Marcel's GAS SGM-1 (PBG build #5)

[Simon Barden]

If it was me, I'd run some more copper tape around the lip of the control cavity. There's not a lot there at present to contact any shielding on the underside of the cavity cover plate, in order to complete your Faraday cage. Even if it's just around the screw holes, at least it's in areas where there will be a good contact pressure.

[Kick]

I admire the way you did the wiring and soldering. Respect!

[Marcel]

I wanted a Black headstock and using transfers wouldn't work if I wanted my name on it so I went to a local sign maker place and got them to make a engraved plate that I could stick on. Also got them to engrave an old truss rod cover that I supplied.

Once I had the name plate and it was glued in place I then had to use a Dremmel to carve away the excess bits and holes for the tuners and truss rod access. Then the get the edge even closer I used a file to match the edge of the name plate to the shape of the Mahogany head stock. A few minor errors were hidden with fresh coats of FW stain and TO.

I think it looks pretty good, though next time the name plate will go on before the head stock is shaped instead of being the last item of the assembly part of the build.

Nut needs only minor adjustment, and I doubt I'll need to do a fret level as every note rings clean... I suppose all that is left is Intonation and play ...

[wazkelly]

Well done mate. Looks nice and shiny.

[FrankenWashie]

That's a beaut Marcel!

[Marcel]

Scored a goal in the looks department, however it was only after plugging the buggar into an amp that I discovered the real hidden nasty...

Intonation went fine... tunes up easy peasy...

Strike a 3 string chord on the E, A & D strings.... Damn awesome... sounds hot... With my AC18 i/p gain cranked it is a dead ringer for ACDC or Sabath

Include the G string.... Uuuugh !?! ... WTF?
Check tuning and intonation again... yep, all strings just fine and dandy ... Any chord that includes the G string...YucK!!!!!!

Seems there is an 'out of tune' issue on all the first 12 fretted G notes, by at least about 3 or 4 cents flat on the 2nd fret with less higher up, presumably most probably I'm guessing based on something wrong to do with the nut....

[Simon Barden]

I doubt it's the nut. A dodgy slot can cause issues with the open G note, and a high slot can cause issues on the first one or two frets, but not up to 12. I'd be more inclined to try a new string and see if it's any better.

You've also contradicted yourself by saying the intonation is correct but it's still out of tune at the 12th fret! You are intonating on the fretted notes at the 12th fret aren't you? I'd recheck this before swapping strings. Although if these are the cheap factory strings, then I'd swap them for decent ones straight away.

[Marcel]

Got that Simon.. Used a brand new set of Ernie Ball Slinky 10-46 strings.

12th fret intonation is fine, but as you go down the neck the de-tuning gets worse with the 2nd fret being the most noticeable as due to how often chords down there use it.

When looking at it direct on from the front I can perceive a step in the nut that makes the G string seem almost 1mm longer (and to a lesser extent also to the B string), but when you look across the nut the fretboard edge looks straight. Being a Black nut in not the best light makes it hard to see but from the front on position that is how the light reflects off the string so I presume there is a dip in the nut at the G string that is not evident on the nuts upper edge. I'm presuming the extra 1mm on the string is not affecting the open/12th fret intonation set up but it is causing me to set the intonation wrong with respect to the fret board and thus all the wrong fretted notes.

As a start I think I'll just replace the nut, most probably with a bone one.

[Simon Barden]

Ah, yes. If the string isn't coming off the nut right at the edge, but the nut slot floor is uneven so that it's coming off a bump within the slot, then that will cause a problem. Not enough nut slot height left to correct the slot?

However, a new bone nut is always a worthwhile upgrade.

[wazkelly]

Got that Simon.. Used a brand new set of Ernie Ball Slinky 10-46 strings.

12th fret intonation is fine, but as you go down the neck the de-tuning gets worse with the 2nd fret being the most noticeable as due to how often chords down there use it.

When looking at it direct on from the front I can perceive a step in the nut that makes the G string seem almost 1mm longer (and to a lesser extent also to the B string), but when you look across the nut the fretboard edge looks straight. Being a Black nut in not the best light makes it hard to see but from the front on position that is how the light reflects off the string so I presume there is a dip in the nut at the G string that is not evident on the nuts upper edge. I'm presuming the extra 1mm on the string is not affecting the open/12th fret intonation set up but it is causing me to set the intonation wrong with respect to the fret board and thus all the wrong fretted notes.

As a start I think I'll just replace the nut, most probably with a bone one.

Dodgy plastic nuts on most kits and have replaced every one on all of mine.

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