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Mate your first build is absolutely stunning for a beginner...especially the finish and how many coats/sand paping you did lol looks like you didn't make any mistakes at all, congrats

really ? thanks ! does this also mean that routing the cavity is also going to decide how high the pickup will stand ?

Hello, I'm looking for help on how to install a P90 pickup on the body. Where do the screws hold on? I couldn't find much on the forum since the search engine has been reprogrammed making it impossible to search for 'P90' cheers

Yes I've been in touch with the guy and they definitely load from the back. Not sure exactly where so we'll see. I'm curious to see those kind of bridges, it would also save time not having to drill the thru body holes They also have a similar bridge with a different saddle style: Wasn't interested in it because I sometimes like to put my hand on top of the bridge when I play

Thanks do you mean at the back of the saddles ? What would the sustain of this be like compared to the tunomatic bridge ?

Hello, I wanted to order a string thru body hardtail bridge but the place where I'm getting all the hardware at a great price has ran out so I opted to order one with strings loaded thru the back of the bridge. I've never heard of those kind of hardtail bridges. How are they compared to the thru body ones ? Would it sound different with the strings not holding onto the body ferrules ? Also where exactly on the bridge are the string bullets held ? I've put a pic here: It has 3 holes for screws, I imagine you have to take the saddles off to screw it on. Is that strong enough compared to 4 screws on each corner of the thru body ones ? Sorry for all those questions, I just need to make sure this bridge is a genuine one Cheers,

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm surprised you say not many people use poplar on the forum; oh well I'd be happy to be the first and maybe I could win the guitat of the month So dried musical poplar quarter sawn with the grain vertical and parrallel thats it !

G'day, For my first instrument, I was planning to use a Mahogany with a flamed maple top for a guitar which will be inspired on Muse's Matt Bellamy's guitars with Rio Grand pickups. But because south american Mahogany is difficult to get and expensive, I am leaning towards using poplar instead. Some of Matt's guitars have a poplar body (e.g. the one covered with silver plates). So I was wondering whether poplar sounds good with a flamed maple top ? And do they glue well together ? Also is a 2 piece poplar body strong enough ? I'm asking because I know poplar is a very soft wood. I plan to just dye the wood all around but just the top will show the maple texture. Poplar is so much easier to get and it would be nice to get some from where I come from (in south France). Should local poplar be OK ? What wood properties should I look for for a good sound ? Oh yeah and poplar is easier to work with isn't it, and would be lighter for my back problems Cheers,

got it all sorted out ! so it was the earth that was connected to the hot wire that caused the malfunction...

ok thanks, will purchase some of those clips

thanks I'm giving up fijian/philipines wood and I've found an online french supplier of honduran and african mahogany funny the honduran one would be 2 pieces whilst african is 1 piece (bodies)

yeah I'm trying to put it back how it was before. I need to learn how to do all this so I can build my guitar one day but will it work if you hold 2 wires together with your fingers or not ?

Oh I see thanks. Didn't know a wire could have the earth inside too. How come it wont work if earth isnt connected properly ? I thought earth was only optionnal to send away the surcharges. No doubt I need to learn more about electronics. However would it cause a problem if the hot and earth wires touch each other at the end ? I need to get it to work how it was before, before connecting it to the kill switch. Then I will describe the circuit Thanks

the thing is even if i tape the cut wire together again it doensnt work...there is continuity according to multimeter but no output, hence my question about how the 2 parts of both wire ends should connect. maybe i damaged some wires or soldering...but multimeter says its fine... its the guy at the shop that told me how to do it, its a 3 way switch, same as the LP switch, i will put a wire at each end and middle will be the on. strange tho that tje wire from vol to jack has no earth

