matthew bryan

Hello all, I have a tele neck template. I want more frets on it .....with no fretboard overhang. I was wondering how many frets will fit (and not right up to the very edge....with around 1/4 to 1/8" of space left at the end of the neck) on the template if I use a gibson preslotted fretboard? I understand the scale length is different and that is ok....I have been wanting to try a shorter scale length anyway. Was going to use a stewmac preslotted fretboard. I know it does not have a nut slot but this is ok I want to use a floyd locking nut on this build. I really do not want 24 frets with this build but would like 22. The telel template give a good looking 21 fret neck. Was wanting the extra fret and wanted to see if I could get it comfortably with a shorter scale fretboard. Thanks for the info. Matthew

Hello all, I was looking at the floyd rose copy that stewmac sells. Looking at the nut hardware it looks like you have to drill two holes from the back side of the neck for attaching the nut. Do you know if this is the only option? I have seen floyds on guitars that do not have these holes from the back side rather they attache from the top with small wood screws. Do the schaller (sp) floyds that stewmac sells have other holes and extra screws so you can attach the nut from the top or do I have do buy a different nut?

Hello all, I know Carvin and Mesa makes a few versions of an all tube rack mount power amps for guitar but I have not seen any others that do. Do you know of any other companies that make them? Thanks Matthew

Hello all, They are as follows: 1. Headless Floyd Rose Speedloader trem chrome: This I bought used off of the bay a while back for future use on a build I never got around too. This is the headless trem that takes the bullet end strings. All parts are here and in very good shape. No scratches or missing chrom, etc. It has the trem, wammy bar, springs, spring claw and screws, nut and screws, bushings and posts, three packs of strings, set of installation and set up inscructions, and all allen wrenches. I am asking $200 firm and you pay shipping. 2. Behringer Vamp Pro rack mount modleing and effects processor: Brand new in the box. Never been mounted;no scratches or dings. I plugged it in my computer once. It has very good universal sounds and effects which are quite good as well. It has a power cord and the instruction manual is in the box with it. The reason I am selling it is that it is just too much for me......I want to have a few pedals that it is it. I am asking $150 firm and you pay shipping. 3. Fender Princton 112 plus amp: This is a 1x12" combo amp that I have had for playing in my home. It has never been giged around and has no scratches or dents. Everything works on the amp. It comes with a foot switch and instruction manual. It has two channels and spring reverb. I am getting rid of it because I want a 2x12 combo. I am asking $150 firm and you pay shipping. Please PM me if you are interested in these.

Thanks for all the info guys. I am going to get some stewmac templates and see what I can cook up.

Hello all, Any one here have any experience installing a Floyd from scratch? If so I have a few questions for you. I did some searching and found multiple threads on topics with floyds but I could not find any pictures of installation or complete description of the process. 1. What is your procedrue...I know broad question here but it is a start. 2. Which routing templates do you use if any....Stewmac, homemade...etc 3. I want to install a recessed one. I know the Floyd site has deminsions that you need to follow. But with those how deep does the neck pocket need to be for good action? 4. If recessed do I need a neck angle? If you guys have any pictures to of your process or links to them please let me know. Thanks for any info. Matthew

Thanks for the reply. I guess I can double stick tape the fretboard down to my flat work bench, put two pieces of wood next to the fretboard that are thicker than the fretboard, get another piece of wood to span the fretboard and run a pattern bit over the top to route the channel. Can't just clamp a straight edge to it the boards are pre-radiused. Thanks Matthew

bump....

Hello, I am going to get a preslotted fretboard from stewmac for my next build. It will have a floyd on it so it will have a locking nut. I was wondering if any of you have done this? I was either going to build a jig for my router to set on so I can route the nut area from the top or try to set something up on my drill press to route the correct path out so the nut will fit. Any recommendations......or better yet pictures of your set up? Thanks for any info Matthew

I really like the Schecter Hellraiser Bass shape......for some reason I can not paste the link...... I would love to find a guitar with the same shape so I can build one. I really like the sleak lines. The off-set bottom end is just enough......not too much. Soo.........if you guys know of a guitar that has this shape let me know so I can try to build it!

Hello all, I have a Mexican Strat that I have owned for years. It is my main guitar for all things electric. I have always left both tone nobs all the way up...or to say it another way at 10. Do most people cut these out of the circuit so they do not do anything, change them to something else, actually use them while playing, etc.... I guess I figures once I found my sound between the volume I am playing on the guitar and the various pedals, amp eq's, etc then I left well enough alone. But now am wondering if I am missing out on something. Thanks for any info

Hello all, I need to replace my nut on my Strat. I was wondering if all Strat's have a radiusd nut slot? Mine is a Mexican strat. Would it be the same radius as the fret board? Also, while I am on the topic if it is a radiused slot how do you guys go about doing that (radiusing the nut bottom that is)? Do you draw the appropriate radius and sand to the line?....if the nut slot is the same as the board I coud rough it in, put some tape on the board, get some sand paper and radius the bottom using the board as a template. Thanks for the info.. Matthew

Yea I understand about the free thing......doesn't hurt to ask. I will check out the site you recommended.

