# My first build



## Themadcow (Jan 30, 2011)

Ok , here we go. I have decided to build my first guitar. I really wanted to buy an rga8, but I have a few issues with the design, pups etc, so I thought I would make my own a little closer to what I want.

The specs so far

27" scale 8 string bolt on
5 Piece maple/walnut neck Ebony fretboard 16" radius
Walnut body
Hipshot bridge
Locking tuners (not sure which yet)
Seymour Duncun Blackouts
Tons of stuff I haven't thought of yet


So here's the wood for the neck






and here it is hacked up into laminates





And now the glue up 





Thank god, it worked!!!


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## Mordacain (Jan 30, 2011)

Hey man, nice work so far. I'd love to got the full DIY route myself one of these days. Can't wait to see your progress!


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## Themadcow (Jan 30, 2011)

I managed to get three fretboard blanks out of the ebony, so I guess I'll be building 2 more at least





Now the scarf joint, 13 degrees (ish)










And the first screw up of my build, the blank obviously wasn't 90 degrees to the base of the saw, oh well. A little sanding and planing and we'll be good to go





And now the glue up, forgot to take pics after the cleanup but you get the idea


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## Themadcow (Jan 30, 2011)

And thats it so far, couple more hours and I'll go out and take the clamps off and see how I did.


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## Themadcow (Jan 30, 2011)

Mordacain said:


> Hey man, nice work so far. I'd love to got the full DIY route myself one of these days. Can't wait to see your progress!




Thank you for that. I am really looking forward to this. I'm having a lot of fun trying to figure out what to do. I am a journeyman welder by trade, and have almost no experience with wood. I do know how to measure however, so half the battle is over.


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## Themadcow (Jan 30, 2011)

Alright, the scarf joint turned out great, so I sanded out the rough spots then rough cut the neck shape with a jigsaw. I mean rough










Thankfully I stayed well enough back from my line that I can fix it up and still maintain the shape I need. I believe now is the time to start building my router templates for the neck and the body. This will be my first experience with a router so hopefully all goes well


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## Themadcow (Jan 31, 2011)

Before I go much farther with this I was wondering if anyone had an opinion on using a walnut top for the headstock??? I was thinking it might look good, but it would be neat to see the stripes on there and not just the back. I don't know but I would appreciate any input.


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## BlackMastodon (Jan 31, 2011)

A nice walnut would be good but I see where you are coming from with the stripes. I think that the stripes could look really good with a good clear finish but you can't go wrong with walnut to match the body.


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## Themadcow (Jan 31, 2011)

I agree with you on that, my intention is to finish the body with just a clear finish to protect the wood. I've been picking my pieces with that in mind.


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## Themadcow (Feb 6, 2011)

Ok, so economics have finally come into play with this build and so I had to make a change. Went to windsor to look for wood for the body, and decided to grab a piece of ash, instead of a more exotic wood. I really wanted something nicer looks-wise, but 3 bdft of ash was only $19.22, and money is a little tight right now, so I guess i am gonna have to learn how to paint a nice finish




There is one side of the body blank. I used that strip of trim as a guide for the router and jointed both pieces. First time using a router, and it worked out good. I did have a tearout on the bottom of this piece, so I had to start over, but the second times a charm.









I also decided that I wanted a small volute on my neck, but I didn't design it with that in mind, so I added a chunk of walnut to the joint. I will carve this when I start shaping the neck





That's all the progress so far, I finally ordered a truss rod and a fretting saw from stew-mac, so I should have more to accomplish this week. I don't have a bandsaw, so I am not sure how I am gonna cut the body shape yet, I was thinking of drilling around the outline, cutting with a jigsaw and then cleaning up with a router after. I would love suggestions


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## Themadcow (Feb 6, 2011)

Almost forgot, with all my many many minutes of guitar building experience, I got my first paying customer, my mom (awwwwww) Apparently she thinks that at 33 I am just as likely to be able to do whatever I set my mind to as when I was 5 Aren't moms great? So she wants me to whip up a six string for my dad's birthday in a few months. I said sure, so I started the neck while I was dealing with my body blank yesterday.




This build won't have any of the budget restraints that I have to deal with on my own, so It should be fun. That's walnut/maple/walnut in case it wasn't clear from the pic. Not sure if I should start a separate build thread, or just leave it till sometime down the road.


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## Saber_777 (Feb 8, 2011)

Been following this man, it looks great. Can you PM me when pics come up? I want to do a build and I will probably ask for some tipps and such is you can spare a few...


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## Themadcow (Feb 12, 2011)

Alright, time for a small update. Had a week where I got very little done but I am back at it.




Grabbed a fretsaw from lee valley tools and printed out a template from fretfind and started hacking away
I then made a depth stop using a wooden ruler I had and finished them to their final depth




Turned out pretty good





Then it was back to the bosses garage today to route the truss rod. The stew mac hotrods require a 7/32" straight cut bit to route the channel, and you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find one in the edmonton area. Finally on a hunch I went to KMS tools.........

This is router jig 3000





After about 7 or 8 passes I got this:





Perfect fit. You need to notch the channel out to 1/4" wide and 1/16th deeper to fit the hex nut at the end. I used a 1/4" straight bit and free handed it.

Now it's time to glue the fretboard down. I used a stip of painters tape and cut it down to 3/4" wide to keep the glue out of the hole.




Tape off





Fretboard on






Now, for anyone trying this, I recommend printing out a square template from fretfind rather than the tapered version. Since my frets were layed out off the centerline rather than a square edge, it was a bit of a pain gluing the board down perpendicular to the center line of the neck...my own stupidity, but I am sure it could happen to anyone. Measure 8 times glue once. 
Anyway that's it for today tomorrow I will cut the fretboard to shape and clean up the edges with a sander, wish me luck


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## scherzo1928 (Feb 12, 2011)

Great job! I would never dare to do some freehand routing.


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## Themadcow (Feb 12, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> Great job! I would never dare to do some freehand routing.



I am just so inexperienced that I don't know any better It is my first build, and my first time using a router, so I am experimenting a little.... I was smart enough to build a jig for the channel though.


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## xMaNgOxKusHx (Feb 12, 2011)

Dude... this is inspirational! Your progress looks fantastic btw, i'll definitely be following this thread for a while... I am SO interested in seeing (hopefully also hearing) the outcome of this axe, especially since its an ash body!
please keep up with your awesome updates!


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## Themadcow (Feb 12, 2011)

xMaNgOxKusHx said:


> Dude... this is inspirational! Your progress looks fantastic btw, i'll definitely be following this thread for a while... I am SO interested in seeing (hopefully also hearing) the outcome of this axe, especially since its an ash body!
> please keep up with your awesome updates!



