Got my first kit!

Hey!

So on Tuesday I received my first kit for my 16th birthday.
I've been playing guitar for a long time now (here's a demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVKG1...re=context-cha keep in mind that video is completely improvised and not at all put into a full sequence of parts unfortunately.)

I got the SV-1 kit I think it's called and with many years of guitar geekyness and obsession with the instrument in my life, I'm very glad to say that this kit has come with greater quality than I would have originally expected!

The inlay is beautiful to say the least, definitely not a print, the size is very suitable for the scale length and the quality of the wood is astounding! One thing that worried me was one of the fine tuners of the Floyd Rose had fallen off in the bag and I was worried that it had fallen off without noticing in the factory and I'd have to go out and buy a new set but fortunately it was just hiding in the bag!

I'll be giving it a white finish (boring I know but I'll try make it still appealing!)
Can't wait to begin, and I hope I get a nice guitar of the month thing when I've finished!
But I'll definitely be putting lots of time and effort into it so I don't think I'll be finished in a little while!

Thankyou Adam for this beautiful kit!

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 6, 2012, 20:21
Can't wait to begin, and I hope I get a nice guitar of the month thing when I've finished!
But I'll definitely be putting lots of time and effort into it so I don't think I'll be finished in a little while!

Thankyou Adam for this beautiful kit!

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Congratulations, Mitchell! You've got the right idea- apply lots of patience and care and you will have an outstanding axe.

Keep us posted on your progress, plenty of photos, and we're here to answer questions or offer suggestions if you need a hand!

Hey Mitchell, thanks for the post, glad you like your SV-1 kit. You're right, it's a great kit for the price.

Its good that you're not rushing into it too. Patience is the key. And I like your choice of white.

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Cheers

I'll make sure to take plenty of progress photos!

One question I do have, what will I need to do to paint it white and get that nice mirror look, I watched some of the instructional videos, but your base coat is white, does that mean I can just do that and it'll be finished with on that side of thing? Or will I need to do other things to it as well?

Thankyou in advance!

Mitchell, I strongly suggest you do a lot of research before painting. A couple of guys on this forum will be able to help you too.

The simplest method is to use a white acrylic spray which you can get from auto stores. Plus you'll need a clear acrylic lacquer spray as well to do a clear protective coat.

The key to a good finish is sanding lightly between coats. Remember, lots of thin coats is better than a few heavy coats.

Check out YouTube and other sites for some tips on painting.

Great choice for your first build Mitchell!
So glad to see that you are going to take your time with the build. Taking it slowly will reward you with an axe that will be the envy of your peers.
Just make sure that you do a mock up build before you paint, check your scale length and neck fit and then you wont get any surprizes when you have painted and go to do your final assembly.
Read all the postings put up by Dmac as he knows what he is doing and don't hesitate to ask for advice, as Adam said the forum members are here to share years of knowledge and experience to help you.
Good luck!

Dingobass.

Alrighty guys, today I did ALLOT of sanding, I mean, allot, hours and hours.
And it's now 10 pm and I just finished doing the first layer, but it looks pretty patchy unfortunately, there's patches with not enough paint, patches with too much paint, and patches where paint is dripping, will I be able to fix all that up somehow?

Also, the back plate that covers the floating tremolo system from behind, there's no routing to accomodate for that, is that supposed to happen?
Or has there been a mistake?

I also inhaled way too much paint... Oh well, my insides will look white and lovely now! ;)

Hi Mitchell,
Don't panic about the runs in your paint. Let it dry and sand them back. You will need to do 4-5 coats at least to get a good coverage with no "peep through" from the timber. Remember to mask the neck pocket and pup routs and remove after each coat is touch dry. Painting takes some practice but I am sure that by the time you have done the white base coats you will be proficient 8-)
As far as I am aware, the back cover plate is not recessed, but I am sure that Adam will know for sure.
Good luck,
Dingobass

Alright, thanks Dingo!

Also, my can is quite a bit lighter since I bought it, can it really already be nearly out?
Or is it just how spray paint works, gets more efficient when it gets lower, kinda like atomic power if you will. =P

Glad to help Mitchell,
Spray cans do run out rather quickly....
It may also be a good idea to get a mask so you don't breath in the paint 8O
Also, hold the can at least 30cm away from the job and use sweeping motions, you will get a thin even coat that way.
The more coats the better!, especially if you are not putting a colour over it.

Dingobass.

