diehardcrew

So anyhows I plan on building a 5 string 36" scale fretted neck-through for my first project. Probably a little ambitious but who cares I am semi-experienced w/ wood-working, etc. so hopefully it won't be too bad. I stopped by Owl Hardwoods in Lombard, IL a few weeks ago and picked up the following: Black Walnut for body wings Purpleheart for neck "stringers" I think they're called Bubinga (thin) for - well I'm not sure what I'll use it for yet Hard rock straight-grained maple for neck And from LMII a few weeks back I also got 2 cocobolo fretboards and 2 pau ferro fretboards. The pau ferro looks great w/ the walnut, but I'd love to use the cocobolo sometime, but maybe for my next project when I'm feeling toxic. I may use the bubinga for neck laminates, for wing laminates or for accent pieces, or hold off for the next one. The problem is I have so much wood trim I'm making for the house that it will take me a while just to get started on this, so please don't expect pictures soon! I'm probably getting a Hipshot A bridge, Gotoh compact or Sperzel tuners and probably EMG DC pickups, active, etc. Wish me luck. Right now I'm finalizing the body shape (don't expect anything too original!) and headstock shape (well actually I haven't started the headstock shape) then I'll do a full scale drawing and get rolling. I have a bet w/ a co-worker that I'll get it done by March 16 of 2005!!! We'll see what happens. I was reluctant to even post this much so far since the project is probably too far in the future, but I'm excited about it and wanted to at least mention what I have so far!! Thanks for listening!!

From what I understand the ONLY things that affect string tension are: scale length string gauge tuning (D vs. E, etc.) of course will also change it, but that's more obvious than technical. That's it. Although it's agreed that several other factors can influence the feel and ease of bending, etc. I believe they were all mentioned; string action, locking nut, tremelo system or not, fret sizes/height and fingerboard radius. I suppose on a non-locking nut guitar, the length behind the nut may add or subtract the amount of "give" on the strings when bending, but it doesn not affect string tension whatsoever. Even with a locking nut the string tension is not affected.

I don't think you can say don't buy any bits from Home Depot. They sell various brands. You must be referring to the single ones in the cabinet. I bought a 24-piece set (made by Hickory/Olsen I think) 1/2" shanks and they are great, it was $99 but if you buy like 3 bits separately before you know it you spend $100, and I'm glad I have variety at hand so I don't have to run to the store every day. Although if you really don't think you'll be routing anything but guitar bodies, then you might be better off getting individual bits. Good luck.

I wouldn't take my word on it since I've never actually used Sperzel's and may be misunderstanding the question; but all the tuners I've seen (including Sperzels) have the tuning keys on the backside of the peghead, and the string posts of course coming from them behind the peghead and sticking out on the front of the peghead. I hope that helps??? Anyhow I was wondering where you got your Sperzel's from. I was looking for some bass Sperzel's and am only finding a few suppliers for some reason. Thanks, Mike

Hi, I was just wondering what you guys use for sharpening your planes, spokeshaves, drawknives, chisels, etc. Currently I just have a 6" bench grinder and I imagine I should invest in like a wetstone or something to that effect. Let me know what works best for you, especially w/ the sometimes uncommon handtools that guitarmakers use. Thanks!

Actually I was just talking about regular fretting, and if you guys compensate for string stretch so that the notes aren't sharp when they're fretted. It was mentioned in a few books I was reading on guitar making. If you go to the bottom of the link below, and use the fret placement calculator it asks whether or not to calculate w/ stretch compensation. http://www.windworld.com/emi/tools/fretcalc.htm It's still a straight parallel fret job, but the placements are moved slightly to compensate for the fact that the string is bend a little when fretted, especially on a guitar w/ high frets. I guess if you guys have been using the scale on the projectguitar tutorial, or those numbers look right to your for a 25.5" scale guitar, then you must not have noticed any tuning or pitch problems, and that's what I was wondering. When I slot my fretboard I didn't know which version of the scale to use, uncompensated or not. I believe Cumpiano (sp?) compensates in his book "guitarmaking". Thanks.

I thought at first that it would make sense to use the stretch compensated fret placement calculators, but I noticed in the tutorial that the "non-compensated" scale was used. I was just curious which is preferred by most of you and why. For what it's worth i plan on making a bass (may not stretch as much???) but I will use jumbo high frets or whatever is often on a bass. I would think that bass strings wouldn't stretch nearly as much as a guitar. So I guess I have 2 questions: 1) why not compensate for stretch on a guitar neck? and 2) should I compensate on a bass neck? Thanks!!!

I guess perhaps I should mention that I ordered fretboard "blanks", rather than having them radiused and/or slots cut. I ordered on a Friday, and they came in the following Wed. I was happy w/ that, but it was my first (and a very simple) order. So yes I was very happy with them, but my order shipped within the states and I didn't even ask them anything or specify any instructions or anything. I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience.

