# PepperFox Guitars - Build Thread



## dmlinger (Apr 16, 2020)

Finally finished this one. Was going to put it in the thread with my Summer Build, but noticed the images no longer load. Built this one in a batch with 2 others that are in the assembly and setup stage. Should be finished with those in a week or so.

Specs:
Ash body
Top bound white
Contour heel
Tummy cut
Maple neck
Macassar ebony fretboard
Jumbo SS frets, blind fret slots
Sperzel Trim Lock tuners
TUSQ nut
Gotoh bridge
SD Seth Lovers
3 way, 1 vol, 1 tone
Nitro satin finish
Used Mixol to tint the color coat

Really happy with how it turned out. Really light compared to my first build, and is really loud unplugged because of it. My friend requested the Seth Lovers, but I'd love to hear this with a hotter set in it. 

Hope you enjoy!


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 17, 2020)

Pics aren't working for me.


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## dmlinger (Apr 17, 2020)

Bummer! I hosted on Google Photos. Is that known to give the same issues as other hosts?


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 17, 2020)

I've had to finagle a bit with Google Photos to get them to work here. Is the album shared?


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## dmlinger (Apr 17, 2020)

Let's see if this works...













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## DudeManBrother (Apr 17, 2020)

Looks great. Very tasteful


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 17, 2020)

Beautiful take on a Tele style guitar, it looks so clean.


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## dmlinger (Apr 19, 2020)

Just finished this one today and it rips!

Ash body
Top bound white
Maple neck
Flame maple board 
SS jumbo fret wire
Hipshot bridge
Sperzel locking tuners
Duncan Custom bridge
Duncan 59 neck
3 way
CTS 500K pots
Satin Nitro blue top, clean back and sides
Satin Nitro neck













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## Mathemagician (Apr 19, 2020)

Now THAT is a heel. Looks great and that blue w/ flamed maple combo.


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 19, 2020)

DAMN the shot of the flame on that fretboard!


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## dmlinger (Apr 19, 2020)

BlackMastodon said:


> DAMN the shot of the flame on that fretboard!



Thanks! Was fortunate to score such a nice cut


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 19, 2020)

The blind frets also take it to another level.

Also, forgot to ask about it before re:the broken pics from Google Photos. Were you copying the link for each picture that Google Photos shows you when you go to share them, or were you right clicking and copying image location for each photo? I've had better luck with the latter method if you want to give it a shot, might be a bit easier than uploading every pic to the forum.


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## dmlinger (Apr 19, 2020)

BlackMastodon said:


> The blind frets also take it to another level.
> 
> Also, forgot to ask about it before re:the broken pics from Google Photos. Were you copying the link for each picture that Google Photos shows you when you go to share them, or were you right clicking and copying image location for each photo? I've had better luck with the latter method if you want to give it a shot, might be a bit easier than uploading every pic to the forum.



Thank you! 

Man, to be honest, I have no clue haha. I right clicked, copied image address, and pasted it into the pop-up that comes up when you click the Image icon on this forum. Think you were right in that the album was private. 

I just made an account on an image hosting site and called it done.

Really glad you like them. Have another one that will be done this week. It's bright surf green with a black ebony board.


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## BlackMastodon (Apr 19, 2020)

What kind of spray are you using for the colours? The first one you posted looks almost like a teal/grey in those pictures, and all of your finishes turned out great!


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## dmlinger (Apr 19, 2020)

BlackMastodon said:


> What kind of spray are you using for the colours? The first one you posted looks almost like a teal/grey in those pictures, and all of your finishes turned out great!



I use a Fuji HVLP turbine system. These were shot with Behlen/Mohawk nitrocellulose. After the Wood is prepped and grain filled, I start with 2 coats of vinyl sealer, sand flat, mix a primer and shoot one coat, shoot color, then shoot about 6-8 coats or clear. 

The colors are done with Mixol tints. They have a great variety that makes mixing easy. I use StewMac’s white pigment because you get more for the money.


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## dmlinger (Apr 23, 2020)

Waiting on the tuners to arrive for this one. Just needs to have the nut fitted and tuners installed. Then setup time.


