shakyhands

Thanks Perry ( youre always there mate...appreciate it) and southpa. Yeah dad was no fool and was a guitarist for many years..he was there at the birth of rock in australia playing with Lonnie Lee way back in '57. and was still playing until he died in 96. Also credited with building the first electric bass in Australia. Col Joye apparently made the first electric 6 stringer in oz. Dad may have been very cautious but was a very experienced woodworker also.

my brother has a tele clone guitar with an unknown neck pickup. It has a good neck and looks good and he was given a seymour duncan bridge pickup. He installed it and it sounds great but when he switches to neck pickup, it really dies in volume. Would that be because the duncan pickup has a higher output than the generic neck pickup?

OK I feel much better now.. this is quite therapeutic. I'm cured !!!! Yeah I suppose my dad was a bit cautious because the guitars we had were in fact old vintage gretsch and gibsons. Thanks for your posts. Only been a member here a short time but have picked up heaps of info from tutorials and posts like this. Much obliged guys.

Thanks guys. Yeah I remember when dad adjusted rods, he'd give them a small turn then set the guitar aside for awhile. sometimes he'd adjust my necks and say give that a go for a day or so then we'll have another look. I've read about setups etc and know that truss rods are used for getting right relief and not as some people think....to set the action . Its just that I worried about it a bit but I suppose if I did it the way my dad did ..little by little, I shouldnt have any real problems. On another note, my young son lives interstate and had a fender p bass that needed rod adjusted. Took it to a guitar shop and it was a little better but after awhile had a great bow in it again. When he took it back to repair shop again, guy said the rod was snapped. Guy played around with it and i think did some little mods (not sure what they were at present). This is what I was worried about. I do a few small wiring repairs and play around with electronics but I am now interested in doing setups and some body repairs as well. I was worrying a bit that if I adjusted anyones truss rod. And they later had major problems with neck, they'd be blaming me.

Hi, have been a guitarist for years and have also done small repairs etc (mainly pots and switches) over the years. One of the things that worries me though is I have never touched a truss rod. I have heard from guys that have snapped rods and caused all sorts of problems fiddling around with them. I have read bits and pieces here and there about adjusting but maybe I'm a big chicken..... cause I worry that If I am asked to do an adjustment on anyones guitar, I may snap or do some damage. I suppose most luthiers and regular builders felt the same at first. I was spoilt, my dad was a guitarist and he used to adjust the rods on my axes when he was alive if adjustments were needed. How do I overcome my truss rod phobia?

Yeah its all pretty crazy isnt it? Downloaded stuff from customs and about to start reading it. Once again thanks to all here for messages.

Thanks to all who posted messages re my post. I went to the customs site and sent them an email listing some of my questions to them. Hopefully they'll reply. I could phone them but you end up with some goose on the line that doesnt give a **** and they'll tell you anything. I prefer something in writing even an email, as the writer is more likely to cover his arse if he has to write something. Yeah Perry, it became an expensive exercise by the looks of it mate.

Hi, planning on ordering some parts and different bits and pieces from USA from time to time and was wondering how hard you get hit with duties etc, ordering from overseas and bringing stuff into australia. Have other aussies here had heaps whacked on or is it pretty reasonable? At present, looking at ordering some stuff that only comes to about $150 AUD

Hi Murphc I thought of doing this a few years ago but never got around to doing it. I was checking out patents sites the other day and found that someone had applied to patent this idea. For your own guitar, It would be a handy tool. Instead of having to plug into a tuner, you have a tuner on your axe, you are already connected to it and just have to flick a switch to check the tuning. I think its a great idea.

Thanks for that . Sent email to Isola. Perry, I finally opened the attachment you sent. Excel wasnt working properly. Thanks.

rhoads56, Thanks for your message. You have mail mate.

Does anyone know where to obtain wire in Australia to wind pickups at a reasonable price? The old electronic components stores now only appear to be computer shops. Want to get some 42 guage and 43 guage.

Hi, I want to wind my own pickups soon but dont know where I could get the magnets from in Australia. Are there any aussies here that would be able to let me know of suppliers.

Thanks for that Matt. Will check out link now. regards Billy

Hi all, New to guitar building, have played lead and bass for years though and now about to start building. My first instrument though will be a lap steel. Want to make an 8 stringer. Have fret calc software but does anyone know standard nut/fretboard/bridge widths and recommended string spacings. Will attempt to wind my own single coil pickup. Regards Billy