iluvteles

Thanks for all the words and votes. I think I'm doing well for my first GOTM.

Scalloped frets. I've wanted to try scallops for a while now. All the practice runs turned out bad so I decided to use a ball nose cutter and just run it along. Thats now it turned out. I though of finish them off by hand but since it was the 3rd neck for the Owl and the Fox I though just to leave alone as one more mistake would have seen the whole project in the bin and me hanging up the router for ever. I think for rev 2 of this superstrat will not be scalloped as they are hard to do well.

Lee

I've not log finished a super strat with a Padauk body with a Cocobolo top.

Look in the "In Progress section" its called the Owl and the Fox. Its also in Octobers GOTM comp.

If it like something you would like to build I have the full template set.

This is my first GOTM and I think the standard is very high. They are all great guitars and I would like to have a play of all of them.

Well done to all.

Lee

I like the control knobs

This is going to be great when its complete. Looks a tidy job

This is my build for 2012. I called it The Owl and the Fox because of the little animals in the Cocobolo drop top.

Specs are:

Cocobolo bookmatched top on a African Padauk body. The body is based on a strat with a modified heel and carvings.

Padauk and Wenge laminated neck. 24 gold frets with a angled headstock. 18:1 ratio Grover gold tuners.

Schaller combination bridge.

EMG 81 & 85 gold pickups.

The build thread is in the work in progress section of this forum. http://projectguitar...showtopic=46271

I've tried taking video on my mobile phone but the file size is massive and the sound quality is bad. After my summer holidays I'll try and get a video sorted.

Its all set up now and playing well. I dont know what the sound problem was but its now fixed. I just wiggled the wires to the output jack and it now works a treat.

I just wish I was a good player

:player

Thanks Geoff. Thats it for building until 2013. I only build one per year. The rest of the year I'm going to spend cutting up all the ash, yes and spalted beech into drop tops and body blanks.

See you all next year

Aye Jaycee, that top jumps out

Thanks Curtisa, I was thinking it was something to do with the output jack. I'll have a look tonight. Now, I'm off to the beach.

Just needs setting up and the electrics put right.

I've put strings on and give it a test. Its not set up but its just a test. It sounded real bad then I noticed that the lead was not pluged all the way in. Once it was all the way in (hmmmm) it just has one bassey tone. The volume, tone and toggle do not do anything all all. Just the same bassey tone no mater now I adjust the toggle and pots. The funny thing is: when the lead was not fully in the toggle and pots worked even though it sounded like it was under water.

Help is needed. Its the first time I have used or played active pickups.

Thanks Levi. When its daylight I'll photo the front. Its got strings on now.

The neck is on but no strings as yet. Just thought I'd show the parts that look finished.

Thanks Scott. It was my intension to use the abalone dots in the neck and have the abalone telecaster knobs to match. They are a bit bright but I'll decide on them once the neck is on.

As for the animals I never seen the snout until you pointed it out.

The body is just about done. Still need to solder the toggle switch and get a new jack. The supplied EMG stereo jack is imperial size but the Electrosocket is metric.

Thanks Bill

The volute: like all my guitar builds I just make it up as I go along. It was not planned in my original "in my head design". I did it when I was reducing the thickness of the headstock and decided to try and do a fancy volute. I've been doing the fretwork today and the volute is growing on me now. I'm glad I did it.

Thanks for the replies lads.

The neck is now shaped. I tried to do a fancy volute but I dont know if it has worked or not. I niether like it or dislike it.

Next job is to do the fretwork. I'm not that good at fretwork but I'll just have to get on with it.

Danish oil after the fret work.

I've never gave the forum an update for a while so here goes:

The body has 3 coats of Danish oil and feels great except for the huge pores. I did not want to grain fill as I wanted the guitar to be as natural as possible. I dont mind the pores as they are a natural event and since it is my guitar, what I say goes

I also gave a little nod to PRS

The Owl incase anybody has forgoten

The fox

The neck that I have milled down to thickness. Since the neck is Ibanez spec I'm going to make the neck very thin

The inserts were from Ebay and the bolts are furniture bolts from Screwfix in the UK.

Yes I'm going to have the inserts flush. Just waiting for the glue to harden.

This built is going well again.

I've done the inserts for the neck bolts. The bolts are there only to stop any glue fowling the threds.

They are brass push fit inserts as I find the screw-in inserts were spliting the neck. On scrap that is.

The bit of Coco on the neck is only a shim to angle the neck.

I find with full scallops the thin E string gets pulled over the edge of the fretboard so I'm tring these to see it it helps. Just trying to help my bad playing.

It is going to be a beast. Just hope it sustains long enough for a cold one and still be ringing.

Today I've drilled and couterbored for the neck fasterers. I've gone a bit deep on the counterbore because the fasteners I have are not that long. I bought the longest available before anybody say's get longer ones. They are a bit special. Just wait.

It is very heavy. I should have chambered it but once again Lee rushes ahead. The body alone is 3kg so I'm expecting the finished guitar to be around 5 kg. Too heavy but its done now.

The template is 9mm void free furniture plywood. It is CNC laser cut with a laser etched centerline. I would not make a guitar without one now.

If I have the right CAD drawing with the body, neck, and body features then I can produce the templates. However I dont do CAD so getting the correct drawing is hard to come by. I want a template set for a Ibanez ST50 but cant get the CAD work done. So I'll just have to wait.