A Build for the Summer

Well, Since the challenge is over now and more people will be checking the "normal" builds (though are any builds that have been done here really normal?), I figured that there would be more people who could help me with my first real build. I made a partscaster over the past school year (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/297924-very-drawn-out-partscaster-build.html), but here I'll be doing the body, neck, etc. I plan to make an esquire, and if I can get a bridge cheap enough it might be a 12-string. I already have a 6-string MIM bridge and a True Velvet pickup (Dimarzio). I want to wire it like this:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7440801/Guitar%20Wiring/Esquire4-Way2.jpg

So to start the build, I'll need wood. Luckily, I just got back from Home Depot with some. Enough flamed maple for 4 necks plus 4 fretboards (only $20) and some poplar.

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-04154147.jpg

I was going to get some 2x4 pine and make a 1.5" body from that, but when I saw the grain on the poplar, I had to get it (also $20). I have to laminate it, so it will be a 4-piece body, but even with that I'll have about 4' left over for whatever.

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-04154248.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-04154303.jpg

Then I still need fretboard wood, and I don't want a maple one on this build. My dad has some rosewood molding he was going to use for some furniture he was building, and it's thick enough and long enough for at least 2 fretboards if I can convince him to let me use it. If there is such a thing as flamed rosewood, this is it. It's lighter than most rosewood used on guitars, but the figuring is too nice to pass up if I can use it.

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-04154217.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-04154128.jpg

Unfortunately, I can't cut much until I finish making my templates. Time to go do that.

Nice depot score on the flame!

Thanks! Every time I go there, the maple section has 1 piece like that on the outside, and nothing interesting behind it. I also saw a piece of pine that had a quilt-like figuring, but it had a ton of tearout from planing and wasn't big enough to get a body from. If it hadn't been so chewed up, it would make a great bookmatched cap.

Nice depot score on the flame!

+1

Lowes and Home Depot don't sell much hard wood around here (poplar and oak is about it). If I went and asked for maple they would tell me they don't sell pancake syrup.

Another build to follow? Great, count me in.

Nice looking wood.

@Matt, it's not just Cali, Florida stores can't even spell "flamed" or "figured" or "Maple".

In this little hick town the speciality is twisted, wet spruce 2 X 4's!

There was an aisle of all pine dimensioned lumber, and at least a dozen of the 2x2's were warped by more than a foot. I'm surprised that they didn't just have them for free. Anyways, it's time to go see if the glue has dried enough for me to rout the working template (I'll explain the glue later).

Nice looking wood.

@Matt, it's not just Cali, Florida stores can't even spell "flamed" or "figured" or "Maple".

I'm pretty sure they can spell "flamed" in Cali :grin:

Oh yeah, the wood looks great for your build.





Sorry Matt, I couldn't resist.

I plan to make an esquire, and if I can get a bridge cheap enough it might be a 12-string
A very good 12-string bridge here LINK (http://www.warmoth.com/Gotoh-12-String-C707.aspx). Oddly enough, you won't find it cheaper anywhere. You can also use the saddles from it in an gotoh dual loader brdgem using 6 thru the body, 6 thru the bridge and have your tele style bridge with a 12 string too :smile:
Yep, I'm pulling for a 12 :wink:. Good luck with whatever you build :grin:



Dave

There's a guy selling one a part of a lot in the classifieds. I'm going to try to get it from him first, and if I can't I'll probably go with Warmoth. Stewmac has it for just $2 more too, and I'll probably have to get something from them too, so I'd see which was cheapest (even if it was by a few cents).

I want it to be a 12-string too, I'm just not sure about the neck work involved (and the cost of the tuners). I'll need one if a few friends and I are going to play Hotel California at our next "Guitar Club" show this Winter.

I want it to be a 12-string too, I'm just not sure about the neck work involved (and the cost of the tuners)
Tain't no biggie, the neck needs to be a little thicker and a little wider, just use a standard truss rod. Make the headstock a snakehead and get the tuners from ebay seller Bezdez (has very good prices). Just get two 3 + 3 sets, gives you 6 left, 6 right :wink:



Dave

Good luck with the build - I'm very interested in all the current 12 string builds. Dave, I've been following yours too and thanks for posting that link to the bridge, I didn't know that Gotoh made those - nice piece of engineering, and something I'll be investing in soon enough.

cheers

Good luck with the build - I'm very interested in all the current 12 string builds. Dave, I've been following yours too and thanks for posting that link to the bridge, I didn't know that Gotoh made those - nice piece of engineering, and something I'll be investing in soon enough.

cheers

Cool! Thanks :wink:

Well, since I am going off to visit a college tomorrow for the whole day (5:30 am to 11:30 pm), I figured I might as well get the body pieces in clamps. I also started looking at the snakehead headstock, and I will modify it to be a 6x6 12-string headstock. I don't trust myself with making it Ric-style, so I'm going standard with it. I just need to find a snakehead drawing that is to scale and not part of a bigger pdf. I tried sketching it earlier, but I am an awful with visual art, so I failed miserably. Anyways, this is how I'm seeing the body:

Front
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-05201337.jpg

Back
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-05201503.jpg

1 side in clamps
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-05204743.jpg

Other side in clamps http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-05211427.jpg

Then here's my master body template, and the very beginnings of a neck template
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-05211442.jpg

If I feel up to it, I'll take the pieces out on Thursday and glue the whole body together. Then I'll need to order the bridge, truss rod, frets, and tuners and I'll be ready for most of the stuff I'll have to do.

