Macrogats
Friend of Leo's
Thread title changed to represent more of what I’m building.
How exactly do you change a thread title? I want to on one of mine, but darned if I can figure out how!
Starting Les Paul Style guitar build.
- Thread starter Moodivarius
- Start date
How exactly do you change a thread title? I want to on one of mine, but darned if I can figure out how!
I diddled around & saw somewhere, "change thread title", but can't remember, or can figure it out now.
Did some searches on the forum, & one fellow said that in the first post of the thread you have created, if the option to "edit" is still available, you do it there. I think it must only give that option for a time period, or a certain amount of posts after the original post created. I Now have no "edit" option on the first post of this thread.
Maybe this discussion, will bring attention to someone who knows the correct way to do it.
Scott
I looked at his LP59 again, & I can’t see where the 24.562 scale length. I see he has listed a 13deg headstock angle.
Do you know of a better source to purchase files like this?
Scott
Freeman Keller
Poster Extraordinaire
Mood, I think what Richard is trying to point out is that what we call "Gibson 24-3/4 scale" has really changed over the years. There have been at least three versions of that scale length - there was an article in American Lutherie a while back about why that happened and approximately which guitars had different versions. The why was a result of both changing the way scales are calculated (the old 12th root of two) and the fact that Gibson chance from using a gang saw to something else (or the other way around). StewMac has a short blurb on different Gibson scales
The Gibson 24-3/4" scale is also very common, but it is also the most confusing of all scale lengths—this is because it rarely ever measures out to be 24-3/4 inches! This scale has gradually changed over the past fifty or so years due to changes in production equipment.
Being shorter than the Fender 25-1/2" scale, the Gibson 24-3/4" scale has a lower tension/easier to play feel, and a warmer tone.
It doesn't make a difference as long as you do the calc's correctly and locate the bridge accordingly, but 24-9/16 is 24.562 and that is commonly called out as the scale of a '59 'burst.
The Gibson 24-3/4" scale is also very common, but it is also the most confusing of all scale lengths—this is because it rarely ever measures out to be 24-3/4 inches! This scale has gradually changed over the past fifty or so years due to changes in production equipment.
Being shorter than the Fender 25-1/2" scale, the Gibson 24-3/4" scale has a lower tension/easier to play feel, and a warmer tone.
It doesn't make a difference as long as you do the calc's correctly and locate the bridge accordingly, but 24-9/16 is 24.562 and that is commonly called out as the scale of a '59 'burst.
The stewmac fretboard is a 25.562 scale. When you add the compensation into the mix it becomes essentially 24.75. If it were me, I wouldn't get hung up on details to the point where you are questioning what you are doing. Find a body shape that you like and everything should fall into place. Gibson did use a 17 degree peghead angle and sometimes a 14 degree peghead angle on LPs. The more angle the greater the chance the wood will break in a one piece neck. Maybe you'll make more than one Lester, so start one and then start the next. You can make changes as you see fit along the way. Having pickup routs that actually fit the pickup bases to me is more critical than whether a peghead is half a degree more or less or whether a scale is one or the other. What's important is that you have fun and the parts fit together nicely.
The approach I'd take, and have taken, is to make a body and make a neck. Then fit the neck to the body. Then measure and drill for your bridge. If you have a cnc router cutting out the top, you'll no doubt end up sanding that smooth. You can use the cnc for the neck plane and the pickup plane easy enough. Make sure you use a 1/4" bit to get square pickup rout corners or you'll end up modifying them to fit the bases.
I look at a LP as 4 subsystems.
1. The fretboard.
2. The neck
3. The bottom of the body
4. The top of the body.
The top and body can get joined after you rout the wiring channel in there, but if you don't then you "can" use an aircraft drill bit from the jack hole to the Switch cavity..but that is easier said than actually done.
You can make changes as you see fit along the way. Having pickup routs that actually fit the pickup bases to me is more critical than whether a peghead is half a degree more or less or whether a scale is one or the other. What's important is that you have fun and the parts fit together nicely.The approach I'd take, and have taken, is to make a body and make a neck. Then fit the neck to the body. Then measure and drill for your bridge. If you have a cnc router cutting out the top, you'll no doubt end up sanding that smooth. You can use the cnc for the neck plane and the pickup plane easy enough. Make sure you use a 1/4" bit to get square pickup rout corners or you'll end up modifying them to fit the bases.
I look at a LP as 4 subsystems.
1. The fretboard.
2. The neck
3. The bottom of the body
4. The top of the body.
The top and body can get joined after you rout the wiring channel in there, but if you don't then you "can" use an aircraft drill bit from the jack hole to the Switch cavity..but that is easier said than actually done.
This is a photobucket ruined thread that I did about 8 years ago. It can show you one approach to this kind of guitar.
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/the-les-g.365964/
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/the-les-g.365964/
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RickyRicardo
Friend of Leo's
I went back to his site and he lists the specs. I hope I didn't get you flustered over my OCD blurb about period correctness
. Build what you want to build. Judging by what you've done in the past I'm sure it will be great.There are some .dwg and .dxf files at https://www.gitarrebassbau.de/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6&start=0
I don'rt do CNC so I'm not sure if they will help or not.
