SH-1 Build.

For my first build project, I'm going to try an SH-1 kit which I'll be buying next fortnight.


I've decided on this particular kit as I've always wanted to try Headless Guitars, a year before last year I bought a Headless Guitar kit from an online company based in Ireland, I got as far as finishing the neck, but got put-off finishing the body due to some routing issues, the neck has relative ly few issues apart from some blemishes on the edge of the rosewood fingerboard, but I'm not going to worry too much about it, I'll keep the neck as a spare.


Since this is going to be my first build, and I'm a relative newbie, I'm going to finish the body of my SH-1 in a solid colour, either white, or metallic blue, the neck is going to be clear-lacquered on the back, my local Bunnings store stocks spray-cans of different coloured paint, some are Lacquers, and others are Enamels, was thinking of going with a Lacquer paint, and using some clear-gloss lacquer, Bunnings also stock several different grades of wet/dry sandpaper ranging from 360 Grit, to 1200 Grit, they stock Feast Watson wood sealer too.

Stay tuned for updates.

welcome DrNomis, not sure if there are any other Northern Territory builders so you may be the first !
SH kit plans sound good. Look forward to the build diary once you receive the kit. Metallic blue should look awesome.
Best of luck

Welcome! Sounds like a great plan you have. Looking forward to reading all about the build. If you are after finer grades of wet and dry for wet-sanding and polishing, Super-cheap Auto usually stocks 1500 and 2000.

cheers,
Gav.

Cheers mates, once I get my kit I'll try an document my build as accurately as I can in case other members are interested in building an SH-1 too, will include how I do a setup on it as well.

@ gavinturner, I checked out some of your builds, they look great.

Aww shucks, thanks dude. Looking forward to hearing all about yours!

cheers,
Gav.

Hey Dr N. ... looking forward to seeing this build come together (can't recall how long ago the last headless appeared in the build diaries) ... and don't forget - LOTS of pics

Considering the humidity you get up in the Top End you might end up having to wait until about June before you can start putting any finish on it (I spent a couple of years in Stuart Park so I know what you're going through! :D)

... so it might be a good excuse for you to consider getting a number of kits on the go and build during "the wet" and finish during "the dry"! ;)

Cheers Scott J,


Yeah, we've been getting a lot of rainy weather up here since December so I'll definitely wait till it dries up, in the meantime I'm also interested in building an SV-1 and an IB-7 too, I've never played a 7-string guitar so the IB-7 looks interesting, I have an Ibanez S420WK which I just don't like, the two Infinity pickups are too overbearing for my liking, and the S420WK's ZR Trem system just won't stay in tune for me, so I decided to retire it and get the SV-1 as a replacement.


I've got a good Digital camera so I'll be taking lots of pics for sure, I also have a small home music studio so I'll be able to make a demo clip of the finished guitars I build.

Attachment 1252Thought I would post a pic of the body of the headless guitar kit I bought from that online company based in Ireland so you can see the routing issues which put me off finishing the guitar, also, the guitar kit used a Steinberger style bridge branded Overlord Of Music, while testing the guitar out prior to finishing it, the bridge suffered a failure, basically what happened was that the threading for the master-tuning knob stripped and I was no longer able to tune the guitar up, that's why I had to replace the original bridge, was going to see if I could order a Steinberger R-Trem online as a replacement but found that they were hard to source, I did find one website where I could order one but it was going to cost me $250.00 for a complete bridge, as I said, basically the full cost of the guitar kit.


Okay, so, what are the routing issues with the body (note this is not a Pittbull guitars kit):

Issue 1, The bridge Humbucker rout is off-centre by about 2 to 3 mm (my rough estimate).


Issue 2, If you have a look at the routing for the bridge, you'll notice a screw-hole with a blue asterisk next to it, because the trench-rout for the bridge spring was routed about 5mm too wide, the screw hole is too close to the trench and because of that the screw can't be tightened.


I was considering using a Rat-Tail file to fix issue one, and gluing a piece of wood in place to fix issue two, but I've decided to abandon building the kit and buy a new SH-1 kit from Pittbull Guitars.

Have a look at Wokka's forum title (just above his avatar pic)...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WeirdBits

Have a look at Wokka's forum title (just above his avatar pic)...

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I know, I meant no disrespect to him.


@ Wokka, no dis-respect intended.

Just wondering, since I'm going for a simple finish on the body of my SH-1 build (decided I'm going with an opaque Metallic Blue Lacquer spray paint), is there anything I need to do prior to spray-painting a Basswood body?, I have a can of Feast Watson wood sealer which I've tested with the type of spray paint I want to use, it doesn't appear to react with it, can any of you advise on how many coats of spray paint and Clear Lacquer I'll need to apply?, I do understand that I'll probably need to do some sanding.

Incidentally, is the Feast Watson wood sealer going to be suitable for what I want to use it for?, or do I need to use something better?


