cherokee6

ROB!!: I found a set of Gibson SG 1275 schematics. I can scan it and send it to you. I thought I saw it somewhere and I found it in the back of Brosnac's bbok. Just send me an email.

I can send you copies of what I have for SG, tele, strat and an LP (i think it has p-90's). I may have a diagram someplace for a double neck. That will take some time to find. I'll get the plans out to you later or tomorrow. Anyone I miss who needs plans?? Did everyone receive theirs?? I have to use 2 different programs due to some computer nonsense, until I get a chance to fix it, so some were sent but may not have been received.

-Tom

Thanks. I guess I'll have to get autocad first!

Do I need autocad in order to determine the dimensions? Because all I get is the pic of the drawing. I've been downloading the dwg file vs. the jpeg. They both look the same.

Fantastic! It reminds be of pics of the jig used at Wahl for their basses. (see Melvin Hiscock's book) They use a very large roundover bit. I'm sure it's custom made. You may want to check some shaper bits if the shafts will fit in your router. I have the Porter Cable 690 series with variable speed. Do you think I can use that in the jig (by using lighter passes, too)? Would you be willing to post plans for the jig? Thanks in advance.

Yeah, thanks for the reminder. I downloaded them before. They're nice, but I'm looking for dimensions, specs, etc. The drawings will come in handy for carving. I figure when I'm ready I may just puchase a set of templates from the guitar templates site, which certainly make cutting out and routing easier.

Sure Tom, we could both benefit. I'm located in Yorktown 10 min off the Taconic. I saw you were local and was going to contact you anyway. I was told Condons was expensive, though I havent been there yet. -Vinny

Cool! Give me a few weeks to clear up my life! I'll send you an email with my # and all. I'm in Fishkill right off I84. I spoke to a buddy of mine today who's been haunting a marine scrap boneyard near Tampa where he gets mahogany and teak to use in repairs on his boat. (He just returned yesterday) He said there is some larger stuff to be had and the prices aren't bad. I figure a 2 piece mahogany body would run in the low $30's. I have to educate him on what I'm looking for, but its a possibility!

Congrats!! Enjoy the kids; I think grandpa should make a git for each one of them! The new addition sounds like an SG kind of kid.

I did some sign work last year for a local Cabinet/Millwork Shop here in town, I wasnt into building guitars at the time. So recently I've been waiting for the chance to stop by to see about getting offcuts and stuff they'd throw in the dumpster. Luckily I needed to do a small lettering job on one of their trucks today and met the shop manager. He brought me over to an area where they keep their 'firewood', Holy Cr@p!!. Walnut, Mahogany, Maple pieces waiting to go in the furnace. Among the pieces I nabbed were a 1x6x16 pc of Walnut & 4 nice offcuts of 1½''mahogany roughly 4''x16'' . Sweeeet ! I tell him some types I could use like bubinga, spruce, rosewood, then I when I said zebra he said to follow him over to the work table. There he had the most amazing piece of zebra as a sample for an upcoming job. He tells me I must come back because if they get the job there will be many pieces for the fire. I filled my tote box about halfway, I didnt want to seem greedy. He invited me to come back often for more 'firewood' whenever I wanted. Wow, what a day. -Vinny

I went to take a pic of my bounty out in the shop, curse the dead batteries in the camera, arrrgh

(I'm screwing up my reply)

Vinny, are you willing to share a bit? I'm in Dutchess and betting I'm not too far away from you. Great find! I'm always on the prowel for old, solid table tops, a cut down tree, etc. Problem is no place to put it! The only supplier for exotics in the area is Condon's. They're not cheap, but at least you can see what you're buying. - Tom

If anyone has a set of PRS drawings, Id like to get my hands on a set. Thanks!

I have strat, tele, lp and sg drawings if you'd like to swap.

Forgot to mention: just contact me thru the site and I'll send off the plans. Anybody wants to swap, I'd be happy to take some drawings. Thanks!

-Tom

I should think it should. If you recess it, how far do you plan to go and why do you want to? neck angle is probably fine with a standard Gibson angle on the neck. Some lp's have been retrofitted with Bigsbys without much problem. There's a builder of basses with a site and he's recessed some of the bridges. Sometimes it's done for the action or merely the look. But make a drawing and use the formulas (see tech area) to determine the angle. That is probably your best bet and place to start. I'm sure the guys with a lot more experience than I can comment.

Anytime, they're available to everyone. Just drop me your email address thru the site and I'll fire you one.

Ditto. Make differnt types of necks with the pine: try a strat type with a different wood fingerboard, a strat "all maple" type and a Gibson style with an angled head. Try different neck contours. If you can make a neck with some inlay or binding. You can take strips of wood and stain them for that purpose. I'm still a beginner at actual construction as I've only done refurbishing and small repairs. I plan on doing pine mockups prior to practising on the nice (and more expensive) stuff. I have an ebook I acquired which I'd be glad to send you if you wish. I can also send a pdf of a strat and a tele. Send me your e-mail address and they'll go right out.

God Bless and keep your head down.

Thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye out for one. Maybe opportunity will strike when I'm ready for once! That is one awesome git; play it in good health!

Probably a radius on the flatter side; but not neceesarily. The frets crossection could be a bit more oblong in shape. I think Perry's idea for randomly dropping frets would be interesting. It would be pretty challenging. I suppose even the greats could look foolish with that design!

, Tom

PS I do like the idea for use on a bass though; nothing like a fretless.

Hah!! Many times patents don't even help that much! You need a very strongly described one and not put your whole formula on paper for all to see (check pups patents such as Kinman's Bartolini, etc; they don't give out the # of windings, wire gauge, etc.) And as you rightly stated even then you have to have massive $$$ to enforce it. Remember the guy who sued Ford for the patent on the intermittent windshield wipers? He eventually won, but shelled out a few hundred thousand dollars to prove his point! Look at Fender and Gibson. You should be able to use the pegheads, designs, etc. as they've been in the public domain for more than 50 years!! Yet, they intimidate us all into not using their designs. Even Paul Reed Smith lost recently against Gibson! I wish the guys all the luck and hope they are successful, it's a pretty innovative gadget and they deserve the fruits of their labors.

I remember discussing this with you a couple of months ago when I procured that beautiful piece of walnut from you. I went with the walnut as a compromise between the maple and the mahogany. Then again, I haven't used it yet!! But that's my theory!

Ovations and applauses are fiberglass. I REALLY like RGGR's git in the pic. Has that model been built yet?

ES- 335's, et al. are made of ply; no-void aircraft or musical quality stuff. Usually birch or maple. Some inexpensive solid bodies use ply also, just scratch the paint off!

They're in pdf and windows photo; take your pick, or both! They're drawn by Benjamin Stouffs in '05. The measurements on an epi sg body that I have lying about is 1.45" or 37mm closer to the 1.5 in. mentioned. My friend, Tom Doyle, who worked with Gibson for a time tells me that records were badly kept and many times there was little consistency- even with the LP's (ie: a lot of the top carving was done by hand in the beginning) My guess is 1.5" could be ok as well as 1 3/8". It may depend on the wood you're using. Something heavier than the standard mahogany may be a great at 1 3/8". My preference is to go a hair bigger to the 1.5" to help balance the guitar to keep it from being too neck heavy. Aircraft/ musical instrument quality plywood as used in the cheaper line epi's (not their top of the line), is going to be lighter. I hope to build one myself in the next year, so keep us posted!!

As stated, the sg is thin; about 35mm. My understanding from what I read was that it was designed to increase resonance. But then again, that was one of the reasons for solid bodies to begin with! The sg is a bit neck heavy unless you make a custom with 3 pups to balance it out. Just my $.02.

Nice videos. Thanks for for the eye candy. (but I still don't like a strat with a vee neck!)

Don't know any of the above; I'm getting it all third hand. But what 2 sources tell me (both whom have worked for the Big name companies) that the companies will steal the idea right out from under you!

Plans I have call for 35mm thick or 1.378in. which is about 1 3/8in. If you'd like a set let me know.