gpcustomguitars Posted February 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 (edited) My dog stays out of the shop most of the time, I think he dislikes the dust and the noise I should probably get a cat for a helper... Edited February 17, 2017 by gpcustomguitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 (edited) Still struggling with the headstock shapes, can't decide whether I am having fun or am frustrated...opinions please! Version 1 is most certainly off. LP fretboard just for visualization, actual one will be different. versions by Goran P, on Flickr What I do know about the headstock is that the tuners are 3+3, but 3 are "normal", and 3 will be like on a nylon string guitar. So, the headstock will have either holes or slits for the strings to pass, or just slits. For whatever reason, I'm coming back to some modded Newyorker shapes, and variants of that semi flat shape...a friend told me yesterday those look like like razors...? LP headstock angle, rougly the same length, zero fret or some sort of a zero fret nut. BTW, I remembered that I have a set of SD Quarterpounds from one of my early attempts, but they have no covers, making them could be fun, and I could still add a middle pickup! Edited February 17, 2017 by gpcustomguitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 At this point I like the one on the left the best. But that could change if you flipped the other two 180 degrees so the extension is off to the treble side to balance the big sweep of the body on the bass side. Add an angle to the top edge of the headstock to mirror the angle at the bottom of the guitar and you may just have something. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted February 18, 2017 Report Share Posted February 18, 2017 I agree with ScottR about mimicking the bottom of the guitar ... AND add a round hole. Your design is anything but symmetrical, so not TOO similar. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 Thank you for the ideas! Sorry for the late reply, but weekends sometimes get more frantic then all the workdays in the week combined (read: kids) I have redrawn the headstocks a little, but still nothing feels completely right...so I've started making a test neck, with the modified middle shape. Cut it out roughly, scored for the frets, ready for sawing the slots. Its also cherry, one piece, 24', 22 frets. Perhaps it's for the better this way, as I could ruin it while attempting a few odd choices. 12' radius, smallish frets, brass dots (if I manage that), skunk stripe, but still trying to figure out the truss rod- the nut might be better off on the fretboard end, I might need all the space on the headstock for other things. Still struggling with a repair of an classical...someone tried to reattach the bridge with something very similar to plumber's silicone??? Should have said no... Laminated top got all delaminated around the bridge, center brace under it cracked off, finish with some crack lines , and to top it all, neck heel cracked trough, I can insert a scraper in there (which actually helps...). Managed to glue the brace back, glued back the peeled off sections of the top, added a patch under the bridge to stiffen the top which was quite wobbly, drop filled finish all over the place, scraped back. Had to slowly cut off the pieces of top still glued to the bridge, now I have to glue all the slivers to their places, and get the old glue off, to prepare the surface for gluing the bridge back on. Had to share that, sorry After such a rant my wife usually goes "so you can fix it, right?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 20, 2017 Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 5 hours ago, gpcustomguitars said: Had to share that, sorry After such a rant my wife usually goes "so you can fix it, right?" You gotta love em! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Trying to pick a right shape for the pickup covers. I think the pointy one is the one. The oval one is nice, but looks rather large on the guitar I think... They can either be black, or brass (not full brass, the grill cutting would be too much, just thin self-adhesive brass sheet). I had some other options, but I want to stick with the theme. pup covers by Goran P, on Flickr cover by Goran P, on Flickr No photos of the neck so far, I did some cutting but so little time these days...I hope to route for the truss rod today. BTW, has anyone tried the steel wool and vinegar trick on cherry? I'll need a skunk stripe, and it will be cherry, but if I could oxidize it quickly, it would tie well with the body, and provide some contrast with the neck itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 The truss rod is in the mail from China, but I was not able to get exact specs on it, so I didn't route the channel. I did do some more work on the neck, so a few pics: it's a blemished piece of cherry which I think should be fine, but it's blemishes keep it in the theme. If I don't like it, I'll just call it a test piece I'll place the nut at the bottom of the neck, access via circular hole in the pics. One side of the taper is still untouched to use with router and for the slotting. Headstock is still a bit bumpy, at around 20mm, and I plan to attach the tuners like in the pic. The heel is 36mm thick and 70mm long, and the neck should be 23mm. I should slot the fretboard next and route for the TR, so if someone has bought a truss rod from China, any info on the width of the channel needed would be much appreciated. It's the 420mm long, 9.2mm nut diameter type. IMG_20170223_172035 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_182857 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_183206 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_183742 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_184559 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_185208 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_185843 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_191921 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170223_195022 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 32 minutes ago, gpcustomguitars said: I should slot the fretboard next and route for the TR, so if someone has bought a truss rod from China, any info on the width of the channel needed would be much appreciated. It's the 420mm long, 9.2mm nut diameter type I've got a bunch of the longer 460mm ones at home. I can take some measurements of them later tonight if you like. They obviously won't be the same length as yours, but you could probably fill in the gaps based on any dimensions I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 That would be great, thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 These rods were sold as 460mm types, which is the overall measurement including the adjuster nut. So yours should presumably be 420mm overall. Channel dimensions are 9mm deep x 1/4" wide: Adjuster nut is fairly long, about 37mm. Including the welded section behind the nut takes it to about 49mm. Adjuster nut is a bit over 9mm diameter and requires about 11.5mm depth: So, if you're willing to take a risk and route the channel now, cut a 1/4" wide slot 420mm long, 9mm deep. To fit the adjuster nut at the end of the 