SG-2 by Nitroburner1000

Big sorry to everyone but i just couldnt wait. I just took the plunge and bought my second guitar. YAY!!!
i was tossing up between the TL-1, LP-1P, an SG-1 or the SG-2.
Wanted a guitar with a bolt on neck again, but didnt want to wait the 6 weeks for the SG-2 . But i got a message from Adam Boyle and he said he had a spare SG-2 that someone didnt want!
He did me an awesome deal with a SG-1 gold hardware kit.
Thanks again Adam....

So here is the start of my second build with no guitar yet! pretty sad hey? Who cares, i have the bug.

Haha good stuff Nitro. May the GAS be with you!

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

Haha good stuff Nitro. May the GAS be with you!

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Cheers mate, I feel inflated already! Lol

Good stuff Nitro! Nothing like diving right in, what are your plans on this one?

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

Good stuff Nitro! Nothing like diving right in, what are your plans on this one?

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Well im going for a stained natural finish, in a deep gold or burnt orange, prob a high gloss finish again, gold hardware, tiger abalone pickguard, warman triple g-rail humbuckers and probably 3 mini switches. The rest stock. At least thats my plan. Lol

plans sound great Nitro, when are you expecting the kit to arrive ? Pity the SG-2 is basswood and doesn't come with a flame maple veneer

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

plans sound great Nitro, when are you expecting the kit to arrive ? Pity the SG-2 is basswood and doesn't come with a flame maple veneer

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The kit should arrive in a couple of weeks. I didnt want the flame top because in gonna try something different to get the basswood grain to pop. It could work or it could flop will have to see. Will write what i did if it works out. Heres crossing fingers. Will try it on some bland pine first.

sounds good Nitro, I have seen some pretty nice basswood grain so fingers crossed. I've even see the grain popped with a black stain before the stain colour goes on

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

sounds good Nitro, I have seen some pretty nice basswood grain so fingers crossed. I've even see the grain popped with a black stain before the stain colour goes on

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Yea i hear ya, thats one of the things i want to try, using black not ebony as the base stain , and trying chocolate brown stain also to see if the subtle approach looks good. I can mix them myself as i have plenty of painters universal stainers. Might try to finely score the grain with a scalpel before i base stain, to eccentuate the grain will hafta see.

cool sounds good Nitro, remember the SG-2 has a much bigger pickguard so may cover some of your nice stain work. You could always cut the size of the pickguard and re-shape it. From memory my 4D buddy Wayne built one of these kits and the pup cavities were too big to cover with a pup ring but the pup cavities may have changed since

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

cool sounds good Nitro, remember the SG-2 has a much bigger pickguard so may cover some of your nice stain work. You could always cut the size of the pickguard and re-shape it. From memory my 4D buddy Wayne built one of these kits and the pup cavities were too big to cover with a pup ring but the pup cavities may have changed since

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Ok wokka ill keep that in mind. Reshaping the pickguard slightly sounds like a cool idea. Will check the cavities when it arrives and let you know. will def need more advice. Cheers.

Ok been checking out the pickguard sizes from the one that is supplied with the kit to the one on ebay i want to buy. I think the original Gibson SG ha a longer neck so the pickguard is different, its also bigger because it has holes drilled in it for the bridge. Im not too worried, i want to customise it. So question is do you use a dremmel to reshape it and to get the bevelled edge?
Pictures below..
The pickguard i want to get.....

