PerryL

It's gonna be a few days before I can get anything done on the project since I have to get a new forstner bit for creating the control cavity cover. I'm waiting on the mail now until then I'm working on my Custom.

My initial thoughts were to keep it 1 pickup and Master Volume. I want to keep it simple also but I may build another one in Mahogany with 2 Pickups, Master Volume and 3 way LesPaul Style Pickup Selector. The neck is a Jackson style that was on the original 1st Build, Rosewood Fretboard and No locking Nut. The Finish is gonna be Cayman Green Auto Lacquer, Really Dark. I decided since it's Poplar to paint it a solid color since the wood isn't figured too well. Oh, The TunaMatic is Gold but the tuners are gonna be chrome because I'm a tightwad and don't wanna spring for new Gold Tuners. Ha. It may happen but........we'll see.

Thanx Exe, Like Scott was saying Those lil suckers are too light weight and would bend and deform under the stress of the string So the Flairs are probably the best choice. Haven't seen them before but the hardware store I go to should have em. If not they can order em for me. Thanx everyone for the input and I'll update you as soon as I get them and get em installed.

Thanx Myka. It looks like they've got some eyelets for about everything. That's exactly what I was going for. Just have to figure out how to crimp those down so they stay put. On a different Note, You've made some beautiful guitars on your website. Very Nice Work.

They're craft eyelets. Kinda like those eyelets in your shoes only un-crimped.

Here's an Idea I had just now that may do the trick for top mounting ferrules. If I can figure out how to set them in the hole properly, This would be a great way to make it look nice and they can be had at major craft shops as well.

I worked on the X2 today got a little bit done in case anyones Interested. Drilled the bridge post holes and control cavity with a 2 1/8 Forstner bit and the back string ferrules but as I've still not found any front ones it may just stay with the strings coming right outta the body. The output jack hole and the pickup cavity are the only remaining Hard work and then it's off to finishing.

Don't know what happened here but this post got duplicated. Sorry.

Haven't seen any at stewmac for the front. I'll have another look. Well, After searching StewMac and the Web, Couldn't find any ferrules for the front.

I've been working on my string thru body and wondered if any of you may have seen or know where to get Top ferrules where the strings come through on top of the body. I'm using tele string ferrules for the back and I know I've seen some nice chrome tops on certain guitars but I need to find some to add to the look of the guitar. It would look fine without them but if anyone has a line on some that can be purchased, I'd love to add them to it.

That's kind of what I thought As well, but reinforcing the body to support the route seems like more work than this thing deserves. I wanted it to be a "Throw Together" guitar without extreme amounts of work but Lotsa Style. The first one I built was when I was really learning how to build one and I was kind of affraid to experiment since I was so green. Now that I'm older I'd like to experiment a little more BUT....Logic keeps me from using any methods that might be less beneficial to the design and more time consuming. That's why I love this forum so much, some of the younger more green builders can teach you a thing or two, Huh? Obviously, I don't mean you Tirapop because I don't know how old you are but Just in general. anyhoo, I guess I stick to tried and true methods.

I had a thought today of routing the pickup cavity the whole way thru the body so that the screw tops and pickup top are all that you see from the front. There would be a hole from front to back though and wondered if that would weaken the body too much to allow that to be an option. Waddaya think?

Back when the Monkeygrip was all new & stuff, It was a class idea but I haven't ever seen anyone use them. It is a novel approach to create a bowling Ball guitar though. Gibson OR Epiphone Make a Travel Trailer Guitar. Don't know how many of Those they'll sell but It's unique.

After MUCH thought on the matter, It's gonna stay as it is. I'll shim the neck and that should be it. There's only 5/8" of material in the neck pocket so it's just gonna get rounded slightly. The top contour is out. I'll be drilling the string holes and bridge pieces the next day off I have and get the pickup and control cavity routed. And keep the ideas coming for the Mods guys.

Todays work involved sanding the body flat, Routing the Neck Pocket but Made a slight miscalculation on the neck pocket depth. It's 1/8" too deep and the fingerboard hangs on the body instead having a gap for the angle. It's not too big a deal but I had an idea of contouring the front to make it easier to get to the lower frets. I drew a lil pencil line on the body to give you and idea what I mean but it's usually used only on the back side. Whatta you guys think?

