scorpionscar

Hi guys, I usually install frets onces I've glued the fingerboard to the neck, In is occasion I've decided to do before glueing it. Is an ebony fretboard with maple binding. I did the slots with stew mac japanesse saw as always and use the same fretwire. The task is that usually hammer the ends of the fret and after that Is finish the installation with my arbor press. I was surprised because is impossible to insert then into the slot, If hammer the fret gets deformed and the when enter the slot, the fretboard tends to bend.

I don't know how to solve this problem, and the cause it appeared. Never had had this issue with frets before. If someone has experienced something similar I will be very grateful if you help me. Thanks in advance.

Scorpionscar

Hi, I have a friend of mine electric guitar HSS with SPC, 5 way switch and 1 tone, 1 volume. The electronics is EMG solderless, the humbucker is a 85 but he wants to change it for a 89 (dual with the possibility of switch between humbucker or single). The tone control has a push pull with the SPC (strat presence control). The idea is to change the volume pot for another push pull one in order to select between single or humbucker. Does anyone think it is possible and any idea about how to do it? Thanks in advance!!!

Accoding to the EMG instructions, the 89 has 3 conectors and goes to the volume push pull, but I don't know how to connect the volume pot with the rest of the circuit. This pick up has also a red connector. No much experience with EMG electronics...Any idea will be wellcome.

Scorpionscar

Hi, I have in the shop a style guitar 345 with varitone. The task is that I'm not acquainted with this electronic. There are two green wires coming from the inside of the guitar and the task here is how to test in order verify where this two wires go in the lugs of the baritone or pots. Any help is wellcome. Thanks in advance!!!

Scorpionscar

32 minutes ago, ADFinlayson said:

Well you're on the right track with 1500+ people liking your facebook page for sure. Based on my marketing and creative backgrounds - I think for small builders, the internet is by far the best marketing route. A professional website/brand that is reflected across social media platforms and regularly updating facebook/instagram etc is key to getting brand recognition. The problem with converting that into order is that you're lucky if 1 in every 100 followers eligible to order one. Custom builders are always going to be faced with the fact that there is a very smaller number of players than can afford to spend £2000+ on a guitar; an even smaller number of those are going to want a custom/handmade guitar over the Gibson/PRS they've always wanted. So converting Likes and Follows into revenue is the real challenge. 

I've had a facebook page going for about 18 months so only have something around 250 Likes, but the trouble is that at least half of those Likes are members of Amateur Luthier as a result of me sharing my builds on facebook - Those people aren't going to be ordering guitars. 

The most successful avenue for real new customers for me so far has been down to direct referrals though. I built a guitar for the drummer in my band in 2018 (also plays guitar), and a few of his friends have been down to the studio to see it and a couple of my other builds, 2 of those have turned into orders. So it really just seams to be an exponential growth thing from referrals - The more we churn out, the more that come along.

Here in Spain there are a lot of builders who has lots of orders. The main problem is to secure your brand and musicians rely on your work. This is a very slow process and Internet is essential, however as you comment, the conversion is very little, is neccesary to reach much people to have 1 order. What most suitable has worked for me is sell guitars to musicians near, and others have seen the way I work and wanted me to do more orders, but I liked to have a decent level of orders through Internet. The target would be almost 8-10 guitars/year. I earn money with mainteinance, settings, painting etc, but want to focus on building.

Scorpionscar

I'm in the same concern as you Prostheta, I'm quality control technician, and I'm always in my workshop, my free time is spent in luthery. I really really liked to start a bussines about electric guitar building full time. I think that the point here is Internet, is essential to focus on it and show the instruments: Here In Spain a custom build can reach 3000€ easily and there are thousands of potential customers musicians and professional guitarrists who are willing to pay this amount of money, the challenge is how the hell to get people know your work and end up in your website...

I want to dedicate my life to do what I love. Is not easy, but not impossible either!!!

Scorpionscar

I read the rules of the contest and I understood I can present my guitar again. If there is no possible you can delete the post.

Name of the guitar: "Warrior Extreme Camo"

Specs:

Body: Swamp ash & Wallnut & Maple & Ebony

Top: Poplar burl

Fingerboard: Exotic ebony

Inlays: 6 mm MOP dots

Frets: 24 Jumbo

Scale: 25.5"

Pegheadf veneers: Front/Poplar burl  Rear/Wallnut

Joint type: Glued on

Bridge: Schaller Lockmeister Floyd rose system

Tuner machines: Schaller

Pick ups: Tokaa brand (handmade in Spain)

Pots: CTS 1 Tone, 1 Volume

Finish: Polyurethane

Link to the whole build here in the forum: 

Scorpionscar

I present my guitar under the name "Warrior Extreme Camo"

This is the link to step by step building: 

Specifications:

Scorpionscar

Knockin´ on hell's doors!!!

