GA Bert

Most paint suppliers sell a "flattening agent" you can add to gloss lacquer. As a bonus the flattened lacquer really lays down smoothe.

Fender didn't do semi-gloss until way later. It was definitely high gloss.

wifiguy, Go here: http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/I-1298.html scroll down and there will be a picture of the routing sequence for binding...it's the same sequence for rounding over the edge.

Willy, I will wish you good luck. If you are careful and take it slow...and never work when very tired you will not need luck. Plan ahead and think about the order of building.

There is a local hardwood supplier who has Brazilian fingerboard blanks. Ask for Richard. The last two I bought were very straight grain. Edit: I just found their web page: http://www.rarewoodsandveneers.com/pages/home.htm Also they have an 800 number on the site.

I have built a one piece guitar from Cocobolo. Why Cocobolo? Because I had a very large plank of it at the time. It took a lot of work and the end result was not satisfying. It had poor tone and was very thin sounding. I played musical pickups trying to improve the tone and lose the brittle thinness...nothing helped. Maybe it was a poor choice of wood and perhaps another kind of wood would have had better results. Also as someone else has already mentioned...it was heavy at 12 plus pounds.

I like the arm contour contrast so clean...

Yes you can shoot over compounded finishes...you must re-scuff with 800 grit and make sure you haven't used a wax type of compound.

I'm a big fan of Lace products myself. To me they are very clean and the least noisey.

I run my computer through a receiver with Kenwood cabinets. I go on "youtube" and create a playlist. I listen to: Steve Morse, Ted Greene, Josco Stephan, Tommy Emanual, Brent Mason, Andy McKee, Rory Gallager, Albert Lee, Hayley Westenra, Eva Cassidy, Toto, The Tubes, Eagles, Don Henly, Maroon Five, Allison Krauss, Bonnie Rait, James Taylor, Michael Mcdonald, Vince Gill, Reba McIntyre, Celtic Woman (@Slanes Castle) Boston, Etc..., Etc... Many more...too many to list

GregP, David, Mattia I agree that it's not the better looking of the two but because I'm an old drag racer I prefer function over form. It's great when you can have both. I guess I'm old school. David, That guitar you built is really beautiful. I especially like the "F" holes...brilliant design.

How about this unit: http://www.tremking.com/ I have a good friend who is an excellent player and he swears by this unit. Retail is I believe $159.95. He says it's the best tremelo he's ever used. Very fluid feel to it.

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We all have problems...we all make mistakes...some mistakes more than once. We're supposed to learn from our mistakes but I'll be the first to admit I still screw up ocassionally. Welcome to the world of building and finding out the hard way the rest of the populous isn't as honest as you are. I think for your very first build you did an excellent job.

Yea I looked for a hegnor as well. It seems no one ever sells either of them once they own them. I'll never unload the RBI that's for sure. I find my self using it for stuff I used to use the bandsaw for. Been thinking about setting up the bandsaw just for re-sawing and use the RBI for every thing else.

The crown of a new fret is the highest point on top of the fret. Think of it as the center line. If the crown is worn away the string is no longer fretting on that central most point thereby changing the intonation of that string. The fretted note could be leaving that fret that is worn on the leading edge or the trailing edge of the fret...somewhere in the gully or wear divot. I would suggest leveling and re-crowning if the wear isn't too bad. If it really worn you need to replace the frets.