Macrogats
Friend of Leo's
Thanks Scott. I just checked my thread, and yes you’re right. The option to edit on first post has gone. *doh*
Well, I got back to it after a year & a half. 
Glued up a laminate neck blank.
Mahagony/walnut/birdseye maple/walnut/mahagony.
Get back to it after I finish the Jazzmaster. Maybe next week.
Scott
Glued up a laminate neck blank.
Mahagony/walnut/birdseye maple/walnut/mahagony.
Get back to it after I finish the Jazzmaster. Maybe next week.
Scott
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Engraver-60
Friend of Leo's
Scott - with a laminated neck like that you won't have to even consider a scarf jointed neck. Mine for Scrap Paul is Mahogany/Flamed Maple/Mahogany, and when I was trying to spray nitro the whole guitar fell headstock first onto concrete garage floor and bounced. Lessons were learned - don't hang a guitar upside down over concrete floor on a piece of ethernet cable.Well, I got back to it after a year & a half.
Glued up a laminate neck blank.
Mahagony/walnut/birdseye maple/walnut/mahagony.
View attachment 937465
View attachment 937466
View attachment 937469
Get back to it after I finish the Jazzmaster. Maybe next week.
Scott
Yes, there is enough there to make the neck a one piece, and glue wings on the headstock. I’m not going for the Gibson 17deg tilt-back angle. If I use what is there, it’ll work out to adjust over 10deg angle.
Hence, the title “Les Paul Style”. I’ll be modifying things to my liking as the build goes on.
All my builds seem to go that way.
Scott
LeftFinger
Friend of Leo's
Isn't that funny I just picked up a Lester style body to use in the duplicator as well as some clear mahogany I got from a fella in Ontario
crazydave911
Doctor of Teleocity
During the Norlin years it became common (for cost cutting reasons) to use maple necks with a volute (the faithful hate them lol) that I think are not only beautiful but damn near unbreakable compared to the mahogany ones. I would simply do the volute and enjoy immunity to "Gibson syndrome" with that beautiful lamination 
During the Norlin years it became common (for cost cutting reasons) to use maple necks with a volute (the faithful hate them lol) that I think are not only beautiful but damn near unbreakable compared to the mahogany ones. I would simply do the volute and enjoy immunity to "Gibson syndrome" with that beautiful lamination
Hmmm,
Maybe I’ll have to try a subtle one of them.
Scott
boxocrap
Tele-Afflicted
nice
Headstock angle rough cut on chop saw, then jack planed.
Routed in the 2-way truss rod on the CNC.
Scott
Routed in the 2-way truss rod on the CNC.
Scott
Bought a CNC file for 59 Les Paul. Trying out fingerboard inlays compared to what I have.
First go was too big.
Second try no quite there either.
Back to the computer.
Scott
First go was too big.
Second try no quite there either.
Back to the computer.
Scott
A lot of the Norlin Gibsons had larger routs and there was filler around the inlay. What bit dia are you using? I think a 1/16" should do it.
Freeman Keller
Poster Extraordinaire
Scott, two things you might want to look at. The last issue of the Taylor news magazine Wood and Steel has a article on how they use a cnc mill to cut the cavities for their inlays. They talk about how the choice of bits, routing speeds and size of the little pieces, particularly points, on their inlays all work together.
And the latest issue of American Lutherie has a article on optimizing a hobby cnc for cutting inlay and cavities - lots of interesting information about climb cuts verses normal cut. His inlay pops into the cavities perfectly.
Scan about half way down.
You could always do it the old fashioned way with a dremel and a small burr.
I'll add that I use 1/16 bits in my dremel for hogging out material, 0.030 bits for the corners and points. Go slowly with the little guys.
And the latest issue of American Lutherie has a article on optimizing a hobby cnc for cutting inlay and cavities - lots of interesting information about climb cuts verses normal cut. His inlay pops into the cavities perfectly.
Scan about half way down.
You could always do it the old fashioned way with a dremel and a small burr.
I'll add that I use 1/16 bits in my dremel for hogging out material, 0.030 bits for the corners and points. Go slowly with the little guys.
Thanks guys.
I’ll get a 1/16”.
I’m planning on playing in the software to make each inlay pocket almost perfect before I cut them. Hence, practicing in styro.
All I had was 1/8, but was planning to hand cut the pointy corners with knife or chisel.
Scott
I’ll get a 1/16”.
I’m planning on playing in the software to make each inlay pocket almost perfect before I cut them. Hence, practicing in styro.
All I had was 1/8, but was planning to hand cut the pointy corners with knife or chisel.
Scott
I do most of my work on my CNC machine. I route the pockets with 1/16" bits and trace them with 0.024" diameter to match the outline of the inlays. I use a 1/2" ball nose for the radius, and 1/8" to cut out the board. I also cut the slots with the 0.024" diameter fret slotting bit. No cutting required. Very slick.
Cheers Peter.
Cheers Peter.
