simon1138

Hello, I was trying to take down a bit of wood on the back of my first neck and went too hard with the rasp. there is a split and the truss rod showing. Will this cause issues or just an asthetic issue? How could I fix it? Thanks

Hello, I have had problems cutting a scarf joint. After trying a bandsaw and that pain in the A**, chopsaw method that requires a purpose built jig, jig made for handsaw. I have not tried using a table saw and don't want to either. This is my method and in my opinion, far better, more basic. It requires a clean up of the cuts but that is the same with most other methods. I don't know why I did not try this to start. Thanks, All the best, Simon

Hello I have a wrap around bridge from a BC Rich I want to fit to my guitar. Does this bridge need to be fitted at an angle? It has a screw either end to adjust distance from the post which I assume helps with intonation and I don't remember seeing an angle on the Warlock I took the bridge from. Also, where is the centre line or intonation point for the bridge? Is it the centre of the post holes? Thanks Simon

Hello, I bought a 16" radius sanding block which I have tried to use on a maple fretboard using 60 grit red oxide paper. It took a while to get almost there, not quite finished. I stopped and thought that maybe a router jig would be better. So I looked at router jigs, had a go at one and failed because I didn't quite think it through. I have tried again and a little closer but still I would like to know how long it takes to sand to a 16" radius, and, is there a particular method. I did think about using the planer to take down the edges a bit. Obviously the router jig would do a great job with that. I don't mind the hard work, its just preferable to have a quicker method. Thanks Simon One year on and still not completed a guitar!?!

hello, not sure i understand what you mean, that much inaccuracy?

Hello Bizman62 Thanks for the response. The neck at the moment is not shaped, as in, cut from 43mm to 57mm, it is straight. I attach the fretboard to the template using the super glue and masking tape method. I checked to make sure that the edges of the wood match up with the template edges by butting them with the metal square. This is the most accurate that I can get them. The first cut is the nut edge which is the same as all the other fret slots. I have tried to cut them all the same by butting the saw against the edge of my made square. So in theory the nut will sit against the edge of a wonky cut the same as all the frets. Then it would be the bridge, which has adjustable fender style saddles. I am assuming that shouldn't be a problem.

Hello I bought a chicken bone john fret slotting template and made a small square that fits into the template so I can cut the fret. However, when checking the square, it is not that square. I am comparing it to an engineering square, Moore and Wright is think is the brand. It looks slightly off. So the question is how much accuracy, I know that 100% is best but is this fret board a complete right off. I don't know how bad it would be to continue to use it.

Hello, I bought two pre slotted maple fret boards from a chinese site, I think it was banggood? I did not check them when I got them as I assumed they were good. Now, some months later I have taken the wrap off and noticed that they are either radiused slightly, on the wrong side or, they are not radiused (which would make sense) and the other side has a bow! I have tried to remove the bow and had no luck as my plane is struggling to cut maple and I dont want the hassle of mucking about with planing the wood. I have checked a fret slotting template against the scale of the fret board and they are not lined up properly. I have one complete neck I bought from ebay (banana headstock style) that fretboard matches the two dodgy ones exactly for fret spacing. neither match the 25.5 inch scale of the template. I have measured from the nut to the 12th fret and all three say 324mm I am not sure what is going on? I dont want to mention the name of the template maker, and english man that I believe I can trust more than the chinese necks. but the necks are consistant with their measurements. not sure what is going on here. What could I do about the bow in the fretboard? everystep in this is a nightmare, started a year ago and still not completed a single guitar!

Hello I have tried to read about cnc machines on various websites and got nowhere. Please could I get some advice from you experienced people on building a cnc machine and making one of adequate size to cut templates from 10mm (max) and possibly the backs of guitar necks. I have not tried making a neck yet and shaping is something I dread. I have some experience with electronics and programming. I can learn those things when I need to. I am more concerned with overall size of machine and size/type of motors. I have a katsu palm router and I see similar things used as the cutting tool. I have experience with arduino from my HNC electronics course. What would be the maximum size of the machine (approx) if i just wanted to make basic body and neck templates? Thanks Simon

Hello I bought some of this varnish from toolstation and it is not really that hardened the finish. I could easily scratch off the varnish and the paint. I did water it a little so I could spray it. I put on a few layers. It is annoying that I am getting close to finishing my guitar and keep hitting a wall. Is there a particular way to apply a varnish. I have been using my electric hvlp gun. I can scratch off the varnish and the paint to the black undercoat. I could do the same with the laquer I bought from lidls. I think it must be the way I am applying it. Please help. Thanks Simon

i am making a youtube video to try and show how i did it. i will try the thinner top layer and see what happens. i do like the violent crackles!!!

