Dan_007

Killer cable? Seems like a convenient excuse to quit building when it all gets more complicated than you thought it was going to be...

I'm in Melbourne too I've been having the same problem, been trying to find cheap POS guitars from which to salvage necks etc, and the best I've found was a cash converters special with a jackson style headstock for $120. I even thought that was a bit pricey...especially when it fell off a shelf and the headstock snapped off....i guess i can practise my headstock repair...

I have ordered stuff from Perry, and was very happy with what I got. As a first time builder I found it reassuring to be able to order over the phone (to another Aussie...) and Perry was very happy to answer the questions I had regarding a few of the items, so even if it did cost me more, he at least helped me find my way to buy the correct things along with some build advice. Also, I was happy to buy from within Australia, because if there are any problems, it's a lot easier to chase up.

Why do I get the feeling people are not taking this thread very seriously...

You're right, I didn't make mine with a small enough radius. I have a 12" fretboard, and i made it an 11" curve. I found I still had to finesse it a lot. I mayhbe should have made it even smaller. I'm going to make a fret bender it'll be the first special little guitar building handy thingy's I've got, hehehe, i'm so excited.

I'm building an..ahem..explorer..ahem....lol, isn't everybody?? I've also got a black and decker workmate that i use, it's fantastic. I have read a lot of tutorials and sorted through heaps of info...I suppose I needed a kick in the pants to get me over being so worried that I keep putting it off. I'm gonna build a fret bender this week, I think once I get that sorted the fretting will go a lot more smoothly.

I love this place Thanks heaps guys Just goes to show how if you ask nicely and do a bit of work on your own to solve your own problems (I tried my best...) the people here are really helpful and good about newbies Excuse me....just venting about some of the stupid threads with arrogant a**holes that have popped up lately....lol I get frustrated....

Hi all I've been reading here for ages (couple of hours a day ), not much posting, cos i'm far from an expert but i'm a little stuck with my first guitar. I've made everything from scratch (except the radiused and slotted board) and i'm very happy so far, apart from a couple of inexperienced mistakes which i've been able to salvage I'm scared to fret....I dont wanna mess it up so i'm taking my time to read and learn the processes before I go ahead, but I've got a couple of questions, I'm not sure if i've missed things and I dont want to be another newb to get told to do a search....lol Whats a good way for me to pre bend the frets? I dont have any specialist tools, and I tried brians idea from the main site, but all I got was a curve, not tight enough to be over-radiused. Should I bend then cut the wire to lengths? or should I cut then bend? Also, I'll be hammering the frets in, I was going to use superglue as well, would I need to clamp the fret while the glue dries? The barbs on the tang are still intact, I just wanted a little extra security. How would I clamp these? Could I use a radius sanding block as a clamping caul? Sorry for the long winded message....I think I should know all this stuff by now Thanks guys

Haha, I just wanna try something a bit different. I went and bought a spray can to try on some scrap, and it looks good. I think maybe for the guitar it might be better to use the brush-on version so it's a bit thicker?? How would I go using clear over the hammered finish?

Hi all, I was just reading through metal matt's in progress thread, and a couple of people were talking about the textured hammered enamel paint. Here I was wondering if anyone has used this before? I'm assuming it could be used to finish a guitar or no-one would have brought it up. How suitable is it for use on wood? What sort of prep would I need to do on the wood (mahogany) before spraying? Would I need to clear over it? For some reason I've got a picture in my head of this paint cracking / flaking, does this happen? How many coats would I need for a thick hard finish? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I'm kinda keen to steal this idea I just dont want it to go pear-shaped....

I'm in melbourne and I got my mahogany from a timber place in vermont, they have lots of different types of wood there, as fas as I know they're the only ones around that carry the stuff we're after... Matthews Timber Rooks rd Vermont (03) 9874 1666

Thanks guys

Yeah, I figured that the grain would look a lot different, how about those colours though? What products would I need to use, and in what order? Sorry if I seem a bit dense, just a bit inexperienced with this whole finishing thing.

Hi all! Long time reader, first time poster, you guys have helped so much, so thanks I'm in the process of building a lefty ken lawrence explorer, its got a mahogany body and neck, but i'm a bit worried about the finishing. i think i'm a bit confused about grain filler and dying and staining procedures.... This is what I want to replicate Explorer Can I do this sort of finish on my mahogany? Would anyone be able to guide me through the steps i'd need to follow? I spend about 2-3 hours a day reading/searching on here, but i'm still a bit lost...sorry to be a pain in the a** Thanks in advance, love your work Dan