guitar2005

Ok - thanks for the tips. So a gouge and a small plane.

Yeah, but I don't want to have to work outside. I need to be able to do this in the workshop. Those are nice. They look a lot like these, which I can get locally. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32680&cat=1,41182 I think I'll go with the 47mm body like you suggested.

Is there a small finger plane that you guys recommend?

I can just imagine the cloud of dust. I'd rather rough out with hand tool if possible to minimize the amount of dust.

Ok - that's what I'll do then: a 1/4" x 1/4" rabbet to use as a guide. I've looked at gouges @ Lee Valley to get most of the material out. Is there one in particular that you would recommend? They have these: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=30024&cat=1,41504 or these: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=58812&cat=1,130,43332,43703&ap=1 or these: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=43701&cat=1,130,43332,43703&ap=1 or these smaller "palm" gouges: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=68940&cat=1,130,43332,43703&ap=1 So many choices... I'm lost

I want to do a carved top tele. I have a cherry top which is pretty much 3/4" thick. 1) What is the typical delta between the high and low points ofthe carve to get a nice result? 2) I'm also wondering what kind of tools to use for this. I was thinking of doing a rabbet cut with the router around the edge of the guitar and then, with a rasp, make it flow nicely to the top portion.

Completely agree. An open ended drum sander is a much better option if you need something that will sand wider than 13". I have one of these and I am very happy with it. I never had any issues with snipe or anything like that. It gives me a beautiful surface every time and changing the paper isn't a big deal. The dust collection works very well too.

Man, this project has been taking sooo long to complete.... Still, I want to finish it soon. Its always been the project that was put on the backburner so I could work on other projects. I promised myself that I wouldn't start any new guitars until this one (and an Ash Strat) is completed. Back to this Jem. The Lacewood veneer top has been extremely difficult to work with. I've re-done the top three times and still had trouble with the 3rd try. The lacewood has soft and hard spots and in veneer format, the differences are accentuated because each part absorbs the glue and finish differently, causing an uneven finish. Its been very hard to get the finish to a decent quality on this guitar and I don't recommend veneering lacewood to anyone. I did try to grain fill the wood and that helped somewhat. Another thing that compounded my problems was the use of waterbased finishes. Attempting to even out the finish with a waterbased product is not a good idea. These products are not meant to be applied in multiple layers. 10-14 is the max and your spraying technique must be good, so practice is key. I've done 6 guitars in waterbased so I'm starting to get the hang of it. I use Target Coatings EM6000. Additionally, the more layers you add, the more light refraction happens. This may not be noticeable over most colors but on black and dark colors like this Jem you WILL end up having a blueish/purpleish hue. For black, you pretty much have to tint the clear to get a true black. The color on the sides and back of this guitar were supposed to be a very dark brown and it definitely got that hue to it. Would I use Waterbased finishes again? Of course, but differently over dark colors and I would make sure that the surface has better prep in terms of grain filling. This guitar was really a learning experience. Here's the body in direct sunlight, where the blueish/purpleish haze is most apparent. I sanded back as much as I could to get the finish thinner. One thing that I like about this finish is that it will sink into the grain over time, like nitro. That can be a good or bad thing depending on what you're going after but I like it. You can't really see it in the pics but there are a LOT of flaws in the finish. Most people go "Wow" when they first see it but when you look closely, I know its not what it should be. Look at the lower horn in the 2nd picture above and you'll see what I mean. Here's the neck:

That looks like it would be VERY awkward to play, if not impossible.

Yeah, I'd like to know too. Dyes tend to creep into the wood and on the side view, you can see that, usually. Perhaps if the sides were sealed 1st, you wouldn't have this problem.

Bandsaw: Look for power and cutting height. Don't skimp these. A resawing capacity of 7" to 8" should be plenty for guitar building. Drill Press: Look for the distance between the column and the center of the drill point. If you ever build a string through, you'll need the extra capacity of a larger, floor standing drill press. Router: A single speed router mouted in a home built table is the best. I have a Porter Cable and its been a solid performer. Porter Cable has a kit with two bases: the fixed base and plunging.

Quality sandpaper will make a world of difference. The ridgid sandpaper is pretty good. My 1st pick is usually Norton but for those drum sanders, I don't really know the manufacturers.

I ended up sanding it out. You can barely tell I fixed it unless you know. The neck profile essentially changed to a slight V (the neck was a V + C shape contour already) in that spot. It feels very nice and I can't see the stupid ship anymore. I guess I'll be more careful next time. Its the first time I get something like that in the carving process

I noticed this in the final stages - a small wood chip on the side of the fretboard that I must have done when doing the neck carve. This is in a highly visible area. I really don't know how to fix this. I was thinking of filling it with epoxy. Maybe I should smooth it out 1st? This is an otherwise beautiful neck

Wow.

That's a very nice finish you got there after all! How did you buff? Is that Nitro?

The string tee looks like its installed the wrong way, no? I love those natural teles. Did you make the body and neck yourself?

I was not referring to nylon tape. I was referring to thread seal tape ( I don't think I even used the word "Nylon"): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_seal_tape

it is a problem - the holes should not be oversized, but you should be able to push those screws through the body by hand Agreed, but even if they are tight, you should clamp the neck before screwing it in, no? That's what I usually do. What kind of inserts do you guys usually use?

I don't understand the statement above. You're saying that if the screw holes through the body are too tight, that's a problem?

I don't believe that wood screws vs threaded inserts will make a noticeable difference tone or sustain wise. Also, a neck plate doesn't really distribute pressure as it is in no way rigid enough to do that. Pressure is concetrated where the screws are. The neck plate acts as a washer. A good neck to body join is the most important factor here. I just use wood screws with small stainless steel ferrules.

Short term, maybe. Masking tape dries up.

Masking tape around a threaded bushing insert wouldn't work IMO, given the thickness of the tape. If they're that loose, I'd switch studs/inserts. If the goal is to make the threaded insert tighter, teflon tape would be a better choice.

Do you freehand route the top to get the stepped carve?

Do you freehand route the top to get the stepped carve?