My new PRS 1Q kit

Just received my new PRS kit and did a pre assembly mock up.
Pretty pleased, only faults I can find so far are, a couple of small scratches around a humbucker rout and a small imperfection where the binding terminates at the bottom of the neck pocket.
Neck pocket is snug and true, a couple of small gaps that will fill when I set the neck.
Neck is straight scale length is perfect, bridge and tailpiece, holes spot on.
Laminate lovely, body matching colour mahogany.
In short this one is gonna be a ripper.

That's great Tassie! I built a PRS-1TS (tiger stripe) last year. Very similar except basswood not mahogany. Got the same cool fret markers. Lots of people comment on how different they are!

re: scale length - I'm presuming the neck is fitted in at the right scale length in the photo. Looking at that, it appears you may have the same issue I had with the end of the fretboard encroaching the neck humbucker route.
If I'm correct, the pickup ring won't line up properly over the pickup route.
There are a couple of ways to address this if it should be the case, but check it out first. Yours may be fine.

Cheers,
Mick

Cheers Mick, I spotted that as I was fixing a couple of gaps in the neck pocket. I ended up cutting about 8 mm off the end of the neck below the fretboard. Which involved a couple of tentative cuts on the band saw, then a lot of careful chiseling with a sharp Japanese Chisel.
The end result is a snug fitting humbucker with no gaps.
But it does take some wangling to remove the bucker!

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I ended up cutting about 8 mm off the end of the neck below the fretboard.

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Wow. That's one way to do it!

What did you do about the binding on the end? Did you remove it then replace it?

No I didn't touch the fretboard, i cut in parallel to the fretboard about 1.5mm below the fretboard
and parallel to that level with the tongue part of the glue joint. Both cuts about 7mm in then removed the material between the cuts. The end of the fretboard just clears the humbucker and the surround fits snugly below it and just covers the humbucker rout.
I could have done it with my inlay router but didn't trust myself freehand with a router. I also considered enlarging the humbucker rout rearward to give clearance but that would have left a small gap at the front. I also considered a custom humbucker mount with a gap for the neck but I figured that as the timber I removed wasn't part of the glue surface and appeared to me to be an issue caused by use of a stock G model neck rather than a purpose built neck. That my solution was more inline with original design spec's.

Ok I've done an initial sunburst stain job on the top. Proof tint golden amber and Japan brown. I've used Siminoff's method which is I think the best method. Next step is to seal with FW sanding sealed and and fine sand prior to a final stain and Tru oil. I will get the top sealed with Tru oil then move on to binding the back with aged cream binding and a triple purfling strip.
The reason for starting from the front are twofold. 1. Seal and harden the thin laminate before it gets damaged. 2. Seal it before I stain the back and sides as I don't want mahogany blending into the face.

Ah, thanks for the explanation Tassie. I misinterpreted your earlier post and you just lopped off a chunk of fretboard! :o

Nice even colours on your burst too!

Burst is finished. 2 coats of Tru oil for the moment just to lock in the staining, lots more to come. Sides are filled and ready for FW sanding sealer.
I've cut the headstock in Gibson shape, I had intended to do a PRS head but, it would have required extensive reconstruction.

Nice! The gloss really pulls that quilting out.

I know what yo mean about the headstock. I was originally going to try and do a more PRS-esque, but like you, I discovered it really wouldn't work with the pre-drilled tuner holes. I wasn't up for the amount of work it would entail, so I opted for a simpler design.

Attachment 33820

Looks great.

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Originally Posted by Tassieaxeman

I had intended to do a PRS head but, it would have required extensive reconstruction.

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A task not without a learning curve. I've been foolhardy enough to get sucked down that vortex.
Looking at the PRS layout though, it would probably help tuning issues to have the strings straight rather than splayed Gibson style.

cheers, Mark.

Hi Mark, that was my thinking as I intend to add a Duesenberg Les trem. My preferred option was a 4x2 but it's a pita finding tuners. Also the only acceptable option with changing from the Gibson layout involved dowelling the tuner holes adding wings laminating front of headstock and redrilling. I agonised over it for 2 days and relegated myself to sticking with Gibson and if I encounter tuning problems I'll add a FR locking nut. But I think it will be ok, no dive bombing with a Les trem!

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Originally Posted by Tassieaxeman

I agonised over it for 2 days and relegated myself to sticking with Gibson and if I encounter tuning problems I'll add a FR locking nut. But I think it will be ok, no dive bombing with a Les trem!