Thank you for that, I really appreciate it. I'm actually thinking of going back to my original idea of all walnut for the body, or maybe doing Ash for the bottom and a 3/4" walnut top. Once the neck is finished to the carving stage I will look at my options financially and see what i can do.


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## xMaNgOxKusHx (Feb 12, 2011)

Either way, in my opinion they would both look sick and be unique as hell, but awesome combinations i must say!


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## xMaNgOxKusHx (Feb 12, 2011)

I also have a few questions even know you haven't come up with it ALL yet:
1. What is your plan for paint(or other)?
2. Why go with a hipshot bridge?
3. Is there a certain reason for the type of wood used other than to be unique?
4. What other things about the rga8 is it that influenced you to make your own, and is this going to be an archtop also?
5. What are your plans for the 6 string your making for your dad?


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## Themadcow (Feb 12, 2011)

xMaNgOxKusHx said:


> I also have a few questions even know you haven't come up with it ALL yet:
> 1. What is your plan for paint(or other)?
> 
> Easy, I have no frigging idea. I know the neck will be unfinished, maybe shot with clear just to seal it. If I get a nice piece of walnut then the body will be a natural colour as well.
> ...


 
My dads will be a prs inspired build, 22 frets, 3x3 headstock. It will have a wizard style neck though, dimarzio crunchlab and liquifire pickups. Gold hardware, and gold fretwire from lMI. That as far as i'v got with it, besides the neck being laminated. As far as the body goes, I was thinking walnut with a quilted maple top.


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## Themadcow (Feb 13, 2011)

Alright, another update for today. I didn't get a lot done, but enough to keep me from going crazy.

First here's a pic showing how off center the fretboard was before glue up. I got really luck on this, next time I will run my frets off one squared edge instead of using the template off the centerline






It's fine though, happy days
All cleaned up





Also cut the scarf and glue up the neck for my dad's build





8 clamps, could have squeezed a few more on there
Oh and I thickness planed the body blank down to an 1 1/2". A little bigger than the final dimension, I intend on gluing a 1/2" piece of walnut to the top. I was very excited to see zero glue lines, so jointing on a router seems to be a good way to go.





So that's it for today. My dad's neck is out of clamps but won't be stable enough for cutting till tomorrow. All in all I am very happy with today's progress.


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## CD1221 (Feb 14, 2011)

looking good, solid work.

what shape are you going with for the body?


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## Themadcow (Feb 14, 2011)

CD1221 said:


> looking good, solid work.
> 
> what shape are you going with for the body?



It's gonna be similar to an rga8, but not a full archtop. I also plan on carving the hell out of the lower heel Cooley style.


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## Themadcow (Feb 15, 2011)

So a little news for today.......





a 14" bandsaw 

Now the real work can begin.

I am going to to buy a new blade tomorrow just looking for opinions on size.
I am thinking a 1/4" blade would be the best for cutting bodies. Anyway if anyone has an opinion I would love to hear it.


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## Themadcow (Feb 20, 2011)

Ok, time for an update. The band saw needed a new tire, so I picked one up as well as a 1/2 3tpi resaw blade and a 3/16 10tpi blade for scroll cutting. So besides a jointer I am damn near fully equipped to build a guitar.

Also grabbed a template following bit for the router, meaning easier jointing


Off to windsor plywood again, and I managed to score 3 20" lengths of walnut. They are 2" x 5" x 20", so I needed a plan how to make this work. I decided it would be silly not to try my hand at book-matching, so the new plan for my guitar, as well as the one for my dad, will be a book-matched walnut top with a maple bottom.

Here is one of the chunks of walnut





And here is a book-matched top





And another






And a final one






So the first 2 will be the tops of the guitars. The 3rd set, each piece will be cut down the middle and glue to the outside of the previous 2, giving me 2 15" x 20" body blanks, about 7/8" thick


Here's a couple shots of the glue up















And a shot of the maple blank for one of the guitars





You can't really tell from the picture, but the maple has a nice figure to it, nothing spectacular, but more than nice enough for the back side.

I also had a slight disaster when I was trying to joint the sides of my dad's headstock, let's just say that routers are a great tool that require a steady hand, and you want to make sure you don't try and take too much material at once. 
The end result is that my dad's guitar will now have a solid walnut headstock, instead of the laminated pieces running straight through. I think it will look nicer anyway, but I am still pissed about it.






That's all for today, tomorrow I will glue the sides on the walnut blanks, and the next day I will sandwich the walnut and maple together. Most productive day I've had in a while. As always, comments and criticism are appreciated.


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## BlackMastodon (Feb 20, 2011)

Very nice bookmatching on the walnut, might turn out a bit weird if you try to bookmatch with the wings but it could also turn out really well, we'll just have to see. Great work so far, and watch out with those routers. Take notes from Scherzo and make a template for everything  jigs are optional though.


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## Themadcow (Feb 20, 2011)

BlackMastodon said:


> Very nice bookmatching on the walnut, might turn out a bit weird if you try to bookmatch with the wings but it could also turn out really well, we'll just have to see. Great work so far, and watch out with those routers. Take notes from Scherzo and make a template for everything  jigs are optional though.



Thank you for that. I hear what your saying about the wings. I am just gonna use the pieces that look the best on the outside of each set, not really trying to match the 2 inside pieces, just compliment them. Not a lot of choices with 5" pieces, but at least I got a nice 10" bookmatch in the middle.


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## Themadcow (Feb 21, 2011)

Small update today, got the second maple blank glued up





And the wings glued onto my bookmatched tops. I'll take better pictures tomorrow of the walnut, but I must say they look really nice. 






Tomorrow I will trace the bodies onto the maple blanks and cut them out, then I will glue the walnut tops on...This way I can use my pattern following bit to match the pieces perfectly. Then it's time to route the neck and pickup cavities..that should be an adventure.

If anyone has experience using a router to do an archtop I would love to hear from you. I am planning on using a technique I read about where you route in 1/8" steps up from the side and then use a belt sander to smooth the arch out. If anyone has tried this I would love some feedback before I attempt it. It looks pretty straight forward but I want to make sure I am not missing something.

Here's a vid of what I'm talking about


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## SirMyghin (Feb 21, 2011)

Wow, is that top really the 3/4" thick it looks? Interesting approach to say the least.


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## Themadcow (Feb 22, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Wow, is that top really the 3/4" thick it looks? Interesting approach to say the least.