LOL, Tirapop....You are joking aren't you? The swirl finish would be great but Seriously, The MonkeyGrip is outta here. Thought breifly about a Marblized finish on top and Black for the rest but think I'm gonna go with the Green to keep with my original vision. I am still up for other ideas tho since you all have been right on with the ideas so far. Also, thought breifly about straightening out some of the curves to get a 90 degree bevel on the edges.

Geeez, I woulda said it a lil gentler but he is right. Neck building tutorials are on the Project Guitar Website, NOT this forum and they are very good.

If you're more of a hands on guy, you could always buy a Tracer Projector and take a picture of an explorer and trace it on Paper taped to the wall. If you have a neck that you can use, hold the neck up to the pic to get the size fairly close to scale size. Cut it out and that would be your template. Or apply that paper pattern to some masonite to have a permanant one. You can get those projectors at many art stores for cheaper than a template and you could make your own from then on.

Much Thanx to Everyone for the Input. That's why I put it up to you all, You have that discerning eye for detail and form. Can't get this kinda input from just anyone. The body Is Poplar and I guarantee it won't break at the upper horn. Poplar is the most rugged wood I've ever worked with. The first one never even dented with as many times as I dropped the bloody thing. And That was alot. Guys, Think I should put the handle or Monkey Grip in this one or not. It's not in the plans at the moment but It could be. I will be using a bevel on this instead of a Drastic roundover but I haven't figured out exactly how yet. The 45 degree's are fantastic on the angular bodies but this has too many curves to pull it off and to look good, IMO, But we'll see.

Yep, To each his own, Right. When I built the first one I was going for that METALKILLEMALLANDTAKENOPRISONERS look and wanted it to look like "Stevie's" guitar. It's 3 piece Poplar and it's gonna get a Dark Green Auto Paint. A Sunken Tuna-matic bridge, strung thru the body with a single PAF Pro and single Volume Control with a Dimarzio Locking Jack for Output. I'm also going to soften those sharp edges a bit since it is quite drastic in it's raw stage. Right now it reminds me of a Breast/Warlock/Vai body and I want to change something subtle to change it, but I just don't know what just yet. Any Ideas how I could rework it?

The first guitar I ever built was a copy of Steve Vai's Swiss Cheese Guitar Minus the cheese Holes. Originally it had a grip on the side and had a floyd that was removed since I canibalized it for my Ibanez Roadstar and replaced it with the Roadstar's trem. Well, The roadstar trem didn't work with it very well so I blocked off the trem hole with wood blocks and fastened it down there without the Trem Block. It worked fine for what it was worth since I used it more for a banger than anything else. The last time I modded the thing, was a Maple inlay to cover the trem block and I miscalculated the route and went thru the trem cavity so it went to the scrap pile. Since those days are gone and I got really nostalgic a while back, I decided to recreate the guitar that gave me so much pleasure and Fun. It's Poplar, Rough cut and no frills, so don't hold it against me until I get it finished.

This is probably not important to you guys but I'VE never used computer printouts and CAD Programs to duplicate guitars exactly since to ME it's about creating a guitar that's unique to me. When I did copy a body type, I used the Old School "Tracer Projector" from the Art Shop and some butcher paper taped to the wall and traced the design on that and cut it out and drew it on the wood. I'd adjust the tracing with a neck to get the approximate size right.

I've only seen Red Pearl/White material as the minimum on Warmath's Website. they do have lotsa Snazzy Pickguard material and you may like em. Check em out! Warmoth Pickguards

Maiden, Hope you get that guitar sorted out cuz it's awesome. I love the shape and the paint. Can you drop fill those spots and clean it up? I drop filled my headstock and it turned out fine but it wasn't 2 colors, Just Black.

Cyc, Take you're time with it. It'll come to you what to use for the graphix. I'm in Ohio and the humidity is bad in the summer & I can't spray inside so I'm heading into the painting season for myself and need to get my poop in a group and start painting soon. My problem is I have 4 projects going right now and have 2 distribute my time equally or they'll never get done.