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I tried a few different things with a build last year, but it didn't really work out so I plan to rebuild the guitar to a different spec.

I'm not keen on the angular shape, the headstock/truss rod cover don't work and the neck profile is too thick for my hands.



New shape is more rounded and I'll lose the middle pickup. I have a nice piece of zebrano to use as a top(5mm), and also as a headstock veneer and for the rear cavity cover.

 

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Comments

  • paulnb57paulnb57 Frets: 3044
    looks more pleasing with the mods...good luck!
    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole - Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock 'n' roll

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  • LozboyLozboy Frets: 80
    All credit to you for trying.Look forward to see the Zebrano top.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    I think that you are being a bit harsh on yourself, I think it looks pretty interesting.

    If the neck is too thick why don't you take it down a bit?
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    edited August 2017
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  • axisus said:

    If the neck is too thick why don't you take it down a bit?
    Good question, and it started well...........until I hit the truss rod.

     

    There will now be a short intermission while I order a new neck blank :-(
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  • GoldenEraGuitarsGoldenEraGuitars Frets: 8820
    tFB Trader
    axisus said:

    If the neck is too thick why don't you take it down a bit?
    Good question, and it started well...........until I hit the truss rod.

     

    There will now be a short intermission while I order a new neck blank :-(
    Gutted to see this. Onward and upward though bud, and fair play to you for doing this yourself 
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  • While I sulk about the neck cock-up life goes on. The top is jointed - here it is dry and wet.

     
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16546
    I did that on my 3rd build.... same type of truss rod too.  They are wide and deep so you don't have much options for a skinnier neck.

    go for a modern 2-way rod.  Most still only need an easy straight channel for most of the route.  1/4" rather than 1/2".
     they are nowhere near as deep.  You need to open up the adjustment end a bit but you can put this at the body end if you are paranoid about this happening again


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  • Fair enough if it's not what you want but I think the original version looks cool as anything. I like it a lot. 
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  • Fair enough if it's not what you want but I think the original version looks cool as anything. I like it a lot. 
    The guitar had some technical issues that had to be tidied up, and rebuilding guitars is a way to scratch my guitar building itch without adding to my guitar collection. I guess the only other option is to sell some :-(
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  • The components for the neck (actually two necks) have arrived, so no excuses for not making some progress.

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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16546

    Are those aluminium U channel tube rods again?  Also I notice two fillets, are you planning on putting those on top of the rods?

    A 10mm deep rod is fine if its narrow.  The risk with a 1/2" wide rod is exactly the issue you have already encountered.   If you put a fillet on top of that rod its going to be set deeper than 10mm and the risk increases significantly   Don't just think of the depth on the centre line, think about what it will be 6mm either side.. on some carvesshapes it can be significant

    If you are using a U-channel rod, don't use the fillet on top.   There is little benefit to having these rods close to the back of the neck like a traditional rod... it can sit under the fretboard and will work just fine.  Some glue the aluminium channel in place to spread the load a bit

    I use this style (other brands available)

    https://tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/guitar-parts/truss-rods/truss-rod-2-way-adjustable-14-fret-acoustic-4386.html

    Okay, it only saves 1mm of depth, but its half the width



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  • Thanks for your comments @WezV.

    Yes, it's the same rods, but although they were delivered with fillets I don't intend to use them. And I'll rout the channel as shallow as I can, and make sure I measure everything  - and then measure again - to avoid a similar problem.
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  • AustrianJohnAustrianJohn Frets: 1666
    edited August 2017
    I had planned to work on the neck blank today, but while my bandsaw blade is happy to work on thin pieces of wood, it is no longer up to the full width of the neck blank. I have a new blade, but it's at the back of the other shed under a pile of stuff and can wait for another day.

    Having routed the truss rod channel and marked up the neck blank, I cut out the body and headstock and tops.



    When I cut the headstock angle I'll cut it deeper than normal (to allow for the top), rout it flat, glue the top on then rout that to be level with the back of the nut.


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  • I've installed the new bandsaw blade and made some progress with the neck. Despite my careful planning the truss rod rout was deeper than planned, so I used the router sled to take a couple of mm off the top of the neck blank to get the truss rod rout depth right ... then spent the next hour getting the top surface flat again. :-(

     



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  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader
    Nice.. that top looks great
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  • Having thinned the body to make it less heavy and make room for the top, the method for connecting the neck to the guitar proved to be unconventional. I'll screw it from the underside, but the top will also be glued to it.This is what it looked like when first cut to shape - there was lots of fine tuning before it was good to go.



    Having attached the neck I then did a dry run putting everything together. It all seems to fit, and the neck angle is ok - although I can always recess the bridge slightly if the strings are too low.



    There will now be a short pause while I wait for fretting tools from Crimson and a new soldering iron to replace the one that expired half way through wiring a bass kit build.
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  • Looks great !
    If your experience with Crimson is anything like mine, "a short pause" may well be a month or two, just so you know !
    Though the tools were very nice indeed.
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  • My early morning upper body workout...


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  • Excellent.  I always think that the point where a project turns into a budding guitar is when the neck carve starts :)
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