Hello all, I have been looking around and have found a few free drum loops that I can play in audacity. The only thing is I can not find any loops with intro, outro, or fills that match. I only get loops with the main rythem. This is good for practice and keeping time but want to make a complet song if I can. I guess this is what you get when you buy software. I can not play drums so recording my own or making some on a drum machine is kind of out for me. Was wondering if you know of any loops that are out there that have the main rythem, fills, and other things as a package or at least together in one place. I was just going to piece them together to make a complete song(s) to play with. Thanks. Matthew

Very good discussion. I have only made one guitar from 'scratch' (can be seen here on the forum). It took me ~3.5 years from paper to final setup. That time was very long but included kids and the general life everyone of us leads. Many, many, many times I was frustrated and or nervous and told myself to stop and do exactly what you are suggesting. I did make a MDF and plywood prototype and purchased a pawn shop special to gut and take apart for learning. This was prior to jumping into the real project. During the build I told family and coworkers that I should have used cheaper materials and moved along the learning curve better. But as with all things my eyes were bigger than my ability and I had to get the beautiful woods that I used. Luckly it came out all right in my opinion. Sure there are things that can be better with it. I agree the route one should take is what you suggest prior to going into the 100% scratch building mode. I admit it is hard to do for myself. I reasearched all the steps heavily here and other places. Planned, read books, videos, etc.... I performed the steps that I was comfortable doing. I did not cut fret slots, radius the fretboard, or make the bridge on that first guitar (accoustic-electric). Those were the steps that were just out of my reach on the learning curve at the time.....and still is for that matter....but in time I will get there. Again I agree with your point and because I went through that same senerio recommend exactally what you are promoting. On the oher hand, feeling comfortable and knowing your limitations to tackle processes is ok. One has to understand and not get too discuroged when you mess up.....get back on the horse kind of thing. I am very proud of what I acomplished and it hangs on my wall today. Most people will not see the mistakes I made.....I know them, learned from them, and next time will put out a better and better product. Thanks again for all the input and discussion. This is why I come here. Matthew

Thanks for all the info... I will put the spruce top cap on then put a figured veneer on top of that. When I round over the edge it will create a faux binding. No sold on this. It would be cheaper to just veneer the body and bind the guitar. Just thought it was different. Also, the spruce is soft. I will look for a harder light colored wood for this around the same price range. The veneer can be anything...quilt maple, burl ect.....what ever I can find that looks good. I completely understand about shipping. That is why I did not go there yet. I still have the process of optimizing that effort. Multiple suppliers vs one or two sources for cost effictiveness. Lastly I did not put the cost for a case either. I was just dealing with the guitar. Thanks for the info!!

Hello all, I would ask the here if I am on the right track. Below are my current researched costs (no shipping included) for building my next guitar. I wanted to know if the number is in the "ball park" from you guys. By the way, I looked around and I did not see any rules for not posting prices. I know the mimf had some issues with this. So if I am out of line here I am sorry. I hope the formatting comes out or this will get messy! Here goes.... Please reference the following: Tele type $$ Where notes neck blank $15.00 warmoth fret board $25.65 stewmac tuners $30.00 carvin/guitarfetish will vary nut $3.82 stewmac string tees $5.37 stewmac/guitarfetish side dots $5.50 stewmac frets $5.22 stewmac neck plate $4.00 universal jem neck bolts $4.00 stewmac truss rod $15.09 stewmac body blank $87.50 warmoth mahog veneer(s) $20.00 ?? estimate top cap $20.00 LMI binding $0.00 2 pick ups $130.00 ??? will vary selector switch $9.00 universal jem 2 nobs $6.00 carvin capacitors $5.00 anywhere pots $4.00 universal jem bridge $46.00 warmoth humb. Tele saddles $0.00 pick guard $0.00 control back plate $8.00 carvin jack $3.64 stewmac/universal jem String ferrules $5.30 warmoth wire $8.00 radio shack Strap buttons $4.00 carvin/guitarfetish finish $35.00 ?? will vary 2 packs of strings $18.00 local CA or other glue $6.00 local will vary misc $20.00 total $549.09 These prices were taken from the websites as listed. Estimates are just that and noted and again no shipping included. The goal is to make a guitar with decent quality parts/wood but still be able to afford them! I did not factor tools, templates, or other smaller items (sand paper, etc). I have those for this type of guitar. Also, some of the items above will make more than one guitar(side dots, glue, etc) but this is a gross estimation or worst case or built in fat type of number. The design is that I will use a top cap of A grade spruce (for cream faux binding) or walnut ( for dark faux binding) and cover this with a figured veneer if needed or called for. I can also put a 'normal' top cap depending on what I find. The guitar will be lightly chambered as well. I have seen this done by Mr. Myka who comes here as well and it looks good. I am not experienced enough to begin to estimate what tonal qualities this will impart on the sound of the instrument. This is not a 'parts' guitar. I will be making the neck and body. I will not cut fret slots though......I am not set up or confident to do that yet. I do not have a jointer, planer, or drum sander to get raw wood for cost reduction either. Also, I might build 2 to 4 guitars a year so bulk purchase is not too good of an option either. I will finish the instrument myself and have a small spray set up that I can use. So with all that .....what do you think.....do the costs above Thanks

