Just do light passes taking small amounts off each time as you work your way up to the template edge. That helps to stop it getting too hot and reduces the chance the router bit will catch, bite, and ruin your work.
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Just do light passes taking small amounts off each time as you work your way up to the template edge. That helps to stop it getting too hot and reduces the chance the router bit will catch, bite, and ruin your work.
Cheers Wok, I just found Weirdbits great tutorial on the very subject (here). Seems the router may be okay, although the main Makita one I have isn't variable speed. I've noticed a couple of cheap variable speed options at the place that cannot be mentioned that I will check out. I'm sure I will find other uses for them!!
Rather than always ask, I figured I'd just try it out. So I clamped an old piece of pickguard to the workbench and used my existing big router (can you tell I'm at home today?!). Turns out it's fine! As per Weirdy's guide, as long as you aren't taking too much material off it seems very clean with no sign of melt.
Sorry Scott, didn't notice your reply! It's a great guide you did - thanks so much.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeirdBits
good stuff Chuck, glad it worked out
Wow three years ago already, time flies. Glad it helped.
about same time you started the tele-billy Weirdy ? hahaha
Thanks to Hobastard's thread I attached my pickguard template to some pickguard material using masking tape and superglue. I then used a straight router bit to shape it, then a 45 degree angled one to cut the bevel. Still a little cleaning up to do but very happy with the result!
Attachment 17884 Attachment 17885
Excuse the mess in the workshop!!
Looks good. Those damn plastic shavings cling to everything, don't they?
pickguard came up a treat Chuck well done !
Everywhere!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by WeirdBits
Quick update on this one. I've had a change of plans, and I'm going to be using the body to try out a couple of things. First off, I've made about as big a swimming pool rout as I possibly could! Certainly cuts the weight down a bit! I was a bit hasty with it and have made a couple of screwups, but nothing that will be seen in the end. It's also a help as this one is effectively becoming a working template where I'd prefer to make mistakes than on a final version. I also found an old sheet of white pickguard material (down the back of the bench no less!) and have formed a shape that kind of works (I'll get to the neck pocket rout for it eventually). Next step will be getting the body sanded/filled/primed/painted...
Attachment 18525 Attachment 18526
looks great Chuck, is the shape basically modelled off a Jag ? All good the routing is good practice for when you use good timber ! You don't want to take off any more material behind the bottom of the neck pocket !
It's more a take on a Toronado than a Jag, but similar traits. Agreed on the routing practice - and I may actually leave a higher section between the pickup pool and the control pool on the proper version just to give it a bit more strength. Thanks for pointing out just how much I have taken behind the neck pocket. I don't think I'd actually thought about it!!Quote:
Originally Posted by wokkaboy
I've been inexcusably occupied with other stuff for a while, but this afternoon I've done a mock build following completion of all the wiring (it's nice and simple, because everything is done on the pickguard other than connecting the bridge ground). Put one string on just to hear it works... and the good news? It does work! On the flip side, I need to either take a little out of the bottom of the neck pocket, or create a shim to put under the bridge as there's simply no action! Bit of a bummer but them's the breaks with scratchie builds. I may end up doing a bit of both. Then it's just a final check before heading done the long path of painting/finishing - although once that starts there is the excuse to start work on another build!
Attachment 19048
OMG that looks amazing Chuck. Just fantastic dude!
cheers,
Gav.
Thanks Gav - I was worried about the enormous pickguard, but it sits a little better now there's some stuff on it. Even with only one string you could start to hear the tonal variety the Jimmy Page wiring gives too.
Managed to sort out the action with some truss rod and bridge height work so it's fully strung and playing really nicely - the JP wiring is amazing for how versatile it is. The problem I have now is going to be putting it down for long enough to paint it! Part of me is tempted to leave it "raw" but I'm pretty sure that phase will pass!
What is so special about this Jimmy Page wiring?Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck
Good question! Is this a variation on the standard Les Paul wiring?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kick
The Jimmy Page harness has all of the pots as push/pull pots. When they are all in their normal positions you have a standard Les Paul setup. Pull the bridge volume pot and you split the bridge pickup; pull the neck volume pot and split the neck pickup; pull the bridge tone pot and it puts bridge & neck pickups out of phase with each other; and pull the neck tone pot and it puts bridge & neck pickups in series together. In the end it means you apparently get 21 different pickup configurations! I still can't for the life of me remember all the options, but I have started to find various combinations that give a nice sound. There are a few clips on YouTube that explain it quite well. I bought the harness of eBay - a local guy offers them up - for about $85. He does a great job and I can certainly recommend him. All of this JP stuff came about after a build diary that Salo did here a couple of months back - I hadn't heard of it until then.
That's a nice concept Chuck, i love the shape, it looks great
Thanks for the explanation. I have to do some research on this :)
Originally first fitted in the Gibson Les Paul Jimmy Page Model. Gibson's first 'signature' Les Paul (really a double signature. as all Les Pauls are signature guitars- hence the 'Les Paul' name).
Here's my 1995 one (before I changed the hardware to nickel - really must take another picture). They were made from 1995 to 1999 but were a standard model range guitar, not like the later custom shop limited copies of JP's Les Pauls.
