Supernova9

Perhaps he thought a forum of people who build and repair guitars would be a decent source of opinion on photos of damage to a guitar.

This is more on-topic than all of the off-topic forum, and if that exists, why shouldn't questions like this be asked?

StewMac seem to be very over-priced for certain things IMO. I've heard great things about them but I'd prefer to have a shop around for cheaper alternatives. A prime example is the straight edge for $98.40 when you can buy a steel rule at the same length from a DIY store for a fraction of the price plus get measurements for free!

Yes, StewMac aren't the cheapest for everything. But a straight edge is different from a steel rule. A straight is precision ground to 0.0015" per foot accuracy, a steel rule will be nowhere near that.

This guy uses only hand drills (not electric) and chisels:

I would imagine that when Les Paul and Leo Fender built their first they did it like this. Expensive pin routers are usually not sitting around your average mr-fix-it shop. Actually, I'd bet anything that they did it like this for the first few prototypes.

There is nothing wrong with doing it like this (if you're handy with chisels). IMO this would be better for the novice who has never used a router. Routers can be EVIL!!! They'll turn on you like a pitbull on crack. The old fasion hand drills & chisels arent gonna run away from you or rip big chuncks out of your tone-wood. Also, they are rather rewarding so use.

Martin Koch (the guy who's site that is) uses power tools like anyone else. His ebook contains a nice router jig for scarf-cutting.

As for your comments about routers, I disagree. I find them perfectly useable, far too many people on here seem to think routers have a mind of their own, but I think maybe that's because they're being used incorrectly (bad feed rate, too aggressive a cut etc). I'll agree with the hand tools being more rewarding - I feel like I've done 'proper' work if I've used a handplane to level something.

Geezz Louise...

Sorry guys, I did'nt mean to tick so many folks off. Sorry. I just did'nt understand and failed to make myself clear.

Yes I know how to make templates. The thing is, if I was just looking for one guitar in particular I would have just made my own or gladly pay the ebay dude for an already cut out template. What I was hoping for was to find a resources where I could scan through as many templates as possible, mix & match, and try to come up with something new.

Your first post was provocative and confrontational. Now you're surprised people didn't just say "Yes new poster who's been here for less than a month, you have provided us with wisdom our collective 4000+ membership did not have until you just posted this thread! Thank you for that contribution! "????? I mean, c'mon. Get a grip.

As for the topic of the thread, there are free plans available, and you don't have to donate anywhere. Check the MIMF, there is a library there (if you register - which is free) which contains a large number of plans for various instruments, original and existing. Also, guitarbuild.com has CAD diagrams for a number of instruments too. Between those sites off the top of my head that gives you around 100 different drawings to go from. What more do you need?

Oh, and next time, lurk a while on a forum before you post threads like these.

hi, there is nothing dubious, i just want the guitar to look half decent for my own sake, i have no intentions of letting this go, the thing is, i am a complete novice, so what you have said, has gone straight over my head, thanks for the quick response though.

Well, just don't go putting a Gibson logo on the headstock. That'll get you flamed beyond belief on here, and it's a pretty stupid thing to do.

Step 1: Take the strings off.

Step 2: Take the tuners off (there'll be a mounting screw on the back of the headstock, that needs to come out, and then there'll be the bushing on the front that needs to come off too)

Step 3: Lightly sand the headstock overlay until the indent is gone.

Step 4: Add your new decal (they should have come with instructions

Step 5: Spray or brush on a new finish on the headstock (there are plenty of threads on these forums covering finishes, search for them).

Then put it back together again.

Hi everyone, i'm new to this site, so please bear with me, i was wondering if anyone could offer any help or advice. I have recently come across a Gibson J-200 copy, and the logo that was on the headstock was coming away, so i took it off completely, or rather, it crumbled away, the thing is is has left a slight indent as to where it had been, now all i want to do is fill it in, and replace the decal, but i am a complete novice and have never tried anything like this, so please could someone advise me on what i could try and do to resolve this problem. Happy New Year to all.

below is a link to a picture of the headstock, and no, i dont want any decals, i have my own, thanks anyway.

http://images.kodakgallery.eu.com/photos21...24133_0_ALB.jpg

Dubious, but hey. Destring, take the tuners off, sand flush, put on decal, refinish.

Search these forums for a 'router thicknessing jig' It'll be exactly the solution you need.

