Mickguard

I don't agree, I like the way it flows... Of course this body style isn't exactly my taste (see my avatar I think it's very cool you're doing this for your buddy. I'm planning on making a resoelectric bocaster for my brother in law if I can figure out how to make a square resonator cone...

I was wondering...the tattoo paper I have uses two sheets --the first is for printing, the second applies the adhesive that peels off the printed stuff...but it's true it's really difficult to get the adhesive onto every bit of the ink What is you use a different adhesive? I have this glue/varnish for the 'napkin technique' (you take decorated napkins and glue them to flower pots, thanks Martha!)...it's pretty sticky....it smudges the inkjet ink... By the way, the tattoo paper says you can use it with a Black n White laser printer (but not with color, which get hotter)

Believe it or not, it was from reading Bill Jehle's tutorial for making his Jellycaster logo that I got inspired to build my own guitar...all of a sudden I just knew what I had to do... Right now I'm working on the headstock for the future Bocaster Thinline. I've left most of the finish on the headstock, there's just a small area where I want to apply my logo. And I have my heart set on a silver colored logo (see the Bocaster thread for my design, takes off on the Fender logo). So that means decal paper is out --my only other option would be to have it professionally done. Problem with using transparency paper though is you can still see the edge, even when it's done (sorry Bill, but it's there). And I read someone else's post complaining that the transparency logos still didn't look right...and that worried me. So I started playing around with the idea--last night I glued down some logos on a test piece of wood. I used this glue/varnish stuff that you're supposed to use for 'napkin technique' decorating. That's what was available to me at 3 am... But I could already tell it wouldn't look right...paper was too shiny and too thick, it'd take 20 coats to cover that... But what if, I thought this morning, I took sandpaper to the transparency paper? So I started in...the sandpaper takes off the gloss of the transparency paper, so it looks much better right away. But I kept going, making the paper thinner and thinner...then cleaned it up using finer grades, then the little finishing pad I picked up the other day when I should have been buyng 000 steel wool. And I'd worked more on the edges of the paper, so they now slope into the wood... even without finish, it's hard to see the edges. I haven't put on any finish yet (I'm actually going to use a water-color varnish temporarily), but I have to believe that by the time I get a couple of coats of clear on there, you won't see the edges of the logo at all... Only difficulty I had was getting all the air bubbles out from under the glue--maybe I didn't use enough glue? (The glue screws with the ink though...maybe I'll just try gluing with the varnish... What do you all think? Like to hear BEFORE I do this to the guitar ...

Maybe there's a way to get the flames EMBOSSED into the body leather? Oh wait, you want the flames raised... Well you could combine the two, emboss the body leather then use a thicker leather for the flames themselves...that way the bottom edges won't be visible... well, okay, just thinking out loud, you probably already thought of that...the morning's my creative time...

I've seen some of those "messy" jobs...kind of ruins it. I mean, I already don't like the way those ferrules look... But what about using the bridge itself as a template? Or are the holes in that too small? Anyway, thanks to your encouragement I think I'll just stay happy with the top mount..! there's always next year's Tele for string-through

Okay, you guys are giving me some hope... The body is alder --a very lightweight alder --does that mean I should drill more slowly? Also, the bridge doesn't have the string through holes...yet. But that shouldn't be too difficult to correct... I'm wondering if it's worth the bother...I mean, is there a huge effect on the sound of the guitar? Personally, I prefer the look of the top mount, but that's a minor thing.

I'll see what I can do...I can maybe do a tracing of one of mine, see if my wife can scan it into CAD...don't know how to do that, so I can't promise...maybe if you explain how it's done... You want the double pickup or the single pickup? (I have both)

it's standard telecaster thickness. The larger bit for the ferrules is long enough. But the smaller bit, for the holes for the strings themselves is not. I went to the hardware store and it was the same story--the smaller the diameter of the bit, the shorter it is.

I have two telecaster clones that I'm modifying for my Bocaster project. Both have top mount bridges. Not an issue for one guitar--that's going to get a Bigsby eventually. On the other, I'd like to drill it for string through (I already have the ferrules). (I also have a stand for the drill, so it'll be straight) But where do you find a drill bit that's thin enough but long enough to go all the way through the body? Is there another technique for doing this? Should I start it with the drill then continue by hand?

Yep, and let me just add that the Jellycaster was a MAJOR inspiration for my Bocaster...when I read Jehle's page, I suddenly understood what I had to do...

Oh, that was a before photo, I should have specified that. He's since cleaned up the route...it's going to be a great-looking guitar...

No, the Ibanez is probably a great guitar...the question, is it right for you...and it really does seem like you'll be happier with a solidbody, at least for your first electric...This Ibanez is a jazz guitar, that's what it's made for, and no amount of FX will change that. Do you know how to play guitar already?

Have a look here, a great picture of an inner body route -comes from the telemodders site I like the Grovers, that's what I put on mine --but have a look at the Gotoh vintage style lockers, they're really nice looking, just a bit pricier.

