Mickguard

You know, there's just no substitute for actual experience. Or doing your own research. This is one of those questions where you're just going to have to do the work yourself. Well, a lot of your questions are like that lately. There's only so long we can hold your hand-- at some point, you're going to have to dive in and start building. You'll figure out most of these things for yourself as you go along. Just remember, your first guitar isn't going to be your last, so don't sweat the details.

Well, they're talking about acoustic guitars there, different animal. An angled neck isn't difficult to achieve ---just route the neck pocket accordingly. But then you'll need the appropriate bridge. Some hardtail bridges come with extra plates to give the bridge more height (I'm thinking of the Schaller 475).

I find angled necks more comfortable to play, I like the way the neck comes in at me a bit. It's not that big of a deal though. The bigger issue for me is scale length. Which definitely has an impact on tone.

I don't know if dreadnought has anything to do with it. Both my acoustics (a dread and my new Guild GAD30) are 25.5" scale. So, when the strat is tuned to standard tuning, does the buzzing go away? I think you're on the right track moving to a baritone, since that's the sound you prefer. You might also try an octaver on the strat.

Sorry, you've completely lost me. This is the problem with threads like this. Someone comes on, posting about a problem he has with his guitar, but gives no information at all. When someone asks for more info, he provides a bit more. But it's only after 10 or 20 posts or so that he finally releases another bit of essential info, which makes it so we've been wasting our time earlier in the thread, because that info changes everything. In this case...you down-tune? Well, why didn't you say that in the first place? Of course you're going to have buzzing problems. In the meantime, there are setup guides available (believe there's one on the Project Guitar main site). You really ought to follow one. The important thing to know is that the guitar setup takes place in a certain order. You can't jump from one step to another, because that will screw up the results. Once you've successfully carried out the setup, and you're still having buzzing problems, that's something else. At that point, people can try to help. A quick question: why are you tuning down that much? Is it to play metal? Or is it just to make those heavy strings easier to play? (I mean, I use .11s at standard tuning, and they don't feel like piano wire to me. But then again, I play a lot of acoustic, with .12s, so my hands are in pretty good shape). If it's for the metal thing, then consider that this guitar isn't the right guitar for that. There are guitars built specifically for this music, and for their ability to downtune. But if it's to make it easier to play, then why are you using such heavy strings if your fingers can't handle them?

Ha...did you also notice that they don't actually make these guitars! They just buy bodies from USA Custom guitars, probably the necks too. And then they charge four grand for a guitar! But from what they describe, yeah, they're definitely attempting to mix the acoustic and chambered construction methods. I'm not so certain if a metal top is going to vibrate in the same way as a spruce top though...I find it hard to believe that they'd give true acoustic tone.

I use a set of spark plug gap guage thingamajigs to measure the relief -- I like about .25 mm at the 6-7th fret. I find it impossible to eyeball these measurements -- maybe someone with years of experience can, but it's easier to use measurements. You might also check your saddle heights once the relief has been sorted out. If the buzz started when you had a new nut cut, I'd go back to the shop and tell them to fix what they screwed up. I mean, if a tech cut the nut for you, there should be no need for a shim. If you bought the nut off the rack, that's something else. Though usually those aren't cut to the final depth, they shouldn't need a shim either. A question though -- did you put the heavier strings on before or after the nut was cut. How heavy are we talking about? Going to .10s won't make much difference, probably wouldn't have needed much of an adjustment to the truss rod, if at all. Going higher than that would have given you problems with the nuts slots anyway, since they're not cut for that. The frets on my 20 year old MIJ strat are still going strong, and this guitar has been well played.

What guitar? How old is it? How long have you been playing it? When did the buzzing start? Where does it buzz-- every fret or just in a few places? What is the relief (not the action)? Etc. The more information you provide, the better we can steer you to a diagnosis. It may be just a case of needing to reset the relief to accommodate for weather/humidity changes.

Okay, I didn't know this. I'd still be careful though. The neck you choose needs to work with the bridge, so I'd verify all the measurements, heel shape etc. Or get the neck from the same source as the body, since they'll be able to match them exactly (assuming this company makes necks too? If you trust them for the body, why not the neck?) Also, does the body provide access to the extra frets?

I'm a bit bothered by the 'acoustic' in the title -- this guitar would have nothing to do with an acoustic guitar. A little picky, maybe, but I think using the proper terms will get you closer to where you want to go with the guitar. So to me this would become a thinline, which is a fancier name for a chambered guitar. Godin also makes the Radiator, where the entire top is the pickguard -- I think one of their tops is a sheet of metal as well. I think that if you're dreaming of this guitar, then it's definitely worthwhile to pursue it. In fact, why not treat the back the same way? It'd be a lot easier to unscrew the back plate, and then you'd have plenty of room to add in all the electronics you want. This would also open the possibility of fixing the top so that it's not removable. Might b easier to work with that way. If you're worried about stripping the screws, then I suggest using bushing inserts. I'd still leave a nice wide center block of wood, that will give you all the tone you need.

