dpm99

I'm not trying to spark debate here, and I certainly hope I don't do so. But 45% above the cost of materials is very modest, considering the time you put in. I'm not saying that's not respectable for a hobbyist either, but for someone to get a true one of a kind custom body for under a hundred bucks.... I say that person got a good deal. Well done, avengers.

Thanks Kenny! I love to know who the SD folks are. Send my a private message any time. ******************************************************************************** ************ Update: I've been working, but this is the first opportunity I've had to get pictures. They are of a rather poor quality, but I'll put them up for anyone that might be interested. I'm defining the idea of a "serviceable" guitar. There are a number of mistakes here that won't show when it's all done. The most notable one is the end of the neck there, which will be covered by fretboard overhang. There's also a funny little low spot on the back of the body that even I can't find unless I feel for it. I chipped out a piece, and rather than doing a proper repair, I just sanded it until it was invisible. Hey, it's my first build, and it's not like I'm gonna try to sell it. Here's where I am: Erik did the fretboard. It's a breathtaking Pau Ferro. I wish I could get a better picture of it, but all I have right now is a lamp. I'll get a better picture sometime in the future. Here's a close-up: Fretboard Close-Up I did the headstock scarf with a coping saw, which I know isn't an ideal tool for the job. I went really slow, and it's gonna need some work, but I think it came out alright. Here's my wife holding it up. It's not glued yet. And yes, those are guinea pigs in the background. Headstock Scarf Finally, here's a close-up of the neck pocket: Neck Pocket The neck is bolt on, and I'm pretty happy with the pocket I made. Again, it's serviceable. There's an imperfection at the end near the neck pickup that will be covered by the fretboard overhang, but otherwise it's perfect. So far I'm happy with my work. I sure am learning a lot as I go.

Please post sound clips. I was very excited to see an update to this thread today. Good work.

Josh, Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, put it like this. Just about anybody can make a better hamburger than McDonald's. What makes them successful isn't their product, but their business plan. They've developed a model that can be transplanted anyplace in the world, and can be run by teenagers! That's impressive. So you could be an incredible luthier and it wouldn't matter a bit if you don't have a good business plan. I think you're getting some good advice here. Go to school and study business management. Consider an MBA afterward. In the meantime, why not get a part time job at a music store? Here's hoping all your dreams come true. -Dave

You could definitely make some big money on that. Just make sure you have some very scientific pictures of sound waves between the pickup and the strings. I think that's the secret.

Is it kind of like putting a wind shield over a microphone?

Hey, I've just gotta say...that's pretty brilliant. Thanks.

That wood is gorgeous, and I'm a big fan of vintage stuff. You should be proud of that thing when you're all done with it.

Cool! So I get to have pickup covers after all. Thanks Pete!

I thought he had all the measurements he needs. Bluesy, if you need anything more, send me a private message. I'll even pull the neck off my Tele again if it helps. -Dave

Bluesy, stop posting the same minute I post!

Since someone drug this to the top, let me re-ask the question in a different way. For my project, I was planning to use a pair of Gibson pickups from an old Explorer (496R/500T). It was my understanding that they should remain uncovered, because they are ceramic pickups. Not true? Will covers effect the tone? (Even if an opinion can be called tone "Voodoo" I'd be curious to hear. I'm a bit of a believer in that weird religion.) Thanks, -Dave

It looks like a test piece I'm working on. Black dye and about 4-5 coats of TruOil. You might try that. It's certainly easy - very hard to mess it up!

Ola, That ironing board gives me some ideas. First of all, I love this build and have been anxiously awaiting an update. Secondly, would you be so kind as to give more information on your jig and how you use it? Thanks, -Dave

Rich, yours looks awesome. Wanna come over and do mine real quick? Seriously though, I wasn't using a proper muneca with pumice and oil, so I wasn't doing it right. Thereby I demonstrated the ignorance to which I confessed. It would be worth it to me if I thought I was going to get a better effect with French polishing than with TruOil. I was really trying to use layers of shellac to get to the right color, but I'm thinking the right mix of dye and water will be more efficient. Then again, the shellac might give it a different look, even if I put another finish over the top of it. Do you have any thoughts? EDIT: And yeah, I saw the tutorial, which was great.

I'm not 100% certain of this, but I'm pretty sure the spec for a 'real' Telecaster calls for 21 frets with no overhang. And the heel is square. The Fender 50s Reissue Esquire I have here measures out at 468 mm. But what's most important to you is what is going to work with your project --- either the neck has to match the project, or the project matches the neck, if you see what I mean. By real, I think you mean classic or vintage. I am the proud daddy of the world's single greatest Telecaster. (Ok, maybe not, but I'm really proud of it.) Anyway, mine has a 22nd fret and it does have some overhang. The 22nd fret is right at the end of the neck. After the 22nd fret the curve at the end of the board begins immediately. I can measure it later if you like. But it seems the purpose of the overhang is just to hold that 22nd fret in there. Bluesy, whatever you do, you should probably make sure that the entire playable part of the fretboard is supported by the neck, as does Fender. -Dave

That's what I did originally. I didn't make the wood dark enough, so I went over it with multiple coats of dyed shellac. Late Saturday night I tried mixing up some more dye concentrate with water, but this time I put in about three times as much concentrate as was recommended. That got me closer to what I wanted. I'm basically experimenting at this point. I may or may not even use the shellac in the end, as I'm not liking it as much as just piling on TruOil, but if nothing else, I've got a much better feeling for shellac now. So that's a good thing. -Dave

Really? I just happen to have some I was saving for a project, but I'm not in love with the figure. Since you seem like a good guy, I'll sell it to you for WAY less than I paid. How does $1200/bf sound? I'll even include free shipping!

I love that headstock. Nice work.

That was very helpful. Thanks. It's working a little, but I understand what was happening now. Now I just need to figure out what I want to do with it.

I've been working on a test piece of mahogany, just playing around, seeing what I can make happen. I sanded with 100 grit, 220, 320, and 400. Then I dyed it black. It didn't get black-black. It just darkened it. So I mixed 1/2 lb. cut shellac with black dye and have gone over it with about five coats now. I'm applying it with a ripped up t-shirt. Between each coat I lightly scuff with 400 grit sandpaper. I noticed that it was coming out very uneven. Then I noticed that if I put shellac on a spot, it seemed to be taking off the shellac beneath it. I think this is because I was waiting only an hour or two between coats, but I read somewhere that was about right. It feels dry almost as soon as I put it on, because of the high alcohol content. If something in there sounds really stupid, please point it out. I seem to be doing something wrong, and I have very little experience with finishing. Thanks, -Dave P.S. If anyone has a good way of making the wood almost completely black without totally losing the grain, I'd be interested to hear about it.

Roman, I think what I like most about your guitars is that they seem to always look just right. I mean, you'd think a middle pickup would look weird on a Tele, but somehow it looks like it belongs on that guitar. Well done, as always. -Dave

This one's gotta be up there:

Nice work.

To give some perspective on this, I buy it at around $5.50/board foot. They don't separate out the quartersawn wood or the wood with interesting grain patterns. They paint over the ends of the boards, so it's hard to tell how it was cut. You have to make an educated guess. So you look through huge stacks of 10' boards, trying to find one end of one board that's gonna work just right. I made a good guess this time. As with much else in building a guitar, it's about patience and careful planning. Also, in this case, I didn't buy much more than I needed. Most "neck blanks" seem to have a lot of extra wood. I know the two of you know this. But I say it because like many, I started out looking for wood online until a friend pointed me in another direction. It so happens that San Diego has a number of good places to buy wood. Travis, you Brits have it rough. Then again, you can always try to find a hundred-year-old fireplace mantle like Brian May did.