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## dmlinger (Apr 23, 2020)

Same specs as the others with a few obvious differences

Ash body
Maple neck
Ebony board
SS jumbo frets
16" radius
Hipshot bridge
Sperzel tuners (arriving tomorrow, I hope)
TUSQ nut
SD JB and Jazz on this one

Hope you guys like it. Really happy with the aesthetic. 

Oh...don't judge my messy bench. It always gets like that during assembly!


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## dmlinger (Apr 25, 2020)

Final one of the three is complete and set up. Back to woodworking on the next run soon.

Ash Body
Top bound white
Maple neck
Ebony board
SS jumbos
16" radius
Sperzel locking tuners
Hipshot bridge
Tusq nut
SD JB Jazz


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## dmlinger (Apr 26, 2020)

OK, coming back down to reality...here is what they look like before a pretty finish gets sprayed on!!


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## Hollowway (Apr 26, 2020)

Holy hell, dude, these are awesome! I love the HS. And people say all the possible designs are already taken. You've got some really clean, cool guitars there that aren't trying too hard, nor are too conservative. Very nice work. You selling these, or are they just for you?


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## dmlinger (Apr 26, 2020)

Hollowway said:


> Holy hell, dude, these are awesome! I love the HS. And people say all the possible designs are already taken. You've got some really clean, cool guitars there that aren't trying too hard, nor are too conservative. Very nice work. You selling these, or are they just for you?



Dude, thanks a ton for the nice words! Especially about the headstock - it gets mixed reviews! 

The grey and surf greens one were spec'ed out and built for friends. The blue one is actually for sale on my reverb page. I'm really considering a Vendor account on here. Not sure if it would be worth it. Trying to get the word out, and it's a slow process.


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## Electric Wizard (Apr 26, 2020)

That rosewood neck with the fox silhouette inlay is going to look amazing on one of these. Very impressive work all around!


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## High Plains Drifter (Apr 26, 2020)

I had never even heard of Prosper until I searched it. Always cool to see Texas builders here! Looking at the one you've got listed on Reverb, I really dig that flamed fret-board and the blind slots... very nice. As for the mixed reviews, I think that it's sometimes difficult for ppl to digest the traditional T-shape with whatever nontraditional head-stock shape. I personally think that it works quite well. That heavily sculpted 1.38" profile looks super comfy! Gorgeous wood grain on that body too btw.


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## Bearitone (Apr 27, 2020)

What CNC machine/router do you use?


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## dmlinger (Apr 27, 2020)

Bearitone said:


> What CNC machine/router do you use?



Openbuilds LEAD 1010

It's great and was enjoyable to build. The hard part was actually the software and post processing setup.


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## Bearitone (Apr 27, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> Openbuilds LEAD 1010
> 
> It's great and was enjoyable to build. The hard part was actually the software and post processing setup.


Nice! Off topic but, have you tried cutting any aluminum on it? If so how did it fair?


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## dmlinger (Apr 27, 2020)

Bearitone said:


> Nice! Off topic but, have you tried cutting any aluminum on it? If so how did it fair?



Not yet, but I've seen some videos of it. It's a great machine, even for the money


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## KR250 (Apr 28, 2020)

Super clean work!


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## dmlinger (May 4, 2020)

Hmmmm


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## dmlinger (May 6, 2020)

Fit the neck yesterday. Installed the body binding but don't have a photo of that.


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## BlackMastodon (May 6, 2020)

Excited to see where this one goes.


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## dmlinger (Jun 26, 2020)

Building this 72ish Jack for a customer. Standard black pickguard or a big 72 with a twist? Haven't designed a 72 style but it would have design modifications. Standard T switching either way...


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## rikomaru (Jun 27, 2020)

Damn, that's a clean white with the black plate. What primer did you use for the color to come out like that? I may be failing at explaining it, but does the white look that clear in person?


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## dmlinger (Jun 27, 2020)

rikomaru said:


> Damn, that's a clean white with the black plate. What primer did you use for the color to come out like that? I may be failing at explaining it, but does the white look that clear in person?



It looks like that in person. It's just white pigment and nitro.

Edit: greetings from Prosper, TX...5 minutes from you!


