Build Thread: Stans 57 Harmony Jazz project

Hey Pesty, did I read that you have a busted stop piece on your Epi?

If so, let me know the centre measurements of the posts and I will have a look in the man cave to see if I have one lurking in a dark corner..

I meant tail piece.... Half a bottle of excellent Merlot and several beers in.......

Hi Stan

came across this today. I thought it may give you some clues on the fingerboard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ-yZ5G09pU

One thing I noticed is that they use Tite-bond for ALL glueing. none of this airplane glue or superglue.

PK

Wot PK said.

When you get to the glueing down of the fingerboard, dont forget to place a length of sellotape over the truss rod :)
It also helps with alignment if you cut the ends off two small screws, drill a few shallow holes in the neck at nut end and heel and insert them pointy end up so they stick out a mill or two.
Then line up your board, clamp it down so it punches a few holes. These become your registration points and also stop the board slipping out of alignment when you glue it.
It is easier to get a nice even spread of glue if you use a small foam roller, these can be found in most $2 shops or art supplies.
I run an even coat of glue on the neck and board then line it up and clamp.
You can use your radius block as a clamping caul.

havent updated here for a while, and will soon.

Thanks for the excellent tips DB and PK.

Sorry guys, but this one will have frets

have done a bit more...

slots cut for fingerboard. don't mind the cheapo mitre box, they're square and straight. Same scale as the original, more on that later...

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...ject/009_2.jpg

Truss rod in and some sellotape went over the top as per DB recommendation. Blue tape is for centre line, ends of finger board have one marked as well.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...ject/012_1.jpg

Titebond smeared on and clamps, and some clamps and a clamp or two...

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...ject/014_1.jpg

well it seems to have stuck, dried overnight with the clamps on;

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...ject/047_1.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...roject/048.jpg

the original had a wood packer under here, will probably do the same, but the gap looks kind of cool

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...roject/049.jpg

yet to be trimmed/sanded flush.
just realised that the overhang at the body will be hard to get right.... oh well

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...roject/050.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...roject/051.jpg


using the very awesome CS Guitarcraft fret ruler (thanks Pabs, it rocks - get one guys, they are great) , you can see there is a tiny bit of relief, and a bit more, I'm sure, when I string it up.And perhaps a little less when frets go in, who knows...

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...ject/052_1.jpg

you can see the fret board is quite thick, but the neck is thin, and I routed a truss rod slot where there wasn't one, and I bet its pretty thin in parts. So it was left beefy for feel and strength.
Disadvantage will be needing a tall nut and height of the pickup when I do that. It will have a floating bridge, so it should all be fine.

So, about the scale... Tape is to highlight the 12th fret:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...roject/054.jpg

or for metric:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...roject/055.jpg

so scale length is 25 1/8 inches, so in between PRS and Fender... so the floating bridge should simplify intonation (or knowing my luck, turn it into a nightmare...)

nice work Stan good to see some progress on this. The fingerboard at the bridge end will need some support won't it ? Thats if you have Hendrix sized fingers to reach the high frets.
Will be a job to clean up the fingerboard edges without damaging the neck finish. Nice looking fret saw. The fret slots look nice and uniform. Well done.
If you own more clamps I would have used more clamps gluing the fingerboard to the neck but sounds like its bonded well.