Andyjr1515

I followed up @RichardH 's supplier leads from the previous build thread (Thonk is SUCH a great name for a company) and some of @Norris and other kind folks' suggestions and have made myself some knobs! Got the inserts from Thonk and a cheapo diamond hole/plug cutter from ebay: Then, after a few trial runs to work out the best sequence, started with a 9.5mm hole in some scrap oak: Then used a Forstner for the nut relief in the bottom: Then the plug cutter: And added the screw access hole before filing out the bore to a very slight interference push fit for the insert: Then took some macassar offcut and drilled a 6mm hole: Then plug-cut that: Then glued the two together, added a MoP dot, and rounded the sharp edges: Well pleased! Thanks for the tips and encouragement, folks. They are a fraction of the weight of the normal powder-coated brass ones I usually fit. When I get a moment, I'll make some more and replace the three on my own build

Not really necessary IMHO - certainly, 5mm for the back of the pickups is plenty. It's also quite rare for the back to hit anything that would be capable of doing that kind of damage. No, the care taken was more to make use I didn't inadvertently break through with the router or drill - which with my measuring skills is a much higher risk! With the control chamber, there is a theoretical risk - and you do see from time to time guitars and basses that have fallen on their fronts and the knobs have punched a hole through into the control chamber. But again, by and large, it's a fairly low risk. When you think about it, acoustic guitars have a side and back thickness of around 1.7mm and tops typically at 2.5 - 2.9mm and, certainly in my young days in the pubs of Wolverhampton, they used to survive being used as clubs to fight off angry skinheads fairly well. Used to play havoc with the tuning, mind....

That's looking really nice

The pickup chambers need some care. There will be less than 5mm thickness under the chamber so precise measurement and cutting is essential. Many of you know that I hate routers and I hate using routers. But for a flat-bottomed deep chamber, it's almost unavoidable. So personally, I use the router for the least number of operations. I start with defining the depth and corners with a drill: Then make a relatively shallow hog-out with a forstner bit: I then straighten the cuts around the outline with a sharp chisel down to the depth of the amboyna top. And only then do I use a bearing router. I use a very short one so I can safely tidy the sides of the existing shallow chamber before I start cutting the chamber bottom. So again, I basically use the top as my template - I know that is not the usual way but all I can say is that it works for me and I've massively reduced pickup routing c**k ups since I started doing it like this Then, using the bearing trimmer against the tidied up chamber sides, I just deepen a couple of mm a time to the required depth. And here we have the chambers with the sub-5mm thick bottoms: And the inevitable mock-up. I may well use black pickup rings on the finished article - but I happened to have these gold ones in the spares box so they will have to do for the mock up: As always, folks, thanks for looking and for the ever encouraging feedback.

The back carve is pretty close to being done and the neck carve is also starting to get there. I've also recessed the control chamber enough to be able to cut the hatch shape, although - depending on how deep the electrics are - either the recess still has to be deepened or the hatch itself thinned a couple of mm. The swifts are also fitted in the headstock plate... ...and so, in terms of the front, probably the next job is fitting the bridge so that I can properly line up the pickup chambers before forstner roughing and then chiselling them out.

I'm probably about half way through the neck and back carve. As I've mentioned before, I finish the neck profile off once the guitar is finished and fully strung up - yes, I know. I'm weird like that - but there's still a bit of bulk to take off to get to my preferred softish 'V' profile. After just a few minutes with a spokeshave, most of the carve has been done using micro plane blades, just held in gloved hands like a scraper. The towelling underneath is to stop any dints on the top - you can see it's been used for many times for past staining jobs. Based on the fact that a number of my staining jobs are red ink, it has the unfortunate look of the results of a serious router/finger incident! At this stage, I tend to do a lot of air-guitar playing I've got some more bulk to take out at the heel / body transition, but the thumb anchor points and 24th fret access feel fine so far. You can see why I took impressions earlier of where the hidden weight relief chambers are! Breaking through at this stage of the process would definitely spoil my day Total weight so far is spot on 4lbs - about 4oz lighter than my previous build. Having a bash at making my own wood knobs - which will save 2-3oz over the brass ones I previously used, a final 5 1/2 lbs weight should be within reach