Hello, I've installed a kill switch by cutting the wire from the volume to the jack but I'm having troubles getting anything to work, no output at all. I presume it's bad soldering so I need some tips on how wires should be soldered; my wire has the plastic cover then wire then another wire wrapped with plastic. I know that the 'inside' wires must connect, however do the insulation wires need to be connected or not ? I unsoldered the wires on the switch and held them together with my fingers and still no output I've purchases a multimeter so that it could help me. cheers,

I believe you wil find it is FIJIAN mahogany being sold. Mahogany is a name they added to the back of the word Fijian so they could sell it. Same stuff as used by epiphone, very very weak tonally and structurally. I can assure you, there is NO STOCK of ~~~single piece~~~ brazilian mahogany in Australia, i have just purchased the last of it. There will be no more being imported. You might be lucky and get some two, three or four piece blanks. You WILL pay more than $89 for it though... the wholesale price is over that, and remember, this timber is now not able to be imported. ha where did you find that last piece ? would you not believe the Fijian mahogany is a Swietenia species ? if Fijian and Philippines mahogany is no good, what should I get then ?

thanks I will check out that thread tim_ado> I'm in Sydney, Hunters Hill, I went to Gillet Guitars in Botany and they sell Mahogany planks for $89 apparently it's a good price. I would actually prefer to find a plank in France because that's where I will be making the guitar.

G'day, For my first guitar I wish to have a mahogany body, however I read that it's a very general name for wood which can be anything really which is dark with medium grain. Where does the mahogany usually come from today on Fender, Gibson etc.. guitars ? Are they brazilian ones that grow outside Brazil ? Apparently you can't get any FROM Brasil these days ? My dad who is a lutemaker got a plank of wood called 'Niangon' (exotic wood from west Africa; pictures from google) from a local carpenter who claims it's classified as a mahogany wood. I tried to do some research on the web about that wood for guitars and haven't found anything really. Anyone know that wood and whether it's suitable ? Otherwise here in Sydney there is a place where I can get some brazilian mahogany which is grown in Fiji and Philippines. Are those usually good wood ? Thanks for your help

Hey, I got a response from Kent Armstrong himself He said a 5way switch would be better BUT that there isn't much difference really between the top and bottom HB on the Motherbucker. So I'm surprised to hear this. Initially I wanted to do this because I was worried the MB would be *too* powerful ! So I might just not split it...

hi hooglebug (love your mattocaster ), thanks for your response, your suggestion seems possible yes. I've emailed wdmusic who is going to email Kent Armstrong himself for a wiring schematic, hopefully he'll respond soon. I'm surprised nobody has thought of that before...a quad should be easily splitter since it has 4 coils !

G'day, For my first homemade guitar I want to have a motherbucker (quad pickup) on the bridge with a split so I can select the top or bottom double on the quad. For the neck pickup I'd like to put a P90. I will not need a selector position to have bridge + neck pickup. Recap: * full quad * P90 * bottom double of quad * top double of quad So my question is what's the best way to wire this setup and what kind if selector would be best (extra LP 3 position switch, 2 position switch, coil tap ?) Is it possible to have just a coil tap + 3 way switch? cheers

thanks mate you make them sound good do you have any idea where their maple and rosewood wood comes from ? If not I will email them to ask.

good idea, I will buy a pair or calipers and measure my FMT and a Gibson SG !

Thanks that's interesting but obviously I cannot try that neck before purchasing it. Difficult decision !

Hello, This is my first message here I own 2 Fender and I've always wanted to build my own one for fun and to save money. For my first guitar I'd like to keep it simple for a start by having simple electronics and purchase a pre-built bolts rosewood neck. I love the Fender Custom FMT I have because it's so light and has a thin super fast neck so I want to build one fairly similar. The neck is quite similar to the Gibson SG neck. So my question is: where can I find a THIN pre-built telecaster shaped neck ? Is it OK if I get a normal one and plane it to make it thinner or not ? Are the mighty mite telecaster or the ones on allparts.com necks good value ? I'd love some suggestions on good pre-built necks. No worries if my first guitar is a success, no doubt I will build the second one 100% Cheers,