cukaracha

I was just thinking, do luthite bodies age at all?

I'm sure there are many many 'micro' factors that affect tone, but how many of these subtle nuances can actually pass a blind test? I read the basswoods of different grades produce different tones. But since wood grades are generally determined by their color and grain (correct me if I'm wrong), how accurate a gauge is this? Kinda like racism, no?

I was just wondering what are the real factors that affect tone. For instance, a pieced-together guitar vs a factory made one, assuming everything down to the screws are the same. Technically if the body is made of the same material, then there shouldn't be much difference in tone right? Or how about a Ibanez GRG that has modded pickups and hardware to match a similar RG. Would these sounds close to each other?

Hey there, I was wondering if the process of refinishing a luthite body is the same as a regular wood body. I've read that it may be better to just sand down the old paint, primer and paint over.

Any thoughts? How would the job be any different from a regular refinish?

Thanks.

Hi, thanks for the responses.

After careful inspection, I suspect that the buzzing isn't caused by the frets afterall. There seems to be some consistent buzzing all along the neck, regardless of the fret and string. I've tried capo-ing various spots and the buzz is still there.

I've ruled out the saddles buzzing since i've tried pressing down on them, but to no avail. Similarly it can't be the tuners cuz they're all firmly screwed in. Plus, i've tried squeezing them and again the buzz is still there.

Can't be the frets either cuz I cleaned them and the problem persists. Strings are fairly new so I don't think thats the cause.

I'm really stumped. Any ideas?

Could be two things:

Nut not low enough or a hump where the neck/body joins.

I'm not sure I understand.. How does a nut that's too high cause buzzing? Wouldn't one that's too low be the cause? In any case, how can I be certain?

Hi there

I have an Ibanez SA120 that I'm having trouble setting up. I use .009 gauge Elixir nanowebs. Since its my first time, I just followed the basic guidelines as closely as possible.

Heres what I've achieved so far:

- string action is 2.0mm on the low E, and 1.5mm on the high e (adjusted bridge and individual saddles)

- floating trem is parallel to body

My main issue is with the truss rod. If I adjust it to have about 0.3mm relief on the 8th fret, I get major buzzing around the 15th fret onwards. This is especially prominent on the E A and D strings where the notes barely even come through. Not much of a problem on the G B and e strings though.

Things seem a little calmer when I adjust it about 0.1~0.2mm, but then the notes of the G B and e string get very slight buzzing (the type that truncates the note) around the 7th to 12th frets, while the E A and D strings are fine for the most part.

Some help here please? Thanks.

ok, i saw the video and a few other more explanatory ones.

now my question is lets say i want the LEDs to light up, and fade down ONCE every 3 secs. what values of resistors and capacitor do i have to use?

also, is it necessary to use a breadboard? can i just wire all the components directly? and if i do, how do i ground it? if not, is there a smaller alternative to the breadboard?

thanks

hey there

i plan to route a channel on my solid body guitar thats about 5mm wide and 8mm deep. on top of that, i need to route 2mm deep around the channel to fit a cover to conceal the channel.

can i use a dremmel to get this done? what are some of the precautions that i should take to ensure a relatively smooth route?

thanks

ok, fantastic!! totally answers my question!!

now just one more. how do i make the LEDs glow at say regular breathing pace? what hardware would i need that would make the LEDs turn brighter and back down automatically?? is there anything special about the way its wired??

thanks in advance

hey there

just wanna ask. i have this project going on that requires LEDs to be installed really close to the electronics (ie. pickups, selector and pots). will this in any way interfere with the sound quality of the pickups??

thanks

hey there

i'm planning to do a little project that involves placing a bunch of LEDs under a piece of perspex that has some designed so that the design will light up.

so my question is: is it better to use (1) colored LEDs and a clear perspex OR (2) a colored piece of perspex with white LEDs to get a brighter and more uniform light up? the entire design is the same color.

any input/ other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

thanks

ok, so is it advisable to apply sanding sealer on the paint coat, then clear coat it? will it have any long term adverse effects?

Looks like you stumped us. I don't think you need to put sanding sealer on since you won't see the top, but I would. That way, if it's ugly, it'll be easier to get the spray glue or whatever you use off because maybe it won't sink in as much.

Are you building a tweed topped guitar?

Edit: Oops, mis-read. I thought the question was body and top or just body. Didn't realized it was top or top and body.

