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Hi. New builder here ... Starting with SV1 ... I noticed that the little posts (bushings?) on which the bridge is meant to mount are not drilled exactly level (one is a good 2.5mm close to the pickup than the other) am I correct in assuming they should be more aligned? And can I simply glue one shut and re-drill one that lines up more closely?
Hi LeonJ,
I have not built this kit. I know the bridge post holes are on an angle for the tune-o-matic style bridges, but not sure for the floyd rose. I do not recall hearing about this issue before on the forum!
Looking at the pictures of the SV-1 kit on the PB site the post holes look symmetrical!
Can you post a picture?
If it is a problem, yes you could glue some dowel into one hole and redrill it.
Sure, and thanks for the help ... Picture attached. If I leave this unchanged the Floyd rose sits at an angle, which I assume is not how it is meant to sit?Attachment 45338
Ok, thank goodness I'm still on leave, so I can obsess over this (right). I found an online template confirming that the holes should be equidistant from the centreline of the neck and also from the nut, so I'll measure and re-drill one hole... Thanks for looking out, all the builds and helpful hints on here were amazing
Coming to the party late...but FWIW, they are definitely not aligned correctly. Even if it were slightly at an angle (as TD suggested is the case sometimes with TOM bridges...the bass side would be farther from the pickup, not closer. I haven't built one of these either, but it just can't be right the way it look.
Might be good to check to make sure the other one is aligned properly. You'd measure from the fretboard-side of the nut to the high-E saddle to make sure you can adjust the saddle to be 25.5" (650mm). You may also want to make sure the strings align will with the fretboard and are not off center.
One other thing, if you haven't done so already is that it might be a good idea to start a build diary. I'm sure there will be interest in your build.
That hole alignment picture does not look like the ones shown on the PB site! I would dowel and redrill!
As fender3x suggest I would also check the string alignment with the fretboard with the floyd rose in place. The holes look symmetrical with the pup routes - but best to double check.
+1 for also starting a build diary.
Thank you for confirming about the scale length - I was still trying to make sure I understood this correctly!
Ok, I was going to say I'm glad it wasn't just me - but that means I need to pretend to be a carpenter now ;-) I've just put a dowel in - will redrill and check - if not, I'll do it all again.
Really appreciate the help ... As for the diary ... what, more admin?!? might make sure the entire thing doesn't collapse on me once I crank my first tune before I share my work ...
Looking at your pic and the one in the PB store I suspect the one nearest the PU cavity will be the one that's out but given that the PB kits are generally pretty good I wouldn't be surprised if this is a last one before knock off and they're both not outQuote:
Originally Posted by LeonJ
1+ On DK's reasoning. The PB kits tend to be pretty good, but I suspect that the factory uses templates for drilling, so even if the weekend did not begin a little early when this one was drilled if the template is off for one...
I try to dry-fit and check everything I can before finish (or glue!) goes on, on the logic that it's easier to deal with alignment problems at the beginning than at the end. In your case this is a low risk fix. If you don't get the alignment right the first time you can always re-dowel and re-drill and no one will ever know. I have a couple of archtops that needed re-drilling. They both got solid color tops that cover not just the factory "issues" but also my poorly executed first attempts at correcting those issues.
It never occurred to me that pushing the build diary might seem bureaucratic. If you go back and look at my first one (ESB-4) you'll see that folks tend to be helpful and kind even when it's clear that the builder is in over his head and has no idea what he's doing ;-)
The diary is a good place to work out problems before the fact, and get some advice before committing. I think when folks have posted mistakes in their build diaries, the most common response is "been there." I try to post my mistakes and hope that someone else may avoid making them. More practically, I have generally gotten suggestions about how to fix them that would not have occurred to me on my own.
In my day job, however, I have been working on a project to cut down on administrative burden. If it feels burdensome to you, no worries!
So, I haven't gotten round to a diary (sorry, not being obtuse, just haven't made time), but I should mention that the one BIG aim with this was to gain some understanding of the basic mechanics around the construction of a guitar. This is my experiment, and will continue to be my guinea pig for a number of things (including learning to use a floating bridge, swapping pickups, and other DIY ambitions I have. This is why I rushed it a little and why I was not too bothered with fancy finishes - I wanted to retain the wood colour and tone... IT WAS THE MOST FUN I'VE HAD IN YEARS! and I anticipate more to come from this kit alone.
Thank you to all those who offered advice - it helped tremendously! the "finished" product is included here - pre any modifications I might try my hand at.
I call it my "LIEbanez" for obvious reasons ;) It looks a little jaundiced but I absolutely love playing it!Attachment 45354
Well done. It looks nice, and it is great that you like playing it.
I love the idea of having a guinea pig guitar that you are willing to work on.
Looks pretty good to me! Enjoying playing an instrument you made is more than worth the price of admission I find ;-)
You have to be careful with that guinea pig idea though. Some time ago I bought a cheap Chinese Jazz bass (an SX) thinking I would mod it a little. First I replaced the pickups and electronics. Then I practiced doing a setup on it before doing my first "real" setup and added a bone nut. It started to play well, so I replaced the pickups and electronics again, and added lighter tuners, a new pickguard and control plate. Then straplocks. I have a locking bridge for it, a new, lighter body on the painting rack, and I have shaped the headstock for a new neck... I think my little mod has gotten a bit out of control.