CrazyManAndy

If you're using a spray rig, I think McFadden's is what you're looking for. If you want rattlecans, try Reranch.

+1

CMA

They are cutting that wide board into 3 pieces, two of which appear to be neck blank size and the other a 7 or so inch width for two piece bodies. They are making good use of the wood for matching body and neck pieces.

+1

One piece bodies aren't that common. It's hard to find many types of wood in that width, and even it you do it is going to be more expensive.

I think believe there is any trade-off in tone. Many factory produced guitars are 3 pieces or more, and many people have gotten great tones out of 'em.

CMA

Great job! Those cavity covers are awesome!

Just curious, what thickness is binding you used on the body?

CMA

I'm already using my real name. I don't know why me and my brother, lipstickexplorer, had to have such cruel parents.

I think that is the funniest thing I have ever heard you say...

godin...thanks for keeping the same avatar...I didn't even notice the name change

I don't know, soapbar has been on a roll lately. Cheap labor, strings holding down P90s....

CMA

Just started to sand the sealer. Two questions: I got it to feel smooth but I can see brush marks. Do I need to sand those down or will the clear take care of that? The brush marks are hazey as is the whole thing but they are worse.

Also, I havent grain filled because I may have got some bad advice that If i did 20-30 coats of nitro I wouldnt need to. I know understand that in the long term the grain will be a problem. Do I have any alternatives for a mirror finish?

Thanks

I'm not really sure as to the S&S question, but that was bad advice to skip the grain filler. If it is a wood that requires grain filler, mahogany; ash; etc., then you should use grain filler. If you do need to grain fill, then it would be easy to simply sand off the S&S and grain fill. What wood are you finishing?

It might be better for you to go over to the reranch.com forum and ask about the S&S there. It is website dedicated solely to finishing guitars, and you'll likely get a much quicker response as well.

CMA

I recently found out that the supplier I am going to get the figured maple for a neck blank from carries figured soft maple, rather than hard. On the upside, it is Red Maple, which I think is the closest to Sugar Maple of all the soft types.

I did a few searches, but got a lot of conflicting opinions. Do you think I'll be alright if I find a piece that looks and feels useable (ie. good grain, minimal runout, dry, etc.)? I really don't want to use CF rods on this project.

CMA

Factory edge on an MDF sheet is as close to dead straight as you'll find. Copy route that onto something harder (plywood), and you've got something dependable and straight. MDF itself can dent/compress a little too easily for my liking, so just using the factory edge itself every time isn't always the greatest idea. Just check with a straightedge, though.

Extremely useful tip. Thanks a ton, Mattia!

CMA

If your looking for cheaper pickup options, Tonerider makes a similar style of pickup that may interest you:

http://tonerider.com/hb_ac4.shtml

If you are interested, shoot an e-mail over to Ralph, he'll take care of ya.

CMA

yup, i just turned 18 last weekend. dont feel any different

+1

Turned 18 on the 8th. I was still as sick as I was the day before...darn head cold...

CMA

I just turned 18 so...lets see, I now can get porn, cigerettes, be tried as an adult, get drafted, and pay excess of taxes for some war...

Yet you still can't drink. Ironic?

CMA

A lot of people like to use different models or brands of pickups to get a variety of sounds. That isn't really an issue. I think the primary thing you want to watch out for is volume differences. You don't want to switch from one pickup to another and have to fiddle with the volume every time.

CMA

Holy crap! That is awesome!

I hope you put this in a GOTM when it's done!

CMA

They are held down by the strings. You just lower the string action until it holds them p90s in there nice and firm.

CMA

I haven't actually started mine yet, but will very soon. It'll be a bolt-on.

CMA

Robert Irizarry's comments are spot on.

I used to be a "Mac's suck!" kinda guy, but after a little research they seem like really nice computers (I really like the MacBook Pro). If I get a notebook, it'd probably be a Mac. I'm still a Windows fan though, especially for desktops. I'm a pretty big nerd, and I just love the feeling of getting a bunch of errors and fixing them myself...

CMA

Yeh, Doug can make a killer neck. I would look him up, especially considering what you want to do.

As Maiden69 said, try some searches on the forum. Here is a link for some maple tops:

http://stores.ebay.ca/Fraser-Valley-Fine-W...7QQftidZ2QQtZkm

CMA

Nice build! Poplar is underrated, I think. Great job on the pickups, by the way. Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

CMA

If you don't want to use naptha or mineral spirits, many have had great experiences with baby oil. But if you use water, try not to get to much near the holes, as mikhailgtrski said.

CMA

Wow, Ben! Nice job! I knew this guitar would be cool from the start, but this is just awesome!

Can't wait to see more.

CMA

I believe the reason that people wetsand with oil (or mineral spirits) is because it is possible for water to soak into the wood, through screw holes, and crack the finish. Some just fill the holes with wax, wetsand, dig it out after they're done.

CMA

I know finishes are vital on acoustic instruments, but most of what I've read says that finishes don't have much impact on the tone of electric guitars. At the very least, I couldn't see the finish causing such drastic issues as what Omega described.

You're right that I have never conducted any sort of tests or anything, so you can't take my opinion as conclusive. I'm wide open to any material you can give me tackling the issue.

CMA

Trust me, the finish has nothing to do with you're guitar sounding mushy. When it comes to electric guitars, finishes don't have much effect on tone. Most of it is a bunch of tone voodoo.

I would start by looking at the electronics before moving on to other considerations.

CMA

You can use a poly finish if you want. I don't really like them, as they tend to look like plastic.

It is much less work to use a spray finish rather than a wipe-on, regardless of finish type (exception: oil finishes). Nitrocellulose lacquer in an aerosol can is about as simple as it gets and it gives a really nice finish that looks like glass.

I don't know much about Mohawks, never heard of that brand before.

CMA

I've heard of people getting an autobody shop to paint their guitars, but I don't really know what type of product they would use.

You can get a fine finish with rattlecan paints (example). I believe most electric guitar builders favor nitrocellulose based lacquers. Of course, many have used acrylic lacquer and water-based lacquers with good results. The most important thing when it comes to finishing is using compatible products.

I highly recommend you visit the ReRanch forum, which deals primarily with guitar finishing. They should be able to answer any questions you might have.

CMA

That EG-SE is wicked! If I had the bucks I'd snatch it up. I hope things go well for you on ebay!

CMA