Oh great, that's good to know, cheers Hillsy!
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Oh great, that's good to know, cheers Hillsy!
Hey Gav, I got hold of one of those levelers earlier. I got the 7.7" one. Good prices alright, and they throw in abrasive with the deal, cheers for that!Quote:
/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from gavinturner on May 17, 2014, 09:03
Hey bargey,
I bought a long levelling beam, short levelling beam and a notched straight edge from this guy on ebay. Very reasonable prices and will combine postage. I'm very happy with mine.
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/251271631474?nav=SEARCH
Cheers,
Gav.
It's gonna be an invaluable tool once I figure out how to use it.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...YgB0w60_57.JPG
Looking dam fine Nige.
Is that level beam ally or steel?
The best ones I have found are the Stewmac steel ones. They have nice rounded corners and are weighty enough that you dont need to apply any pressure for them to work.
Also, unlike ally they wont bend or dent easily and stay true regardless of the temperature.
But having said that, for occasional use these should be fine, I would run a file along the corners though as the sharp bits can cause some unwanted damage to your frets....
Oh, and with the notched straightedge, I got a steel rule from the local hobby shop for $15 and filed the notches in!
Works a treat. I have Fender scale on one side and Gibson on the other..... Two for the price of one!
Ahhh way ahead of ya DB, I scored a straightedge on Friday from the local $2 shop, jimmied it up yesterday using the angle grinder and a small round file and it works like fricken magic. It might not be as accurate as the "you beaut" Stew Mac ones but it certainly works better than the one I had before.Quote:
/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from dingobass on May 18, 2014, 04:57
Oh, and with the notched straightedge, I got a steel rule from the local hobby shop for $15 and filed the notches in!
Works a treat. I have Fender scale on one side and Gibson on the other..... Two for the price of one!
I was all set to do the other side Fender™ styles but I decided for that price I'm just gonna grab another one, I like having the one edge straight.
That's a good question regarding the composition of that leveler, and to tell you the truth I don't know, went back and had a look at the Ebay listing and apparently he doesn't know either. What I can tell you is it's machined to 0.001mm(0.000004'') accuracy whatever that means...
I'm gonna say after carefully examining the pictures in my expert opinion it's some sort of alloy. Having said that Gav's actually using these so he'd be able to give us the real answer.
Cheers.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con.../re978-038.jpg
Hey cheers Jazza, no signs of the nitro dimpling after the c&p at all so I think we're all good. Don't ya just get all gooey around shiny guitars, man I know I do!Quote:
/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from jarrod on May 17, 2014, 20:58
Looking dam fine Nige.
Five bucks? BARGAIN! :)
speaking of levelers, why not just use a smallish spirit level, surely the bottom edge is pretty much flat enough...
Great question Stan, probably because spirit levels don't cost $20 per cm. No disrespect to all the "real" luthiers out there but it seems anything to do with fixing, repairing building guitars is so ridiculously over-priced it's kind of out of reach of the everyday man.Quote:
/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from stan on May 18, 2014, 18:03
speaking of levelers, why not just use a smallish spirit level, surely the bottom edge is pretty much flat enough...
E.G Bought a tiny little black plastic Knob off Stew Mac for a Tele Switch, $15+, $70 for a notched straight edge via Stew Mac...I did it for $4.95, frankly Stew Mac can get f@#Ked.
exactly - hence the spirit level idea. They are certainly flat.
More pics of the LP please!
I mean seriously, how flat does flat have to be? I'm gonna try your idea anyway Stan and compare it to the real deal one coming from Greece, I'll level the Blacktop with one and my Desert Burst with the other
and check the results.
Unfortunately the build's come to a screaming halt as I eagerly await the arrival of some nuts for the pots and a headstock decal from the States. I wired the hot wire into the jack this morning and screwed up the plate as well as attached the strap lock buttons, took a couple of mock up pics but can't really do much else.
http://i.imgur.com/YOSKLlH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/IcqVPAr.jpg
That's looking damn fine, Barge. With all the drama that has come your way, it's nice to see it getting there.
agreed looking really nice Bargeloobs, you got to be happy with the black and white top !
Yeah we're definitely on the home straight now Craig, fingers crossed no more dramas, cheers man.Quote:
/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from pablopepper on May 19, 2014, 13:20
That's looking damn fine, Barge. With all the drama that has come your way, it's nice to see it getting there.
@Wokkaboy, I tell ya what man, I've wanted a blacktop since the first time I ever copped eyes on one, now I've just about got my own. I'm literally drooling. The trick's gonna be getting it to play as good as it looks.
sure you will get it playing as good as it looks Barge. What type of pups you got in it ?
We're running a SH-4 JB in the bridge and a SH-2 Jazz in the neck.Quote:
/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from wokkaboy on May 19, 2014, 14:14
sure you will get it playing as good as it looks Barge. What type of pups you got in it ?
cool so it should sound awesome then
Jeez you'd hope so...all that mahogany's gotta help too.Quote:
/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from wokkaboy on May 19, 2014, 15:34
cool so it should sound awesome then
My two cents worth (well, five actually, you can't get two any more)... Zebra pups always look sh!t hot!
I only ever had zebras in my head when planning this build, most of the blacktops you see have either p-90's or chrome humbuckers, but yeah, couldn't agree more Lawry:)
The zebras look awesome.
Convention is the adjustable poles face the outside like this:
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/S1050641.jpg
http://www.neighborhost.com/images/zebra.jpg
However I have also read it doesnt make much difference, but they look good.
I have the same SD combo going into my LP! All black for me though
[quote]/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from stan on May 20, 2014, 06:38
The zebras look awesome.