I just received 2 cocobolo and 2 pau ferro fretboards from LMII yesterday. They look great and I can't wait to use them. They're about 3" x 31", and about 1/4 thick or so. I couldn't find any locally, although I can get ebony and some other ones. Anyhow, if I ever start my project, I'll put some pictures up.

Here's some links to a couple of spokeshaves. The wood-handled one I believe is a new model, or at least that's what a magazine I just read said!! http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?pag...currency=2&SID= http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?pag...currency=2&SID= Anyhow, if you guys use 'em, which do you prefer, low angle (25) or regular angle (45) or both?? I'm also confused by curved bottoms vs. concave/convex blades. But I figure I'll just learn the hard way.

Bass gear I have now: (Ibanez) Soundgear extreme 4?? series, 4 string fretted Peavey Fury 4 string fretless spray painted camoflage Ampeg SVT-3pro head Ampeg PR-410HLF Sometimes for fun I'll plug in my old Alesis Quadraverb Pro for groovy effects, and I used to mess w/ a envelope filter but I lost it. WISH LIST: Mostly just other basses, different types, more strings, etc. My amp makes me soil my pants so I don't even want another one!! Perhaps a crossover with different effects added, but that's just for fun. I'm really just looking to make the other basses that I want myself, but if I could just go out and buy them I guess they would be: Carl Thompson, whatever he wants to make I don't care 35" or 36" scale, maybe a 30" for fun. Bee Queenbee probably a single cut 4 string Zon Sonus 4 or 5 string 35" scale Warwick 5 string Thumb fretless Alembic 6 string fretted 35" scale Conklin 7 & 9 string basses

Here's what I got from emailing Gibson: "Mike, Thanks for writing. The Gibson Maestro Stereo 30 was also called the GA-78 RV or RVT if it had tremolo. Those were available in 1961. I've attached the schematic of the amp, but unfortunately we don't have an owner's manual. Thanks again for the inquiry. Regards, Blake R. Howard Gibson Musical Instruments 309 Plus Park Blvd. Nashville, TN 37217 1-800-4GIBSON " Also, from talking with others (with the help of the people here that posted THANKS!) it seems that I must have a GA-78RVT from 1961. According to the records, there was only 1 of those shipped in 1961. I'm sure there were more made, but I'm looking into how many. Also, for those interested, the GA-78RV schematics were pretty much identical to the GA-79RV schematics, but since no one has GA-78RVT schematics, I'll have to use the ones from the GA-79RVT. I would imagine that since everything else lines up almost exactly, that the additional tremolo circuit must have been the same on both. The difference being that the RVT's have tremolo and reverb, whereas the RV just have reverb. I think the only difference between the 2 models besides the name and logos printed on them was that one had a separate bass & treble control for each of the 2 inputs, and the other amp had a combined bass & treble control for both inputs. Other than that I can't tell any difference, and in fact since the schematics so far look indentical, I can't even find this difference in controls that I mentioned, I just read it somewhere. Thanks to everyone for their help, and hopefully someday soon I'll have some pictures of this old beat up thing that is a gem in disguise.

Well unless the GA-79rvt's were also called "Maestro Stereo 30" which so far I don't think they were, I actually probably have a GA-78rvt. But if it is a 1961, I guess Gibson's records show that only 1 was shipped that year, which is pretty wild. I have to find out what year mine is I guess. Thanks a lot for the references and info, I really appreciate it a lot!! I don't have a digital camera, but once I get some photo's developed I'll scan them in and post them. I'll also follow up when I do hopefully find out what it is exactly that I have! Thanks, Mike

Thanks a lot for the info. So far I think it's a GA-79rvt, but I don't know for sure, and I don't know what year yet. But I'm getting closer!!!

Now I'm confused. The tube lineup listed in the schematic of the GA-78RV matches with what I have, but mine is a RVT, which I found out of course means that it has reverb AND tremelo which mine does, but the GA-78RV does not. Maybe I'll look for a vintage Gibson amp book with pictures or something.

Thanks for the link! I just checked it out, and I saw: Model GA 161830 Then on the right side of the top it says Maestro stereo 30 RVT. By looking at the link you provided, I'd have to guess its a "GA-30rvt Invader" unless that page doesn't have all of the models. Although I just did some searching (just now literally) and someone listed having a "Maestro stereo 30" and put (GA-78 rv) in parenthesis right next to it. Unfortunately, on the left side in small print where it says Model GA .......it's so badly worn off that I couldn't tell if it even said GA or SA. So there was probably a number next to that that is no longer readable. I'll bust out the flashlight and look around inside for more signs. I can't find any pictures on the web of either of these models so I can't compare. I'll try to get a picture up here if you're interested. Thanks for the help. I think I'll be able to figure out which it is by comparing the schematics and descriptions I've found to what I have.