Well, the tweaked cut outs and top are almost done. There might be a bit more to tweak once the back is done to get the feel and fret access just right, but this is getting close. Those of you who have seen my other builds will know that I generally pop an early coat of tru-oil on - regardless of what I will eventually finish it with - to help show up the lumps and bumps:

Next jobs are finalising the main carves Basically: tweaking the outline a tad finish off the top doing the back carving the neck The outline tweak is to compensate for the fact that, in changing from the maple to the macassar, I added two more frets to 24th. As such, I will deepen the cutouts a touch: Lots of chippings and sawdust coming up!

Now the fretboard is fixed, I can get on and finish the body carve

I will be putting the same demarcation feature under the headstock plate so I cut some offcuts of the maple and ebony veneers: Then glued and firmly clamped under a decently thick block of sapele: Then the final few jobs on the fretboard before fitting. Added the side dots and filled the fret slots with epoxy mixed with macassar dust: The headstock plate was clamped while being glued on using acoustic guitar bobbin clamps, but the fretboard needed something a little more substantial!

The veneers are dry and trimmed. Quite pleased with the result:

I'll do the rest of the body carve once the fretboard is on. The two jobs to do before I can do that is to fit the truss rod and to add the demarcation lines to the mating edge of the fretboard. Although for the maple board I was going for a bound fretboard using a binding already incorporating the feature lines: ...for the macassar, I've decided to go unbound. Hence, I need to create the demarcation lines with veneer. I've glued a maple veneer to the bottom of the macassar and then a black veneer to the bottom of that. To make sure it's flat, I've clamped the fretboard tightly over the veneers using radius blocks as cauls and the whole caboodle sitting on a very flat and sturdy plank:

OK - this is one of those times when I say 'why haven't I ALWAYS done it this way round????' I have to say, I found inserting the frets, trimming the fret ends, filing the fret ends and the bevels SO much easier done before gluing the fretboard onto the neck. I had a prejudice against doing it that way round, but I think I've just done a flip! I worked on this off and on over the day. Still not glued onto the neck but looking pretty good, even close up, in terms of straightness of sides and seating of the frets:

Each of the last few builds I've done the fretwork in different ways. This one is no exception. Having had some challenges in aspects of all of the other methods I've used, I thought I'd have a go at fretting before fitting the board to the neck. Also, for this one, I've decided to skip the bound board. My method of actually installing the frets is the same, though. I run a tiny bead of titebond along the tang, then hammer, then immediately clamp using the radius block as the shaped caul: One new thing for me is that I've bought a pair of fret tang nippers - very pleased with those so far...

That really is beautiful work, @Bastav . Lovely.

For the maple fretboard I was going to use some NZ Paua to get the contrast, but for the macassar I think MoP would work better. I cut out a couple of swifts for the 12th and routed the shapes with the dremel precision base: Then glued them in with epoxy mixed with fretboard sanding dust and added the MoP dots for the other positions: Then a quick sand with the radius block:

And here it is, trimmed and ready for putting in the inlays: As I was redoing the fretboard, I've added the extra couple of fret slots to 24. The body shape has been designed, on the other hand, for full access and thumb anchor point for bends up to the 22nd. When it's all glued up and I can air-guitar it, I'll decide whether to provide the extra cutout area to the 24th or whether that would spoil the look. I don't think Jane will be doing three-semitone bends on the 23rd and 24th so - for this one - it doesn't matter too much

