AlGeeEater

No updates yet, but I have been slowly been getting back into the guitar building world after taking a break to deal with some things.

If only you needed a finishing guy while you were still in NY, damnit!

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The chunk of curly koa this was ripped from can get me about another 30 headplates.

Headstock cut out.

Headplate on the neck.

Clamped up.

And with a little bit of magic comes...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/AlG...r/DSC029071.jpg

Maybe some of you are wondering what happened to this build...

Here's the neck carved.

It's a pretty crap picture, but i'll have ones in the sun once I get the curly koa headplate on. I still need to the finish the volute too. I was thinking of possibly cutting another piece of koa for the back of the headstock.

It's hard to see the headstock drawn on the koa because it's wet with mineral spirits, but you get the idea. The main greenish strip is going to go down the center of the headstock. It should look like that once I spray the nitro on it.

It's been really hard to find the time to do any guitar building lately, unfortunatly. Working two jobs eats up a lot of time, and there's always something that takes priority over guitar building. I was planning to spend all day tomr. fretting, carving and routing though. We'll see how things go.

I just fretted my first neck today with the Stew-Mac arbor and caul, using my 10" Ryobi benchtop drill press.

That's the exact drill press I broke. It was suprisingly a really good drill press, for the money.

I'm an amateur guitar builder and I don't plan on building tons of guitars. I've used my 10" Delta dril press for fretting and it worked fine.

Dude, are you serious?

Let me reiterate the whole point to you. I don't recall anybody ever saying that for an amatuer guitar builder, using a drill press to seat frets WON'T work. It's actually a very budget conscious method. You're killing two birds with one machine here. I know the table on my drill press used to 'give' a little bit before the fret was properly seated. Do that 400+ times and something is bound to go wrong. For the guy who's going to build a whole bunch of guitars though, it's not very budget conscious to go out and buy two $120 drill presses because he broke the other one when he could have spent $150 to get the job done right.

I also don't see why any form of a 'professional' would want to tie up his drill press for that either way.

Chris

You know, there's a huge difference between 'not seeing' how something can happen (opinion, never experienced it) and having something actually happen (fact, experienced by more than one person). The bottom line is using your drill press to seat press is not the 'right' way to do it. Will it work? Yes, for a few fret jobs. When you've pressed in over 400 frets, it DOES take a toll on the table. It's not user error, it has nothing to do with the 'proper pressure', it's all about using the RIGHT tool for the job.

Sure, a few blocks of wood underneath the table will probaly prevent any problems, but why not just spring for a cheap arbor press? Instead of spending the money on the wood to prop the table, why not invest that into the right tool?

Chris

I don't recommend using the Stew-Mac cauls or any fret press cauls in a drill press. The tables on some drill presses are not sturdy/strong enough to withstand the force needed to correctly seat the fret. I 'broke' the table on my drill press doing this, but if you have no other choice you can shove a few blocks of wood under the table to secure it. I'd highly recommend getting a <$30 arbor press to do the job properly.

I have to agree that this statement-"exact control plate placement" is pretty cut and dry. Looking at factory Teles that is not the templates do not have the same placement. The warning to other members is a good one, and it would also be good if Ronny could just point that out in the description(I do not believe he is trying to decieve anyone, and given others have been very happy with his products I don't think this should scare people away from using his templates).

That's very true, but at the time I bought them (I haven't looked at the Tele ones in a while) it wasn't very cut and dry. I don't recall anything in the description saying 'exact placement'. I think that the new description should be revised though, because the control plate placement is NOT exact. Nothing wrong with that, but calling Ronny 'lazy' or saying that he's sloppy because the buyer is upset is unnecessary.

I guess dealing with know-it-all customers is part of having a buisness. I'm not exactly sure, but I think the templates are laser cut. Slopiness and laziness? I doubt it. I still don't understand how moving a template will cost somebody time and money. I'm just beating an almost dead horse I guess though.

Chris

Sounds like standard "cover-your-ass" language to me.

I don't know what you mean by this, but i've had my Tele template for almost 2 years know, and it's got the same issue. It's obviously remained that way for a while, so how can you credit this to laziness? Give me a break. He's not covering his ass, he's letting you know the truth. Jumping to conclusions based off dissatisfaction is NO way to get any issue solved. Instead of whining, why don't you just deal with it? It's not that hard to move the template forward an inch. The templates ARE an aproximation, not exact copies. There's a reason for this.

That's seriously beautiful man.

Chris

Yep, 'trip stuff' = the stuff that makes you trip (hallucinate, see stuff).

Check it out, man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_divinorum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvinorin_A

They're just plants, but the real potent, trip stuff, is the salvia extract. If you go onto YouTube, there's a few videos where a couple of guys document there friends ingesting salvia.

Chris

Salvia is legal isnt it?

For the most part, I can't see it becoming illegal anytime soon though. You can't even function normally when you're 'tripping' on it.

Algee, you don't have to use a drug to know what it does! I know how people react on it, because I had a lot of friends that did it! And on the Police Academy there is a trimester class dedicated to drugs...

