G
Greg_L
Banned
So is JCH's build going to include more pre-made stuff? Mutt's gonna be more home made? Is that how yall are doing this?
Les Paul Junior group build thread : Outline and the way forward.
muttley600
Banned
I don't think so. JCH was just saying he was going for a preslotted f/board. I will be marking and slotting my own..,. There is nothing at all wrong with using a preslotted board. I have done it myself if the scale length is available.
G
Greg_L
Banned
Yeah I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. I was just curious.
JCH
El Nacho
Other than the pre-slotted board The woodwork will be all me. I'm capable of doing my own, but I think for a first guitar it will benefit those that are building along. I'm sure by now that about every major manufacturer in the world is using fingerboard's that are milled, and slotted by a CNC machine. Also, some of the fretting tools are very expensive, and one of the criteria here is to keep the overall cost down. Pre-slotted boards are nearly the same cost as a blank, so it's worthwhile to take advantage of the availability. The slot's are clean, and uniform to a consistency that is very difficult to achieve with hand tools. Sure, it's a shortcut, but a small one.
muttley600
Banned
There is still a very real chance that if you use a preslotted board that Thicknessing and radiusing the board will result in the slots needing to cut deeper. I'm not sure how deep they are cut on the Stewmac ones I have never used them but on nearly all the preslotted board I have seen the kerf is not deep enough with good reason. Mainly that the loose board would be very fragile..
JCH
El Nacho
I've had that problem, but never with the stewmac f/b's. They have been completely uniform in dimension, and radiused to 14" which matches the bridge I'm using. They're really quite nice, and never a disappointment. I can build a nice instrument for the cost of basic fretting tools. My motivation is to make things easier, and less expensive for first timer's.muttley said:
muttley600
Banned
Thats OK, I have never used a pre radiused board. I think one of the aspects of this build should include slotting and fretting so I'm going to go that way.
To my mind the tools required are not massively expensive. You basically need a saw that will cut the kerf to the right size for the fret tang. The rest of the fretting tools you will need either way. Sure the demands of cutting the fret slots has to be pretty accurate but there are ways of doing that and the demands involved are not that hard. It will be good to have both options described..
However my input to this project goes no further until recent episodes in the guitar and bass board have been resolved. At that point we will proceed.
JCH
El Nacho
No problem, I'm ready whenever.
Sky Blue Lou
Well-known member
I understand the reticence however I don't think it will be an issue if what you talked about is the way it's done - A thread that is restricted to you and JCH (unless another knowledgeable builder shows up) for the actual build and a companion thread for questions. The build thread will stay clean and if there's any bullshit in the question thread I'm sure Chili will forgo the entertainment value and shut off the transgressor (VP).
Chili
Site Moderator
Yes. Thanks Lou. I will keep the build threads on topic.
muttley600
Banned
Guys it has moved beyond that.
Telegram Sam
New member
What a cool thread! 
Can't wait to see what it brings.
Can't wait to see what it brings.
JCH
El Nacho
The bridge showed up today in an air packet to my complete surprise. I ordered it on 2/24. Ten days ago. I've never had anything arrive so quickly from China.
muttley600
Banned
On a more positive note. I intend to get started on this now that the recent episode of our biannual Visitation_Pete has been cauterized. Like I said things had quite out of hand from my perspective. Hopefully now that has been dealt with... There is a quite a bit of work required to keep this thing on the boil and I frankly wasn't prepared to do it with VP hanging in the wings. Plus he had been doing a bit of wider stalking that was a little worrying from my perspective.... Apologies to all that were waiting for swifter progress.
First move will be to summarise basic tools... I'll start a new thread and this one can be dropped.
First move will be to summarise basic tools... I'll start a new thread and this one can be dropped.
JCH
El Nacho
Good riddance to that assclown. It didn't take long to see through that alias, but he went down fighting like a true battle troll.
My tuners arrived today, and I'll order the balance of the parts this weekend. After that I'll compile a parts list with the prices I paid on my end so that those building along will have an idea of the final cost.
I'll be building a new router sled. My old one works fine, but when I designed it, I tried to put too much into it, and give it more function than it needed. I'll still use it for certain things, but the new one will be very simple in design.
JCH
El Nacho
Parts Breakdown
I want to supply links, and info, so I think the easiest way to do this is to break it down item by item.
1. I went over the lumber at the beginning of the thread so I'll only suggest some sources now. An ebay search for body blank material http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050430.m570.l2632.R2.TR5.TRC1.A0.H0.Xguitar+body+blank&_nkw=guitar+body+blank&_sacat=3858&_from=R40 body blank search turned up quite a few hits, as did mahogany lumber mahogany lumber | eBay
I would suggest this only if you can't buy your wood locally. Either way I recommend buying your lumber as early in the process as possible.
2. I bought this bridge Chrome Guitar Wraparound Bridge Tailpiece for Gibson LP | eBay It was $10.86 delivered. The estimated delivery time was thirty days. It arrived in ten.
It's not necessary to use this exact bridge, but it's a good value. It's real easy to spend a bunch of money for something that's not really superior.
3. These are the tuners that I chose Grover SEALED Guitar String Tuning Pegs Tuner Machine Heads 3L3R | eBay These are the same tuners that you'll get on a new Epi etc. The same ones that other supplier's sell for $40-$60. I'm trying to save You All some money here. They arrived the day after the bridge.