So years ago, one of my old bosses that used to work for Guitar Center, gave me an oddly-shaped, black Takamine electric guitar for my birfday. I thought it was awesome, but because it had a twisted neck (he did tell me that) it made it no so much fun to play and at the time, fixing guitars was not even a concept I was familiar with. Anyhow, I have had a lot of trouble trying to find any proof or information on ANY Takamine solid-body electric guitars that EVER existed, and was wondering if anyone here has seen them or has info on them. I'd love to show you guys a picture of it, but stupid me, it was 15 years ago, I was a poor kid and I sold the thing for cash money. Now I worry that it was like rare or something and I always kind of wish I kept it, twisted neck and all. Basically the body wasn't a Explorer style, not flying V or reverse of either, but it was a strange shape that was kind of a mix of those two?? If I'm really lucky I can find the video tape of me playing it and extract a picture from that. But for 1, I don't know where my old video tapes are, and for 2, I don't have a 8mm video camera or player anymore. Man I feel stupid right now!!

So I bought a Gibson Maestro Amp for like $10 at a garage sale sometime in early 1990's and at the time they said it was about 30 years old. So I guess it might be from the 60's or something. Anyhow, it's kind of beat up and stuff. It's a stereo cabinet with a foot pedal that has tremelo on it and reverb (oops I originally said chorus). It's a 2-prong non-polarized plug, but there is a polarity switch on the amp (or is that for the input jack??). Anyhow, if you're holding your strings and touch the metal plate on the top of the amp you kind of get shocked. Other than that and the wicked buzz it has, it sounds pretty good. But because I don't want to die, I have stopped playing through it. So I guess my questions are: -Has anyone heard of these or seen them? -Is it sacriledge to want to fix this amp, replace the power plug for it, the tubes and whatever is making a horrible buzzing noise (transformer???) and add grounding to it?

Yeah I bought a 24 bit package of Hickory carbide router bits (made by Oldham) and have been really happy with them so far. Good variety in there, although I do more woodworking than building guitars. (Actually I haven't built a guitar yet!!) but anyhow I got the 1/2" shank set for just under $100. Sounds like a lot, but if you compare that to buying individual bits its a steal. I figured I'll wait to see which bits I use the most, and perhaps buy higher quality replacements for those, although the ones I've used still look great and cut very well.

Well the tuturial appears to do it in 2, 1, 3, which is part of the reason I was asking. Does this mean you guys sand the radius instead of planing it since the fretslots would chip out and stuff? Also, do you radius the board before or after you've glued it to the neck? Thanks! (yes I'm a little slow)

Believe it or not I have a book on building guitars, but am still confused on how the whole fretboard making goes. They're not very clear in the book, they mention problems you'd run in to depending on your order of doing things, but don't mention remedies. Which order do you do these in? 1) saw the fretslots out 2) cut the fretboard's taper 3) radius the fretboard, and do you do this on or off the neck? It would seem to be to be difficult to radius the fingerboard with the fret slots cut out, and even if you could, wouldn't you have to re-saw them to make sure they're evenly deep? -How do you radius a fretboard that's not installed on the neck? -How do you accurately mark and/or saw the fretslots once it's installed or radiused? AAAAhhhh help!!!

Oh great, after seeing that Alembic, now I have to change my pants!!! Thanks for your input!

I really have no idea, and should probably not reply, but I believe I read the joint is a little different, to add strength. LIke a dovetail or something to that effect. Perhaps something similar to a classical acoustic heel joint, with glue added. I would imagine the joint would be in such a way to resist the "upward" pull of the strings, like perhaps a tapered dovetail, with the bigger end being towards the top. Hopefully someone that has done one/some will reply though, cuz I was curious as well.

I'd like to do a 5 string neck-through bass and am planning out which woods to use for the neck. I was thinking of a 5-piece laminant neck. 3 slices of maple (outer & middle) with 2 stripes of a darker wood for contrast. I'm not sure which woods would work well w/ maple that are stable enough for a neck. I'm not TOO worried about weight because I think I can compensate for that later w/ the body or what not, and I plan on keep the "dark stripes" fairly thin, like 3/8" each or something. I was thinking of either: purpleheart, wenge, merbau, bubinga or ovankgol (or whatever you want to call it) and I'm having trouble deciding. I like how all of them look, and understand them to all be fairly hard. Anyone have suggestions that have maybe used these types of woods, or even suggestions on how many laminants is too many (is there such a thing?). In the future I hope to do like a 9-piece neck, unless that's just plain stupid, I think it would look cool. Thanks!

Of course leave out my "I hope you were only kidding" part. I just found it hard to believe someone would type that much stuff if they didn't feel passionate about it, and trust me, I've heard plenty of people who have that mentality; remember it's hard to hear voice inflection or intention on a stupid computer. I guess your post was creative, but I've never seen a "joke" that was so long, so forgive me if I thought you were some freak that was really narrow-minded. I'm glad to hear it's just a joke, and as far as the CBS or whatever you're talking about w/ God and stuff... I didn't get it, which is why I didn't comment on it. Anyhow, I think we should rip on drummers, they have big attitude problems!! ha ha