STR-1 JR Build for my daughter.

[wazkelly]

Hey Waz ill get some measurements later and post them. Off the top of my head though the scale length is 22.5" or 527mm.

Only 3" shorter than normal scale therefore adults with small fingers could easily play one too.

[Simon Barden]

Or even large fingers. It's comparable to playing a normal Strat with a capo on the 2nd fret. The gaps between the 2 frets are only very slightly smaller than normal. I have a Squier Strat Mini for my MIDI equipped guitar. The neck is the same width as a normal neck, bridge string spacing is the same, so there's nothing to stop it being used by big kids/adults.

[Grubsta]

I took the opportunity to take my daughter to visit her grandparents today and while I was there I used dads bandsaw to shape the headstock.
Still a bit rough at the moment I need to get onto it with some sanding now.

[wazkelly]

Pretty good effort with use of a Band Saw.

Beats the heck out of using a coping saw instead.

[Grubsta]

Pretty good effort with use of a Band Saw.

Beats the heck out of using a coping saw instead.

Yeah I'm lucky to have access to it sure does make it a lot quicker and easier.

[Grubsta]

Headstock shaping is done, I have already checked the scale length and its pretty good, so the next thing to do is align the neck and the bridge. This is where I've hit a bit of a roadblock im not really sure how to go about it with the bridge i have.
Should I fit the springs and claw to hold the bridge so I can put some strings on im not really sure how to hold the bridge in place to do the alignment. Any advice here would be appreciated.

[Simon Barden]

No need to fit the spring and claw. If you do, they'll just pull the bridge to the front of the cavity and make things very awkward.

Loosely fit the 1st and last tuners (don't use the anti-rotation screw), fit the neck, then run some normal string between the bridge and those tuners, and use the string to get the side to side positioning of the bridge marked out. You've probably already marked out the front of bridge position for scale length, so with the two, you should be able to then position the bridge and mark out the fixing hole positions.

I'd be tempted to just check everything's OK at the moment rather than mark and drill holes, as you will probably be using a solid paint finish. Any markings added now will be covered up by the paint. It's always better to have as few holes in the finish as possible until you've finished wet sanding to avoid water getting in, swelling the wood and splitting the finish.

[Grubsta]

Ok no worries thanks for the advice Simon it makes sense now especially not drilling the holes yet. Ill get some string tomorrow and have a go at it.

[dave.king1]

Adding to Simon's excellent advice, I use blue low tack masking tape to draw the marking out on in pencil which I drill through then pull the tape off and clean the glue off with Goof Off

[Grubsta]

Slow progress on this one i have aligned the neck and worked out the bridge position and marked the hole positions in the neck.