n8rofwyo

What about buying a set of srew guages and matching one of the gauges to the threads of the bar and then purchasing a tap of the same guage. That way you should be able to SLOWLY tap past the bridge and into the block without dissassembly or altering the insrument in a discerable manner. Just go very ssssslllooowww and lubricate the tap and it shouldn't alter course too bad. Of course doing this will leave you with an elliptical hole in the block, so you may want to fill the old section of the hole that is, hopefully, now vacated with a metalicized polymer like JB Weld to bring the hole back to being a secure fit for the arm. I would shoot a little JB in the hole and and then run the arm in to full depth AFTER COATING THE ARM WITH PARAFIN OR SILICONE SPRAY to keep from welding the arm in position. On the other hand if the integrity of the instrument is paramount, sending it to fender is probably your best option. hope this helps, Nate Robinson

I agree with VanKirk, it shouldn't be an issue to mount the pup directly to the wood. I would consider using a course thread screw rather than clipping and using the machine srews sent with the pup.

Kinda makes ya wonder though... what circumstance led that first guy to add bug crap to alcohol, let alone smear it on a piece of furniture. I have to hope it was an accident, otherwise...

Classy - Soooooooo very classy

Thanks for the tip on the olive oil, Doc. I'll run a few experiments to see if I can develope a feel for it.

Well.... From a distance it might look ok - but from distance I might look handsome! I think that with the work you've put into it so far you might as well go the distance. If you are really in the mindset that it is a "first" guitar than you might as well stretch it and see what you can accomplish. The woodwork and jointery looks decent from the picture, so why not embelish it a little and really make it stand out. Just my opinion, but I think you could take a lemon of a finish and make something really sweet out of it. Nate Robinson

Whoops double posted, sorry.

So you are talking about a roughly 6lb cut on the shellac, as I understand. But how much walnut oil are you adding to your cut Myka?

OK boys, it's draw & saw tomorrow evening, lacking anyone else's two cents that might take it another direction. Thanks, Nate Robinson

The basis of this question it two fold. First I absolutely expect to invest some time in the process and am not an impatient person, however I would like some input from someone that has actually done it. Secondly I would love any info on what oils can be added to the shellac to lubricate it without really affecting the natural "orangeing" of the shellac itself. TIA. Nate Robinson

Oh, no I was talking about the proposed "bumps" left at the bottom of the headstalk, do you think that removing more stock inside of the more straightened out line representing the "new" silhoute would weaken the headstalk? Never mind I just saw your edited drawing.... Yeah that does help with keeping things a little stiffer up there. Looks better to me too

You dont think that will leave too little wood to support the tuners/string tension Bluespresence

Agreed I will be more carefull in the future. As to the intent of the original thread I have redone the drawing of the headstock to emphasise the body better. Here it is, as always all comments and or suggestions are very welcome. thanks again for the input fellas

Hey man I kinda dig that idea of doing the flame in the headstock. Originally (spelling?) I just kinda hacked away at the head till something looking like a gibson head appeared and then never really cleaned it up. Sorry for being lazy, somebody awhile back asked what the finish on the body is. Its just a shellac seal, but I have been kicking around a french polish for the final finish.

Great info guys, here's the pic of the assembled guitar. Thanks for the opinions, and I'll tone down the next thread heading.

by gay i mean frolicking and all over the place.... is Grimace giving me the bird???

Hey fellas, been toying with this one for a month or so and was curious as to general opinion on the body/ headstock design. Have a look, say what you think.

So in the end its still just personal taste as to finish, with no real reason not to try other more traditional finishes. Thanks for the info and feed back everybody.

Thanks for the article, Southpa, some good info there. As far as these finishes not being capable of carrying the "look" of the plastic finishes, I can understand why they aren't used for cobalt blue or fiesta red guitars. But what about bursts? Couldn't you use an alcohol soluble analine dye for tinting? It just seems that the shellac and varnish finishes fall by the way side for whatever reason, even though stringed instruments have been sporting them for centuries. It doesn't make sense that nitro is used all the time because of its resistive qualities - even though it shrinks till it cracks. Why not use finishes that can be repaired over the years or at the very least relustered with an alcohol wipe? Anyway just curious to hear a few opinions, especially from those who have used the oldschool finishes as well as the new polymers.

Just curious why the shellac and varnish finishes that are often seen on acoustics are nearly completely neglected on the electrics. I understand that shellac is a soft finish, though easily repaired. I also understand that varnish isn't the healthiest finish to work with. But those things aside - are there other reasons for neglecting them so readily?

Obviously, mineral spirits is highly evaporative. If you used it to simply clean the jointed surfaces then you are fine. That is assuming you didn't drench the wood with cup fulls of the thinner. I understand your concern, but you aren't dealing withe a silicone base, (in which case your worries would be justified). If you just used the MS as a cleaner/decontaminate than titebond should serve its purpose admirably. Take it easy, Nate.

I've never heard of birch being used on a wide scale in instruments. However I have worked in a cabinet shop and know that birch is roughly equal in density to Ash and White Oak. Birch is a fairly easy to work wood and is about as stable as Basswood. Think of working Alder and your in the ball park. But be very selective for clear Birch, the "figured" stuff is s**t, it crazes along the grain and simply won't shear at any knots. My advice is that if you have or have access to clear stock then go for it, but if you have anything that has knots or growth bumps don't bother. Take it easy, Nate.

My two cents: Most lumber once resawn will warp to one degree or another. However kiln dried lumber has a severe tendency to do most of its moving during the drying process. Odds are that after planing/jointing you will come out fine, but if the stakes are high, give it a three to four day period in the yard. The warming and cooling that occurs outdoors, will give you a better idea of whether or not the wood is stable. This is partially due to the more extreme temperature changes subjected on the wood as well as the varied moisture it is suplemented. Nature knows best, let it work for you for a change!

Oh, sorry to double post, but I won't be using a pickguard on this project, so I don't have a template(pickguard) to access. Also, by "eyeballing" it, how much pickup response do I realistically stand to lose? (the last comment being based on how accurate the standard humbucker placement is to the best tonal response from the pickup)

Not a bad idea, stratdude. Unfortunately, I don't have a Lp I can pull measurements from. The scale length portion of ratio conversion is simplicity itself, but I need a benchmark for Lp pickup distance from the nut. I own a cheap Strat knockoff that allows for reasonable measurement from nut, but don't have available access to a Lp, so I don't really know were to begin the ratio. thanks for base idea though! Nate