Thanks for the info. I will try some of these. I also did some more searching and found a plan. Thanks always for the input.

Hello all, I am wondering if I can get a PRS mccarty or Schecter C1 3x3 headstock template or picture (with tuners off)? I am not going to use the shape, I just want the hole spacing. I like the way it is almost straight from nut to tuner. Thanks

Nope, no hole on this one. I did do that on the prototype but left it off on this one. Sorry did not know about the mug thing you mentioned.....must be some advertisement for kodak or something. I am extremely suprised how much it sounds like an acoustic instrument plugged into my amp. I was expecting it to sound more like an electric guitar on a clean setting. It has exceeded my expectations on the sound when plugged in.

Finally!!!!!!! The specs.... Mahogany body from exoticwoods.com(chambered on either side with ~3 inch wide strip from top to bottom) Redwood top (from Bob) rosewood bridge (allparts) maple neck from exoticwoods.com rosewood fingerboard (stewmac) Goto locking tuners from allparts ebony headstock cap (LMI) black plastic binding bolt on neck with truss rod adjustment at the heel dots are on the side and are MOP Fender scale length Fishman acoustic matrix pickup total thickness 2 1/8" back control route via stewmac templates neck and neck pocket templates from guitarbuildingtemplets.com body design .....from my Takamine and squished around till I liked it Headstock design......original idea from MJ guitars (the cut out) and the rest morphed from my takamine and a Schecter electric picture until I liked it. Finish is non-grained filled, Rockhard varnish wiped on and using micromesh until last grit to buff Here is the link to the pictures http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.j...67_499311302211 Hope you can see them. This has been about 3 years in the making....which is sad I know.....but it is finally done! Yep 3 years from when I put to paper, made a plywood and MDF prototype to the final product. The thing really sounds good! I am being biased of course but I am surprised at how it sounds like an acoustic guitar through my amp. Things I should have paid more attention to..... Neck is way, way too thick. I used a 1" round over but in a table to round over the neck. Used 50 grit belt off of a belt sander to "shoe shine" to a more round curve. I should have taken more measurements from my guitars to get a better feel of the thickness at nut and body joint but was nervous about getting into the truss rod route. The other is the finish. Should have taken more time and grain filled, and practiced the buffing process. Do not get me wrong I LOVE the look. But I think I can step it up a notch with a proper gloss finish job. Do not think I will do another headstock like this one. I do like it a lot because it is a different look. The time it took to handle it though may not be worth it. Thanks to all here for all the help. I have received some great advice here and other forums and have used every bit! Keep teaching and sharing. Matthew

Hello all, I would like to use Tru-oil as a finish on my guitar. The only negitive I see around is that it is not as hard or scratch resistant as other finishes. I was wondering if you could mix in some.....say Minwax polyurthane in it to give it a harder and more scratch resistant quallity? Thoughts?

Thegearman, ....I live in Lake Charles. I am going to send it back and get the aluminum one. That one will not rust.

Hello all, I purchased a straight edge from Leevalley (24" steel). I read reviews here and other places that it was a good tool for the money. I recieved it in good order and upon opening it up I put a coat of paste wax on it. This my standard to all my steel equipment that I own (table saw top, drill press table, etc). My shop is one of the bays on my 3 car garage with no temp or humidity control. I have had no issues with the other equipment other than yearly reapplication of the wax. Just a few days of hanging in the garage has sprouted surface rust where my fingers were so you can guess my dissapointment. So I thought to tackle it another way and purchased the Top Saver chemical from Rocker (upon reading positive reviews). It did remove the surface rust well and I followed the direcitons with plastic gloves on. Well it has sprouted rust again and I am not very happy. Am I handleing the care of this tool wrong or is it purly the environment it is in? Do you guys all have conditioned shops or do you just store all of your fine tools in the house and handle them with gloves? I live in Louisianal where it is pretty much 100% humid all the time. Any advice here for a frustrated first timer or are you going to tell me I should have purchased the alumnium one????? Thanks!

MJ guitars has an intersting view on this idea. Look them up and you will see what I mean.