chops1983

Nice work carl its looking great for a first build. Mate, neck angle is very easy, you have two options. Rout your neck pocket with angle or put the angle on your heel. To me it looks like a bolt-on neck so i would rout your neck angle into your neck pocket. My advice is this. Grab a pencil,eraser, a nice long ruler if you got it and a piece of paper and draw a side on view of your guitar. It's discussed in Perry's neck angle thread here that way you will get a full understanding of the angle you need and what is going on. Just remember when your drawing it out to include your fret height line off you fretboard and to set your T-O-M to around the halfway mark on its posts so you will have adjustment. Once you have worked out your angle and how much the back of the pocket is higher than the front i just pack the back of my MDF template so that the gap at the back of the pocket is the required distance so when you rout, the neck pocket is sloped. If your having any problems i can draw it out some illustrations for you to help you visualise it, otherwise just trawl the forums, there will be heaps of info on this. Chad.

I think it is timber, stained black as Wez said to get in all the highs and lows and then sanded back, obviously it will only wear down the high spots. On another inspection the back is black so maybe the whole thing got painted black and then sanded back. What do you mean by metal paintings?

I really like Firebirds! One of my favourite guitars ever. Its where i drew inspiration for my 6 in line, upside down headstock. Great work from both of you!

John, i really like this build mate, it is looking the goods. So, Take this next bit with a grain of salt. I know you dig the, wanna do things different and kinda retro thing, i am in the same mindset of different, but i think with the 4 pickups, the tailpiece, the pickguard and all the other retro fittings it will detract from the awesome details this build has got going for it. The scrollsaw work with the Japanese vine design and the fingerboard outline of canarywood and walnut and the walnut laminate in the scarf are all fantastic little details that make this build somewhat different. IMO a great build needs to flow, beautiful timber, great finish, appropriate hardware etc. etc. If it was my build from here i would keep the hardware minimalistic. But like i said, take it with a grain of salt, i know where you are getting your inspiration from for this build. It is looking great though! Chad.

Yeah, got a spare 2 maybe 3 days?

On first glimpse i thought the same thing. Etched or cnc routed, its hard to say but they have done a really good job on it. I think Wez could be on the money to with the dye black sand back the high spots call.

Nice Slippers John! Oh and the inlays look good too...

To help you visualize it, draw the two ends of the fretboards with the radiuses you want and start the curve at the required centre thickness of the fretboard from a straight line which would simulate the bottom. If your nut width is less(43mm) with a tighter radius(10inch) than your last fret (57mm and 16inches) the edges should even out. Put pen to paper and let us know your results.

Great month guys. Zulu: This got my vote this month. I like explorers but there was something about this one that appealed to me. Mike, i think you did a great job on matching the neck with the carving, your clever little cavity covers and most of all i love the carving on the back. It gives this build history and a story to tell. Great Job. Paulie: Nice build mate as i would expect from you. The textured material finish isn't really my thing. I know the back isn't very important but the chrome and large cutaway i found weird I really like the strings through the body look instead of a tailpiece and the jack mounted in the cavity cover is pretty clever aswell. Crow: Looks like a great job and your workmanship looks topnotch. I really dislike the inlays though, very cheap and tacky IMO It kind of ruined it for me. Cool Finish! Restor: Great build but not really my cuppa tea. Im not sure on the headstock shape. Looks like a definate player though! Madhat: Very cool build, simplicity is the key of this one and it looks great. I am a fan of a logo or an inlay in the headstock though otherwise it just looks plain. Avengers: Great build John, your best to date i feel. Not much i don't like about it really. I'm curious though, are the bindings scraped flush or is it the reflection? Hitone: Cool build mate. Im not really sure of how much work goes into one of these but it looks like alot. Im not even gonna offer any advice on what could be done better because im way out of my league and I speak for myself when i say this, but a build like this probably doesn't get the appreciation it should on this site. Sound clips perhaps? Strandberg: Cool concept and i love the originality of design and the innovation of your hardware. For me I wouldn't play a guitar that looks like this, not my style really, but i like the use of timber and your crafstmanship. Is there any advantage to the 1/2 inch scale difference between the bass and treble side? Notyou: Man your guitars are more art than anything else. I really dig the way you go about your work. I couldn't gig with one, but it would be an awesome talking point hanging on the wall. Don't get me wrong i would still play it. The knobs look blue, im not sure they are, maybe its just the photo but black or dark brown would look better IMO. Metalhead: No introduction needed, exactly what i would expect from you...excellence! But,... im not really a fan of the colour. A black cavity cover and pickups for me please and it would be pretty hard to beat. Chef: Really nice for a first build. Wood knobs are not my thing and the horns look a little elongated other than that the claro walnut looks beautiful. Wow probably the longest post ever from me. Till next month! Chad.