The body's ready-made? Including the bridge route? Then chances are you won't be able to use a 24-fret neck. You have to get a neck that's going to work with the scale length. Frankly, I think your best bet is to buy the neck from the same place, they'll make sure it'll work.

Okay, emotional attachment is another issue altogether! In that case, I'm not sure I'd bother plugging up the holes, at least on top, since you'll be putting a new top on. Lots of LPs are chambered. You could also take the opportunity to get rid of even more of that plywood! It's possible to find broken headstock necks --you could easily remove the fretboard from one of those for use.

At this point, I've pretty much converted to playing only semis -- I like the sound, my back and shoulders like the lighter weight (current fave is a Hofner Verythin), and the wider body is more comfortable for me both sitting and standing. I also like the feedback bloom I get off of semis, that doesn't happen from a solidbody. So if I want to continue building, I'm going to have to learn at least archtop construction techniques. Which means I'd end up learning acoustic building techniques, since any semi I'd build would have the bent sides like an acoustic. Fortunately, my guitar teacher has become quite the luthier these days, he's promised to help me when I'm ready. I'd really like to experiment with alternative body shapes, both for a semi and an acoustic.

No, you'll learn all this and much more by starting from scratch. Listen to Setch. Better yet, have a look at some of his guitars....they'll inspire you. First off, I see no point in spending this much effort on a plywood guitar. It will always remain a plywood guitar, and you'll have put a lot of time and effort into something less than great. Sure you may learn a little bit, but that's it. A new mahogany blank won't cost you much, and depending on how much you spend, you can get something glorious. Ditto for the maple top. The cost of wood is NOT the biggest expense of a build. Now, this LP body you have is going to help you a LOT -- you'll be able to make your template with it, and really, once you've got your templates made, the rest of the build becomes much easier. It's all about measuring and patience* after that. (*see note on working with a plywood guitar) You can still use the neck, if you like the neck -- the heel IS a tenon, no need to add wood to it. You'll need to sand/reshape it a bit, just to get it back to the bare wood, so it'll be gluable. You'll route your neck pocket accordingly. On the other hand, consider other attachment methods -- you can use inserts instead of a neck plate, which will allow you to carve that area the way you'd like it. There was a recent discussion on this. I'm going to go ahead and guess that you don't wan't to pursue this mod because you're thinking that you're not capable of pulling off a real build. This is not true -- any skills you'd need for the build will be needed for the mod anyway. One method I use (since I'm still learning myself) is always to practice each step first on scrap before taking it to the build itself. Working on scrap will teach you the gestures and movements you'll need, and what to avoid. That way, when you get to the guitar, you'll be prepared. No need to build a full guitar to learn each step. And it's a useful method whether you're going for a full build or just the mod. As for adding binding to the existing neck -- that seems like it'll be more difficult than it's worth. I don't know how you'd stabilize the neck in order to route the binding channels. You'd be better off removing this fretboard and gluing on a new one that has already been bound and fretted. But then, you'd be depriving yourself of the experience of carving your own neck -- really, it's not that difficult. I can understand not wanting to try the neck yet, but if you're dreaming of a bound neck, then either buy one or make one yourself, don't attempt to convert an existing neck. Do you have your copy of the Hiscock book yet? It's essential reading and will give you the confidence you need to approach a full build. Modding is a lot of fun, don't get me wrong. But it's more fun when the basic guitar is in good shape.

You don't really need to oil a board that's been polished to 12000, assuming the grain is close. You have to see (and feel) a polished ebony board to believe it, it's like pure luxury. Once the frets are in, it's more difficult to see the shine. But you catch glimpses of it while you're playing, and you remember the process of watching that shine come out of the wood, and it's all worth it.

Yes, you can. Actually, the real shine starts to happen around 3600 or so. It's like you pass over a magic threshold and all of a sudden you're removed a veil that was over the finish (that you might not have noticed before). Now, the difference between 4000 and 12000 is more difficult to detect. But since I use a set of Micro Mesh pads, and the set goes all the way to 12000, so do I . By the time you get to the upper grits, you're putting out very little effort with each pass. So going from 4000 to 12000 may require about 15 extra minutes for a full body. And going to 12000 eliminates the need for polishes, buffing compounds, etc (when polishing the finish, not the fretboard, obviously). On a fretboard, the result is really breathtaking. You've literally transformed the wood surface into a mirror. Now, whether you can feel the difference between 2000 and 12000 is another story. With my callouses, I don't think I could.

