# My first personal neck-thru



## Jamslamsly (Jun 23, 2010)

I finally sold off half of my collection to fund my personal build. I've been building all of the bolts ons here at MCS and thought it was time to try my hands at a neck-thru. Since it's a personal guitar I'm not allowed to build an MCS unless I want to pay the premium so I went with the one guitar I wish I could buy before I started working here. 

Specs:

Body: Custom 24 (With respective mods)
Scale: 28" (Ohhhh yeah!)
Headstock: Moser MV
Body Wood: Mahogony w/ Cocobolo Top
Neck Wood: African Mahogony
Fretboard: Figured Cocobolo
Headstock Cap: Cocobolo
Pickups: BKP Painkiller (Gold) Bridge - No Neck (I may install one later)
Bridge: ADM 7 String Wraparound (Gold)
Tuners: Grover Imperials (Gold)
Frets: Gold Dunlop 6105 (Damn near stainless)
Inlay: None 

Pics coming soon!


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## teqnick (Jun 23, 2010)

Can't wait to see how this project progresses! Congratulations on your first build!


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 23, 2010)

Top







Fretboard






Neck Blank


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 23, 2010)

teqnick said:


> Can't wait to see how this project progresses! Congratulations on your first build!



Thanks teqnick! I can't wait either lol. I've lost ALOT of sleep over this. I'm really hoping I avoid any compound mistakes. So far so good though. 

I would have had the wings glued by today but I decided to enlarge my template abit after we laid it over the neck blank. It was going to be 75% neck 25% guitar.  And I made the mistake of cutting my wing blanks with only 1/4 inch to spare so now I have to change it up. I'm probably going to use the Red Mahogony now for wings since we don't carry any African in stock. No idea at this time but I'll decide today.


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## TimSE (Jun 23, 2010)

Cocobolo!!! yay


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## chaosxcomplex (Jun 23, 2010)

Looking forward to see where this one goes!


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## SevenStringSam (Jun 23, 2010)

do i see a bich body in one of those pics


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 23, 2010)

This is going to be killer.


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## 13point9 (Jun 23, 2010)

looking forward to seeing this


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 23, 2010)

That would be a Moser 10. Neal designed the Bich and worked for BC for over 10 years. We have the rights to build 100 a year. That particular one in the photo is an all Koa model I've been prepping for paint. It will be up for sale in a few months.


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 23, 2010)

Some details I left out...

This will be a flat top because of the neck-thru. Neal thought it best to keep this one simple so no carving  Think MM signature on steroids.


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## thesimo (Jun 23, 2010)

28" on a prs body? hmm might look very disproportionate!!

but hey, ill wait and see. I dig build threads


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## jaretthale78 (Jun 23, 2010)

looking forward, hope it works out for yea


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 24, 2010)

thesimo said:


> 28" on a prs body? hmm might look very disproportionate!!
> 
> but hey, ill wait and see. I dig build threads



MM Sig PRS SE is 27.7 so what's .3" difference? =P 

I enlarged the body by 7.5% to compensate for the 7 string and the scale length. Overall I think it will be sized just right.


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 24, 2010)

Top!


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## scherzo1928 (Jun 24, 2010)

Jamslamsly said:


> Top!


 
wow, hope my cocobolo top looks half as good...


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 26, 2010)

That was one expensive piece of Cocobolo to say the least =P

My BKP came in today! Woot! (Pics coming soon)

Still waiting on some materials and parts from Warmoth...UPS fucked up and now I have to wait until Monday.

I got the top and wings glued up on Thursday. The wings went on fine but I couldn't get a perfect seal where the top meets the neck blank. I used some Epoxy with Rosewood and Cocobolo dust to clean it up alittle but I may end up using some binding to make it perfect. (I don't expect this build to be 100% flawless as long as it plays like a beast) I'll have pics of that up Tuesday night.


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## Jamslamsly (Jun 30, 2010)

Put a few days into it. Forgot to take pics of the BKP but I'll get to it. Here's the rough out. I'm capping and shaping the headstock tomorrow then gluing down the fretboard! Most of the hard work is out of the way lol. Gold frets came in today too! 






Here's the top thickness too. Went for 1 and 1/2 inches thick so I left the top at 7/8 and took the Mahogony down to 5/8.






More coming soon!


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## jymellis (Jul 1, 2010)

Jamslamsly said:


> Top
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 cant wait to see it completed maing


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 1, 2010)

Ready to start shaping!

BKP Painkiller 7 






Dunlop 6105 Gold Fretwire


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 9, 2010)

Finished sanding it to the lines and even. Decided to enhance the access and modified the top and lower horns insides. Top = 23.5th fret Bottom = 24th fret

While figuring my intonation points to start the top cavities I discovered my beautiful top has bowed. Solution: Now carving the top. (Pics coming soon!)