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## Spicypickles (Jun 27, 2020)

I miss TX, I want a fancy tele.


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## rikomaru (Jul 3, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> It looks like that in person. It's just white pigment and nitro.
> 
> Edit: greetings from Prosper, TX...5 minutes from you!


Really? It looks so clean and clear. 

And ya, 5 mins sounds about right. Greetings neighbour.


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## dmlinger (Jul 3, 2020)

The hard part is keeping dust off of it when shooting the clear coats!


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## dmlinger (Sep 12, 2020)

Over due for some updates on the goings-on around here. Building a guitar for myself...surf green over mahogany with an all rosewood neck. Stainless super jumbo frets and a set of raw nickle covered Black Winters will go on this bad boy.




















And just for grins...here is a jazzy that I'm cooking up with a sexy heel joint...


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## dmlinger (Sep 26, 2020)

Waiting on the clear to dry on the batch of 3 I'm currently finishing up. The sun was beaming in so it was hard to get a good group shot of the bodies. 

Also, check out this amazing haul of ebony boards I scored. I've never had ebony with figure like some of these have.


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## Hollowway (Sep 26, 2020)

I'm a sucker for flat tops with binding, so I'm loving those!


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## BlackMastodon (Sep 27, 2020)

The aqua and sage green with dark body woods tho...


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## dmlinger (Sep 30, 2020)

Cut the pickguards for these 2 today and did a quick mock up.


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## KR250 (Sep 30, 2020)

Really nice finish work!


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## dmlinger (Oct 1, 2020)

KR250 said:


> Really nice finish work!


Thanks! Getting better every instrument. I really enjoy mixing colors. For me it's important for the fretboard wood choice to jive with the body color. The 7 sting I'm working on will have a matching headstock. 

Wet sanding is next once the nitro has had time to dry and harden.


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## crackout (Oct 1, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> Cut the pickguards for these 2 today and did a quick mock up.



Is it me or does the neck tilt to the left? ôo


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## BlackMastodon (Oct 1, 2020)

crackout said:


> Is it me or does the neck tilt to the left? ôo


I was gonna make the joke that it doesn't fit, better send it to me, but I'm guessing he didn't remove the pipe in the neck joint use to hold it for painting and just rested the neck on it for a quick look.


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## dmlinger (Oct 1, 2020)

Haha I knew someone would ask about the neck. It's just laying on top of that PVC pipe that I use when painting. It will be straight once it's properly mounted.


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## crackout (Oct 1, 2020)

I can sleep easy now.


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## Omzig (Oct 1, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> Over due for some updates on the goings-on around here. Building a guitar for myself...surf green over mahogany with an all rosewood neck. Stainless super jumbo frets and a set of raw nickle covered Black Winters will go on this bad boy.



Wow now i know what i should do with the moho/Sapele blank i have kicking about...yummy


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## dmlinger (Oct 1, 2020)

Omzig said:


> Wow now i know what i should do with the moho/Sapele blank i have kicking about...yummy



Dooooo it! This was African mahogany and is actually super light. Don't have an exact weight, but it is in line with the light weight ash bodies I built in the last batch.


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## dmlinger (Oct 10, 2020)

Not exciting but worth documenting the process. The nitro has dried for 2 weeks and I started wet sanding. Started with 400 (shown here) to get the finish flat. The sun was shining in perfectly to show the orange peel getting sanded away. Started with 400, then progressed through 800, 1500, 2000. Buffing is next. The first pass with 400 takes about an hour and the other grits go fast.


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## dmlinger (Oct 10, 2020)

And buffed...


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## dmlinger (Oct 20, 2020)

Wet sanded, buffed, and did the fret work before assembly. The nut was cut and sanded to thickness, then sanded down to size. Filed some beginner slots into the blank and had to stop there because I realized I don't have the strings the customer wants (11s) and didn't feel like wasting time setting it up until the right strings were here. 

For assembly, I use copper threaded inserts for the pickups so they can be direct mounted. Pick guard is installed and the screw holes get countersunk for a nice finished look. Everything else is no-frills. I use the same oval head sheet metal screws that Fender uses, but mine are shorter. 

