ScottR Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 ......or anybody else's really. About the only thing this will have in common with a strat is the pickups and electronics. My last two guitars featured pickups made by RAD and they are awesome! I've got a set of P-90s and a set of A-4 PAFs and I couldn't ask for better pups. This time though I've decided to go with a make that several of my favorite blues players are using and raving about: Klein. This set in particular: http://www.kleinpickups.com/p-207-jazzy-cat-stratocaster-pickups.aspx Sorry Brett, but I'll be back around for another build. A set of Dirts may be in order. This time will be my first attempt at a multi-piece neck too. I used some padouk and Honduras mahogany I had left over from old projects. Trimmed and dressed and looking pretty next to the ziricote top wood. And the clamp forest.....I used very thick cauls to spread the force and I'm using T-88 epoxy on the neck. ....err, pardon me for a minute, the wife just arrived with some brauts, I've got to go put a fire on! SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 Based on how your last build came out I'm really looking forward to seeing how this unfolds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 I got me some black limba for the body and some macassar ebony for the fretboard. There's enough for 4 fretboards and I had to buy enough limba for three bodies. I guess not I'm not quitting any time soon. I squared the neck blank up on the jointer and used it to make a fence for a shooting board to clean up the limba edges to be glued after jointing them. My clamp storage..... SR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 On 5/19/2013 at 6:16 PM, curtisa said: Based on how your last build came out I'm really looking forward to seeing how this unfolds. Why thank you kind sir, I'm a big fan of yours as well. Have patience....I like to savor my builds. I got the edges dressed nicely and glued them up with titebond I. For the thinner ziricote, I made a shooting board with my (extended) band saw fence and table. I made pencil lines across the edge I'm cleaning up to make sure the sand paper has cleaned the entire surface. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 The thinner board needed a taller fence. I did not bookmatch anything for this build. I think the patterns are random enough to hide the join completely......assuming I did a good job prepping and gluing. Oh yeah, I ripped up a piece of ebony for the fretboard and cut the slots. And cut the headstock angle. The fretboard is just sitting in place to mark its location. We are ready to route a truss rod slot next.......weekend. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireFly Posted May 20, 2013 Report Share Posted May 20, 2013 I'll be watching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted May 20, 2013 Report Share Posted May 20, 2013 Awesome woods! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted May 20, 2013 Report Share Posted May 20, 2013 Scottaaaa , here we go again , hahahaha looking good. I be watching with my good eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Cant wait to see how this one comes out Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Wow, nice woods indeed. Can't wait to see the next steps! Those shooting boards are what grit? I'll be doing a bit of that soon, trying to decide between a hand plane and sandpaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 This is going to be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Thanks guys.....I'm looking forward to seeing how it comes out myself. I've got a mental picture of it....but I haven't actually committed the body shape to paper yet. Wow, nice woods indeed. Can't wait to see the next steps! Those shooting boards are what grit? I'll be doing a bit of that soon, trying to decide between a hand plane and sandpaper. The sandpaper is 100 grit. The edges had been jointed first, but I wanted to make sure the edges were absolutely flat and square. And based on the pencil lines I drew and checked after a few strokes, they did not come out of the jointer that way. Close to be sure, but now they are closer. We'll have to wait till later after the glue lines are sanded to see how well it worked. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbinst Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Wow...Im very jealous of your lumber, the limba and ziricote are beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Awesome wood choices ! Where the heck did you get that acrylic ? That's beefy stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Thanks. I work for a graphics/decal/sign company. That 1" acrylic was left over from a job that was done before my time. It sat unused for years and when we decided to take it out of inventory, I rescued some of it. I had no idea what I was going to do with it; I just thought it was too cool. It has been very useful to have around over the years. We get it from suppliers to the graphics maunfacturing industry, places with names like K&R Plastics and Reece Supply. I can almost guarantee that you some in your neck of the woods. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Three day weekends rock! So I started out routing a truss rod channel. Ineeded to do this before I glued on wings so I'd still have a true guide edge. Then I glued on wings and while the tight bond was setting I cut the body shape out of the limba. After the wings came out of the clamps I got ready to glue up the fretboard. After setting the trussrod in silicon caulking, I coated the the top of it with a light layer of petroleum jelly. Then I covered the opening with scotch tape and trimmed it to about a sixteenth of an inch from the channel, I also cut the top edge of the tenon while I still had square edges that would fit into the bandsaw. I used a 2" thick counter top as a caul against the fretboard and got some good force spread from my clamps . SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I should have glued up the head stock cap before glueing up the fretboard. This multi-piece neck and the need for wings has got me out of my comfort zone in regards to sequences. I had the headstock angle cleaned up and ready for the cap.....but I needed wings. I never needed wings before. I glued them on and noticed that I could glue up the fretboard too.....the wings would not get in the way. So I did, and then realized i would have to resurface the wings and headstock top before I could attach the cap. And now I have to do it with out touching the end of the fretboard since it is already cut and waiting for a nut. Normally I complete the neck before doing much of anything to the body. But I wanted the cap to be ziricote and I wasn't sure I was going to have enough top left over to make it since the top was tight and had some bad spots to work around. Turns out I did. I set up the shooting board again. I sliced off a couple of pieces and sanded them to even thicknesses and glued them up with superglue. Secured the neck and prepped for glue up. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Glued up. The limba is a bit thick. I wanted to take it down about 3/8th of an inch. I cut a rabbet to mark it I don't have a drum sander. Iwent to Lowe's to get one a couple of weeks ago, because I could have sworn I saw one there.....but no. A grizzly was the best machine I coulod find for the money, but I didn't want to wait for one to be delivered......or spend that money for one guitar. Maybe before I start the next one.....since it seems I'll have wood and parts left over. I mentioned elsewhere that I'll carve anything. That really only took about a half hour to remove that excess wood. SR 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I knocked the rough stuff off with a portable belt sander. Then I fixed 60 grit to the table top and flattened the gluing surface. I mmarked pencil lines across the surface and sanded till they are gone. Mildly Strat shaped and mildly offset. Note the package of 3M 7X sandpaper. I have been a big fan of Norton 3X. I had to make a sandpaper run and they hjad this stuff instead. Since it claimed 7x life and no clogging I decided to give it a try. That is some good stuff! It truly does not clog. The dust blows off as you sand if you have a fan on it. The backing has a coating of some tacky latex like stuff that makes it easy to grip or used like I did, it did not slide off the table. I did not have to spray adhesive on the back. And the backing does not tear up or wear out; It's quite heavy. This just replaced Norton for me. Almost ready to play. SR 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 You're a patient man Scott. Thats sure is the long way home thinning out that body. Its nice to see I'm not the only one who used the holiday to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 It really only took a couple of hours from start to finish.....probably less than what I would have used getting parts for and building a sled. Plus, I really, really like knocking out chips of wood with a mallet and a chisel. I normally just get rid of excess wood when I carve the back. On this piece most of the streaking appears to be close to the surface of the back and there was next to none on the glue side. So I took wood from that side in an effort to allow as much as possible to survive the back carve. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skullsession Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 You're a maniac. If I ever go hiking and a tree falls on me, I only hope I have enough battery left (and cell service) to call you in with that chisel and mallet. Fortunately, there is always cell service on the hike from my couch to the fridge. If I'm hiking any further than that, it means my bike broke. And if I have cell service when that happens, it means I'm doing it wrong. Either way, I know I'll be screwed, because I know you never answer your cell phone. Anyway...lookin' good, Riffle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 Quote you never answer your cell phone. That's because 99 times out a hundred I don't want to talk to whomever called me. One out of a hundred times it's you. I took a few days off for some vacation time because my son came down and we went to spend a couple days in the Big Easy. I hadn't been on the road an hour when my cell phone rang and it was a salesman trying to sell me something work related. He had to have gone into the plant and asked who to talk to for whatever he was selling and upon learning I was out got my cell number from them. He called and told me how hard I was to get a hold of and I told him that was because I was on vacation........plus a whole bunch of other very pointed points. I got him to hang up on me, so hopefully that is one I won;t have to deal with again. I didn't get a lot of time to work on this this weekend.....see above....but I did get most of the neck cuts done. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 Looks like I probably should have made the wings out of padouk instead of alternating back into the mahogany. Oh well, too late now. I'll just have to create enough interest to make that unnoticeable. Did I mention that I got a Hannes bridge for this? Not because of any of the voodoo that it claims to have, but because it's a really nice looking bridge. SR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted June 3, 2013 Report Share Posted June 3, 2013 That bridge is pretty cool. I take it no neck angle is needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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