Hey your around? What time is it there? Im Just having some brekkie before work and hitting the forum as my regular routine. Yeah mate, i was desperate not to have to sandback again as it has been mentally draining on me. So i tried naptha first to see if that would help and then i thought to just wipe some shellac. I had nothing to lose as i was almost certain i would have rub back anyway. Before my eyes it disappeared! I will scuff the shellac before the clear goes on but as you say careful careful. Thanks for your help man. Chad.

Just quickly on another note while i got you all here. The temp is 20 deg C or 68 deg F, What temp is to cold to spray clear coats?

Hey Guys, Thanks for all the feedback. It is sorted now. I ended up wiping some shellac over the blushing which obviously blended the old coat in. I wasn't aware of leaving the colour for 24 hours to dry either which wouldn't of helped. I can understand if i was using water stains to let it dry, hence why i was using alchohol to help with the time period. But now i know and next time ill leave plenty of time between stages. I will also take your advice into account Drak when im shooting the clear and cover those holes. The finish isn't quite as nice as the first time i did it but its pretty close to where i want it. It may be a little on the dark side now but its not bad. Thanks again, especially from the more eperienced guys. Chad.

Hey Guys, I'm having problems with shellac as a sealer coat, after spraying the stain burst im spraying the shellac to lock the colour in. Here's a pic I'm not sure why its doing it as i've been using 2 and a half year old shellac no prob's and then this morning i mixed some fresh stuff, the first time i sprayed this fresh shellac it was fine and now the last two times its done this . Yes i have sanded back and bursted 3 times today as i wasn't happy the first 2 times. Im at the end of my tether. Im thinking its moisture but im draining the regulator regularly and ive been using alchohol not water with the stain. Also why is it just in those spots? Guys if you can help me with info i would be very grateful, im not sure i want to rub it all back for this to happen again. Its 18 degrees celsius outside if that could be an issue. Thanks Chad.

Sounds good. Looks like you have had experience with setups etc before. Checkout the build threads in the forum and ask any questions when they come up. Just be certain on the neck angle issue, as it may have been a factory custom that had been made with neck angle to match the floyd. Goodluck and post up some pics when your done. Chad.

What he said. What was your method John? Was it all done on the scroll saw or was there some cleaning up with files, sandpaper etc?

Thanks for the words of support fellas. I was trying to do the old blend with dyes and stuff yesterday but its just not the same. I will strip it down and start from scratch and not level sand until twice as many coats. Kill - Yeah im using a gun, this stuff doesn't flash off it just goes sticky and then hardens so i had a few issues with runs. I mix 100ml and it goes along way. 2-3 passes around the entire body but as i hang it up to dry the finish sags where its too thick creating runs. Ill get there, just sussing the stuff out. Neno- thanks! Restor- Yeah patience is the key, this build has been going so long in my head, that i just want to get it done to move onto other projects i got. I went travelling for six months which also sucked alot of funds for parts etc slowing me down enormously. Goodluck with your strip back i hope it works for you Supple- That sucks buddy, how did you ever forgive her I can imagine how you felt at that moment to, that empty feeling of anger and pain in your stomach. I was being so careful sanding real slow wiping and checking everywhere i was sanding and then boom! Ive invested alot of time and love into this build so i just want to get it right. If i get another rub through though its on the fire Drak style Chad.

