Don Ramsay

This is exactly what I use. I had a double-ended Snap On feeler gauge set that had all the sizes I needed. It is the type that allows the gauges to 'fan out' which also provides you with a handle. I carefully cut teeth into approximately the first inch, along one edge, of the appropriate sized gauges using a Dremmel with a thin diamond slitting blade. I also rounded the edge of the thicker gauges to produce that round bottom in the nut slot. Works great and was much cheaper than a file set. DR

These are pretty small. Very original design and the ergonomics look well thought out too. http://www.spaltinstruments.com/apex1.html DR

Why a skunk stripe? Pretty much guarantees you won't find one. Those are there for installing the truss rod when a neck is one piece. With a separate fretboard, they aren't required because the truss rod channel can be milled into the neck before the fret board is glued on. DR

There are a number of "exotic" neck woods that Warmoth say's require no finish. So I guess whether it has a warranty depends upon what wood your neck is made of. They presently say "no finish required" on the "showcase" necks made of Bloodwood, Bocote. Brazilian Rosewood, Bubinga, Canary, Goncalo Alves, Indian Rosewood, Macassar Ebony, Padouk, Purpleheart, and Ziricote. DR

Can anyone explain what happened to the price of Bocote? Several years ago, I built a parts Strat. I picked all dark woods and quite simply picked an all Bocote Warmoth because of it’s dark color and wild grain, and because of what little I knew about it’s hardness & strength. When it arrived I did some hand work (taking down the “heel” opposite the nut, dressing and radiusing the fret ends and slightly scalloping between the frets, trying to get it to take in some Tung oil, and hand rubbing) so it closely approximated the feel of my 50 year old Strat. After it some months, often spending hours in the heat of my car’s trunk (in the S. Calif. sun) I noticed “fret bloom”. The neck width had shrunk slightly. I again dressed all the fret ends. Some months later, same thing and another dressing. The neck has stopped shrinking after those initial episodes, and all the while, has remained very stable, straight and buzz free. All in all, it has been a great feeling and durable neck that has broken in beautifully and sounds great. This neck cost me $299 to which I added CZ side markers, an Earvanna nut & locking staggered Sperzels. Out of curiosity, I had checked availability of Bocote neck at Warmoth in the months & first years following. Although Bocote was still listed in the search filter, my searches would come up empty. Some time later, Bocote wasn’t on the list. Recently, I see that Bocote is again available. The 2 “wildly figured” Strat necks in stock are now $995(!), which is as expensive as it gets at Warmoth presently. The only other necks at that price point are 2 one piece Brazillian rosewood necks, which is on the endangered species list. What happened to Bocote? I don't find anything saying it is on the endangered list. I should have put my money into Bocote neck blanks instead of that 401K fund. For reference: http://www.warmoth.com/showcase/sc_guitar_...kWood_filter=42 DR

Do you mean this one? http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=17037 DR

I really love the sound of my Jeff Beck signature Strat. I was surprised to find the body route looked like this: http://www.geocities.com/jbstratman/JBroute.jpg Don

If you want really small, Fender makes a Squier mini Strat style guitar that I have seen at Sam Ash for around $100. Looks like this one. Sounds like strings bending is almost too easy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGl_-m8nPAw Don

There are some potential problems to consider before undertaking a project like this. Tools steels are indeed sold annealed so that you can machine them. The second two digits in the 4 digit alloy numbers above represent the amout of carbon in the alloy. The medium carbon to high carbon steels (xx45 through xx95) will harden through and through. The higher numbers are considered spring steels and would be the most difficult to machine. These high carbon alloys tend to work-harden if you are not extremely careful with your feedrates, spindle RPMs and coolant use. They can tear up even expensive solid carbide tools because the material can and will harden just in front of your cutter from the heat of cutting. Case hardening, or carburizing, on the other hand, uses a carbon rich atmosphere in the heat treating process to add carbon to a thin skin on low carbon steels (xx18), but the problem there is that the depth of the hardness is very shallow. Another thing that must be considered is the finish you want your finished part. The materials listed above will all rust if they are not plated. There are some stainless steels that will heat treat well (i.e.: 440C) and will also buff up to a chrome-like finish. Heat treating by a professional involves 2 steps. The first step takes the material to its full hardness. In the second step the material is "tempered", or "drawn" back to your specified hardness (i.e: 56 to 58 RC). This second step is very important in that it gives your knife edge its strength. Just doing the first step will give you an edge that is very hard but somewhat fragile and subject to chipping. Don