Convention is the adjustable poles face the outside like this:
Haha, good spottin Stan! Yeah I'd inadvertently dropped it in round the wrong way for the mock-up pics, if you look closely you'll see the pup ring is sloping the wrong way.
Anyway I screwed on some hardware this morning and everything went pretty cool. I ended up with a slight gap between the neck and the pup ring due to the fact the Gibson pup rings are a couple of mm narrower all the way round than the rings that come with the PBG kits but I can live with that.
Another little job that I've known about since day 1 that needs doing is the Nashville bridge I've got needs boring out to 6.5 mm to accommodate the studs that come with the PBG kit, will get it on the drill press today, should be fairly straight forward.
If there's one thing I've learnt through doing this build trying to incorporate USA parts is you can pretty much guarantee nothing is going to fit. Hey I guess it's all part of the fun!
http://i.imgur.com/wciY3CK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/jh8PjJ3.jpg
Hey guys, just a quick question to anyone out there regarding wiring. I got everything wired in today and realized I should have run the earth from the saddle that runs into the cavity before I banged the plug home. The small hole designed for the earth to be fed through is on such an angle that when I banged the plug home for the saddle I've covered it up. I know I could probably try and drill a new hole but firstly I haven't got a long enough drillbit and secondly I'm not even sure if I could hit the "butter zone" between the bottom of the hole and the bottom of the plug. Is there a work around for this?
Cheers.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con.../7517s-043.jpg
Hey Barge, If I was you I would gently lever the post back out and then add the ground wire. I typically use a claw hammer resting on a square of wood which is itself resting on some soft cloth to protect the finish.
I have forgotten this wire a couple of times myself in my haste to assemble. Should be no sweat to get the post back out. unscrew the post adjustment a little to give the claw something to grab on to. Maybe the luthiers in the forum (Gav? DB?) may have a better suggestion, but this works for me.
Remember when you put the ground wire in to just expose the bare wire and turn it over and down into the post hole so that it contacts the post as it gets pushed back in.
cheers,
Gav.
Hey Barge, bummer mate, think the only solution is to remove the tailpiece post. This is a very risky procedure as you may slip and ruin the finish of the top. You may also damage the Big screw top that fits into the post, so you may need to replace that. All I can suggest is getting some adjustable clamping pliers and slowly pull out vertically the post by gripping onto the big screw head. The only way to drill a hole from post holes to the control cavity is from above and I see you have your treble bridge post banged in. I'd remove the easiest one. You may have to drill a new hole to the control cavity so you will probably need a longer drill bit.
DB may have a better solution how to remove the post bush.
If you don't have a spare top screw fitting try wrapping it in cloth and you may be lucky and not damage it when pulling the bush out
Barge if you take out the adjusting bolt and source a longer bolt of the same thread you can easily wind out the stud with no damage at all. Just keep winding until the longer bolt hits the timbre inside the hole it'll tighten up then it should push right out.
Oh yes, I like that idea the best so far. Where on Earth would you even go to find that type of thread Hillsy.
@Gav,Wokks cheers guys for the suggestions, the thought of going anywhere near that paint job literally made me shudder.
So there's absolutely no way of going through with a new hole from the cavity side you reckon?
I just elaborated on your suggestion Hillsy, chopped 9mm off the bottom of an old drill bit, dropped it in the hole, chucked the screw back in and started winding. Came out like a fricken charm.
Cheers bro, you're a legend!!!!!!!
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...5645645634.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con.../l33ic-044.jpg
Nice work man!
great tip Hillsy, I'll remember that next time I got to remove the bush
well done Barge, good work getting it out
Great tip alright Wokks! I tell ya, I was gettin' a bit concerned there for a bit.Quote:
/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from wokkaboy on May 21, 2014, 19:08
great tip Hillsy, I'll remember that next time I got to remove the bush
well done Barge, good work getting it out
Anyway, fret file, headstock decal and extra nuts for the pots turned up today so it was a great leap forward for the "Blacktop"
I couldn't help myself and before the pups got wired in I added another little custom feature for a bit of a laugh stuck down to the bottom of the neck pup cavity, just a little shout-out to PBG even though it's something no-one can see.
Wiring's all finished up after a little mishap earlier on regarding an earth wire but my man Hillsy came to the rescue. I plugged it into an amp and (shock horror) everything does what it's supposed to and is round the right way....SCORE!!
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con.../vm542-045.jpg
So upon finishing up the wiring, the remaining hardware went back on, Gotoh bridge fits like a champ after reaming it out, and the body is as they say in France... "done"
Now awaiting a neck...
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con.../9rljb-046.jpg
So me ol' mate at Gary at http://gwsdecals.com/ has done a superb job with the white waterslide decal and the whole thing cost me $12 delivered, so apart from waiting for close to 3 weeks it was well worth it. Shot a couple of coats of clear over top, no dramas, it's looking nice.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con.../pf5z9-047.jpg
Oh man glad it worked out cause that is awesome.
I reckon you could probably take a bit of credit for that logo too Hillsy, I was originally just gonna use the gold "Les Paul MODEL" decal, then you started talkin' about silver highlights which got me thinking in a whole other direction.
Way better imho.
That's cool, cause I totally stole your veneer on the headstock idea, preping a bit of ebony for my inlay.
looks awesome Barge. You must be stoked at the results.
Look forward to seeing it completed and a sound demo.
Are your seymour duncan pups coil splittable ?
Yeah they are but I didn't wire them as such, it's all a bit over my head to be honest. I'm just a lowly musician with an out of control guitar building addiction, I know nothing of "coil splitting".Quote:
Are your seymour duncan pups coil splittable ?
haha no worries Barge, I'm fairly new to it as well but all you need is two push/pull pots and you will be able to split the humbuckers coils to get a bigger range of sounds.
Sure the SD's will punch out some great tones !