CrazyManAndy

I voted for Lee, but it was close. I loved the wood combo and design of Lee's a lot. I guess the biggest reason that I didn't vote for Mick's is because I hate Danelectro's like that. But you really took it to a whole nufa' level, and that is the kind of thing I like to see in a build. Props to ya man!

CMA

This is really cool. Love the shape, has an acoustic guitar feel to it. The wenge is awesome too.

Very clean work, very professional.

CMA

http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.p...f9f8a1f29199747

CMA

if the rosewood has enough oils, then why does it look so much better moist? will sanding to a higher grit than 220 make it look better? is is a post from the build thread i made. im not sure if this will help but we'll see.

It has enough oil and is dense enough to protect itself. That doesn't mean it won't look better with some extra oils (just about any wood looks better moist, IMHO). The reranch forum is back up, so I'll give you a link to some rosewood with tru-oil. Read the second post:

http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.p...truoil+rosewood

CMA

You could use tru-oil for the neck. You could oil the fretboard, but that isn't necessary. I've seen people tru-oil rosewood fretboards and it looks great (very dark and rich).

There are some great answers to your questions over that the reranch forum, unfortunately it's down right now.

CMA

Yeh, McFadden's is great stuff. I think that is what is used in the ReRanch products.

Some people make a fret sized notch in a penny and use that to scrape lacquer off frets. Others just play it off.

Thanks for sharing!

CMA

Yeh, I was just playin' with ya!

The best way is to get the pics, upload them to your computer, get an account on photobucket.com (it's free), and upload your pictures there. It'll give you the link to each pic that you can paste here (use the links with the labels).

CMA

I love the color on the fretboard. What were you having trouble with on your first two tries?

Great build, I love LP Jr.'s

CMA

I know some people wet the floor down to prevent dust from getting kicked around.

CMA

Most colors require primer, but a few don't. Primer is a good idea regardless of the color you choose. It helps adhesion and you don't need to use as much color to get full coverage.

What do you mean by PU coat? It would also help to know what wood you are working with, as it may need grain filling.

I highly recommend reading that tutorial. You should also read this, as it will give you the basic procedure and tell you all the materials you need:

http://reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.php?t=13890

CMA

You can do an excellent finish job with spraycans. If you can catch them while they're open, ReRanch is a good source for high quality rattlecan paint. They also have a tutorial section that is awesome:

http://reranch.com/101.htm

Their product is made of nitro laquer. If can't seem to catch them while they're open, I know people who have used Rustoleum products with great success, as well as DEFT.

CMA

This thread is useless without pics!

CMA

Here is what Houndog said:

"It's very durable [the finish], and plays great on maple fingerboards. About a third of the necks I've done were maple fingerboard necks...."

I'll just have to wait and see when I get a chance to do some maple fboards with tru-oil. I'll definitely post an update and see how it works out.

CMA

So, is it outrageous to price a custom built guitar at $2000 if a builder is just beginning?

Not necessarily, IMHO. But you kind of need to define "just beginning". What exactly is your experience?

Honestly, it all comes down to the end results. I've seen first timers build some of the most amazing instruments I've ever seen. I've also seen a lot of first timers who's builds were either poor or fair at best.

If you're confident you can make a quality instrument, go for it; however, I wouldn't start running around assembling a client list with only one or two builds under my belt.

But that's just the ramblings of a...well...rambler!

CMA

(Update: I just noticed your builds/blog. That is some top notch work and you seem to be very knowledgeable and capable of producing a great guitar. I don't think $2000 is too much for the quality of work you do.)

Yeppers, he is the "refinisher" I was talking about.

CMA

I never use the laser guide because I mark everything I need on my wood and then mark it with the bit to make sure I've got the bit heading to the precise point. Just not much of a need for the laser guide, it takes more time to use than my method, but it is precise when used properly.

I do the same thing. I find the laser just too tedious.

Not sure how relevant my post is on this topic, but I just wanted to complain about craftsman!

Everybody has to vent their rage sometime!

CMA

When you say "over time", that seems very vague. Even lacquer will wear down over time.

I spoke with a very experienced refinisher who does a lot of tru-oil necks (hundreds) and he tells me that it's a very nice finish. He has not had any issues with the finish so far.

Here is a pic of a neck, on a guitar he plays very frequently, that he tru-oil'd four years ago:

In any case, my point is only that it is a much more durable/protective finish than traditional oils, and can get quite hard if allowed to cure properly. A tru-oil finish, done right, will protect maple from discoloring just like laquer will.

Here is an interesting thread I found about tru-oil that touches on issues we are discussing such as durability and hardness: http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/threa...?id=357_0_7_0_C

CMA

A quick update:

The adjustable work light has conked out on me. It wasn't really that useful to begin with, but I would at least like to know it works.

The laser thing is not terribly useful either. I just don't trust it. It seems to move as you move the quill down. Again, I usually do a very good job of eyeballing without the laser, so it isn't a big issue anyway.

The one plus side is that it seems to have very little runout, which is the most important thing to me.

Overall, you get what you pay for.

CMA

I don't know about the guy's Strat templates, but his Tele templates were off, last I heard.

You also might want to consider the rosewood fretboard. EIR is not expensive, maybe a few dollars more if you're looking at the pre-slotted blank from stew-mac. The only reason I mention it is because a maple fretboard requires a finish. It's not a big deal, but since you want you're build to be easy, EIR would be simpler.

CMA

Great job Marcovis! You really are one of the best builders around, and your finishes are amazing.

It wasn't until I saw one of your LP's that I realized how awesome a guitar an LP can actually be. Now if only Gibson would learn a few things from your designs!

CMA

Soapbar,

Tru-oil is much different than any other oil, including Danish oil. It's a hard finish that builds on the wood, which is why warmoth accepts it under their warranty, as opposed to other oil finishes. So why would it not keep the maple clean like other hard finished do?

CMA

If you are going to use Tru-oil, here is a good tutorial:

http://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.php?t=12909

CMA

They do ship to Croatia.

CMA

Please get a copy of this book, it will provide you with mountains of information on all the aspects of electric guitar building:

http://www.gettextbooks.com/search/?isbn=9780953104901

Anyway, fretboard making is a pretty basic procedure, you just need the proper tools. You will need a radius block. You can indeed make your own blocks if you have the tools:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/radius.htm

Honestly, unless you have all the materials and tools handy, you might as well buy them.

BTW, you posted in the wrong section.

CMA

I agree, I miss Grimace!

CMA