I generally slot before I trim to final width - I've had the edges ping off in the past which is not great if it's already at final size! I've sorted the slotting routine with the G&W mitre box - it works quite well and quickly once you've got your head around what to clamp where to make sure nothing moves! I was pleased to see that there is now a set-up and user guide pdf on the G&W web site - although modesty would forbid me saying who wrote most of it And 1/2hr or so later it's all ready to trim to width: Looking at the weather, there'll be plenty of time to make a bit more progress tomorrow

Ref the spraying, I just don't have the facilities. It's only recently I've been able to sort something more practical than a Workmate on the back patio I've got a proper workbench in the cellar now but that's about it. Also, most of my builds are trans finishes or natural so I tend to use stains rather than paints. Ref grainfilling, I generally do the slurry and wipe/ buff approach - I've not been able to find a grain filler that goes on well, accepts stain and sands down easily. It must exist but I haven't found anything yet that beats slurrying the wood itself - especially since finding out that you can do that with stained wood. I quite like seeing some evidence of the grain with most of the woods I use. This one has the lot - stained with ink, slurry and wipe/buffed with tru-oil, Ronsealed wiped on. All done on a small table in the spare bedroom. Andyjr1515 nirvana! Apologies, @Geek99 for the slight de-rail

Sometimes more like this: I might not be much help on this one: I've done white and I've done bursts ....but I've never done a white burst! And I'm not entirely sure how I would go about it. And generally I don't spray. And I generally don't grain fill in the conventional manner. Basically - my approach tends towards the unconventional in a number of aspects and so I would probably start from a completely different place. There are some pointers I've gleaned from the various trials and tribulations I've had that might help, though. But I emphasise these are just what I've experienced...other people may have had more success than I did: I think linseed oil is a bit of a problem. Tru-oil - which many guitar makers use - is a polymerised linseed based product. Basically, it sets hard over time. I'm not sure that linseed oil by itself does. As such, there may be problems trying to overcoat linseed oil with many things - although perhaps OK with Tru-oil Personally, I steer clear of nitro-cellulose. You HAVE to wear a properly spec'd respirator - it is pretty evil stuff - but more than that, it is very, very particular to what it is sprayed on or what is sprayed on it. And it blooms in damp weather...and and and Yes - the spray cans from halfords, etc, will work fine and give you a huge choice of colours and a decent clear coat. Always start with a primer, though, if you are using solid colours. If you are spraying onto bare wood, use a clear sanding sealer. You still need to wear a respirator when you are spraying and follow all of the other precautions stated on the tins but functionally will work and, in my experience are less sensitive to humiditiy, etc.. They can nevertheless be still reactive with previous coats and other products. The folks above who say 'always test on some scrap' speak wise words You can produce very good results for many effects without having to spray... The good thing, though, is that generally at worst, you can fairly easily sand back to the wood and start again. Sorry I've not been more help on this one Andy

The good thing about the change of plan is that it gave me more practice with the home-made radiusing jig If I ever get round to building a version 2 there are a few improvements I would make but, to be honest, it seems to do the job. Here it is after one pass (cutting the radius and then indexing it forward 3mm or so each time): I'm pretty sure the lines on the righthand side is that the two radius ends of the jig a slightly out with each other, causing one corner of the router bit to dig in. You see the effect more here - but decent first pass rough radius? : After 15 mins or so with the radius block it was like this: I think this was the right decision

That's no problem at all. To be honest, if I had been making it for myself, I'd have gone for the maple. It matters not - I've got a good feeling about this build so I think it's going to please both me and Jane whatever

Certainly was the case with my yew 6 string above - but this one maybe a touch too much contrast? Anyway, at the end of the day, the future owner prefers the dark board. I'll use the maple fretboard next time I build one for myself

I sent Jane a copy of the above photo of the guitar and bass - and she prefers the dark fretboard of the Jag bass. So this is where I'll be heading: Thanks for the input, folks - always appreciated

Just the outline and cutaway stripes, but the darker fretboard would certainly tone with the wenge This is probably a better representation of the tone difference: ...and this is probably close to how they would compare in real life: