Building Guitars is hard, another try

So, this is going to be my third attempt at a part build on a guitar. This time I'm going to do an Esquire. Or attempt to start one, again.

In the past I've attempted a rebuild of a Japanese 70's guitar with Yamaha parts mated to the body, no luck. In august I started a strat build, but the body and neck I got didn't match up, so I scrapped the parts at a local store.

Now, time for build three. I want something very Springsteen-esque, so I'm thinking a butterscotch body, black guard. I'm thinking of using a Guitar Fetish sourced body, guard and their Wilkinson cut-off bridge for the build.

Now, to avoid the same issues as before: will necks/bodies/pickups/parts fit correctly on their bodies? I know they "say they do," but at the same time, the body/neck off Ebay said they would, too.

Also, anyone's opinion on their quality of bodies is welcome. Thanks guys.

PS: Gonna use the stock "Duncan Designed" Bridge pickup out of my Squier Thinline on this. I'm planning on using an alder body that's available through them right now, not the paulownia

nothing ever fits until you make it fit
and anything will fit if you make it fit

hope this answers your question

I agree. Make it fit.

a little block of wood with sandpaper glued to it is your friend. ;-)

I think you will find that "custom" guitar really means, "custom fitting". I spent all morning trimming saddle adjustment screws, lowering my neck pocket, and trimming a pickguard to all fit my latest build. Since the major components of a guitar are made of wood, they are subject to hand sanding and shrink/swell from moisture/dryness. Plus, parts are made in different factories from around the world. Getting everything to fit perfect can be a challenge at times.

I like the tenacity towards "making it work" that you guys take, it's refreshing. At the same time, though, I'd hate to assemble a complete body and then try to make a fender neck up to it and find "woah, your neck pocket is jacked up!" when it goes to go in.

I agree, cut the puzzle pieces. Good luck :)

I thing your biggest obstacle, is that you gave up on the past two projects and sold the pieces when you ran into problems, instead of learning how to solve them,
if you are going to quit whenever you run into an obstacle, then perhaps custom building isn't for you, because you can't learn anything by quitting

It's all about taking your time, not getting frustrated, Knowing when to walk away without those 3 elements your lost. Every build an obstacle comes up some big some small most can be solved and you get a free lesson for your next build. "Patience" that's the key, no way around it. My suggestion would be to buy a complete kit guitar that's a great starting place.

Unless you have the tools and skills to modify things to make them fit, your build will go a lot smoother if you stay with all genuine FENDER parts.

It's all about taking your time, not getting frustrated, Knowing when to walk away without those 3 elements your lost. Every build an obstacle comes up some big some small most can be solved and you get a free lesson for your next build. "Patience" that's the key, no way around it. My suggestion would be to buy a complete kit guitar that's a great starting place.

that is great advice :!::!::!:
building a kit then modding it is one of the best ways to learn

Regarding the neck pocket not matching the neck you bought, (I've never built a guitar, yet, but I bought a rough sawn "tele-like" body [no infringement on intellectual properties!!!] and am still in the "Ok, so, HOW do I do this?" phase) and just last night I found all kinds of pointers with regard this very issue. Might I point out this thread:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/258630-can-i-save-oversize-neck-pocket.html

which I think is probably relevant to where you're at now, or at least the problems you faced before.

Believe you me, it's in my nature to just dive in and go crazy. For example, the body I got doesn't have the Strat tummy/forearm cut, and I want to just rush out and go nuts with a band saw or who knows what! Instead, I'm going to continue to delve through these forums and any other place I can find for tips on how to do it correctly and SLOWLY. It seems like everything I've read has said the exact same thing. Go slow. I'm taking the approach that if I'm able to get this done sometime before 2013, I'll be really really happy. It can't sound/play much worse that these 2 Squiers I got AS LONG AS I don't go crazy right now. Or at least I hope so. Worst comes to worst, I'll hang it on the wall and have a fun story to tell.

Well, the first build didn't turn out half bad... just not half good, either. I took an old 60's Japanese twelve string and replaced the electronics, bridge and neck on it. The neck pocket was too big, so I filled it with a chunk of pine for the neck to sit in, but I never got any sustain out of it and the playability was awful. It sounded anemic with no body and no sustain.

This was the result: http://profile.ultimate-guitar.com/profile_mojo_data/7/0/4/7/704795/pics/_c544995_image_0.jpg
Ugly and anemic, so I scrapped it.

The last one, the body turned out not to be a "strat" body, but some weird old knockoff thats body cavity didn't line up with pickguards, necks didn't fit and neither did bridges. (actually, this build was supposed to be fairly grandiose, the body was very heavily relic'd and I was going to mate it up to one of those cheap, beaten up strat necks off Chris' guitars, a vintage style bridge and put a humbucker and a lipstick tube SC in it with a custom cut pickgaurd... maybe I'll go back to this before I do the esquire).

I've had bad luck with "builds" in the past, and I'm just looking to make a simple, clean build without all the crazy issues I've come across. I've installed bridges, tuners, pickups, nuts, electronics, pickguards, replaced necks, done setups on guitars requiring shims under the neck. I'm well versed with each individual piece of the installation, I'm just having trouble getting parts that will easily match up and make the build painless.