If you are going to use it, well it is entirely up to you! I still find it stupid to use a drug that will not make you better, help you achieve a goal or cure a desease (sp). This is why I don't smoke or drink! (and I can use the money I save to pay for my bike! gives me all the high I want anytime)

Well all I was saying is that if you've never tried it, then you're pretty biased aren't you? Learning what a drug does to you in a Police Academy is totally different than experiencing it yourself. I'm sure you'd be very suprised at the effects of smoking weed compared to what they tell you in the Academy. There's some really biased info out there really, and you have to take ANYTHING that's taught with a grain of salt. The first time I smoked was totally different than what I had been taught at school and what I had been told.

Indeed, everyone has different reasons for doing different things. I don't drink, I don't smoke cigarettes, but I do find kicking back and smoking some weed very enjoyable & relaxing. Way more enjoyable than drinking, and getting pissed and going to sleep. Everyone has a different 'high', and it does not need to be reached or activated by the use of drugs. Driving your bike is a perfect example of this (as long as you don't speed ).

Chris

OMG, I beg to differ from you here!!! You are taking a very wrong stand with this statement! Just think about it... How many people are killed by drunk drivers every year! Now think about the bunch of AHles that don't get out and drive because they are too stoned and "might" get a DUI. Now let say pot is legal and this Joe Dumb, how is your neigbohr is stoned to the max, and decide to go to the store a few blocks down to get something for the munchies, gets on the car and drives down the street.

A few kids are playing on the sidewalk, the ball comes flying thru the street, Joe is too stone, and sees it but can't make out a ball, just a flash, he smiles "damn man, this trip is coool!!!!" then there goes the kid to get the ball, and... well you imagine!

Now this is but one situation that could be avoided or deterred because pot is illegal. I'm not saying that it will be like this for every pot user, but I'm saying is that the statistics and the accidents WILL increase if it is legalized.

Are you just speculating here, or what? I think you said you've never smoked weed, so what gives? The outcome of that situation is inconsistent with the effects of smoking weed. Maybe it would be more believable if the driver had just smoked salvia, or eaten shrooms. But seeing a flash instead of a ball because he smoked some weed? Give me a break.

Anyways, i've never hitten a little kid, got into an accident or have had any really 'close calls' when I had to drive high. I used to do it a lot too, me and some friends would hotbox each others cars afterschool and drive home. Not exactly fun, but I don't drive high anymore because it's very irresponsible. The noticeable affects of smoking some herb don't last that long anyways. I can always function normally when i'm high.

Chris

I bought a DeWalt 14" bandsaw for $350 at Home Depot. It's great just as a 14", but if you need a larger resaw capability it accepts risers. The blade is 93-1/2" also. I'm VERY satisfied with it, especially after changing the stock blade.

Chris

Maybe his girlfriend looks better than yours, too. How we gonna solve that one ?

Is it really relevant?

The guy has a RIGHT to earn a living, without having his prices questioned, by anyone other than the guy with the cash ready to buy. Considering no one in here has ever played one of his guitars, how do we not know its the best playing guitar in thew world? Playability and tone are the MOST important characteristics, right, not attitude, personality, and looks... surely...

I agree, and there's nothing stopping him, but i'd still never buy a guitar from him. I just don't see why buyers are attracted to getting a guitar from him really.

Obviously you missed my point.

The beauty of the internet is the exchange of opinions with no impunity. In this case your opinion is taken but not valid as a rebuttal.

Million dollars for paint splashed on a canvas is not justified if measuring in materials and labour. The buyer justifies paying that for other reasons that is peculiar to his needs.

PRS selling guitars for $4000 or more is not because of materials and labour.

sigh. life goes on.

I got your point, I just can't see anybody justifying that amount of money for a guitar from him. His attitude & ideals are disgusting. Zachary Guitars isn't doing anything extraordinary, or anything out of this world either. How is the buyer getting their needs satisfied from buying from him? He's not doing anything out of the ordinary really (well, except maybe the dumpster guitar, which I think should be returned where he found it. ). I don't know, I just don't see anybody getting their needs satisfied by Zachary. The consumer can go to a real, reputable lutheir and get anything Zachary has built.

In all honesty though, I could really careless. I don't give two flying f***s about this Zachary clown, and I don't care to argue about him.

Chris

I don't think what you mentioned above is really valid criteria for justifying (or not justifying) price. I build furniture as a hobby. When I look online at some nice handbuilt pieces of furniture I see some pretty astronomical prices. The prices don't reflect the cost of materials or labour. But some people pay these high prices because it satisfies their need (whatever it may be; elitism, wanting something not regularly found etc.). Or look at some very exclusive cars that cost a million or more, the cost does not reflect the cost of materials or labour. But buyers are willing to go on waiting lists after they have been deemed worthy to own these elite cars.

Also IMO

I think the point Southpa is trying to make is why would you spend $2,000 on such a basic guitar, from some no name chump on the internet? The buyer could spend that money on a PRS, but I guess Zachary guitars are a lot better and cheaper than PRS. I dunno. If the guitar cost him 500 to build in materials, what justifies that extra 1,500 in his pocket? Labor? Yeah right, I wouldn't pay him +$40 an hour to build me a guitar that's for sure.

Although, I don't feel right speaking for Southpa, but this post is basically all my opinion.

Chris

Uhhh. I must be going blind, I don't see any figure in that 'AAAAA private stock' top. Yeah, those black machine screws are VERY clever, there, Zach.