RobSm

I didn't explain clearly enough.

I don't want a selector switch but rather a mix of the volume switches like on a jazz bass.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...c=std_jazz_bass

I haven't seen this on a guitar.

Hi.

I am considering using a 2 vol 1 tone circiut in a DIY guitar. Basically the circuit of a Fender Jazz bass.

Setting aside pot & cap values, is there anything in particular to do with the circuit itself that would make it unsuitable for guitars as opposed to basses?

Hi.

In setting out my 'latest' project I was upset by the large wastage factor of my attractive blackwood body blank.

Consumed by my penny pinching ways I rotated the blank 90deg & found I could squeeze two bodies out of it that way.

I drew up the shapes & cut two 'blanks' from the one.

A smarter friend of mine pointed out that I was now in for all sorts of problems with the grain now going 'crossways' & not up & down the length of the body.

We discussed 'stringers' & also whether or not a 1/4" top with the grain running 'up & down' would stabilise it enough.

I want to do both..that is use internal stringers as well as the 1/4" top.

So the question is...what's a good timber out of which to make the stringers?..and any other tips in making & using them?

...er...also....do y'all think it will work.....or should I hoik the whole thing & start afresh?

TIA

Rob.

I 'carved' the SG with a B&D powerfile lots of pencilled guidelines and went very slowly as the powerfile is quite aggressive.

I can't see what the router is sitting on in the pics..have you got a clear perspex base plate or something??

I have done it, but with enamel laquer... old school auto paint. but those guns spray too thick. So be prepared for a lot of sanding.

IIRC you can buy a fine spraying system...but you would need to very careful about what you sprayed in an electric device.

Read the data on Flash Point different for every substance - the temp at which an explosive mixture forms in air.

I reckon waterbased lacquers etc like Colortone from StewMac or KTM-9 from LMII should go well if the fine spray system does the job in the other respects mentioned.

I would NOT spray Nitrocellulose or ethanol based lacquers in an electric device.

i dont ever grain fill ,usually epoxy or or spot fill really bad peces or just fill with finish; but i think i should start, for more effects on ash; the only problem is i dont see anyone around here selling grain filler; and lmii stewmac and countless american companies have exactly what im looking for and cant send them across the border;

i live 20 mins from exotic woods and lee valley and neither of them have anything that isnt a waterbased paste filler (basically for puttying up finished wood) they are as specialty of project shops as we get around here;

countless searches turn up nothing unless i order gallons of it and pay the 'danger' costs; but im not gonna do that;

any help would be gggrrreeat!

You might try something like what's recommended here: http://www.ubeaut.com.au/ubhome.htm

Click on 'White Shellac'

The talc & shellac should be available everywhere.

Cheers, RobSm

Hey,

I have nice bookmatched maple, and I wiped on Black dye, and now it's not really sanding off. It just sort of stays there.... Should I go back to 120 or 150 grit?

Also, I want it to be a nice red mahogany when finished (similar to a lot of Les Paul Studios out there), but the red does not look right on top of the black-dyed scrap pieces I practiced with.

I'm certainly not going to jump the gun and stain it until I know, but I'm so close!!!

Any takers?

I'd recommend seeing the David Myka tutorial here:

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=12912

IIRC he puts on the darker colours & lightens them up with a water soakes cloth & puts the lighter colours on last...You don't have to do a sunburst to pick up the techniques...also check some the finished guitars on his site.

RobSm

My situation is such that a full-on drill press isn't feasible due to space/storage concerns. Has anyone had any luck w/ those drill stands where you put your hand drill into a little device that operates pretty much like a drill press? Will it work to drill holes for tuners and controls at least?

I've got one. As a paperweight, it's pretty good. As a woodworking machine, it's basically worthless. Even if you manage the clamp your drill in so it's square (a big *if*, btw), the stand will flex as soon as the bit touches wood, and there's no telling how far it will wander. Controls and tuners can be done by hand with a little guide to keep you pretty square. A benchtop drill press might be a good idea, too... they're small and pretty cheap, and they work much better than those drill stand things.

