Dugz Ink

I've removed tung oil from the surface of wood with an SOS pad; it cuts the oil and smoothes the surface in one fell swoop. (I originally discovered this by accident while trying to remove cosmoline from an 80 year old gunstock... which I subsequently had to refinish.) You just have to make sure that 1) you rinse off ALL of the detergent, and 2) you don't drown the wood. I've always used water that was just a few degrees below "scalding hot"... it works fast and dries fast. Of course, I've only used that technique on old, thick, solid hardwood. It would probably be a bad idea to try that on a hollow-body that has a thin Spruce top. In a case like that, I would use mineral spirits or acetone, which should (slowly) strip the oil. If it's one of the commercial tung oil mixes that conatins hardeners, you may be able to seal over it with polyurethane; Minwax actually recommends putting their fast-drying poly over their "tung oil" finish. (That says a lot about their oil-based finish!) D~s

Most of the IBM-platform noteboooks are too weak or too slow. Mac's G5 notebooks seem to be fairly dependable for remote-loaction recording, but they're still not as good as a "desktop" model. (I put that in quotes because mine wouldn't fit very well on my desk. That's why it's sitting next to the desk, and is mounted on casters.) D~s

I say "Just be yourself." When I go for a job interview, I always wear nice blue jeans. I don't always get the job, but when I do walk into the right company (that is more interested in me and my skills than some antiquated dress-code) I walk out with a sweet deal. So you see, the blue jeans work like a filtering device that keeps me from being hired by pretentious pricks. Adopt the same approach to your audition. If you go up there and do what you like to do, and they say "No way!" then you may have kept yourself out of a band that probably wouldn't be right for you. Okay, so you don't get the gig... but it's better to wait for the right gig than to stay pissed off because you keep getting the wrong gigs. Of course, all of that should be taken in the proper dose. You have to learn to bend and change if you're going to succeed... so don't get too bizarre during your audition. There is a nice comfortable middle ground between trying to be what they want and trying to be what you want. Of course, as somebody point out, you need to know what they want. Otherwise, you're just guessing when you walk in there. Make sure you know their style, so that you know if you'll even fit in. For all you know, they could be playing heavy-metal polka... LIKE THIS SONG. D~s

The Ineffectiveness of Paint Dispersement via Garden-Hose due to Innefficient Globule Ballistics As soon as the non-solid projectile (paint) leaves the trajectory containment device (hose) it will react as quickly as possible in any direction possible (spread) to escape the effects of the pressure that is forcing the acceleration of said projectile-material. (In other words, it would become a cross between a spray-gun and a shotgun.) However, that could provide a visually stimulating effect, as the paint spews forth in random size globules/drops/droplets and relatively random directions... some of which would strike the guitar body at random velocities with random rotational momentum. (It would be messy... but could be interesting!) In order to keep globules of paint (2-3 cc) from breaking apart, one would have to employ a form/level of energy that would not exceed the surface tension of said quantity of paint. Hence my recommendation to use a passive form of acceleration: gravity. The acceleration/momentum of the center mass would not exceed the surface tension of said globule until the velocity of the globule of paint generated enough air resistance to deform and subsequently destroy said globule. (It wouldn't splatter in mid-air unless it picked up too much speed.) As you may have discerned from reading this micro-thesis on the ballistic characteristics of paint being shot from a garden hose, communicating complex postulates while innebriated can decrease the credibility of the contentions. However, I ascertain that the postulates that I have articulated here-in to be totally accurate. (Even though I've had half a bottle of wine, I think what I typed is right.) D~sss

Most paintballs are a mixture of Tempra paint (the stuff they let little kids use) and digestable oil (like castor oil)... because the stuff gets in your mouth, nose, etc... and ProBall has an additive that makes it dry fast and turn wax-like... so you would need a clear coat that's compatible with those ingredients. Or, you could search around for some of the paintballs that the forestry people used to use; I can't remember what they used, but it stuck to trees like fresh road tar on your brand new car. However, I think their colors were pretty limited... and it's probably hard to find nowadays. The one thing that I noticed (during many years of playing paintball) is that the splatter patterns are almost impossible to predict. A couple have broken and spread out on my goggles in such a beautiful way that I sat there and looked at it. But most paintball marks are just big ugly spots, with chunks of paintball shell mixed in... and that doesn't make for a nice finish. You might do better to devise a way to drop controlled amounts of paint on your guitar from a decent height... maybe angling the guitar body differently from time to time... so you can create a similar effect. Just some random thoughts. I hope they help. D~s