Alright, thankyou heaps for the help!

No dramas Mate, glad to help.

Just another thing, it's very hard to get the spray paint in the little tricky bits like the hand place thing!
How do you suggest doing that?

Make a cardboard shield with the handhole shape cut out of it. You will need to spray this section first. Use a couple of pieces of masking tape to hold it in place and spray away!. By using a shield you will avoid getting those annoying runs on the rest of the job.
Don't forget to post pics of your progress, we are all really interested to see how your Axe turns out.

Dingobass


It is all about the bottom end...

Hi Mitchell,

Looks like DingoBass has got you covered.

Don't be disappointed that its not all happening perfectly for you first time. A spray painting qualification, for the auto industry, can take years.

My input is, watch as many videos on YouTube about painting as you can. And lots of light coats is the best option. Its ok if its patchy at the start, that should even out when you get more coats on.

Oh, on the back plate. No, there is no rout for the back plate, that's just how it comes. Of course, if you know someone with a router, there's nothing stopping you from making one. On my SV-1, I just mounted the back plate without the rout. It works nicely as a belt buckle protector that way.

Adam's got some of my ideas on painting, but a couple of things as a preview:

1. The guitar isn't in a hurry. It's got all day. So let the guitar dictate the pace.

2. I see you've already started, but I really encourage people to buy an extra can and practice on some cardboard or scrap. You don't go on stage and expect to play a piece well without practicing it. Spraying is no different.

3. Relax and enjoy the process, instead of hurrying. This is your baby- savour every minute of it instead of rushing it! If you wanted a guitar that's ready in a day or two, you should have bought a finished one.

4. Mask off the neck pocket and pickup routes. No paint in there, please!

5. Follow your nose.

6. Have you adapted your paint timetable for the type of wood?

Well, that's more than a couple...

Enjoy!

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Quote from dmac on October 15, 2012, 13:26
Adam's got some of my ideas on painting, but a couple of things as a preview:

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dMac, can we post that script you did for basic painting, I think it would be of great benefit for a few people on here. It will take me a while to make that into a video.

Cheers

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Quote from adam on October 15, 2012, 18:20

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Quote from dmac on October 15, 2012, 13:26
Adam's got some of my ideas on painting, but a couple of things as a preview:

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dMac, can we post that script you did for basic painting, I think it would be of great benefit for a few people on here. It will take me a while to make that into a video.

Cheers

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Yep, no problem! ;)

If he's willing, run it past Dingobass as well everyone has fresh ideas, and a lot of the preparation work would be the same, no matter what the end finish.

If it reads better, you can muck around with the order of some of the ideas. I pretty well wrote it down as it came to me.

Hello again friends!

I've since finished doing the painting and it looks lovely. I don't want to blow my own horn but I think it has turned out nicely with that nice gloss.

But now I've come to a couple more problems, I went to put the neck in the pocket, just to make sure it fits to find out any problems I may have, and it doesn't fit! So I sanded it down a little, it fits now.
Then I tried to see if the scratchplate would fit over... It didn't, so I fixed that up.
Now it fits nicely!

But one problem I have now, I checked out the video Adam has on wiring the guitar, you have a purple wire, a blue wire and a grey wire.
Well for some reason I have a grey wire, a white wire and a purple wire. So I'm quite confused of what to do about this!

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 20, 2012, 07:14
Hello again friends!

I've since finished doing the painting and it looks lovely. I don't want to blow my own horn but I think it has turned out nicely with that nice gloss.

But now I've come to a couple more problems, I went to put the neck in the pocket, just to make sure it fits to find out any problems I may have, and it doesn't fit! So I sanded it down a little, it fits now.
Then I tried to see if the scratchplate would fit over... It didn't, so I fixed that up.
Now it fits nicely!

But one problem I have now, I checked out the video Adam has on wiring the guitar, you have a purple wire, a blue wire and a grey wire.
Well for some reason I have a grey wire, a white wire and a purple wire. So I'm quite confused of what to do about this!

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Sorry to hear you're having problems Mitchell, at east it sounds like you're overcoming them. Don't pay any attention to the colour of the wires in the video, they will be different to yours. All you have to do on the SV-1 is wire the output jack (two wires, one hot, one earth - the hot will be a coated wire, the earth bare). Then you take the third wire (earth) and solder it to your bridge; this earths the whole guitar. Let me know if you're still stuck.

And send photos so we can see your handiwork!

