HR design and build thread part III - The build.

muttley600 said:
Also to add. We can no longer go for the tuno-matic option as the top and neck are in line much as the fender style. I was working to the type of bridges discussed previously which I think were basically schaller?
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sounds fine to me.
And I'm glad it's not gonna be a 7 string.
If it were I wouldn't get to fret about not being able to afford it once it's done.

This way when it's gorgeous I can be bummed out about not getting it.

:D
 
This is a quick sketch of the type of headstock I had in mind. I've tired to echo the points on the body and tip in the direction of the surf theme.

Comments?

headstock1.jpg
 
muttley600 said:
Thanks guys, That sort of input into this build is exactly what I was hoping for.

I may well make up a bobbin to reduce the route cavity...
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I like the looks of the rounded off P-90 bobbin like milnoque posted. Why not just round off a P-90 bobbin?

Milnoque said:
I read somewhere that a wider (flatter) coil is warmer than a taller (narrower) coil. I have no idea if that's true, but if it is it has bearing on the shape...

...Does anyone here have the skills to make covers like that?
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Everything you put into a pickup will alter the tone in one way or another. Coil form definitely has a major impact. Next time you're in a music store, compare a strat neck pickup to a jazzmaster neck pickup. The designs are almost identical except for the shape of the coil, and they sound very different. Because there is no way to accurately measure these differences, it comes down to just playing and listening.

Metal covers although not impossible would be difficult, and very expensive. I've looked into vacuum forming my own plastic covers in the past. This is by far the easiest, and least expensive solution to DIY pickup covers. Once again this thread has piqued my interest in trying something new. :)

After exhaustive internet reasearch (google) I found some instructions for making a simple vacuum forming rig. Make a good, cheap, upgradeable sheet plastic vacuum former

I have most of the stuff I would need to make one sitting around. I think I'm going to give this a try. (check out the picture)

Milnoque said:
Meanwhile, here is a headstock drawing that can be used as a starting point for discussion.
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Either you have great taste, or you copied the headstock on the guitar I'm building.:)

muttley600 said:
I could always leave one tuner hole up as spare...;)
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"I've got a 'ole in me pocket"(Ringo)

muttley600 said:
This is a quick sketch of the type of headstock I had in mind. I've tired to echo the points on the body and tip in the direction of the surf theme.

Comments?
Click to expand...
Nice, I like that.
 

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JCH said:
Either you have great taste, or you copied the headstock on the guitar I'm building.:)
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BOTH!!!!!!:)

I drew it independently but I noticed how similar they were. I didn't mind a bit. I hope you didn't.
 
I wonder if you could find some ivoroid or MOTS to mold. The right color MOTS would kick ass.
 
JCH said:
I like the looks of the rounded off P-90 bobbin like milnoque posted. Why not just round off a P-90 bobbin?
Click to expand...

Thats a possibility and quite easy. Just as easy would be to make the bobbins from ebony.

Everything you put into a pickup will alter the tone in one way or another. Coil form definitely has a major impact. Next time you're in a music store, compare a strat neck pickup to a jazzmaster neck pickup. The designs are almost identical except for the shape of the coil, and they sound very different. Because there is no way to accurately measure these differences, it comes down to just playing and listening.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same as any of the acoustics involved in instrument making. You can arm yourself with tons of data and research but in the end it comes down to just shooting in the direction you want to go and using a lot of intuitive decision making during the process. I have that in spades with the wood and form of the guitar but very limited on pickups. This will be a learning curve for me as much as anything.

Metal covers although not impossible would be difficult, and very expensive. I've looked into vacuum forming my own plastic covers in the past. This is by far the easiest, and least expensive solution to DIY pickup covers. Once again this thread has piqued my interest in trying something new. :)

After exhaustive internet reasearch (google) I found some instructions for making a simple vacuum forming rig. Make a good, cheap, upgradeable sheet plastic vacuum former

I have most of the stuff I would need to make one sitting around. I think I'm going to give this a try. (check out the picture)
Click to expand...