I've also got jack skills with wood working (ya'll don't want to see the HB route under the pick guard of my 70's Ibanez....), so I was hoping to avoid having to do any wood work on the build.

My main concern is: do GFS bodies really match up like they claim they do? Has anyone on here used one?

I know people that have used them before and they have all taken work. Even when people work based on standards, nothing will ever just fit together.

If you want things that fit together when you get them, get them from the same company, e.g. Warmoth, USACG, KNE and the like.

Well, I'm gonna take you guys' advice and try and get that body I got in august to work. If you all don't mind, I'd like to keep posting here for advice, even though it is a Strat build.

I'm gonna do some quick measurements of it to see what I'm working with, exactly. I ordered a pickguard for it and bought a cheap, used bridge at a local shop.

Here's what I have to work with: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/Thomme/IMG_2855.jpg

The neck pocket is 2-3/16" wide, 3" long and 3/4" deep. 7-5/16" from the hole for the bridge to the neck pocket. I'm not familiar with the Fender dimensions and was hoping you all could point me in the right direction.

Thanks, guys.

PS, I know it's a laminate body, it just looks so cool.

Edit: the used import bridge I bought for it doesn't fit. The block is too thick to fit, so, I think I'll have to sand out the bridge route. The screw holes for the bridge fit, 100%, though. Just not the trem block. Step one of modifying the body: acquired.

Edit, again: Sorry, didn't realize I used a picture with a depth of field so tight you couldn't see most of the body in focus. Here's one with better depth of field, but I had to use the flash, so it's all bleached out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/Thomme/IMG_2856.jpg

I think that old Japanese build look's cool

trying to make a bunch of unknown or mixed matched parts into a guitar aint easy
often I find the lesson learned when something doesn't work is just as good though
if at first and all that stuff, and dont skimp on the pics!

My main concern is: do GFS bodies really match up like they claim they do? Has anyone on here used one?

No they don't, yes I have. I use them still for hardware, some electronics. Not for anything crucial, I am truly sad to say.

That Japanese-ish thing looks awesome. I hope you set it aside, come back later, and then figure out how to make it perform. If nothing else guitars with limited sustain often make great platforms for slide play.

You're all gonna kill me when I say: I tossed the plywood body, gave the electrics to a friend and gave the neck to a guitar shop on that old japanese thing.... (ringing' shirt collar)

OUCH!
that hurt!

You're all gonna kill me when I say: I tossed the plywood body, gave the electrics to a friend and gave the neck to a guitar shop on that old japanese thing.... (ringing' shirt collar)


That's funny... and those make great slide guitars too...
That was a Teisco body.

The body I tossed was 100% plywood that I couldn't match up to any type of manufacture. It started its life as a 12-string, ended its life as a monster. If you have a specific Teisco model for this body, I'm very interested.

Ok, guys, sorry to resurrect this, but I feel it's better than filling the board with thread after thread of me asking questions.

So, I'm going to build the second guitar I started, I decided that. I'll stay the broadcaster idea for down the road. I picked through my parts and found that I have everything I need except the neck, pickguard and pickups. I, luckily, found a beautiful Squier neck (I know, is there such a thing?) that has the most beautiful wood grain I'd ever seen on a Squier neck. It's almost 100% covered in flame on the maple. I'm intending to sand off all the identifying names/numbers and placing a unique decal on it and then somehow tinting it.

That's what my first question will be: how can I tint the neck without having to do a complete refinish?

Edit: I also will, more than likely, require a bit of advice on cutting the body/pickguard out for my pickups. I'm thinking: HB bridge with coil tap and either a Telecaster or lipstick tube neck.

That's what my first question will be: how can I tint the neck without having to do a complete refinish?

Nothing personal, but this statement defines your issue. You want what you want without having to put in the work to get there. Much like your statement of not wanting to do any woodwork. You are posting this on possibly the finest guitar building forum in the world, guitars are not universal snap together parts. If you want a certain outcome, you either need to build it yourself or have someone else do it. If you seriously try to do a build of any sort here, there are tons of folks here that will help you. But if you demonstrate you won't put in the effort, they won't either :wink:



Dave

I was just interested in seeing if there was a way to finish the neck without having to strip it and refinish completely, I'll wait for the neck to arrive to see how bleached it looks, if it's bad, I'll strip it and refinish it.

I got a pg for it today, it almost fits, I'll have to reshape the lower horn on the pg a bit, but here it is, so far.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v343/Thomme/IMG_2889.jpg

I dig the single humbucker idea

Well, I've had guitars with the single HB before, and I gotta tell you: I hated it.

When I was playing in emo/punk bands, it was great to run a 59 or a Dimi SD into a JCM900, but now-a-days, I find it lacking definition and character. I'm actually going to be cutting the guard and body to accommodate a single coil in the neck at a slant with a volume, tone, 3 way Gibson style switch and a coil tap. In the neck will either be a lipstick tube or a tele neck pup. I think I've mentioned this earlier in the thread.

I'm planning on doing the routing with a drill and then sand down the rough edges. Starting with a guard with a single HB is the best way to do this, I feel.

HA! I am building the same thing, custom made body with Gibson L6-S Bill Lawrence super humbucker in the bridge, and either a lipstick or Gibson melody maker in the neck
(I will try and get some pics)

What Dave said! :wink: