Bertbart

If you're having fun and enjoying it...that's what it's all about.

Wow!!!

Recently discussed here: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...c=28908&hl=

The skunk stripe is a filler cap for the truss rod slot when routed from the back on a solid Maple neck...usually I believe it is Walnut. The neckwood isn't Alder but Maple and I don't believe that Alder is strong enough to take the tension of being strung up to pitch without warping over time. I have seen Alder necks on some very in-expensive guitars from the late forties and early fifties...all were acoustics with base-ball bat size necks.

Here is a site: http://gicl.cs.drexel.edu/people/sevy/luth...Workboards.html I built mine using his method.

Repair your site, half of your directory doesn't work. Bye.

As previously stated someone might have over-tightened and cracked the the anvil block that pinches the string...OR someone left broken string bits in the pinch area. Next time you change strings loosen up the the pinch bolts and look down in the slot and there might be remnants of prior broken strings. Over the years I've seen that many times.

Mick, The strings could be binding in the nut. Lube the nut slots. Sharpen a #2 pencil and rub the point into the nut slots and see if that helps. Also check the six screws that the bridge pivots on to see if the plate is touching all six screws equally. I used to back off the middle four slightly so the bridge pivoted mostly on the outside two screws. Also check to see if the Strat bridge front lip is touching the cut Telly plate any place where it might bind.

Just use water with a single drop of soap as I stated above, blot the decal dry and then apply Solvaset. It will work that way as well. I was a Gibson and Fender warranty center for over twenty-five years and installed many decals in that time. Solvaset was the ticket.

Find and purchase a product called "Solveset" pronounced solve-ve-set. Maybe even spelled that way. Anyway go to a big time hobby store that sells a lot of airplane model kits and they will have it. Read the directions on the bottle. It's great stuff and really makes the decal lay down so that the edges disappear. If you can't find that product then add one drop of dish-washing soap to a shallow dish of warm water. drop the the decal paper in the water it will curl up and just as it starts to uncurl use your finger and dab some of the soapy water on the headstock face where you're going to place the decal then lay the decal paper about where you're placing the decal and push lightly down on top of the decal and slide the decal paper out from underneath the decal proper. You'll have a few seconds to center it where you want it. Then make sure there are no bubbles of air between the decal and the face of the headstock (When chasing the bubbles keep your finger wet) Then blot the water on, and around, the decal trying not to move it and let it dry over night. Shoot clear over it...at least three coats and depending how well the finish lays down you're done. If after three coats you can still see the edge of the decal then shoot three more coats and lightly wet sand with a block and repeat if necessary until you can't see the decal edge.

Mick next time buy some Behlen's Vinyl Sealer and shoot it before you start shooting top coat lacquer. The sealer will fill the grain with just a couple, maybe three coats. Just shoot a medium heavy coat first then wait a couple of hours and scuff with 360 grit paper with naphtha instead of water. Shoot a heavy coat the second go round and leave it overnight. Then wet sand all flat areas with a rubber block using naphtha again. Have some bounty paper towels handy to wipe where you've sanded and look for shiny spots that's where the finish is still low and it needs some more sanding. Don't go after it too hard because if it doesn't level up you can hit it with more sealer the the third time. The reason to use naphtha is that naphtha will not raise the grain like water will if you cut through the sealer. Naphtha will make your wet -dry paper last twice as long. Oh yea, when using naphtha do it in a well ventilated area and no where near a flame or ignition source. I have a fan at my back about ten feet away when I use naphtha. The surface should be pretty much level before you even start shooting lacquer top coats. After about three good coats of top coat lacquer you should use a rubber block with 400 grit naphtha again and then more top coats until after you've sanded it and there are no shiny places. Then add a little more thinner to the last two coats (Be careful not to run the last two coats) Then use 1500 grit again with naphtha and rub it out or go the 2000 grit and rub it out with compound. If you go all the way to 2000 grit you won't need a buffer; it will rub out by hand. The key to all the above is use Behlen's Vinyl Sealer and naphtha instead of water. Start with 360 grit and work your way up to 2000 grit.

I would bind it first...then use premium 3M striping tape and tape off the binding...then stain it and if any stain bleeds through which won't be much you can scrape the binding with a single edge razor blade using your thumb as a depth stop. If you intend to burst it after staining I would put a couple of top coats on first...then again tape the binding...shoot the burst color...pull the tape and again if any bled through scrape it again...then pour the top coats to it.

+1 for CA glue

PHEW!!!

Schecter was doing this in the early '80's. In my opinion "Too Many Switches..."

I don't think you ever get it to match without starting over. Been there, done that and it a lot of extra work and it's a bummer.

Dave, Excellent execution and the binding touch makes it. I'm sure it required almost Zen concentration routing. Good work...it looks killer.

I seriously doubt you'll have a problem but if you should have a problem...What's the worst that could happen? You 'd have to strip and shoot the entire neck. In my opinion that's no big deal.

I've been hammering frets for over 35 years. I use a rawhide mallet. I also use CA glue. One drop on each end and the middle. I believe the trick is proper fingerboard prep work and make sure the slots are cut deep enough and I scrape each slot with a thin stainless piece of steel about .020 thick to be sure there is no sanding dust or debris of any kind in the slot before starting. As far as pulling frets I have never had any problems with pulling the frets when using CA. I simply heat the frets with a soldering iron and I use solder to get a better heat transfer. When the fret is hot enough the CA vaporizes. I usually have a fan at my back to avoid the fumes. Note of caution when heating frets on a bound fingerboard beware of getting the fret to hot as celluloid binding will vaporize where it touches the fret. I stay away from the edges if suspect celluloid. I did however order the fret press caul and insert kit from Stewmac just yesterday. I'm willing to learn a new trick. I think pressing stainless fret wire is the way to go. Hammering stainless is difficult unless you get the fret wire radius matching the board radius dead on. Over radiusing the fret wire does not work well with stainless like it does with nickle-silver wire.

Here you go: http://www.houseofkolor.com/hok/news/HOKairbrush.jsp

I like it a lot, as well. I noticed that the waist on the treble side is lowered which gives it the great neck position when sitting. That along with the enlarged bass side lower bout to rest your arm on probably makes it very comfortable. It appears to have similiar balance points like Robert's Klein clone from the waist down. Nice design overall. Daring to be different is great to me.

You can draw the inside cavity outline and then take an exacto knife and follow the drawn line neatly. This will prevent feathering when you free hand the route along the line. Set the router depth to cut about a quarter of an inch and route next to the line. Then use your pattern bit with the bearing to follow the perimeter of the cut and it will look just as neat as using a template provided you drew nice symmetrical lines. I would suggest using a flat bottom forstner drill bit to hog out as much material as you can before routing.

Here is a good school in North Georgia. http://www.curbow.com/School.html

In the past I bought a nice 24" aluminum spirit level and secured 80 grit on one side and 50 grit on the other with 3m spray adhesive. I used for 15 or 20 years before having a tool made by a machinist friend out of T-6 aluminum machine ground flat with clips to hold the paper and a nice wood grip handle. I still use a 36" level when re-surfacing the fingerboard on upright basses.

It is indeed a ground for the tailpiece. It attaches to the spring claw. You should see evidence of where it was soldered. It may be soldered on the back of the spring claw. If it is you will have to pull the springs off and pull the two screws that set the tension on the claw...flip it over and re-solder the black wire to it...put the tensioning screws back on and then the springs. You will probably have to re-adjust the float of the tremelo again. OR you could just scuff a place anywhere on the spring claw on top where the springs attach and re-solder the ground to the claw. Just be sure to rough up the spot you choose and get the iron hot or it wont stick.