I just need to find a snakehead drawing that is to scale and not part of a bigger pdf

Well, it is a larger pdf, in a way, it has four snakehead necks, all different width at the nut. If your using adobe, just select the "snapshot" tool, highlight the neck you want and select print. In the printer options, choose "selected graphic" instead of pages to print. In properties select "poster" then "portrait" orientation. Then just print it (covers 3 std pages) and tape the pages together. Then all you gotta do is glue it to mdf and cut it out :wink:


Dave

Thanks for that explanation. There have been so many things I could have used that for, and I'm sure I will use it in the future.

I think I'll go with the 1 7/8" nut. I got to play a '67 Rick 360/12 a few months ago-- it was in such good shape that I thought it was new until I checked the store's website at home-- and I liked everything except the nut. It was way too narrow, and I'm pretty sure those are 1 5/8". I figure that if I don't like it because it's too big I can very carefully remove material until I like it. As my dad has told me countless times, you can't cut it again to make it longer.

For the headstock I'll try to stretch the normal one to be longer but the same in every other dimension. I think 1.5x should be ok, but I'll print a bunch and check them against the tuners.

Thanks for that explanation. There have been so many things I could have used that for, and I'm sure I will use it in the future
No worries :smile:

I think I'll go with the 1 7/8" nut
So did I :lol:

I got to play a '67 Rick 360/12 a few months ago-- it was in such good shape that I thought it was new until I checked the store's website at home-- and I liked everything except the nut. It was way too narrow, and I'm pretty sure those are 1 5/8"
They have repeatedly been requested to make a wider neck for that beautiful guitar, they (John Hall) has repeatedly refused. They will refer you to the 600 series (solidbody) which does have a wider neck. Their philosophy seems to be:" you will buy our stuff as we make it, and pay better than premium prices for it and be HAPPY! And oh yeh, if you try to make a one off version like you want, we will SUE!". Notice no lol icon, because not only is it not funny, it's the truth :sad:. I'm sure one of their koolaid drinkers will be along soon (they are ever vigilant on the defense of all things "R") to explain my ignorance and the validity of their position :lol:

For the headstock I'll try to stretch the normal one to be longer but the same in every other dimension. I think 1.5x should be ok, but I'll print a bunch and check them against the tuners
Sounds like a cool plan, I look forward to seeing it :smile:



Dave

What's the dimensions of that poplar? Will it still be a 1.5'' thick body?

Yes, it will be 1.5" thick. Each piece was .75 x 7.5 x 18. If I have to plane anything off, I'll use the last of the poplar as a cap and maybe go for a chambered but thicker body.

I had time before leaving this morning to get the wood out if clamps. I'll have to do a lot if passes through the joiner, but the joints both looked solid.

Let me know if you need anything. (Amazingly, PHawley's dad happens
to work about 25 feet from me.)

BTW, you probably know this, but at Owl Hardwood you can but 8/4
poplar for a two-piece tele body for less than $20. 'Course, they don't
always have a nice, suitable piece in stock. I think I paid $12 there
for the poplar for my first body, and it was a nice piece.

Yes, it will be 1.5" thick. Each piece was .75 x 7.5 x 18. If I have to plane anything off, I'll use the last of the poplar as a cap and maybe go for a chambered but thicker body.

I had time before leaving this morning to get the wood out if clamps. I'll have to do a lot if passes through the joiner, but the joints both looked solid.

How do you deal with the control cavity depth on a 1.5'' body?

If you rout to 1 3/8" and use a chisel to create the minimum recess needed for the switch after bending back all of the connectors on it. Unfortunately, I don't know if I can have it at 1.5" anymore.

When I checked the pieces, one of them had a gap between the 2 cuts. I found out that the board wasn't fully flat, and when I planed down the last piece and cut it, it was almost 1/4" thinner than the other piece. I will try filling the gap on the first piece with wood putty. If that doesn't work I'll have to plane down the good piece until it's the right size and then cap with something. Luckily my dad just got a helical jointer a month or so ago, and so the next joint will be flat for sure.

Nice looking wood.

@Matt, it's not just Cali, Florida stores can't even spell "flamed" or "figured" or "Maple".

And just try to get them to spell Checkoslavak....Chezekoslava....see what I mean? :razz:

Well, it has certainly been a while since I posted anything here. That's mostly because I haven't done much work until tonight. After a few trips my family took during the summer, I didn't have much money left to spend on this, and didn't have any motivation to do what I could with what I already had.

Before I get to what I did tonight, I should show what I did without posting over the Summer. Really, all I did was glue up the 2 sides of the body

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-05211427.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-06-05204743.jpg

Anyways, as I alluded to earlier, I finally got some more work done tonight. I got the main part of the body glued up today, and the glue for the top will be drying overnight.

Body

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-09-29191208.jpg

Top

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-09-29211027.jpg


I got the body out of clamps, and there was glue all over the wood. It took maybe an hour to get off using wet paper towels, a razor blade, and sanding.

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-09-29191940.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-09-29200752.jpg

Then I started drawing the outline for the body using the washer trick I saw on here (I have a very bad habit of cutting through lines on the bandsaw).

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-09-29200447.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-09-29200723.jpg
That's a centerline, not a bad glue joint.

Then I realized that I drew it on the wrong side of the body and fixed it. Hey, better now than after I start cutting it, right?

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee497/patpat1231000/2012-09-29201338.jpg

That's all I have for tonight, but tomorrow I might be able to start cutting and possibly even routing.

Use this little guy from Home Depot to spread your glue on those body glue ups and you won't have all those cleanup problems :wink:


http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/7f/7f4f4bde-c19f-4e01-b3cf-4b9a1b0ecba1_300.jpg


LINK (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-25ecodZ5yc1v/R-100545739/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=paint+rollers&storeId=10051#.UGhWBpjA-8A)


Only $3.97 :wink: