erikbojerik

P90s. Cream (duh)

I just got a set of Lollars in this week; 9.1 k bridge and 8.2k neck. They're headed for a Gibson Les Paul that will be retopped with brazilian rosewood. I should have a sound clip for you in about a year...

Bring it to Home Depot and start trying different bolts.

Benedetto is a good place to start, most definitely. I'm not sure if this is feasible with the bodies you have, but I would seriously consider think about trying a Taylor-style bolt-on (search the OLF), it is basically just a butt joint with a fretboard extension that is routed slightly into the top of the neck block. You can have either screws from inside the body threading into inserts in the neck heel, or hangar bolts sticking out of the heel that you screw nuts down onto from inside the body. There are a few folks who've pulled it off with archtops, basically using a long tool that they insert from the endpin hole or endpin jack hole. Which you may or may not have....and may or may not want to drill. With the neck you have, you'll need to add onto (stack) the heel so that you make it thicker, then craft whatever kind of surface/tenon/dovetail you need to mate up with the body. Also your neck blocks may not be set up for a butt joint...a lot depends on what's going on there. But after you read Benedetto, and after you've gone to school on the Taylor neck joint, give it a thought. Taylor-style joint is the way I'll be going on my first archtop build.

Nice job! I'm in the planning stages of a Tele, and I just *might* have to put my switch there as well. The solo was a Tele. And as much as Jimmy is recognized for his 1275 doubleneck....the 12-string rhythm guitar used in the studio was a Fender XII.

Looks nice! I like the pickup switch sans switch ring....very 1952!

If that's still the action after the neck has settled in, then that's pretty decent. Preferred action depends on playing style. I have a pretty heavy right hand, so I like my action higher than this. I think the photo angle on the fifth photo may be throwing off the perceptions of the action...it doesn't look as high in the 4th photo. Nice job on the build!

There are differences between epoxies designed for adhesive purposes, and epoxies designed for grain filling. The only reason to really use epoxy adhesive is because it is a much better gap filler than wood glue, but of course you may end up seeing the joint very easily as JP said. The best bet is to make flat & true joint surfaces and use wood glue. As Doug said, hardware store epoxies are NOT recommended for this.

That's how a well-built neck is supposed to be!

no no no....click on the StewMac link and read it There are slots at the edge of the template that correspond to each fret slot position, about 1/16" wide for the StewMac templates. You drive a 1/16" metal pin into a horizontal fence, and when the pin goes into the slot....you make the cut. Move the template so that the pin goes into the next slot, make the cut. etc etc

The radial arm saw method works just like that....except upside-down & backwards (i.e. you can view the side of the fretboard being cut, and you drag the blade across the piece rather than dragging the piece across the blade).

Quilted maple is harder to come by here out east, I have a few top sets kicking around that are saved for projects, but no fretboard stock.

Yep....it'll be a couple of weeks yet.

IMO a baritone is a perfect guitar to do multiscale. Should be cool!

Yep....I just shipped one out yesterday. Same price as the birdseye.

On my 8-stringer tuned in drop-E, I'm using a 0.085" on a 28" scale. It's OK, so should work on your slightly longer scale; go from there. It's from a set of bass strings. You'll have to ream out the tuner post.

I'm not too familiar with the paints you're using, but I'd imagine they'd need a clear coat over it. When you level-sand, try stopping at 1000 grit instead of going all the way up and buffing. That'll be about as flat as you'll get it.

I need a reference point here....how many clear coat jobs have you done where you've level sanded and buffed out?

I actually prefer to glue frets in with Titebond. Unless you use the gel (which is hard to get down into the slot), CA is not a great gap-filler because it shrinks a LOT when drying. And any squeeze-out is easily cleaned up with a wet paper towel.

Normally the slots are deep enough that it's no problem, unless you mess up and end up having to re-level the board.

I use the StewMac nipper on coiled wire from Allied Lutherie with no problems; it still leaves an ever-so-slightly visible burr underneath, I grind it flush with a sanding drum on a Dremel. I press them in, with a tiny dab of CA under the ends. Yeah...it usually takes me a couple of hours to fret a neck while I'm watching a movie or something.

Got it....thanks Eneas!

Lovely! It's looking great so far! :D

Jim....you're the MAN! I've been looking for awhile for some swamp ash that is quartersawn well enough for acoustic sides. The right side of B15 just about fits that bill... Do you have any in your stash that are more well-quartered than B15? I'd need as much vertical grain across 5-1/2" as you can manage. Let me know, and then I'll pick one for sides (8-1/2" wide or wider) and pull the trigger.

I'd buy a skinny one @ 72" long, you should be able to get a pair of 2-piece body blanks out of it if you play your cards right. Keep one for a future proj or flip it.