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You haven't thought that through fully. There are no fine tuners on a Les Trem, so you'll never get it in tune with a FR nut. Locking tuners will certainly help with the stability though if you fit a trem.

But any Gibson headstock is fine as long as the nut is cut well - which may be where your biggest issues will be if you haven't got a set of proper nut files. Even my Flying V is fine with a trem - and the string angles on that are even greater than on a Les Paul.

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

You haven't thought that through fully. There are no fine tuners on a Les Trem, so you'll never get it in tune with a FR nut. Locking tuners will certainly help with the stability though if you fit a trem.

But any Gibson headstock is fine as long as the nut is cut well - which may be where your biggest issues will be if you haven't got a set of proper nut files. Even my Flying V is fine with a trem - and the string angles on that are even greater than on a Les Paul.

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Good Point, I hadn't even considered that.
Don't think it will be an issue, I only use a trem for expression not dive bombing.
I do have a set of nut files .

Well, the direction of this build has changed a bit.
Staining the body revealed a crack along the grain heading towards a tailpiece pin, it also revealed extensive cracking in the binding. Also the switch cutout is so close to the edge of the horn, binding the back is out of the question. It'll still play nice I hope, but the flaws will always annoy me
Real pity, as the top came out fantastic.
So I won't be wasting my efforts on a super high finish.
I'll save that for my next build.
I've come to the conclusion that kits are a false economy and will be sticking to scratch builds from now on. The 4 Pitbull kits I've bought have all had some issues.
Even the last firebird was cracked through the switch rout, not a major problem I pinned it with a wooden nail but still an issue.

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Originally Posted by Tassieaxeman

Well, the direction of this build has changed a bit.
Staining the body revealed a crack along the grain heading towards a tailpiece pin, it also revealed extensive cracking in the binding. Also the switch cutout is so close to the edge of the horn, binding the back is out of the question. It'll still play nice I hope, but the flaws will always annoy me
Real pity, as the top came out fantastic.
So I won't be wasting my efforts on a super high finish.
I'll save that for my next build.
I've come to the conclusion that kits are a false economy and will be sticking to scratch builds from now on. The 4 Pitbull kits I've bought have all had some issues.
Even the last firebird was cracked through the switch rout, not a major problem I pinned it with a wooden nail but still an issue.

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Ok, I may have been a little harsh, seems the binding is a common issue with these kits and turps based stain. Never had an issue with fresh binding, but seems there's a few threads on it regarding Chinese kits.
The body crack seems to be stable, but nonetheless annoying.
Guess I'll finish it nice and see how it plays before I go too crazy with headstock inlays.

What is the above photo? Is the white area reflection or the body crack? I’m having trouble working out what issue we are looking at.

No it's reflection, I tried to show the hairline cracks in the binding, but my phone just whites it all out.
The crack in the body isn't through the maple laminate its only in the mahogany, it's a shrinkage crack, as my PRS was the last in stock, it's probably due to spending a summer in the warehouse in Perth.
It's all good I'll deal with the issue, just disappointing after initial inspection it seemed flawless.

Change of plans, I ended taking 6mm off the end of the fretboard and regluing the binding, the new covered humbuckers had a slightly larger footprint and didn't quite fit, now I have ample clearance.
I've also added a MOP inlay to the heel.

Bit of progress has been made, I've glued up the neck, all but finished the back and sides, finished the top.
Now I'm onto, cleaning up the binding finishing the back and wiring it all up while I wait for my new inlay router bits to arrive so I can finish off the headstock with some pearl inlay.
My wiring set up is a little complex, it's a LP, Jimmy Page setup with a split ground circuit, it should be silent.
I'm using gotoh push pulls, artist bull buckets, orange drops.022, and a gotoh ³ way . Swtchcraft jack.bridge ground is soldered to the copper sheilding.
All in all its turning out pretty well, I have a plan for the cracks in the binding, hydrogen peroxide on a cotton bud to bleach out the stain and fill with plastic epoxy and white plastic powder.
Fingers crossed.

I love the inlay on the heel!

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Originally Posted by gpjt

I love the inlay on the heel!

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Cheers, it turned out pretty well, considering I only had a ball cutter! But sharp Japanese chisels cleaned up the slightly ragged rout. Headstock will be simpler once my new stewmac inlay bits arrive. Oh well back to pearl cutting.

Ok, Ive been slack on my diary keeping, I'd intended to show some progress photos.
But here's the headstock inlay finished, the coin is a 1963 rams head shilling. The rest is MoP. I carried the fretboard triskillion up onto the headstock.