Carving the neck next week as well. Then I'll radius my fretboard, fret it, and route cavities.

I destroyed my rear bumper spoiler at a 7/11 and got set back $200.  My bridge and tuners are on hold but I'll try to keep this build streamlined.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 9, 2010)

This build is looking sexier and sexier. 

Sorry to hear about the car shit man.


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 9, 2010)




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## Despised_0515 (Jul 9, 2010)

You had me at "Gold Fretwire".

Can't wait to see more progress!


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## Evil7 (Jul 9, 2010)

Nice.... The grain pattern is not far from lining up from the body to the fretboard.. thats cool


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 9, 2010)

Evil7 said:


> Nice.... The grain pattern is not far from lining up from the body to the fretboard.. thats cool



Was really an accident too I won't take professional credit lol. The fretboard was a seperate board I ordered out of Oregon. The top I got locally.


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 9, 2010)

VicerExciser said:


> You had me at "Gold Fretwire".
> 
> Can't wait to see more progress!



I know right? You just don't see it often enough. Granted the brass plated nickel wasn't popular...I have no idea how long this Dunlop stuff has been around. It's similar to 14k all the way through. Tougher than normal alloys but not as hard as stainless.


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## MF_Kitten (Jul 9, 2010)

very very sexy!


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 9, 2010)

this is lookin great


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## Daggorath (Jul 9, 2010)

Pretty lookin' guitar dude. That BKP looks real shiney. Got myself a distressed camo coldsweat 7 on the way myself, can't wait.


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 14, 2010)

Thanks again everyone I appreciate your continued support. It's so hard to walk away from the build over the weekends and my weekends are Fri-Monday! We've been steadily busy so I haven't had much time to dedicate on my build but I did make some progress and jumped a few hurdles.

Upon prepping it for cavities I discovered that my top had slightly bowed and pulled the mahogony with it. Fixed the back and we are now prepping it for hybrid carving that will even the top out.  

Long story short I had to carve the lower access before I take the neck down. 





Once again I put in what felt right for that scale and good access. The fine tuning will start after I finish the neck profile.

Still broke but working on more funds.


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 14, 2010)

Oh and here's some more freboard porn.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 14, 2010)




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## Jamslamsly (Jul 14, 2010)

Additional News: I'm having an old friend from back home paint the back and 1/3 of the sides (excluding the back of the neck) satin black. We were brainstorming the possibilities of a distressed finish on the back though so it's not completely final.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 14, 2010)

It's your guitar bro, and I'm sure you'll make it look killer, but that wood was meant to be seen.


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 14, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's your guitar bro, and I'm sure you'll make it look killer, but that wood was meant to be seen.



Just the Mahogony. I'd never touch this cocobolo. It's getting oiled.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 14, 2010)

Jamslamsly said:


> Just the Mahogony. I'd never touch this cocobolo. It's getting oiled.



Good to hear.


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## Rusti (Jul 14, 2010)

Where did you buy Dunlop 6105 Gold Fretwire?


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 14, 2010)

Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Custom bass and guitar bodies, necks, pickups, pickguards and hardware


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## Sebastian (Jul 14, 2010)

That's a nice Fretboard


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## PetrucciVai (Jul 14, 2010)

SICK looking axe dude. The cocobolo is sexy


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## Fred (Jul 14, 2010)

Looking great so far man, looking forward to further progress!


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 23, 2010)

Started the neck carving. Took a whole day to rough it out to the picture. Couldn't decide what kind of heel I wanted. Since the picture I took the line out and I'm blending it into the body. Might do a V shape towards the headstock. <

Started the Carved Top as well. Not sure where I'm going with it and Neal has made a point to not give any more advice. He wants to see what I'm capable of by myself....feeling like I might mess this all up but hey it is what it is. Can't say the first one I'll build will be perfect lol.

Enjoy!


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## Jamslamsly (Jul 29, 2010)

Update: Finally ordered the remaining hardware yesterday! Woot! IRhave alot of sanding work to do on 3-4 guitars that are ready in que so I may not get back to any shaping this week.  

Next week: Plan to finish my rough bevels and final shaping, radius the fretboard, and install my frets. Then it's final sanding and paint! (Clear-coating the top now as well. Cocobolo is soooo unstable lol)


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 29, 2010)

It's looking more like a guitar. 

Though really, I like the bevels.


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## Jamslamsly (Aug 8, 2010)

Been a ridiculous week both personally and at the shop so sorry for the wait.

My bridge finally arrived (now waiting for the grovers).

Put a 20" Radius on the fretboard.

Installed my frets.

Prepped the bridge installation.

Drilled out all of my electronics cavities.

I now have the guitar at home final shaping/sanding by hand.