For hardware, there are 500K CTS pots, a 5-way import switch (so it fits the shallow route), Sperzel locking tuners, Hipshot bridge, and a standard T plate. 

Really digging how this copper finish looks from different angles depending on the light. Hope you dig it.


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## Omzig (Oct 21, 2020)




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## dmlinger (Oct 22, 2020)

Some iPhone glamour shots of this one now that it is complete - minus the tip switch...had to order a cream one. 

Threw in a leopard case because that's how I roll.


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## KR250 (Oct 22, 2020)

Really nice work! I'm doing my first tele at the moment and have never done the traditional style non-scarf head stock before. Did you add any additional break angle over the nut by having that "scoop" after the nut going into the head stock portion too? I see you don't need any string tree's which is my goal as well. Mostly worried I added too much offset into the headstock and perhaps weakened the joint.

Quick shot of the area in question. Nut is just mating up to the edge of headstock, but too much carve? I didn't really think about it too much, just used up all the wood depth I had out of habit.


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## dmlinger (Oct 23, 2020)

That should be just fine. I start that roundover on the CNC and fine tune it on an oscillating spindle sander. The headstock portion gets sanded down to ~0.58" thickness.

The secret is using staggered tuning posts so you don't have to use a string tree. Hipshot and Sperzel are favorites.


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## dmlinger (Oct 27, 2020)

Got the last customer build set up. This white one and the copper guitar will get shipped today. Then on to wet sanding the surf green one that is a personal build. 

This white one has a set of Avedissian Pickups in it at the customer's request. The neck is a Big Iron humbucker sized P90 and the bridge has a Night Prowler. I don't like long winded pickup reviews because they end up counteracting themselves...the P90 is warm in the neck. Cleans are just what you'd expect. The bridge has a lot of bite and snarl to it when driven hard...which is good. Reminds me of my Ragnarok but with a smaller low end. 

Hope you dig it.


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## dmlinger (Nov 1, 2020)

Took these photos of the white and copper last week before they were shipped to their new owners.


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## dmlinger (Nov 1, 2020)

This is my personal build that was finished today. Really happy with it and the Black Winter set is fun. It's a hot set, but the coil splits are really nice. 

I built this neck last year before the "PepperFox" script logo was made. Kind of wish it had the script logo, but this fox one is cool. I kept this neck for a personal build because the G Code did something funny and it made one of the fox's feet doubled. Barely noticeable, but it drives me insane. 

Indian Rosewood neck
African Mahogany body
Heel contour
Tummy Contour
White top binding
Hipshot bridge
Sperzel tuners
CTS 500K pots
5 way switch
Bone nut
Stainless steel frets
16" fretbord
25.5" scale
0.78" @ 1st fret to 0.83" @12th
1-11/16" nut width
Black Winter set with raw nickel covers
Nitro finish on body
Neck is raw with mineral oil


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## Hollowway (Nov 7, 2020)

I still love all of these. Any chance in the future you'll do a 7 string model? Or a trem model?


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## dmlinger (Nov 8, 2020)

Working on a 26.5" 7 right now. It's almost ready for finish...white base with some holoflake and matching headstock. Ash body and maple/ebony neck. Hipshot 7 bridge.


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## dmlinger (Nov 9, 2020)

Back to woodworking. My headstock shape polarizes some people, so I decided to make one that is a little more traditional and tame. 

This is still really rough, but gives you the idea. What do you think?


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## Omzig (Nov 10, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> Working on a 26.5" 7 right now. It's almost ready for finish...white base with some holoflake and matching headstock. Ash body and maple/ebony neck. Hipshot 7 bridge.



Yummy


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## cip 123 (Nov 11, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> Back to woodworking. My headstock shape polarizes some people, so I decided to make one that is a little more traditional and tame.
> 
> This is still really rough, but gives you the idea. What do you think?


I'd personally make that curve in the middle, rounder and shallower. Lookin a lil goofy to me, it's almost there for me though.


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## dmlinger (Nov 11, 2020)

cip 123 said:


> I'd personally make that curve in the middle, rounder and shallower. Lookin a lil goofy to me, it's almost there for me though.



