First Build GR-1SF

Hi everyone, I'm excited to be here! In retrospect, I probably could have posted a little earlier in my build and avoided a couple of challenges, but I've moved past them and here we are now. Here's the body with dry fit components and (what I think is) enough of a lacquer build up to start finishing up. I'm thinking about sanding up to 1500 grit and then applying Minwax brand paste wax but I'm very receptive to a "Don't do that, do this instead" comment. Also thinking about staining the neck darker, like maybe a walnut and then going with boiled linseed oil on top of that. Again, if anyone has any other thoughts, I'm very open to another opinion. Thanks in advance for your interest and ideas!

Also thought of a couple of quick questions, how does everyone feel about the stock pickups and tuners? And I have this 'roller' bridge kicking around that I was thinking about using on this guitar. My understanding is that this type of bridge works well with guitars with detuners, but maybe it could negatively affect sustain? Any thoughts are welcome. Attachment 40821

Attachment 40838 Not sure if anyone has any better suggestions, but I found that this sprue cleaner from a totally different hobby works amazingly well at cleaning wayward stain off of guitar binding.

I've never used the stock pickups as they don't give me the sound I'm after. The ceramic magnets make them too powerful for me, so I always fit aftermarket pickups. If you always use a fair bit of distortion then they will do, but I don't like the clean tones. And with a hollow body, where changing pickups isn't anything like as easy as on a solid body with a control cavity, if you are going to change pickups, then you may as well doing it during assembly.

I'd normally go for IronGear or Tonerider pickups as being very good sounding and not expensive pickups, but if you want a more authentic Gretsch tone, then you'll have to look elsewhere. The pickups, rings and cutouts are standard humbucker-sized, whilst Gretsch pickups are a bit narrower, so you'd have to either get humbucker-sized Gretsch-style pickups, of find some wide adapter rings.

The stock tuners are generally fine. I've replaced them on my builds because I've been generally going for vintage looks or wanted locking tuners, but I've fitted them as replacements on other guitars with grotty tuners and had no issues at all.

For a guitar with a rear-mounting trem, I'd always suggest a roller bridge. You may possibly loose a little sustain, but not much. And as long as the rollers are lubricated from time to time and you make sure they don't seize up (which can happen), they can really help with tuning stability. I have a Gibson Flying V with a Maestro-style trem fitted and a roller bridge, and that stays in tune very well indeed. The Bigsby-style trem will reduce sustain to a far greater extent than a good roller bridge.

That sprue cleaner looks a good ready-made tool for binding scraping. I've made my own from a craft-knife blade and some broom handle, but I'll certainly try one of those next time.

Hi Simon, thanks for the input, looking at those Tonerider pickups right now. And also thanks for your thoughts on the roller bridge and tuners, I will push forward using both the stock tuners and upgraded roller bridge.

Ive been cautiously watching from a distance all these big hollow body builds for a while now and youre bringing me closer.
Looking good there!


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Thanks OliSam! It's my first build though, lets hope it doesn't go sideways!

Hey, a question for the group, in the GR-1SF manual, the pdf that the manual links to for the wiring diagram is titled "Alternate Wiring Diagram". I couldn't find any others, but is there a "primary" wiring diagram, and are there advantages/disadvantages to either? Thanks in advance!

Okay, stuck with the 'alternate' wiring diagram, seems to work fine. Also installed the kit pickups, but as suggested by Simon, those pickups were pretty hot for this guitar, glad I wired them with some quick disconnects. My local guitar shop had a Seymore Duncan 'Pearly Gates' humbucker bridge pickup (all I ever play on anyway) and I'm chuffed to bits with the sound, it's quickly becoming my daily driver. Thanks everyone for the encouragement, I'm inspired to try a Ernie Ball Armada(ish) guitar for my next build, wish me luck!Attachment 41122

Glad it all worked out.

Your Pearly Gates is a PAF-style humbucker, based on the bridge humbucker in Billy Gibbons' LP 'burst, so vintage level output. Not quite as clear or twangy as a Gretsch pickup, but certainly a lot more appropriate than the kit pickups.

Good luck with the next kit!

Looks good and glad to hear it's sounding and playing well for you.

Nice to see it takes pride of place in the lounge room too!

Looks great! Nice work!!