Also, I'm going to upgrade the pickup selector switch to a 5-way type which I'll order from Stewmac.com

Hey DrN, that's a bummer about the Irish kit! One of the great things about Pit Bull is that if such drastic flaws occurred in one their kits, Adam'd straight on to it (like hair on a gorilla! :D) to ensure customer satisfaction (and we love's ya for it, Adam!).

If you're going for solid colour the basic process is ... sand, seal, sand, primer/undercoat, sand, paint, polish ... with lots more sanding in between :D ... a lot of the forumites (including myself) have had great success with a wonderful Aussie product called Timbermate - its filler, a sealer, its ... bloody useful (and even available at the Big Green shed!)

On guitar parts/tools suppliers ... you'll probably find (like I did) if you can get the part in Australia it'll be cheaper than going US when you take into account the Int'l postage AND the nose-diving Aussie dollar but having said that, quite often there's no option but to go o/s ... in which case the US is your best bet (the European suppliers have truly exorbitant prices on their stock - 2-3 times the price for the same thing in the US).

Anyway, here's a small list of just some of the suppliers that I (and some of the other forumites) have found worthy of doing business with:

REALPARTS (Aust.) - a really great range of guitar parts and Aussie-based - they sell the RealTone (US) brand of parts ... good prices, great service, quick delivery ... always my first option before going to the US
http://www.realparts.com.au/

AUSTRALIAN LUTHIER SUPPLIES - another great Aussie supplier. They don't have quite the range of bits that RealParts do but they do stock some of the more obscure bits and pieces and especially tools (where I picked up my "binding-channel-cutter-thingamajiggy") ... prices can sometimes be just a tad more expensive than RealParts but they're just the same on service, delivery ... and great tech advice - these guys are the builders of the beautiful Hancock guitars (real jazz masterpieces).
http://www.luthierssupplies.com.au/

SYDNEY GUITAR SETUPS - legendary Aussie company amongst the pro-guitarists (both local and o/s - check out his client list! its who's who of guitar players!) for his tech services (the only PLEK machine in S.E. Asia) and an incomparable range of OEM (genuine) parts for most manufacturers (except Rickenbacker - don't get him started in Rickenbacker! :D) ... his website doesn't show ANY of the range of parts but if its ever been made and used on ANY manufacturer's guitars he's probably got it (his shop is a nightmare and lot of fun ... stock and customers guitars EVEYRWHERE! :D) ... also has shops in L.A. and Nashville!
http://www.sydneyguitarsetups.com/

STEWMAC - the most awesomest range of both guitar bits and especially luthier tools and supplies ... but a bit more on the pricier side (than a lot of others) and being US-based postage to Oz can add quite a bit to the end price (especially when the Aussie dollar's taking a dive against the green-back)
http://www.stewmac.com/

GFS (Guitar Fetish) - really great range of Non-brand name (but good quality) parts as well as their own brand (especially their pickups and electronic wiring mods) and certainly one of the cheaper suppliers but again US-based (altho' their postage always seems to come in cheaper than a lot of other US suppliers) ... I'll use these guys if I cant the bit I need in Australia
http://www.guitarfetish.com/

ALLPARTS - directly comparable to GFS (US) and RealParts (Aust.) for range of stock ... I'll also use these guys if an Aussie-alternative isn't available.
http://www.allparts.com/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scott J.

Hey DrN, that's a bummer about the Irish kit! One of the great things about Pit Bull is that if such drastic flaws occurred in one their kits, Adam'd straight on to it (like hair on a gorilla! :D) to ensure customer satisfaction (and we love's ya for it, Adam!).

If you're going for solid colour the basic process is ... sand, seal, sand, primer/undercoat, sand, paint, polish ... with lots more sanding in between :D ... a lot of the forumites (including myself) have had great success with a wonderful Aussie product called Timbermate - its filler, a sealer, its ... bloody useful (and even available at the Big Green shed!)

On guitar parts/tools suppliers ... you'll probably find (like I did) if you can get the part in Australia it'll be cheaper than going US when you take into account the Int'l postage AND the nose-diving Aussie dollar but having said that, quite often there's no option but to go o/s ... in which case the US is your best bet (the European suppliers have truly exorbitant prices on their stock - 2-3 times the price for the same thing in the US).

Anyway, here's a small list of just some of the suppliers that I (and some of the other forumites) have found worthy of doing business with:

REALPARTS (Aust.) - a really great range of guitar parts and Aussie-based - they sell the RealTone (US) brand of parts ... good prices, great service, quick delivery ... always my first option before going to the US
http://www.realparts.com.au/

AUSTRALIAN LUTHIER SUPPLIES - another great Aussie supplier. They don't have quite the range of bits that RealParts do but they do stock some of the more obscure bits and pieces and especially tools (where I picked up my "binding-channel-cutter-thingamajiggy") ... prices can sometimes be just a tad more expensive than RealParts but they're just the same on service, delivery ... and great tech advice - these guys are the builders of the beautiful Hancock guitars (real jazz masterpieces).
http://www.luthierssupplies.com.au/

