sexybeast

Yeah, mostly to be different. I'm like the old grandpa that's always out in the garage making stuff. I always want to see if there's a better way to do something and I sort of have a problem with being told things have to be done only one way. It's fun. That's a great idea. I'm going to do it that way. I'll be gone for a few weeks, but when I get back I'll post my results. They should be interesting if nothing else.

I thought about the dremel as well? I think that's the way I'm going to go.

I fretted the first neck I made for this, but I never got to use it. It wasn't as scary as people made it out to be. I'm kinda thinkin' that with a flat fretboard and straight rods, it may not be too hard. Of course I could meet disaster, but I'm adventurous. Either way, I appreciate your advice. You think the frets are adventurous, I'm seriously contemplating designing and building my own bridge. Seriously. I have it all planned out in my head and the hardware is not too hard to find. I'll probably just buy one though.

Here's a link to a few pictures. Sadly only the body, but these are older. I'll put up progress pictures soon. The neck is still marked out on a plank of Maple. My First Build

Scoring sounds like a good idea. I just have to do it so that I don't mis-shape the rod. Maybe a scoring with a file? I started this build about five years ago, but had twins in the meantime. Now I have a little time again. I'll post pictures soon. It's no high end beauty, but it's my first build so it is what it is.

Did my research and bought the rods. Can anyone help out with suggestions for glue? There's a lot of info out there, but I figure guitar builders would have the most pertinent advice.

Stupid auto Complete! A base and guides.

Maybe a dremel router base a great guides? With the right bit.

Food for thought. Maybe some sort of dremel based solution? Router base and guides?

I think epoxy is the way to go as well. As far as fret slots go, I was thinking of making a high that lets me drill across the fretboard so that only half the bit goes through, leaving a perfectly shaped groove. Any better ideas?

Thanks guys, it seems plausible. I saw TK instruments a while back and forgot about the site. Do you think he got half round stock? Otherwise, anyone got a good idea about suppliers? Or better yet, good ideas on stuff that I could use to salvage the d=rods from, like dish drainers or something. Stainless holds up well, so salvaging is a pretty good option for me.

Here's a weird one. Does anyone see any obvious problems with using stainless steel rod material as fretwire on a flat fingerboard? I thought I might be able to just glue the rods into grooves and use them that way. I'm tossing around the idea, but I don't want to miss anything terribly wrong before I get into it and waste wood and money. Thanks, blokes!!

This is just the ticket. Thanks a ton for the help. I'm going to strop a Squier Affinity Strat and do this. It's either Agathasis or Alder. Any idea about the tannic acid in those?

That's exactly it!! How do I do it?

What do I use to get a black finish on my guitar, but not paint it? I want a thin, oil type finish, not a heavy paintjob, so I can still feel the grain. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the compliment, man. The bridge pickup is a TV Jones. I'd never heard of them until I got this guitar, but I'm glad I did. It sounds really good. It's nice and clear, warm and musical. The overdrive is the same, it roars, but still has a musical sound. Very nice indeed.

Finished!!! There are some bad spots that I'm not qualified to fix, but it looks really good in person and I did it myself. It is SUCH a sweet guitar, I'm glad I rescued it.

Here's an update for anyone interested. It's turning out better than I'd planned, but it's definitely not professional. When I'm done I'll post an overview of my methods and lessons learned for those of you out there like me: Joe Average Hack. It's coming along pretty well. The nick in the center is actually covered with lacquer, so is the one at the top. I just could NOT get the stain color right, so I decided just to cover them. Nice and smooth to the touch, actually. This camera is TOO good. Polished vs. sanded. My secret weapon is Brasso brass polish. I've tried 3M polishing compound and a few other similar things, but out of everything I've tried, this stuff works by FAR the best. I go over it 2 or three times and it's like glass. The top right bridge hole looks totally like crap. When the guitar went down the stairs, the finish cracked there (I LOVE my guitar case) and water gor in there from wet sanding and it got worse. So I globbed on some lacquer and left it. The bridge will cover some, and at least it's protected. I think I'll be done this week. Good, because guitars are for PLAYING!! Plus I just got a new V-Amp2 and I really want to test it out.

Thanks for the help, all of you. I really just want it to FEEL more like raw wood. Does taking steel wool to the finish do that to paint?

It's been a long while, guys and gals. The twins got born and BAM, no more time to build. I still have my project carefully stored, but it's gonna be a while. But now to the point. I just laid my hands on a Schecter C1, a pretty nice set neck deallie, and I want to sand the finish off the neck, but I think it's wise to check with you good folks before I do any damage. Will sanding the neck cause any drastic changes in stability? Any advice would be appreciated.

Diamond stones for the cheapskates among us.

You HAVE to keep us posted!!! I had the same idea, but couldn't figure out how to make the thing work. I'll put you on my Christmas list if you figure it out and share with us!!!

http://www.rozengain.com/guitar-scales/v2/GuitarScales.php Pretty cool

Yeah I probably will add that. The only problem is I primarily play 7 strings, and the 3, 5, 7, 9 dots can sometimes be covered up by the notes on the D string... I guess I'll do it anyway. What I actually have done is a little subtle though, the fret lines where you would usually see markers are slightly thicker than the others. Whatever you do, don't stop, this thing is awesome!!

If you give me the info, I may be able to help. Measurements and stuff.