I just did the mock build. The neck doesn't fit into the hole in the body. The space for the neck is about a millimetre too narrow for the neck to go in. Is this normal? Everything else looks like it is there.
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I just did the mock build. The neck doesn't fit into the hole in the body. The space for the neck is about a millimetre too narrow for the neck to go in. Is this normal? Everything else looks like it is there.
Yeah, that's standard, sand that sides of the pocket to fit the neck in the pocket. You may have to sand the rounded corners on the sides of the neck a "little" jest enough so the neck contacts the back of the pocket solidly.
Good luck with your build!
Also important to give the kits a little time to adjust to your ambient temperatures before you do any sanding. Things take a little while to settle after a change in climate.
Thanks! I am not a fan of the triangular fretboard markings are they easily sanded out?
Not sure I’ve seen triangular ones before? But if they are inlays, the no they are not easily sanded out. They will be 1-1.5mm thick I think. Can you post a pic?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain
here is a photo of the neck fit and the neck marker
Yeah it does look like you’ll need to do a bit of sanding to get the fit right. Do it in small increments checking regularly.
I don’t think you’d have much luck changing those fret markers (I think they are pretty cool actually). Someone else might be along with some advice for that.
should i sand the corner bit of the body or the side of the heel of the neck?
The neck doesn’t come quite flush against the back of the neck hole. I’ve sanded the corners of the heel quite a bit cause it didn’t fit at all when I got it. The space is only a mm wide will this be alright?
Attachment 33076
No, round the corners more so the neck fits tight against the body. But just round the corners don't sand the rear mating edge or the bottom of the heel.
The triangular offset markers look great, I love mine. Anything but plain dots!
I was also thinking the neck looks far too high?
Attachment 33077
i have sanded the corners so it fits quite well now but do you think the neck is sitting too high?
Looking at my 2 versions, it's within the ball-park.Quote:
Originally Posted by acidcat
You still have to factor in the pick-guard height.
cheers, Mark.
Yeah I think you could get the fit a bit better as Tassieaxeman has said above. Just tickle the radius's a little.
Don't be too worried about it though. You have to locate the bridge on these anyway and 1mm is within a reasonable adjustment. If you are using a pickguard you''ll never see the gap. It is nice to get everything as good as you can though, I'd keep working at it.
EDIT: Whoops, replied to the previous page. I think it looks about right height wise, especially if you are using a pickguard.
People do route out the pockets or sand the heels sometimes to bring it down, but both of those options are risky if it's your first go. I've had no problems with the 2 TL-1's I've built and they look similar, there is enough adjustment in the bridge and pickups to make it work.
No. This particular model with the bugs by uses a tuneamatic style bridge and has a slight break angle for the neck. The neck look like it sits a bit high, but it’s meant to be that way.Quote:
Originally Posted by acidcat
I was trying to take back a stain I did and it looks like I sanded too far, its just the tiny top layer of the veneer. Should I sand the rest off?Attachment 33863
Attachment 33864 here is a second photo
Oh dear, yes they are very thin. If it were me I'd go for a solid colour now, which you might be able to spray over the veneer, but removing it completely probably wouldn't be a bad idea. If you do you can stain the basswood and it can come up quite nicely as well, not as fancy as a veneer, but still nice looking.
Don't be disheartened. You are not the first to do that by a long way and it's not the end of the world, just means you'll have to rethink how you want to finish it.
yeh i am gonna try sand the rest off and stain the basswood.
i am just a bit worried about the area around the f hole
i have sanded it back, get ready for the roughest guitar of the month coming soon!
It's funny, but sometimes these setbacks result in something even better than the original plan, so don't write it off just yet.
more questions on my disastercaster.. i can't figure out the wiring for the input. I have soldered the pick ups but for the input there is 3 wires hanging left. Green, black and white. Which one is hot wire for the tip of the input which is earth for the input and which is the bridge grounding?
Technically, it's the output, not an input. We really need pictures, as wire colours alone mean nothing here, as we don't know what the factory have used.
But there should be one wire coming from the volume pot, and that connects to the tip contact on the jack. Then you've probably got two wires soldered to the back of a pot, Either of them can go to the ground connection on the jack socket, so if they are similar lengths, then do what feels best as to which one goes to the jack and which one grounds the bridge.
The front of my bigsby seems to be missing some metal caps. In the photo you can see its just the plastic bits and metal. It's like that on both sides. If it is supposed to be like that, its very ugly. Attachment 33971
To be fair, the bridge included in the kit is a "Bigsby-style" vibrato and stated as such in the kit description. A genuine USA-made Bigsby would cost nearly as much (or more) than the price of the entire kit.Quote:
The front of my bigsby seems to be missing some metal caps. In the photo you can see its just the plastic bits and metal. It's like that on both sides. If it is supposed to be like that, its very ugly.
I'm not saying it isn't less aesthetically pleasing than the real deal, but we have to be realistic at the same time.
On the plus side, it looks like your finish came up alright despite your earlier issues.
had the pick ups working. put everything together fucked around with intonation forever. plug it in... nothing. oh flip. gotta go back and open her up.
this is what it looks like so far for anyone interested Attachment 34008
it's a lot pinker in person too
Probably a signal wire touching the copper shielding. I recently had a pot rotate and cause something similar to happen.
With that headstock it looks very muck like a Vox/Fender hybrid, with a touch of Gretsch from the fret markers.
ha! I didn't know they weren't supposed to touch the copper shielding. I just kinda shoved it all in and shut up shop
Rather a neat vintage look there.
The wiring stuff can be a pain in the neck because its intrinsically rather random in layout, but fussy with it. If its not an area you're especially comfortable with, post *lots* of photos from different angles and folks here will see what they can do. Different angles is useful because something is always hiding something else.
If you can locate a mate who is into vintage electrics, 50s radios and the like that would be great too. Guitar electrics are kinda 1950s!
Just take the control plate off and see if you then get any sound. Also don't forget to turn the guitar and amp volumes up (done that before and spent a few minutes looking for a fault).
That's exactly what I thought!Quote:
With that headstock it looks very muck like a Vox/Fender hybrid, with a touch of Gretsch from the fret markers.
Whether by design or happy accident, the headstock shape works perfectly with those fret markers!
thanks everyone!!
guitar is humming like fuck and intonation is out... back to it... yikes this thing won't let me go
Really bad humming normally means that you've got the signal and ground connections crossed on the output jack.
I somehow did the same thing last time I wired a socket.