oh arr, what's that then? Never heard that term. it sounds like another phrase for intonation (?) Does to me too, but we may be missing a trick here. Bert knows his schizzle, so just wanted to elaborate Harmonics=Intonation Which brings up something else I'd like to share. When setting the intonation always set it slightly flat to compensate for the inconsistency of fret placement. (Disregard the next two sentences if you already know how to adjust the intonation) The way I accomplish this is to chime the string at the 12th fret and used the strobe-tuner to accurately tune it to pitch then fret the string at the 12th fret to check intonation. If the string is Sharp lengthen the string, conversely shorten if flat. The important thing I've learned in my many years of setting up real players guitars is to push down at the 12th fret harder than you would normally play and adjust until the note stabilizes both the open or chimed and the closed 12th fret. That will make you set the intonation slightly flat. The guitar will play in tune better all over the fretboard. You can pull an individual string that is slightly flat in a barr chord say at the fifth fret. (A major) but there is nothing you can do if one of the notes in the chord is Sharp. Pro players pull certain strings sharp without consciously thinking about it. Also consider that most players on stage are pumped when performing and have a tendancy to get a little heavy handed due to adrenaline without realizing they're doing it. I get a lot of repeat business from performers. They come back bragging about how good and in tune their guitar plays after I've done a general adjustment. Sometimes they bring the other guitar or bass player with them to get a set up/general adjustment. Don't take my word for it try it sometime.

I believe that you are not using a forsner bit (Flat bottom bit) to hog out most of the wood inside of the perimeter of the template. That template it designed to allow the bearing to follow quickly around the perimeter only cleaning up the wood left from the forsner bit. If you try to plunge the router bit in and take all of wood within the template at once your bit will over heat and melt the template. Once you get the perimeter routed to a depth where there is a clean edge you can remove the template and use the edge of that routed lip to finish up the hole without the template. Do not use oil on the bearing because that combined with the heat will turn the template to goo.

I have worked on several Gibsons circa '52 through '55 and some of the covers on the P-90's were altered as in shaved on the sides to fit the pick cavity. Some were so thin they were darn near transparent. My guess was they didn't figure in the thickness build up of the finish and didn't want to re-route the cavities after the finish was on so they thinned the covers on the sides. They appeared to have been sanded and buffed. Some of the older more experienced repair guys will verify what I'm telling you. I also recently installed some Lace P-90's on my most recent build and the Stew Mac templates did not fit them. I traced the covers on the body hogged out the area with a fornser bit and used an exacto knife on the line and free handed the perimeter to a depth where the bearing bit could take over for the remainder of the cavity clean up.

I have set up guitars for some well know players...most prefer very low action, some don't. However when the ones who prefer low action go in the studio to record they have asked me to raise the action and reset the harmonics sometimes they want to increase the diameter of the strings for a fatter tone. They explained that they want totally clean single notes rather than chance any buzz even if it's uncomfortable because they can muscle through laying several short lead tracks. When they were done recording I'd set he guitars back where they preferred them for touring. Some players have dedicated recording guitars and they are not any where near the guitars they tour with as far as pickups or action goes. It may be another Strat or L.P. but that's where the similarity ends.

I have been wanting an RBI Scroll Saw for a couple of years but couldn't stand the price of a new one. I kept reading and hearing great things about it. Nearly every day I'd search craigslist, "RBI scroll saw" and last week one showed up used. I called and the guy wanted what I considered a fair price for it but I didn't have enough money. I mentioned that I had a two year old Delta Shopmaster 16" scroll saw and if he was interested I could give him cash and my Delta. He said, "No thanks." I forgot about it and when I came back from Antique shopping with the wife Sarturday afternoon there was a message from the guy on the answering machine saying he'd take my offer. A confirming phone call I jumped in my truck with my Mapquest map and headed off. After a four hour 175 mile round trip I had the saw at home. It's an RB Industries 26" throat "Hawk" scroll saw with a manifying lamp kit, foot switch, tool holder, two extra blade holders and about three dozen different size blades. I didn't have much time last night to do much with it but I managed to cut one letter out of one inch Mahogany. I just used the blade that was in it and didn't even check the set up other than making sure the blade was 90 degrees to the table. What a sweetheart of a saw. The difference between the Delta and the RBI is like there not even the same device, although they are both called scroll saws. Sorry to ramble on about it but I just had to share my joy.

Someone used to sell small shims to alter the saddle heights on Rose saddles so you could match the radius on a guitar that didn't have the correct radius...say like a Strat that you added a Rose to. I'm sorry but I can't remember who sold them. It may have been Rose. You could contact them and ask. But you could could make some out of some very thin sheet metal.

+1 for naptha. I run a fan across the room when using it.