Check these. It's really easy to make it too similar to a traditional Telecaster headstock. I try to make the design more "edgy" by using harder curves vs. the smooth, flowing curves of the original Fender design.

From Left to Right:
Original design
Shape shown in the woodworking prototype above
More Fender-ish in the mid section
Fatter mid section with harder curve at top
Telecaster for reference

My personal preference for the alternative shape would be 2 and 4. 3 is a bit too...plump


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## cip 123 (Nov 11, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> Check these. It's really easy to make it too similar to a traditional Telecaster headstock. I try to make the design more "edgy" by using harder curves vs. the smooth, flowing curves of the original Fender design.
> 
> From Left to Right:
> Original design
> ...


I think 3 looks best.

I think the top “hook” contour gives you plenty of break from the traditional, and gives that modern/boutique look that can be your signature. I think you’re safe as long as you keep that “hook” at the top (sorry that’s the only way I can describe it rn haha).


I think 4 could work on a much more modern style guitar, real super strat vibes. But 3 is my go to there looks great.

Lil edit to this as I'm at home and can look proper: I'd go 3, 4, 2, 1.

I think 1 would look sick as a reverse headstock, though I still think the middle hump is still too big and just not in proportion, I'd smooth it out. But that's all my preference.


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## cwhitey2 (Nov 11, 2020)

Dude... seriously nice work!


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## dmlinger (Nov 22, 2020)

I used to do the roundover for my headstocks with my oscillating spindle sander, but it's really difficult to make even even if I clamped a fence to the bed.

When making a Fender style neck, if you don't make this part as even as possible, it will ruin the neck. Having a "dip" in the transition is a dead giveaway that it's a rookie job. Nailing it makes the neck look professional.

_New sanding jig enters the chat. 
_
Built this today with some parts I ordered on Amazon and some off cuts I had laying around.

- Pillow Blocks - $20
- 0.5" stainless turning rod - $12
- 3" bolts, T-nuts, hinge, 2" adjustment bolt, washers - $10

All in for $42 or so not counting the spare maple and MDF.

Fairly self explanatory from the photos. The round head bolt is an adjustment mechanism to raise and lower the maple board (jointed and planed, so it is true). This allows different thickness cuts.

The 0.5" rod fits in my cordless drill chuck. Works like a charm.


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## Hollowway (Nov 23, 2020)

I love your headstock! I wouldn’t change it. The original looks really good, symmetrical, and it’s own thing. Honestly, I don’t like any of the watered down versions. Maybe make 2 options? For me, the original was one of the few new designs I’ve seen that were neither derivative or lame.


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## dmlinger (Nov 23, 2020)

Hollowway said:


> I love your headstock! I wouldn’t change it. The original looks really good, symmetrical, and it’s own thing. Honestly, I don’t like any of the watered down versions. Maybe make 2 options? For me, the original was one of the few new designs I’ve seen that were neither derivative or lame.



I'm definitely keeping the original, but wanted to make one for all of the wimps that couldn't handle the OG


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## dmlinger (Nov 29, 2020)

Channeling my inner @Omzig and making a wenge neck for this new batch. The round nose bit did great, but I had some tear out on the roughing passes. Didn't think and should have used the down cut bit rather than the upc cut. Luckily it wasn't bad at all, but lesson learned. I'll post photos later of how I'll fix it. 

This will have a gaboon ebony fretboard.


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## Omzig (Nov 29, 2020)

Wow that looks great! nice to see you didn't mess it up like i did lol ! & did you go with the 5% stepover in the end or did you do a double pass ? if so long and what feeds/speeds did you set? (i admit my 4 hours took way to long tbh im sure i could half that atleast)

Super work as always you contiune to inspire us all im sure.


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## dmlinger (Nov 29, 2020)

Omzig said:


> Wow that looks great! nice to see you didn't mess it up like i did lol ! & did you go with the 5% stepover in the end or did you do a double pass ? if so long and what feeds/speeds did you set? (i admit my 4 hours took way to long tbh im sure i could half that atleast)
> 
> Super work as always you contiune to inspire us all im sure.



Thanks, friend. Not out of the woods on this one yet...I glued the fretboard last night and will mill the top of the neck today. I used to mill the neck shaft separately from the fretboard, and then glue them together. Now I mill the fretboard after it is glued to the shaft and use 3 different setups:

- Neck shaft bottom (neck profile side that you see above); then flip it over using index pins...
- Neck shaft top with NO fretboard (truss rod channel and a 2mm depth outline with a 2mm offset so I know where to glue the fretboard); then insert the truss rod and glue on the fretboard...
- Neck WITH fretboard (fretboard radius, fret slots, headstock adaptive, clean up the heel, cut the outline)

On the stepover, I set it to 0.25mm. Since the bit is a 0.25 INCH (6.35mm) end mill, that makes the stepover right at 4% (0.25 / 6.35 = ~0.04). Feed is set to 1,500mm/min and the Dewalt router is going full speed.


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## KR250 (Nov 29, 2020)

Man, super clean work as always!


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## dmlinger (Nov 30, 2020)

Tried a new epoxy (StewMac slow set) and can say that I am not a fan. I did my typical slow stir to mix and then heat, syringe into the routes, then apply heat to bring the bubbles to the top. It popped a lot of bubbles, but there were still a lot trapped in the epoxy that surfaced once sanded back. Looks OK from afar, but up close it is below standard.

Going back to casting resin even though it takes 72 hours to cure vs 8 hours on the SM stuff. Castin resin flows out better and is easier to get the bubbles out. Lesson learned.

Here are some photos. Still needs a lot of sanding and more attention to the tear out repair. I used chips

EDIT: the tear out photos are out of order...I used chips to fill the tear out vs. dust because of the grain in wenge. Once in place, I put a few drops of liquid CA glue. Then used an iskawa rasp, dragon rasp, and sandpaper like usual when shaping headstocks.


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## Omzig (Nov 30, 2020)

dmlinger said:


> Thanks, friend. Not out of the woods on this one yet...I glued the fretboard last night and will mill the top of the neck today. I used to mill the neck shaft separately from the fretboard, and then glue them together. Now I mill the fretboard after it is glued to the shaft and use 3 different setups:
> 
> - Neck shaft bottom (neck profile side that you see above); then flip it over using index pins...
> - Neck shaft top with NO fretboard (truss rod channel and a 2mm depth outline with a 2mm offset so I know where to glue the fretboard); then insert the truss rod and glue on the fretboard...
> ...



Cool thanks for the detailed reply always nice to see a breakdown of the way other ppl work on stuff, looks like your 4% pass came out even smoother than mine ! well worth the extra time on the bed vs sanding out a 10% pass & Dam i know i hate working Wenge but it just looks and feels so nice i know i'll force myself to use it again soon, im wondering if im brave (read stupid) enough to try a slab neck/fb with it next


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## dmlinger (Nov 30, 2020)

Omzig said:


> Cool thanks for the detailed reply always nice to see a breakdown of the way other ppl work on stuff, looks like your 4% pass came out even smoother than mine ! well worth the extra time on the bed vs sanding out a 10% pass & Dam i know i hate working Wenge but it just looks and feels so nice i know i'll force myself to use it again soon, im wondering if im brave (read stupid) enough to try a slab neck/fb with it next



Doooo it!!! haha Wenge seems to mill like butter if you take small passes, however, it can't handle the same depth of cut on some of the roughing operations that maple can (hence the tear out). For some reason, it actually turned out smoother than the maple necks do with the same tool path.

Total time on the CNC for this neck was about 4 hours and that included: 
- adaptive clearing for profile (20 mins)
- parallel passes for profile (1 hour 15 mins)
- truss rod slot (5 mins)
- radius parallel passes (1 hour)
- headstock adaptive (15 mins)
- tuner holes (3 mins)
- fret slots (30 mins)
- fox inlay, nut slot, logo (12 mins)
- outline (15 mins).


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## dmlinger (Jun 30, 2022)

Man, it took me forever to find this build thread. Been a while since I've posted but have made some progress. 

This black one has blue paisley under the body. Body and neck are drying now. In a few weeks, I'll wet sand and start the "relic" process. Really looking forward to this one. 







