First build: GS-2Q (also featuring EX-1 custom)

[Chaosblade]

Knocked the nut off and tried to clean that up a little. Not really any progress to speak of on that though. Looks like I have the right Graphtech nut to replace it, it's very slightly larger with the same string spacing, so it should just need to be filed down.

After some hesitation, glue is in and clamps are on.

[Chaosblade]

All glued up.



Minor cleanup aside, anything that needs done before clear coating?

Nut needs to be done but I figure it makes more sense to do that near the end when putting on the hardware.

[JohnH]

Love the blue!

[Chaosblade]

Kind of regret not clear coating before gluing. Probably would have been easier to deal with the glue on the clear than trying to clear coat the whole guitar.

I settled on what will probably be a mess and end up requiring a bunch of extra work to fix. Started doing the face of the headstock just to experiment. If it works out okay I'll also do the front of the body, then once that's done I can lay it face down to do the back and sides. I'm guessing that's going to cause all kinds of problems on the edges though, and in the worst case I should only need to fix the headstock.

In the event I do make this work somehow, I might opt for Tru-oil on the mahogany instead of the water-based poly I'm using on the front. The amber tinting is terrible for the blue, but great for the natural wood. That was something I originally considered before I even started, but wrote off as too complicated and messy.

If there's a lesson I'm taking from this, it's that I need to find a way to spray in the future. Difficult thing to do without a yard or garage or anything though.

[McCreed]

Started doing the face of the headstock just to experiment. If it works out okay I'll also do the front of the body, then once that's done I can lay it face down to do the back and sides.

Once you have the front done, you can make youself a simple stand with a flat piece of pine board and some 10-12mm timber dowels.

Just take the centre to centre measurements of one set of post holes in the body, drill holes in the pine board with that measurement and to suit the dowel size. Cut 2 pieces of dowel 150mm long (or what ever you want) glue or press-fit the dowels into the board.

Stick the free end of the dowels into the post holes and turn the guitar upside down. Use something to prop up the neck so it's level (or make a suitable cradle). Now you've got tge guitar standing off you bench/table adn you can finish the back & sides without a problem.

[Chaosblade]

Getting there. I don't really have any idea how many coats to put on but I don't think I'm there yet. I'm at 10 and sanding every 3-4 coats (going to sand again in 30 minutes or so). Trying to put it on thin. I probably could do it thicker though, I'm pretty sure I did on my test pieces last year and those came out fine.

Probably going to go with 20, maybe that will give me something thick enough to not burn through when smoothing and polishing it. Also means it will be a few days before I finish the headstock since I can't do very many coats on days I work.

Then if the sides aren't ruined I'll move on to the top.

[Chaosblade]

Didn't make it to 20. I think 13 was the final number of coats. Seems good enough.

Have a small spot where a bit of dye got drawn out by the poly and got in the tape. And one of the "horns" has a little nub that ever so slightly hangs over the wood that will need buffed off. But for the most part it's fine.

Will do the front of the body on Wednesday when I have the whole day to work on it. Did the headstock with a foam brush but I'll probably use a cloth for the body since it's so much bigger. Think the brush is too small and will be too slow.

[Chaosblade]

Was looking at the neck in my EX (not the one I made the build diary for) and realized the factory messed that up. It's 24" scale, but the body is routed for 24.75". Might be able to make that work but the bridge is going to be all the way against the mounting ring and the saddles all the way up. Might even need to cut the mounting ring. Plan to look more tonight.

Fortunately I'm just really dumb and measured wrong. Whew.

[Chaosblade]

Oops, forgot to finish this post earlier.

Top clear is on. Edges need some cleaning up as expected but it shouldn't be a big deal. Will probably need to reprep some of the sides. Some tape residue and a spot where I caught some runoff too late and it ran down the tape to wood.

Should look nice and glassy once it's buffed and polished later on.




Got some regular wipe-on poly for the rest.

[Chaosblade]

Perhaps not the most elegant neck rest.




Color is basically perfect. Exactly what I wanted. Doesn't quite come through in pictures because my cheap phone camera isn't very good. Still needs some more coats but it's getting there, just started building up gloss in the last couple. Probably going to put coats on every couple hours until I go to bed tonight, and then let it sit for a month or so.

Probably could have handled the grain filler better.

I noticed the same issue as in the other GS-2Q thread that popped up, the bridge ground wire hole isn't drilled. So that will need to be done.