guitar2005

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...,42996&ap=1

When I got my band saw, I figured i'd never re-saw anything other than fingerboards (i.e. 3" height) and that it would be perfect for cutting out body shapes and necks. As I advanced in the world of guitar building, I started to re-saw pieces of up to 6" high and I now wish I had clearance of up to 10". I've got the 14" Shopmaster Delta. This model suits me fine but eventually, I'd like to add more clearance. The Shopmaster does not accept the riser block so I'll have to have one made My opinion is that you should get the 14" Delta or similar saw. Have fun shopping!

Yeah, it doesn't seem to cut as fast or smoothly as some japanese saws I've had. The problem is finding one that has the proper kerf.

Yeah, maybe. I bet it would've sounded very similar if Steve had used a Les Paul instead of his superstrat, though. Actually, It does sound way different than a LP. I have a 1987 Ibanez Jem with Dimarzio PAFs and compared to the LP with the T-Tops (Boosted PAF like the DiMarzio - similar specs) the sound is night and day. I'm not going to get into an argument as to whether they sound different. I know what I hear and I could tell the guitars apart blind folded

Listen to David Lee Roth's Skyscraper. That's PAF Pro with Steve Vai on guitar. Sounds very different compared to an LP with PAF Style Pickups.

1/4" Fretboard with a 3/4" Maple blank works best for me but you can also make it work with a 3/16" board over 13/16" which is what Wes meant (I assume)

The neck joint isn't a big deal. You should clean it up with a router and a neck pocket template. If that sounds too complicated, get the sandpaper out with a piece of wood as backing. Make sure the neck pocket stays nice and straight along its depth. The binding can be cleaned up as well so its no biggie. The glue line on the top kinda sucks but if you stain it using proper techniques, it could dissappear. I'm sure Drak would have some tips and pointers for that. No need for a pickup ring. I've installed a single coil pickup in my Custom Korina Jem directly mounted on the body with springs under the pickups. Works great.

I'm not sure if that's sarcastic or not... Most of us don't build guitars for a living. Its a hobby. We have jobs and responsablities that take up a lot of our time. The timelines (30days) for a build from absolute scratch is impossible for me and probably most people here.

On Strats, the fretboard thickness can go from 3/16" to 1/4", depending on the model. I personally like to start with a 1/4" fretboard and radius with a sanding block. The thicker fretboard allows you to plane the fretboard a little more when down the road, IF you get the usual Fender hump at the neck joint. I like the feel and look of a thicker fretboard. In the end, it really comes down to personal preference.

... or just go with DiMarzios and know what you're getting. I love the PAF Pros.

I think a full out commisioned build is a bad idea if you're just starting out. I haven't built a lot of guitars but I get asked if I can build customs and I always reply with a hefty price tag to discrourage them. I also tell them that they could buy their guitar cheaper from the local guitar store and that they should think about what they want and see if they can get it in a store then customize it. Most people don't realize that a custom guitar should be exactly that: Custom. Something you can't buy off the shelf. They also don't realize that a custom, hand built guitar is more expensive than a factory guitar I'm doing a custom for someone now but there's no deadline, no pressure, no money. We both build something and exchange. He's seen my work so he knows what I can do. He also knows that its the first time I attempt certain aspects of the guitar building process. I don't mind charging for setups and modifications 'cos I'm really confident with that aspect of my work. I don't look for work though, it comes and finds me and a lot of times I refuse. For your project, I would refuse. If he insists, lay down the rules and see where it goes. He may not be really serious.

Just got my stew-mac fret slotting miter box, saw and template. I feel a bit of play in the template along the indexing pin. Is this normal. Should I simply hold the template against one edge on the indexing pin? Thanks

The glue line in this picture looks like it has some gaps. I'm being picky here given the fact that 1- The guitar is painted and 2- That joint will most probably be just fine as there's no real stress on it. Were the pieces properly jointed before glueup? Just curious. Is it just that area? The scarf joint on the other hand, looks perfect. Would you care to tell us which technique you used to cut it and glue it up? The paint job looks like it is top notch. Bravo! I can't wait to see this one done. Black is the hardest color to do with a high gloss. BTW, Alberto, your English is just fine. Keep up the good work!

+1 on the nuclear attack.

Very nice work. The binding throughout is very clean and all of the routing looks excellent. Everything is nice and sharp, the way I like it. The woods look like they are all top notch. Did you rout the final body outline with a template bit or is that all sanding? I hope that my Explorer turns out as nice as your V. I'm surprised Wes didn't mention the glue lines on the neck through to body wing attachement

I missed that part and I didn't want to imply anything which is why I asked. I don't use Elmer's products unless I'm helping the kids with glueing paper. I'm using up the last couple of ounces of Lepage Carpenter's glue. So no, right now, I don't use titebond but I might try it when my bottle of Lepage's runs out. I have lots of experience with LePage's, it bonds very well (not a single failure in 10 years of woodworking) with it and it has excellent shelf life. Oh... and thanks for not caring.

