New build - inspired by Bailey's Guitar course

AustrianJohn · August 2016

WezV said:

I suggest you take a step back, practice on some scrap, and figure out how to hold things better before continuing.

This build has actually taken place over a few weeks - with business trips in between - but I decided to compress the build thread into a shorter time.

At this stage in the build I had a trip to Scotland, and managed to visit Mark for a design session. He then gave me a router tutorial - at the end of which he put a body blank on the bench and invited me to do the initial rout for the pickups. Given my track record with a router I thought this was brave of him, but the result was good. And now I'm back home I'm practising on scrap.

AustrianJohn · August 2016

axisus said:

Ouch!!!!! that fretboard shot!!!! I'd have had a cardiac arrest if that happened to me!

Respect for posting the picture, I wouldn't have!

If posting my mistakes helps other first time builders avoid them - it's not all in vain!

WezV · August 2016

AustrianJohn said:

axisus said:

Ouch!!!!! that fretboard shot!!!! I'd have had a cardiac arrest if that happened to me!

Respect for posting the picture, I wouldn't have!

If posting my mistakes helps other first time builders avoid them - it's not all in vain!

Wisdom for that.

Sesh · August 2016

WezV said:

AustrianJohn said:

axisus said:

Ouch!!!!! that fretboard shot!!!! I'd have had a cardiac arrest if that happened to me!

Respect for posting the picture, I wouldn't have!

If posting my mistakes helps other first time builders avoid them - it's not all in vain!

Wisdom for that.

And respect too.

AustrianJohn · August 2016

sushkov_guitars · August 2016

Now the bad news. If you are squeamish, look away now. I tried to be clever and save some time by profiling the side of the neck with the router, using the finderboard as a template. It didn't work out as planned. Another set of materials for the neck is now on order.

That looks strange... I did it many times using both ball bearing bit and short blades bit.

Sporky · August 2016

It's a bit like those microtonal frets but orthogonal.

AustrianJohn · August 2016

There was a break of 10 days in the build process since my last post, during which time the wood for my replacement neck arrived. I built the new neck very carefully, and the result seemed quite good. I left the neck quite thick, planning to reshape it if neccessary after I'd played it for a while. The front dots were easy, but the 2mm side dots were too dainty for my large fingers, so I've ordered 2mm plastic rods which look to be easier to install.

After half a dozen coats of Tru Oil the body is looking good.

DartmoorHedgehog · August 2016

That's looking really good. Shame about the first neck - you could cut it down narrower and make something with four or five strings though, rather than it becoming firewood.

WezV · August 2016

DartmoorHedgehog said:

That's looking really good. Shame about the first neck - you could cut it down narrower and make something with four or five strings though, rather than it becoming firewood.

Nah - hang it on the wall as a reminder not to do it again

I did actually do this with a neck after carving through to the truss rod

AustrianJohn · August 2016

WezV said:

DartmoorHedgehog said:

That's looking really good. Shame about the first neck - you could cut it down narrower and make something with four or five strings though, rather than it becoming firewood.

Nah - hang it on the wall as a reminder not to do it again
I did actually do this with a neck after carving through to the truss rod

Yes, I plan to mount it on the wall - but first I'll use it to practice installing side dots before trying it on the real neck.

ArchtopDave · August 2016

Side Dots.

I find it best to carefully draw a line along the length of the Fretboard, where you want the Dots relative to the edge of the Fretboard, and then to draw across this line to mark the Dot positions. Then use a sharp punch before drilling.

I find inserting Side Dots can be a real pain. If you start to push them in at a slight angle, then they won't go in. You can almost guarantee as you insert more and more of the Dots, that you'll get a bit of glue on your fingers, and you'll pull out the Dot, that you've just put it because it's stuck to your finger. Sometimes an air bubble will get trapped under a Dot and it'll pop out on it's own. Fortunately they all go in eventually!!

Sporky · August 2016

I much prefer rod/tube to dots.

ArchtopDave · August 2016

It's Gold Mother Of Pearl for me, so it don't come in rods.

AustrianJohn · August 2016

After a few more coats of Tru Oil it was time to build a guitar.

Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/13895088_10153891736775838_2242454345473932450_n.jpg?oh=bf259e14dec95f9cd0875db8d180287d&oe=5858C761&__gda__=1482403614_4520affc93d2a4f18b601b0d2a0813f5

Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/13932689_10153891736780838_8344156840470775557_n.jpg?oh=e16141cd09fcca1996e4b9e551dccf47&oe=582B0D3E&__gda__=1478643767_355b2b1159a287576c1d9032a422c9bb

I initially installed a Freeway 6 way switch, but was disappointed in the range of tones offered, so re-wired it with two mini-switches. One selects coil splitting, while the other selects north or south coil (if only one pickup selected) or in/out of phase with the pickup selector in the middle position. Wiring diagram was thanks to GuitarElectronics.com. The pickups are Iron Gear Blues Engine, which sound great without costing the earth.

After a few weeks of trials, tribulations and lots and lots and lots of sanding, the guitar was finally finished (except for the side dots).

Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/13880360_10153891742615838_8141859982232165291_n.jpg?oh=70c4e7d320fcfe72ffdcaac0cc346688&oe=581C8EE6&__gda__=1482220299_0ad143e2d4a76178439778f5e2311955

Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/13912372_10153891742630838_1354352633521225419_n.jpg?oh=16ddd46a0e173755b798c656941a2250&oe=58241C12&__gda__=1482262271_7457457460ee94421e3e3a1702b852aa

Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/13876109_10153891742605838_4194205673628864990_n.jpg?oh=472809dc5d3eace2ca9bd3b5433bdf4e&oe=58157657&__gda__=1481932147_3de215a5e2f2c298f4ffb8da90c2761f

I'm pleased with the wooden pickups rings that cover the poorly routed pickup cavities. Although I thought that the neck was far too think, after I played the guitar at band practice I didn't notice the neck by the end of the session. I also need to re-oil the neck joint as there was a last minute adjustment to get neck the angle right.

If you want to make the transition from building kit guitars to building guitars from blocks of wood I can recommend the Bailey course (even better, if you have the time - do the course at his studio). Now, what will I do next....?

Roland · August 2016

Looks good. I like the body chamfering, and of course the wood grain.

How about starting a Review thread for the Freeway switch. I like the theory, but it look a little sensitive for live use.

AustrianJohn · August 2016

Roland said:

How about starting a Review thread for the Freeway switch. I like the theory, but it look a little sensitive for live use.

Don't think I can add much more than my initial comment - that I was disappointed with the range of additional tones. Perhaps this is a personal thing and it would work better for others.

I like a single coil neck pickup for blues solos, humbucker bridge for rythym, and the ability to have in/out of phase for both pickups is a bonus. I do like the tones you get from Jimmy Page wiring, but I can never remember which push/pull to use for what! The final wiring on this guitar gives me the options I like, and it's clear which switch does what.

BigMonka · August 2016

The end guitar is fantastic John, well done! The grain of the wood has come up a treat and I really like the way the fret markers move from the bass side to the treble (I've not seen that before)

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New build - inspired by Bailey's Guitar course

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