The balance of the pieces came from three different suppliers; Stewart MacDonald, Home - Guitar Parts USA – The Source for Guitar Parts for Electric, Bass Guitars, and ebay seller philaluthiertools on eBay
There are many supplier's that sell all of these same items. These are the one's that I'm using.
4. Fingerboard STEWMAC.COM : Slotted Fingerboard for Gibson Guitar
5. Pickup. I build my own. I'll be buying a dogear base plate, P-90 bobbin, keeper bar from guitarpartsusa, magnets from philaluthiertools, and a dogear cover from stewmac. The parts total around $20
6. Pots $4.50 guitarpartsusa
7. Knobs $3.00 guitarpartsusa
8. pickguard blank $13 stewmac
9. pickguard screws $4.00 philaluthiertools
10. jackplate $1.00 stewmac
11. fretwire phila... $10-$15 He'll pre-bend it to whatever radii you wish.
12. nut blank $4.00 stewmac
13. dot inlays $4.00 phila...
14. truss rod. I build my own, but stewmac has kits, and pre-made rods
15. shielding. I use aluminum tape from the hardware store.
16. strap buttons $4.00 phila...
17. last but not least the output jack guitarpartsusa $2.00
There will be other things I'm sure, but this is a pretty comprehensive list.
I want to supply links, and info, so I think the easiest way to do this is to break it down item by item.
1. I went over the lumber at the beginning of the thread so I'll only suggest some sources now. An ebay search for body blank material http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050430.m570.l2632.R2.TR5.TRC1.A0.H0.Xguitar+body+blank&_nkw=guitar+body+blank&_sacat=3858&_from=R40 body blank search turned up quite a few hits, as did mahogany lumber mahogany lumber | eBay
I would suggest this only if you can't buy your wood locally. Either way I recommend buying your lumber as early in the process as possible.
2. I bought this bridge Chrome Guitar Wraparound Bridge Tailpiece for Gibson LP | eBay It was $10.86 delivered. The estimated delivery time was thirty days. It arrived in ten.
It's not necessary to use this exact bridge, but it's a good value. It's real easy to spend a bunch of money for something that's not really superior.
3. These are the tuners that I chose Grover SEALED Guitar String Tuning Pegs Tuner Machine Heads 3L3R | eBay These are the same tuners that you'll get on a new Epi etc. The same ones that other supplier's sell for $40-$60. I'm trying to save You All some money here. They arrived the day after the bridge.
The balance of the pieces came from three different suppliers; Stewart MacDonald, Home - Guitar Parts USA – The Source for Guitar Parts for Electric, Bass Guitars, and ebay seller philaluthiertools on eBay
There are many supplier's that sell all of these same items. These are the one's that I'm using.
4. Fingerboard STEWMAC.COM : Slotted Fingerboard for Gibson Guitar
5. Pickup. I build my own. I'll be buying a dogear base plate, P-90 bobbin, keeper bar from guitarpartsusa, magnets from philaluthiertools, and a dogear cover from stewmac. The parts total around $20
6. Pots $4.50 guitarpartsusa
7. Knobs $3.00 guitarpartsusa
8. pickguard blank $13 stewmac
9. pickguard screws $4.00 philaluthiertools
10. jackplate $1.00 stewmac
11. fretwire phila... $10-$15 He'll pre-bend it to whatever radii you wish.
12. nut blank $4.00 stewmac
13. dot inlays $4.00 phila...
14. truss rod. I build my own, but stewmac has kits, and pre-made rods
15. shielding. I use aluminum tape from the hardware store.
16. strap buttons $4.00 phila...
17. last but not least the output jack guitarpartsusa $2.00
There will be other things I'm sure, but this is a pretty comprehensive list.
Last edited:
muttley600
Banned
As discussed at the start of this thread, the intention is to subdivide the project into manageable threads to make it easy for people to find information and content. I intend to ask the mods to remove this current sticky and replace it with a single sticky thread that will contain links to all the threads that will eventually relate to the project. That will include this one. That way anyone wishing to find the thread will have a single thread which will contain only links and enable them to click through to the relevant thread.
I would imagine that this would include links to threads on Tools, Materials, Methods, and of course the build itself. Links to other peoples build threads can also be indexed there and also to the question and answer threads. I see no reason why we cant also include links to external sites that provide good information as long as they are on topic. I would also think it a good idea that we can include some links to related build threads such as the few I've done and JCH's excellent build thread.
Indexing them this way will hopefully keep the sticky relevant and index all the information people may want in one place.
I am going to be starting the tools thread later today.
I would imagine that this would include links to threads on Tools, Materials, Methods, and of course the build itself. Links to other peoples build threads can also be indexed there and also to the question and answer threads. I see no reason why we cant also include links to external sites that provide good information as long as they are on topic. I would also think it a good idea that we can include some links to related build threads such as the few I've done and JCH's excellent build thread.
Indexing them this way will hopefully keep the sticky relevant and index all the information people may want in one place.
I am going to be starting the tools thread later today.
J
jonny deep
Disappointing Member
Hey Muttley - will you be making a list like JCH's, but for the UK? While I can't do the build along right now, I'd like to come back at some point and have a go at this.