Gonna answer a question with a question... When I was buying my paint/primer/finish (automotive rattle cans), they had a couple of different fillers in rattle cans too --one was a thick spray, the other was a thinner filler... I'm wondering if the thinner version of these is suitable as a sealer? The only other sealer I've been able to find here is brush on and looks black (which will be nice for my next project).

You sure you're looking for humbuckers? In a strat? There are plenty of pickups, including humbuckers, available that fit the single-coil form factor...that shouldn't be any problem. It's no big deal adapting the guitar either --you have to be fearless, take a deep breath and attack it with a chisel...go slowly...but the pickguard (you can cut the existing guard or buy something ready made) will cover the gouges you make.

Not very healthy. If you can smell the stuff then you are breathing poison. And laquer takes a LONG time to gas off. I'm a backyard sprayer too and realize that I won't be doing any finishing work until late spring. Yikes! I guess that puts my Bocaster on hold for a while...not what I'd planned for! On the other hand, there are lots of sheds around here (I'm on a old farm)...if I sprayed it outside and hung it in a shed (I can protect it from dust, that's the easy part), do you think it will still work? It never gets that cold around here --rarely dips below freezing this time of year.

I don't understand...those Artcore guitars cost about the same as a Mexican Strat ...and that's going to get you a whole hell of a lot closer to your Hendrix/Floyd sound. I'd say the music shop guy is misleading you and just trying to unload the guitar. Or maybe he really likes it and wants you to like it too (they are darned perty!) I have a Samick Royale --it's basically the same guitar (heck, it IS the same guitar) but less expensive. The stock pickups are great for jazz....I changed mine for P90s and now it rocks. Still, if you want that Strat sound, get yourself a strat! Go to another store and have a look around...You should be able to find a decent used strat for the same as that Artcore... Another issue to consider with the semi-hollow bodies--they're much wider guitars, more difficult to handle, especially sitting down. You're going to be more comfortable with a slimmer, lighter, smaller guitar.

Didn't I see in the Stew Mac tutorial on finishing that the guy was working OUTSIDE --and there was snow on the ground! I don't remember where it is...I just had a look...an older gentleman...but I believe he said it was something like 25 degrees out.... I'm going to run into the same problem...I'm going to start spraying in week or so and it's getting cold out here too...

Hey, I think it looks excellent...okay, sure, the lower horn is a little small, but who's gonna bitch about that? Here's the most famous TV yellow LP I know... http://www.thunders.ca/stuff/guitar2.htm and yours looks great! How does it sound? I really like P90s...specially through my Music Man...

was there different messages everytime you took it off in the same spot? Lol! So where are the photos?

I've got the same problem with my Samick Royale...I've tried filing and buffing the slots, but the B and G strings still break more than they should. I'm going to try to the wraparound idea, it's worth a try. I have the Graph Tech saddles on a couple of my guitars and I like them a lot. On one guitar I have the saddles, the trem nut and a set of locking tuners --that thing stays in tune and I haven't broken a string in a year... But you have to keep in mind that the String Savers have a pretty big impact on the guitar's tone --they claim it "brings out the midrange" ....another way of putting it is it suppresses some of the high end! On my Melody Makers, that works out fine, they're very (too) bright. But I don't want that on my Samick ...or on my Bocasters (which WILL have the trem nut and Graph Tech string trees) Oh yeah, I have a roller bridge here too...but I've since read complaints that the rollers slip around too much and add more tuning issues than they're worth...

I was really tempted by Gotoh's locking Vintage Oval Knob tuners --they're really beautiful. Only thing is, I wasn't sure if they were all in one strip or not--how to tell if they'll fit my guitar? So I passed...until I get my real Fender Tele next year! http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,...nob_Tuners.html (sorry for the long link)...

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Easy....Grover Mini Locking Tuners... I like the small buttons --they look cool and they're lighter in weight. The Grovers also look like normal tuners, no funny looking knob...You can also change the buttons, since the Grovers have screws. I like having to turn only the tuner in order to lock the string down--makes changing strings real fast. I like the tension on the strings they give --it's really different from normal tuners, the string feels tighter but more supple (in comparison, normal tuners make the string feel wobbly) I like it that you really have to work hard to make the guitar go out of tune. And best of all, they don't cost a whole lot more than normal tuners. I buy mine at Stewmac --the 3x3 costs like $35 and the 6 in lines cost $42. The only problem with the Grovers-- if you already have normal Grovers installed, as I do on two of my guitars, the Mini lockers have a different footprint. So you're obliged to drill new holes...on the other hand, the mini lockers perfectly match the existing screw holes on my two Bocaster projects (Johnson and Stagg tele copies)

Hey, that never stopped me...I'm a lousy player --though I've started taking lessons finally, so there's hope That's what my guitar project is all about -- I'm celebrating the idea that maybe one day I'll really know how to play this thing... In the meantime, the best way to get good enough fast is....you guessed it...play with others...you must know a few other players? No point in being intimidated --if they don't welcome you and your learning process, then they're not the right people to play with anyway... I'm taking my own advice, I just started playing with my band (I'm the singer)...so far so good, I've figured out parts to play on three of our songs so far...(it helps that I wrote the songs!) My Melody Maker didn't sell! I couldn't believe! I started it at a good price too...damn French!