Simon's Super Strat Scratch Build.

[dingobass]

That bought back some memories..
The very first build I did was with a jigsaw, munted old chisel, a few rasps and an ancient router that had a mind of its own.....
Still got that Bass and some days I think it is one of the best I ever built.. A lot can be said for doing stuff the old fashioned way, it brings you closer to the build and more of your self comes out as a result.
No CNC machine will ever build passion into a Guitar.

[wokkaboy]

that's it DB, CNC machines are handy for templates to route !

[SIMpleONe89]

well you can always turn the pine body into a clock !

think about Robin built a scratchy with absolutely no power tools, now that's dedication !

presume you will use the router to clean up the body shape after you roughly jigsawed it ?

Haha I would have no place to put that clock! Hand tools are impressive but I don't have that much skill!

Yes I'll do the same for the body. Since I'm doing a drop top, it will be easier to cut out the 38mm body compared to the original 45mm.

[SIMpleONe89]

That bought back some memories..
The very first build I did was with a jigsaw, munted old chisel, a few rasps and an ancient router that had a mind of its own.....
Still got that Bass and some days I think it is one of the best I ever built.. A lot can be said for doing stuff the old fashioned way, it brings you closer to the build and more of your self comes out as a result.
No CNC machine will ever build passion into a Guitar.

Haha we all had to start some where! CNC machines are cool but they lack the TLC that comes from the hands of men!

[Andy40]

Good work Simon and thank you for taking the time to put up this info. I am sure it will come in handy for when i make the leap to scratch builds...which is a way off as yet!

[SIMpleONe89]

Good work Simon and thank you for taking the time to put up this info. I am sure it will come in handy for when i make the leap to scratch builds...which is a way off as yet!

Thanks Andy! Looking forward to yours!

[SIMpleONe89]

Managed to get some work done after the weekend.

I started by cutting the fret slots by hand, with my Hosco fret saw. It cuts on the pull stroke like other japanese saws.


I downloaded one of those templates online (yes I know it's cheating) and made sure that they are all 100% accurate. I had to redo the templates 3 times because I kept messing up the measurements. In the end, the measurements are all dead accurate and I'm glad I didn't screw up the scale length. This is a 25.5" (or 647.7mm for us metric users) 22 fret neck.


The final result.

[SIMpleONe89]

I then traced the neck's outline and cut out the fretboard. Once again I stayed clear of the line because I'm using a jigsaw.



Then it was time to glue the fretboard on. No turning back from this point onwards!

After making sure the surfaces were flat and roughen with 80 grit, I started off by installing the truss rod.

I placed four beads of silicone in the truss rod channel, 2 at each end and 2 in the middle. I didn't have a caulking gun so I improvised and used a clamp haha.


Then I pushed the truss rod in. No turning back now! I then cleaned up the silicone that squeezed out.

[SIMpleONe89]

Before gluing on the fretboard, I also used 2 nails at both ends of the neck to help align the fretboard. The glue will act as a lubricant and the fretboard will be sliding around, making it very hard to position it properly. The indexing pins will help keep it in place.


Now, it's time to glue the fretboard. We've reached the point of no return! This was definitely a scary, big step. First time!

I first taped off the truss rod channel.


Then I applied as much glue as I could and spread it all out evenly.

[wokkaboy]

looks great Simon, well done