SYDNEY GUITAR SETUPS - legendary Aussie company amongst the pro-guitarists (both local and o/s - check out his client list! its who's who of guitar players!) for his tech services (the only PLEK machine in S.E. Asia) and an incomparable range of OEM (genuine) parts for most manufacturers (except Rickenbacker - don't get him started in Rickenbacker! :D) ... his website doesn't show ANY of the range of parts but if its ever been made and used on ANY manufacturer's guitars he's probably got it (his shop is a nightmare and lot of fun ... stock and customers guitars EVEYRWHERE! :D) ... also has shops in L.A. and Nashville!
http://www.sydneyguitarsetups.com/

STEWMAC - the most awesomest range of both guitar bits and especially luthier tools and supplies ... but a bit more on the pricier side (than a lot of others) and being US-based postage to Oz can add quite a bit to the end price (especially when the Aussie dollar's taking a dive against the green-back)
http://www.stewmac.com/

GFS (Guitar Fetish) - really great range of Non-brand name (but good quality) parts as well as their own brand (especially their pickups and electronic wiring mods) and certainly one of the cheaper suppliers but again US-based (altho' their postage always seems to come in cheaper than a lot of other US suppliers) ... I'll use these guys if I cant the bit I need in Australia
http://www.guitarfetish.com/

ALLPARTS - directly comparable to GFS (US) and RealParts (Aust.) for range of stock ... I'll also use these guys if an Aussie-alternative isn't available.
http://www.allparts.com/

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Hey cheers for that Scott J, much appreciated mate.

I'll keep all that in mind when it comes to finishing the SH-1 build, I might see if my local Bunnings store stocks Timbermate next week, been hearing a lot about that PLEK guitar setup machine, might check them out and see if they have a website up and running, I'm on Stewmac's mailing list and they send me a copy of their latest catalogue when it's available, will definitely have to check out those other companies you mentioned too.

Here's the website for the PLEK company ...

http://www.plek.com/

... it's a pretty bloody amazing machine, I've been fortunate to have Anthony (Sydney Guitar Setups) step me through its workings and watch it in operation. If you're looking for absolute precision (think hundredths of a mm) in every facet of your guitars set-up then it's the way to go - the type of precision that only the German's would create a machine to achieve! :D

But be warned - having a guitar PLEK-ed is a damn expensive venture! (starting at the several hundred's of dollars! :eek: ), but then the machine itself costs several hundred of thousands of dollars :eek: :eek: , so I guess its pretty relative!

Plek machines can also do a lot of damage to fingerboards. I know of a few luthiers here in Sydney and in Melbourne who get a fair bit of business fixing up fingerboards and frets after the Plek machine has chewed them up.

Just been checking out all the different finishes available from Pittbull Guitars after watching some of the tutorial videos, they make the whole finishing process look a lot easier than I thought it was, just been considering going with the Bondi Blue Dingotone finishing kit, or I could go with one of the Wudtone options.

Sorry that there hasn't been any build updates, I'm going to have to defer buying my SH-1 kit till maybe some time next month since I need to put the money towards some other things, I found out that I need to buy some replacement tuners for the replacement tuners on my Gibson USA Les Paul Studio guitar, a few the original Kluson Deluxe tuners had significant backlash making tuning difficult, so I tried replacing them with a set of Grover Rotomatics (non-locking), I though that had fixed things but now they need replacing as there are three of them with backlash, been having a real rough time with sets of tuners lately, pretty much all the sets of tuners I've bough have had backlash even when brand new, anyway, once I have bought my SH-1 kit I'll definitely keep you all posted.

Oh, I also need to buy a new digital camera as my current one isn't working too well.

A Gibson Les Paul with tuning problems, what a shock! (sarcasm alert)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fretworn

A Gibson Les Paul with tuning problems, what a shock! (sarcasm alert)

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Hey, don't worry Fretworn & Dr.N ... Gibson are currently taking steps to rectify this long standing "tuning" problem with their guitars ... all new Gibson models from this year onwards will have Gibson's "auto-tune" units mounted on the headstocks! :eek:

(let's just bump that sarcasm alert up a notch! :D)

... and you thought you were having problems before!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scott J.

Hey, don't worry Fretworn & Dr.N ... Gibson are currently taking steps to rectify this long standing "tuning" problem with their guitars ... all new Gibson models from this year onwards will have Gibson's "auto-tune" units mounted on the headstocks! :eek:

(let's just bump that sarcasm alert up a notch! :D)

... and you thought you were having problems before!

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I did some internet research and as it turns out, I'm not the only LP Studio owner that's experiencing tuning problems, I found an online company (realparts.com.au) that stock the tuners I need, it's only going to cost me $72.00 for a set of 6, but I'm going to buy two sets just in case I get a few bad tuners.


Gibson guitars aren't the only ones experiencing tuning problems, Fender guitars are too, so I don't think it has anything to do with the Gibson headstock, I reckon it's a case of a lapse in quality control, PRS guitars aren't without tuning problems either.