daveq

The stewmac site has a detailed view of the construction of it - just click under the items description and there are something like 3 pages of information on it. I would think that any guitar builder should be able to take those drawings and come up with a decent replica. I guess the only snag would be finding the parts (maybe stewmac sells replacement parts?). Do you think it would be worth the effort? To find it, just do a search with the words neck jig, or go to the fretting supplies section.

Where do you buy these moisture traps?

I was in need of this very same information a while ago. I didn't get any responses that lead me to a definitive answer. If you look at most of the strat designs available on the web / books, you'll see that the pocket depth for these is 5/8". I posted a question a while ago because I measured my RG and it looked like it was closer to 3/4" (without taking the neck off). Some people thought that was too deep so I looked at the jemsite blueprint and confirmed (at least against a JEM model) that 3/4" was pretty close. The pocket in the blueprint does show a slight angle but I don't know if this is the same for the RG's (sorry). To sum it up, all I have found in my searching on this subject is the JEM pocket dimensions. I guess I will have to take my RG apart to find out what it really looks like. I know it's not much, but I hope this helped. Dave

I have read quite a bit about exhaust fans in the past few weeks. I'm planning on building a small booth with an exhaust fan. Some model builders use a fan such as the 4C445 from Grainger. Others go with the explosion proof fans. I'm leaning towards the explosion proof fan although it will probably mean I will have to wait quite a while to pay for it. Is the 4C445 type of fan even worth looking at or is it a guaranteed bomb in the making? I'm planning on spraying nitrocellulose lacquer. (please hold off on replies with the default safety response, I'm just looking for people who are using or have used one of these type fans). Thanks, Dave

Thanks LGM, I wasn't planning on spraying the clear with it, but thanks for the warning anyway. I'll check out some compressors then - it looks like I don't need anything special (other than the tank you suggested). I don't think the HVLP gun would work well for what I am attempting to do, thanks anyway frenzy. Dave

I am planning on using an Iwata revolution airbrush to paint my guitar soon. Can I use any type of compressor? I know I need something with enough power to sustain somewhere around 40 psi but other than that, I'm not sure. Can I rent one or do airbrushes require a special type of compressor (special filters, valves,...)? Will a mini-compressor work well?

I got my maple top today and it looks very good. The sides that are supposed to be bookmatched are not very straight / flat. I have access to a jointer but I wanted to see if anyone has run into this before. If I take off a little from one side (using the jointer), I need to take the same amount from the other side to keep things looking good, right? Anything else I should watch out for or beware of?

Would it be possible to at least give a summary on this site so others can have an idea of what the technique is? I think the plans were given to a few people via email, right? NEVER MIND - I SEE BRIAN DID POST IT AS A TUTORIAL. THANKS.

Thanks for the suggestions. Do people buid the thinline type without the F-hole? I'm not a big fan of the F-hole look. Do those chambers destroy the sustain or is there some sort of resonance added that re-gains the sustain lost with the removal of the body mass?

I have the opportunity to obtain a very,very nice bookmatched maple top. It is about 1/2" thick which I think is much thicker than a standard maple top. Standard meaning what the big manufacturers use. I'd like to know your opinions on what to do with it - 1. should I do a carved top 2. just glue it onto body material as is 3. re-saw it thinner 4. other I really don't like or think I can do #3. I'd also appreciate your opinions on binding. Do you like the look of binding? Would you recommend I use it?

That's the part I'm a little concerned about. How would it protect the guitar? I could be wrong but I thought that wood will continue to move/warp even if it has already moved/warped once in it's lifetime? Does wood only have one warp in it and it's done?

Thank you Brian, I guess I'll have to watch it again and see if they really say that it took 3 days. Then again, it wasn't clear to me that they were using nitro lacquer either but I'm pretty sure they were. Anyway, between coats nitro drys fairly quickly, right (45 min)? It's just the final buffing that requires the 3 weeks?

I watched the stewmac video on guitar finishing last night. They supposedly used nitro lacquer for most of the finishing. From what I could tell, they did a whole guitar in a matter of days. Teh LGM tutorial that explains the differences between products mentions that nitro has a very long cure time (3 weeks before polishing). Is this right? How did they go so fast in the video? I'm so confused about all of the products and terminology! If anyone here has used nitro lacquer, could you please tell me how long you waited between the various steps? I'm planning on a multi-color (3 solid color) guitar. Thanks, Dave

Thanks. The link to the plastikote page demonstrated some of my frustration with the finishing stage. I could not find anything on that site that said if the plastikote was a lacquer or an enamel. The page mentions both but does not say which one is the plastikote. I think you said it was lacquer, right? How does this stuff compare to nitrocellulose lacquer? Any difference in the finished look? Is it quicker or easier to use?

