xlr8

What is the scale length and at which fret does the neck join the body?

The carve is 9/16 so it's already pretty deep, it was a concious decision to make the top so thick. Jon, the owner, wanted Fender type clean sounds with the ability to dirty it up when using the HB switching on the pups. The mahogany and rosewood give it a nice warm but not muddy tone and the depth of the maple really lets it ring when used with the SCs. Neil

DuPont is the brand but any automotive 2 pack clear would have the properties your looking for. Try the yellow pages they'll have local car paint suppliers. You'll need a litre of 2K clear a litre of fast hardener and I would suggest you get five litres of thinner for clean up etc. The finish on the guitar is very thin btw. it's just very flat and very polished. I'm assuming you have a hand held router rather than a pin router. If so you need to build a fixture to hold it securely above your bench. David Myka has done exactly that HERE. You can also see the jig you need to hold the neck - mine is similar. The top of the neck is clamped parralell to the base of the jig as this is the edge you'll be cutting. By lowering the bit in small stages per pass with the bearing riding along the central part of the back of the neck you gradually form the roundover. Stop a little short of the edge and leave yourself a little sanding to finish the blend after you've attached the fretboard - assuming you haven't attached it already. Make your neck holding fixture so you can control it without your fingers going anywhere near the bit, even if they slip whilst routing, and practise on a scrap. It's much easier to do than describe. Neil

The Mahogany came from a very old traditional timber yard in the west end of London. I bought two 14"x2"x14' boards in a sawn but dried state. I have no idea if they would ship as I think all of their business is by collection. Here's the proud new owner Yes that is a metal belt buckle As you can see the aesthetics change when the guitar is in the playing position. For some reason the upper horn looks very exaggerated in pictures but not so in the flesh. However this was only the prototype and I plan on shortening the upper horn slightly and inclining it a couple of degrees towards the body. Again the headstock is very small in the flesh (the whole guitar is very compact) but I'm sketching out a slightly softened horn, it won't change much as I want my own unique and recognisable design. I think he's happy with it; Neil

BKPs are superb, I can'y say enough good things about them. I use DuPont 2 pack car paint. Neil

It's 3 degrees. The pick up cacvities are routed flat and the rings angled top and part of the underside so the pickups parralell the strings. I'm really impressed with TonePros both this and the TOM i have here are top notch. And yes I do have some setting up to do

Thanks for the nice words. There is no binding as such, it is the edge of the Quilt top used as a 'faux binding'. I'll reword the specs accordingly. Neil

I sort of hijacked my Les Paul thread with a few preview shots of this guitar in progress. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...in/DSC00704.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...in/DSC00701.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...in/DSC00703.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...in/DSC00708.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...in/DSC00713.jpg Specs; 5A quilt Maple over once piece Brazilian Mahogany body with natural 'faux binding' Maple pickup rings cut from the piece as the top Indian Rosewood neck and Fingerboard with Abalone inlays Graphtech nut Schaller M6 tuners Tone Pros bridge Schaller strap locks Unique Bareknuckle pickups - essentially four strat 'Irish Tour' single coils. When paired they are a true humbucker and pulling a volume or tone pot cuts one coil to give a true single coil. With the three way switch and the push/pull pots you can have HH, SS, HS, SH. I just wish I could play it - not being left handed an all.

27" scale with a 27 fret neck?

You could always build a simple ramp jig and angle the heel of the neck. Neil

I'm sorry Perry, a PM and I would have gladly edited my posts.

So I got around to building the second part to what is turning out to be a very versatile jig. Using some more 20mm perspex I fabricated this sliding router support. The router base hase been removed and the router recessed into the perspex by 10mm. The router is attached from the bottom via countersunk screws, like an upside down router table if you will. You'll also notice four stop bolts (two front and two rear) which stop the bit from contacting the side wall whilst also preventing the router support falling into the gap. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...ls/DSC00617.jpg Here I'm using it to surface a highly figured flame maple cap with no tear out. In the shot the body is attached to the base by double sided tape. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...ls/DSC00623.jpg And here I'm using it to thickness a Mahogany body this time holding it down with rail clamps. I'm using a 1 1/2" bit in all of the above to essentially 'fly cut' the wood. No matter how figured the piece there is little or no tear out, the chips nearly all stay within the gantry walls aiding cleanup and your hands need never go near the cutter. I have a 13" planer but this is easier, cheaper and quieter. By using various fixtures and or clamps you can square and surface the most unruly pieces (providing they are no thicker than the height of the gantry walls). Hope this is of some use. Neil

Yeah it goes up against the neck. When you've finished routing there is still work to be done and any mark from the bearing will sanded out.

Thanks for the kind words i-j-c You're right about the shipping, I visit the US every month so collecting StewMac stuff etc is pretty easy for me. The sealer I use is this one from Axminster tools Acrylic sealer If you're making a wizard style neck then you could use a 3/4" bit but I wouldn't go any smaller than that. Neil

Hi Maiden, The stain is from Stewmac with although mixed at a higher concentration than recommended. The back is just a clear coat over the Mahogany. Although the cavities look as if they've been taped only the neck mortise has been protected, the blue in the pup cavities is from a light toner coat. The right one is in the queue and is unchanged from the above pic but I'm looking forward to getting into it. Hi Gun, I use a 1/2" shank, 7/8" roundover bit. A 1/2" roundover will leave you a lot left to do. Neil

Looking nice Bill

Not yet but I did get around to carving the top on the Left handed model above; This is stain and sealer - no clear yet. I'll try and get some more neck carve pics this week. The LP is just waiting for its electrics from the owner, when it's done I'll post some finished pics. Neil

Byron, for your budget may I suggest this

I used my Woodrat; Shown here with some flame maple but the principle is the same, gets a great finish. Neil

Where did you get that? ← Do a google search for self adhesive rule, I'm in the UK so I got mine Here

idk.. cuz it looks like its just a rod but im guessing it has those small "scales" or however u call em, i just dont know what its called so thats why im asking, im planning a trip to home depot to pick up some needed things. ← Rotary rasp or burr?

Here's a similar arrangement at the front. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...ls/DSC00459.jpg A neck mortise after the corners have been squared with a very sharp chisel. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...ls/DSC00461.jpg I hope you can see in the above picture just how good a fit this is. It took alittle while to design and build but that effort has resulted in an accurate sturdy jig that easy to use and will give good service for years. Neil I also meant to say that you can vary the angle by placing spacers under the gantry mounts.

I thought you might like to see my version of a neck pocket jig; You can it uses the same principle as that employed by David Myka, whose excellent explanation of how to use it is Here. The overall dimensions are 18" x 36" with the Aluminium box section rails being 1 1/2" x 3". http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...ls/DSC00449.jpg I used a gantry arrangement at the rear as it allows the support to straddle the body therefore making the guide rails shorter and of course stronger. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/xlr8...ls/DSC00445.jpg You can also see in this picture the self adhesive scale which has a central zero which you align with the centre line of the jig, thus allowing you to check that the rails are central.