Attachment 12765 Attachment 12766

The standard pickguard supplied by Pitbull

Attachment 12767

Gibson SG standard and Pitbull SG-2

Attachment 12769 Attachment 12770

Now that looks nice...
You could use a dremmel, a router table or hand file it

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Originally Posted by stan

Now that looks nice...
You could use a dremmel, a router table or hand file it

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Thanks mate, will use a dremmel, any excuse to go out and buy another tool! Cheers

Hi Nitro, I use a flat file to bevel the pickguard edges, you could use a dremmel but if you slip could mark the top of the pickguard.
Up to you but dremmels are a pretty handy tool, they can be used for many different jobs

just go slow with the Dremel on plastics or it will melt them

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

Hi Nitro, I use a flat file to bevel the pickguard edges, you could use a dremmel but if you slip could mark the top of the pickguard.
Up to you but dremmels are a pretty handy tool, they can be used for many different jobs

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Ok, i might use a dremmel to rough out the size then finish off with a flat file. Might buy a dremmel stand as well. Cheers

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Originally Posted by Dedman

just go slow with the Dremel on plastics or it will melt them

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Thanks, good point

Package arrived a few days ago but i was away. picked it up last night when i got back.
Looks really good, checked all the pieces were there, got 2 pickguards to choose from. Nice grain on the fetboard.

Attachment 12939 Attachment 12940 Attachment 12941

nice one Nitro that rosewood grain does look sweet. How is the neck fit in the pocket ?

Here is where it changes. Seems like my original plans might be thwarted. After visiting my Luthier relative he convinced me to do a veneer as the basswood doesnt have much character..
Hes given me 2 to choose from. So will have to have a rethink on the colours im going to use. What do you guys think? I want to do the headstock in the same veneer.

Northern California Claro Walnut (on the left) and Zebrano or Zebra Wood (on the right)

Attachment 12942 Attachment 12943

I also have English Sycamore but that seems to be a bit light. May use that on the back if the front goes ok and i get a bit more adventurous.

wow nice looking veneers Nitro !! The walnut is very dark so presume that would need to be a natural finish. The zebrano looks very nice too. Id lay the body over both veneers and make sure there is enough for the body and headstock, that may make the decision for you if there's not enough for one type.
I prefer the grain in the walnut looks sick as !
EDIT If you have a look at SimpleOne's (Simon's) 1st scratch build I think his top was zebrano so should give you an idea how it looks. Think it may even be his avatar pic too

This is what the walnut looks like finished...

Attachment 12947 Attachment 12948


Attachment 12949 Attachment 12950

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

wow nice looking veneers Nitro !! The walnut is very dark so presume that would need to be a natural finish. The zebrano looks very nice too. Id lay the body over both veneers and make sure there is enough for the body and headstock, that may make the decision for you if there's not enough for one type.
I prefer the grain in the walnut looks sick as !

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Yes i think your right Wokka, a straight clear and theres plent of walnut to go round. i will do a join of the 2 pieces down the middle and pick the best sides.
Might ditch the pickguards..

EDIT...will check the pics cheers.

wow think we've seen some of your luthier rellys work before he had an axe for sale for about $5k. Very nice work. He's used a much thicker drop top but that walnut looks unreal
I edited my last comment since you read it

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

wow think we've seen some of your luthier rellys work before he had an axe for sale for about $5k. Very nice work. He's used a much thicker drop top but that walnut looks unreal
I edited my last comment since you read it

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Sorry mate i might have misled you, i just pulled those finished axe pix from the net to give an idea of what the timber will look like with a clear on..OOPPSS!!

ah no worries Nitro must have been another forumite that had a bro in law's axes for sale !

Looks like walnut veneer is your choice at this stage

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

ah no worries Nitro must have been another forumite that had a bro in law's axes for sale !

Looks like walnut veneer is your choice at this stage

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Ha Ha, yea mine just not these guitars... So walnut it is unless i stuff up the veneer cutting, then Zebrano it is!!

at least you have a backup plan Nitro with the zebrano veneer. If you have digital verniers be nice to know the thickness of each ?
The thicker veneer will be easier to glue flat if it's your first time

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

at least you have a backup plan Nitro with the zebrano veneer. If you have digital verniers be nice to know the thickness of each ?
The thicker veneer will be easier to glue flat if it's your first time

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i think he said they were both 0.6ml each.

no worries Nitro, thats a pretty standard width, well bit on the thin side but sure you can make it work

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

no worries Nitro, thats a pretty standard width, well bit on the thin side but sure you can make it work

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Yea gonna give it my best shot, with lotsa help from this site of course.

