Another LP for the cause!

[Taker185]

So I thought I would do an actual build diary this time, as its a real pitbull kit.

First things first:-

Naming the project,

... ... ... to be continued.

Opening the box,

I was very excited, because even though I decided on a tele for my first build, it is the mighty les paul in all its glory that makes me want to play the guitar. And upon first glance this kit was beautiful. I nearly dropped my notion to spray paint it as soon as i saw its veneer, it's almost as good as my custom shop Epi LP. And it was so smooth (much unlike my last kit which was covered in machine marks)

[Taker185]

Checking all the pieces fit:-

Everything seems very nice, except for the neck fit. It is snug which is good, but it is a different width to the neck cavity. It's only by a small amount, but when you put them together it is very noticable. I thinks it will be okay to just sand it back, but one or two of the gaps are very glaring to my eye. I had a look at my epi to see if it was the same sort of thing, but it was matched together much better.

[Taker185]

Just one more to show the gaps.

How, as an amateur whose only woodworking skills have been gained from my last build, do i make it match like the epi?

[Taker185]

Also I know "the rules" about spray painting, but as a thought, would it be better to glue the neck in place before spraying or should they be done seperately? and if seperately what is the best way to do it so you can still glue them together? (or i could just sand the neck heel back I guess... look at that, may have answered my own question)

The second most important step (after naming the project) is choosing a colour for said project,

As you may have guessed, I'm planning to spray paint this one. I've even found the colour, all I need to do is convince someone to mix it for me. It will be a black base with red flakes in it. Because thats Brutal!

[Analyst69]

Hi Taker

I'm in the process of building a set neck guitar on which I glued the neck prior to putting a finish on (I used Wudtone). My theory was that I would be able to get a smoother transition where the join is, but it probably didn't play out that way in the end (with Wudtone it was hard to make sure it got right down into the gap...probably just my uncoordinated hands with the cloth). May work better with a spray.

The downside of gluing first is going to be that its harder to hang it somewhere where you can spray on all surfaces (i.e.-you don't want to have to do the front, wait for it to dry then do the back).

If you don't glue, you will want to avoid getting spray on the surfaces you will be gluing so will need to do a bit of extra masking.

Not sure how you will address the gaps in the join, but assume a bit of sanding might help it to fit not sure if this will affect the alignment.

Les Paul's have always been my fave too (but so far been a bit nervous about doing one badly). Good luck with it.

[AJ]

I painted/finished my lp kit before gluing the neck. All's you do is properly mask the gluing surfaces, and bob's your uncle..lol

[Taker185]

Cool, thanks guys. I'm fairly certain I cand sand the side of the neck back a bit so it doesn't look so miss aligned. And hopefully the paint fills the gap a little bit.

Just found a paint store that does one day courses on spraying, so I think that might help as well. Little concerned over my lack of experience.

[Taker185]

So another long shift at work... So I thought I'd update my build diary!

Firstly, I am terribly sorry for my bad spelling in my last post. I think I'll blame that on autocorrect. :?

I have cut the headstock and it turned out nicely. I'm a little worried about the crescent points, they are a little thin for my liking. But I'm hoping a couple of coats will toughen them up. (They aren't all that bad, I tested them by trying to snap one ever so softly. It seemed sturdy, but I feel like as soon as i finish everything, it will break.)

I have ordered replacement plastics for all of the cavities, all in black. I scrapped the Kandy Koat painting scheme, and decided to try replicate a Hetfield Iron Cross. So I ordered the vinyl I will need and am still looking for a suitable "cross".

[phloggy]

That headstock is awesome!

[Brendan]

Nice job on the headstock! Maple's pretty robust (look at what MaxAxe is putting it through), so you should be fine so long as you don't drop it onto one of the points...