Quarter

Lots of info out there on the web. GuitarElectronics.com has a lot of good diagrams. Here is one using a push pull pot to do a screw side coil split

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/W...ingle_Coil.html

You could also do that with a dual pole dual throw toggle switch too, something like this

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/S...dle-Chrome.html

Are you referring the sound with just one of the humbuckers (single coil) turned on?

Yes, split / splitting in terms of a humbucker refers to running just one of the 2 coils that make up a common humbucker. While most any 4 conductor humbucker can be split, the results can vary from quite nice to weak and uninspiring.

A commonly misused term for splitting is tapped. Tapping is very different than splitting and theoretically can be done to any style pickup by the builder / winder. It involves pausing the winding process and splicing in / tapping another wire mid coil to achieve a lower output setting when engaged.

Bryans a good guy and is always very helpful. His PUF would be a excellent choice too. Its a little more vintage voiced than the BG Bucker, though the BG Bucker is based on a vintage tone also, maybe a bit more of a modern sound to it if that make sence. One thing I do like about the BG Bucker is it has a very good split tone and in general has a lot of chime to it. A neat in between pickup is I've had Bryan use an A4 mag like on the PUF instead of the A5 the BG Bucker normally uses. Its a particularly nice combo on a brighter body like maple or walnut.

Here is a poorly played clip of some clean noodling with a BG-Bucker in HB mode. Its not Hawaiian, but might give you a bit of an idea.

http://www.4shared.com/file/237346348/8fb5...-bg-c-msc1.html

I'd bet bubinga would work well, I've see cocobolo used too.

Milled from bar stock even

Medieval bar stock from the 12th century to be exact!

LoL ... not a problem now as the mother of pearl frets wore down flush

Thanks, I was very happy how it came out.

On the jack, at least functionally speaking, you want it away from the player.

If installed on the bottom end it gets in the way for resting it up against an amp or sitting it in a stand / rack etc.

As far as looks, I've done a couple in wood, but they are a pain in the butt, maybe an Tele electro socket.

Below is one I made for an 8 string. Second pic shos the caul and laminate.

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One possible downside, if you want to call it that, is that if using something like regular old Tightbond, you are introducing a bit of moisture back into center of your blank.

In that case, I'd allow enough time in the build process for it to equalize.

One technique to drilling straight holes is constant chip clearance by removing the bit repeatedly from the hole. Takes longer but does drill a straighter hole when using a small bits.

Absolutely ... going slow, easy, and keeping the chips clear helps a lot. And don't use a smaller than necessary bit, the thinner the bit, the more potential it has to wander.

Some great guitars in here, props to all!

Thought I'd post one of my steels, she's a sweet 6 string in black walnut and quilt maple nic named Beauty's Sister.

The pickup is a custom A4 mag BG Bucker from http://www.bg-pups.com/ and a nice match for walnut.

Bryan winds some great pickups and is definitely worth checking out!

Some basic specs

25" scale

Black walnut and quilt maple

Figured walnut bridge and control covers

Grover tuners

BG-Pups A4 mag BG bucker

Fret and position markers are Mother of Pearl with aluminum bezel surounds

Bone nut

Tru Oil finish

And some pics

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Its been a while since I've posted one of my steels and thought I'd share this one with you, a sweet 6 string in black walnut and quilt maple.

The pickup is a custom A4 mag BG Bucker from http://www.bg-pups.com/ and a nice match for walnut.

Bryan winds some great pickups and is definitely worth checking out!

Some basic specs

25" scale

Black walnut and quilt maple

Figured walnut bridge and control covers

Grover tuners

BG-Pups A4 mag BG bucker

Fret and position markers are Mother of Pearl with aluminum bezel surounds

Bone nut

Tru Oil finish

And some pics

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i meant wet it a little so the grain raises, let dry, then sand smooth.

Thats referred to as raising the grain and is good to do before the dye goes on.

...you need practice to get it even,and don't burn it too dark or it will just look stupid. A light touch is required...

Yea, a regular old propane torch is going to be tough to get things even. They are designed to deliver a pinpoint localized area of heat for brazing and soldering.

If it were me, I'd either try and find a bigger weed burning type setup or build a camp fire and roast it like a marshmallow

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I'd be tempted to soak the inside walls of the holes with some thin CA to firm things up a bit.

Do it first thing after you drill it so there is no finish to keep it from soaking in.

Without for me, but maybe do a pinstripe detail mimicking a pickguard outline.

Lots of cool options, maple burl, spalted maple, walnut, wenge, book matched padouk, figured mahogany to name a few.

That color turned out great!

Good points Drak. The only thing I'd add on the topic of a "sealer" is there are times where using something like shellac can be very beneficial.

Shellac makes an excellent barrier coat / sealer to lock in resins, oils, sap, and other possible contaminants.

The main drawback with shellac is that it REALLY gums up the sandpaper

What kind of shellac are you using? I fresh mix my own from flake and have not had unusual loading problems.

I sometimes like using a lite wash coat of an amber / garnet colored shellac to pull the figure a bit in maple when doing a "natural" finish.

Like in this pic, the maple in the raw showed very little / very subdued / almost no figure.

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And the flake in the raw.

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Thanks again Spoke ... any use for a variable speed?

Thinking either the Porter Cable 343 or the Ridgid 2600

Thanks Spoke

RO sanders always have round pads as it moves in a circle.

From Wiki

Random orbit sanders, also called Dual-Action or D.A. sanders (referring to the rotation of the disk and the head)

The random orbit is produced by simultaneously spinning the sanding disk and moving it in an ellipse

I now see where I was confusing myself. While a 1/4 sheet / pad sander does have an "orbit", it is not dual action / random.

Again thanks to everyone and hopefully this may help other confused souls like myself

Thanks for the feedback all.

Guess I'm a little confused by the descriptions, both the 1/4 sheet Bosch and the linked Hitachi for example claim to have 12000 orbits in the spec.

I'm about due for a new sander and was wondering if anyone has used this 1/4 sheet Bosch?

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=prod...&lpage=none

Any real advantage, other than ease of changing paper, to the round disk models?

Love how these are turning out

... After years of struggling with expensive Weller soldering irons I finally bought a station. In fact the station was only double a Weller and it has way more features. This one warms up in about a minute if not less. You can buy a digital but I don't think I needed it, this works just fine. Also has a range of tips available. ...

I love my 936, its a killer station that has served me well for about 12 years now.

For wire, I like and use stranded 22g cloth wire. For the steels I build, I don't need much and my customers like it so its an easy choice for me.