Yup, its actually just shy of 7/8", the maple is about 7/8" as well. After glue up and sanding and everything else I would like to end up with a guitar that is 1 11/16" at the thickest point.

I don't know if it's a bad idea or not, but it should look cool as hell.


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## Themadcow (Feb 25, 2011)

So it's been a shitty week and I didn't get anything done on the builds, but this weekend will be a different story. For now here's a couple more pics.






VISA, It's everywhere you want to be!!!











That's about it for today. I need more clamps, or a better way to clamp these bodies....If this turns out good, I'll use it for my dad's as well, but I am gonna find a better way for future builds.

Also if anyone could jump in here, I'd like to know what you all think the minimum length of the neck pocket should be for stability. I know most are in the 3" range, but I am tempted to shorten that length a bit, but not if it compromises stability.


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## SirMyghin (Feb 26, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> Yup, its actually just shy of 7/8", the maple is about 7/8" as well. After glue up and sanding and everything else I would like to end up with a guitar that is 1 11/16" at the thickest point.
> 
> I don't know if it's a bad idea or not, but it should look cool as hell.



I like a thick guitar, but just struck me as odd to have the 'top' be so thick. More of a composite body at that point.  I warn you that guitar is probably going to weigh about 10 lbs.


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## Andrew_B (Feb 26, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> That's about it for today. I need more clamps, or a better way to clamp these bodies....
> 
> Also if anyone could jump in here, I'd like to know what you all think the minimum length of the neck pocket should be for stability. I know most are in the 3" range, but I am tempted to shorten that length a bit, but not if it compromises stability.



i like to rough cut my tops and backs then glue them up, its easier to line the edges with clamps than trying to get even pressure all over a square blank,
and you can also get a clamp or two into the centre of the body easilly if you rough cut


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## Themadcow (Feb 26, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> I like a thick guitar, but just struck me as odd to have the 'top' be so thick. More of a composite body at that point.  I warn you that guitar is probably going to weigh about 10 lbs.



Recognize that this is an archtop though, so it's actually losing a lot of material in the carving. Also, most of the guitars I've seen are around 1 3/4" thick, so if anything this should be a little lighter.


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## Themadcow (Feb 26, 2011)

Andrew_B said:


> i like to rough cut my tops and backs then glue them up, its easier to line the edges with clamps than trying to get even pressure all over a square blank,
> and you can also get a clamp or two into the centre of the body easilly if you rough cut



That's a good idea, I will do that with my dad's body for sure. Everything so far is an experiment to see what works on mine, so I can use that experience to do a better job on my old man's. It's a gift so I want it to kick ass!!!


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## Themadcow (Feb 26, 2011)

Ok guys, time for my Saturday update, and it's a good one. Fired the old band saw up and ended up with this






Here's a shot with the neck sitting on top







I am very happy with that...but wait there's more.

Time to route a neck pocket. There are many ways to accomplish this, this is the one I chose. Not my invention, just something I read on the interweb somewhere, might have been here
















Easy way to line up the neck perfectly, without using a laser or eyeballing it, or whatever else people do.

The result...


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## Themadcow (Feb 26, 2011)

So now that the hard part is over with, time to make this bad boy and archtop. I used the method in the video I posted above. So easy, I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to do an archtop










Now I hit it with the belt sander





A decent view of the arch





And finally the seal of approval from my son






It still needs some more sanding. Gonna try a palm sander then finish it up by hand. Still need to do the belly carve and the rusty cooley style carve on the back of the lower horn but I ran out of time today. If anyone is married they will understand why I can't spend every minute of free time I have out in the garage. Tomorrow will be a family day, but I hope to get my old man's prs body rough cut and glued up, we'll see.


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## scherzo1928 (Feb 26, 2011)

awesome work man! coming together nicely.


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## Themadcow (Feb 27, 2011)

Thanks for that. By the way, this is gonna sound like a dumb question, but what kind of screws am I supposed to use to bolt the neck on? Specific grade needed, or what? I want a nice clean look, recessed or something, not sure. Any tips??


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## BlackMastodon (Feb 27, 2011)

That is a beautiful arch man! As for screws, you can order some from StewMac if you want, they also have a 12 pack of ferrules that you can get too so that the screws are flush with the body:
STEWMAC.COM : Neck Mounting Ferrules
STEWMAC.COM : Neck Attachment Screw


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## Themadcow (Feb 27, 2011)

BlackMastodon said:


> That is a beautiful arch man! As for screws, you can order some from StewMac if you want, they also have a 12 pack of ferrules that you can get too so that the screws are flush with the body:
> STEWMAC.COM : Neck Mounting Ferrules
> STEWMAC.COM : Neck Attachment Screw




Cool, I didn't think of that when I put my last order into all parts. I ordered fretwire, Knobs and some pots and jacks. 

For my dad's guitar its gonna have a push/push pot. It's cool cause he will be able to switch pickups by pushing the volume knob...then switch again by pushing again. Mine is getting a push pull, but if the push/push works good, I might switch it out.

The only things I need to get now are pickups, bridges and tuning pegs. I have decided to go with chrome, I think it will look good on the walnut. 

The best place to order pickups??? Ebay maybe, or is there somewhere cheap online? Also, what are everybody's favorite locking tuners? I was thinking Rotomatics, but I am open to suggestions. I am going with a Hipshot bridge for the eight string, but for my dad's I was looking at the hipshot piano bridge, again, not set in stone, I would love suggestions.


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## TomParenteau (Feb 27, 2011)

That is the coolest. Grandpa is gettin' a guitar his son made by hand for him. Grandson already has his bright eye on Dad's guitar!


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## technomancer (Feb 27, 2011)

This is really cool, not sure how I missed the thread before. The guitar is looking sweet


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## toiletstand (Feb 27, 2011)

totally agree^^

cant wait for another update


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## Themadcow (Feb 27, 2011)

Thanks a lot guys, I was wondering if anyone had noticed


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## 7string_dreamin (Feb 27, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> VISA, It's everywhere you want to be!!!


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## SirMyghin (Feb 27, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> Recognize that this is an archtop though, so it's actually losing a lot of material in the carving. Also, most of the guitars I've seen are around 1 3/4" thick, so if anything this should be a little lighter.