This second guitar is my first 7 build. Been planning it for a long time, but just got around to spraying the flake. Used my Fujispray HVLP with a 1.8 tip. The flake is 0.015" medium flake. I wanted the flake to go on lightly so the guitar still looks white. Overall I'm happy with how it's turning out.


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## bostjan (Jun 30, 2022)

dmlinger said:


> Man, it took me forever to find this build thread. Been a while since I've posted but have made some progress.
> 
> This black one has blue paisley under the body. Body and neck are drying now. In a few weeks, I'll wet sand and start the "relic" process. Really looking forward to this one.
> 
> ...


Must know more details about this 7 string!


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## dmlinger (Jun 30, 2022)

bostjan said:


> Must know more details about this 7 string!


Ha! Appreciate the intrigue 

Ash body
White base with holoflake, nitrocellulose finish
White body binding, top only
Maple neck
Ebony fretboard
White side dots
Fox logo at 12th
24 frets (stainless jumbo)
26.5" scale
16" radius
Neck profile is 0.80" at 1st and 0.85" at 12th
Hipshot bridge (chrome)
Hipshot locking tuners (chrome)
TUSQ nut
Electro-socket input jack
Not sure on pickups at the moment

Believe that pretty much covers it


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## dmlinger (Jul 11, 2022)

The ebony one got some progress made this week. 

Glued the top, did all of the milling, and installed the binding today. For the binding, I do the acetone wick trick. Hold it in place for a few seconds and put the tape on. 

The maple headstock will get painted black and I'll make it matte to match the body and fretboard. It's a shame, but was the plan all along.

24 frets with a spoke wheel truss rod.


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## dmlinger (Jul 16, 2022)

Just finished the black 6 string. Customer build inspired by Dez's purple paisley Wirebird. No secret I'm a fan, and I'm really happy with how this one turned out. 

Ash body
Maple Neck
Ebony fretboard
Jumbo stainless frets
Fox inlay at 12
Guitarmory Orion set
5-way switching
CTS pots
Volume only - Tone installed but not wired
Tusq nut
Sperzel locking tuners
Hipshot bridge in aged nickle
Nitrocellulose lacquer
Rothko and Frost Paisley paper

Hope you like it


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## dmlinger (Jul 24, 2022)

More progress on the ebony one. Going for a B2-esque style on this one for fun.

Got the binding scraped
Fretboard and neck glued up
Started refining the neck shape (not pictured)
Scraped the body binding
Routed body with a chamfer bit rather than my typical round over


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## Purelojik (Jul 27, 2022)

dmlinger said:


> More progress on the ebony one. Going for a B2-esque style on this one for fun.
> 
> Got the binding scraped
> Fretboard and neck glued up
> ...


Man this ebony topped one is just sexy


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## dmlinger (Jul 29, 2022)

I was going to do the boring drilling today...jack hole, string through holes, bridge holes, etc. Then I realized "oh shit, a tele electro socket won't work because of the rear chamfer, and a flush jack isn't long enough to reach the cavity." 

So I designed a jack access route a la Blackmachine and here it is. Came out really nice.

Used a brand new Yonico down cut 2 flute bit. Down cut is best for these routes because they leave the top edge crisp and doesn't give that splintery finish like an up cut bit. $20 well spent. Used double sided tape as a hold down because I was in a hurry and was taking light, slow passes. 

Used the 0.25" Yonico for the main route and did a finishing pass around the edge with a 1/32" bit to make the pocket for the control cover more square rather than rounded. 

Photos are straight off the machine. No sanding or cleanup. Yes, there is a check in the wood that I've wicked Titebond Thin Wood Adhesive into. That shit is magical. It's a personal build so I'm OK with the aesthetic of the check. Not ideal, but it is what it is.


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## dmlinger (Jul 30, 2022)

Here is how I cut my 22 fret necks. Got a wenge and ebony going for a client.

First - drill the index holes. These are on the centerline so that they can be used for 2-sided milling. Used a 2 flute spiral flat end mill.
Second - rough out the neck profile. Used a 2 flue down cut spiral end mill. Down cut is extra important with wenge because it splinters if you look at it wrong.
Third - I leave 1mm of stock on the roughing tool path so there's just a touch of material to remove for the finishing passes. I use a 2 flute ball nose to do the parallel passes. Believe the stepover is 0.33mm so there's not a ton of sanding needed. Takes about 40 mins.
Lastly - I flip it over and align it to the board using the index pins in step 1. The origin is the same. Then use the flat end mill to cut the truss slot, access route at the heel, and then a 2mm offset perimeter of the neck that's 1mm deep. I use that as a guide for gluing on the fretboard.

