MY JM-1 First ever build

So outta the box, some issues with the factory...
Grand ideas, NOW I can always say "recommend a dry build first" because while I had ALL the parts, I realised Dum DUm Duuuuum. Missing pre-drilled post holes in the body for the bridge.
Attachment 33231

Action: Contacted PB and almost an immediate response. New body is on its way should have it in a few days. Adam rang me back and asked for some pics to be emailed for the factory to see. Boom, sorted.

Something else I noted immediately was that the neck does not sit snug all the way back in the pocket. After some quick forum advice (awesome forum by the way) I realised I have to sand the pocket. Now, Adam from PB wants the original body and neck back as a return, I won't be sanding anything for at least 2 more days.
Attachment 33232

COLOUR:
In the interim I have had a chance to investigate colour, Pick guards and decals.
I think I will either go a black wash or a black and red lava burst.
I watched a YouTube tutorial by a luthier in the States who used water-based craft paints and it looked quite good. That said, he also procured some long-setting, water colour compatible clear which I don't think we get in Australia. And water-based colours would be good, because I have an airbrush and could possibly apply the burst well.

Once I had decided on the dark colours this required ditching the tortoise shell pick guard and going for something more shiny. After some quick responses from the forum, (Thanks SonicMountain) I got an A3 sheet of mirror acrylic from ebay $28. This allows enough space for 2 attempts at creating a pick guard.

PROBLEM: acrylic is hard to cut without making a chip in the edge, I had a quote to laser-cut a pick guard from a local guy. $240AU, that was making a Vector file, making a few prototypes in MDF and then the final cut. The cut itself was $20. Everything else was experiment and tracing.

SOLUTION: It just so happened my Father in-law has a laser cutter...I know, don't ask.
Anyway, he told me if:
1. I scanned the underside of the guard, with a black piece of paper on top of it, I will get a really clear white image to cut. I scanned it and created a JPG and a BMP.
Attachment 33233
2.I imported these into InkSCAPE (often used for 3D print rendering) and then took physical measurements of the centre of the screw holes on the guard from numerous points across the guard for reference.
3.I then used the ruler function in InkScape to cross check the measurements I had made with my straight edge to the image in InkScape. InkScape works 1:1 ration export, so once I exported it to the LAser Cutting program, in this case "K40 Whisperer", it should be apples.
4. After I opened the image in InkScape and made the image 1:1, I traced every screw hole and every pickup hole and the guard edge and the slider-switch hole as accurately as possible, within about .03mm in the colour red, because that is the colour "K40 Whisperer" identifies as a cut vector not an engrave vector. (Now this just made me think I can engrave a design in the pick guard also that will come through the mirror, anyway I digress.)
5.Saved the file as a .SVG file and then imported it into K40 Whisperer to test it's load-in. BOOM, magic.
6.Emailed to Father in-law and he will cut some MDF as a prototype while I wait for my acrylic to arrive.


NEXT
So I decided the Jazz was for Cool Cats, so I found a little e-bay purchase for $5 who will make my decal custom in foil silver.
I used Adobe Illustrator to create a design from a stock Font and a stock image of a cat. Looks awesome, will look awesome on the Head stock. Titled the Casey-Kat.
Attachment 33234

So now I wait on the body and neck delivery, the decal delivery, the acrylic delivery and the MDF prototype outcome.
Who's scared?....Me!

If you can use illustrator that’s ideal for creating laser cutting files. Just need to export as DXF- although it the cutter recognises SVG you save directly in that format as well. Generally scanners are 1:1, so I use that method a lot for making templates.

Hi Sonic,
Yeah, I found the Illustrator really had a more simplified approach, it selected all teh vectors and I just changed their colour, then erased all traces of dust that were accidentally picked up in the scan. That said, my In-law was adamant I follow his method. I don;t think he was aware of the file type and illustrators power etc.
Live and learn I guess.

Hi Casey. I've managed to cut several pick-guards via differing techniques.
Best way was with a jig-saw and files and sandpaper believe it or not.
I'll lay the acrylic flat on the desk with minimal over-hang to reduce the vibrations.
Like everything else it does require some repeated attempts to nail it correctly.
Practicing on MDF is also a good method

cheers, Mark.

cheers, Mark.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by king casey

Hi Casey. I've managed to cut several pick-guards via differing techniques.
Best way was with a jig-saw and files and sandpaper believe it or not.
I'll lay the acrylic flat on the desk with minimal over-hang to reduce the vibrations.
Like everything else it does require some repeated attempts to nail it correctly.
Practicing on MDF is also a good method

cheers, Mark.

cheers, Mark.

