Lofteren Posted July 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 (edited) I filed down the sides of the frets and threw some strings on it to see how it played. Much to my surprise, it played really, really well. No fret buzz, the intonation was nearly perfect without making any adjustments, the neck radius and string action feel great. The neck shape is just how I like it and the pine body/oak neck actually have an impressive amount of resonance. It is very loud when strummed compared to my other solid body electrics. Plus, it looks metal af. I am very happy with how this guitar is turning out. Edited July 4, 2016 by Lofteren 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 That's what it's all about, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 Frets dressed and leveled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 If the action is too high maybe you can grind off the metal on the bridge where the posts sit. Or if you're more daring you could always recess the bridge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 5, 2016 Report Share Posted July 5, 2016 I'm not surprised that it sounds good. I end up setting most of my bridges or saddles fairly high on purpose. I like a mid to low action, but I want as much string clearance from the body as I can get. I'm not a fan of TOMs but I do like the string clearance they give. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 5, 2016 Report Share Posted July 5, 2016 I think it follows the adage of 'if it looks right, it probably is right'. I agree with @ScottR , I'm not at all surprised that it sounds good. Very pleased that it does, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2016 Here she is with pots and strings. I just need to get it wired up now. I am waiting on a 3 way toggle switch to arrive in the mail. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2016 This switch is taking forever > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted July 10, 2016 Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 Why not just wire the pickups directly to the pots first? That way you can still play it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2016 I hate sautering... Plus I'm halfway through a handle of scotch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2016 It's all wired up now and it sounds great!! The pickups I got off of amazon for $20 actually sound really good. Believe it or not, they sound better than the SD buckers I put in my McCarty knockoff. It has a very beefy, heavy tone with plenty of sustain. Played clean, it has a nice, crisp tone that is slightly bright at the neck pickup and muddy at the bridge; decent but nothing amazing. When you throw some distortion on though this thing crunches and growls. It is definitely best suited for metal. There are still some problems with a few of the frets that I need to address (one of them came loose, 2 frets are causing a little buzz on the high e and the edges are a little sharp) and I also need to do a little more work on the nut. All in all, I am really happy with this guitar. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 15, 2016 Report Share Posted July 15, 2016 Great, great result I hope you are very proud of your achievement- you certainly should be. It's an immensely satisfying pastime, isn't it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2016 So... I was playing it and all of a sudden the neck pickup stopped working. I took a look at the electronics and the top of the box style 3-way toggle had literally been ripped off. I have no idea how it happened but I guess I won't be ordering parts from that particular Chinese distributor any longer. I invested the 8 bucks in one from Seymore Duncan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 18, 2016 Report Share Posted July 18, 2016 So, now that this one is past the post....analysis? Already planning the next ten? What would you do differently in hindsight? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 This guitar plays and sounds great. I am already on my second build and went in a completely different direction this time. It is hard to say what I would do differently because I built this guitar with very inadequate tools. I have since invested in a router, proper planes and rasps, a drum sander kit, etc... In hindsight, I made the nut a little too wide. I wanted it a little wider than normal because I have really thick hands but 45mm was a bit much. Next one will be 43.5mm. I would use harder fret wire, I would bind the neck, I would get someone with a drill press to drill the holes for the tune o matic bridge and I would use better electronics. Also, the low gloss tung oil finish leaves a lot to be desired. If I did this guitar again I would use lacquer and just not buff it out all the way or maybe use a satin lacquer instead. If I knew the guitar would turn out this well I would have used better wood. I fully expected my first build to be a useless pile of firewood. Luckily that was not the case. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Time to graduate onto some fancy looking tone wood! That will inspire you to work harder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted July 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2016 Oh I am sure you're right! I just want to get 4 or 5 guitars under my belt before I invest in some pricey wood. Believe it or not, that pine from home depot has incredible tone to it. This guitar is about as loud as a semi hollow body when it isn't plugged in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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