Crusader

You certainly have that right and thank you for your good words Yes I have tried that but the binding seems to shrink and/or stretch so all the pre-shaping is out the window, that's my experience at least. By the way I use a heat-gun on low. I used the higher setting a few times and it just melts and goes out of shape. Especially on that tight ear of a Les Paul. I nearly messed it up on this one too using low setting

Amazing work Scott, when I get to Lacquer stage I just chuck on clear. I have this "JUST GET IT FINISHED" approach!

Hi I have this recurring nightmare, its kind of binding. I think this is the 4th time I have replaced the Binding on this Les Paul. I have photo evidence of this, the last time - which is what I said 3 times already! The first time I cut the binding too short and didn't reach round to the neck Hope I can post all the photos which I will let speak for themselves The improved Overhead Router Setup And left a gap which of course is was the problem I had in the first place! Well I hope I've helped a few people with what not to do - or at least provided some light entertainment! The binding still isn't perfect, there's gaps everywhere. Its hard to get wide binding to go round curves but at least its full thickness all way round. The last attempt was thick and thin due to the spindle sander - a new machine which I haven't got used to yet. Need some finer grade sleeves ...or try my hand at a different hobby

Yes I didn't notice the difference either but I understand the reasoning behind it. With a Floyd if you bend the strings the Floyd springs are going to give way a bit. Excellent that you went to the trouble of experimenting. Just thinking, normally with a Floyd you have the nut locked so that would perhaps counter-act the effect. A bit of flex from the bridge end rather than the headstock end On the Howard Roberts Fusion I just googled it and realised I had it wrong, the Finger Tailpiece doesn't alter the string length it alters the string angle which increases/decreases the amount of downward pressure on the Bridge. Either way I think it must have a similar effect. I can't remember the reason that Howard Roberts wanted it on his guitars other than it changes the feel of the guitar. Apparently they also had this type of Tailpiece on Banjos too Reading comments on forums, a lot of people don't notice any difference with their adjustment but obviously some people do http://www.poshguitars.com/guitar-list/2010-gibson-howard-roberts-fusion-iii/

No, there are all sorts I would try to return it and get an exact replacement but it seems all the Graphtech bridges have a post spacing of 2 29/32" The only thing I can think is to fill the post holes and drill new ones. Depending on the difference in spacing you might be able to just do one. As long as it doesn't throw the bridge too far off-centre But to do that requires a lot of effort. The post holes have to be the right distance apart and also the correct angle, perpendicular to the line of the string is best. If you tried to drill the holes with a regular drill and drill bits, it would wander off-centre because you're drilling into end-grain. I use a Laminex trimmer for things like this and use it like a plunge router, but I've had 30 or 40 years experience at using tools like this and come up with my own inventions Here is a recent attempt of mine to drill fret dots with a Laminex trimmer After a few botched attempts I wrapped a large hose clamp on as a depth gauge To locate the centre I have an old trimmer with an old router-bit ground to a point. I locate the trimmer, tighten the clamps up then swap the trimmer over I would use the same process to re-drill post holes for a bridge Just for the record I still botched the fret dots, some are too high some are too low - LOL

My stuff arrived today, Whoo-Hoo!!!

To tell you the truth after thinking about all this my head is hurting. I agree there is some incorrectness about my statements, but there is always some amount of downward pressure on the saddles (there has to be) Looking around at images of wraparound bridges, some have more some have less. However what I think I'm getting at most is with a wraparound there is only one point of contact with the body, whereas a TOM bridge has two points of contact Thinking about the comparison between an acoustic bridge and a wraparound, yes I can see how the acoustic is a little bit more like a TOM. On a wraparound perhaps the downward force is achieved through the "rotational force" - or is it like having a big fan on a sailing boat and expecting it to go? Good points about the Floyd and the reverse headstock. I was going to mention the Floyd, if you are bending a string to reach a certain pitch you have to push it further than if you had a fixed bridge. This was pointed out to me by Rob Formentin several years ago, however I couldn't tell the difference LOL Lets see - If you had a locking nut on a guitar with a wraparound bridge, then compared it with a Stratocaster (i.e. no locking nut) You might then notice some difference (I mean I might notice the difference LOL)

Yes that's something that occurred to me and is it something to be concerned about? Maybe, maybe not. But what I'm thinking is with this type of bridge there is no loss of string vibration into the wood, after all this is what acoustic bridges are like. (come to think of it, Teles and hard-tail Strats would be much the same) As for intonation, the PRS I saw had quite a simple bridge with minimal adjustability but I know there are plenty of bridges out there to choose from now that seem to have plenty of adjustability. But does adjustability compromise any benefits? Also - With no string behind the bridge to flex, there is greater increase in pitch when bending a string. Which might be desirable while playing but it also comes into effect when simply just pressing the string to fretboard - and this will have an effect on intonation. So a wraparound bridge has a double-whammy effect on intonation There is this guitar by Gibson, The Howard Roberts Fusion. You are able to adjust the string behind the bridge and the purpose for this has something to do with what I'm talking about (although I think some people get confused about its purpose) https://goo.gl/images/8gXEQ6

I've been thinking about Wrap around bridges and if there is any benefit over TOM bridge + tailpiece system as used on many Gibsons A few years ago (2008) I was looking to buy a guitar and I was impressed with a PRS which had a wrap around bridge. But then I tried a Les Paul and preferred the tone, but also wasn't sure about the intonation flexibility of the PRS bridge So I ended up buying a Les Paul but it stuck in my mind how much clarity the PRS had and always wondered if it had anything to do with the wraparound bridge. I thought it couldn't just be the extra scale length because its not that much longer Any thoughts etc. on this topic?