I thought lighter fluid was naphtha mixed with other compounds -- which is why it might feel oily? I haven't experienced issues with finishing though--seems to work okay with nitro at any rate. I use acetone for cleanup -- it's great for getting rid of dried wood glue. Acetone is the solvent used in nitro-based paints. I don't know if it works as well for acrylic paint. Definitely need good ventilation if you're going to work with it.

Now, I really don't like the sound of acoustic preamp systems. They just don't really sound like acoustic guitars anymore. I mean, sure, they're helpful live, but I still like the sound of a miked guitar better. Just more natural sounding. Hmmm....I wonder if this exists? Instead of a pickup integrated into the guitar, some kind of removable rig that positions a mike (or mikes) to capture the guitar's sound. You'd want it not to interfere with strumming/picking, obviously. And it should be positionable to accommodate the individual guitar.

I just refretted an old Norman B-30...looked like a previous owner had attacked the old frets with a rasp...they were basically flattened on top, and so short you could barely get the notes out in some places. I used jumbo wire, since that's all I had available. I was a little hesitant, but in the end I'm glad I went for it. The jumbos really woke up the guitar, the notes are much fuller than before, better sustain, the guitar's a lot easier to play too. The neck had other issues (warping) that I was able to correct as well. I also took the opportunity to polish the fretboard up to 12000...I really like a shiny fretboard, and it's really smooth to the touch now. Changed the bridge for a bone bridge, and changed the string pins too. Still have to cut a new bone nut for it, just haven't had time.

My process: I found decent-quality straight-on copies of the various Fender logos and opened them in Photoshop. If you're having trouble finding them, contact me. Since I wanted to keep the look of the Fender name, but wanted to make it clear that the guitar was NOT a Fender, I simply reversed the 'e' and reattached it. I like how people start admiring my Fender then get a quizzical look on their face when they get a little closer... But it's possible to build many other letters using the Fender letters as the base -- you can cut them up and reassemble the pieces. This allows you to maintain the proper contours. Takes a while, but it works. I used Arial for the '....caster' font, then stretched it a bit to look more like the real thing. As for beer....ever since I moved to Europe, I find it extremely difficult to drink the pee that passes for beer in America. Even the microbrewery stuff just ends up tasting like dog's urine, compared to even the cheap bargain beer you get here. Although I primarily drink organic beers now, from local breweries, haven't found a bad organic beer yet.

I use Photoshop. After fussing about with Jehle's method, I just went ahead and bought a few sheets of waterslide paper (not for inkjet). Cost me $10 for 5 sheets. Works great and looks much better.

How about a floating mini-humbucker, the type that attach to the neck. They're more for archtops (you need a lot of clearance for them, but it could be interesting-- you could position the sound hole at the end of the neck, for example, the mini would float over that. This way you'd be really close to an acoustic top. From what I've read, bracing has a pretty important function in helping to balance the tone.

No, sorry, I wasn't clear. It was actually a Coral longhorn (made in Japan, but sold by Dano?) --it was a true archtop construction, not at all like the Danos. Quite nice construction too, but I just didn't feel like carrying through on the project, so I sold it on.

I've been tempted to make a guitar like this: Acoustic Klein sort of...... And doesn't Godin make an acoustic-type electric guitar as well? Also, there are plenty of full hollowbody electrics out there. I had an Epiphone Sorrento for example. And I just sold a hollowbody longhorn body from the sixties that had only a small block of wood beneath where the bridge was supposed to be. Both were more of an archtop type of construction. Which are often full hollow. And usually laminated to get past the problem of getting thin enough to be acoustically responsive, but strong enough to handle the downward pressure of the bridge. But as you point out, these are very prone to feedback at loud volumes and high distortion levels. (Although with the Sorrento, that was part of its charm...the damn thing literally quivered in my hands...sounded great too...kind of wish I hadn't sold it now...ah well...). But for jazz or blues, where the volume stays reasonable, I don't think it's a problem.

I'm not sure that the type of metal matters, except if you want a specific color. It's actually surprisingly easy to shape and polish metal. A metal file, followed up with sanding, plus a bit of patience will get you there. I've found it possible to polish steel to shine quite nicely. A light coating of lacquer will keep the rust off. for the most part. But you can also get hold of a chromed plate and reshape that -- the plate from a jazz bass might be big enough for what you need. Just protect the chrome surface while you're filing--all you'd need to do is polish the new edges (I've done this with tele plates, it works great). As for the sound thing? I find it really hard to believe it makes a difference. I love the look of ferrules, and the heel is definitely more comfortable. But that's not an issue with the guitar you're working on.