1/4" slot, expand the last 49mm of the cut with a 3/8" diameter bit, 11.5mm deep. If you're doing a scarfed headstock with the adjuster at the nut, don't forget to allow a bit of extra cut with the 3/8" bit beyond the end of the rod to fit the allen key, say an extra 20mm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Thanks Curtisa, I really appreciate the help! Beer(s) on me should you travel this way! It's a one-piece neck, so I'll try to drill 10mm access hole from the end of fretboard, starting from the 25mm hole I've drilled, and connect that with a route from the back. I think I'll have to make the skunk stripe thicker at the end, to allow for the nut to go in it's place. Still have to decide whether to bind the fretboard (black, 2mm) or to leave it be. A friend of mine has an old tele with a baseball bat neck, and that guitar is incredibly easy to play, so I'm kind of aiming for that feel. 24' scale, 12' radius, nut 43, end of fbd 57mm, 23mm thick all around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 I think this would be about right? TR by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Looks pretty close. FWIW, I did a similar channel route using these rods on my latest build, here. I went to the trouble of reducing the dimensions of the channel so that it matched the narrower welded section behind the adjuster nut, but in hindsight it was probably over-complicating things. The basic 1/4" channel with the single 3/8" section for the whole nut end would've been more than sufficient. One other thing - because these rods are shrink-wrapped all over and the adjuster is sealed inside the stainless steel cylinder, there's no need to worry about glue fouling up the rod when attaching the fretboard. If you usually line the top of the rod with tape to prevent glue getting into the channel, you can dispense with this step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Excellent work on that build! I tried to duplicate what you did using the measures from your pics. It would have been easier if I routed before profiling the neck, but it went well, so no harm done. I still have to route one small section with the dremel, as I couldn't reach it with the router. Slotted the fretboard, drilled for the adjustment nut, and tapered the other side of the neck too. Not in the pics, I have marked the body for tenon routing, which I might do tomorrow. The tenon will be angled, 4.5 degrees. I also got a idea for the string guides, hope it will work. IMG_20170225_151624 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170225_174338 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170225_174355 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 and another quick update - sawed the heel angle and pared down with chisel, still need to file it clean. IMG_20170225_221902 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170225_222217 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted February 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 (edited) Cleaned it up this morning, and routed the neck. No pics as the top is not flat so managing the router guides was complicated. The only problem was my dull router bit When I install the truss rod and glue in the skunk stripe, I'll build up the heel more. This will be a bolt-on, so I'm planing on using these copper rivets as ferrules. I went to buy some round head rivets to drill trough, but these will be just fine after shortening I think. The other thingie I accidentally found in my parts bin, trying to decide whether it's too much to use it as a strap lock or not... IMG_20170226_154741 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170226_204158 by Goran P, on Flickr BTW, finally managed to put all the puzzle pieces of the classical top back together, dremel route over the whole patched surface to get rid of any residue glue/silicone/whateverthatwas, and glued back the bridge. Fingers crossed. All in all, it think it's 16 or 17 glueings just for the bridge so far. Cracked heel next, and then it's polishing time. Edited February 26, 2017 by gpcustomguitars 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 Not much, but some progress: IMG_20170301_164735 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hittitewarrior Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I really like that top! Will you be putting a finish on it of some sort or leaving it raw? I just bought a piece of cracked rosewood to try something different as a top. I like the idea of taking a piece of wood you wouldn't typically find in this sort of thing, and figuring it out anyway. Fun stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Thanks! I've already made one guitar in the same style - http://www.projectguitar.com/forums/topic/48483-parts-box-billy-bo/#comment-549686 so I'm planning to finish it the same - my mix of oil, varnish and thinner followed by a few coats of hand polished wax paste. I will soak any crumbly areas with CA first, and fill most of the cracks with something, most likely epoxy. I do have a few normal builds on the table, but this is something I really enjoy lately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted March 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Not much of an update, got the bridge yesterday, and the truss rod got lost in the mail, it's being re-sent today I hope. Tuners are in the mail also, when they arrive I can do more work on the headstock. The bridge looks nice, tho, fits the black/brass theme I think. IMG_20170314_191027 by Goran P, on Flickr 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 Got the tuners finally, and had to reorder the truss rod - I think I spent more nerves than money on that one... In the meanwhile, changed a cracked bridge on a nice Cort acoustic, which was a bit overdue , so after a setup, I can proceed with routing the headstock with clean conscience Pics to follow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 12, 2017 Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 You're a fearless builder, Goran....I'll give you that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2017 Still waiting for the truss rod, so another quick project which has been on the to-do list for some time. I got a old transistor guitar amp in a sorry state some years back, without the speaker and the cab sawed off. Only chassis left and after the testing, it came out it actually works. We even used it with a guitar cab at rehearsals for a few times, so I've wanted to put it in some kind of housing. I found a Norwegian 12' guitar speaker on the adds cheaply, so I decided on a Bluesbreaker shape. No fancy stuff, just materials found in the garage and some old jeans: IMG_20170422_145547 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170422_145555 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170422_194030 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170423_123656 by Goran P, on Flickr IMG_20170423_182316 by Goran P, on Flickr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2017 Baffle board on, and got the logo from the laser cutter's. IMG_20170424_214056 by Goran P, on FlickrIMG_20170425_153031 by Goran P, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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