That looks really interesting. I have a lot of experience on post forming and vacuum pressing with timber and plastics from my days at BA and Rolls Royce. Definitely do a walk through with pics if you test it out. If you do lets try and get a few covers made for this. They wouldn't cost much to ship and I'll cover costs.

Either you have great taste, or you copied the headstock on the guitar I'm building.:)
Click to expand...

Very little if anything hasn't been done before. The sketch I posted is just a retake on the early telecaster...

Nice, I like that.
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Good I'm going to use it. Will be cutting the outline today hopefully and get some more pics up. I thicknessed and veneered the headstock last night and will be roughing out the neck later today if I get a bunch of repairs done first. Pics to follow.
 
Milnoque said:
I wonder if you could find some ivoroid or MOTS to mold. The right color MOTS would kick ass.
Click to expand...

I don't know if you could get postforming laminate in MOP but you could certainly get a resin cast cover that would look pretty much the same. I have done some parts before with a degree of success.
 
Pics of the headstock taking shape as promised.

First off I thicknessed the headstock and neck blank to the final thickness minus the veneer thickness using the router sled as pictured before so no need for a pic of that. Cut the two veneer pieces, one front and one back of the headstock. It's always a good idea to veneer the reverse of anything veneered with wood to stop it pulling out of shape in future. Clamped up the veneers with two cauls and lots of clamp pressure.

veneerheadstock.jpg

Once it's dried simply mark the outline and cut on a bandsaw. I will make a router template of the final shape if I decide I want to use this outline again.

Here is the outline. Hope you'all like it cos we are stuck with it now. I leave the tuner holes until after the final sanding and finishing has been done to help get a true flat finish with no "dubbing" of the hole edges. The sharp eyed will notice I left a point on the top edge. Should this stay or should we go back to the original round edge?

headstock1.jpg

The veneers are cut from the offcuts of the top so all should have a nice colour match..

Finally the guitar is taking shape.

headstock3.jpg

I shall radius the fingerboard and do a very rough neck profile next at the same time as working out the chambres and pickup routes so if we can decide on final pickup design and spec today it would be good...
 
Milnoque said:
I narrowed the pickups by 1/8", made the bridge pickup longer to compensate for the wider polepiece spacing, and increased the angle. This looks better to my eye. What do you guys think?

View attachment 74863
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Ha you cross posted...

OK so if we go along those lines I'm going to have to make the bobbins because the angle will widen the pickup as you say. Not a problem though.

Any chance you can do a dimension drawing of just the pickups that I can work to?

Are you expecting me to inlay that headstock logo...:eek: :D
 
Lt. Bob said:
sounds fine to me.
And I'm glad it's not gonna be a 7 string.
If it were I wouldn't get to fret about not being able to afford it once it's done.

This way when it's gorgeous I can be bummed out about not getting it.

:D
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You never know your luck Lt. I may stick it up for raffle. I would have thought you'd want one with your own choice of wood, layout and fitting though..:D
 
One more thing. Can we come down on a final string spacing on the bridge so milnoque and I can work out the correct pole spacings..
 
muttley600 said:
One more thing. Can we come down on a final string spacing on the bridge so milnoque and I can work out the correct pole spacings..
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I have the total string spacing at the nut at 1.6" and the nut at 1 13/16" That may be wider than you would prefer. Tell me what you want and I'll make the adjustment.

The Schaller bridge in the drawing is the one Stewart Macdonald sells. The string spacing at the bridge is 2.06". (They publish dimensions)
STEWMAC.COM : Schaller Non-Tremolo Roller Bridge
It's scaled correctly in the drawing. If that's the bridge we're going with I can do the dimension drawing from what we have.

I prefer not to have the point on the topside of the headstock. JMHO

I have the total string spacing at the nut at 1.6" and the nut at 1 13/16" That may be wider than you would prefer. Tell me what you want and I'll make the adjustment.

Dimension drawings are no problem.
 
From memory that bridge is adjustable for string spacing?

1 13/16" = 46mm. Are you sure on that? 50mm or 52mm are more common...

Are we using the same conversions here?
 
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