Andyjr1515 Posted June 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 Incidentally, if you've never seen the Steinberger Gearless in action, this is how they work: To string them up, you turn the knob at the back, which raises the spindle and clamp part until, at the end of its travel, it exposes the string hole: You then thread the string through the hole, pull it tight and clamp it by screwing in the 'T' clamp at the top: Then you twist the knob at the back, which draws the spindle down into the casing, complete with clamped string, and bring the string up to pitch : They are very smooth in operation. Personally, I love them and - as Epiphone used to fit them on their early Firebird guitars including the one that Alex currently plays - Alex does too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted June 24, 2023 Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 Thanks for explaining! I was wondering how they'd work as I thought they'd be rotated which felt funny seeing your drawings having the center of the pole right in line with the string. There's not too much wiggle room for slack, is there? I mean, you'll have to pull the string quite tight to get it into pitch within the thickness of the headstock. That's the straightest straight string pull I've ever seen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 1 hour ago, Bizman62 said: There's not too much wiggle room for slack, is there? I mean, you'll have to pull the string quite tight to get it into pitch within the thickness of the headstock. That's the straightest straight string pull I've ever seen! Yes - exactly that. It actually makes it very simple - you pull the end taut and clamp. There is a surprising amount of tensioning left and so, even for reasonable levels of up-tuning, they seem to work just fine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2023 I strung it up for Alex to be able to play it over the knee and on the strap while I fettled the neck profile shape to his preference with a razor-plane blade and cabinet scraper. A gooseneck scraper and also the wonderful Ibex mini plane were also used to start to take some bulk out of the back: Don't let anyone tell you that the Ibex planes are toys! I cut the rebate for the back hatch. Now...I have said in the past that experience doesn't necessarily stop you making errors - but it does perhaps give you more options for putting those errors right. Case-in-point: - I used a router bit with a smaller bottom bearing to cut my rebate: - I took a paper template to cut an alder hatch from some matching offcut: - Ah...um...an alder hatch over the ebony stripe placed carefully between the wings and the neck blank... - AHAA!!!! Experience!! Add an ebony stripe to the hatch and every one will think it was supposed to be like that 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2023 And so to the finishing. The alder and maple will be the oft-discussed Tru-oil slurry and buff method. But the ebony - I think it was @ScottR who did a great write up a while ago on sanding ebony up to a shine where it then needs no further treatment? I had followed that method in the past for fretless fingerboards, etc, but never with a body top. And what about the figured areas. Would they be softer and react differently? Well - got to be worth a try! The tru-oil method was my standard "two coats soaked in; slurry with 180 grit and wipe off two or three times; slurry with 400 grit and buff" method. For the ebony, I started with 120 grit and progressed down the grades to 2500 grit and then swapped over to microweb, starting at 2600 and progressing up to 12000. I used around 15 grades of grit altogether. The result was remarkable: The alder and neck are slurry and buffed and are therefore fully handle-able, but for good measure, I'll leave it overnight to fully harden before starting on the final stages (magnets, shielding, electrics installation, final fretdress, final assembly. Should be all done pretty soon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 26, 2023 Report Share Posted June 26, 2023 On 6/24/2023 at 12:31 PM, Andyjr1515 said: AHAA!!!! Experience!! Add an ebony stripe to the hatch and every one will think it was supposed to be like that Brilliant save Andy! On 6/25/2023 at 8:56 AM, Andyjr1515 said: For the ebony, I started with 120 grit and progressed down the grades to 2500 grit and then swapped over to microweb, starting at 2600 and progressing up to 12000. I used around 15 grades of grit altogether. The result was remarkable: I'll say! Beautiful Andy. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted June 26, 2023 Report Share Posted June 26, 2023 Ah-ha! I noticed that the jack plate will be inlayed! So easy to do, so easy to forget - and so yummy! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 Thanks, folks Well, it's starting to get very, very close. I'm certainly hoping that by the weekend Alex will be able to try it out for real, plugged in and all In the last day or so : - Pickup rings have been positioned and fixed - Hatch and trussrod cover magnets are in - shielding done - bridge earthed - pots, jack plate and switch in place (not wired up yet) - spacer/nut shaped ready for final slotting - luminlay side dots fitted - strap buttons fitted And before you all shout - yes, the two test strings DO go over the four relevant pickup poles Here are a few 'present state of play' photos still fitted with the over-length test strings - the final set will be trimmed: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted June 27, 2023 Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 That's just soooo neat! To pamper myself I found two details in common with our builds: The volute and the inlaid jack. I keep telling myself that it's a good start for my development. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Andyjr1515 Posted June 29, 2023 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 And..... it's done! There are always three times as many finish jobs than you originally list but yes, it's done. Alex picks it up tomorrow - I think he will like it. With a final beeswax and polish, it feels as smooth as silk and looks like I'd hoped it would. As an added bonus, it feels pretty good to play too! It was never meant as a lightweight and is just over 8lbs on the strap. It balances well with strap and over the knee and the long lower scoop allows either knee to be used to suit playing style. The controls are to Alex's spec rather than the standard Gibson arrangement and the switching too rather than the normal Seymour Duncan P-rails arrangement, ie: Lower forward - volume for neck pickup with CTS push pull to bring in the split P90 coil only Lower rear - volume for bridge pickup with CTS push pull to bring in the split P90 coil only Upper forward - neck tone Upper rear - bridge tone Here it is - forgive the self indulgence: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 Well - it was passed across to Alex yesterday and, I say with both pleasure and relief in equal measure, he's very happy with it He's going to get some recording done at their next band practice so I should have some sound clips available in the coming weeks. And it's entered in June's Guitar of The Month. Fingers crossed! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 Congrats for another GOTM! It wasn't easy to choose from the two laminated masterpieces both coming with a story. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 Noice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 6, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 15 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Congrats for another GOTM! It wasn't easy to choose from the two laminated masterpieces both coming with a story. I don't think the vote's quite closed yet! Still time, yet - @Dward13's entry is an absolute beauty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 6, 2023 Report Share Posted July 6, 2023 Huh? There must have been some sort of a glitch either on the page or in my brain as I recall having issues finding the results - something I always struggle with after the vote's been closed. And I fully agree about the beautiness of the rival. One might think the votes could be more evenly spread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 congrats on gotm!! well earned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 4 hours ago, mistermikev said: congrats on gotm!! well earned. Many thanks @mistermikev It's particularly pleasing as it was a special build for a special person. That said, I think @Dward13 should resubmit his entry this month...it was a fabulous build! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Woozle Posted July 10, 2023 Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 Well done , this one really has come out a beauty and I'm looking forward to what the ebony top will look like on my upcoming 8-string Rick. Agree about @Dward13's build , on another month that could well be a winner! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 3 hours ago, Professor Woozle said: Well done , this one really has come out a beauty and I'm looking forward to what the ebony top will look like on my upcoming 8-string Rick. Me too! I'm looking forward to seeing that build develop Whereabouts in the Peaks are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Woozle Posted July 11, 2023 Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 Out in the wilderness between Bakewell and Buxton - nice scenery but there's usually an all-pervading smell of "cow residue", shall we say; you get used to it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 9 minutes ago, Professor Woozle said: Out in the wilderness between Bakewell and Buxton - nice scenery but there's usually an all-pervading smell of "cow residue", shall we say; you get used to it... Lovely part of the world. I know it well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 17, 2023 Report Share Posted July 17, 2023 On 7/1/2023 at 6:11 AM, Andyjr1515 said: Well - it was passed across to Alex yesterday and, I say with both pleasure and relief in equal measure, he's very happy with it He's going to get some recording done at their next band practice so I should have some sound clips available in the coming weeks. And it's entered in June's Guitar of The Month. Fingers crossed! Having the new owner be happy with it is the best! Racking up another GOTM ain't bad either, well done Andy. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2023 2 hours ago, ScottR said: Having the new owner be happy with it is the best! Racking up another GOTM ain't bad either, well done Andy. SR Indeed. Thanks, @ScottR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted October 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2023 Finally got some sound clips. Both are of Matt Marriott (a splendid guitarist) playing the Swiftfire. He was interested how the SD P-rails sounded through one of his rigs - I have a future build on the drawing board for him where P-rails are an option A short and clipped one: And a slightly longer one. I love the harmonics around 35 secs to 45 secs: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 24, 2023 Report Share Posted October 24, 2023 Very nice indeed. I take it he liked the P-rails through his rig? How did you like them when you were putting the build through its paces, Andy? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.