I have a maple and walnut 5 string, clocks in 12.5-13 lbs . (Heavy = tone ofcourse )


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## Themadcow (Feb 27, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> I have a maple and walnut 5 string, clocks in 12.5-13 lbs . (Heavy = tone ofcourse )



Wish I had a scale around here, I'd check it out. I mostly play sitting down at this point anyway so I'm not worried


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## SirMyghin (Feb 27, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> Wish I had a scale around here, I'd check it out. I mostly play sitting down at this point anyway so I'm not worried



About half way through 6 hour band practice I often found myself needing a sit down too


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## Themadcow (Feb 27, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> About half way through 6 hour band practice I often found myself needing a sit down too



LOL I remember those days. I used to play a Les Paul on stage and by the end of a show or practice my neck and shoulder hurt a lot. Awesome sounding guitar though, Might have to make one of those


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## Themadcow (Mar 1, 2011)

Alright, time for a small update. Carving necks is not something I have ever done, so I need a plan. Since I didn't have a plan, I improvised 










I bought a woodcarving chisel set from lee valley a couple
years ago, and this is the first time it's been used. I carved and smoothed the whole neck using just that knife. I did it while we watched house and castle last night. Not quite done but you get the idea


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## ktingz (Mar 1, 2011)

pics are broke!


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## Themadcow (Mar 1, 2011)

Another update for you guys. Finally got around to getting my dad's glued up. Took some advice and rough cut the shape before glue up. Definitely help getting the clamps on. Didn't slide around as much.






Now for a useful project for those looking to make use of their scraps, I made and 8" long 16 degree radius sanding block. First I laid it out on mdf and cut it on the band saw. Then I traced it 5 times on some leftovers from my rga8 body















Voila!!! Now this is definitely not my idea. Again, google is your friend here. I don't remember where I got this idea from, but I think it's fantastic. Save yourself the cost of the stew mac blocks and build them yourself. Shipping is killer to edmonton here, and 1 block would cost me $40 if I ordered it online....free is always better


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## Themadcow (Mar 2, 2011)

Back to work, cut out the PRS body today, loving the walnut guitars.






Also rough cut the neck






Not sure I'm gonna want to give this one to my dad..............






Poor man's radius block turned out good.

And a final shot of the 2 guitars, not bad for a first build, hopefully when they are done they intonate.....






Gonna have to decide on locking tuners soon I think. I am thinking sperzels but I would love your guys input.


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## sk3ks1s (Mar 2, 2011)

Sperzels...

End of discussion.


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## TimSE (Mar 2, 2011)

looking good man


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 2, 2011)

Gonna have to be honest here... I like your dad's guitar a lot better 

About the tuners, I really like the look on those gotoh 510s. Hipshots maybe?


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## BlackMastodon (Mar 2, 2011)

That bookmatching with the walnut turned out really nice on both guitars! As far as locking tuners, I've only heard good things about Sperzels.


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## Themadcow (Mar 2, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> Gonna have to be honest here... I like your dad's guitar a lot better
> 
> About the tuners, I really like the look on those gotoh 510s. Hipshots maybe?




Well you should, it's technically my second build, it should be twice as good

Lol , I'm glad you like it, I just hope my old man loves.


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## SirMyghin (Mar 3, 2011)

sk3ks1s said:


> Sperzels...
> 
> End of discussion.



Schaller Locking, better gear ratio.


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## Coffin (Mar 3, 2011)

Na-ah. Sperzels got a better tone colour.


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## CD1221 (Mar 4, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Schaller Locking, better gear ratio.



Not to be a complete smart-arse, but the overall gearing must take the diameter of the post into account. If you do the maths, you will discover an amusing coincidence.


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## Themadcow (Mar 4, 2011)

Sounds like people like the sperzel's. Other than that I am also looking for brass inserts for my machine screws, to bolt the necks on. Tried the rona's and home depot's around and no luck. Any ideas from fellow canadians on a good supplier of machine bolts and accessories?


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## SirMyghin (Mar 4, 2011)

This may be the worlds first wittled guitar neck. Nice job. The walnut tops looks great. I am in the boat of liking your dads body shape better also. 





CD1221 said:


> Not to be a complete smart-arse, but the overall gearing must take the diameter of the post into account. If you do the maths, you will discover an amusing coincidence.



Sounds like more work than I would like to do, without calipers around and all. Relative rotation is more important here I would think, opposed to distance travelled as relative rotation gives you more control.


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## Themadcow (Mar 4, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> This may be the worlds first wittled guitar neck. Nice job. The walnut tops looks great. I am in the boat of liking your dads body shape better also.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Seems to be a bit of a trend starting on the body shape issue. I would just like to state for the record that the reason I even started building a guitar in the first place was that I wanted to buy an rga8. I couldn't afford it at the time so I am building one. I like the shape 

That being said, the more my dad's starts to come together, the more I think my next build should be a prs for myself. Need to build a few more before I could think of selling one, so I might as well start building my own collection


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## jcgss77 (Mar 4, 2011)

That walnut is sweet. Looks nice, definitely original and different. I would recommend looking into guitarheads hexbuckers for the pups, there are some good reviews for them and that is what I am going to put in my 7 which I am starting soon. And you can get a set for less than 1 of the big name pups.

Can't wait for more progress!!!


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## Themadcow (Mar 5, 2011)

jcgss77 said:


> That walnut is sweet. Looks nice, definitely original and different. I would recommend looking into guitarheads hexbuckers for the pups, there are some good reviews for them and that is what I am going to put in my 7 which I am starting soon. And you can get a set for less than 1 of the big name pups.
> 
> Can't wait for more progress!!!




Not sure how I missed those before. Any other opinions on these pickups?

That is a fuck of a deal on those, kind of suspicious of the quality at those prices though. And what about their fixed bridges? Look like hipshot ripoffs.


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## Themadcow (Mar 7, 2011)

Alright guys, update time, it's a small one, but first







Someone through a giant PICK AXE through the back window of my work car last night....WTF????

So anyway, I decided on machine bolts for the bolt on process, I'm please with how it turned out. Stainless steel screws with metal inserts and Nickel plated finishing washers..
















I also radiused the fretboard, no pics right now but I'll get some more. Also have to start my dad's fretboard again. Somehow I managed to cut the slots in a less than accurate manner. Not sure how I missed it, but anyway, I have another ebony blank here so it's all good. Now I have to go put some Poly over where my window on my car used to be.


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## Khaine88 (Mar 7, 2011)

Holy fucking shit wtf , war on the streets where you live or just random acts of violence? jesus christ. Aside from that, guitar is looking sick man Keep it up! :]


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## BlackMastodon (Mar 7, 2011)

Really? Who throws a pickaxe, honestly! But that neck looks very clean with those screws, will hold like a beast I bet too!