I felt bad when I realised I had mis-read the original post. So, when I stumbled across these pots, I came back to PG and started digging around for this thread. That's my baby... "Sylvia"... a fretless Washburn AB-20 acoustic/electric. Washburn still makes an AB-10 and an AB-40; the features that were in the AB-20 were split up between those two guitars. However, this is the only fretless version that I have seen, and I've heard the same remark from several other players. (I found her in a pawn shop... and bought her for about $350!) Here's a posed picture of me with Sylvia. D~s

Your friend is probably using mini pots, not micro pots. I know... there's only a slight difference in the name, but it makes a huge difference. As mentioned before, micro pots tend to be setup on circuit boards, and they're usually adjusted with a screwdriver. Since they're designed for low voltage/amperage applications, they would work on your guitar... but you probably wouldn't be able to adjust them while you played. I've heard people say that the mini pots are less robust, or that they don't respond as well to adjustment... but I think that has more to do with the manufacturing quality of the brand of mini pots, not the size. There are some super-cheap minis out there. Check out the pots they have at Stew-mac. You should be happy with those. D~s

Thanks for the answers. It looks like Musico has the trem-bridges, plus parts available on-line. The other site doesn't look as nice, but the prices make up for the site design! D~s

I have been using Google, eBay, any general link-hopping this morning to find a site that sells parts for headless bass guitars. I know I stumbled across one site, probably 3 months ago, but I can't find it now... or any others. Does anybody have any good links? D~s

I bumped into this, while looking for some parts: Guitar Parts Resource - Push/Push pots D~s

Maybe my response was a little terse, but you have to remember that some of us are here because we barely have a clue. I have built gunstocks with extremely tight tolerances, designed furniture that ended up in fine hotels... but I have NEVER built a guitar. Eveything I know about building guitars (which isn't much, in the grand scheme of things) I have learned by READING. Since I'm just wrapping up my first project, my experience level is still minimal. Therefore, I will make "stupid" mistakes, and I will post "stupid" questions/responses. That doesn't mean people have to "sugar coat" their responses, but a little diplomacy and patience will go a long way. Back to the original subject, I'm still trying to figure out how to adjust this neck or bridge to get the right amount of space between the frets and strings. My inexperienced eyes tell me that I'm off by less than 2 degrees, maybe less than 1 degree... but I've never built a guitar, so I don't know what exactly should be done to rectify this very minute problem. From the 10th fret up, everything seems to be very close to right. But from the 10th down, the strings are almost parallel to the frets. Should I... A) Raise the intonation adjusters to their highest adjustment and see if that will work, Add a shim under the bridge, so I have some height adjustment left in the intonation adjusters, C) Try putting a 1 degree angle on the heel of the neck (or in the neck pocket) to raise the head/nut a fraction of an inch, D) Put heavier strings on and see if the neck responds properly, or E) Just experiment with a combination of some of the above. D~s

The next time I want to learn something through respectful, intelligent, open discussion, I'll remember that terse little rant of yours and go someplace else. What a prick!

Oh... come on... where's the fun in that? Seriously, I thought I had it figured correctly, but the neck isn't bowing as much as I had expected... and it looks like it's not bowing as much from the 10th fret down as it does from the 10th fret up... so I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing something wrong, or if this used neck I bought was sold because it has some quarks. I may try some heavier strings, to see if that helps. By the way, the intonation adjusters on that hardtail can be adjusted up... as much as 3/16"... so it's fairly forgiving in that respect. And my neck is a copy of a standard size Fender Strat neck... including the nut. D~s

You may want to buy the taller of the two bridges. Maybe. I bought the shorter of the two... zero neck angle... pocket is about 5/8" deep... and I'm having to crank up the bridge adjusters to get enough clearance between the strings and frets... but it's pretty close to being right. D~s

If you're looking for tone shaping, I would go for BigD's varitones, or one of these rigs from Guitarfetish: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=3761062231 Just my opinon. Void where prohibited. Not suitable for children with small parts. D~s

Check out some of the semi-hollow body Tele designs in THIS THREAD. Very cool... very inspiring. D~s