I'll post more so you see how the rest gets milled. Fretboard is glued and in clamps right now. Not shown are pictures of milling the fretboard to size. There's not much to it...joint one side and then plane it to thickness of 0.25"


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## dmlinger (Jul 31, 2022)

Got the neck/fretboard out of the clamps this morning. 

Put it back on the CNC using the index pins. Used a ball nose to cut the radius

Used a .023"/0.6mm to cut the blind fret slots

Used the 0.25" flat down cut to - clean up the heel, cut headstock to thickness, and cut the perimeter of the neck.

Lastly, I use a 1/32" to cut the fox inlay and the nut slot

It comes off pretty rough, so the rest will be done by hand. Body is up next...


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## dmlinger (Jul 31, 2022)

Anyone having issues with the pictures loading?


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## tian (Jul 31, 2022)

Loading just fine for me.


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## Purelojik (Aug 1, 2022)

dmlinger said:


> Anyone having issues with the pictures loading?


loading fine now bud! yesterday all links were down


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## Omzig (Aug 1, 2022)

Still got my Love/Hate thing going on with Wenge....total PITA to work with but so nice when finished...Looking fine...so fine


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## dmlinger (Aug 1, 2022)

Omzig said:


> Still got my Love/Hate thing going on with Wenge....total PITA to work with but so nice when finished...Looking fine...so fine


I felt the same way before this neck! 

Tweaked the roughing toolpath to take off lighter passes and used a fresh down cut end mill and it came out great.


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## dmlinger (Sep 3, 2022)

99% finished with the holoflake 7. Just need to fit the nut.


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## dmlinger (Sep 4, 2022)

Got the 7 finished today. Really happy with how it turned out! 

Ash body
Top bound white
Maple neck
Ebony fretboard
24 jumbo stainless frets
16" radius
26.5" scale
Tusq nut
Holoflake over white
Nitrocellulose 
Hipshot hardtail bridge
Hipshot locking open back tuners
Seymour Duncan JB/59 7 string set (the JB is snarly in a 7, really like it)
5- way, 1 volume, 1 tone
CTS pot
Tele control plate
Belly carve and contoured heel


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## dmlinger (Sep 18, 2022)

Assembly time. This is finished in satin nitrocellulose. It’s not as forgiving as gloss because you can wet sand, but it gives the look and feel I wanted for the build.


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## dmlinger (Sep 19, 2022)

Cut the rear covers out of ebony last night, and got the neck put on. 

Next I just need to make a nut and get it wired up.


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## dmlinger (Sep 24, 2022)

Hope you guys aren't tired of seeing these...

The ebony topped 24 fret Jack made its way to the coffee table today for some pics. It's 99% finished...need 2 more screws for the electronics covers and need to install the strap buttons. I'm ecstatic at how it turned out, plays, sounds, and feels. 

Really hope you guys like it!

Limba body
Ebony top
Ivoroid binding 
Flame Maple neck
Ebony fretboard
Spoke wheel truss rod
Ivoroid binding on fretboard
24 SS Jumbo frets
16" radius
Bond nut
Guitarmory Tyrant (custom) set with gold poles
Hipshot bridge (added gold screws)
Sperzel locking tuners
1 vol, 3 way toggle


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## Electric Wizard (Sep 24, 2022)

You know it's a good shape when shifting everything up to accommodate the extra frets doesn't throw everything off visually. IMO that's the problem with some other super-tele designs.

Man, I want one of these so bad.


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## dmlinger (Sep 24, 2022)

Electric Wizard said:


> You know it's a good shape when shifting everything up to accommodate the extra frets doesn't throw everything off visually. IMO that's the problem with some other super-tele designs.
> 
> Man, I want one of these so bad.


Thanks so much for the nice words! 

This one isn’t spoken for!


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