If you get one make sure ther's a goos distance between the pillar and the bit. I bought one the works well, but when it came to bridge stud (T-O-M) holes on my Cs356 DIY it wouldn't allow me to line them up. I ended up doing them on a friends big work one.

RobSm

Hi all,

This is my first post here but I've been reading the forum for quite some time. My question is this...I've got a 1975 Fender Precision bass that I've refinished several times. It's currently a dark green color and I would like to strip it down and take it back to it's original color, which was just a natural finish. The body is Ash. My concern is that since the neck has aged to that amber color now that if I refinish it back to natural, that the neck might look funny on it. Is there some way to get the body to look like the neck? Would I need to tint the clear coat or would poly just turn amber after a while?

I think alot of tele fans simply rub KIWI tan boot poish into the clear coat to age it.

You could tint the lacquer but you'd have to ptactise to get the right shade.

Hi,

I am about halfway done through a jaguar/tele hybrid guitar. I'm thinking of binding the body and have a plan to sandwich 3 strips (i.e. black/white/black) around the perimeter. StewMac is selling strips of 0.02" thick by 0.25" tall and recommends weld-on cement as adhesive.

Obviously from side-view I would route ~0.25" deep. My question is, from top-down view how deep do I route? If I wasn't accounting for the adhesive it would be 3 * 0.02" for the 3 strips, but I'm assuming the adhesive will fill an un-ignorable space, or expand a little (?) Any help is greatly appreciated.

Roy

You need the glued on binding to be slightly proud of the side and the top. Then you take it back with scrapers, sanding, - some guys use power tool like a flush trim router without melting the binding...so decide a depth of cut from the binding.

RE weld on...it works but goes off quickly..take things very slowly an inch or two at a time try to pre bend the binding much more than you think is necessary -

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/4092/bindingprebentdf8.jpg

and put lots of extra pressure on the binding at the waist.

Also if after practice you don't like weld on make your own 'glue' by chopping up bits of binding and dissolving them in acetone. - It's the same colour as your binding. A fine needle & syringe is good to fill any little gaps, or you can buy some little clear spheres from the model aeroplane shop. They refract light so you don't see the horribl black pits that stand out like the grand canyon...

Have fun..

RobSm

Now I have been shopping for my guitar parts for ever. I have been trying to get really nice stuff. I am using snakewood,quilted maple, and black limba. Anywayz I am about to buy the top for the guitar and um well I am kinda tossed between 2 tops. one is 500 and the other is 350. the one that is 350 has the 1 written above and the one with the 2 is 500. what do u guys think ill go with whatever u guys say. I just cant make the choice. I just cant tell if the other one is worth the extra 150 bucks.

tell me which one

quilted maple pics

hey can u guys see the pics? i am a lil new at this

For that sort of money you could get a eady made Warmoth (or similar) body with an insane flame or quilt. Maybe you should check out: http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/bodies/lp.cf...on=carvedtop_lp (or similar)

Good luck with the project.

RobSm

OK, some more info is needed. Are you going to use plastic bindings or wood bindings? Do you mean stain the wood or apply a tinted, semi opaque finish? I’m guessing the first but its better to be sure.

I do plastic bindings this way:

- bind

- scrape flush

- sand the whole body with at least 400 grit

- stain the wood

- use a rag to wipe of the dried stain on the bindings

- IF there are any dye left, use a razorblade to scrape of the rest using a light touch and your thumb as a edge guide

- one to three coats of clear depending of how thick you go

- apply tinted finish (opaque or for a sunburst) over the first couple of layer

- when the finish is still slightly soft scrape the bindings once again. If you wait longer it wil chip.

- spray clear to desired thickness

- sand and buff

For wood bindings I imagine that you will have to do it this way:

- bind

- scrape flush

- sand the whole body with at least 400 grit

- one to three coats of clear depending of how thick you go

- apply tinted finish over the first couple of layer

- continue as above

Thank you for your clear reply. I'm using plastic binding and will stain the wood for the back & sides & probably just clear the top. (I lucked into a great piece of timber there.) I might put in a bit of a tint in a shellac coat before clear.

Thanks again,

RobSm

Hi.

