Fanned Fret Firebird

Danielsguitars

Thanks, I'm going to look at a planer/thicknesser too

I'll use a drum sander to prep bodies but I have to use the overhead router to get bulk material off 

I'm still getting my head around how these are constructed

Are the wings an even wedge shape and what's the thickness of them, I was also looking at doing it with the v groove joint if there is a male and female groover for the router, doesn't matter though, its what will get the job done without too much trouble

WezV

customkits said:

Thanks, I'm going to look at a planer/thicknesser too

I'll use a drum sander to prep bodies but I have to use the overhead router to get bulk material off 

I'm still getting my head around how these are constructed

Are the wings an even wedge shape and what's the thickness of them, I was also looking at doing it with the v groove joint if there is a male and female groover for the router, doesn't matter though, its what will get the job done without too much trouble

I have gone for a main body core of 1 3/4" with  the wings starting at 1 1/2" thick, tapering down to about 1 1/4" at the very edge... 

is is an even wedge

I think mine is about 1/4" thicker on all dimensions than a vintage original at the moment because i was originally considering a blade switch, but that has now changed.... it was still to thin to fit that on the horn, but the extra thickness should help with balance.  The wings are very light, the core isn’t.

Danielsguitars

I've got a firebird body cut out in limba and I was thinking of a set neck but I might wait now until I've got the workshop sorted out and split the body and make a through neck, that thicknesser will work perfectly for that, does that thicknesser do small increments, if i need to take say under 1mm off etc

I still need to get a template set, I'm not sure I can be bothered to make them

WezV

Yeah, I think a full turn of the handle is 1.5mm or something like that, it might be 2 full turns.  I tend to do full turns till I am close, then half or quarter turns for the final passes

Danielsguitars

WezV said:

Yeah, I think a full turn of the handle is 1.5mm or something like that, it might be 2 full turns.  I tend to do full turns till I am close, then half or quarter turns for the final passes

Thanks that'll work for me

WezV

the board has been radiused, inlaid and bound.   The headstock has been cut out and had its steps added



The inlays were a real test for my failing eyes...   I am mostly happy with them, but they are not perfect

That gets us here:



 

Rabs

Excellent work as I have now come too expect from you    Love the step on the headstock...

Im currently doing a neck through build at the moment..

PhilKing

It's looking great Wes.  I'm sure the inlays will come together when the frets are in too.  It is really starting to have the Firebird look.

WezV

PhilKing said:

It's looking great Wes.  I'm sure the inlays will come together when the frets are in too.  It is really starting to have the Firebird look.

it could go either way.  it will either look fine once they are in, or it will highlight any discrepancy and need some kind of fix

Rabs said:

Im currently doing a neck through build at the moment..

Thread?  

I find them easier than you would expect... this one is even easier as its bridge will be quite low profile and the neck angle becomes minimal.


at the moment i have the neck set quite far in which would limit top fret access on a normal guitar, but should work well on a fanned fret.   I am conscious that the low neck angle could make it feel longer than a standard firebird.... moving the neck in, and keeping the headstock transition short on the bass side will help to keep it close to normal firebird length

PVO_Dave

Looking great Wez!

Rabs

 

Thread?  

I find them easier than you would expect... this one is even easier as its bridge will be quite low profile and the neck angle becomes minimal.


at the moment i have the neck set quite far in which would limit top fret access on a normal guitar, but should work well on a fanned fret.   I am conscious that the low neck angle could make it feel longer than a standard firebird.... moving the neck in, and keeping the headstock transition short on the bass side will help to keep it close to normal firebird length

Yeah don't I know it..  My first ever build was a glued neck and it failed... The next two builds were neckthroughs and I didn't have to worry about a neck joint and it was way easier in that way   

The build is for a customer so I don't want to post it until its finished and he has it in his hands (and is hopefully happy)... Should be within the next few weeks..

Its a Black Walnut neckthrough with Ash wings and one of my own shapes. This one.

[Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/4HTNb1L.jpg)

I tell you what.. Since its you, I will post the (rough) design behind it (shhhhhhh  )

https://i.imgur.com/IQZfFAB.jpg

So should be quite interesting.. Its getting quite SG like.

paulnb57

Looking awesome Wez

Voxman

Never seen fanned frets before - aside from looking very weird, don't those make playing awkward especially chords/ barre chords and solo runs as you near the higher frets? 

WezV

Voxman said:

Never seen fanned frets before - aside from looking very weird, don't those make playing awkward especially chords/ barre chords and solo runs as you near the higher frets? 

It can if you make bad design choices, or chose to sacrifice some playing styles in favour of others.


See the last post on page one for a couple of other examples.... the white one is slightly compromised for first position chords

this one will feel quite natural.

When a player new to the idea plays them it takes about 30 seconds for them to realise they feel quite natural and they can relax into it.  After that it’s no more unsettling than swapping between a fender and Gibson.

bends can catch people out sometimes. 

WezV

the neck has been roughly carved

and headstock drilled - they look really unevenly spaced due to perspective and reflections in this pic, they are not



I also got the bridge mounted.   This hipshot design is very low profile so I don't think any neck angle is needed, i am going to drill the string holes next, get it fretted  and put some strings on it to be sure. before i go any further. 

no neck angle on a firebird has the potential to make it feel quite long, which is why i have kept the headstock transition short and set the fretboard a bit further into the body.   The fanned frets will help improve any top end access compromised with this decision, its not that far off a vintage firebird.



  I went to test out the pickup fit but the routes are so tight i dare not put them in  except upside down... might open them up a little before proceeding with finishing

PhilKing

The bridge angle seems to match the angle at the end of the neck/body.  It looks really cool.  It's really coming along and looks exactly like I was thinking of it.   So even with the fanned fret, the overall length is going to be like a Firebird?

WezV

I am trying and keep it as close as possible to the length of a normal Firebird.  I think it’s still a bit longer.

The fretboard is approximately 1 fret further into the body than a vintage example, but it is offset by the fan and the heel shape(still to be finalised).  

WezV

after i finished working in this the other night i quickly hung it up on the wall on top of my John Birch Les Paul, just because it was as convenient place as any


Every time i walk past it i stop and have a look



I was never a fan of the Bona-Byrd, but there is something about the combination above that is really working for me

WezV

aw, i thought someone would appreciate the idea

anyway, on with the show.

Quite a lot done now.  I have thicknessed the body core to 1 3/4", mounted the bridge and drilled the string through/ferrule holes.

I re-routed the pickup cavities slightly larger and put a wiring channel in the side


That matches some holes in the body


i will put some special removable tubes commonly sold for beverage consumption in those holes during glue up

I made a tiny mistake with positioning the pickups.  If i want to use rings I need to notch the bridge pickup ring as its quite close.   Thankfully that doesn't look too bad, but the rings are still an aesthetic choice to be made later



I think its starting to look pretty good


Whats left to do before finishing
*sand and polish fretboard with micromesh
*Fret
*carve the gut cut
*add a small roundover the edges of the body core
*Attach the wings
*make a plate with 3 mini-toggle holes where the switch would normally be

normula1

Looks great. I reckon the only people who really like a Bonabird are his accountants