Attachment 19106
Please do take another picture of this beautiful guitar!!!
I will. I need to do some more shots for the 'Show us your herd' thread. I've discovered where all my guitar stands were hiding and have now dusted them off, so once the sun decides to show itself again, I'll take some more pictures.
Finally got around to disassembling the build so I can get to painting. Did some sanding and a timbermate coat. Hopefully get some undercoat on this weekend. I originally had plans to do some GT stripes as part of the painting but will wait and see how I feel when I get to that stage!!
It does look really good chuck
Progress! First sprayed a white colour coat on the upper front/back of the body, then masked and did a couple of full body colour coats. Masking removed and I'm pretty happy. There's a bit more masking required for the next phase, but getting there. I still can't believe how big the cavity routing is on this one - I can't wait to get the pickguard back on to cover it up :D!!
Attachment 20414
looks great Chuck, nice crisp edge on the white stripe. Sure is a big cavity, must be pretty light weight !
I'll definitely weigh it at the end - it's certainly one of the lighter instruments I've got. It'll be nice to get the paint all done, then the only thing will be making a new pickguard.Quote:
Originally Posted by wokkaboy
Time to share some pain!
Attachment 20465
As you can see, the second stage of masking/painting was an unmitigated disaster!! Now I like to think I’ve started to get a feel for painting based on my previous builds but this result is the ultimate example of not doing it right! Now that I see the result I can pinpoint almost every step where I went wrong.
1. I should have sanded the base colour a bit more to give the masking tape something smoother to adhere to. I was obviously too rough and the paint had openings to flow under the tape. Lesson: prepare, prepare, prepare.
2. I used a thin “vinyl” tape to get the edges right. I thought this was a good choice as when going around the edges/sides and through the belly contour the tape had to be flexible to follow the right line – it worked okay on my Surfcaster build. This time it just didn’t get enough adhesion onto the paint. Lesson: much more care with masking.
3. Paint choice. I’ve used MTN94 spray on all builds and it has worked beautifully. For the black I grabbed some White Knight satin black as I couldn’t be bothered ordering the MTN black in. As soon as I started spraying I could tell it seemed very thin and wet. Now I know some of this is my technique, but that aside it still didn’t feel right. Lesson: stick with paint you know!
4. Removing the masking. I definitely did this too soon as you can see where it lifted paint. Lesson: respect drying times!
When I’ve had things go wrong in the past I’ve tried to turn it into an opportunity to do something a bit different, but this time I don’t think I have that option. I’ve thought about a more “relic/punk” kind of feel but I think it would still look like a mistake.
So, it’s time to sand back. I’ll probably abandon the striping for this one and go solid. Even then it will be interesting to see if you can still tell where the mistake was.
Ah well, live and learn!
Building these things certainly tests your resolve. Have been trying to finish my surfcaster build. You think all is good and then bugger. I just walk away, regroup, and go again
Too true - and I guess the other thing to always remember is that there's very little you can do wrong that can't be fixed in some way!Quote:
Originally Posted by JB RETRO
A good tip when painting stripes is mask them up and paint a light coat of the base colour so it seals up the edges of the tape and if any does get under it's not noticable. Then paint the next colour over that.
robbo
I would have done the 2 outside stripes as adhesive pin-striping...if not even the centre if it was wide enough.
Still, we're all different eh?
cheers, Mark.
I used adhesive pinstriping on my last build Mark, but I wanted to try something different. But you're right - it would have definitely been a better result!Quote:
Originally Posted by king casey
The worst thing is that I know that, Robbo! Why the hell I didn't do it is anyone's guess!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockfactor
I've done that too "I knew that but still did it wrong... arrrrggggghh..." and I'm sure most people here would probably admit to it too.
I'm sure you'll fix it up and it will be killer.
It's a sweet looking built.
robbo
So, a funny thing happened yesterday...
After sanding back my GT stripe disaster I started work building the body's base colour back up - having decided to keep it as a simple single colour rather than tempt fate again! It was at the point where it only needed a couple of touch ups, so I wandered out onto the driveway to do the job. All going well until I went to kind of swing the body around to get at the other side... and it somehow separated from the "neck stick", the screws literally ripped out. I've never had that happen. Anyway, I watched - in slow motion - as the body sailed skywards then headed towards the dropoff at the edge of the driveway down to a concrete path a couple of metres below. The results, other than a lot of dings and scrapes that could probably have been sanded out or filled, is below:
Attachment 20574 Attachment 20575
I am quite surprised that the joints have opened up like that, although all the cracks are in areas where the huge body route meant less wood.
I'm going to call this one quits for now - I'm obviously being sent a sign that this body was not meant to be! Of course the good bit is I have a neck and a fully loaded pickguard and hardware to put onto a new body. I'd still like to have a crack at the modified Toronado shape but figure I now have a blank canvas to work on. We'll see what I come up with.
In the meantime I've got a JZA-1 kit ordered that I'm planning to build with way less modifications than I normally plan, so hopefully that will get my build mojo back on track.
RIP this build!