bassplr19

The router took a nice chunk out. Thinking about just carving it out...give it some character. Sanding a little cable sized groove in there.

Rounded body edges and wait for...more freehand routing - starting to look like a strat!

Theoretically, that snowblower might get used in two days

Two weekends in a row routing!

Used a stewmac template for the pickup pockets. Then I manually routed the electronics cavity, a little scary.

Then did a couple test fits!

I would've started on recessing the tremolo cover on the back, thinking manually again, but I had to go cook me some dinner. Some Wine Braised Short Ribs, from my other project for this year: make all the recipes in this.

Isn't that the most important part? I figure, if I screw that up all else is for naught.

More routing fun, trem cavity and jack cav. It's nice out, so I played in the garage!

I bought a Fender Neck Plate with the F on it. I want to do a contoured heel like Warmoth offers, so I started googling "contoured heel strat dimensions" - nothing good was coming up. All I really wanted was how shallow a contoured heel is, finally realized I can just look at the screw lengths for a contoured heel neck plate set and go as deep as the difference!! It looks like I'll be safe in the .25"-.375" range.

Can you blame me for testing it out?

More routing, template top, top side, and start of neck pocket - had some router digging into the template issues, but those areas should be mostly rounded out or beveled off.

Also, work is proceeding in my downstairs bathroom for ease of cleanup since the garage is unusable...WI winter and car storage and all...

Finally a little bit of progress: Neck Pocketing

I think that's exactly what I want - found this one Walnut Strat

Still thinking about grain filling and finishing. Do I want it shiny or just oiled?

Also, thinking should/can I recess the back tremolo cover?

Bought a huge chunk of solid walnut 8/4 x 13.5" x 94", that means I'm on body build 1 of 4. Found some 62 Strat Blueprints, so here we go:

So far layed out, rough cut, template started, planed, and checking out how parts will look together!

Aside from the 6 vs 2 screws, is the modern tremolo routing the same as the vintage?

Found a guy with a 2007 USA with a broken neck, offered him $225 for the pickups and tremolo bridge, need to discuss further tonight

Already bought my Fender neck...next time, I'll try my own!

*Started a new thread since the last was got off track with forum troubleshooting'*

I'm not ready to build my own neck yet (wish I had a CNC), so here's what I'm going to use for the neck.

Well, since I don't see a way to edit my previous post - here's a link to the album

5 hours ago, Prostheta said:

Thing is, planing after cutting cavities could leave the planer blowing out wood around their perimeters. That's my primary concern beyond whether you can cut them reliably now, which you probably could....for whatever reason.

The first part was definitely on my mind, thought I could easily compensate for. This ^^^ second part I wasn't thinking about.

If you click on it, it goes normal ratio

Started my strat build, I promise to be very slow going!

Laying it out:

Roughing it out:

Do I really need to plane it before I route any cavities?

I just went an bought a piece of walnut lumber for some bodies. Found a craigslist ad for some 8/4 x 14" x 6'+ lengths for $8.75 bf. Planned on picking up a 6' piece for ~$120 to be able to make 4 bodies. The closest he had was a 13.5" w x 94" l, well I still had it in my head to make 4 bodies, so I just had him cut it in half (47"). Totally kicking myself on the way home, I could've got another ~17" l piece out of it!!! Stupid me, coulda made a Tele!! Well, now instead of $30/ body, I'm looking at $35. Still much better than the $69 I gave to Carvin for a chunk o' alder.

Will be making some new bodies in the near future!! 

Fender was no help and a local dealer, also, no help.

Went with a Gotoh 201, however, thicker metal at the bottom made me raise my string action at least 1 mm. Thinking about routing out a place of the bridge to sink into.

End result:

Sustain = much better!

Specifically, I'm thinking one of my next projects might be an electric upright, similar to an NS. I was thinking about making a double bass, but further thoughts = ridiculous.

So I wasn't digging the color at first but the more I see, the sexier that guitar is looking!

I was going for a mild Ric vibe with my build, at least with the upper horn. Everybody like that horn!

People on this forum have taken a Les Paul body and put Tele electronics and hardware, doesn't really work for me.

I think if you took the Tele body shape and carved it like the left side of your guitar, then just rounded the right side, again, just like your guitar - that would be pretty badass.

Liking that carve so far, I want to do something similar to a Telecaster body.