Scorpionscar

The beast is almost born. Some pics of the guitar with the finish and the hardware mounted.

Scorpionscar

Quote

 

The covers are done. the wallnut one goes half of its width recessed, because a wanted it projected a few. Didn't like completely recessed. Some pics:

Scopionscar

Quote

 

Some pics of the making of the covers for the Schaller Lockmeister bridge and for the cavity control. Usually I make them marking the shape with the help of a template, but in this case I tried to do them different. I made a table for the Dremel and used a template of plywood. Really it worked amazing and with no danger, I'm scary of doing this with the bosch router. 

I laminated both of the covers, one with poplar and swamp ash, and the other wallnut of my town and European mapple.

Scorpionscar

Some more details...

Scorpionscar

2 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

That's a match made in Heaven, the aged copper and the burl - and the fingerboard. I'm waiting to see the tuners, pickups and knobs...

All elements are aged cooper!!!

Scorpionscar

Some pics with the coper Schaller bridge and nut locker:

Scorpionscar

After some hours sandind the bevels, the guitar looks like this:

Scorpionscar

Today I've been filling the voids of the poplar burl with resin. Some pics:

Scorpionscar

On 6/28/2019 at 4:45 AM, Mr Natural said:

while I am not a big fan of the body style- I do love your builds and looking forward to this. great work as always!!

Thank you so much for your words Mr Natural, really, I don't like much this agressive designs but have to say that the way I advance the work, the more I like me. Is an interesting project, expecially cause is the first time I use poplar burl and other wood combinations.

Scorpionscar

57 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

If you mean the thing mixed in a soda cup, build fences all around the body with tape, build a vacuum chamber of sorts, pour the epoxy within the fences in the vacuum, suck the air out, go away. Use a mask both when mixing and pouring the epoxy as well as when you're sanding it.

Don`t understand what you mean with the vacuum, this technique usually is requiered when you mix the resin with glass fiber in order to produce a composite material, in this case always want to fill the voids.

Scorpionscar

Any ideas on how to fill the voids with epoxy and don´t die in the attempt?? 

Scorpionscar

1 hour ago, killemall8 said:

Thats a great looking shape! Did you use a template or did you draw it out freehand and cut it out?

I printed the planes and glue them to paperboard. Did not use a wood template cause with this shape, It's impossible to use the router, so I rough cut with bandsaw, and then sand it by hand!

Scorpionscar

4 hours ago, ScottR said:

It will be worth it!

Are you going to fill the voids in that burl or leave them open and let them breathe?

I'm glad you've got a new project running too, yours are great fun to watch!

SR

Thank you so much for your words ScottR, always a honour coming from you!!!

Yeah, I'll fill them with epoxy!!!

Scorpionscar

Dying the body and headstock. Dye, sand, dying again, sand...Tedious process...The tone seems to be blue, but the stain is translucent black!

Scorpionscar

The next step is installing the jumbo 24 frets with hammer at first instance. and with the press later to ensure the corre t installation:

Scorpionscar

I'm working in the neck at the same time, like to do both the body and neck at the same time so as to test critical zones like the joint of the neck in the neck pocket for example and to center the neck suitable. I rough cut the neck and headstock. For the headstock I use a peghead veneer of poplar burl, the same wood as the body.

The body and the neck works are more or less advanced, so it's time to check the neck pocket:

Now, I cut the fingerboard, made out of exotic ebony, and glue it to the neck. It's time for the inlays, dots of avalone of 4 mm diameter:

Hi, after some mounths, I come back with another project. This is a guitar in the line of Jackson with some new features in the design, in shape and expecially in the combination of woods. I begin for the neck, it is a 7 layer multilaminated neck alternating Spanish wallnut and European maple. I glue the pieces with the help of my homemade press. Some pics of the process:

After 24 hours, I planed the surfaces until its definitive thickness. It's time to make the truss rod channel with my homemade jig:

At the same time I prepare the body. For this I`ll use swamp ash for the wings of the body and a central block made out of a combination of wallnut and mapple. The top is poplar burl:

Here is the laminate of the central block. This combination is for two reasons, one is for adding an extra weight to the body, due to swamp ash is very light, and f0r an effect I try to achieve in the zone of the heel of the guitar

Once the top is bookmatched and the central block laminated, is time to glue all the elements together in two different days. After rough cutting with the band saw, the guitar looks like as follows:

Now is time for sanding the sides of the body, difficult work due to the pronounced peaks:

Scorpionscar