John Abbett

Seems kinda obvious after you came up with it.. Now that makes sense! -John

Thanks everyone, I will start looking into it. I don't know anything about a ukelele, but my next search will probably keep me busy for a couple of hours. Thanks! -John

Hi all, I'm thinking about building a small guitar for my daugher. By the time I get it done, she would be 4, real young I know, but there are plenty of you tube of 6 and 8 year olds who can play. Anyway, she is pretty little, so a full size guitar would be almost impossible for her to manage. 1. Should I make a smaller body, and have a full size neck? Would I do her a diservice down the road if I did a smaller scale neck. 2. If I did a smaller scale, then would is be ok, to space the strings closer together? I would have to make a bridge, but that's doable. I guess my basic question is how do people feel about a non standard size guitar to start learning on, then advance to a full size guitar in a couple of years. I could make a travel guitar, and the size would work, but the neck is going to be a problem for her. What do you think? Regards, -John

No metal, I routed the pickup cavity, and thought the guitar was a tiny bit heavy. So I used a slot cutting bit and undercut the cavity 1/2" all around and made the cavity as deep as my router would go. The black tube looking area is where the drill bit came through from the control cavity. Since this is a one board guitar, with pickup mounting rings, I had a problem, I couldn't get a wiring channel. I tried to drill with a hex shank drill bit and a socket, it would have taken a week and still wouldn't have gone all the way through. I ended up drilling a hole from the outside bottom of the guitar, through the open control cavity, through the guitar to the second pickup cavity. To get from the first pickup cavity to the second, I drilled through the neck pocket, through the first pickup to the second. There was no way I was going to angle to the drill bit enough to make the hole. Not enough angle. I put a matching plug in the hole on the bottom and it's almost invisible. I'm thinking about a decorative brass belt on the bottom, with the straplock in the middle, which will accent the brass and gold hardware and hide the plug. I'll have to make it up, and see if I like it. Thanks for the complements. It's my second guitar. I have a lot to learn. -John

So, I was making some panel and frame cabnet doors, using my table saw to angle the edges of the panel. I have a great panel jig, it supports the panel on the side and the back, and I put a clamp on it to hold it in place. I grabbed one of those inexpensive metal bar clamps that you find everywhere for a few bucks. The bar had teeth, and it has a wooden handle to tighten. I had tightened it down nice, and ran a couple of panels through. BAM, the saw blade exploded. The teeth on the clamp were worn, and the clamp slipped and dropped into the blade. It ripped the carbide teeth off the blade and sent them into my stomach. It took me 10 minutes to dig the carbide tips out of my gut. It looked like I'd been shot by a shotgun. No permanent damage, but sure did ruin my day. I'm glad I have a little fat around the middle. Needless to say, now if I use a clamp anywhere around the table saw, I cut a slot in the jig to support it if it comes loose, I've been known to duct tape them in place now to be on the safe side. I've seen this done on many TV shows, and books. Put a clamp on it to hold the panel at the top of the jig. I didn't stop to think what would happen if it slipped. Now I know. -John

I agree about Andy DePaule. He's got some great stuff, a HUGE inventory, and is a super friendly and helpful guy. I got him to do an original design of my name because I have never done any inlay at all (and frankly don't think I could with very good results) and it turned out great. He keeps your design on file in case you want another one someday. Blackdog, it looks like a great guitar. Congrats. I just went to the website mentioned above. WOW that is amazing stuff. I spent 1/2 hour looking, then called in an order and the owner Andy was great. He spent 15 minutes chatting with me. Now I know the difference between black and red MOP! http://www.luthiersupply.com Anyway, I'll update when it arrives to let you know what the quality is, from the pics on the website I'm sure it'll be top notch. -john

Some wood I got at an auction a few years ago. It's from a 6' section, the trunk must have gone past a large branch, the grain was perfectly circular. I think I paid 15 bucks for a truckload of misc wood at that sale. It was 40 degree's raining and overcast. We were all there freezing. The auctioneer was SLOOOOW. So people started leaving. We ended up with 4 truck loads of seasoned cherry and black walnut. The cheapest was 15 bucks for a truckload. I put it all up in the attic of a barn for two years to make sure it was dry (Gets hot up there) and it was, it didn't move at all. Anyway, it's almost all gone, the cherry has turned into some nice furniture, and platters on the lathe (It was a full 2" thick. Now I wish I had all the thick cherry for guitars. Oh well. You gotta love country auctions. Oh, I thought about oil, but I have this nitrocellulose finish that I want to learn to use.. Can't change it now, I already have sanding sealer on it. -John

Ok, since I have some interest. I will cut it into fingerboard lengths, cutting around any blemishes and see how many I end up with. I have some emails, and a couple of people interested via this thread. I think I have one buyer who will take the rest. -John

All, Here are a couple of pics of my latest build (Build #2). It's a black walnut SG, with black walnut neck, and ebony fingerboard. It will have all gold hardware, frets, and brass covers and brass tube for the neck side and face inlays with polymer clay filling the tubes. It still needs some more sanding and shaping, but it's coming along. Unfortunately it's way to cold here to spray finish. So once I get it shaped the way I like it, I'm going to be on hold for a while. -John

So far I have several people interested. One person wants a large amount. I will have to get those together and see what is left. If you don't want me to plane it, you might be able to get two fingerboards out of each one, but my bandsaw doesn't cut perfectly, you would have to have better equipment then what I have to be able to get two out of each. Here are some pics. At this point, the people that have emailed me already will get boards, then if there are any left, I will open it up again.

I'll get some pics tonight. -John

I just finished one. Your questions mean you are just getting started, best of luck to you! To try to answer your questions, pickups are personal. Just like I can't tell you what car to drive.. If you have a particular sound in mind, then the friendly folks on this site will have a ton of suggestions. Wood is a personal preferance also.. If you want traditional, we can help you there, or if you have something in mind. I did mahogany body, with maple top. I used Gibson Pickups from the 70's I got on craigslist. Certainly not the only choice, maybe not the best choice for you. Just make sure you think ahead before you route or cut anything. Like making wiring channels in your body before you glue on a top.. -John

Hi all. Some of you can relate to this, I have wood stashed behind the workbench, in under the workbench, in the corner and on shelves everywhere. Each board will get used one day for the special project. The only problem is, I use one board, and find two to replace it. I'm going to have to live to be 200 and stop buying wood. I have some birds eye maple, that has the tightest, most figured birds eye's I've ever seen. This would have been made into a project years ago, but it's a strange size. It's 3.5 inches wide, 5/8 inches thick, and 8-11 feet long. It was originally culls from flooring many many years ago. I bought it at an auction, it was in a wood shop, on a shelf it was dark with age, I thought it was pine 1/4 flooring. I brought it home, ran it through my planer and about pee'd my pants. Anyway, I've made a desk, and a couple of tables tops out of it, amazing figure. It's been in my shop for about 4 years behind my workbench. This isn't an occasional birdseye, it's many birdseyes per inch. So, I have this really great wood, waiting for a project, now that I'm into guitars, I realize it's perfect for fingerboards. So, if anyone wants some of this, just let me know. I can cut off a reasonable length for a fingerboard ( 11' is not a fingerboard ) and plane it to fingerboard thickness, Wrap it in some cardboard and ship it to you. It would be 3.5 inches by whatever thickness you want (less then 5/8) by fingerboard length.. Longer if you want to build a Cello or something. I'm asking 10 bucks each plus shipping. If that is out of line let me know. I figure that 5 bucks for the wood and 5 bucks for the trouble of cutting, planing and packaging, shipping. Sounds cheap to me. I can't put a curve on the face, and I can't cut fingerboard slots. This is a do it yourself type of opportunity. I will try to take some pictures tonight so you can choose. Happiness guarantee. If you don't like it, I will refund your purchase price (Not the shipping) and you keep it. I'm not in business to do this, I'm just a woodworker who happens to have some really cool boards that would make great fingerboards. -John

Thanks. I'll stick it in the tone position. I didn't think it mattered much, but ya never know what's imporant unless you ask! -J

Hi all. I have a set of 4 pots, three of them read at around 500 minus about 10 or 15, but one reads at 420. Assuming I don't want to send it back, because of the pain in the butt factor, would a pot that is low be better suited for a tone or volume position? I'm using HB Pickups. With .02 caps for the tone. Does it really matter? What do you think? -John

Uhh, please don't flame me.. I really don't know.. Why would you scallop the neck? What is the advantage other then the fun of making sawdust? I've only been playing for a year, and havn't had one in my hands with a scalloped neck. Thanks. -John

My local hobby store had a large seclection of brass tubing in a lot of sizes. If you can't find it locally, you might check this place out. http://www.danscraftsandthings.com/istar.a...p;numperpage=16

Actually, the neck I'm working with is black walnut, with an ebony fingerboard. Black walnut body (Similar to an SG). Brass tubes would really pop. I will want to play with it, I wouldn't want the neck to shrink/move and make the tubes stick out, that would not be good on the fingers.I suppose if I relieved the edge a tiny bit it would keep you from getting cut, but it still wouldn't be good. Larger brass tubes for the inlay for the fretboard? Except for the same problem, if the fingerboard wears over time, it will wear faster then the inlay. I guess you would have that problem with M.O.P. too wouldn't you? Am I just being paranoid? -John

Thanks for getting on my case. I found at 4 threads exactly about my topic, and in additon I found info on brass tube for side dots which is interesting, I'll have to play with that. Search is my new best friend. You did me a big favor. _john

Sorry, I didn't use the search function. My bad. I will now go and become enlightened by the questions asked by those who came before me. -John

Hi all. I was thinking about using string through body Ferrules on my latest build. Is the only difference between that and a tail stop cosmetic? Does it affect the sound of the guitar? -John

If you look at a drawing of a push pull. You have the pot on top and 6 contacts below. 3 2 1 9 6 8 5 7 4 3 - Ground From Pickup or Selector Switch 3 - to 8 9 - cap .020 to 7 7 - to ground on output jack 2 - to 6 2 - Hot from Pickup or selector switch 1 - to 4 5 - to output jack Tone pull, Volume Push This represents a volume/tone control. In the down switch position the pot is a volume control, in the up position it's a tone control. But what happens to the tone if you are using it in the volume position, and the volumne if you are using tone? Wide open?

Thanks for the drawing, if I'm reading that right, that picture adjusts the tone and the volume at the same time. Two pots, with tone on one and volume on the other. The drawing in the stu mac book is one pot, with a push pull switch. Can I put a picture of that drawing up here or is that copyrite infringement? It's for learning purposes, educational.. -John

All, I found something interesting, I'm not quite sure how it works, but in stu-mac trade secrets book 2 page 155 (Wiring 101) on the left side of the page there is a picture of a push pull pot, that is wired for volume on the push and tone on the pull. I don't know the limitations, but this was what I was asking about. Does anyone have this book that would understand what it's doing? It looks like the pot is being swiched in and out, but if that is the case, you would be able to use either volume or tone, not both, so whatever you are adjusting is full blast.. Anyway, it's interesting can someone figure out what they are doing and enlighten us? -John

I had the same symptoms but a differant cause. When I was finish sanding my fretboard, my slots were fine but my binding is softer the then wood, I must have angled my sanding block a little. I had a slight angle on the binding, it wasn't a perfect curve like the neck. My frets had a little angled gap where the binding was on one side. My solution was to sand the neck a tiny bit to even out the curve at the binding. It cleared up the problem. Oh, and I'm using home made tang cutters: End nippers ground flat. When I cut the tang sometimes it makes the end of the fret bend up a little. Sqeezing the metal on the tang makes it wider. This wasn't a problem, as I just used a bigger hammer. It went into place. -John [Edit: changed "neck" to "fretboard" per John's suggestion -Rick]