I just built a guitar with an 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck position. I use it with a Marshall valvestate amp and it delivers a mean growling thick distortion sound. I plugged in my Ibanez which has the stock pickups (Steve Vai) and it sounds much weaker. I know there are groups of players who criticize the EMG actives, but for the style of music I enjoy playing, they are excellent. I'm not a metal head but I really like George Lynch's sound and music. The EMG's are able to get me close to that sound (80's George Lynch). I had been searching for a great thick and full of harmonic type of distortion and could not get it with an amp or pedal (I tried just about every pedal and many amps). As soon as I plugged in my new guitar with the EMG's, I knew my search was over. If you're still considering the EMG 81/85 option, I can tell you it worked out great for me. The 85 in the neck position does allow a blues type sound when playing down at the lower end of the neck but I mainly switch to it when playing up high and it is crystal clear and beautiful.

If you want to leave the pickguard as is, you could use one of those single coil sized pickups that actually acts as a humbucker. I know EMG sells them, and there are probably others as well.

Is the idea to actually force the wood to move? I was always under the impression that would is constantly able to move - meaning if you force it to move one year, that wouldn't mean that it couldn't move the next. I guess what I am wondering is - what is the purpose of doing this? If it is to see what happens, that's fine, but if it is to prevent something from happening, I don't understand how that's possible. Any idea how much value this has, or what it's real purpose is?

Thanks woodfixer! You mentioned that I might want to try the spray lacquer right? Stewmac only sells clear or black in a spray can. Did you mean spray using a spray gun or air brush? Are there other places that sell the spray can lacquer in colors other than black?

Thanks Brian. I don't mind investing a little money in some equipment. I do mind buying things when I don't really know if it is the right thing to do. If I owned (or had access to) an airbrush, would I use those pigments with the clear nitro lacquer and spray it that way? I have read that nitrocellulose takes weeks to cure. I have also read that it is one of the quickest ways to finish a guitar. What is the deal with nitrocellulose? Is it or is it not a quick method compared to something like polyurethane or automotive paints? I'm going to read LGM's tutorial for the tenth time (maybe it will sink in this time). If anyone can try to help me understand the differences between the types of products, I would really appreciate it. I also would need to know if the methods you describe can be used for a solid color scheme (not transparent). Thanks, Dave

How in the hell do you mix pigment with spray lacquer? I was looking at stewmac's site and they have clear and black nitro lacquer. They also have pigments that they say you can mix with lacquer to obtain colors. If the lacquer comes in a spray can, how in the hell can you mix it with a pigment? Basically what I want to do is paint my guitar with red, white and blue (similar to my avatar if you can make it out). At this point I really don't care what type of paint I end up using but I am sooo confused by the terminology. I always thought lacquer was a clear finish? I have read LGM's tutorials and I can follow some of what is written there. I just have a hard time understanding what the different products really are. If anyone can help me understand what my choices are for red/white/blue, I would really appreciate it. Specifically - can I get red/white/blue from the nitro on stewmac's site? Do I need an additional clear of some sort or is that built into the nitro? Thanks, Dave

I'm trying to think of a place where I can spray my guitar. I have not settled on a type of paint yet but I'm also trying to work out where I can do all of this finishing. I have room in my basment but I don't want to spray anything too flammable down there. I guess I could try to vent through one of the basement windows but wouldn't I need an explosion proof fan for that? They seem incredibly expensive. If I use the garage then I'm forced to deal with what temp / humidity nature gives me. Right now in the Northeast, it's not so great for painting. Where do you paint? What do you use?

What do you guys use for a good tuner capable of decent accuracy on intonation work? I have read good and bad things about the Korg DT7 - anyone used one? Any other tuners I should check out? I can't afford a strobe tuner. I'm looking for something $100 or less. I'm also guessing that an analog meter would be better than the LED style, right? Thanks, Dave

Thanks. Is masked binding different from normal binding or are they the same thing? I was planning on staining the guitar. Do people paint the back / side and only stain the top or is that ridiculous? My original plan was to stain the whole body but if you think the maple top's edges would look strange that way, I'll check into binding. Thank you, Dave

I have not built a guitar nor have I owned one with a maple top. I would like to build one soon but I'm a little confused about the issue of shaping. A solid body guitar usually has some sort of contour where your hand rests on the body. The depth of this contour is what concerns me. I think most maple tops are fairly thin right? Maybe around 1/4"? If so, how do you handle this part of the body? Are you forced to not use a contour for your arm or is there another way to handle this? One other question: Is binding required (will it look bad if not used) when using a maple top or can you just leave the edges bare? I do not like the look of binding at all and would like to avoid it if possible. Thanks, DaveQ

Thanks for those replies. Scott, you mentioned that Alder looks good with a transparent finish - Do you (or anyone else reading this) think it would look good on it's own or were you saying it would look good with a maple top on it? I have an alder guitar ready for finishing now that I was planning on painting but it does look very nice natural. I just didn't think anyone did transparent finishes on alder without a fancy maple top? Let me know if you think it is worth trying. Thanks again for all of your thoughts. DaveQ