Hey, you said you didn't think that Gorilla glue seeped into maple that much- The picture simply shows that it doesn't. That's all - I wasn't "preparing" my arguments. simply trying to understand and show real applications of the glue. We all agree here. I'm on your side here! Actually, its a veneer in the front and the back. The front is lacewood and the back is birdseye maple which is a slightly different hue from the main headstock maple. All veneers were glued with Yellow glue, so no, that yellowish brown is not the poly glue. The birdseye veneer to rock maple joint could have been better, I guess but I think its fine as is, especially considering how warped it was when I got it. The Gorilla glue was used between the darker maple and the veneered headstock. I don't see a glue line there. For neck laminates, yes, I would use yellow glue. I only wanted to understand why Gorilla glue was to be avoided, because in my experience, it has its applications, that's all. end of story. I think you're taking all of this a little too personal. I agree with you. I only suggested that Gorilla is better for a scarf joint because of the end grain. In the end, you do what feels right for you. I'm sure that Yellow glue would work as well.

Haven't had that problem: The scarf is Gorilla glue. The veneers are yellow glue (The correct glue for this application) I can't see a glue line in the scarf, unless you've got better eyes than I do Personal preference is fine but I really don't see what the problem is with Gorilla Glue for certain applications where its performance is superior to Yellow glue. Are you implying that Yellow glue lasts longer? I've never heard of a proper glue joint failing using good glues.

Found this article: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/features/fea.asp?id=1064 Two Exerpts: "Shear strength is not polyurethane glue’s strongest feature," he says. "In end grain-to-end grain the stuff is incredible. It far outperforms (yellow glues) in end grain. If you coat both surfaces with polyurethane glue, I’ve seen it (the glue) migrate 2" into wood." "Polyurethane glues stick well and hold odd materials, but they generally aren’t stronger than yellow glues," Zimmerman says. "Yellow glue makes a bond that is stronger than the wood. So while the polyurethane glue might actually be stronger, it doesn’t matter because the wood will always fail first. It’s not a stronger joint." Hence my usage of Gorilla glue on Scarf Joints where there's more end grain (my intuition seemed correct) Also, for tough wood like Cocobolo, I think its a better choice over Yellow Glue (Gut feeling)

I find this interesting... Do you have any data to back this up? I've never heard of this. I doubt that the Gorilla glue joint would seperate at the glue line.

As it dries it expands so yes, it does foam a little but for the strength it provides, I prefer it for key glue joints like the scarf and fretboard (especially exotic woods like cocobolo). I use very little in the joints and the foaming is minimal and really not a concern for me.

What's wrong with Gorilla Glue? That's what I use for scarf joints and fingerboards.

I'm glad you sorted out your problems. Finish can be very frustrating at times. Duplicolor ? Oh no... I hope you didn't use their clear and if you did, you used very little. On my Rhoads V, I used DupliColor clear and I drove me crazy. It took forever to cure and to do this day, 1.5 years later, the clear still isn't hard. When I play the guitar sitting on my lap, I get imprints from my pant's fabric on the guitar's finish. If in another year, there's still no improvement, I will strip it and paint it all over again I used 12-14 coats of duplicolor clear. I called their customer service and they said that it would eventually harden. Their solid colors seems to harden better but I will never, ever use duplicolor again.

I in no way was looking to put down any of the woods we are talking about. I believe it is hard sometimes when they assosciate everything with "mahogany" or "rosewood". So many of these woods are totally fine for use in instrument building. The variety of properties you can get from all these woods should be embraced. That way we can choose a wood that suits what we want to build, not just say it is called "Mahogany" it must be almost as good. Heck it may be better suited than Honduran Mahogany to get the sound you want. When it comes to price. I think the same resistance to focus on price vs how it will work for you would be smart. Alder is a great wood to build with, and it just so happens to be reasonably priced(bonus!). I feel the same about Sapele for necks. Reasonable price, but it is an outstanding neck wood. Khaya is a great body wood IMO and is also very reasonable. I have not found a lot of wood that does not have potential as long as it is well dried and a fairly nice cut of wood. It is more a question of is it right for what I want out of it. Peace,Rich What's really important to get a good sounding guitar isn't good wood anyways. All you need is hype a magic wand seems to work for some people. Oh... the word Vintage does wonders for your sound too. Yeah... I wouldn't worry about the wood too much.

The tape should have torn before the paint. I would seriously consider redoing the paint job properly.