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ihocky2

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Everything posted by ihocky2

  1. ihocky2
    I'm not familiar with Alpha pots, but CTS is known to be high quality. They seem to last longer, have less noise, and be smoother. I would guess that they also suck your tone less, but I doubt most people would notice that difference if there is one. But there is definitely a difference between CTS and the Radio Shack ones, and CTS is the better.
  2. ihocky2
    The X2N seems to be fairly popular with the death metal crowd. Well at least the ones that don't play EMG's yet.
  3. ihocky2
    Dimarzio's are still great pickups. Though the following seems to be more of the 80's metal fans and shredders these days, so they dropped off a little I think. But that is the style of music that was played when they were bigger. I've noticed the small local shops carry very few pickups anymore, not just Dimarzio. I think it has more to do with not wanting to stock inventory when most people buy online. I've seen a lot of people though that still play only Dimarzio in any new guitar they get.
  4. ihocky2
    Actually you still need to be clean shaven for a gas mask to work properly. Any type of respiratory filter that does not have a positive air flow needs to seal completely on your face. The gas masks are the primary reason that military personel are not allowed to have more than a moustache. Anything else prevents a secure seal. Also, have you ever worn a gas mask for an extended period of time. They are not light or comfortable, and get rather hot inside.
  5. ihocky2
    I am going to venture a guess that they are different. The Charvel is based on the San Dimas body. While Strat shaped, I think there are some differeces in dimensions.
  6. ihocky2
    The cracks will destroy anything you make from it. The items will instantly burst into flames. Just to keep you safe, I'll take it off your hands to dispose of it. The cracks are fine. They seem to be mostly concentrated around the ends from when the wood was originallyy dried. There seem to be a few around areas that have knots as well. Both of those are areas that allow moisture to escape quicker than the rest of the wood allowing for uneven drying which caused the cracks. By now the wood is dry and stable, so they are not a problem, you just have to work around them.
  7. ihocky2
    I would suggest the ferrules without the rim that Stewmac sells. I would also do a general search of the web for metal ferrules. They don't have to be specific to guitar. Just big enough for the ball end to fit into and have a hole large enough for your largest string to fit through without pulling the ball end through.
  8. ihocky2
    I am looking at getting one of the DeVilbiss Starting Line HVLP spray gun kits. They say they will run 30psi inlet and 10psi at the cap at 13 cfm. My question is, can I run this on a standard compressor at 30 psi and have everything work fine or should I get a HVLP turbine compressor to get the higher CFM. I have to check but I think my compresor is rated at about 8cfm at 40psi. So the compressor does not have enough cfm, but after the pressure is dropped at the gun, will it generate the 13cfm?
  9. ihocky2
    You can make your own fret protectors from soda cans. Just cut out a rectangle long enough and then cut a slot big enough for your largest fret to fit through. Keep all of your corners round, and leather gloves are a good idea since they will be fairly sharp.
  10. ihocky2
    The consensus usually seems to be that walnut has a dark sound. Which is why you see it in basses a lot more often. You can definitely get some different tones though by using walnut it designs that are usually bright sounding.
  11. ihocky2
    A lot of hard core Jackson fans say the quality has dropped, and from stories I have seen, it seems to have a little. But this is also from a handfull of voices, so it probably is not that bad. I have seen a lot of complaints about the custom shop though. My understanding is that Grover Jackson is still employed by FMIC, but is mainly there for PR and does not do any design work or anything else for them anymore. Which would explain the lack of new designs. And since they are under FMIC the custom shop has become touchy about body shapes. Even ones they had previously done that are similar to other brands, they will no longer do. There are a lot of past artists models that they will not make. The Robin Crosby reverse firebird comes to mind.
  12. ihocky2
    The sanding and polishing shouldn't be too big of a deal on it, you'll just have to do it again after it fully cures since the finish is going to shrink back and create new imperfections. I am not sure how the wax is going to affect it. It will definitely slow the curing process. What type of wax did you use? Does it have any silicone in it? If you managed to rub any of the wax into the finish you may get areas that don't cure right.
  13. ihocky2
    That's another reason why it is only in theory.
  14. ihocky2
    What type of wood are you using for the fret board? Naturally oily woods like rosewood, don't need any type of finish. Woods like maple need to be completely finished.
  15. ihocky2
    Neither of those product would be recommended. The one is non hardening so you'll have a problem getting a finish to adhere. The other is normal wood putty and will shrink back badly and will not fill the pores very well. If the person this project is for only has those available, I am guessing they are limited to hardware store materials. At that point, I would use clear epoxy as a grain filler, it is cheap, and fairly easy to use and is easy to find. But you can not stain on top of epoxy. You would have to stain first, but you may have problems with the stain bleeding into the epoxy. Try a scrap piece first. With epoxy you may want to use a tinted clear coat to get the black transparent, but that will be hard to find at a hardware store, more than likely you'll have to mix it yourself. But you can spray that over the epoxy.
  16. ihocky2
    You could have it painted without using powder coat, but it will be expensive. First you have to have the original plating stripped off (electrically is probably the best way). Then I would have it sprayed with an etching primer and then auto body paint. But you'll still end up with a decent thickness to the paint, so it still may not function properly.
  17. ihocky2
    I'll agree that it takes a while to get good at. I won't even claim that I am good at it. Getting the ferrules to line up straight is definitely the hardest part. I was more referring to doing the actual work though. The drilling is pretty much straight forward. It's just keeping the drill straight and not chipping the finish. The job of drilling and installing the ferrules is pretty simple and easy enough for a beginner to do. Ending up with a straight line and professional results is where it starts to become difficult.
  18. ihocky2
    I can't see why string through holes should be difficult to do. It takes some patience and a few specific tools, but it is not as difficult as converting from or to a Floyd Rose trem, or adding a pickup cavity.
  19. ihocky2
    There is no reason that you can't make it a string through. It is actually a fairly quick process, but I would recomend using a drill press if possible. If not, at least a drill stand so that you keep your holes straight. The only problem you may run into is that the new bridge may not have the screws located in the exact same spot. So you may have to fill the original holes, redrill and drill for the string holes, and ferrules. All you need to do is drill a hole large enough for the string all the way through the body, use the bridge to locate the holes. Drill from the opposite side with the proper size drill bit for the ferrules as indicated by the manufacturer. Use either a brad point drill bit to help prevent chipping or else put down some masking tape. Good Luck.
  20. ihocky2
    Go to the tutorials section. There is a great thread stickied in there about how to build a neck-thru with a neck angle. You need to have a plan before you even try and build anything, not just guitars.
  21. ihocky2
    I know this has been covered before, but don't remember the final thoughts off the top of my head. Try searching either hard ash, or white ash, or northern ash.
  22. ihocky2
    I'm not an expert, but I'll venture a guess that the first is walnut. The second I am no sure, but I want to say it looks a lot like pine. The third looks like it could be alder, but could also be poplar that is light on mineral streaks.
  23. ihocky2
    Actually he only said he stained it and then wiped it off the excess immediately with a clean rag. I was curious as to how he applied the stain to get it so even.
  24. ihocky2
    This is the first time I have seen this thread and I must say, that guitar is beautiful. Your work is always an inspiration. I have one simple question, how do you apply your stain; spray, wipe on, brush on? Or is that all part of the special secret finishing process?
  25. ihocky2
    I would save it for another project. I would figure out some nice inlays to do with it and have it sliced to like 1/16" thick so you have a about 8 pieces at about 1/16" x 5/8" x 3"
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