If you used an open pore wood, sanding sealer before painting seems like a good idea. I kind of think you'd need it more under the paint than under fabric.

ok, i think i wasnt Clear enough i will be painting the body white the regular way , but ill stop at the white base coat to apply the decal and then the sanding sealer. so my question is whether i should apply the sealer only to the top of the body (where the decal will be ) or do i apply it to the whole body (the sides and back thats just white paint , no decal.

i plan to do a material finish on the top of my guitar only using either decals, vynil or stickers. so my question is whether i should apply the sanding sealer to the top only or on the entire body (which i will be painting white prior to applying the decal and then clear coated). fyi, the material will cover the entire top of the guitar.

Hi. Has anyone tried that stuff out before? what were the results like? pictures would be good.

Ok, so that makes things a lot clearer. Thanks a lot for all the help so far.

But about the clear coat; can i just use regular clear but spray it on in very dry passes for the first few times until theres a reasonable layer over it. then i continue with the regular passes. would that work?

As a matter of fact, i will be doing this refinish throughout the course of the year since i'm in absolutely no hurry and i don't plan on screwing it up. in fact, i plan to give it like 2 months between the chrome layer and clear so that i'm absolutely sure its ready. a bit too long, but i'm guessing a little excessive precaution couldn't hurt.

Actually i'd like to ask about the spraying over a polished surface; would the spray bond well on a polished surface? or should i just sand it up to 1500 and then spray the chrome over?

and about the polish; how good is turtle wax swirl and haze remover and polishing compound when it comes to guitar refinishing?

Also, i think i should point out that i DO NOT have a spray gun and therefore will be using the ready-to-use can form of the chrome spray. from a few test sprays that i did, i see that the chrome doesn't spray on completely flat. the surface is very uneven. this is probably due to my spraying or some other reasons and thus i'm wondering how can i make sure that it is sprayed on perfectly (as far as possible) flat and smooth as possible.

since sanding it isn't an option, i'm wondering if i can just clear coat it and then sand the clear to give a flat surface. and what is 'ultra high solid clear'? can't i just use regular clear but spray it on really carefully (i'm not even sure what is defined as 'carefully'..)?

Thanks a lot for all the help.

Thanks a lot for all the replies. They really helped n i really appreciate it.

But about the not using regular clear spray to clear coat it. What then should i use and how should i apply it?

Also, i don't quite understand the part about buffing off the chrome layer. How will that form a flat, smooth and reflective surface? What and how should i buff? What if i clear coat the chrome and then sand and buff it? Will that work?

Sorry for asking so many questions, but i'm really new to this and theres a lot of things i'm uncertain about.

Thank for all your help in advanced.

Just a couple of quick questions. Will i need a black base coat before spraying on the chrome? also, should i sand the chrome smooth, appply 1 last layer and then clear coat? or should i not sand the chrome layer at all?

Pls reply me asap.. i really need the answers to these questions.

thanks in advanced.

Hi. This question has probably been asked before, but due to time constrain, i can't search for them one by one, so pls help me out here.

So heres the deal.

I'd like to know how exactly i should spray it on; how far away from the surface, at what angle, dry/wet coats, how many passes/layers, how long between layers, how long to leaveit alone before buffing, etc etc. I'd like to be sure that the result will be a mirror-like surface, or close to it, if not perfect. Also, should i clear coat it after i'm through?

as you can plainly see, i'm quite new at this. the first refinish i did came far from perfect but was still usable, so i'd like 2 be sure this time, since 1 can of that chrome spray costs a bomb..

Thanks in advanced.

Hi. i've got a really old classical guitar (about 20yrs old) that i'd like to restore.. i realize that using the French Poilishing method is an option.. but i have a few questions about that method:

1. can i just sand the present layer of shellac with 400 grit to rid it of the scratches and then do the French Polishing?

2. is it an advisable method for use on such an old guitar? are the any damage risks?

3. is it a reasonably easy method that a beginner such as myself will be able to handle with minimal mistakes?

Also, is sanding the present layer of shellac with 400 grit to rid it of the scratches and then spraying a layer of clear over it and later buffing and polishing going to work?

If i have to completely sand off all the shellac, how will i know 'when to stop sanding'? (when i've gotten all the shellac off)

Thanks in advanced.

yep. really helped. thanks for all the replies!!

Cheers

Hi. i use .008s and i have a Licensed Floyd Rose locking trem. i used 3 springs but the trem seems really stiff for a locking one. the springs are brand new. should i use 2 springs or just wait for the springs to loosen..?

i'm not so sure that its the sanding thats the problem. this guy sanded his with 800 grit and it turned out just fine... are you sure its not some other problem? possibly with the polish i'm using or something?