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## Themadcow (Mar 8, 2011)

Khaine88 said:


> Holy fucking shit wtf , war on the streets where you live or just random acts of violence? jesus christ. Aside from that, guitar is looking sick man Keep it up! :]



Random act of fucking bored teenagers on a Sunday night I think. Oh well, thanks for the compliment on the guitar anyway.


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## SirMyghin (Mar 8, 2011)

On the plus side, you now own a pick axe.


Good work dude, (that other part seriously sucks).


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## Jontain (Mar 9, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> On the plus side, you now own a pick axe.


 
made me lol.

On the plus side man your builds are looking ace!


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## jcgss77 (Mar 9, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your car. Kids these days. Reminds me of one night in my apartment complex I used to live in 3 cars got broke into and 2 were left wheel-less. Surprise! 

Thankfully, mine was untouched.

However, you could make a neck for a new guitar out of the pickaxe!

I think that would be metal!


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## Themadcow (Mar 9, 2011)

> However, you could make a neck for a new guitar out of the pickaxe!
> 
> I think that would be metal!



Unfortunately I didn't get to keep the pickaxe, the cops took it for evidence. Would be sweet though.


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## Saber_777 (Mar 11, 2011)

Is this a sign you're gonna have a sweet axe made? I feel really bad for you man, the build is looking great as ever, get those neck pictures up soon, please


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## Themadcow (Mar 13, 2011)

Tiny update, more coming soon

Took a roundover bit to the back of the rga, noticed that the machine screw pulled the neck slightly off center. 16th of an inch or so. Glued a shim in and it will be perfect. 

I also finished shaping the top of the guitar, so the arch finishes right where the walnut meets the maple.I'll have tons more pics coming soon, but I'll leave you with a couple for now.
















I also got started on finishing the neck, it's turning out way better than I could have expected for a first time. If you guys have never carved a neck by hand, you have to try it. It's like the ultimate meditation. My favorite part of the building process so far, hands down






My fretwire and some other supplies should be arriving this week, looking forward to my first fret job.


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## Devotion (Mar 13, 2011)

Nice job dude, digging the walnut  also surprised at your speed, you started about 1 month and a half ago, and already this far! May i ask a rough estimate of the amount of hours spent so far?


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## Themadcow (Mar 13, 2011)

Devotion said:


> Nice job dude, digging the walnut  also surprised at your speed, you started about 1 month and a half ago, and already this far! May i ask a rough estimate of the amount of hours spent so far?



Thank you very much. I have to sit down and look at all my pics on the computer and figure out how long, I'll get back to you on that.


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## Themadcow (Mar 13, 2011)

Ok time for an update....I decided to do the belly carve and the carve for my upper fret access. I used a an 80 grit flapper disc on a 5" grinder to start






Then a 120 grit disc followed by a 60 then 120 grit sand by hand.






And the result is...










Here's a couple shots that show how nice the neck is turning out






And a shot of what I want it to look like when it's all finished, courtesy of a damp cloth






24th fret access is awesome





Anyway that's where I am at. I have to reslot the fretboard for my dad's build because I somehow cut a fret out of the middle of the fretfind template.....fuck me Anyway I should be posting some progress on that one as well. I wonder if anyone would buy this from me....I already have a hundred more Ideas for builds, just not the budget. We'll see


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## SirMyghin (Mar 13, 2011)

Looks pretty sharp dude.


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## BlackMastodon (Mar 14, 2011)

Damn, that's really coming together.


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## Devotion (Mar 14, 2011)

Nice curves man! Looking forward to the final result!


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 14, 2011)

Wow!!! The carves came out great. Great job man!


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## Themadcow (Mar 14, 2011)

Thanks guys, it's almost there, gotta come up with money for tuners, bridge and pickups now......I'm working on it


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## dclayton1388 (Mar 14, 2011)

That is insanely impressive, I feel inspired to try this on my own!
Haha, depending on how yours turns out I may have to pay you to make me one!


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## Themadcow (Mar 14, 2011)

Devotion said:


> Nice job dude, digging the walnut  also surprised at your speed, you started about 1 month and a half ago, and already this far! May i ask a rough estimate of the amount of hours spent so far?



I can't give an exact amount cause I haven't kept track that well. I think I've averaged about 6 hours a week for a month and a half, so 36 hours. That includes planning, changing my mind, planning more and then changing my mind again. That is for both builds.......

One thing that most of you that haven't done this yet won't realize is that no part of this process really takes very long at all. If I had access to a garage at my house with all the tools, I would be done by now. Every time I want to work on these things I have to drive to my buddy's house 15 minutes away and work for a bit and then come home. I have a 3 year old son so it doesn't leave a lot of time to do it.

If you are thinking about it, do it. Don't him and haw about it for 5 months like I did. Just do it. If you suck working with wood, you'll figure that out fairly quickly. If your like me, have a little bit of skill (I mean little ) and you know how to read a tape measure then there is no reason not to try. Just carve a neck one time and I promise it will give you the biggest hard on you ever had. Nothing feels better than carving away at that bad boy and feeling the final product all smooth and......never mind. Just do it


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 15, 2011)

Haha, I agree that carving a neck is great. Now I need to see what carving a body is all about.


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## Devotion (Mar 16, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> I can't give an exact amount cause I haven't kept track that well. I think I've averaged about 6 hours a week for a month and a half, so 36 hours. That includes planning, changing my mind, planning more and then changing my mind again. That is for both builds.......



Thanks for the info  thats indeed really quick, but got to neglect your advice, as i think building a guitar with a rusty saw, a drill and sandpaper only wouldnt look that nice, i'm going to wait till i have more tools, which won't be soon.

Great job on the neck and those curves dude! Really smooth look. LOng live super uper fret acces


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## Themadcow (Mar 16, 2011)

Well I had an hour to kill after work today, so I decided to route the neck pocket on my dad's PRS. Now, the neck is nowhere near done but the dimensions on the last 6" or so are right so I went ahead.

Now, I haven't built a single template for either of these builds so far, so I figured it was time I started. Pickup routes and other things are coming up and I'll have no choice.







1/2" piece of mdf did the trick. I traced the neck onto it, cut it with the bandsaw, then cleaned it up with some 60 grit sandpaper. 










So now some of you will say, "Hey, where are the sides on your neck pocket?" and I will answer that I don't think they are needed. The neck is going to be bolted on with 4 machine screws same as the RGA8 , and I guarantee as long as I line everything up right the neck will never move out of alignment. 

