Supernova9

I would thickness the body and top separately, I also would thickness the top before cutting out the design.

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So glue the two halves of top together (making sure flames line up), thickness that, then glue that to the body, and cut to size?

Hi all,

After looking through the search function, and having the only interesting thing I found being the whole Litchfield saga (now I understand all the aggro), I still can't find the answer I need.

I'm building a Tele, Ash body with Flame Maple top. The body has been cut to shape/thickness/chambered and everything, and I've just obtained myself a top.

I've bookmatched it, got the centre join down pat, and cut the shape to within 1/8" of final size.

However, it's 3/8" thick, but I'm going to thickness it to 1/4" (fits in nicer with my thinline design). Now my question is - do I thickness it first, making sure both pieces are identical before gluing to the body, or do I glue it down then thickness?

I'm just wondering which would be easier. (To thickness it I've built Setch's by now legendary router thicknessing jig), and I'm just curious about what you guys would recommend to be the easiest option?

Cheers.

If it's not in a key structural spot, then it's completely harmless.  Indeed, it might even look sharp.

If, however, it's at an important spot like where you plan to put the neck joint, then you need to re-plan.

When you say "right in the centre", do you mean where a pickup would be, where the bridge will go, or where exactly?  Also, even in the case of the bridge it won't matter that much depending on the kind of bridge that's going in.

Greg

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That's cool. Actually, I was just looking at the wood with my template, and if I make it one way round then it falls on a pick-up spot, and it'll be routed out.

Much obliged.

I've searched the forum, and I can find a thread that tells me knots in necks are bad, but what about body blanks? I have this one knot in the piece of ash I have that's pretty much right in the centre. If it is an issue/problem, what's the best way to solve it, drill it out and fill the hole with a dowel/epoxy & dust?

I'm gonna be redoing my les paul, kinda, just shielding it better, rewiring it (Kinda sucks), putting new pickups in. I was thinking about putting push/pull knobs rigged up to split the coils. Can you really tell, and is it worth it to do it?? Or is it just a pain in the butt??

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It wouldn't be that hard to rewire, you'd learn something new, isn't that worth it?

Anyways, my perspective - If ya do it and you don't use it, no big. If ya do it and you use it, bonus.

If ya don't do it and you don't use it, again you'll never know, but if you would have used it, you'll have lost out.

Just my $.02

Y'alright PG memebers?

Quick question, how thick (normally) is the maple cap on a Les Paul? Roughly how much wood depth is removed from the edge on a "standard" carve?

I'm only asking because my options for a top wood seem to be 1" or 3/8th" one seems excessive and the other a bit thin. i used a 3/8th on my last guitar but left it flat, I want to give a carve a go this time around. I just inherited a full set of VERY fine carving tools so i'm looking forward to giving them a go.

Tips and advice please!

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Typically a 3/4" maple top, with a 1/2" depth of carve.

Im looking for just the body specs.

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Have a look for things like these

For accurate dimensions, they're your only real choice if you're looking to copy. Either that or getting the actual guitar you intend to build and measure that, if you can find one somewhere.

I want to do a P.R.S and a Les Paul copy. What size blanks do I buy? 

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Neck Blanks or Body Blanks?

If you're looking at PRS/Les Pauls, body blanks are all normally standard sizes, and usually mahogany.

Then there's the top, which is predominantly maple, and a 3/4" top is used normally with a 1/2" depth of carve.

I'd seriously suggest investing in some guitar plans/books if you're wondering about dimensions, they'll help no end, and you can find them cheap on ebay.

Bump 

I supposed I should have waited until the magazine was actually out before asking the question.

So then, anyone seen it yet?

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Read it the other day, those things look gorgeous, especially the tricone. They sound awesome too. I'm no resonator coinnoseour, but those give me GAS

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TBH, I prefer the single cone. Watch this space for a couple of projects that I'm helping him with. We've been planning something very special over a couple of beers. I can guaranty that no-one will have seen anything like it

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The tricone got the geek in me going - the styling looks like one of the old transformers logos.

Bump 

I supposed I should have waited until the magazine was actually out before asking the question.

So then, anyone seen it yet?

