first???

gonna need someone to wish me luck on hthis one, testing the waters with my first ever guitar build!

Josh

[dpm99]

Josh, I almost hope nobody gives you an advice, cause I want to see what you'd come up with. I already know this guitar is gonna be sick.

[SwedishLuthier]

Judging from what you have showed us earlier this will be a very interesting build to follow. Good luck

[joshatatlasstands]

lol, yeah interesting, may turn out like patchwork:)

anyway, so I've been thinking about guitar necks and decided to tackle building one myself once I learn more about how to do fretwork and truss rod work. may be a while before I get to build my own neck due to the amp stand business taking up so much time. I am thinking I want a Mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard. I found one that I like, not a hands-on purchase though it is the wood type i want and allows for some headstock fabrication. i ordered it today, maybe not the best prefab neck out there but for a first build it should allow me to learn, I don't wanna screw up a top quality neck before I learn how to do this so I'm gonna try to keep the cost (time as well as $$) down on this one and just learn from my mistakes.

Here is my first hurdle/concern, I hope to do this without a template, thus I have to find where to put the bridge. I intend to have a bigsby on it so a saddle is not an issue. I think I need to measure the inside to inside distance between the nut and the 12th fret and double the length I come up with for the total distance from nut to saddle point inside to inside. Is this a good way to find out where to put my posts in after I route the neck pocket? I guess depending on how the saddle pieces adjust I will need to move the posts forward or back. I also want to use a roller bridge to help with the bigsby. probably a tune-o-matic roller setup.

I'm thinking I will use oversize hardwood pickup rings and leave the scratch guard off all-together because the wood will be so nice looking it would be a shame to cover it with anything.

Edited November 26, 2011 by joshatatlasstands

[Our Souls inc.]

Josh, if it were me, I'd rout the neck pocket and attach the neck. Once thats done, you can double-check the lines. use a straightedge along both sides of the neck and make pencil lines. That'll be your guide to center the bridge from. the general rule is 1/2 of the scale length from the 12th fret 'crown' to the saddle , but thats generally a high-E string reading. String size and height will determine how much more to adjust the other saddles back . A "tune-o"-type bridge usually has the bass side about 1/8th inch further away from the neck than the treble side. I center my saddles when setting bridge location since I always build without templates. Gives you full adjustment range once everythings built.

Have you studied pics of SG's with Bigsby's on them? That'll give you a really good visual of the bridge 'tilt' I described.

have fun with it.

[RestorationAD]

Here is my first hurdle/concern, I hope to do this without a template, thus I have to find where to put the bridge. I intend to have a bigsby on it so a saddle is not an issue. I think I need to measure the inside to inside distance between the nut and the 12th fret and double the length I come up with for the total distance from nut to saddle point inside to inside. Is this a good way to find out where to put my posts in after I route the neck pocket? I guess depending on how the saddle pieces adjust I will need to move the posts forward or back. I also want to use a roller bridge to help with the bigsby. probably a tune-o-matic roller setup.

Josh I cover this in depth in a couple of my build threads. I suggest reading over them before you start. Formulate a plan and post it here before you start if you are concerned.

Work off a center line on the body.

Check Stew Mac scale calculator as it provides exact measurements for post placement for several different bridge types.

[joshatatlasstands]

cool, thanks y'all I just got word that the neck is on its way in the mail, should be a couple days, then I'll be out in Nashville at the Music City Guitar show for the weekend. It will likely be almost two weeks before i am ready to drill the posts for the bridge, but I'll make sure and get a second opinion befor I drill it out. I think I'll stick with butternut without a top,

I'll check out some or your how -o threads restorationAD, when I can break free from the amp stand emails etc. i spent the whole day in the shop and didn't cut a single piece of wood, just boxed up stuff and fixed broken tools and gear...on the bright side the AC30 is up and running again since the volume pot kicked the bucket at the last show.

I've plenty of time to decide on this but this butternut body is 1 7/8 inches thick right now, I hand planed it so it may not be exactly the same all the way around, but both sides are flat at this point. I'll have to check and clean it up some to make sure it is the same all the way around. I think i like the oversize body right now. If I keep it thick it will be the thickest SG I've ever seen. That will mean my arm contours and bevels will be a bit different as well...Maybe an arch top? anyone ever seen an arch-top SG, like an LP?

Will i meet anyone from here at the music city guitar show this weekend in Nashville?

[joshatatlasstands]

Does the bellow instructions sound accurate? found it searching the web this morning...I do intend to use a tune-o-matic bridge with roller saddles, but since I will use a bigsby I won't need the stop piece.

1) Measure the distance from the "string side" of the nut to the center of the 12th fret. This measurement MUST be within 1/64". Do NOT use a tape measure.

2) Using this distance, measure from the center of the 12th fret down and make a small mark on the body... a big mark will destroy the precision needed.

3) From this mark, go another 3/16" down and make another mark. At this mark draw a line parallel to the frets. This is where the strings go over the saddle. We'll call it a "saddle line".

4) Take an accurate straightedge (not a yardstick or hunk of wood) and hold it against one side of the neck. Draw a line that intersects the saddle line. Repeat with the other side of the neck. Make sure that when you draw this line the pencil lead is tilted towards the straightedge so that it is drawn as accurately as possible.

5) Center the bridge, drill the holes, install.

If you are installing a tune o matic bridge and tailpiece, make sure the tailpiece is 1 1/2" from the bridge.

[Our Souls inc.]

Sounds about like what I described. RAD is correct, a center line is a great way to keep it all , well... centered. however - once the neck is set into the pocket - run a line down both sides like is said above. Once that neck is in, the centerline is just a line. Dead center between those neck lines becomes the bible. In an ideal world, the original centerline will be exactly where the "actual" neck centerline is.

If its not- abandon the original and go with the neck lines.......

you are on the right path. I measure my fret locations in MM because it's easier to be accurate ( for me ) .

Have fun and remember- its just wood.