I am at the stage in my first build where the binding & staining need to be done.

What's the best order of attack?

Should I bind, stain & scrape back the bindings, or bind, scrape back the bindings & mask them while staining?

(I've been told NEVER to stain then bind)

I've browsed the tutorials but didn't find this particular subject.

All advice appreciated.

TIA

RobSm

I ordered a bunch of 1oz packets (dry powder) of water based stain from Lockwood and have been experimenting on scrap pieces of alder, maple, and mahogany with a variety of colors. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that the only way I am going to get a decent finish is to ditch the idea of staining the bare wood and use toner in my lacquer.

I have the stewmac finishing book and have tried using their tips (like wetting the wood with water before putting on the stain), but my stain always looks blotchy, especially on the alder.

I realize staining alder is probably a stretch, but I was just curious as to how many of you actually use water based stains???? I feel like I wasted my money on all of the packets.

Hi.

I have just stained a top using water based stains and I am very happy with the result. See:

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y151/0-fanlee-0/ It's the last few pics. View as a slise show is probavly best.

Anyway I used David Myka's tutorial on this forum and Roger Siminoff's book on mandolin making - the section on dyeing. He used alcohol I used water - same techniques. It worked OK. Also I have had irritating problems using tinted shellac on the SG in the slide show. FWIW the water dyes worked great for me so just do a bit more practice.

RobSm

Thanks guys.

RobSm.

Hi, I'm a relative newbie.

I'd like some general advice on the factors involved in choosing the size of a router bit and also the speed.

Because of my lack of experience I'm very iffy about running my router on high speeds...are high speeds good? When do you choose them?

I've read to use the biggest bit possible. Are there limits or qualifications to this?

All advice gratefully received.

RobSm.

I have been experimenting, and have come to the conclusion that I can do a reasonable job.

What bit size and what router speed do you recommend for use with the jig?

TIA

RobSm

The adjustment is currently an f-clamp which clamps the guide to the jig, and also clamps the jig to the wroktop!

The guide registers off the body approximately 3/4" from the worktop, and I cut from the centre outwards.

Thanks heaps!!

I already have pieces cut & lying about.....I just gotta get a wroktop...

RobSm

I used to use a bearing guided cove bit, but now I use this:

It's just a simple plywood base, which raises the router above the top. Instead of a bearing, it incorporates an adjustable plywood guide, which the guitar is run against, controlling how far towards the centre the cutter can reach.

Is the adjustment of the plywood guide something like a series of (properly spaced) holes for a bolt & wingnut or something else more ingenious?

I am also wondering...Is the guide placed low on the body so that the outermost (deepest) cut is done first,

or is the shallowest innermost cut done first right across the whole area to be shaped followed by the deeper more peripheral cuts and the guide lowered with each router adjustment?

I hope this made sense...

RobSm

Hi,

You might consider this:

http://www.ubeaut.com.au/ubhome.htm

search for 'hard' shellac if you land on the home page.

It is easy to work and gives a matte or gloss finish. Lots of articles on how to apply it..sprtay, brush, sponge etc etc

Good luck & send us all a picture.

RobSm

Hi.

I bought TonePros tail piece studs to replace Gotoh studs.

One hole seems to slightly too big, since the replacement stud is easily pushed all the way in. (The other is OK)

Will the 'toothpick down the hole' trick be adequate or is there a 'better' way to deal with this?

TIA

Rob Sm

Hi.

Is pickup cavity shielding required for humbuckers?

If not in general, what about for coil cut function ?

Would you line the bottoms of the pickup rings like the underside of (say) a tele pickguard?

TIA

RobSm

Alright, so I've stained my guitar, now, do I need to apply some sort of sealer before clearcoating it?

De waxed (white) shellac is good and it is compatible with just about everything that follows. You can even use filler over it if needs be & sand back a bit. That depends on the timeber of course. It mightn't be necessary.

Show us a picture.

See Here: http://www.speco.com.au/vht_special.html

Scroll sown SP610 is clear Nitrocelluose Lacquer...available at your local AutoPro at about Aud$16.00 per can.

RobSm