Well i wish i was coming to you guys with some finished pics of this guitar, but ive had a few setbacks. I had a rub through to the coloured burst on the first attempt when i was sanding away that newspaper. So i stripped the top and started from scratch. Today i was level sanding the second attempt and hit colour again . It's fair to say im trying to keep the finish thin, but this is the first time ive used this 2k stuff and its not going on as thick as ive heard it can. I pretty much wanted to chuck the whole thing in the bin this arvo, but ive got to look on the bright side, im getting plenty of practice at bursting and spraying clear and refining my techniques...or something like that. Chad.

Its like throwing a chip into a flock of seagulls this thread, members chirping in everywhere I will agree with a bolt on for a first, i did it and got my neck angle slightly shallow on my first, but with a bolt on it was an easy fix, shimmed up and it was all good. Technically bolt on should be called screwed on. If you do decide on a set neck though, it is easy to check you have the right neck angle before you glue in your neck. Just insert the neck into the hopefully nice and snug pocket and lay your TOM bridge on the guitar top at the right location for your scale length, lay a straight edge along the top of your frets, passing over your bridge. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you would probably be looking for a 2-4mm gap between the straight edge and the slot of your saddles. But, you do need to work out how much adjustment your TOM posts allow and aim for roughly halfway(maybe abit less so you don't have the TOM flying way above your guitar top like i see so many production guitars have). That way you can adjust the bridge up and down to get the action you want. But i will say this, make sure you put pencil to paper and draw you build out to scale with a front view and a side view so you can get measurements, angles off of it whilst your building. This will also help you understand how the neck will hit the body, at what angle and where etc. so you can understand what joint you would prefer. As most of the members on this site have clearly pointed out, they will help you with almost any question they can answer and they are passing on their experiences with the advice they are giving. Chad.

Thanks for the info Restor. I always knew that to much pressure was just as important than not enough, but i did not realize it would be hard to reach too much pressure with regular woodworking clamps. Also the number of clamps was an interesting one, I always see on this site guys with 50 clamps hanging off their guitar bodies when they're gluing their tops down. Ive had success with using up to a dozen clamps so i always thought it was silly, but depending on the clamp you need x amount to reach the pressures stated above. I generally try to use cauls to spread clamp pressure as i don't have many clamps at hand, but i will definately go buy some more. Cheers, Chad.

Sounds cool Ed. Welcome to the forum

Wes, whats the benefit of stainless steel over nickel silver for electrics? Sorry to hijack, but atleast the question is still about frets

I was thinking more towards a tweet than a chirp! But i could be wrong.

Was the neck a snug fit into the neck route? Is the neck even straight since the repair? It looks to me that the neck may have been a sloppy fit and when you have glued it back in it wasn't alligned. In other words if you were looking down the fretboard from the body to the headstock it runs off to the right. Suggested fix im not sure because i cant really tell whats going on. Better pics showing the whole guitar and down the fretboard etc may help.

Me too!

Abit of an update. Angled the heel a little and sorted the action issue. Neck glued in awhile ago really, haven't updated in ages. Started the finishing process, neck has one coat of tung oil, i love that stuff,wipe on with a rag and it sets hard in no time. I got the satin finish tung oil and it feels silky smooth. Ive also started to shoot clear today, picked a **** of a day really, no wind dead quiet...and then a gust and i have to run back inside the shed for cover. Had a small mishap with a stray hair and then a piece of newspaper so i had to abort spraying the top and focus on the sides, back and headstock. Never mind will scuff sand them out and continue on. So to finish this sucker, i sprayed the back and sides a nice solid chocolate brown, which is very close to the dark streaks in the grain of the teak. I didn't keep the back natural because i felt it would look to busy with the top. The top and headstock got a slight burst to marry the front and back of the guitar, sprayed directly onto the timber with some walnut and a drop of black stain and then sealed with John's favourite, shellac, to lock the colour in. A couple of pics of what its looking like, everyone says this but the colour doesn't look quite the same in the photo's but the shot of the headstock is probably the closest representation. Cheese! You can make me out grinning in this shot. Im really impressed with this finish, on the edges where the build is thick it is like a sheet of glass. The fella at the paint shop said he would highly doubt if i need to level sand and buff with this stuff, i was skeptical but maybe not, time will tell.