Or click here if you don't wanna search

Hey Melvyn when the cedar trees in my yard die you can have em. I'm waiting till the maple finishes dieing

Why wait??? Chainsaw rampage.....................

QUESTION #1: You can have FOUR (and only FOUR) router bits, which ones do you choose (be specific)?

I'd choose from Routerbits.com:

#2006 - 1/2" shank, 1/4" roundover bit (for body edge)

K41 - 1/4" Shank, 1/2" cutting length template guided cutter (for cavities/pickups)

#3023 - 1/2" Shank, 2" cutting length template guided cutter (for outside of the body)

and forth, from StewMac:

Binding Router Bit set, for some fancy binding.

QUESTION #2: You can have FOUR (and only FOUR) additional tools besides the one's mentioned above (be specific). Each of these 4 tools can NOT individually cost over $50.00.

I'd buy tools like a fret file, nut slotting saw, nut files and radiusing blocks. You have every conventional power tool I think you'd need, and then some.

I gotta ask...

Are you guys really typing 'ginger' or are you actually typing 'ass' and it's just getting automatically translated somehow?

And if you're really typing 'ginger', then you're referring to the Ginger on Gilligan's island, right?

ass = A*S*S

ginger = g*i*n*g*e*r.

question solved

this site isnt interested in philosophies, just what others have done >jab< j/k

If someone can provide a well reasoned philosophy, I think this site is more than happy to listen. Some of your previous philosophies (particularly around grain orientation in necks) have been somewhat lacking in explanation, and just contradictory/unclear.

To satisfy my own curiousity, is it possible to veneer onto compound curves like a carved top?

I've just got my Xmas bonus from work & would like to get myself a bandsaw for cutting out bodies & necks. I'm very limited on space so I might have to reconsider as yet but I just wanted to know what things I should be considering.

If I want to be ripping long lengths of timber, does blade depth have much influence or blade speed or is it more to do with the quality of the blades?

Same goes for cutting out shapes...what to consider.

um.....anything really just to help me cut through the jargon & look at what's important.

cheers

If you're looking for a resaw bandsaw, you want at least a 14" with a riser kit, that's pretty much the smallest that will still have the capability to resaw maple tops etc.. If I remember correctly you're in the UK? Selection isn't anywhere near as good as in the US, but places like Axminster and others carry a fair line.

Might want to ask Jammy, I seem to remember him just setting up a shop, I think he's got a Record Bandsaw, but not 100% on that.

MATT i can't wait to see that 8 finished!

I'm skinhead of ss.org, i recomend you a lot, 'cause i like your works.

Keep constructing alive!

Do you mean recommending in terms of people looking to order custom guitars?

Why not just drop a few bucks and get a new neck blank, and do a standard scarf joint?

It won't cost you much, and if you carry on with this one, you'll just end up more and more frustrated as the project goes on, and you'll always notice it.

i'm not sure ive read all these reply's correctly but here goes

i read guitar mags all the time but do i belive all the equipment reveiws??? absolutly not

why because they are biased

what does that have to do with this thread... its called i read between the lines

yes there are mostly "newbies" in this forum and they could not post the correct answers

to many (if any) questions that people may ask but that does not mean they cant post

i toataly understand Cris's frustration here. there are a lot of negative replys to peoples posts

Perry,Setch,Drak (and many others) had to start somewhere. and i WILL NOT question their abillitys

but negative replies do not help the learning process it restricts them

who cares about the other forums at the moment lets talk about this one

its base is not made of pro's and i dont think it was Brian's itentions for it to be all for pro's

unless i read this wrong...http://www.projectguitar.com/menu/about.htm

untill recently i had only 2 builds under my belt one is so so the other is good

now i build 50 hours a week does that make me a pro? well yes and no

when i posted the "you decide post" http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=26490

i had some slightly negative reply's

i was not asking for someone to design for me. just what people wanted to see

as i have the means/time/and experiance to pull it off in that amount of time

in reality it could be 2 weeks or less (without the finish) i was doing for fun to make a "collective" build

but its not happening now why "negativity"

My point is this Stop hurting and start helping the "newbies on this site

if your a pro then guide if not just read and absorb

remember Santa aint **** without his reindeer

P.S this rant is not about anyone person just the forum as a hole

I've just read the entirety of that thread you posted, there is incredibly little negativity in there. You even got an "in the nicest way I can" from Drak, which is far less blunt than he's known for. What negativity on there made you stop building? From that thread you never mentioned not doing the build, never raised an issue of negativity in the thread, you just stopped posting updates. You're not asking for any suggestions other than body shape, so it's hardly an 'interactive' build.