As of now, (that could change at a moments notice, lol) i would like to get a set of Warman G_Rails, ive drawn up a wiring diagram and im wondering if theres someone who can just check it for me? Cheers


these are the same diagram just uploaded 2 in case one was clearer.

Attachment 12986 Attachment 12987

holy carp Nitro have those Warman G rails got 6 wires so you can split the rail plus split the humbucker ?

better wait for wiring guru Weirdbits will check your diagram, that's too complex for my Friday mind

I think it's your turn isn't it Wokks?

I'll take a closer look later but at first glance a couple of things look to be reversed. Is the sketch as viewed from the back of the pots/switches or the top?

haha Weirdy you make me laugh mate !

my mind doesn't work too well by Friday arvo so I'll have to take a rain check, maybe a 1 volume, 1 humbucker circuit I can help with ? hahah

The way the mini-toggles are wired (sort of) will link the humbucker rails with the single coil in parallel when in the middle position. Up and down will give you just the single coil or just the rails, respectively. Is this the layout you want? The other option is to have the rails and single coil linked in series for an extra high power triple bucker in the middle position, not hard to change if that's your preference.

Every On/On/On mini-toggle I've used has the contact sequence like the the image on this page . But, the Warman site sells switches which apparently have this sequence (which matches the layout in your sketch):
Attachment 12990
I'm not sure where you're getting your mini-toggles from, so your layout may need to change. To make your layout work with either type you just need to extend each of the red, blue and yellow wires across the two lugs at their level. So, the yellow and blue would both extend to the lug to their left, the red would extend to the lug to its right.

Your volumes' connections appear to be reversed and need to have the red and yellow lugs swapped. So, red wire to the right hand lug (as it's drawn) and the yellow wire (ground) to the left lug. Also, you don't appear to have drawn in the caps for the tone controls. They would just replace the yellow link to the back the tone pots.

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

holy carp Nitro have those Warman G rails got 6 wires so you can split the rail plus split the humbucker ?

better wait for wiring guru Weirdbits will check your diagram, that's too complex for my Friday mind

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You betcha, you can also have all 6 on at once!

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Originally Posted by WeirdBits

I think it's your turn isn't it Wokks?

I'll take a closer look later but at first glance a couple of things look to be reversed. Is the sketch as viewed from the back of the pots/switches or the top?

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Yes weirdy, from the back as you would solder it. Its only a rough one at the moment. Cheers

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Originally Posted by WeirdBits

The way the mini-toggles are wired (sort of) will link the humbucker rails with the single coil in parallel when in the middle position. Up and down will give you just the single coil or just the rails, respectively. Is this the layout you want? The other option is to have the rails and single coil linked in series for an extra high power triple bucker in the middle position, not hard to change if that's your preference.

Every On/On/On mini-toggle I've used has the contact sequence like the the image on this page . But, the Warman site sells switches which apparently have this sequence (which matches the layout in your sketch):
Attachment 12990
I'm not sure where you're getting your mini-toggles from, so your layout may need to change. To make your layout work with either type you just need to extend each of the red, blue and yellow wires across the two lugs at their level. So, the yellow and blue would both extend to the lug to their left, the red would extend to the lug to its right.

Your volumes' connections appear to be reversed and need to have the red and yellow lugs swapped. So, red wire to the right hand lug (as it's drawn) and the yellow wire (ground) to the left lug. Also, you don't appear to have drawn in the caps for the tone controls. They would just replace the yellow link to the back the tone pots.

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Thanks for that, im getting my mini toggles from warman guitars when i order the g rails. I would like one of the settings to have all 6 on at the same time in series if thats possible. Thanks again for your help