Hello all! I have been mucking about trying to get the crackle glaze to work on my guitar and finally managed it. I wanted to show the results and I am pleased with myself. It is actually straight forward really, paint on the glaze and wait for it to harden (over a base coat of your choice) then, spray on the top coat. I don't think that the thickness of the top coat matters that much. After spraying, apply heat. I used a fan with heat function. After about ten minutes I got my result. Pink instead of red, I wanted to dye the white emulsion with red acrylic and gave up. I used the pink as an experiment that seems to have worked out ok.

bizman what class did you do? thanks for the help. i will see how it goes

Hello, I have finished(?) painting my guitar and now decided to go with polyurethane spray can finish. I gave it a coat and left it to dry which didn't seem to take too long. It does feel slightly tacky and as though there may be some orange peel. What is best here? I have looked around and one video says 1000 grit wetted paper to sand in a circular motion? I read the instructions on the can which don't mention sanding between coats. It mentions a few layers of thin coats with 20-30 minutes between coats. Does not mention sanding or grit of paper. what can i expect from this spray can polyurethane? I pressed my thumbnail into it and chipped off a bit of paint. I keep hitting a wall. There seems to be conflicting information about how to do things. For now I want a guitar to play so this one is going to get built. What is the best thing I can do to get a finish without taking off the current polyurethane and starting again. Please don't mention buying stuff from stewmac. Thanks Simon

Hello Drak, Thanks for the response. Emulsion in the UK is called "latex" in the states, I believe. However, I am no longer interested in spraying emulsion, I have tried it and do not like the results. I tried the emulsion as I thought that being thick it would fill small scratches and dents. I thought that primer would do this also. I would like to build and provide a surface to adhere to. The primer mentions filling pores which is one thing that drew my attention. Something to help the paint stick is also good. I would like to use water based products as they seems cheaper and easier to work with. Easier to thin as well. I have the paints that I want to use. They are cheap ready mixed water based paints for kids. They seem to do a good enough job for now. I am not pro, still very much in the learning stage. So I don't want to spend a lot of money on things that will just end up ruined. I have just sprayed a body with black paint, this cost £2 for a good size bottle. The way it goes on it will last me a few guitars. This is good for me. So yeah, build and adhesion. Forget the emulsion/latex, it is messy and awkward. Thanks again Simon

hello i have an electric hvlp gun that i would like to use to spray finishes. i have tried emulsion which is a little too thick and difficult to spray. i have seen primer and undercoat by no nonsense, which seems quite good for the money and amount that you get. is primer thick like emulsion? i have looked at the chemicals in them and they both have somethign called "BIT" but not to sure about the other chemicals. i would like to spray the primer but not sure if it would be too thick like the emulsion. anyone use this primer before? no nonsense primer and undercoat 2.5 litres for £10 thanks

thansk for the response, what size blade and teeth number would be best for cutting a scarf joint please?

hello i recently got a second hand burgess bbs20 table top bandsaw. with a thin blade, i think it is about 6mm. i tried cutting a straight line through some scrap and got a poor response. the blade twisted and wobbled through it. it seems to only have one speed. i am not sure what i can do about it. i dont want to have to buy another band saw. is this not capable of the job?

Hello, I bought an electric HVLP spray gun and am trying to learn to spray with it. I have an oak body that I am trying to spray. I have managed to grain fill it now painting. I thought that emulsion would be a good option as it is cheap and would maybe work as a primer. Also read somewhere that it can fill small cracks and dents. I tried spraying it on and it seemed ok. I thought that I would do a second coat and that cracked on drying. I have just tried to fill the cracks with a third coat and that seems to have done nothing. I am trying to make do with low cost products. I have managed to spray some wood and get a fairly flat finish, nice and smooth. I think that first crack is the issue. I just dont want to keep going back and forth with sanding and then painting all the time. I tried a coloured lacquer on another body that I have and that is sticky? I have no idea why my lacquer (spray can, lidl £2.99) is always sticky. Three days drying. Yet I sprayed onto a test piece and that dried quick and not sticky? I do plan to do a red and black crackle effect on my oak body. Red first and while that is drying spray on the black. Problem is spraying water based paint onto emulsion and I am guessing that it will crackle but not how I want.