I'm now debating on my finish. The Cocobolo is still bowing and trying to split. I'll be sealing all of the hairline fractures and seams before I take it down to 600 grit. If she stabilizes in a case in an air conditioned climate I will probably end up oiling it. If it continues on the war path I'll have it cleared with polyester and satin black the back. 

Enjoy the pics.


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## Jamslamsly (Aug 8, 2010)

ADM 7 String Wrap-around Bridge - Gold - Allparts.com






The Holy Gold Frets






Tuning Machine Holes






Almost there....


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## beneharris (Aug 8, 2010)

yummmyyyy

awesome looking guitar!


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## Empryrean (Aug 9, 2010)

Dat bridge!


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## SYLrules88 (Aug 9, 2010)

oh my god this is gorgeous man! and thank god i just found this. im about to get a guitar with all gold hardware and i had totally forgotten about gold fretwire.

since you are a builder, whats your opinion on cocobolo when it comes to working with it like you have? obviously youd already said its unstable and it sounds like its a wee bit of a pain in the ass. when i was looking at getting a warmoth guitar, they mentioned that they don't use cocobolo at all since its unstable and the dust is toxic? do you have to take any extra precautions when working with it?

looking forward to seeing this finished! its so close and its looking beautiful!


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## TCOH5246 (Aug 9, 2010)

Wow, that is excellent. Can't wait to see it finished!


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## Jamslamsly (Aug 10, 2010)

SYLrules88 said:


> since you are a builder, whats your opinion on cocobolo when it comes to working with it like you have? obviously youd already said its unstable and it sounds like its a wee bit of a pain in the ass. when i was looking at getting a warmoth guitar, they mentioned that they don't use cocobolo at all since its unstable and the dust is toxic? do you have to take any extra precautions when working with it?



Cocobolo is Rosewood so its pretty heavy and dense. The trick with it is taking everything slowly. Every piece of machinery has to potential to catch and rip. Luckily with the clever use of epoxy and rosewood, cocobolo, and ebony dust you can disguise any scarring if your really careful. For the past few days I haven't noticed any more hairline fractures or separation from my mahogony joints. It probably has alot to do with keeping it climate controlled and stable. I'd suggest building it fast and getting it cleared ASAP. I should have had all of my hardware and parts before I started cutting it up. As for the dust just wear a good respirator or mask whenever your sanding. It's toxic but only as much as to give you a really nice headache for a few hours lol. 

Thanks for all of the kind words everyone I really appreciate the support.


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## Jamslamsly (Aug 10, 2010)

On a side note I'm in the process of ordering a custom vinyl inlay and my headstock logo. Anyone on here good with vectors and fretboards?!  The shop needs a 28" fretboard with exact fret spacing for proper redesign. PM if you can help.

Thanks! 

James


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## Jamslamsly (Aug 20, 2010)

Through fire and hell I finally finished her. I spent the last 4 days or so final sanding and setting her up. 

I've had a few unforseen hurdles. My headstock was designed for mini grovers and I ordered regular grovers. I will correct this later but for now I've gone abstract and tilted the tuners. (Quite functional surprisingly)

I made 2 bone nuts and wasn't happy with either so I actually installed a cocobolo nut as an experiment. Should be interesting.

I'll hopefully get some audio clips up soon. It plays and sounds 100x better than I ever thought.

Enjoy


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## Jamslamsly (Aug 20, 2010)




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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 20, 2010)

That looks phenomenal!!!


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## Raoul Duke (Aug 20, 2010)

DUDE!!!!

Just stumbled upon this thread 

The grain on the board and the top is so epic

Congrats my man that is one beautiful guitar


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## Floody_85 (Aug 20, 2010)

Top work!! Awesome looking guitar!


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## Evil7 (Aug 20, 2010)

Nice to see it finished! Very Classy... I love the bevel on the body.


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## Rashputin (Aug 20, 2010)

That thing looks absolutely amazing. Great job! And that fretboard....


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## mickytee (Aug 23, 2010)

Jamslamsly said:


> Since it's a personal guitar I'm not allowed to build an MCS unless I want to pay the premium



weak! how comes?


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## Mordacain (Aug 23, 2010)

She looks absolutely stellar man. Great job!


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## flo (Aug 23, 2010)

she's beautiful.... really, really beautiful!


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## anthonyferguson (Aug 23, 2010)

Fucking AWESOME man. Really really really like that top! duuuuuude... GOOD JOB!


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## Jamslamsly (Aug 23, 2010)

User01 said:


> weak! how comes?



Well apparently some apprentices have been known to build an MCS and run. They are usually seen for sale on eBay shortly after =P 

It's all good though. I've always wanted a PRS(like) 7 String Baritone anyway.


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## Ruins (Aug 24, 2010)

WOW fucking TASTY instrument!!!! dying to hear some sound clips!
this particular guitar really got me willing to build something similar.


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## SD83 (Aug 24, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That looks phenomenal!!!


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