Before I found Pitbull there was another guitar kit supplier here in Oz, which have since stopped supplying kits and are just a guitar builder, I bought a 335 clone that needed the neck adjusted. It is a hollow body with curved surfaces and if it was a flat top it would have been easy to use a router and adjust the angle but seeing as it was hard to hold I could have either shimmed the pocket or made a jig and use a router. Making a jig interested me more than a shim so jig it was.
I used a old piece of a kitchen top as it was a flat base to begin with and built a way to have my router move parallel to the top face and it also gave me a way to measure the guitar body to set up the correct angle and level. I used wedges to adjust the body so I could get the pocket level and adjust the amount of taper I needed. I also made up some form of clamping so once the wedges were in place I clamped it down to the base on the top of the guitar. I also use some blocks around the outside to stop any movement. Once setup I then used the router to remove the material and then slide the neck in and then adjusted the mating face of the guitar to suit the new angle. There was some hand fitting needed but it was part of the process.
The adjustment of the front faces that are butted against the body was a simple use of a pencil and ruler. Place the neck into the body so it sits on the base and slide it in until it hits the face and measure the gap and draw a line parallel to the body on the neck. You could also use some feeler gauges as it maybe easier to just make up a pack of feelers that can be used to run a pencil line on the neck, depending on the size of the gap. Either use a wood chisel or a sharp knife, depending on the amount of wood to be removed and remove the wood until both faces are against the body. You could use the same feelers to check how much is needed to be removed so the faces sit against each other. Take it slow and check regularly and if you take too much out of one side than the other then use some wood filler. Own your mistake and make it a feature. If you remove too much from one side then remove more from the other side to balance it out and use a darker filler so it looks like it was supposed to be there. There is nothing written down anywhere that says the ends have to butt up against the body if you make a mistake. As long as the scale length is right, filler can be used.
By the look of the pics there is only about 1-2mm of adjustment so if that isn't enough then you will have to shim the front, hence why I said you need to measure what and where you need it but until you measure you don't know where or how you will fix the problem.
If you are going to shim the front then that is different process but not impossible. I had to shim the front of a SG clone and all I did was measure the amount needed, using some cardboard and paper that I could measure reasonably accurately, got a piece of plywood that I used when building model planes as it was a very fine grain wood used which was better than normal plywood. Luckily I needed to adjust the neck by 2mm which was what I had for my planes. As it was tapered back towards the bridge I used a hacksaw blade and cut some grooves in the wood that tapered from 2mm to flush with the base as reference points. I then glued the ply into the pocket and once the glue dried I then used a file and wood chisel to taper the ply, using the slots I cut earlier as a guide, so the whole insert contacted the neck. It is a slow and boring job but in the end it is very possible you will end up with a playable guitar.
Anything I say is just a guide and is how I would approach and fix a problem due to how I think due to my experience and training. I also speak from what I have at hand and if necessary I will expand my tools to fit a problem that cannot be solved or would be easier to solve with a new tool. I probably have more tools and machines at my disposal than most here but sometimes we get bogged down with wanting to use some fancy tool/machine when you can get by with a simple cheap file, hacksaw or even a sharp knife.
The cost of the kits reflect in the quality you can expect. If I had the money I would buy a body and neck from Warmoth's or another supplier but seeing as it costs over US$700+Postage then I can't really complain about what we get here. The return policy here is incredible and if the problem with the kit is beyond your skill base then you can ask for a replacement. Hence why they always ask you to do a mock assembly to check for problems. Out of all the kits I have bought from here and other sources there has never been a problem that was impossible to fix if you have the skills and don't get overcome by what has to be done and are not afraid to ask for help.
I have over 40 years of experience in machining, both manual and CNC. I am a qualified toolmaker, worked for military and Scientific organisations and have been reading these forums for as long as I have known about this company. In my personal opinion and with the years of experience in training, it may upset some of you, some people who buy the kits don't have the skills to make a kit but they are still willing to have a go and hence this is the reason why this forum exists. The knowledge here is incredible, sometimes not 100% correct but it is a good place to start. In the end it is up to the individual to take all the ideas and pick something they can work with due to their work place, tools available and skill base. If it is beyond you then own it, sell the kit, throw it away, you do you but never blame the kit.
Reply With Quote