hello, i recently sold an amp that i had, watson xb15 watt bass amp. i took it roiund to the guy and sold it for £8, he plugged in the amp and wanted to try it which i thought was fine as i believed it worked. i put my guitar through it and it seemed fine. the video shows some distortion but i thought that was due to the amp being right up. i dont know much about bass amps and thought that the guitar was sounding different because of different circuitry. when he plugged in his bass it sounded as though the amp was cutting out as soon as he started playing. he said that he hadnt played in a long time and that his amp had just died. i asked him to remvoe the jack and touch the end, it made the expected noise at a loud volume. so i think the lead is fine. i didnt ask him if the bass was working before hand, thinking about it now. i assumed that his bass guitar was broken, the lead seemed fine and the amp worked with my guitar. it sounds like it is cutting out in the video but i assumed that was because it was full up and causing the speaker to buzz and affecting the phones mic. could the pickups be faulty on the bass or is it the amp. would a bass guitar have a different effect on the circuit? i dont want to sell him a dodgy amp. thanks simon

Hello, so now i am embarking on what i expect to be a treacherous journey, to build a guitar neck. i have the headstock shape, a pre cut fretboard and truss rod. i have some scrap practice wood which i will use for a test run. i heard that black plastic is used on some guitars and i would prefer something that does not chip easily. ABS seems to be a popular one. i was thinking more about free recycled plastic. icecream tubs are made of a flimsy plastic and usually white. i was thinking about a black plastic. anyone here used anything like that? not having any income at the moment i dont want to spend unless i have too. thanks simon

hello i recently bought and recieved today five bits of maple, 4 that are 58 x 18 x 600 long and 1 that is 58 x 18 x 760 mm long. i paid £30 for this, is that a good deal? i havent looked around at local lumber yards, i live in the uk so b and q is the closest and they sell crap. # this wood is the right width, i want to have a 56 mm at thickest and 43mm at the nut because i have pre cut fretboards. i am thinking about the headstocks though, i want an angled headstock and so would have to do a scarf joint. i was thinking that i may be able to get four necks out of these five pieces. a lot of cutting and gluing ahead. but also, the heel? the wood is not thick enough (18mm) for the heel. would that matter? thanks simon

Hello, i bought a graphite nut off ebay and fitted it to my guitar. i have included a picture of the strings fitted into the nut. i watched a video of fruda , this guy he talks about the string going into the nut some distance and a certain shape of nut slot. then i watch dan erlwine and he mentions something else, then someone else says something different. i have fitted my cheap strat tremolo instead of the floyd. i tried to measure the distance between the string and first fret. i wont mention the distance as that is apparently and opinion. i do the third fret press technique and that seems to show a very small gap. i thought that i should up load a pic of the strings in the nut. i am having some problems with fret buzz. i have set the saddles as best i can to the 16" radius. i would like a low action. i have tried to straighten the neck as much as possible. most frets are fine except for the 6th and another higher up but i think that can be solved by pressing in. is the nut ok? should i chuck it and start again? thanks, all the best simon

Hello i have a knock off cheap chinese strat trem taht i want to use for dive bombing type stuff. i have locking tuners and a graphite nut (which i hope wont require lub). i have heard that you can adjust the strength of hte springs to making the trem a little easier to use. not tighten the springs by turning screws. i want the trem flat not floating. but turning the screws to tighten the springs makes the trem difficult to use. not like a floyd which feels really light to use. does the fitting of the springs matter, some are straight some diagonal, some have three springs some four, some two?

Hello, I have had a few problems with my guitar. i have finished the build and it seems to work fine so onto setup. i did the following straigthen neck fit new strings shimmed neck to lower action, i fitted two pieces of card that cover half the neck pocket closest to the bridge, this may give a slight angle to the neck. it lowered the action and caused some string and fret buzz. i then noticed that the strings were different height and learnt that the saddles were numbered. i had one (1) three (2) and two (3). the (1) was the heightest but i measured them and they were all slightly different in height. the difference was less than half a mm in most cases. so i decided to use paper and shim a number (2) to make another (1). anyway i shimmed most of them to get them closer to height and fitted them in order. there is now an arc on the bridge as required. should i give some forward bend to the neck or is there something else that i should do. its like setup is straight forward, follow the path, what happens when the path has a fork?? thanks all the best, simon