Jump to content
Entry in the May 2024 Guitar of the Month contest is now open ×

erikbojerik

Veteran Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,869

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by erikbojerik

  1. erikbojerik
    I've used epoxy a lot in my job. With epoxy, you HAVE to make absolutely certain you have a nice good mixture of the resin and hardener, if you don't then it won't cure evenly and you'll get a soft cure much like you're speaking of. It helps to heat it slightly, just warm so that the epoxy gets nice & runny without making bubbles. Use a tin-foil dish over the lowest setting on your stove. Then mix for a good 90 seconds without stopping (keep it warm), only then will it be well mixed and ready to go. Also, don't use the quick-cure epoxy. Use the regular stuff. That said, I haven't used the CA. My experience is only with epoxy (and not on inlays).
  2. erikbojerik
    Just finished my first neck blank. Did the bulk wood removal on the back with a floor-standing belt sander (80 grit), just being careful to keep the thickness a little large down the center line (using my MIM strat neck as a guide). Then went at the back with 80-grit paper on a 9.5-inch radius block to smooth out the whole thing (for consistency along the length, not for the radius). Once I get the fretboard on, I'll finish it off by hand with a contour that just feels right. Edges straightened using a drum sander on a drill press, with straight-edge jig. Feels good so far.
  3. erikbojerik
    OK, I heard from the Seymour Duncan custom shop. They'll make the Hellecaster version for $120 each. That's $360 to fill up a strat (whew!). On the other hand, I've seen the original 60s Fender XII versions go for ~$200 on the 'bay.
  4. erikbojerik
    For us total noobs... When you cut out the inlay pieces, do you normally need to file or sand the edges to make it look nice, and get things to fit properly? When you glue it together, do you glue just the edges, or do you have a backing that you glue down to?
  5. erikbojerik
    Very nice dave. Great-looking relic job on all your artistic media (wood, plastic, metal), especially the pickup pole pieces. Could maybe hit the pickguard screws and neckplate a little harder, and wear some dirt into the exposed wood areas, but that'll come with playing anyway. The finish checking is especially nice. I've seen a lot of relic finish jobs that end up looking like broken glass, with the cracks going every which way, but your checking follows the wood grain really nicely, really authentic looking. Best of luck on the job hunt. Sometimes you need time more than cash, but building guitars takes both!
  6. erikbojerik
    Yeah, I've chased down all the Hellecaster and Seymour Duncan leads, but these aren't listed as stock items with SD. I have an email into their custom shop. I'm more interested to see if there are any other similar-wound options out there and if people here have used them. I'm thinking of doing strange things like splitting the coils (giving bass & treble side for each strat pup position) and mixing 'em up, i.e. neck(bass)+mid(treb)+bridge(treb). 3-way mini-toggle coil taps for each pup (bass coil, both, treb coil), 5-way switch and one push-pull pot (for neck pup on). This will give 56 possible pup combinations, by my count (whew).
  7. erikbojerik
    ...the ones on the Fender Hellecaster. Hellecaster They're similar-looking to the old split-coil pups that used to come on the 60s era Fender XII 12-string Jazzmaster. If they sound anything like those do, I'd love to get some for a proj. thanks!
  8. erikbojerik
    Here's a photo of John Paul Jones' acoustic triple-neck, mandolin on top, then 12-string then 6-string. JPJ flat-top triple And triple-neck mandolin... Mandolin Madness Both are pretty cool.
  9. erikbojerik
    not Bladerunner... Bladeruiner....
  10. erikbojerik
    Yep, here too. All the wood guys refer to flame maple as "curly maple" and quilted maple as "quilted maple". If you ask for flame maple, they'll say "Huh? We don't have that."
  11. erikbojerik
    I'm interested in the bridge...what kind is it? Do you have a source? Do you use the double-ball-end strings?
  12. erikbojerik
    I've played a few 60s-era Fender 12-strings, and all the necks are wider. It does take a bit getting used to, not as easy to do those thumb-cheats! With a standard-width 6-string neck, I'd worry a bit about the strings being so close together; I would think it would make it a bit more difficult to "feel" for the chords with the strings all crammed together. But then again I've never played 12 strings on a standard-width neck.
  13. erikbojerik
    Oh...I guess blood-red would be a "Carrie-burst"...
  14. erikbojerik
    Does no one play clean anymore...?
  15. erikbojerik
    IMO body wood type is important only if you play on the clean end of the spectrum; do this enough and you will quickly begin to see the differences between woods. Neck wood also plays into it, and fretboard wood will go a long way toward determining the attack of your sound (rosewood for softer attack, maple for medium, ebony for crisp attack). (Scott, sorry I can't help it...every time I glance at your avatar, I think "diary cow"...)
  16. erikbojerik
    I happen to be too sexy for my shirt.
  17. erikbojerik
    Nicneufeld over on the USACG forum built a thinline Tele with a redwood top, tung oil finishh; it looks really sweet. I think if you spend the dough and are careful, you won't be disapointed. USACG In the photo archive, page 6.
  18. erikbojerik
    If you're going for a certain campy look, then the fake gems are perfect. Actually, I'd replace the rocker switches with stuff like household light switches, and replace the knobs with dimmers. Then get to shakin' all that mercury and have your pups switch with each head-bang!
  19. erikbojerik
    As much as possible, try for a straight string pull across the nut.
  20. erikbojerik
    37, geologist (volcanoes), live in MD. One basketball-related ACL reconstruction; now after rehab, it's better than the other knee. As long as I keep working out, that is... Growing tool collection at home. Great carpenter shop at work, I know just enough to be dangerous. There's also a CNC but I haven't gotten anywhere near it (yet). I'm inspired by John McLaughlin...I sound more like Courtney Love...
  21. erikbojerik
    Thanks funkle...I've got access to a good drill press and about 20 different screwdrivers at work. My problem so far is that the screw-bushing combos that are sold at my hardware store (the Depot) have screw heads that are not countersink heads, and so would stand off from the neck plate. I guess I'll have to think outside the box...like purchasing the screws separately...<sigh>...it's all so difficult...<whine>...I need to call my mom....<sniff>....
  22. erikbojerik
    Just save the ball ends from your old strings. I've got about 50 of 'em now! Get 'em from a bass player too, they're bigger. I got this advice here! And you might want to be careful to round off the inside edge with a needle file, where the string breaks over the metal on its way to the bridge, otherwise you risk breaking the string at that point. At least for the bottom 3 strings.
  23. erikbojerik
    Thanks guys...but I still need the screws & bushings. I'm going for something that's in-between the Erlwine and Stewart guitars. More like the Erlwine version, but headless with removable bolt-on neck and 25.5 inch scale. If all goes well, it should be about as long as the Erlwine version (28" total). It should fit fine in a carry-on bag (this assumes I could get it through airport security). It will also be my first try at a bunch of stuff I've always wanted to do; dyed carved figured maple drop-top over mahogany, making my own maple neck with ebony fingerboard, bound body, inlaid fretboard. I figure if I screw things up, WTH it's just a travel guitar and not much wood involved. It will have 3 single coil MIM Fender pups I've got lying around, 5-way switch, one volume knob.
  24. erikbojerik
    The plan is to make a travel guitar that will fit in a suitcase with the neck unbolted. I don't think these will work... stop tailpiece bushings ...because the bolts won't go all the way in. You guys have any ideas or sources? thanks!
  25. erikbojerik
    I can see one problem if you make a bunch of chambers all the same size...you'll get one frequency (and its harmonics) that will dominate the sound. I think the same goes for a single large chamber, but in a true hollowbody that is exactly the effect you're after when you shoot for that "hollow woody sound". Also, I think large chambers help the lower frequencies. I think if you compare the sound of a ES335 to an L5 you'll get the picture.
×
×
  • Create New...