Workingman

Looking good. great project.

I just Googled "Gotoh tune-o-matic bridge" and got around 50 responses. Stewart McDonald is a reliable source.

How is Wonder-Girl's guitar coming?

Does that mean you lost access to a shop? If so that sucks.

Your choice of bridges will be limited by the neck angle and string spacing. The strings have to be the proper height off the body so they align with the neck angle. The strings have to fit evenly on the neck from side to side. For a first project, I would stick with a tune-o-matic. I have had good luck with Gotoh. I think your Epi is metric but check.

Nice and clean!

the head stock looks good. maybe a tiny bit smaller but looks good

With 8 strings it is hard to make the head stock proportional to a guitar's and keep a traditional guitar shape.

I have two so I checked. With Gotoh tuners center to center is 1.4". With open "elephant ear" style they are 1.8".

Wow!

That looks amazing. The bone end pins will mellow ith age and look perfect.

That top looks like lava that has almost cooled off to be solid but not quite.

That looks nice. Question, why did you not use neck screws with a smaller head so they fit the countersink in the neck plate?

Did you remember to click your heels while saying it?

I've been jonesing for a mandolin for a while too. I'd have to re-tune it like a guitar so I could play it. At that point, I might as well add 2 more strings and just make it an octave guitar.

No tune it in 5ths. It is easier to larn than you would think but it does make you think differently about music. That is a good thing in my book.

I have been thinking of making an electric mandolin for a while. I thought of making a tele shaped one but an LP may be more practicle. I will be following this thread with interest.

That is going to be one sweet looking guitar when you are done.

Tried the above, it didn't work. This is a great resource and I am happy to help.

Nice review, very nice bass. Glad to hear the pre-amp is working.

This is just beautiful, Scott. I just love your back carves! They make the instrument seem so completed and organic. I will definitely be doing something similar on my next build.

Also loving the through-body F hole is coming out. The bevels on the front are a cool touch, they really give it a lot of depth.

Don't knock cheap and old. I am both. It looks great. I am with you to forge ahead witht he dye job.

Now if I could just train that termite to chew out the truss rod channel in necks I would be happy

Time for some genetic engineering.

This has been a great build thread with a great guitar at the end. You should be very pleased.

Awesome. I need to add a lapsteel to a list of things to build. I just need to get over my fear of getting my finger stuck in the slide and having to amputate it... but maybe that's just me...

What woods? How does it sound?

Use a glass slide then you can break it off, the slide not the finger. Truth is lap players frequently use different kind of slide that you hold rather than put over your finger.

You could always pot the pickups you have. That would be the cheapest way to go. Do a search here or on the web for instructions.

That is looking sweet. Say hello to Bear for me and let him have a scratching post next time

I ordered an under-saddle transducer once. It took a while to get here but the quality was good and the price was very cheap. When it didn't arrive in the time frame they said I e-mailed them and got good support.