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DC Ross

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Everything posted by DC Ross

  1. DC Ross
    I have the JB / '59 (4-wire) combo in two guitars, and it's extremely versatile.
  2. DC Ross

    Variax

    DC Ross posted a topic in Electronics Chat

    Without resorting to a donor guitar, does anyone know where to purchase Variax electronics? Line 6 won't sell them directly. Thanks!
  3. DC Ross
    I don't think that's a burst, that's a shadow from the carve on the bottom. I'd be willing to bet that's Tortoise Shell PRS' Tobacco Burst is much lighter
  4. DC Ross
    Don't forget to check your local library, it's an invaluable resource. In addition to Flexner's book, I found Larry Robinson's Inlay Techniques book and Frank Finocchio's 9 hour-long acoustic building videos (Just make sure to return them when they're due -- pet peeve of mine)
  5. DC Ross
    The plug is not something you can just pull out, how was it removed? For that matter, how were you able to remove the truss rod nut?
  6. DC Ross
    Ditto. Looks like kindling to me
  7. DC Ross
    I've used LePage glue, it seems to work just fine. I'm not sure on the Danish oil though.
  8. DC Ross
    Carved laminations can be very striking. Gunsmiths have been doing it for years, check these out:
  9. DC Ross
    My preference is to route around the edge the depth of the carve as a gauge, then use an angle grinder with a 60 grit flap wheel to rough it out, then a random orbit sander starting at 80 and working my way up through the grits. For me, it's the fastest, easiest, most consistent way of doing it. I'm sure there are others with different approches.
  10. DC Ross
    Since you need to shape the back of the neck anyway, you're creating an unneccesary extra step.
  11. DC Ross
    Use a good straightedge and digital calipers, as well as a profile template (easy to get from an existing neck that you like the shape of).
  12. DC Ross
    I use a Japanese pull saw from Rockler that cuts through .060 aluminum with no problem. Woodenspoke: you spoke of aluminum contamination, could you expound on that a bit?
  13. DC Ross
    You can also use this handy-dandy online calculator: http://www.fretfind.ekips.org/2d/nonparallel.php Just stick in your two scale lengths, string width at the nut (not the nut width), string width at the bridge, fretboard overhang, "0.33258" for the perpendicular fret distance (for the 7th fret), # of frets and # of strings. Leave the rest of the fields as the default, and it'll spit out a spreadsheet of distances and angles. In that spreadsheet there'll be an "angle" column and a "mid to nut" column which can be used to measure the distance from the nut at the centerline and the angle of that particular fret (assuming you have a digital protractor). Mark it, slot it, fret it and you're done. Easy breezy.
  14. DC Ross
    Look a bit closer -- it says "Stono-" as in his name
  15. DC Ross
    Hey Blackdog, sorry for hijacking the thread. There's a good online fret placement calculator that I use here: http://www.fretfind.ekips.org/2d/nonparallel.php It's nice that it'll output both DXF and SVG (which I use to import into Illustrator). My preference is to make the 7th fret the perpendicular fret, it seems to be a good balance between a not-too-angled-nut and not-too-angled-bridge.
  16. DC Ross
    I completely agree 100% with Perry about protecting your intellectual property. We've been using the term "multiscale" for years (but I believe erikbojerik was the first to use it on the forum), I even made sure to do a trademark search prior to using it to describe the ones I've built. It can be a bit of a grey area; we've been calling fingerboards "fretboards" forever, but if someone then adds a ™ next to the word, do we need to start calling it something else? I dunno. I'm no lawyer. Just some jerk buiding guitars in his garage
  17. DC Ross
    When I was in Kauai, I saw four roadside stands selling Koa. I don't mean they were selling plastic dashboard hula dancers and other junk & just happend to have Koa, I mean Koa is all they sold. It was a little weird. So, I recommend going straight to the source and claiming the trip as a business expense when tax time rolls around
  18. DC Ross
    You may be thinking of Alpha; PRS uses them & I've been very happy with them. They're perfectly silent and very smooth. The cheaper pots I've used have been both sticky and noisy.
  19. DC Ross
    I used Jatoba for my floors, and a fingerboard on a multiscale (the 2-1/4" wide boards are just wide enough for most fingerboards). It's heavier than lead, the splinters suck and it dulls tools rapidly, but if you have a chunk with some nice colouring and grain, it's a beautiful wood that polishes up to a mirror shine.
  20. DC Ross
    Not to get away from the original topic, but Ralph Novax holds the trademark for the phrase "Fanned Fret", which is different than his patent (which is still live -- patent no. 4852450). I was unable to find any documentation for a registration of "Multiscale", by Perry or otherwise. At any rate, Blackdog, go ahead and build it! It offers some different challenges and they're a blast to play.
  21. DC Ross
    It really depends on the difference in scale lengths, as well as where the parallel fret is. I play both a multiscale bass (34-37") and guitar (25.5 - 28"). The bass was relatively easy to get the hang of. After fiddling with it for a couple of hours, I got the feel of it. The guitar took some more getting used to. Barre chords in the lower registers aren't exactly simple, but it's rare that I'd go to that guitar for strumming stuff anyway -- it's a metal axe through and through. What they are good at is getting people's attention. At every gig, at least one person asks about it -- and I'm just the lowly bass player FYI, as far as the nomenclature, "Fanned Fret" is a registered trademark of Novax Guitars. "Multiscale" is the generic description that won't get you sued if you end up selling a bunch of them
  22. DC Ross
    I can't imagine carving a top or contours with that Dremel bit... That's gotta take hours! I use a 60 grit flap disc on an angle grinder. 5 minutes tops.
  23. DC Ross
    Go with a standard placement (i.e. perpendicular to the centerline), otherwise you'll run into volume balance issues.
  24. DC Ross
    I use a 1/4" auger bit like that for drilling wiring holes from the neck to bridge pu, but for the jackhole ( ) I use a forstner every time.
  25. DC Ross
    I haven't noticed any significant differences between Wilkies and Grovers. I've been very happy with Sperzels (solid and precise) but will be trying the Planet Waves locking/trimming machines on my current build.
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