Yes thats it!

Hi, while messing round with pickup combinations I discovered if you have Bridge Middle and Neck all on at the same time and Neck out of phase......it sounds somewhat like a Banjo Has anyone else done this? What did you think of it I thought it was pretty cool but already had too many variations and switching options to mess around with

Yep already have some timber and enough hardware for about a dozen guitars - or do I? I am amazed how dumb I can be sometimes. I get a guitar close to being finished then realise "Oh I need an output jack" or a toggle switch, or just some wire to connect it. One time I was chucking some strings on and, "Oh couldn't wait to hear what this baby sounds like" then I realise there's no nut. So I go looking through my box of goodies and "Where are my Nuts?" I haven't got any Nuts!

Sorry I'm not familiar with Father Ted, whenever I hear "Dougal" I always think of that shaggy dog in the kiddies TV show from the 1970's LOL

Thats a trap I fall into doing carpentry, very good point And on a slightly different angle - I got a call a while ago from a previous customer. Apparently after fitting their doors I helped them out by fixing their toilet cistern and he's having trouble with it again - - - WHAT?

I just spent another packet at StewMac. So I ask myself, I just want to make a few guitars, do I really need this stuff? Oh the pain! Spending hours trying to make do with home made gear and botching things up. The little voice in my head kicks in..."just buy that thing from StewMac"........Ahh, okay WHAT! - its Two Hundred Dollars? ..............."just buy it"........................"and that thing..............and a few of those" Now its nearly Seven Hundred Dollars..........oh the pain ......."just buy it"

Cool!

Here are my measurements of a 1997 '61 Reissue SG and a 2014 '59 Reissue Les Paul compared to the 1/18th Rule and to standard formula. Note the SG has a misplaced 5th fret Column A is my measurements Column C is 1/18th Rule worked out with 628.65mm (24 3/4 inches) Column E is standard 12th root of 2 formula using the nut to 12th fret doubled for Scale Length Column B is my measurements compared to the 1/18th Rule Column D is my measurements compared to the standard formula using 12th root of 2 1997 '61 Reissue SG 2014 '59 Reissue Les Paul As you can see, they match the 1/18th Rule better than the standard formula. I also have a 2013 ES-137 that matches just the same And here's a video on the topic too There are also other videos from this site, very interesting cheers Doug

My name is Douglas so I always thought it would be a great name if I got started in the Luthiery business. "Douglas" across the headstock instead of Gibson, in a similar scroll style - yeah that would look nice But I recently discovered the name's already taken - http://www.focusdesignstudio.co.uk/douglas-guitars.html Oh well, I have a brother named Les, and a brother named Paul, I wonder if I can do anything with that?

Yes so there is some "built-in" compensation What I have done is use the 18th Rule on the 6th string and 17.817 on the 1st I have been thinking about starting a thread on the topic with readings etc

But the only fret calculation where the 12th fret is half the scale length is when you use the 12th root of 2 If you take any guitar, the only string that intonates all the way up perfectly is the first string. On a Gibson it doesn't, it reads high above the 12th fret. If you set it to intonate at the last fret it will be around -2 or -3 cents for most of the fretboard But we have gone off-topic now. I just wanted to know if Gibson use the same or similar calculations for their acoustics as their solid bodies. It is common knowledge that Les Pauls have a strange scale length and it is mentioned quite a bit around the internet. Well it was several years ago One guy reckoned that Gibson use 24 9/16 scale up to the 12th fret then 24 3/4 after that. I found it actually seems to work, but I mentioned it in a post several years ago and one of the members here Swedish Luthier pointed out "No, they just use a different number in the calculations" I had already tried that in the 90's but I thought there was too much discrepancy between my measurements and calculations But any way as stated its gone off-topic. Check the intonation on a few guitars. You will find that most will be flat above the 12th fret but a Gibson will be sharp. (Don't use a clip-on tuner though)

When you use a different number in the fret spacing calculations the 12th fret doesn't measure half the scale length

If anyone is interested I measured a Songwriter today and I determined it to be 321mm to 12th fret 440.1mm to 20th fret

I know this is a question asked a million times but other people's problems aren't always the same as mine The problem I encounter is - If I cut fret-slots first they fill with sawdust while sanding the radius and it comes out and becomes a hinderance Do other people notice this problem and how do you deal with it?

When I was younger I bought Ernie Balls a few times and they always broke In 1979 I asked the guitarist at my favourite haunt and he said Dean Markley's so that's what I used When I buy Di Addario I don't know what it is but I just don't like them In more recent years I have found Gibson Britewires on par with Dean Markleys and also like DR Pure Blues