gpcustomguitars
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Posts posted by gpcustomguitars
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A small change to the headstock, should look like this:
and the headstock plate, 2mm acero parana. I've cut it out (not in the pics) with a coping saw, but first scored along the line with a sharp marking knife. Lessens the chance of the saw wandering from the line. Will glue it on this evening, and can cut the fret slots while it's in the clamps:
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Got about an hour yesterday to spend in the shop, just enough to route the channel for the truss rod. Before gluing on the fingerboard, I'll add a filler piece for the adjuster nut. It might not be needed, but I think it's a nice touch.
Regarding texture, I did test on a rough piece, and applied one coat so far, so it might be more uniform or even completely solid on the actual guitar, but we'll see.
First, the full channel, 6,35 x 9mm
Adjuster nut area, 10.5 x 8.5mm and 11 x 10mm
and it fits snugly
Should start the fretboards now!
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Thanks, I'll definitely experiment more! I was also looking into Viva Decor Inca Gold, which seems to be a wax paste, also applied by rubbing and polishable when dry, but this seems to be more compatible with other types of clear coats. Dries almost instantly. I'm playing with this because I'm looking for small-shop-friendly finishes, preferably applied by hand, not spraying.
Their aged gold seems to be somewhat distressed gold over a darker base?
Re: Routing accident, I completely failed to notice that the changed electronics cavity template will enter the recurve zone. Appropriate language followed, and then digging trough the body offcuts to find something even remotely resembling the routed wood lines and scraping it to fit nicely... The other PRS body will be standard size, about 2cm wider at the bout, so the same template wouldn't be able to do the same to it, but I had some spare time for the shop, and just went ahead...hopefully binding ledge won't create any new problems.
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Some more progress - sanded the scarf and glued, waited half an hour and removed it from the table. Also, practiced planing on a leftover piece of cherry from the bass wings, about 10mm thick now. It turned out I can easily get 2 25' fretboards out of it. I'll still have them planed to 6mm in the thickness planer on monday.
I could true up the headstock face plane tomorrow and route the TR channel and start on the binding. I think I'll go with the acero parana for the face plate.
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Just cut the scarf, first scored with the rigid saw, and continued with japanese saw. I'll probably route it to final thickness once it's glued, taking into account I'll add a face plate. Options are: walnut, cherry and acero parana. Acero might win as it's already resawn and sanded to 2mm, and I want to ebonize the plate in any case. I hope to sand/glue the scarf tomorrow and route for the TR on sunday. Headstock shape will be similar to my recently finished bass, but the tuner positions should remain unchanged.
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That would be great, a hint of green would also be interesting! Can't spray with anything but the rattle-cans for now though...
They have a nice palette of colors, some for different effects, I'll definitely experiment on scrap some more. I guess it would be a good idea to sort of do a primer coat with regular wood filler to prep the surface first, but so far so good. The MOP binding arrived, I think this will look nice with walnut stain on cherry for the neck and the back of the body
Ripped and roughly planed neck blanks were trued on the thicknesser, again with my neighbor's help, and I'll start the scarf joint next.
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Ripped the board and got 3 usable pieces for necks. Also got a piece to test the gold paste I got in the hobby store, Marabu Acryl Gold. It seems to be a water-based acrylic wood filler really, applied it with a cotton rag, this is what I got from one coat on a rough sanded cherry with some cracks. I'll sand and reapply tomorrow.
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Well, it's no disaster, but it's not invisible. I'm closer to hiding it with gold top, as I think this one will not be bursted. I could use my gold paint, but I've been looking into the Inka Gold paste, seems simple to use. Should get some and test on scrap, it's supposed to be polish-able to high shine. Anyone tried this? Some more routing to follow in the electronics cavity, followed by the trem routing.
The MOP binding arrived yesterday, and looks real good
I also got the truss rods, so I'm starting the first neck. I'll cut a portion of this board and plane it, let it probably distort a little (cherry does that a lot) and re-plane after a while. I can prepare the fretboard in the meanwhile.
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note to self - when changing standard templates, double check routing depths........matched the grain well I think, we'll see. I could repeat the textured gold top thing I did on Yamaha if it's too visible. Still some routing to do in the cavity once this has been taken care of.
On the brighter side, broke off the feathery crack cleanly, and reglued.
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Finalized the carving and started the sanding. Hunting for bumps right now, but it's not bad at all. Did I mention I love scrapers ?
1-IMG_20171118_173409 by Goran P, on Flickr
2-IMG_20171118_173420 by Goran P, on Flickr
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Thanks!
I tried shortening the horn up to the point that only 1.5mm of the damage remains, as my binding (yet to arrive) is at least that thick. Sanded out the lower bout tearout too, that went OK. The body is 43mm at the thickest point, but seems thinner now. Remaining time in the shop was spent on some more scraping, cleaned the lower cutout and horn, and almost finished bottom carve. Scrapers are great!!!
I'll fine sand the body outline next, and make a simple router stand for cutting binding channel. I forgot to do that first, but that jig will certainly be nice to have in the shop.
Not in the pics, I dragged a cherry plank in the shop to see whether it has 2 necks hidden in it
I might go with the long tenon, so my LP blank necks would be too short.
1-IMG_20171117_184328 by Goran P, on Flickr
2-IMG_20171117_184336 by Goran P, on Flickr
3-IMG_20171117_191257 by Goran P, on Flickr
4-IMG_20171117_200656 by Goran P, on Flickr
5-IMG_20171117_202444 by Goran P, on Flickr
6-IMG_20171117_202452 by Goran P, on Flickr
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I had some limited lime in the shop yesterday, so I focused mainly on the tip of the horn. Some chiseling first to bring it all down to the same line, scraping to the line and finally, orbital sander to refine the new body outline. I think I didn't alter it too much, but the tearout is getting smaller. Binding should cover the remaining hole a little. I might scrape it some more, but I think that's about it. I might try to splice a tiny sliver of wood in there to close the gap...we'll see. Any ideas?
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Thanks! I find that I like using hand tools more and more. I have both a router sled and my pin router thing, but they're bulky, and chips fly all over the place. I did the outline with the router 2 times so far, this is one, and the other was my friend's tele a few years ago, but I used overhead router then, and that is very different compared to hand held. I'm considering making a router table, but it somehow seems scary... My preferred method so far is to cut out the shape closely, and shape it on the stationary disc sander and a sanding drum on a pillar drill.
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Thanks for the kind words!!! I might have just a little bit of wood missing under the binding line, and that could be a problem, but I still hope to carve most if not all of it away.
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The tearout reduced some more:
Started the bottom of the carve with the scraper, some smoothing and a start of the recurve:
Fingers started to complain after a while, so I switched to the back to rough in a tummy cut with the sureform.
Cleaning up revealed one feathery crack, I'll have to either insert some glue in there before proceeding, or break it off cleanly completely and glue it back.
And that's where I am at the moment! I've also ordered 2 truss rods, and I have a few 3-piece cherry neck blanks I could use. I'll probably use mu LP tenon template for this. Binding (to be routed after finalizing the body shape) should cover the tearout some more, so I'll try to perhaps fit in a small piece if cherry if I don't succeed in carving it out completely.
Scale for this one will probably be 25', I might modify the electronics cavity because of the jack socket. I would like to change the claw for the springs to homemade brass block, perhaps it would add something. Making it would certainly be fun
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Some of the tearout dissapeared with planing (BTW can't plane really, decided to learn as of now). Took apart my No.5, sharpened it and played with the controls a while - it works better now, and takes a lot less space than my router contraptions
14-IMG_20171111_151428 by Goran P, on Flickr
Starting the carve, round chisel for now:
Pilot hole for the pilot hole for vibrato marked
I've stopped at about 1/2 of the lower bout because of the difference in the carve shape:
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Hi! I've got a new project, I would like to try a guitar with a vibrato unit, I did that only once, a PRS-like guitar for my brothers 18th birthday in 2002. This might become 2 guitars, but that remains to be seen.
First, I pulled out a cherry board from the shed, which is over 33cm wide, so I can get 2 one-piece body blanks:
I roughly cut 2 pieces, trying to avoid cracks on the ends of the board:
and then, a few minutes on the neighbor's thickness planer reveals fresh surface - again cherry
I've ordered some binding:
4 by Goran P, on Flickr
This is the template I've used then - it's not a exact PRS shape, the bout is narrower, but the length is same I think. I usually don't shape the body outline with a router, fearing tearout (and the router itself
), but since it's has a vibrato unit, this is already out of my comfort zone...