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Read it the other day, those things look gorgeous, especially the tricone. They sound awesome too. I'm no resonator coinnoseour, but those give me GAS

well got a new bunch of kids in shop class at semester time and many seem pretty jazzed about working on the LP project. However, the local bookstore dropped the ball ordering our copy Melvyn Hiscocks "How to build an electric guitar" book, told to get one on my own - kinda upsets me you try to do business locally instead of going elsewhere and this happens. Oh well, anyone have a copy they would like to sell us? Thanks for the help-

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Amazon.Com?

Wouldn't that be the easiest way to do it?

HI there

Am i right in asuming that to make a lefty all you have to do is invert a right handed design. IE : Les paul - the curve at the neck will go to the right hand side of the guitar.

I have only ever used right handed guitars played lefty and strung upside down ala jimi henrix style.

Is their any else to watch out for ?

Thanks

SA

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It's a mirror image, yes. Everything changes, nut slots, bridge orientation etc.

I bought some shellac flakes yesterday. Both light and dark colored. I know they should be dissolved in "denature alcohol", but the Denature Alcohol sold here has purple/blue color. It says "Agricultural based Denature Ethyl Alcohol" on the bottle and we call it "ispirto" (like.. spirit). And everyone told me here, that is the only thing I should use to dissolve shellac. And that the other alcohols do not dissolve but "rot" the shellac.

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Denatured alcohol - or if you're in UK, Methylated Spirits, is Ethanol (Alcohol as we know it), with a bit of methanol (a very similar chemical) added to it. The purple/blue colour you are talking about is a dye that's added to the mix to indicate that it's not safe to drink.

You have the right chemical, but it's dyed. You need to find the same stuff without that safety dye. Whereabouts in the world are you?

Ok, I'm looking to refinish an Ibanez Jem 777.  I found a good site that shows step by step on sanding an ibanez and all the other steps to the process, but I'm worried about the handle.  Has anyone done this with a jem?  I want to make sure that I don't screw up the handle.  Also, there is a little chip in the wood in the back, what would I use to fill this?

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When I did the handle on mine I just used a piece of plastic pipe/rod about 1" diameter, fits the curve pretty nice. Just be careful and you won't go into it too far.

For the back, standard woodfiller would do it, available at pretty much every hardware store.

http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/pdf/craft-...d_catalogue.pdf

Craft Supplies have this PDF that includes many guitar parts and they're in the UK.

I haven't ordered from them but have looked at this before and they have some very nice stuff, by the look of it.

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Also try Touchstone Tonewoods or David Dykes

Hit your parents up for cash, this one's educational 

that might be an idea, they might be me some of it for my birthday if i ask, a lot of it was cheaper than i expected, Ebony fingerboard, pre slotted for example, £13, classic :D

Just make sure if you're getting a pre-slotted board that it's for the correct scale length (my first purchase was such a rush I ended up with a 25.5" board for a les paul. Whoops!)

Thanks, any chance of some links to them.

I also wanted to ask about neck construction. I can go two ways with the options of neck strength, both possible, although i didnt believe one at first, but my teacher is friends with a luthier, so i'll believe him. 1. obviously, a truss rod down the neck, fingerboard on top.

2. My other option was to have i straight piece of ply through the whole guitar, neck into body, i wasnt sure, and im still not, but if someone could clarify that, that'd be great

cheers

cc2003btw

Touchstone Tonewoods - www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk

Craft-Supplies - www.craft-supplies.co.uk (If you go to this site, look at the SoundWood Catalogue, it's where the luthiery stuff is).

If you're SW England (Devon/Bristol way?), I'm not thinking Touchstone are very close to you to be honest, they're in Reigate, which is outskirts of London.

Craft Supplies are cheaper than David Dyke and Touchstone (especially if it comes to body blanks)

Hit your parents up for cash, this one's educational

If you don't want to shell out for a maple top (Even though Craft Supplies can get ya one for around £20), then you could modify your design slight and make it an LP Special, they didn't use a maple cap, just solid mahogany.

As said earlier, mahogany can also be used for the neck, and ebony fingerboards can be had from Touchstone Tonewoods for less than £6 each, so we're not talking major money for those.

Manufactured boards are only really good for templates when it comes to guitars.