AG-1 First Build

[Richard Fox]

I have opened the box, inventoried the parts and am ready to do the preliminary fit(s). Starting with the neck, I'll need to file or sand the sides of the neck to obtain a good fit. Just a wee bit snug, I'll have to remove only 0.001" or so from each side of the neck. I did notice that this fit appears to be a very slight dovetail.

I didn't see a scale length in the description, but believe it to be 24-3/4", as I measured from the inside face of the nut to the top center of the 12th fret to be 12-5/16", when doubled is 24-5/8".

[McCreed]

Hi Richard, and welcome.

Just a couple things FYI.
re: scale length - Yes, it would be 24-3/4" (a typical G-style guitar). When you go to set the neck, it's best to measure the whole length from the inside of the nut (body side of nut) to the bridge saddle of the E1 (treble) rather than 12th fret x 2.

re: neck fit - given you're only saying it needs .001", it could very well just be moisture (humidity) from travelling from one side of the planet to the other.
Might be best to let it acclimatise for at least a few days (a week?) before hitting it with sandpaper. See how it fits after that then make a decision. There's plenty of other things you can do whilst you're waiting for it to settle.
Also in this case, you're better off sanding side of the pocket rather than the neck. There are times when sanding the neck heel are appropriate, but not so here IMO.

[Richard Fox]

Hi McCreed, thanks for the input. I did wind up sanding the pocket just a bit. Got a good, solid fit now. I've stained the body and neck and have let it set for three days. The neck came out beautiful, but I'm going to have to do some color adjusting on the body. Once I'm happy with that, I'll be putting on multiple coats of glossy polyurethane. Is there any reason that I shouldn't glue the neck into the body after I'm satisfied with the finish? It'll be a week or so before I'm ready for that anyway. Got some Pitbull videos to watch.

I know I'm gonna have a bunch of questions down the road. But maybe the videos will explain some of them. Thanks again!

[McCreed]

Is there any reason that I shouldn't glue the neck into the body after I'm satisfied with the finish? It'll be a week or so before I'm ready for that anyway. Got some Pitbull videos to watch.

That's a personal preference call. Your decision may be influenced by your the size or set up of your workspace, ie: do you have adequate area to work on the finishing if the neck is attached?

If finishing the neck & body separately (pre-attachment) just be sure not to get your clear coat on the areas that will be contact points for your glue/joint. Also if you used oil based stain on the neck, and stained those contact areas, I recommend being sure it has completely gassed off before gluing. I would have stopped the stain just slightly inside of where the visible joint would fall.

Ultimately you will want to apply your top coat at least around the neck joint after setting the neck, but that can be easier than manoeuvring an entire guitar with wet/tacky finish on it.

I did my PRS-TS1 in two steps, but I also applied more coats (home brew wipe-on poly) over the entire thing after setting the neck. However I have a generous workspace and various jigs for handling fully assembled guitars. I mainly did the neck unattached so it was a bit easier to do the fretwork.

[Richard Fox]

OK McCreed, I've gone ahead and glued the neck into the body. Staining is finished, but I decided to use the Tru Oil instead of poly-u. When I ordered the kit, I also ordered a bone nut. I didn't realize the plastic one that came with it would be glued in place. In your opinion, what would be the best way to remove the plastic nut? My idea is to lightly tap a wood chisel into the joint to remove it, then sand lightly to achieve a proper fit. Proper fit? That'll be another question. Correct height above the fretboard. And preferred glue for the task?