abutton

Hi Guys,

I have completed the electrics and unless I am missing something I think they work?!!!

I used the video guides to step me thru the process and they worked a treat - the guys who put these together should be congratulated - they are easy to follow and effective in getting the end result you want.

I taped the pick up and control cut outs with the copper tape but I think I heard somewhere that if you earth the pots out you don't need the tape? anyway I did both so it should be O.K.

The good news is I didn't burn my fingers with the soldering iron - the bad news is I burnt the head stock - F me D I hate soldering irons!!

Anyway I have ordered a new bone nut to try and fix the strings being too far inside the edge of the neck - so while I wait for that I think the next steps would be - screw in the humbuckers, install the electrics cover and then install the tuners.

Any tips for setting up the humbuckers and tuners would be greatly apprecitated

Now that I have glued the neck and completed the electrics - if I can get the guitar to intonate then I think I could actually play it???


Thanks again for everybody's help

Cheers,

Alan

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That's one hell of a cigarette burn, adds character.

Wait until you stand on a soldering iron wearing nylon socks, queue groove in foot with a molten nylon cover.

A warfie did blush

Almost a Nike Tick Jeez that's so annoying .Can it be be sanded Alan .if not just tell people it used to be Keef Richards Guitar he burns his all the time

Hi Guys,

Thanks for putting a positive spin on my stuff up

Dave - that burn must have really hurt - it was bad enough just burning my fingers

Hey kimball that guitar is wild - I love the woodgrain!

And I agree - just put it down to experience - definitely a talking point - and one day maybe I will even laugh about it .... aggghh!

Does anybody know if I have to earth the dual humbuckers to the bridge post - it didn't say to do so in the video and then I found a video that deals just with earthing dual humbuckers???....

I have installed the tuners, pick guard and control panel cover - I hope the offset of the tuners is correct - I just wanted to screw everything in to get it as complete looking as possible

Have attached some updated photos

Cheers,

Alan
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Hi Guys,

Another issue - I just received the bone nut but it doesn't seem to have any real slots for the strings.

It only has a very minor slot at the tip of the nut but I don't think the strings would even fit or locate into them.

There is no real groove like the other nuts on my guitars?? see pics

Do you have to grind the slots in yourself - how?

Also the slots aren't more wider spaced than the current plastic one so I don't see how the nut is going to fix the strings being too far inside the edge of the neck

Sorry a heap of questions - if someone can advise I would really appreciate it - want to get some strings on it so I can see if it is going to intonate

Still don't know if I need to earth the humbuckers to the bridge post?

Thanks in advance,

Alan

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hey Alan,
the build coming along on the home stretch now, looking good. The earth wire from each humbucker will be soldered to the back of one of the pots, usually a volume pot. The earth wire from the bridge will also be soldered to the same pot. Looks like you have copper shielding in the control cavity so you won't need to earth each pot.
With the bone nut you need nut files. The shallow slots are for locating the slots. A set costs about $90+ but last a lifetime. Best thing I'd do is put the plastic nut back on and string it up once the wiring is sorted. At least you will be able to play it and I'd intonate it once you sort out a bone nut. If you don't want to spend much buy a pre-slotted bone nut on ebay.
Another option is to get some old guitar strings and use E A D strings like dental floss and create a slot in the nut placed in a vice. With the G B E strings you may be able to deepend them with a very thin saw but you risk ruining this nut.
Are there any other forumites close to you that may have a set of nut files ?

Whoa! Looks like the b slot is a bit funky... I think I know what happened there.
I must have accidentally packed a dud in the last batch, usually I check them all before I send them to PBG HQ but that one slipped past.... My bad, I cut twenty nuts that day and was bozeyed at the end of it. The joys of age and dodgy eyes.
Note to self, get your eyes checked, DB..

The slots do look wider as these are compensated slots, which means the slots on the E A & D are slightly wider spaced to compesate for the string width..
Flick me an email at dingobass@pitbullguitars.com with your address, and for good measure let me know the width of your neck and I will cut you a new one on the house...

Thanks heaps Wokka and dingobass

I didnt realise that the bone nut needed the slots filed into them - probably a bit exy at this stage to purchase the file set

I thought the slots themselves looked O.K. - you're probably being a bit hard on yourself dingobass - it is more that I didn't know that the nut didn't come with the slots - that is me just not knowing what I don't know.

All good learning though - I will send you an email anyway - not sure if I can pay extra and get the slots put in?

I have already installed the bridge and saddle - is it O.K. just to pull the post out and insert the earth wire or should I glue it back in?

I think it is a tapered/slotted fit so I am worried it wont hold if I pull it out and just put it back in?

Not sure whether I was supposed to glue them in originally now that I think about it?

If I use the plastic nut for now will it play in tune if it is not intonated?


Sorry, so many questions but really keen to finish it off - even with all the stuff ups I am extremely happy with how it has come up

Thanks again,

Alan

Hey Alan,
if you have banged in the bridge post bushes all the way they will be hard to remove. They are tapered and you won't need glue. Here's a cool method to remove the bush without damaging the finish and damaging the bridge post. Note I'm pretty sure its the treble side tailpiece bush that has the hole for the earth wire to the cavity, have a look where the hole is in the control cavity and line up which post bush you have to remove.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ppKxEIF1M

when you put the bush back in, make sure the earth wire has plenty of bare wire making contact with the bush and tap it back in place. Do not use glue, trust me they aren't going to come out.

Sure you can intonate the guitar with the plastic nut, you may have to intonate it again with the bone nut when it arrives as a difference in the height of the string slot will affect intonation.

With a new neck and new strings the neck needs to be played in a bit before it will hold tune. A good exercise is to stretch the strings once you have wound them on the tuner posts.

Best of luck, hope you can get it playing soon !