This is the unit I've ordered:
Routed the shape after cutting roughly, and had 2 issues - the router bit into the template at 5 o'clock, and a big tearout at the tip of the horn. I can sand out the first, and hope to be able to carve out the second, perhaps with some minor surgery...
Freehand routed the ledge (15mm height difference) and a rough carving line, just to get rid of some bulk.
Started planing the top angle. around 2 degrees. It starts behind the bridge, so it's basically zero angle, angled neck guitar
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it is a patient guitar, has been waiting for this for over a decade...hope to have some more shop time this weekend...
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Finally started finishing! This photo was taken in first 5 mins, I went back for another 2 coats with cca 3 hours in between. I'll see what happens with the pores with all the dust that I have packed in, but even with them it looks nice to me.
1-IMG_20171022_114635 by Goran P, on Flickr
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Don't mind my handwriting
but here's what I had in mind. You place your drill bit against the corner and you should get reasonably perpendicular hole by hand. Just take your time to make nice cuts when making the jig.
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Hi again!
Don't worry about the slight curvature of the plywood, it's OK. When cut closer to size it will hold less weight and bend less. I would try to get the same screws, shouldn't be hard or expensive, although it is sometimes hard to find that exact head shape.
Could you post a picture from the back?
Drilling holes trough the new layer shouldn't be a problem, glue first and then drill. You could/should start with a well aligned pilot hole from inside, and drill with the actual drill bit from outside, so that any potential tear out is inside. Use an awl, or make a small plug with a hole for the pilot drill bit in the center (a piece of dowel or something) but it probably is not needed.
When starting drilling on a crackable surface, ie lacquered or in your case, plywood layers, you could start drilling with the first few turns counter-clockwise, slower but scoring the rim of the hole to be drilled.
If you decide to add one of the 3mm layers from the back, you could use it to form a recess for the electronics cover?
For drilling perpendicular holes, you can make a small angle out of wood, a square with one quarter accurately cut out. That corner is your 90 degree guide for hand drilling. I can post a drawing if needed.
Good luck!
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Excellent work, nice and clean! I like that you're including skills other than only woodworking, Your pickguard looks great, any more pics of it and it's making?
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Well,
It's done! I've included a few more pics, as I'm a horrible photographer, so I've tried both indoors and the outdoors, we had a nice sunny day. Hope you like it!!! I'll try to get my bass-playing friend I've made a bass for a few years back to try it out, so that I can hear what's it really supposed to sound like
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Thanks! I've seen turners fill the voids and imperfections with coffee and epoxy, but that's different. My thinking was - it's already oily, and in one grit, it should mix well with tung oil. I might try some other things with it though...
For this SG I'll probably just sand and oil to pack in the dust in the pores...
note to self - when changing standard templates, double check routing depths........matched the grain well I think, we'll see. I could repeat the textured gold top thing I did on Yamaha if it's too visible. Still some routing to do in the cavity once this has been taken care of.
), but since it's has a vibrato unit, this is already out of my comfort zone...
Thanks! I've seen turners fill the voids and imperfections with coffee and epoxy, but that's different. My thinking was - it's already oily, and in one grit, it should mix well with tung oil. I might try some other things with it though...
PRS-like project(s)
in In Progress and Finished Work
Posted
Some pics of yesterday's progress - glued the headstock faceplate on, made a custom piece to press it on from scrap, four rivets used as positioning pins. Easy to pull out and cheap.
Decided against the thickness planer and made a small shooting board of sorts for the router and routed the fretboard to 7mm. Removed the routing marks with a plane
clamped a ruler to the center line and marked the fret positions. Used an angle and the marking knife to score the lines, lightly cut with the fret saw, and planed the fretboard to final size (43-56)
Making progress I think, a pic of the shaving also included :), then re-cut with fret saw. I've used a piece of binding glued to the saw to act as a depth stop, 2,5mm, that worked fine, but I'll have to redo the cuts after radiusing.
Not in the pics, I made crude holder for cutting the binding ledge, but have yet to test it, preferably not on the actual guitar.
I still have no idea what pickups to use on this....