Australian First Build Guitar
- Thread starter aus
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aus
Well-Known Member
looking good man, its starting to take shape
Thanks.
Cool.
Sounds like a plan.
aus
Well-Known Member
Measuring out and cutting the fretboard takes hours.
The board is actually long enough for 36 frets.
Ruler as a guide.
Practising on an off cut.
Since the fret wire is curved it has a slight radius to it.
Unfortunately I was not accurate enough so I will turn the fretboard over and try again on the other side. My inaccuracy was due to dotting along the top of the fret board one dot at a time then one dot on the bottom of the fret board. This constant moving of the rule resulted in errors. Next time I will use masking tape to prevent the rule from moving while I make all the top dots and then moving onto all the bottom dots.
The board is actually long enough for 36 frets.
Ruler as a guide.
Practising on an off cut.
Since the fret wire is curved it has a slight radius to it.
Unfortunately I was not accurate enough so I will turn the fretboard over and try again on the other side. My inaccuracy was due to dotting along the top of the fret board one dot at a time then one dot on the bottom of the fret board. This constant moving of the rule resulted in errors. Next time I will use masking tape to prevent the rule from moving while I make all the top dots and then moving onto all the bottom dots.
Floody_85
Well-Known Member
Credit for all the handwork dude. As for marking the frets, just use a fret calculator on the net man. You enter your fret board widths at nut and end, scale length and amount of frets and then u can print a full size sheet that has all the frets marked. Then you glue or tape that to your fingerboard and cut on the lines. Saves you marking all by hand which is hard to be exact
aus
Well-Known Member
I have some time to work on Guitar now. 
It was a bit tricky to get a life sized template so instead I taped my ruler to the fret board and marked a line of dots. After that I used an L-Square to get straight frets. It tuned out very well and only took about 2 hours. Also I cut it to shape for gluing.
Lots of glue being careful not to get any in the truss rod. I couldn't be bothered to put a strip of paper to cover it so hopefully cutting that corner won't be a problem.
While getting the L-Square from Big W I bought a better clamp. This fretboard is 35 fret but I'll cut it back to 32-33 so I can get the pick up into the cavity.
Extra pressure provided by weights. I'll have to move the locking nut because I am using a zero fret.
Next I need to smooth the rough edges and finish the pick up cavities.
Does anyone know of a good cheap material to cover the electronics and tremolo cavities with? I was going to use wood but I'll settle for some black plastic if I can get some.
It was a bit tricky to get a life sized template so instead I taped my ruler to the fret board and marked a line of dots. After that I used an L-Square to get straight frets. It tuned out very well and only took about 2 hours. Also I cut it to shape for gluing.
Lots of glue being careful not to get any in the truss rod. I couldn't be bothered to put a strip of paper to cover it so hopefully cutting that corner won't be a problem.
While getting the L-Square from Big W I bought a better clamp. This fretboard is 35 fret but I'll cut it back to 32-33 so I can get the pick up into the cavity.
Extra pressure provided by weights. I'll have to move the locking nut because I am using a zero fret.
Next I need to smooth the rough edges and finish the pick up cavities.
Does anyone know of a good cheap material to cover the electronics and tremolo cavities with? I was going to use wood but I'll settle for some black plastic if I can get some.
Metal_Webb
Needs more strings
aus
Well-Known Member
Yesterday I chiselled out the pick up cavity so it s just one big hole and I'll use a pick guard to cover it up.
I didn't have a sanding block so I used the wrapping the sand paper came in and started with the head stock.
I also cleaned up the front of the head stock, the locking nut will have to be diagonal since the fretboard is to high.
And the sides too.
I also sanded the back of the neck. The neck thickness is 25-26mm, it could be 5mm thinner if I had bought a 5mm fret board blank rather than 10mm. Live and learn.
I also felt like doing a little cutting and more sanding. I put a hole in through to the truss rod to determine the thickness.
Bonus picture.
Next to do will be more sanding and I'll need to get that pick guard sorted.
I didn't have a sanding block so I used the wrapping the sand paper came in and started with the head stock.
I also cleaned up the front of the head stock, the locking nut will have to be diagonal since the fretboard is to high.
And the sides too.
I also sanded the back of the neck. The neck thickness is 25-26mm, it could be 5mm thinner if I had bought a 5mm fret board blank rather than 10mm. Live and learn.
I also felt like doing a little cutting and more sanding. I put a hole in through to the truss rod to determine the thickness.
Bonus picture.
Next to do will be more sanding and I'll need to get that pick guard sorted.
aus
Well-Known Member
A few hours after all the 5 hours of sanding I did yesterday I noticed that my shoulder is inflamed. This is going to be a real pain if it does not go away within a few days, I am taking some Ibuprofen. Has anyone else hurt their shoulder from sanding is it likely to go away of is it going to hang around for a few weeks like elbow tendinitis?
theo
Got Hype(machine)?
grab yourself a power sander
Mad props to you doing this without big tools dude! Guitar building is a pretty daunting task as it is, I can't even imagine what it would be like without big tools. Makes me greatful for what I have! Will keep my eye on this!
