bluesy

Looks great. I like it when timbers smell great while you work on them. The smell of the New Guinea Rosewood I used is very distinctive too.

That's a different tele look. Sort of fatter at the bottom. Nice guitar though, the laminated neck looks very nice.

Nice job. I like the unusual headstock - something different. Well done.

Hi well I recently inherited a box full of vintage capacitors resistors and other electronic components from my grandfathers estate. They were from an old NAVY radio that he had built. Well the capacitors dont have their values and they just have these capacitor codes on them and I had no idea what to do with them until I read this article.. I am trying to understand all of this but it has prooved an impossible feat so far. So my questions are.

Can I measure capacitance or resistance with a multimeter?

How do I identify a capacitor or resistors value?

What do capacitors and resistors do to a guitars sound?

What value capacitor and resistor are used inside guitars and basses?

What are OHM's?

Where can I buy capacitors and resistors localy besides radio shack?

How are capacitors wired into a guitar?

If you could explain it in lay-mans terms that would be great. Thanks

All multimeters measure resistance, and some, especially better modern digital ones, measure capacitance (and inductance as well, and many other things - even temperature)

Resistors usually limit the sound level, and combinations of resistors and capacitors filter the sound - i.e. form a tone control.

Other than measuring it, components will also have either colour codes or numbers printed on them.

Actual values used in guitars and basses vary a bit - you should be able to google plenty of examples.

Ohms are the unit of measurement of resistance. Values are often expressed in kilo-ohms, abbreviated to 'k', e.g. 500k ohms is 500,000 ohms.

Music stores might sell you some, but they usually charge a lot. Local electronics repair shops might sell you some, if they don't mind depleting the stock they carry for repairs.

As for how capacitors are wired, you will need to learn how to read a circuit diagram, or schematic, or else follow one of the physical drawings you might find on the net. Basically capacitors and other components and soldered to other components to form the electronic circuit.

How does everyone here shape their necks? I usually use a combination of microplane rasps, orbital disk sander, spokeshave and rough sandpaper. I have trouble keeping the back straight, some of my necks are really good some not so much and I redo them. I found a jig to rough shape it with a router and that should solve the problem but it seems kind of confusing to make and I'd rather do it by hand. Any suggestions or anything?

I start by drawing a centreline down the back.

Then I draw 2 lines 11mm from each edge following the taper (i.e. parallel with the edge, not the centreline), then 2 more lines 11 mm down each side from each edge. These 4 lines define 2 chamfers, one on each side of the back of the neck. I then remove the corner wood to create the chamfers (I use rasps and spokeshaves).

I then draw a centreline down the face of each chamfer, then work on the 4 new corners (at each edge of the chamfer), using the spokeshave. By watching the distance from the neck centreline I drew at the start, and the new centrelines on the chamfer faces, I create a 4 new smaller chamfers, one on each edge. I start to let the chamfers meet in the middle of the back of the neck, and so the original centre line starts to disappear from the nut end first (because the neck is narrower there. The chamfers on the side, I let approach the fingerboard evenly.

By the time I have this done, I start measuring the neck thickness to get it down to what I like, and removing material straight down the centreline of the back of the neck. When the desired thickness is reached, of course, there is a flat spot right down the back. So, using a combo of spokeshave and a strip of coarse sandpaper (used in a similar manner to polishing shoes working side to side and moving slowly up and down the neck) I round out the neck to it's final shape.

Doing it this way keeps it symmetrical at all times and the resulting neck turns out great.

Things are moving along nicely. Yesterday I buffed the paintwork up to gloss, and today I fitted the neck and tuners, and the bridge. I have discovered that the clear coat, although dry enough to sand and buff, is still actually quite soft and even leaving it resting on a cloth surface for a while will mar the gloss finish. So I have hung it up out of the way to let it cure for some time - maybe a week, if I can keep my hands off it.

I like them far enough back that I can jack the tailpiece down all the way without the strings hitting the back of the bridge as they come off the saddles.

Can you give me an idea of the distance? 1", 1.5", etc?

Visit Warmoth

http://www.warmoth.com/hardware/bridges/br...es_tune_o_matic

and have a look at the detailed diagram pdf that page links to.

Also, to radius before tapering would totally change my build process as I glue the tapered, slotted, bound fretboard to the neck, then use it as a template to rout the neck flush to on a flat surface...can't do that if the taper isn't done etc....back to templates for necks etc which I'd like to avoid.

I always taper the neck first (yes using a template - not sure why you want to avoid them), then glue the radiused, slotted, inlayed, untapered fingerboard to it, then taper the fingerboard using the the neck as the 'template'. Then I put the frets in, and lastly shape the back of the neck.

OK, pics. (if you're wondering what that line across the middle, especially in the second photo, so was I. Turns out to be a reflection of an overhead cable :-) )

I want to say thank you. My guitar's finish has turned out very nicely. The help on the use of the electric buffer was good for my confidence.

For the benefit of any other Aussies reading this, I used K & H primer and clear top coat, and Powerplus white in between for the colour coat. I got them from 'Autobarn' . This stuff is amazingly simple to use and fast. You only need to wait 20 minutes between coats for the colour, and only FIVE minutes between each clear coat. I applied a large can of primer, a large can of colour, and two large cans of clearcoat (overkill? maybe) in the space of 3 days.

Then after only 4 hours ( I left it overnight) before you can sand and polish it. Bunnings were a bit limited in their sandpaper range, so I only had 400, 800, and 1200 grit. However, the K&H can had instructions that implied that sanding may not be necessary, and recommended their K&H "Buff and Shine". The guy in the store said it depended on how good the finish already looked. I had a mild amount of orange peel, so I hit it with 1200 grit only, until the shiny spots were gone, then used the "Buff and Shine" with the electric buffer, and it came up nice and glossy. Very happy !

A crowing fille will never let the crown get any wider than the shape of the crown in the file. You will only lower the fret. When a fret is first leveled to top looks more like / \ with a wide flat top. When you start crowing the first things hit are the corner and it slowly (or kind of quickly) removes those corners and round them down. Use the marker method, and you'll see that with each swipe the marker line gets thinner. Using a triangle file, you can make the shape however you want. A crowning file will give you the same shape on each fret on every guitar everytime (in theory).

I have only one crowning file, and it seems to me, that, in a perfect world, you'd need one for each different fret width and profile. If the crowning file is narrower than the fret, the fret width will be reduced to fit the inner concave size of the file. If the crowning file is wider than the actual fret, it will tend to flatten the top and not take much off the sides, and tend to flatten the fret, unless, as I do, use the file (which is wider than the fret) on each side of the fret alternately. I first run the file over the fret with a small amount of pressure to the right, thus bring the left inside of the crowning file in contact with the LHS of the fret, then I do it with pressure to the left, thus doing the other side of the fret. By adjusting the angle the file is held at, you can vary the amount taken off the lower sides and nearer the top of the fret, so you can make some adjustment to the profile of it.

Really making progress at the moment

Doing some fretwork

and finished the colour coats (white is hard to photograph )

This comes at a good time for me, as I am just putting on my colour coats today. I will be polishing the clear finish soon then. How long do you let the acrylic clear wait before sanding and polishing?

I had planned to start at 400 and work through to 2000 grit, so all is OK to follow your tutorial for that. Great pictures btw - they will give me confidence it is all working correctly.

I wanted to ask about how to use the 9" buffer. I bought one while they were cheap the other day. I have never used one of these things before . I found the buffer pads very hard to stretch over the foam disk that spins. Even so, when I turn it on, as it gains speed, the cover will spin off. I noticed that if I keep it in contact with a surface that needs polishing, it never spins nearly that fast, and the cover stays on, so would I be correct in assuming you never let the machine spin free? <is that laughing I hear in the background? >

How do you go about using the applicator pad? How much polish/cutter compound do you put on it? Do you cover it or just add a few drops, or do you put the polish on the guitar then just use the applicator to spread it?

Do you let the polishing compound dry to a white film before putting on the polishing pad?

Excuse all the questions, but you might save me from a silly mistake

While it's not usually a style of guitar I like, because of all the neat binding and inlays, I find I like it. Well done.

Quartersawn timber will be more stable, i.e. less prone to warp.

I start with a blank 3/4" (19mm) thick because I put a 1/4" roswood fretboard on top of it. It's width depends mostly of the headstock size, and the widest point other than that, is the 55mm width at the heel. Length depends on scale length, number of frets, and also headstock length.

It's been a while, but I've finally got some real time to spend on the build. Today I primed it. Here's a pic after removing masking and some scraping of the binding.

Tomorrow, I'm putting in frets and it will get a coat of white colour.

There are other factors too. The magnetic strength also determines the output.

And the coil shape and number of coils determine the color of the sound, which influences the perceived output. Don't forget the shape of the magnetic field.

There are some assumptions being made when people predict based on DC resistance. For a start, they are assuming similar resistivity of the wire used. For wire of the same makeup, this means, same diameter, and for wire made of different materials, all bets are off. Given this, then the wire still needs to wound on a similar sized bobbin in order for the number of turns to be proportional to DC resistance. Then there's the coupling to the string.

Stranded or solid will work equally well. Solid is actually easier to use because it stays how you bend it. Also if you use solid wire, you don't have to worry about stray strands shorting to other parts of the circuit. (Of course if you're careful that won't happen, but with solid wire it CAN'T happen. )

There is so little going on in a guitar electrically that any kind of conductive material should work. You have a signal in millivolts, and I can't imagine how small the current must be.

And there are SO many variables in the signal chain, from strings to speakers and room size, I wouldn't get hung up on the kind of wire in the control cavity. Use what you have on hand.

The downside of solid, is when it has to be moved. Particularly if it is connecting a part that has to be lifted off for servicing. Solid wire will break after surprisingly few bends because the metal stress fatigues, especially on sharp bends.

400 is about the lowest I'll use for flattening and always with a block. I know it can be difficult and if you're "tool challenged", a toilet paper roll does good wrapped with sandpaper on horns. It forces you to let the sandpaper work.

So how high would you go on the final colour coat before the clear? Would you go as far as 2000 or is that too smooth for the clear to grip?

An additional measurement I like to use to verify things is the height of the fretboard at its highest point above the surface of the guitar. That should be around 9-10 mm.

This will allow you to keep the saddles at the proper height.

I have 10.5 mm with the neck just sitting in the pocket (not screwed in yet, and no paint/finish on the guitar, just bare wood) so it's not going to be far wrong.

Thanks for the tip.

You can also do the wiring holes/routes before gluing the top on. I go this route because I still do not own a long drill bit. What brand drill bit did you use?

A cheap unknown thing. I got 3 in a packet (8, 10, and 12mm) for $4.99 at a local store that sells ultra cheap junk - not just tools, but kitchenware, hobby stuff, electrical, candles and incence, boxes toys - anything they can sell for a few dollars.

At $4.99 for 3, I wondered how good it might be, but I figured I only use it on wood, so I'd try them. They work very well. I got a set of spade bits from the as well for a similar prices, and I just cut the 22mm output jack hole with one of them. No problems.

Comparing the drawings of the Tele to the copy I have, I discovered the copy has used an easier way to handle the holes for the wiring, than was shown on the drawings. Everyone might do it this way, I don't know, so ignore me if this is old hat. But instead of the intermediate hole between the neck pickup and the control cavity, with 2 holes drilled so the wiring goes through the intermediate hole, they just drilled directly to the control cavity - as I have in my new tele build below. I used an 8mm brad point long drill, and it only took a minute or two.

try this, there is a real good drawing there

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-disc...-blueprint.html

Steve

Well, that confirms the depth at 15.875, so I will leave it alone until I actually get the strings on and try it.

Thanks.

Dimensions as given on the Warmoth site are 5/8" (15.9mm). Neck thickness, including fingerboard, but not frets, is 1"(25.4mm).

So, I am building a tele and have routed the neck pocket to the given depth. My neck is 25.5mm - close enough. When I sit the neck in the pocket, and sit the bridge beside it on the face of the guitar, it appears that the bridge saddles will need to be adjusted near the top of their range. I also am thinking that, on final assembly, the bridge will be higher by the thickness of the guitar paint/finish, and the neck will be lower, fractionally, as it is clamped down tight in the pocket.

I cross checked these dimensions against a Tele copy (don't have a real one) and it had a 25.5mm neck also, but they made the neck pocket 2mm deeper. This makes sense according to what I am observing.

Does anyone know what the actual neck and pocket dimensions of a real Tele are? Maybe I should leave it as is, because when I have it complete, if I need to, I can always shave the neck or the pocket to make it fit better.

damn bluesy - that was smooth. +1