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the hot will be a coated wire

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I just went downstairs to the garage to check the wires, they all look pretty much the same, how do I know wether or not it's coated?

Also, I have plenty of photos of my progress, but I'm having difficulty uploading it to here unfortunately!

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 20, 2012, 07:53

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the hot will be a coated wire

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I just went downstairs to the garage to check the wires, they all look pretty much the same, how do I know wether or not it's coated?

Also, I have plenty of photos of my progress, but I'm having difficulty uploading it to here unfortunately!

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There should be two wires together and another wire, all coming off the same pot. Plug a lead from an amp into the output jack and test the wires on the contact points on the output jack until you get a signal. If you've got alligator clips, then use them. If not, just try touching the wires manually. You can't damage any of the electronics.

If you want email me your photos, I'll put them up for you.

That is how it's set out with the two wires together and another wire, does that mean the wire on it's own would be the hotwire?

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 20, 2012, 08:39
That is how it's set out with the two wires together and another wire, does that mean the wire on it's own would be the hotwire?

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Nope, the wire on its own is the earth wire that goes to the bridge to earth the guitar. It goes through the hole in the body of the guitar and you solder it to the metal bridge.. as I show in the video.

So, play with the other two wires on the output jack until you get a signal through your amp. I'm sure one of the wires has a white coating, if so, that is the hot wire and it gets soldered to the "hot" contact point on the output jack.

Alright sweet,
Thanks heaps man!

Anyway, I'll send you that picture! What's your email?

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 20, 2012, 08:48
Alright sweet,
Thanks heaps man!

Anyway, I'll send you that picture! What's your email?

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Adam@pitbullguitars.com

If you still can't get the wiring right, take some photos, close up on the wires, and I'll tell you which wire goes where.

Just sent the pictures, sorry about the delay I got sidetracked and completely forgot! =P

Here's Mitchell's white SV-1. For the problems you said you had, that finish looks fantastic. What paint did you use? Did you use a clear gloss to finish or is that just the spray paint finish?


http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...l-SV-white.jpg

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 20, 2012, 07:14
I've since finished doing the painting...

I went to put the neck in the pocket, just to make sure it fits to find out any problems I may have, and it doesn't fit! So I sanded it down a little, it fits now.

Then I tried to see if the scratchplate would fit over... It didn't, so I fixed that up. Now it fits nicely!

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I'm not having a go at you, Mitchell, but I'd like to point out from your experience-

1. Do a dummy build before you start the finish;
2. Keep paint out of the neck pocket; and
3. The neck doesn't just fit, you have to spend a few minutes setting it up, otherwise it will be difficult to play, impossible to tune, and have no sustain.

Adam, I used White Knight white spray paint then a gloss lacquer spray over the top, about a billion layers of each. =D

I have definitely been taking away the paint from the neck pocket and pickups holes etc, and I know the reasonings for that.

I did do a practice go on a peice of scrap wood to get the feel but I unfortunately don't have the money to buy a kit just to have in ruin!

I don't understand what you mean by setting the neck up, what more do I have to do installing-wise to get it perfect other than sitting it in and screwing it in?

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 20, 2012, 12:02
I did do a practice go on a peice of scrap wood to get the feel but I unfortunately don't have the money to buy a kit just to have in ruin!

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You got the box the kit came in? :D

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Quote from MitchellJBurgess on October 20, 2012, 12:02

I don't understand what you mean by setting the neck up, what more do I have to do installing-wise to get it perfect other than sitting it in and screwing it in?

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There is an article in "Setting up your Pit Bull Guitar" on how to set the neck up properly in the three dimensions. It is the most important thing in building/preparing a guitar.

Hey Mitchell,

That Axe is HOT! Super sexy.
Well done young man. :D

Dingobass.

Alright, thanks for the help!
And of course Adam,
And of course also Dingobass!

And thankyou for the compliment!

Hey Mitchell,

No probs Mate.
Hope you have many good years with that axe!
Don't ever be afraid of upgrading and playing around with it. As you grow as a musician, let it grow with you.
As time passes you will find your sound will change but always cherish where you started and never put your self down!
All the best, and here is to a life time of making great music!

Dingobass

Mitchell, are you using an acrylic enamel paint or simply an acrylic. Enamel paint takes much longer to cure ant this might be why the paint is still wet. Otherwise, if you are using the correct paint you need to allow the paint time to dry. Poor weather conditions may extend the drying period. Be mindful of this. Good luck!