TankJon666
Well-Known Member
Keep taking the ibuprofen, put an icepack/frozen peas/bag of ice or somiliar on your shoulder for twenty to thirty minutes every couple of hours and take 2-3 days off sanding. I would borrow/buy a power sander if your doing that much sanding ..much quicker and won't f-up your shoulder.
iRaiseTheDead
Ashes Of Rebirth
This is pretty sweet so far man!
flo
Well-Known Member
Cool to see someone getting started with guitar-building
If I were you, I'd sand/plane down the fretboard until it has got the right thickness. I know it's a lot of work, and you should maybe borrow a hand planer (electric one maybe) for this, but (and I learned this the hard way) it's meaningless to make a half-good job when building a guitar. You maybe finish a few days earlier, and then you end up with a guitar that is not fun to play. Do yourself the favour! Make every single step in the process as perfect as you possibly can.
Hope your shoulder will recover soon, keep up the work!
Oh and looking at your fretslots, make sure they're deep enough before pressing the frets in (better to cut a little too deep than ending up with frets that stick out)
If I were you, I'd sand/plane down the fretboard until it has got the right thickness. I know it's a lot of work, and you should maybe borrow a hand planer (electric one maybe) for this, but (and I learned this the hard way) it's meaningless to make a half-good job when building a guitar. You maybe finish a few days earlier, and then you end up with a guitar that is not fun to play. Do yourself the favour! Make every single step in the process as perfect as you possibly can.
Hope your shoulder will recover soon, keep up the work!
Oh and looking at your fretslots, make sure they're deep enough before pressing the frets in (better to cut a little too deep than ending up with frets that stick out)
JaeSwift
Of Blood and Sawdust
You generally dont want to go higher than 8mm on fretboards, since that part has to be straight it's gonna make for a pretty uncomfortable neck profile if you leave it like that.
Regarding sanding, I REALLY would not sand as much as you are doing by hand now. I bought a Black & Decker Mouse sander (perfect for body and contour sanding, even inner horns are a breeze) for 35 euro's with a whole bunch of sand paper and attachments. It's highly worth it. When the guitar is as rough as yours it will take you hours upon hours to get the final scratches out and too much sanding in a row will cause problems with your shoulder or other body parts, as you are experiencing now.
One other tip I can possibly give you; sand from your elbow and not your shoulder; use your elbow to ''push'' your forearm forward in long strokes.
Regarding sanding, I REALLY would not sand as much as you are doing by hand now. I bought a Black & Decker Mouse sander (perfect for body and contour sanding, even inner horns are a breeze) for 35 euro's with a whole bunch of sand paper and attachments. It's highly worth it. When the guitar is as rough as yours it will take you hours upon hours to get the final scratches out and too much sanding in a row will cause problems with your shoulder or other body parts, as you are experiencing now.
One other tip I can possibly give you; sand from your elbow and not your shoulder; use your elbow to ''push'' your forearm forward in long strokes.
aaron_rose
more bigger
Untrue, you can add shaping to the fret wood mine has it many others have it. Thicker fretwood is a choice and possibly tonal properties exist from its density grain wood etc, then again possibly not, but adding a little bevel or shaping to the side profile of the fret wood in no way hinders a neck, if you don't shape a thick fret wood then it will feel pretty monster in your hand but some people may like that, others may not. My opinion.
aus
Well-Known Member
Last curve to cut. I cut more from this so that it sits better on my lap.
Lots of rasping/sanding.
Stubborn scratch marks.
Lots of rasping/sanding.
Stubborn scratch marks.
aus
Well-Known Member
Decided to sand the front, before.
After.
Tidying up tremolo indentation.
After.
Tidying up tremolo indentation.
aus
Well-Known Member
I made this whole a bit big to cover so I need to fill it in and cut a new hole. I'll try to make it a little neater next time. I'll also fill in the pickup cavity and do it again so I can mount the pickup with a bracket.
So what can I use to fill this hole?
So what can I use to fill this hole?
Metal_Webb
Needs more strings
Shitttt dude, how'd that happen?
Your best bet to fix it is to tidy it up and extend your pickguard over it. Anything else is going to probably not be tidy enough without the right tools.
If you wanted to fill it, your best bet would be an automotive body filler. However you're going to have to paint the guitar if you go down that route and don't want to cover it up.
Your best bet to fix it is to tidy it up and extend your pickguard over it. Anything else is going to probably not be tidy enough without the right tools.
If you wanted to fill it, your best bet would be an automotive body filler. However you're going to have to paint the guitar if you go down that route and don't want to cover it up.
