djhollowman

Hi all, I recently bought some 3/8" bookmatched AAA flamed maple top from a supplier here in the UK. When it arrived and I looked at it, the first thing that struck me was that the grain pattern goes ALONG the centre join. I haven't worked with flamed maple before - is this normal?? I expected the grain to go ACROSS the two halves. So, am I just being stupid? I later noticed that although the grain goes ALONG the join, you can see some light figuring going ACROSS the wood when you look at in certain lighting conditions. I've done nothing to the wood yet, in case I need to return it. Does the figuring become more obvious with sanding? What I need to know is - is it normal for the GRAIN to go ALONG the join, with the FIGURING going ACROSS the wood? Or should the grian and figuring go in the same direction? Is what I've got going to be useable for making a guitar top where the figuring goes across the body, not along the centrejoin? Will the figuring improve with sanding etc?? I've included a photo here to try to illustrate what I mean! You can clearly see the join line running vertically, and also the figuring (esp.on the righthand side) going horizontally. (The figuring looks like undulations in the wood surface but it is actually really flat) Would be very grateful for any helpful comments guys! Sorry if this seems a bit dumb......

Please help me with this! I've had several goes at swirling now, and here are the problems: 1. The ratio of borax to water - is there a rough formula? 2. Is the water temp important? 3. Some colours just go thick and blobby, and won't really swirl on the water 4. How do you get the water droplets off after you've pulled it out? 5. How do you finish the completed paintjob? Do you sand after swirling? Greatly appreciate any help with this! Thanks, DJ BTW - you can get borax on eBay!

Oh man, I am having EXACTLY the same problem!!! Hoping someone can help us here! DJ Here's some I've done so far:

Awesome! Thanks for that! Got any photos of the new nut in position? Did you have the same problem I'm having with the truss rod hole? Here's what my neck looks like right now, before any mods: DJ

Thanks man! Yeah, that's very much how I'm thinking at the moment! Does anyone think there's any mileage in replacing the original nut with a locking one? I mean, technically that should be the best solution. Has no-one else ever had this exact scenario? Would be v.interested in any thoughts, comments etc. DJ

Ok, thanks man! [it's a floating Floyd-type trem I'm fitting, not a Bigsby, but I guess the principle is the same.] Still wondering about replacing the original nut, or getting a locking nut onto the guitar somehow. Surely somebody out there has encountered and solved this exact problem?????

Thanks Sambo, I'll try that! Anyone got anything else too??

Hello all! Hoping for some suggestions here with this one: I'm replacing the standard fulcrum bridge on a Washburn WR150 with a floating Floyd type. Now, I realise that this means serious woodwork, but since I have access to a CNC milling machine (and its operator, who is SUPERB with it!), and have done a few bits and bobs like this before, then it's not that which concerns me. It's locking the strings.......... The Washburn doesn't have a locking nut as standard. The headstock drops back at an angle too, so a flat locking nut is at the wrong height. It has a plastic(?) nut, which even if removed, doesn't leave enough of a "platform" on which to mount a locking nut to replace the plastic one with. The other problem is that because of the hole for access to the truss rod there's nowhere to actually screw a locking nut into! (The locking ones I've seen so far have the mounting holes around the middle clamp - I would need one with the holes right out at the corners to enable the screws to avoid the truss rod hole!) So, any ideas please??? Tempted to not use a locking nut at all, and go with locking tuners - but I have no experience of these. Do they work well? Any other mods needed? I'm a serious whammy abuser, I'm afraid, so I'm looking for something which will actually work! Hoping for any help at all! Thank you!