To stir up further discussion... I have seen a number of Rosewoods available: -Palisander Rosewood -Indian Rosewood -East Indian Rosewood (Black Rosewood) -Brazillian Rosewood (Rio Rosewood or Bahia Rosewood) -Honduran Rosewood -Macassar Rosewood -Madagascar Rosewood -Bocote (Mexican Rosewood) (I have one guitar neck of this wood on a Walnut body...love it!) In addition, in the genus "Dalbergia", there is also: -African Blackwood Rosewood -Cocobolo -Kingwood -Tulipwood The list is so extensive, it seems confusing which would be considered the best "tone woods". I also found the following references: "Brazilian rosewood is (was) a popular wood for guitar fingerboards, and acoustic guitar backs and sides. However, due to its protected status (now close to extinction) and spiraling prices, Indian and Madagascar rosewood are being used extensively in its place." And: "The timber trade will sell many timbers under the name 'rosewood' (with an adjective) due to similarities in figure." Palisander is mentioned above as a favorite. I hope so, because Warmoth is asking $699.00 for this one-piece neck: http://www.warmoth.com/showcase/sc_guitar_...kWood_filter=23 Wow! Who knows? Don

Once the protective plating on the parts is gone and rust is well established, you will find the problem returning after all of you efforts. Kahler is back, and parts should be available here: http://www.kahlerparts.com/Other_Pages/home.htm Don

Also a Kahler device. A locking nut (uses clamp levers).

Alembic does some pretty nice guitars too. Here is mine: http://www.geocities.com/jbstratman/Alembic.jpg Heavy guitar, beautiful laminates, neck through, separate on/off switch for each pickup. Not crazy about the trem though. It is a Kahler Floyd Rose licensed (fine tuners, through route, springs in back, etc.) Don

As stated above, McMaster is a builders dream source. If you have trouble finding them, the link is: http://www.mcmaster.com Don

Pete and David, You guys are obviously very knowledgeable and I appreciate your deep consideration of 'trem science'. Only wanted to make a few small points tonight. They are not intended to argue that my design is in any way better than the Stet's design. They are just different. I never laid eyes upon the Stet's design until well after my own patent had been applied for and was "pending". I designed mine to drop into (yes, with some additional routing) the huge hole that was already on my Jeff Beck Strat and to make use of the spring and spring claw that were already there. I have never suggested cutting up any existing or vintage instrument. I was able to order a Warmoth body routed for the Fender 2 post and do fairly minimal extra routing to get my prototype up and running. The few requests I have had so far to cut into a Les Paul or Tele style guitar have all ended with my referral to www.stetsbar.com. I respect the though he put into his approach to his design, his focus upon the reversible "no mod" aspects for after-market installs and I am now very familiar with the many benefits to the linear approach. I do not really want retrofit work, and I will now investigate the possibility of licensing OEM builders. Here are a few "food for though" points. 1. A gear is a fulcrum mechanism. May not look one, but it's teeth are a series of levers arranged in a circle about a pivoting centerline. 2. My springs do not attach to the moving portion of the bridge. They attach only to the bottom of the fulcrum. I hear no spring noise coming through my amplifier (although I do have documented high frequency hearing loss...thanks bandmate Bill). 3. The fulcrum portion, although assembled from several separate parts, is locked together and behaves as one rotating lever assembly. 4. The sliding bridge assembly, which is also assembled from several separate parts (6 saddles, each with 2 height adjustment screws, a length adjustment screw and a separate clamp screw, a base plate with 2 crossed roller "V" guide rails) is also all locked together and behaves as one solid monolithic rolling bridge. 5. The slider is not spring (nor string) loaded onto the roller bearings. It is retained by the bearings in all directions except in the direction of the string pull. You could pick up the guitar by the bridge (unstrung). Cool discussion guys, Regards, Don