drezdin

Looks incredible as usual. The finish is just killer.

Hello,

I need some help trying to figure how to do a trem recess. The trem is a gotoh fender type and the corners have a very small radius.

I would like to make a template to route the recess, but the smallest pattern bit I have is 3/16" which is to large a radius doesn't look right. There are a couple ways I can think of to do it without a template, but I would rather use a template because I suck.

Anyone have any ideas how I can do this?

Thanks

I don't see what the fuss is all about. Perry knows his stuff. If he says it doesn't effect action then I believe him.

I'm building a guitar with a flat radius now, but the only reason is I like the way it feels. I spent a long time playing classical and the flat board just feels right.

So if the radius doesn't have an affect on action then maybe we should focus on the fret leveling (as Perry mentioned) and proper setup to get the low action?

ok, I feel a little silly for asking, but I could use some help. I've checked some books, but haven't found anything helpful. I've glued on two tops. I did My second one yesterday. Both times the top shifted and is now off center. Not a big deal on the latest one since it is going to be painted. I used screws the first time and yesterday I tried brads to hold it line it up. Could someone give me some proper steps to avoid this?

Thanks

Very Cool! I'm going to dig this tutorial.

The shape reminds me of a Koll Glide

Yes, I was refering to a drop top with forearm contour. Sorry for not being clear.

Does anyone have any experience or method for putting binding on a drop top?

Drak

Have you ever tried to tint the CA with universal tints?

I'm just a Myka fan. I found this link on another message board. Hope he doesn't mind me sharing.

Incredible work Mr. Myka.

http://www.mykaguitars.com/instruments/034/default.htm

I think it's looking good. I really like the recessed bridge idea.

Drak, you make it look so easy. That's going to be awesome.

My second guitar attempt is going to be a 7 string tele. May the tele god Drak be with me.

I've seen your crazy fretwork on the Kronosonic page. I read it everyday, just don't post to much.

Chris you are following me to all my web hangouts.

Here, the gear page.

Are you doing some more work for Mark?

Awesome work! Agree on the inlays...very cool.

Well This Is Im Heading Out The Door In About 10 min's So I'll see You guy's Soon But From Red Deer

!!METAL MATT!!

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Mucho congrats! Have fun.

I'm here Drak. Reading everything. I really appriciate everyones responses and encouragements. I really wasn't trying to sound like a whining wuss. But, I think I did because I was. Just feeling sorry for my self and crying in my beer as you suggested.

I can't stop thinking about different ideas for guitars. So I'm going to stop whining and get to work. I think if I participate a little more in the forum it will help to keep my attitude in check.

Thanks again for everyones responses

1) I don't know how others do it, but to me, a bandsaw is not a precision tool and probably shouldn't be used to make what is supposed to be a precision cut like the headstock angle. 

A properly setup bandsaw can be a precision tool, have you heard of re-sawing? I've always cut my headstock angles on my bandsaw, then smoothen out the faces on a stationary beltsander.

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That was my plan.

I was hoping that about this time I would be posting pictures my first guitar and it would be awesome. I would be proud and it would look as killer as Drak's or Myka's guitars. But that didn't happen. So now I'm writing this post for people like me....the ones who suck and screw up and fail. I may not post any pictures of this guitar at all. In a fit of anger I took it to the bandsaw and created my first WOD victim. So instead of posting pics of all the cool details of my first guitar, I will tell you everything I did wrong and the things that came out right.

Lets start by going over my woodworking experience. It's just about zero. I've put together a guitar from warmoth parts and I built my computer desk. I've been reading this site and tutorials for about a year and read several guitar building books.

Here were my guitar details.

7 string fretless guitar

Original body design

2 piece korina body

maple top

1 pice korina neck

maple headstock overlay

10 degree headstock angle

set neck

stabalized macascar ebony fretboard

tom bridge string through body

Now for the bad.

I had a guide on the bandsaw when I cut the headstock angle. It caused the surface of the headstock to be cut at an angle.

When I glued the top on I thought I had enough clamps. But everyone is right... you never have enough clamps. Ended up with a bad glue joint.

I didn't plan my neck joint enough and carved too much of the neck before glueing it in.

Instead of going of the center line when laying out the bridge post. I try eyeballing it with some strings roughly in place. I ended up with the post holes drilled in the wrong place.

I screwed up the string ferrules....way way off.

I got countless dings in the neck and body just from being clumbsy when moving it around.

Now with each of these mistakes it fixed them and moved on..not wanting to give up even though they looked pretty awful.

Now with all these errors and my first guitar a complete failure I think I should probably give up on building, but some things did go right. And those few things that did go right felt so damn good that I can stop thinking about trying again.

So, I'm trying to look on the bright side and take a little pride in the things that came out ok. These things will probably seem silly to some people here, but to me were big steps.

With that said

Here was the good.

I drew complete plans for the entire guitar which was an original design.

I got a really good glue joint on the 2 piece body and I leveled it with handplanes. I had never used a handplane before.

I made a pretty good neck pocket...used the Myka jig.

I carved a neck from a piece of wood. Again this probably is silly to some, but it was scary to me and I was just amazed that I was able to do it.

I made the neck to the exact size I was trying for and drilled the tuner holes in the right spots

I made a jig for 7 string pickup routing.

I routed the pickup cavities pretty well.

So should I give up...probably. I will probably never build a guitar as nice as some of the people on this board. But those little baby steps made me feel good and the whole reason I wanted to build was to create guitars just for me. Guitars that no one else would want to build with strange shapes and electronics.

I guess I lost the point of this post along the way, but I just wanted to let people know that if they screw up and fail, they are not alone.

Wow thanks! I had no idea the Seymour Duncan Site had all those diagrams. That will be easy.

Hello,

I'm finishing up a 2 pickup humbucker guitar with a 3 way switch and would like to wire it with a volume for each pickup and a master tone control. Is this possible? And how would I do it?

Thanks

Eldorado Straps

I think that Mr. Thorn no longer builds cnc's, but he's very kind and has answered lots of questions and gives good advice about them. I think the last he built was for Scott Healey.

how about using more than 2 inserts or just different designed inserts. Maybe something that pivots with ballbearings like the vigier trem.

Beautiful job as usual. I'm hoping to make it to the namm show next year. Can't wait to check out your guitars.

if you don't mind me asking,

where did you find that pickguard?

beautiful job btw.