It's called decoupage, and it can be applied to almost anything, so there are various techniques and finishes that are used. This is the first link I found with Google: http://www.decoupage.org/ (They should have a ton of ideas and techniques.) D~s

For somebody who doesn't know what "steel wool" is, you have a pretty good grasp! It is very fine strands of steel, which appear to be woven or spun together... I have never read up on the manufacturing process. But you end up with a pad that feels like a sponge and works to lightly scape the surface. The 0000 (that's 4 zeros, and is called four-ot) is the made with finest strands of steel. The 0 (one-ot) is noticeably courser. If you just make a couple of passes over the finish, it will leave minute scratches. However, I always go over the finish (lightly) until it is completely dull... in essence, creating so many minute scratches that they blend together. Then I rub it down with the compound, which smoothes out all of the minute scratches, leaving a very slick semi-satin finish. But, like I said before, that is just the technique that I use. There are others. D~s

If it has already been finished, you'll have to sand through the finish and the wood that has been penetrated by the finish before the tung oil can actually soak into the wood. Otherwise, it just sits on top, and that won't help. For "slick" finishes, I use 0000 steel wool, followed by automotive rubbing compound applied with a rag... the stuff you use to buff out the paint on a car. Some people will recommend wet-sanding with 600-1200 grit paper; I haven't noticed a difference on perfectly smooth surfaces, and paper wrapped on a block is probably the best for flat surfaces. However, if there are some minor imperfections, or minor surface changes (dips, contours, etc.) I think the steel wool and the rag follows the form better than paper. Add the usual disclaimer... this is just my opinion, based only on my experienece. D~s

The initial post said that he didn't want to strip and re-paint... not that he didn't want to do any painting... so I mentioned another alternative to just dulling the original surface. And if he's unhappy with the results of steel wool and rubbing compound, he can still spray dull coat on it... right? D~s

There are various "flat" finish clear coats available... and you should be able to find one that's compatible with the guitar's current finish. (As a general rule, flat finishes tend to have more drying agents than gloss finishes... which can "heat up" your previous finish.) D~s

Standard tuning on a Concert scale uke is A5-E5-C5-G5; bending that low C up a step should sound cool, and may work well in certain chords. (Haven't you ever seen a guitar with a B-bender?) The bar is actually an idea I got from looking at a Gretch; that rig has a round bar with the strings wrapped around it (it relieves the string tension on the forward push)... and I thought I could do better than that. The more I contemplate this, the more I think those cams will have to be a lot smaller, or they'll probably break strings. I may just remove metal from the rods, instead of using a welder to build up the cams. I just see this as an opportunity to experiment. I'm not a huge fan of ukes; I have never even played one. But this looked like a neat platform to try out several ideas; I can build a killer ukulele out of a piece of wood that's 18 x 8 x 1½... and have have quite a bit of scrap left over. And I can learn a lot from this. An' I can be just like that there Billionaire. D~s

I was thinking about fabricating the intonation bar out of chrome-moly; it's smooth and tough... which makes it a little tedious to work on. I wonder if anybody has made/used a chrome-moly nut. I appreciate the idea about using a mandolin truss rod. I'll check those out. D~s

I ordered mine from Stewart McDonald. D~s

I've had the flu for 5 days now, and I'm going stir crazy, so I've been working on designs for future guitars. I was looking at some dimensions on the Watson Bailey site when I saw "Ukulele Plans" at the bottom of the screen. Hmmm... if a I built a ukulele, I could practice building a neck with a tilt-back head (at minimal cost), plus practice installing frets... and if I made it a solid body electric, I could practice making my own pickups... And what seemed like a silly idea has turned into a serious plan. The thing I like the most (and the thing that I'm curious to try out) is the bar that I designed; if you pull up, a full length cam bends all 4 strings, but if you push down, a different cam bends only the G string. I'm not sure if I would have to make a locking nut to go with this... so I would love some input from players who like to yank and bend their strings. (The arm, among other things, was left out of the side-view for clarity.) EDIT: I moved the cam over to the C string; it's heavier, and should sound better when bending up a half or whole step. Since I really want to build the bass guitar I'm designing, this may sit on the shelf for a bit... but I am serious about building this little monster. If this design will work, I have to make it happen. D~s