That said, I understand what some of you guys are saying about letting people voice their opinion and make suggestions on stuff, and I'm all for it, but there are some things where it is DANGEROUS for poor information to be propagated. For example, a certain tutorial used to exist that was incredibly unsafe, and could have resulted in people being seriously injured should they follow it. That's where the murky waters come in. It's all a balance, between avoiding that kind of stuff and encouraging people to discuss/share opinion. I'd hate to have newbies unable to post at all because they've cut off all their fingers following poor advice.

Wes, Setch was made a mod a while back. I think he still holds moderator access privileges. I think you missed that during your absence. Good to have you back by the way, the board can alwayas do with more voices of experience (and in the case of this thread, sanity).

How many guitars have you built? Show us some of your previous work.

Are you working on this full-time or do you have another job?

I don't mean to be too negative, but if you don't know where to start on improvements to that spec (i.e. adjustable truss rod, no need for roller nut and bridge if no trem, bridge string spacing is incredibly narrow, and nut is rather wide), then you shouldn't be taking the build on, let alone charging for it. It's different if it's a friend, but not if it's just an acquaintance as you say.

Just tell everyone that you're adding a patented LamBoard for extra strength and stability, ensuring that your guitars retain the optimum playing surface far longer than any competitors puny offerings.

I think it's time for me to move into marketing.....

As for why I replaced the fretboard, I bought it for 400 dollars along with the neckplate. The guitar had been in a fire and the body was too bad to use. The guy who had it replaced the fingerboard, but he had no idea what he was doing, the fingerboard was more like a veneer when he was done so I took that off and replaced it with a nice thick piece of brazilian rosewood, I would have slotted the fingerboard first but I wanted a perticular part of the grain to go on the neck. I've still searching my options on how I'm going to do the slotting, as of right now I'm planning on marking where the nut is going to go and then measureing down from there and doing the slots by hand. I had the job quoted and it was going to be 800 dollars for a new fretboard so I figured why not try for myself. If you want I'll post some pics let me know.

Maybe next time, just draw the taper on the board how it's going to be on the next, and adjust that so that the piece of grain is in the right place. Then slot the board, then radius it, then attach it to the neck. You've just made life way more difficult for yourself than it needs to be, and you could probably have avoided it by searching these forums. If I were you, I'd steam off the board (there are tutorials for that on the main site), do the slotting on a flat surface (get the stewmac fret slotting jig), then radius and glue back on.

You've also pretty much destroyed any resale value that 59 strat neck had, unless you get a pro to repair the job. Don't take this too personally, just sounds like you didn't really plan it too well.

Show pics though, I'm sure others will chime in.

I remember that thread.....how many of the 12 finally made it through? I seem to remember at least 3/4 feeding the WOD?

Love that steerhead though, and that first photo is awesome - great subject matter, but actually a really good clean photo too. Looks like you're more than just a great luthier

From the grain pattern that piece looks like flatsawn maple. I'd be sure it was nice and dry before making a guitar out of it. It could go to warp city in a few months. But than again, it could be fine.

Yes, because Fender's had an awful problem with them all the time they've been using them.....

I'm wary of radiusing & slotting my fretboards, so I've tried to get some from Stew Mac. I got one a few months ago that was pretty nice, so I ordered 2 more recently and they're both very disappointing. The first was half pink, half brown with spotting and the second (actually a replacement for the first) was nice other than some rather severe tearout at the second fret.

Is it usually this hard to get a decent board from them? Should I just keep trying (and racking up the shipping charges )??

Is there a way to fix some tearout in Indian Rosewood? The only problem is that I'm wary of sanding it too much and screwing up the radius or making the slots too shallow. Can I steam it out like you would a ding in other woods?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Take it up with StewMac, their customer service is really good. They'll probably replace the board with tear-out. If you showed photos it might help us advise you better.

You can also get plans for a proper router radiusing set-up from http://www.cthluthiery.com/

I got them myself a little while back, and they seem great, I'm in the process of building one.

I have 2 questions:

1. How many guitars have you made?

2. What are you looking for in a guitar that makes you think it'd need to be 4" thick, hollow or not?

If the answer to the first question is zero, the advice round here always used to be start simple, then when you can do that, move up in difficulty. Learn to make a wheel before you reinvent it.

If you can't provide a decent answer to point 2, look at the answer for point 1.