This also means that I am kind of limited in the shape I can make the pocket cause I need to keep a lot of material underneath the neck for support. No one has ever told me the reason the neck pocket has to be 3", but I'm not going to reinvent the wheel on that. I am gonna try a neck through next, so I won't have to think about this again for a while


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## Empryrean (Mar 16, 2011)

I likes sir, you have made me extremely teeming with envy


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## Themadcow (Mar 19, 2011)

Update time again. The guitar for my dad has been feeling neglected so I decided to move forward with it

Here is the neck and fretboard prepped for gluing. Notice the fretfind template still stuck to it. That kids glue is frigging sticky!
















My work area could use a cleanup....I need a maid.











This pic shows the routing for the arch almost done . It's all freehand so you have to be careful it doesn't get away on you. It doesn't have to be perfect but you don't want to go overboard.
















Notice the 5" grinder with the flap wheel. It's my favorite tool now
Decided to do the top with it instead of the belt sander this time. What you see in the pics is as far as I'm gonna go with it. It's a dangerous way of doing it cause if you slip you can destroy your work piece. The advantage is that it took me less than 5 minutes to get the guitar to that point

Today I'll get the neck out of the clamps and bolt it on, then I am stuck waiting for parts. Fretwire and electronics should be here any day now, so you guys should start seeing what these guitars are gonna look like soon.


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## technomancer (Mar 19, 2011)

That top's looking great


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## TimSE (Mar 19, 2011)

looking mighty impressive man! good work


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## Themadcow (Mar 19, 2011)

Micro update, I went to the garage to pull the clamps off the neck. Hit it with the sander and the radius sanding block, I also managed to get the neck bolted on, but only 2 bolts, before my wife phoned and said she had plans, so I'll finish the bolt up tomorrow.











Sorry for the crappy pics. I should have a bigger update tomorrow. I will finish bolt up, carve the neck and finish radiusing the fretboard and I will get you guys some better pics. 

I'd also like to say I really appreciate all the positive feedback. I don't need much extra motivation to do this, but the night's that I am tired and in a pissy mood, I look forward to your comments, puts me in a better mood.


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 19, 2011)

I need to get myself one of them grinders.


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## Themadcow (Mar 20, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> I need to get myself one of them grinders.




Beats the hell out of carving by hand. I have 4 of them from my welding days. I never thought I'd be using them on wood though.


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## BlackMastodon (Mar 20, 2011)

Those are looking damn good, keep it up


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## Sebastian (Mar 20, 2011)

Good job so far man! Keep the good work up


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## CD1221 (Mar 20, 2011)

awesome progress! the carve looks really bloody good.

about to start on the body and neck carve myself, this is great encouragement.


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## Devotion (Mar 20, 2011)

Its really starting to look like a guitar with the neck on hu? Good job on thr bodies, i really like the arches!


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## SW Davion (Mar 20, 2011)

Incredible work....
Subscribed to this thread!!


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## Themadcow (Mar 20, 2011)

So I had some time and some patience today so I thought I would have a go at my old man's build.

First I finished installing the machine screws










Then I grabbed the grinder and did a little carving










Then I headed home to finish up the carving and sanding...well, not completely finished










Notice the 1/4 inch round file, I used it to round off the corners, and to carve the back of the lower and upper horns. I also used it to finish shaping the neck. It's a very versatile tool that everyone should have for shaping wood.










The neck feels fantastic. It has a rounder profile than I would use myself, but my old man loves this shape, kind of like an SG, very thin but still U shaped.






It's impossible to get a good shot of the carves with and Iphone 4 camera I guess. Really hard to see in the pic but I swear they are there....

And a final shot of today's progress






Hopefully my fretwire shows up tomorrow, I am running out of things to do. Still needs some more shaping and sanding but it's getting close.


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## Themadcow (Mar 21, 2011)

Hopefully someone who knows will weigh in here. I need some advice on how to finish these guitars, specifically the walnut. I'm starting to research the process and I'm somewhat confused. When you dampen the walnut, it has a very dark appearance and the grain pops out really nice. I want that finish, no stain or anything.

I've read that i need to grain fill the walnut before I do anything else. I've also read that I need to seal it , then grain fill.


If someone could give me a link to a guide, or some advice on how to do this I would really appreciate it.


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## Empryrean (Mar 21, 2011)

I haven't gotten this far yet, but I'll tell ya my plans:
seal with sanding sealer, sand lightly to take down the high spots, walnut is slightly porous so you CAN fill it, but I don't plan to, fill it with wood filler, sand it, then apply finish such as furnish, lacquer, or you could skip all that and just put tung oil on it(I THINK)


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## Themadcow (Mar 21, 2011)

Empryrean said:


> I haven't gotten this far yet, but I'll tell ya my plans:
> seal with sanding sealer, sand lightly to take down the high spots, walnut is slightly porous so you CAN fill it, but I don't plan to, fill it with wood filler, sand it, then apply finish such as furnish, lacquer, or you could skip all that and just put tung oil on it(I THINK)



I was thinking that I could just tung oil, but I want a good clear coat. I don't really have a good spot to spray nitro, so maybe a brush on lacquer? I'll do some more reading.


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 22, 2011)

just dont decide that a good french polish is the best for your guitar. Do yourself a favor and do something easier.


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## Themadcow (Mar 22, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> just dont decide that a good french polish is the best for your guitar. Do yourself a favor and do something easier.



Well I'm not scared of work, but if there is an easier way that works as well......


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## Themadcow (Mar 24, 2011)

Small update today. Fretwire and Inlays and some other things arrived.

Drilled the holes for strings through the body










I'll have to adjust the holes when I install the ferrules, which arrived today as well. You can't tell from a foot away that the holes are off, but I want them to be perfect, so I will spend a bit of time when I install the ferrules to make sure.

And a shot of some carving






Almost done shaping and a lot of the sanding. This weekend I should have pickups and everything else I need to finish this one. 

The 8 string will be a little behind, I've decided to use the new dimarzio 8 string passives, so I will have to wait to route pickup slots and stuff. I will post an update this week after I get the frets installed and whatever else I can so you guys can see what it will look like, almost complete.


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 24, 2011)

I love the way the neck is looking on your dad's axe.


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## Themadcow (Mar 25, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> I love the way the neck is looking on your dad's axe.



Thanks man! I wasn't sure if it would turn out good with the headstock being solid walnut like that, but I think the transition looks pretty awesome.


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## Themadcow (Apr 2, 2011)

Well, I'm starting to feel like I'm dragging my ass here, so I got up early this morning .






A little mockup. Those are not the pickups, I stole them out of one of my guitars so I could build a template for routing.






Template done. Now I somehow managed to do a lot of this without stopping to take pictures. 






I drilled out some of the wood before I got in there with the router. But I have little patience, so I didn't drill much.






