It's here... SSCM-1F - wish me luck!

First off, a huge thanks to Ben for going above an beyond to get me this kit before my Chrissy break. You rock Ben.

As a disclaimer, I'm a drummer, but, I do play guitar, albeit like a thumbless thief trying to use a screwdriver and my face to break into a garden shed to retrieve my slippers...

I love building stuff, and, as like everyone here, i love intrusments in my house for people to use, and considering the price of a Les Paul for someone who can't play much more than smoke on the water, I've opted to build one the way I could only dream of.

The kit turned up 2 days before Chrissy and after opening the box, realised how damn cool this beast is going to be. After reading how some kits have a few little issues here and there, I thought that's okay, but to my surprise, this kit is near perfect.

I'll post some pics asap, but right now, I'm off to the garden shed to retrieve my slippers, and start some sanding, wish me luck.

Cheers
Jamsta

Welcome Jamsta, and good luck.

Welcome aboard Jamsta, take your time and enjoy the build.

Welcome, Jamsta. I didn't realise PBG had started doing an LP style kit again. I know what I'll be building next, and watching your build with interest!

If you're off to do some sanding, do be careful with that veneer - it's probably very thin!

Have you got a plan for how you're going to finish it? If you're thinking about a stain, it's wort mentioning that the veneered bodies seem to often have glue spots, especially around joins. You'll need to del with those before applying a stain.

Oh that is good news that those body shapes are back. I guess we should avoid using the letter designation from 'G' so it doesn't turn up in searches....

Thanks for the welcome and best wishes everyone, it's much appreciated.

I'm pretty excited to get this kit underway, and there's only been sanding, more sanding, a little head-stock shaping, and more sanding going so far.

Thanks jonwhitear for your suggestions. I am very careful with the veneer, as I don't want to ruin what could potentially be an awesome guitar. I have noticed some small cracks that are on the edge of the bum of the body, hopefully that won't look too bad???

I'm pretty sure I know how I want the guitar to look, but getting it right is the trick. I am aiming for water based stain, upgrading the pick ups to Seymour Duncans, plus I have a bone nut - which brings me to a question. Do I replace the nut now, or after I build the guitar and get it all aligned and working?

Again, thanks for the well wishes and tips thus far, it is very much appreciated.

A few pics below...

http://jamstagrafix.com/images/gtarb...xHeadstock.jpg

http://jamstagrafix.com/images/gtarb..._7068xBody.jpg

http://jamstagrafix.com/images/gtarb...xBodyCrack.jpg

Hey Jamsta, if possible could you take a pretty straight on photo of the body? I’m keen to buy one of these but the photos on the website make the bottom of the body look way wider than the proportions of another certain manufacturers single cut. Just want to see if there photos are taken on an angle of if the proportions are quite different for certain reasons.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by theabomb

Hey Jamsta, if possible could you take a pretty straight on photo of the body? I’m keen to buy one of these but the photos on the website make the bottom of the body look way wider than the proportions of another certain manufacturers single cut. Just want to see if there photos are taken on an angle of if the proportions are quite different for certain reasons.

Cheers

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Hey theabomb, I have this shot which is close to what you're after I hope.

The proportions are pretty good in my opinion.

http://jamstagrafix.com/images/gtarbuild/IMG_7064x.jpg

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plus I have a bone nut - which brings me to a question. Do I replace the nut now, or after I build the guitar and get it all aligned and working?

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It can be done anytime, as luthiers/repairers replace nuts on finished instruments all the time. However there are advantages to doing it during the build process. Presuming the factory nut is centred and seated properly, it's fine for setting the neck and getting the string alignment right.

Replacing the nut before you apply any finish means you won't need to touch up the finish afterward. NOTE: it can be done without any damage to the finish, but there is always a risk you may thus requiring a touch up repair to the finish.

Also the replacement nut nut may require a bit of adjustment to its width and length to make it fit, or you may get lucky and it will drop right in. FWIW, best to fit to the nut to the slot than fit the slot to the nut. String slot depth is a discussion for another time.

Whether you choose to set the neck and then apply the finish to the whole guitar, or finish the neck and body separately then set the neck, is a personal choice. It can be done either way.

Thanks jamsta, is it just me or does the binding and veneer near the binding look pretty bad? Hope it all cleans up nicely for your build!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jamsta

I have noticed some small cracks that are on the edge of the bum of the body, hopefully that won't look too bad???

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They don't look like they're a structural problem, so it's just a matter of how they end up looking. In the first place, a wipe over with turps will show you (a) if there's any glue in the cracks (and it does look like there might be from your photo) and (b) a rough approximation of how they're look under a finish (obviously depending on the type of finish.)

If there is glue in there, and you're planning on staining the sides, you'll need to deal with it, otherwise it'll leave marks where the glue stops the stain soaking in. "Goof Off" is pretty good for that. Potentially sanding will help too. If it was mine, I'd try the goof off first. Note also that if you're planning to fill the pores of the mahogany with a contrasting grain filler, any glue around those cracks may make them more conspicuous.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by theabomb

Thanks jamsta, is it just me or does the binding and veneer near the binding look pretty bad? Hope it all cleans up nicely for your build!

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It looks a bit rough in places to me as well. Hopefully someone with experience dealing with veneer finishing will advise how to deal with that.