Benj and his PBG-1

Hey all,

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus since buying one of the first ST-1 kits from Adam (didn’t go as planned – may be able to save it down the track but I have neither the tools nor expertise at the moment), due to personal and work issues, but I’m back!

I can’t believe how this community has just taken off since it started up, I’ve been lurking for a few days now and there is some great content put up here by some really knowledgeable and helpful people, awesome to see, because I am gonna need all of that knowledge and help!

I’ve purchased a PBG-1, with some Olympic Girl (No Gloss, No Ageing Tint), Colourless Neck, plus all the little goodies the guys provide (shielding, gloves, sandpaper). I haven’t seen a PBG1 build yet, but it has everything I need, black hardware (to go against the white body), two humbuckers and an awesome shape (plus the already shaped headstock helps my cause – I’m rubbish if I have to cut and shape!).

Package should be arriving today according to Australia Post, so I’ll post up tonight the opening, I’ll see if I can video it for y’all! I’m not planning anything radical with this build, whenever I start on these things, I make massive plans and go off ordering all sorts from other suppliers, and the waiting times seem to screw with the rhythm of the build. Im just sticking to standard (which from all reports is awesome) and then later I can look at upgrades as needed.

After the unveiling tonight, I’ll be sorting everything, test fitting, pre-drilling anything that needs it and then…… SANDING!

Any opening tips from you lads (or ladies, not sure if we have any luthierettes?) would be awesome. Let me know if you’ve done this build and if there are any lil secrets to learn.

Cheers, Benj

Hi Benj,

as a newb myself now working on my second kit, what I've learned to date is that prebuilding is critical for 2 reasons, checking the fit before you lock in something that won't work, and more importantly, it will let you know if you understand how to progress. If you can't make sense of the neck fit or alignment, the bridge to 12, 12 to nut lengths and tolerances etc etc, stop and seek the gurus, they're great. It's prebuild or rebuild.

Second big lesson has been that not all sandpapers are created equal. The stuff the pitbull guys provide is materially better than anything I've sourced from the local hardware chains. Third lesson is also sanding related. Do lots of it before applying any stain or paint. Wetting the body to find glue spots and to fluff up fibres is also a neat trick if its a bass wood body.

Last but by no means least, patience. When you get to staining, let it cure between coats. If like me you struggle with patience there is a strategy that seems to work for some on this forum and its one I've now subscribed to. Build 2 at a time. :)

Good luck.

Cheers
Glenno

Awesome, Cheers Glenno. After having read a whole bunch of people's amazing build threads, I've definitely received the message that sanding and patience are probably the two most important things when making the guitar.

Now one of the things I'm slightly confused about is setting up the neck. I read through a tutorial, I think it was DB's, that shows the yellow Les Paul double cutaway with the lines showing lengths etc, which is great, but once you have it all aligned, how do you hold it in place to be able to drill your neck screw holes?

Depends? :?

Gav pulled this brilliant collection of how too's and it might cover it. http://pitbullguitars.com/?page_id=4...iewtopic&t=302

My Tele is bolt in also and my plan is to use the 4 predrilled holes as guides, locating the best pivot point from which to make adjustments if required. In my case, given the fit of the neck in prebuild, the top hole nearest the neck is the point from which I'll start, fitting that screw first and using this to keep everything in check.

So when the time comes I'll use some cardboard or paper as a shim to set the neck in tight enough to hold it in the right position, drill and fit my first screw, then remove it and the shims, refit the screw, then sort the rest out.

It's probably not the right way, but its a way.

Knowing how this forum works, one of the gurus will be along sometime soon with an assist.

I was tossing up between a PBG-1 and a PRS-1S for my next build. I ended up going with the PRS-1G because I've wanted one longer, and I think I'm going to like the figured maple. I'm also keen to try the "string through body" type thing, and then I think I've got a guitar with every type of (common) bridge except a Bigsby. It's also "on board with driver", so I should be opening up a package tonight as well.

I'll watch your build diary with interest.

I did my tele bolt on a bit like Glenn as well. Bang one screw in to hold it "kinda close" and get the rest right off that. Then you can just re-adjust the first screw as required.

Benj - my recommendation on holding the thing together is 2 x Irwin quick grip clamps - the ones with the metal bar through them to allow for some large adjustment and 2 x Irwin quick grip small clamps. I tried with just 2 of the larger ones and tape and an hour or so of stuffing around and ... then went out and picked up some of the small clamps and 10 mins of work later, had a resolution. There are alternate versions of the clamps, from memory the cost differential wasn't massive so I went with the originals.

See DB's happy snappies of his P-Bass setup in my build diary (page 2) http://pitbullguitars.com/?page_id=4...wtopic&t=280.0 for a demo of the clamps and where to put them in the setup process. After then just keep the one holding the neck in place on, carefully turn it over and drill away. There can be some stuffing around to get it in just the right spot so you can drill, but it can be done. Make sure though that you get the depth right on the drill - don't want to have to put some extra dots on the fretboard. I'm planning on using the same process on all my guitars - lot simpler and easier.

Balls, just went on to Aussie Post and they have updated the ETA as 09/07/2013. I was hoping to work on it over the weekend. No matter, must practice patience!
It'll give me time to get some of the Irwin clamps and some other bits and pieces...

Turns out the guys at PitBull are even cooler than we thought! Phil was in my area and dropped off the PGB-1, luthiers kit and sandpaper kit, and I only ordered the buggers yesterday! Mass kudos to the PBG team, forever impressive.
So I had a look at the kit at lunch time (I am housesitting literally 3 minutes from my work) and it all looks awesome! There is some beautiful grain in the basswood that I think will show up amazing with the Wudtone, although if I had more experience, I would have liked to have used something dark before the Olympic Girl to really highlight the grain, but hey, I'm a happy chap at the moment.
It's gonna be a constructive weekend as I want to have the gat ready for wudtone, which should arrive mid next week I think?

So anywho, I went through the packets and it looks like everythings there, the quality of the items is just great and one thing I did notice is that the neck fits incredibly snugly into the pocket. Does this mean I dont need to adjust it? I can literally put the neck in and pick the body up by the neck...

Cheers all, really looking forward to kicking this all off tonight

Benj

Bah. Mine got delivered to the wrong address, so it's now "in transit" again. If PBG were *really* serious about customer service DB would hand deliver mine as well.

Quote:

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/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from phloggy on July 5, 2013, 14:54
Bah. Mine got delivered to the wrong address, so it's now "in transit" again. If PBG were *really* serious about customer service DB would hand deliver mine as well.

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Careful what you wish for Phloggy, DB is likely to be a tad thirsty by the time he arrives there.....result, no more beers left in your bar-fridge!

OK so I'm home alone with the new toy. Pics below of the unveiling. Looks awesome, a couple of tiny little filler holes (i think) both of which look like they go straight through the body, but are hardly noticeable as they are around 1mm in diameter. not sure if you can see on the photos but they are just to the top right of the bridge pickup and just below-right of the bottom left bridge hole.

I'm not overly fussed about them and I'll see how they show after sanding. Now I need some guidance on a) where to put the strap button holes and how to line up the tuning pegs, as the video I watched had a straight line to gauge from. Gonna get started on sanding now, might be awhile...
http://i.imgur.com/w2vDF96.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gEapkhB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YEsE1lT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EX8Gcbj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cZOTsJB.jpg

For the strap button, check the picture. I assume the forward most area would work best, but if you're doing a test build you can check the balance with a strap. Or, you could use straplocks.

As for tuners, put them in the holes and do the nut up finger tight and then play with them until they look just right. Then all you gotta do is mark where the screws go with a pencil or a marker. They don't have to be perfectly straight up and down, as long as they don't interfere with each other you're golden.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...3026213315.jpg

OK so after a boatload of sanding, drilling and test fitting over the weekend, I am ready to roll.

Really happy with the fit of the neck and the looks of the body. Some of the grain is just awesome, especially for Basswood.

I received the Wudtone today, cant wait to get cracking on it, but I just wanted to know, if I am doing a colourless neck finish but I want the face of my headstock to be white, whats the best way to do this?

Do I do the face first, then the neck? The other way round? Both at the same time?

Love to hear your thoughts, cheers in advance!

Lightest transparent colours first....always!
This helps you cover up the mistakes with the darker solid colours!

Thanks Gav, much appreciated. So best to do the neck until I’m happy with it, maybe allow a few extra days after to let it really set, then mask off the sides of the headstock (with blue painters tape of course) and go at it with the Olympic girl as I would do with the body?

Yes! Reckon DB will concur....since it was he who taught me that rule in the first place! :)

Managed to get the empty office unit next to my work to use as a dust-free wudtone working area! Put on the first layer of neck finish as well as one coat of body finish (Olympic Girl). The neck looks beautiful, still sticky but its only been 5 hours. The body literally just looks like ive wet it, it hasnt gone white at all, but I'm sure that will build up with multiple coats over the next week or so.
Quick Q, Im in an office block, so its insulated, but the place where I'm storing them isnt heated/air-conned, how long should they take between coats?
Cheers
EDIT: And I'm in North Perth, so it's bloody cold, as im sure that makes a difference.

Benj - my bass is outside in a tin shed out Hillarys way and 2 days break between coats seems to be fine. Shouldn't be any colder in North Perth in an insulated office block, but I'd still go the 2 days...

I have got 2 coats on the neck, looking fab. Also got 2 coats on the body, however…….. before I go any further, (and I really hope I haven’t balls’d this up), I was given 2 bottles of white, looking very similar, one labelled ‘Coloured Base Olympic’ and the other labelled ‘White Base’.

Is there an order to these two? I really hope I haven’t corked it up…