Building my first 8 string!

[will_shred]

So I've been toying with the idea of getting an 8 for a while, and I really wanted a strandberg but didn't have the $2k to shell out. I wasn't really digging a lot of the models I could afford. Until I found this kit from Combine Guitars Canada, it's basically a strandberg clone DIY kit for $400, it even has an endurneck profile! and I love project guitars, so I thought this was perfect. I'm pretty impressed with the quality you get for the money.

So far I stained the guitar, sealed the neck with linseed oil, and am in the process of applying many, many coats of wipe on poly. This is the hardest part for me Because I'm impatient anyway here's the guitar.

 

[lost_horizon]

Look good so far! Dirty denim finish?

 

[will_shred]

Coat 5 of wipe on poly and it's starting to look like something. Really love the flame on this one.

 

[will_shred]

I really really hate doing finishes I just want to play this guitar but i'm just watching paint dry

 

[lost_horizon]

I got to that stage too recently with my 7 string build. Took way longer than expected even with rub on oil.

 

[will_shred]

FINALLY

 

[Jamiecrain]

Looks great, love to see the fully assembled piece when it's finished and get thoughts on how it plays.

 

[will_shred]

It's done! I made some changes, subbed the tone knob for a mini toggle for split coil. The pickups are pretty good, I think I'll keep them. Unfortunately I had to replace the stock output jack for a switch craft because it was intermittent. The frets definitely need leveling, but but I think after that it will be a great player. Overall I still think it's a good value. You get out of it what you put into it.

 

[lost_horizon]

Nice! The bridge pickup looks narrow for the slant, with those individual bridge pieces they are usually slightly wider than 10.8mm apart so will have a larger spread than 10.5mm bridges. When you have 8 strings 0.3mm adds up...

 

[bostjan]

Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I just completed the finish on mine, and, during assembly, ran into some snags. Maybe you can help?

What am I missing about the head lockers? I can't seem to get the wound strings in without taking a totally unreasonable amount of time and effort. I'm talking like over an hour of pushing, wriggling, trying to get the magic angle, trying to shape the string into a curve at the end, etc. I finally got it, but no way on earth I'm changing a string during a show.

Did you have to do anything to the heel? My neck is straight as an arrow, bridge saddles are all maxed out, and the strings are all still 100% fretted out at the 24th. Looking down the strings, is like: ^. It's as is the neck is tiled back ... maybe 1/4"... which is a lot. I did notice it when dry fitting, but thought maybe the neck was backbowed and string tension would fix it.

Your guitar looks fantastic. I have to say, the top on mine looks really good, too.

 

[will_shred]

Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I just completed the finish on mine, and, during assembly, ran into some snags. Maybe you can help?

What am I missing about the head lockers? I can't seem to get the wound strings in without taking a totally unreasonable amount of time and effort. I'm talking like over an hour of pushing, wriggling, trying to get the magic angle, trying to shape the string into a curve at the end, etc. I finally got it, but no way on earth I'm changing a string during a show.

Did you have to do anything to the heel? My neck is straight as an arrow, bridge saddles are all maxed out, and the strings are all still 100% fretted out at the 24th. Looking down the strings, is like: ^. It's as is the neck is tiled back ... maybe 1/4"... which is a lot. I did notice it when dry fitting, but thought maybe the neck was backbowed and string tension would fix it.

Your guitar looks fantastic. I have to say, the top on mine looks really good, too.

The top lockers were straight garbage, I ended up replacing them with a floyd rose 8 string locking nut which worked much better.

But I'm just gonna say, I also had a ton of problems with the neck, the bridge, and generally everything on this guitar. I put in a ton of time to get it playing half decently and I cut my losses and sold it cause I was never really happy with it. I probably would not buy from this company again. If I was to buy a cheap fanned fret 8, I would probably get a Harley Benton or RG8.

 

[bostjan]

The top lockers were straight garbage, I ended up replacing them with a floyd rose 8 string locking nut which worked much better.

But I'm just gonna say, I also had a ton of problems with the neck, the bridge, and generally everything on this guitar. I put in a ton of time to get it playing half decently and I cut my losses and sold it cause I was never really happy with it. I probably would not buy from this company again. If I was to buy a cheap fanned fret 8, I would probably get a Harley Benton or RG8.

Oh thanks for the update. That sucks that playabilitubwas that bad, because it came out looking so nice.

That doesn't bode too well for me.

I've done half a dozen partscasters now. I've had great luck with those, even when using shoestring budget parts and nothing is guaranteed to fit together. This is my second all-inclusive kit, and it sounds like maybe I'm 0 for 2 on those. I guess I'm perplexed at how a kit where everything comes in one box for $400 fits together so poorly compared to a $40 Chinese ebay neck, $35 in cheap knockoff Amazon basics hardware, and a body from a dumpster, but... well, there you go.

I've reached out to Combine for advice, but I guess they've been shut down for a while and are busy with their backlog, and I'm guessing they don't work on weekends...

 

[bostjan]

Brief follow up- I spend about an hour sanding the heel down about 3/16 inches, and it's much better now. Nothing fretting out except the stupid low F# since the teeny tiny height adjustment screws stripped, and there's a high fret or two under the high b string. Still all saddles are max height, though, so I probably should have taken 1/8", but I'm worried about the neck screws getting too close to the fretboard.

But everything intonated on the top 7 strings, and it feels pretty decent to play.

 

[brontology]

I had a cheap generic headless kit before where the neck was too high for the bridge and bridge route in the guitar (like too high off the top of the body), I ended up making the neck pocket deeper with a router with a short bearing trim bit. That worked to lower the fretboard to where I could get the bridge saddles not at max heigh and get better action over all the strings (I also had to re-fret the neck, what a mess!). I was looking at these combines and saw some iffy reviews, sorry you are having so much trouble. I ended up scrapping that kit and starting over, hope you can get yours playing good!