jessejames

Just when I thought I was smart, someone brings me back down to reality with a genius idea like this.

I'd vote for it!

I had an idea while working with one of my templates today. Since I haven't gotten around to constructing a neck pocket angle jig I decided to try and shim my template to see how well it would work. The results were pretty good, practiced on a scrap piece that I had lying around and gotta say it added 2.0 degrees to the neck pocket with ease. Just used my angle finder on a scrap piece of maple, marked the desired angle, cut it with a bandsaw, then used my tabletop belt sander to get it to final spec. I'd just have to go in later and route the pickup cavity to spec after setting the neck. Yeah I could do the same thing by angling the drop off of the body with a neck jig as well and attaching the template to that, but for what took me about 3 minutes to create, it worked pretty well. Here are some pics of what I came up with and the results.

Intersting jig, did you just adjust router depth with each pass?

I know you are a world class luthier Mr. Thorn. I certainly don't mean any disrespect to you or the 2tek guys. I just don't see how it can add sustain yet reduce vibration at the same time.

Hey Crusader, When you routed the angle into the top of the body, where did you start? From the front or back neck pickup or is there a special measurement to use?

Oh, and this was practice wood, so no harm no foul.

I just got a wild hair today and decided to give it a shot, it's something I've never done before. I came up with using a 5/32" Roman Ogee router bit in my drill press, and then using a file and some sandpaper to smooth it out. I think I got the depth right, but not to width for a standard knob. Any tips? What do you think? Should I use different tools?

IMO gibson does have too much of a headstock angle. 17 degrees with the string tension on it does make it easier to break without a volute back there. However, they have sold a lot more guitars than I ever have.

I believe that was for an already made guitar. However, I don't see the harm in going that route either. I haven't routed veneer stock myself, so I don't know how prone it would be to chip out.

Because the parting line (line that the two halves makeup when they come together) is usually the center line of the guitar, you want to reference everything off of that. It is very possible to glue it on a body with angles and an archtop, given you have a thin enough piece of veneer stock, something like 1/32 - 1/16" of an inch. Be warned with a thin veneer it's easy to sand through it. The thicker tops are carved into that shape, not formed into that shape. As far as the recessed knobs, before or after what? Hope this helps.

My advice would to be glue your top board to your backing board, plane it, and cut out the pattern all as one piece.

Ron Thorn is also the only one dealing these. I wonder how many he actually sells.

I could see it working better for a bass than a guitar, just because the longer scale length, thicker gauge strings, and overall pitch of a bass, it seems like it's built in dampening properties would better suit a bass. On a guitar, I can just see it sucking the tone and resonance out of the strings and body.

That's a good point about having a seperate nut for each string. Seems his design forgets to entail that. I think with it all attaching at the bottom like it does certainly kills vibration, not to mention the big chunk you have to route out to install it won't help resonance in the least.

I was looking at the design here http://www.the2tek.com/data/inspect.asp?Item=3 Their claim is "The performance enhancements of the 2TEK® Bridge comes from individual string isolation coupled with maximum interaction between it and the natural resonance of the instrument body and neck materials. Each string saddle sits on its own individual “tonal finger”, which separates each string from the rest. The result is improved individual note articulation, especially in complex chords and playing techniques. This isolation also allows each string to vibrate for a greater length of time producing superior sustain." However, looking at the design, it appears that all the bridge pieces are still connected at the bottom of the bridge, and furthermore, instead of promoting string vibration and resonation, it would appear that the extended length of the bridge "fingers" would do the opposite by dampening the vibrations of the string in the finger. Not to mention, it looks like you have to take a good chunk of wood out to install one of these, not helping resonance with the body and neck at all, unlike their claim. Ive read where people claim that the notes are articulating more and whatnot, but what I think they are experiencing is the initial hype of course, but then the actual dampening of the string which will make it ring out more independently versus other strings, as they will all be dampened at a different rate just due to sheer difference in string vibration from one gauge to another. I could be wrong, but I've got a pretty good "design" oriented mind, and the overall design looks like a sustain and tone killer to me. What are some of your thoughts?

Lookin real good! Looks like you haven't forgotten much in 10 years.

That dog is posing!

That is a much better design than other types of trems, instead of relying on a knife-edge, you have a better fulcrum, one that would be far less prone to kinking or uneven unparallel movements. Kudos!

Also I just looked at the video of the guy routing. All I can suggest is that you don't use the same hand placement as him. He is just begging to have an accident or lose a fingertip if something goes wrong.

Do you have a routing table? I had a problem until I bought a routing table and just used it to do my template routing on the body and it turned out to be much better for me. You gotta have high rpm and super sharp bits. And like already suggested the right direction and speed.

Lookin good! Can I ask on your tearout if that happened because you tried to route too much off at one time, or if the bit was dull, or if it just plain happened and there is no specific reason why....

Gorgeous build! My advice on the dragon is to not have it at all. You have such a nice combination of woods, and the inlay work is so minimal (which i like) that you would just be taking away from the beauty of the guitar by adding such a large piece to it. If it were my build (and I hope to be half as good as you on my 5th build) I would put some kind of ebony wood pickguard on it and just spray it natural.

Sounds like a digitech whammy, with a harmonizer pedal, and a reverse guitar pedal thrown in there occasionally

I use all my reject to practice techniques or tools im unfamiliar with. Although, nothing wrong with what Chris did either!