ATL-1SW Build (First Timer)

[Fatboy]

Happy New Year to you all, there seems to be a flurry of new builds now which are interesting.
I managed to pick up a chest infection over Xmas so have a couple of extra days off work - hooray !
Have been messing with the Crimson Stains, I bought the 'shots' which have to be diluted to taste
using droppers and small bottles and applied them to sacrificial veneer to try and get a feel for what I want.
Still not sure so onto the 'problems' and advice sought please.

Finally sorted a headstock shape that is doable with my limited tools.

My biggest problem seems to be in the bridge positioning.
Earlier in the thread I was given some good advice on this.
Did a dry fit of the neck and bridge and using a long metal ruler moved the bridge to try to get
the saddles on 25.5 inches.
As can be seen, with the bridge hard up against the pickguard the magic 25.5 scale length is a few
mm's short of the saddles - ooer missus.
The ruler is at the zero fret end of the nut, OK on the 12th fret (expected) but still short of the saddles.
The only way I can see to move the bridge closer to the neck is to file the pickguard.
Two places to do this as I see it, first at the bridge end of the guard and secondly at the neck end.
The neck end seems safer as the cut/filed end is under the neck so will not be seen but
that will change the relative position of the neck pup.
It will also need some of the wood taking away but I have a Dremel so can do that.
Any thoughts ? Have I got this wrong ?

[Fatboy]

Some more pics which might help.
I have a further question about the bridge pickup fitting which can wait for now.
Thanks in anticipation ! FB.

[Simon Barden]

It's a tricky one. If you wind the saddles forwards a bit so that the screws are sitting inside the saddle block by about 2mm, then that should give you an extra 3-4mm to play with. But without fitting longer saddle screws, you aren't going to get much more than that. The top E will always be the furthest forward saddle, the others will always end up further back and with more screw length inside them, so they are never going to fall off the end of the screw.

I don't think you are going to fix it properly by doing that, but it will help. that pickup rout will been to be extended forwards, but maybe by 4mm rather than 8mm or so.

I can't see from the photos how well the neck is sitting in the pocket because the scratchplate is covering up the join. Is it a close fit end so the end of the neck is really up tight against the end of the pocket (always hard to see accurately on 22 fret necks because of the overhang)? The scratchplate (with the neck pickup fitted) isn't stopping the neck from sitting against the end of the pocket is it? Just wondering if you could gain another 1-2mm there if so?

[Fatboy]

Simon, thanks - I was hoping that you would be along fairly soon.
After I posted I did take a look at the neck pocket. There was some glue which I cleaned up.
Having found my Dremel I then took off a mm or two on the neck pup hole.
I then checked that the scratch plate fitted properly against the neck pocket.
Dry fitted everything again and decided to take 4-5 mm off the bridge pup hole at the neck end.
After several dry fits, three or four sanding drums, some slight burning smells and a couple of whisky's later
I had a larger pup hole.
Set up again (sigh) and I am almost there. If I move the top E saddle as you suggest then I think it will work.
Took some pics as I did it but not in the mood for resizing pics etc.
Will do that tomorrow for completeness so that some poor soul at a later date might be helped.

The good news is that the gap between the bridge and scratch plate has gone - hurrah !

[McCreed]

Just one tip I'll add...

In the pics with the steel ruler, it looks to me like you're measuring the 25.5" at the leading edge of the saddles.
You actually should measure to the break point of the saddle. The break point is where the string "breaks" contact coming off the saddle. (ie: furthest point of the little string slot on the top of the saddle)

I know you'll only gain about 1mm, but as you've discovered, every mil helps in these situations.

[Fatboy]

McC, thanks for the tip, the ruler was positioned and that is where 25.5 " fell so I was trying to get to that line.
Must get some more Dremel drums but on the plus side I do have a nice bag of dust if I need to fill anything in.

The bad news is that the pics I took while doing it have been deleted (everyone cheers) but I took some more
this morning (everyone sighs).
I mocked it all up again to see what the end result was and try to get the bridge position as well.
Using Sonic's string trick I played with the position of the pickguard and the bridge.
Because of the body shape it was difficult obtaining a centreline.
I used the good old MK1 eyeball and long steel rule and lined up down the neck to get to what
I think is an acceptable state of affairs.
Pics below, in real life it looked square to me.
At least I have got rid of the gap around the bridge/scratch join, positioned the bridge and almost got to a
point where intonation should be OK.
As Simon B said, I can always get longer saddle screws if need be.
Think it is going to be through body stringing as well. Hmmmmmm…..



Bridge and scratchplate all marked up, time to dismantle and start on the various components.
On the plus side the fret bevel file I bought from Chris Alsop Guitar arrived today.
OH seemed pleased to see yet another package turn up haha
Back to work tomorrow...….

[Simon Barden]

I'd say that's all looking pretty good.

[Fatboy]

Thank you, I rather hoped you would.
So far the kit seems to be a good route into this world of geetar building.

Opened the package with the fret bevel tool and doing that.
The sharp ends are disappearing which is encouraging.
Got to level them next and then dress them I suppose.

Question if I may, Simon (as he is in the UK) I am thinking ahead to the nut fitting.
I notice in another recent post you talk about filing nuts on your Gibsons (not filing your nuts on Gibsons haha).
When I come to filing my nut would needle files do the job ?
I don't want to screw it up but on the other hand don't want to spend loads on tools that I won't use very often.
Years ago I bought a set off ebay that I threw in the bin as soon as they arrived as they were rubbish.
However, I see that you can buy 'professional' ones for large sums of money which I don't want to do.
Do you have any suggestions for something suitable from the UK but more 'economical' ?
At least it won't hurt if I screw the nut up as they are easily available.
Interested in your views (and others, of course).
Cheers, FB.

[Simon Barden]

Needle files are just a bit to big, except for the two bottom strings. They are OK for doing bass nuts.

I have a set of 10 Hosco nut files, which now cost around £120 (currently £107 in Crimson Guitar's sale). I haven't found anything that's really any good for much less. Crimson used to do their own nut files, which you could get a set of 6 for your standard gauge strings for about £60, but they are no longer listed. Next cheapest is this Hosco set https://tonetechluthiersupplies.co.u....html?___SID=U

Previously I did have a set of these, which are better than nothing, though I'm not convinced that there's much difference in the size of the files. They look like the Hosco ones, but aren't. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tbest-Guita...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
They do work, but you are left with quite V-shaped slots, which work but don't look that good.

This type are welder's files re-badged as nut files. They aren't very good and you'd have to measure them to pick one the right size for your chosen string size but for one or two nuts, they'd probably do if you were careful. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guitar-Brid...uments&sr=1-12

I've got a fair few guitars so the proper nut files were a good investment, and I've set up loads of friends guitars using them. It's a shame that there aren't any good Chinese copies of the Hosco files. Adam did have a look round at the offerings available, but there was nothing in that middle ground. It's either cheap and cheerful or good but expensive.

[McCreed]

I use Uo-Chikyu (Hiroshima)(Made In Japan) and they're excellent. You can get a .010" to .046" set for 70 USD (approx 54GBP). That is without shipping & VAT, but I'd bet it still falls well below 120GBP.

Uo-Chikyu by Hiroshima Nut Files

With a 10-46 set you can comfortably do nuts to suit up to a .052 gauge set of strings (after learning proper technique).

Even if this TL kit is the only one you ever build, presumably you have other guitars, and with owning your own nut files, you can greatly improve their playability with proper nut action. Most factory nut set-ups are done on the conservative side to minimise possible buzz issues, not necessarily optimum playability.

Just my 2 cents. (that's 1.1 cents in GBP )