---

Thanks Mark, yeah I researched about 4 different cutting methods and also polishing methods for acrylic. Coping saw, band saw and jig saws all seemed to be the preference, some edges are heat polished with like a gas flame, that was interesting. I hope the laser works out, apparently it just turns acrylic to fumes, which prevents it from welding itself back together.
I’m really interested to see the outcome.

UPDATE:
So I have found ALL JM-1 Alder bodies have no post holes drilled. So I won't be getting those if I want one soon, so I opted for an Ash body that was offered as an alternative. All good for me, so yeah, nothing has transpired except I may have a custom scratch plate in a few day? Maybe.

I have been researching painting and painting methods and I broke out my old airbrush and am in the process of reassebling it from broken parts etc.

I also ordered online a larger spraygun $18 for broader areas.
I am going to try water-based products. I am going to try using a spray-can sanding sealer in white, then airbrush the water-based craft colours and a brush on water-based clear.
But like I said, all in the realm of reason, I need to have a guitar first. :)

Update:
Today my New Rosewood neck and Ash body arrived.
Tip for young players: Ash weighs about 3 times Alder, therefore the tone-wood is denser and hence the declaration it has less top-end attack when playing, more mid tones. I also noticed the really nice dark grains in the Ash which made me almost rethink the vision of a black guitar, but I committed, so...next time.

After Looking at my spectacular new body and neck I was surprised that the Blackwood neck was pre-cut to a Strat shape while the new rosewood was a paddle.
Attachment 33289

I followed the instructions online, and while I was happy with the new body it wasn't as snug as the last neck and body. I did the dry build...
Attachment 33290

...it all matched up, the string distance to the edges of the fretboard were pretty consistent and so I drilled my neck bolt-on holes...
Attachment 33291Attachment 33291
...I designed a machine head and pencilled it in and cut it.
Attachment 33292
...Attachment 33293..So here is a tip, if you go for a sharp look like I did, you are going to have a heap of sanding away tool marks on lots of edges.
Issue #1, getting in all the crevices deep enough to sand away all the tool marks...I had to wrap the sandpaper around some small jewellers files and also do stuff by hand, I will put the pics in the following post...

...So here is the sanding stuff for the machine head...Attachment 33294...
Here are the tool marks from the band saw...Attachment 33295...
Eventually I got to finish it up.
Another tip: sharp little points can be chipped off and made blunt. Probably wouldn't choose this again as a method of shaping.
So what was once clean sharp cuts and points, some are a little blunter...
Finished machine head and sanded.Attachment 33296...
I continued to sand the body and that has its own set of challenges, mainly because of the dark and varied grain, you need to use your hands like reading braille to find the tool marks. If I was going for a natural finish I probably wouldn't bother being so picky, but because I am going for a solid colour, I really need to consider the final body finish. I don't want any ripples in it at all if I can help it.
So that is ongoing at the moment...

Sanded the body, off to Bunnings tomorrow to get some sanding sealer clear, some Frog tape and a water based black gloss and some clear coat.
ANY TIPS on this plan please?

I am going for the :
1. Feast Watson Clear Sanding sealer, hit the body and head stock with that. Wait an hour.
2. Light Sand with 220 grit
3. Hit it with a centre ball of Dy-Mark Gloss Wildfire red acrylic wait 1 hour, hit it again wait one hour.
4. Hit the back, edges and head stock with some Dy-Mark Gloss black wait one hour, hit it again.
5. 24 hours later repeat the Red centre and Blacks wait 48 hours.
6. Dulux Durmax gloss clear spray. leave it for a week.

Is there anything I will regret here? IF you say, "Don't go water based", that's totally OK.

Thanks in Advance.
Steve

UPDATE:
Stuff went slightly left of centre.
I did go to Bunnings and returned with all paints bu the undercoat I got was Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3

https://i.ibb.co/F0mXfJm/IMG-3240.jpg


I came home and found some plastic a new mattress had come in and built myself a killroom. A.K.A Spraybooth
https://i.ibb.co/9p75Kxj/IMG-3238.jpg

Hit it and the body turned out ok, but the head stock got a bit of overkill.
https://i.ibb.co/sydtqLY/IMG-3241.jpg

Will be easing back next time. The primer recommends 30 mins to top coat, but I am really looking at 24 hours given the rain.
So Sanding tomorrow, then another coat of primer, then a sand then a colour will begin.

After applying the undercoat it really emphasised all the tool marks I missed. this morning I started sanding and realised how deep the undercoat has filled.
After sanding every ripple and wave, especially on the edges, I set about a second undercoat.
So right now it’s drying, it recommends 30mins to top coat, I am thinking 6 hours and a light sand and then the Wildfire red.
Pictures of that new coat next.