So the top was done at this point. I also drilled a hole for the volume pot.

I should have taken more pictures at this point, but I was in the zone, and I kept forgetting. I used an 1 1/4" spade bit to route the cavity for the volume pot. I then freehanded the cavity larger with the router. I brought it over far enough so the barrel jack that I bought will reach the cavity. It's a little oversized, but it leaves room if my old man decides he can't live without a tone control, or a killswitch!!!!






Drilling the jack hole was fun. Fits like a dream. I am not gonna post any pics with the hardware installed, don't want to ruin the surprise






Thats it for today. The fretwire I ordered had the wrong tang size. My mistake. I epoxied the frets in, but I changed my mind, so I removed them again. I should have new fretwire with the right size by monday or tuesday.





The last fret slot is on a bit of an angle, not sure how it happened. I have tons of meat left on the board though, so I am gonna re radius it, the reslot that fret.

That fretwire is enormous by the way. The biggest that allparts sells, with the smallest tang size, go figure.


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## scherzo1928 (Apr 2, 2011)

so umm... how are you putting the pickups in place?


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## adrock (Apr 2, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> so umm... how are you putting the pickups in place?




and that fretwire is HUGE...


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## Purelojik (Apr 2, 2011)

whats the number on that fretwire. i think the biggest i've seen is the 6100 extra jumbo from dunlop. this looks just enormous..


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## scherzo1928 (Apr 2, 2011)

Purelojik said:


> whats the number on that fretwire. i think the biggest i've seen is the 6100 extra jumbo from dunlop. this looks just enormous..


 
To me it looks like 6100, or some equivalent.


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## Themadcow (Apr 3, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> so umm... how are you putting the pickups in place?



This picture should clear it up for you


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## Themadcow (Apr 3, 2011)

So I couldn't go as far as I did and then stop, so later on this afternoon I went back out to the garage

Installed the string ferrules





Then I routed a channel between the pickup routes for wire







I also drilled holes for the bridge ground and for the pickups to the control cavity. Installed the input jack temporarily and then I decided to cover it all up.



















So that is for sure it for today. Tomorrow I will drill the tuning peg holes and then I can start in on the finishing. Looking forward to fixing up the rough spots and making this baby shine......


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## Sullen (Apr 3, 2011)

Purelojik said:


> whats the number on that fretwire. i think the biggest i've seen is the 6100 extra jumbo from dunlop. this looks just enormous..


Probably 6000


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## Themadcow (Apr 3, 2011)

Sullen said:


> Probably 6000




This fretwire is bigger than 6000, by quite a lot actually.

Jumbo Fret Wire | Allparts.com


I should have read the fine print, I had a hard time just pulling it through my fret bender.


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## BR10N (Apr 3, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> That fretwire is enormous by the way. The biggest that allparts sells, with the smallest tang size, go figure.


 
Props for attempting to dress those frets!


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## adrock (Apr 3, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> This fretwire is bigger than 6000, by quite a lot actually.
> 
> Jumbo Fret Wire | Allparts.com
> 
> ...


wow. a crown height of .102", and a width of .170". that's pretty much twice the size in every direction versus "standard" guitar frets. jumbo is quite the understatement...


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## Purelojik (Apr 3, 2011)

adrock said:


> wow. a crown height of .102", and a width of .170". that's pretty much twice the size in every direction versus "standard" guitar frets. jumbo is quite the understatement...




i guess he doesnt need to scallop his fretboard now..


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## Purelojik (Apr 3, 2011)

Whats this Output jack style called? i know it seems like a dumb question but i cant think of the term. i kinda want one instead of using a football or square outer plate.


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## Themadcow (Apr 3, 2011)

adrock said:


> wow. a crown height of .102", and a width of .170". that's pretty much twice the size in every direction versus "standard" guitar frets. jumbo is quite the understatement...



I love a scalloped fretboard, but I'm not sure I'll even bother if I decide to use those on the 8.


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## Themadcow (Apr 3, 2011)

So back to the garage this afternoon for a couple hours, I'd really like to see my old man's guitar ready for finishing by the weekend

First I installed the tuners. Nothing magic here, just make sure the headstock is the right thickness, and drill the holes where you want them
















Then I pulled out the smoked black ebony stain, because the ebony isn't black enough for my taste










That's more like it. I love the look of ebony, I like it even more when it's black as the night sky

I stopped by the engraving store today to see what kind of material I needed to build an engravable truss rod cover. He gave me a piece of scrap for free, told me to cut it out and they would engrave it for me. 

Black on the top, aluminum on the bottom, should look awesome. Not sure what I'll engrave on there yet. Something sentimental for the fact that my dad has had to put up with my shit for the last 33 years









That's it for this weekend, expect more updates soon........


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## Themadcow (Apr 3, 2011)

Purelojik said:


> Whats this Output jack style called? i know it seems like a dumb question but i cant think of the term. i kinda want one instead of using a football or square outer plate.



They are called a barrel jack, or something else depending on the manufacturer. They are awesome, they look cool and take up very little real estate.

The only down side I have heard of them is that they wear out faster than regular jacks, because of the variance in size of different guitar cables.


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 4, 2011)

Now that fretboard looks bitching! I was thinking to myself that you had like some kinda of glue residue left on it or something but I guess it was just a really pale piece of ebony.


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## Themadcow (Apr 4, 2011)

BlackMastodon said:


> Now that fretboard looks bitching! I was thinking to myself that you had like some kinda of glue residue left on it or something but I guess it was just a really pale piece of ebony.




Ya, it definitely wasn't as nice as the one that I used on the 8 string. I think I may stain that one too, the blacker the better I say.


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## ryantheyetti (Apr 4, 2011)

i just wanna say i just read through everything in this thread and i was thinking about buying a new guitar this summer but instead you have inspired me to just build my own! 

and i dont care what anybody says that 8 string looks bitchin man, i will be very closely following this thread 

keep up the great work!


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## SW Davion (Apr 6, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> Ya, it definitely wasn't as nice as the one that I used on the 8 string. I think I may stain that one too, the blacker the better I say.


 
Fantastic job on the fretboard. Looks great!


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## Themadcow (Apr 9, 2011)

Small update, finished sanding the body with 120, mounted up the hardware to see what it looks like installed. I like it. Tomorrow I'll finish sanding the body to 220 and that's finished. Ready for shellac. 

The stain on the neck doesn't hold up to sanding so it obviously isn't penetrating the ebony that deep. I'm gonna have to wait till it's scalloped and completely sanded then I will stain it again. 






