LH EX-1

[siziemm]

Thanks Gav, I'm sure your link will come in handy if I can get into the zone in terms of lengths. But at the moment I think we're still some way off

[siziemm]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from siziemm on March 7, 2014, 13:59
Thanks Gav, I'm sure your link will come in handy if I can get into the zone in terms of lengths. But at the moment I think we're still some way off

Here are the images of the measurements - with pickup in place and without. I hope you can see them ok.
With the pickups off it makes very little difference. I might gain a couple of mm but it could be that when the neck is squared off that doesn't come into play. Whatever, I am currently at least 5mm off being able to get the lengths equal and possibly six or 7 mm.
I can only think of one route, at the moment to try, without having to perform major visible surgery on the guitar body.
That is:
1) to file off the back of the pickup cavity by three or four mm and relocate it so that my original drill holes for the pickup screws will still be covered
2) to file off the back of the neck heel allowing me to effectively move the neck further back towards the bridge
3) to cut away part of the front of the pick up surround (leaving the locating screw parts still there but cutting away the section directly in front of the pickup) which would then see the neck butting directly onto the actual pickup. It would not look quite so harmonious but might give me that all important extra few mm.
It will still I suspect be massively tight in terms of length.
If that fails it will be major surgery and will perhaps necessitate the creation of some kind of a scratch plate to cover all of the mess, which would be a great shame in terms of the overall look of the guitar.
If the front pickup he had been located one cm further back I suspect this whole problem would have been avoided.
Any other thoughts/suggestions greatly appreciated

[Gavin1393]

Hang in there Siziemm, I will get in touch with Adam and DingoBass on this one to see what work-arounds there might be for you. My first impression is that the neck pickup cavity might be in the wrong spot. 8mm is 5mm too much. The fix, I suspect, is going to have to take place at the bridge and not at the neck....

My thoughts on this is that you might need to fill the bridge post with a length of wooden dial and then redrill the holes for the posts 6-7mm (to be safe) towards the bridge pickup. This avoids creating the exposed holes at the neck and if you 'paint' over the dial it should barely be noticeable under the saddles.

I expect Adam and DB might be along to offer their wisdom on this once they get on-line.

[adam]

Hi Simon, sorry I'm late to this thread, Gav called me today and alerted me to your situation.

Taking Gavin's advice, it looks like this is another Lefty that they have messed up the scale length. I don't know why this happens to the Lefties, I assume it's because they don't make many of them.

Anyhoo, your options are to replace the kit (or get the kit back and issue a full refund) under our guarantee. I see you have progressed quite a long way into your build, so I doubt you want to do that.

Or, we can assist you with a work around and issue a partial credit (50% of the kit price) for the factory's error.

The workaround will involve plugging the bridge holes and re-drilling to the correct scale length. Sure, it's a drastic measure, but it's not that difficult and, as we are only talking a few mm, once the bridge is on, I doubt anyone but you will know there is a repair.

I will summon the great one (Dingobass - our resident Luthier) to assist you with the plugging and re-drilling if you want to pursue this option.

If you want to return the kit, no problem, just email me and we'll work it out (adam@pitbullguitars.com).

Cheers

[siziemm]

Hi,
Thanks for coming back, and I'm glad to haven't done anything just yet! I don't really want to send the kit back, because I figure I have got this far and I would like to have something to play at the end of the day!
I think I'll have a go at the plugging and re-drilling option and my suggestion is that - providing I've got something that plays,at the end of the day, if you could hold me 50% of a kit price in credit then I could put that towards my next order (looks like I'm hooked, even at this stage!).
I'll await Dingobass's communication as to what to do next - think you've laid out the basic plan, my worry would be making sure the drilling is all set up right, because, as I found once the bridge posts were in, the angle and measurements on those is pretty critical in being able to actually get the bridge on...so a real step by step guide would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Simon

[adam]

Hey Simon, I have summoned the great one, but he is busy shaping bone nuts and setting up necks. He's aware of this thread and I am sure he will be along shortly to offer sage advice.

You're right, the pugging of the holes is easy, it's making sure you get the right position for the new bridge post holes that is critical.

Hang in there mate and we'll walk you through it.

[Gavin1393]

Hi Simon
While you wait for DB and are forced to listen to the elevator music he plays constantly while the rest of us await our release from the naughty room, i thought I'd mention that you only need to get the bridge placing more or less correct when you drill the bridge post holes . Ideally, you will set the bridge saddles in the middle of the bridge, that is at the halfway mark so that you have the ability to roll 3mm back or forwards. Then you will need to attach the neck to the body. Measure from the nut to the 12th fret, I think you got 313mm, Next, measure from the 12th fret along the path of the bass 'e' string 316 mm and mark this position with tape or a pencil. Then measure along the treble 'e' string 314mm. Join these two points using tape to creat a straight line or mark with the pencil. This line is then your reference point for the saddle. Position the saddle so that the saddles are exactly in line with the pencil or tape line you have created. Make sure the two 'e' saddles are lined up with the point where the strings are to be seated. Holding the saddle in place, you can mark the position of the bridge saddle posts through the 'holes' where the posts will ultimately fit.
Now, if you have a drill press this will be preferred, if not you can use a normal drill bit. But first measure the depth of the saddle post that will fit inside the hole you will drill, then use tape to mark this depth on your drill bit. Obviously, use a drill bit appropriate to the bridge post size. Drill and then fit the bridge posts.

[siziemm]

Thanks for that - seems pretty logical. The tape on the drill bit is a good tip, been using that method so far and it's been very effective as don't have a workshop - kitchen table stuff, I'm afraid!

[lawry]

Hi Si.
Been reading this thread and I guess your heart sank a bit when this problem was noticed.
But what I'd like to say is that I had a few hiccups here and there during my builds and, while they were a pain in the ring, they ended up teaching me a lot about overcoming little nasties like this. And when it all comes together you get a stronger sense of achievement I reckon because you didn't just assemble a guitar, you built one.
Hang in there and take heed to the two gurus and and all will be sweet. OM!

[siziemm]

Hi
Would it be possible for Dingobass to detail a step by step guide to what I need to do next.
Things that concern me are:
Do a glue the dowls in place?
Will need to have the earthwire for the bridge coming through to the new hole, I think. Any reccommendations on how to best do that? - was thinking about not having the dowl plug the entire depth of that post hole so that the wire will be able to run underneath, does that make sense? The more I think about it, the more it seems likely that I should glue the dowl in place.
Any tips with regards to drilling the new holes? - I was going to clamp the body to a table and then look to drill out a smaller hole and then enlarge it. Any thoughts on how to keep the drill at the correct angle, as I guess that's pretty critical.
Might I subsequently need to spread a little wood filler in at the top, in order to give it a completely homogenous surface where the hole was?
And finally any thoughts on what prep I will need to do the old holes to be able to disguiase them as much as possibles - or how I might make a feature of them which might look quite cool - as I think most of the old hole with the dowl in will be visible as I will need to move the whole thing forward by, I reckon 7-10mm?
Cheers,
Simon