Wildfire red, black edging, little more red
https://ibb.co/6R9cwTJ

https://ibb.co/y6HbtPP

https://ibb.co/yNz8fmY

Next a little more black

Hate to say it, but not very much of the red will show once the pick guard is on, unless you are going for a clear, or radically reshaped pickguard.

So it has been a long time, since Jan when I last posted.
Well my paint went off the rails, I took a hiatus to clear the mind and now I am back on it. My big Plan for water-based paint job failed miserably.
I had to take the whole thing back to scratch, sanded my way to disinterest.
Well I finally went for a stain and black burst, looking to assemble he wiring now I cannot seem to locate the right diagram.

You can usually find a wiring diagram for any combination of pickups, tone, and volume controls here. Also try the Pitbull wiring diagrams collection, they are indexed by kit model.

Hi caseyone1,

The wiring diagram for your kit is here - https://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-co...s/pdf/JM-1.pdf

Got an ISSUE:
https://imgur.com/a/jaSuaDB
Bridge posts sitting proud and I can’t get them in deeper, yet they are deep enough holes

They need to go deeper.
When putting in the posts did you rub some wax onto the studs?
The wax helps them slide in.
If you don't have wax, soap will sometimes do. Or rub the studs with candle wax.
Also best to screw the posts out of the studs. Makes it easier to tap the studs in with a hammer and block.

https://i.imgur.com/Sf54Ker.jpg

In theory you just need more force, though if you've got finish round the bottom of the stud holes they may not want to go down easily and the splines (which make things easier) normally don't go all the way to the end. If you've got a clamp that's big enough, you can try using the clamp to push the studs in nice and flat. Don't forget to use a block on the rear to stop it marking and mask up round the stud to prevent any slippage from marring the finish.

Otherwise you may need to remove the studs, and widen the bottom of the holes slightly (run a suitable sized drill down by hand). The post thread is normally M8, so if you've got a long M8 bolt, take out the post, put in the M8 bolt and keep turning and it should pull the stud out. If the wood is too soft, this may not work. Sometimes putting some other hard object as a base down the hole helps, but you won't get anything down that's larger than the end of the bolt itself. Otherwise you'll really need a stud puller.

Thanks, I used the manual online, but they didn’t have mine, I will follow your links.

Hey, you were right, more force, I had watched a you tube, and they seemed to sink much easier, they are now nicely seated, a bit of a heavier hit and I got them in nicely.

Got it, thanks! Ok! I’m back at it.

And who says violence never achieves anything? ;)

The good thing is that the harder they are to go in, the less likely they are to ever pull out again in normal use.

Ok, so after the slamming I did to get them seated...I actually split the wood in the rear I’d the cavity beneath, I didn’t realise until I turned it to setup the trem.
It hasn’t ruined it.
Good news... it’s almost done. I sucked at soldering and had to go over the diagram, the wire colours from the factory and those on the diagram didn’t match, so I just followed the wires and ignored the colours.
Had a few pop off and had to re-solder them, so the scratch plate was on and off a few times. The original red tortoise shell scratch plate was delaminated around a couple of screw holes, originally I thought it was just the protective film lifted that they put on, but then it turned out to be the really sticky contact they put on as a protective coating that gives it the gloss.
So I peeled it off, rubbed eucalyptus oil in it and that broke down all the gum from the contact, then I washed it, then I sprayed it with plastic Undercoat and then painted it like a gun metal grey... my mirror one is still getting laser cut.
I dub thee the “Alley Cat”
Like with no intonation “set or anything really besides adjusting some saddle height, it hammers.
So a little more setting up and hopefully, she will be my road gun.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wvb...w?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wij...w?usp=drivesdk

Access denied to the pics. Must be set to 'private'.

Fixed I think

Excellent caseyone1. Always good to see and hear a Pitbull build in action.

cheers, Mark.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by king casey

Excellent caseyone1. Always good to see and hear a Pitbull build in action.

cheers, Mark.

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Thanks Mark,
Gotta say if it wasn’t for you guys in here in the early stages, I may have just chucked it in.
I had a few setbacks, but these things for a novice can be quite off-putting.
So the body wasn’t cut properly
I messed-up the paint a few times
My decal wasn’t cut properly originally
The neck didn’t fit into the socket all the way.
The electronic wiring and the diagram didn’t match.
The bridge posts wouldn’t go in
Sanding isn’t my favourite pastime
But, I am totally stoked with the guitar.

The repaint and other stuff was totally worth it.
Moving forward, I might try a TL series next?
Maybe experiment with capacitors and stuff.

Thanks guys, it was awesome!

It looks and sounds really good. I'm still refinishing a body that I started on almost 4 years ago! Hopefully I'll get it done this summer but it still keeps throwing up issue after issue.