There's a plastic film on the truss rod cover, so it looks like ass in the picture, but trust me, it looks good. Have to drop it off for engraving this week sometime












Oh and just a heads up on my next project, once I get the 8 string done, I have decided that an 8 string xiphos would be awesome. I want to learn how to build a neckthru anyway.






That one will kick ass, but not until I get these 2 done. Dimarzio's 8 string pups are available april 22nd, so I wont be able to route the pickups till I get them. 

Stay tuned for more updates.


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## Swyse (Apr 9, 2011)

love your builds man, is that xiphos8 going to be headless or is the design pending?


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## Themadcow (Apr 9, 2011)

Swyse said:


> love your builds man, is that xiphos8 going to be headless or is the design pending?




No not headless. I have no idea what headstock shape I'm gonna go with. I wish I had some drawing talent....


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## Elysian (Apr 14, 2011)

Themadcow said:


> Notice the 5" grinder with the flap wheel. It's my favorite tool now
> Decided to do the top with it instead of the belt sander this time. What you see in the pics is as far as I'm gonna go with it. It's a dangerous way of doing it cause if you slip you can destroy your work piece. The advantage is that it took me less than 5 minutes to get the guitar to that point


That's how I do my carves, though I don't use a handheld grinder, I attach my flap wheel to a chock and attach it to my drill press, that way I'm in control of the body, the flap wheel is stationary.


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## Fiction (Apr 15, 2011)

That 8 looks awesome, But i'm really digging the body shape of your dads build. I need a new guitar so i'm looking into buying a S-Prestige, but I think after this I will consider attempting to build a prs styled. Being 17 I don't have many tools... except for a grandad with his own workship 

So I'll make this like a project with him, and get one badass guitar out of it, can't wait for more updates just loving reading this, progress is great.


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## Themadcow (Apr 16, 2011)

Well, it had to happen eventually, I fucked up, and not in a good way.

Somehow I managed to snap the fretboard off right behind the 21st (last) fret on my dad's guitar...........

Now some people would find this extremely frustrating, but I saw it as an opportunity for an upgrade. I headed down to W.G. Chanin hardwoods to take a look and I found me a beautiful chunk of Indian rosewood.

First the pencil lines are drawn. I use fretfind 2d to print out a template, then use the lines as a guide. I haven't managed to find a ruler with 64th increments, and besides, my eyes suck anyway.






Now all you need to do is triple check the measurement to where the 2 pieces of paper line up. Then transfer the lines onto the fret board






You might be able to tell from that pic that my little arrows don't line up on the opposite sides of the fretboard. This is why we never trust that the paper template is 100% lined up. I make sure to square the edges of the fretboard and use a square to mark out the lines. That way everything is perpendicular to the center...no more fuck ups





My $13 home depot miter box, cause my wife won't let me buy the Stewmac one yet.

I did get this though





Best money spent so far. I struggled to radius the other board, the block I built wasn't perfect and it was hard to get it level across the board.











Well that's what I managed in a couple hours today. I also removed the fretboard from my dad's neck. Just used a palm router to get rid of most of it , then I got out the trusty flapper wheel and ground off the rest. 

Tomorrow I'll glue the new board on and hopefully fret it monday night. then I'll pop the nut on and see what it sounds like before final sanding and finish. Getting close. The new D-activater 8 string pups are supposedly out in a week, so I'll be getting back to work on the 8 string soon, in case you guys are interested in how that one is coming along.

Cheers


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## scherzo1928 (Apr 16, 2011)

Glad you got it fixed. That new board looks really nice!


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## Themadcow (Apr 16, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> Glad you got it fixed. That new board looks really nice!



Thank you. I think it will look better than the ebony did, and kinda flows with the walnut color.


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## Themadcow (Apr 17, 2011)

Well I suppose I'll detail this so any one trying to learn. 

First....Don't remove an existing fretboard
Second....Don't remove an existing fretboard
Third.....You get the Idea

I won't bore you with the detail. Let's just say I needed to pull the router out to deepen the truss rod channel after I finish leveling the neck. Don't use an angle grinder to take the fretboard off if you want a perfectly level surface to reglue a new board to.


So first I clamp the fretboard on with light clamps. 





Then I drilled through the frets at 4 spots with some small drill bits. You can see them on the table in the above pick

Then I turn the bits upside down and use them to anchor the fretboard in the spot I want






Then I add as many clamps as many clamps as I can fit, and some titebond glue.











I should mention that I dry clamped everything first to make sure there were no gaps at all. Gaps = Glue lines, and we don't want that. 

If I get the chance, I will pull it out of the clamps tonight so I can bring the neck home. That just leaves fretting and installing the nut.. so close.


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## Themadcow (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok guys, small update. Got the neck out of clamps and it looks good. Sanded it and fretted it. Just have to install the nut now, so close, but the last bit feels like it's taking forever.











HUUUUUUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!









More updates soon.


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## HaMMerHeD (Apr 19, 2011)

For future reference, I thought this might be useful:

How I Remove a Fingerboard and Truss Rod - TalkBass Forums


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## Themadcow (Apr 19, 2011)

HaMMerHeD said:


> For future reference, I thought this might be useful:
> 
> How I Remove a Fingerboard and Truss Rod - TalkBass Forums



Nice. I had though of doing that but j was scared I'd adding heat to the scarf joint. Guess I worry for nothing


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 19, 2011)

Jesus those frets are immense!


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## ryantheyetti (Apr 19, 2011)

my god when you said the frets were "jumbo" in the older posts you seriously were not kidding. wow


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## tybro7 (Apr 20, 2011)

dude... i made this account so i could find some more inspiring experiences on building a guitar.. im in the process of doing a blackmachine *cross* bernie rico jr. design and wow... you just made me wanna do it more than what i wanted to 30 mins ago! great work man! can wait to see the next one, looks insane!!!!


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## tybro7 (Apr 20, 2011)

and also.. where did you purchase your woods from?


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## Themadcow (Apr 20, 2011)

tybro7 said:


> and also.. where did you purchase your woods from?


 

Glad you like, and welcome aboard. I joined this forum for the same reason. I purchased my wood from Windsor Plywood. They are a local supplier who stock a decent amount of exotic hardwoods. Most of it is surfaced on 2 sides.


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## Themadcow (Apr 20, 2011)

And why the hell do I have to look at a picture of Jack Layton on the top of my screen??? I didn't think this was a political site. Google ads suck.


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## tybro7 (Apr 20, 2011)

awesome iv decided to purchase my body wood from stewmac, but with the neck i want to make a 7 string but dont know if it will be wide enough, the fretboard aswell..


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