Newbie Questions

[jrmehle]

Received my first kit, a PRS-1Q. I am a software developer by day, so this is my new hobby away from the computer.

I'm a little lost on where to start. I went ahead and pre-assembled the kit to check fit. Seems okay! But now what? Do I need to sand? I want to do a black to natural burst, but I'm not sure the thin veneer would take well to sanding. Maybe use diluted stain to get the effect? I'd also the back and neck to be black, so that means grain filler? Also masking off the fretboard as to not stain it? Will it be difficult to not get the stain to bleed over the edge of the tape?

The body wasn't pre-drilled for the bridge. This is really throwing me as I don't know what the proper order of steps would be. The neck seems to need to be glued in before you can accurately measure the scale length and find the bridge position. So do you finish the neck before gluing it in? What about the body? I've also read you don't want to drill the body before any wet sanding. Am I even going to be wet sanding with this sort of finish? Maybe the gluing can happen earlier in my build since the back and body will have the same finish?

Finally, I'm having trouble with the orientation of the pickups and the bridge. With the pickups, do they go with the screws close together, far apart, both up, or both down? On the bridge, do the heads of the screws face the top of the guitar or the bottom?

Once I figure out all this, I can start acquiring the tools for the job. As I mentioned above, this is my foray into woodworking and so I'm going to need to start collecting items. I don't even have a workbench yet!

[Brendan]

G'day JR - welcome along! PRS is a nice kit! There's a couple of us IT boffins around (myself included) so you're in good company.

As for where to start - couple of good threads to read are:
What to do when you open the box - quick checks to see that all's in order: http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=5541
How to build a guitar: http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=1895
Other than that - start a build diary and you'll have heaps of answers to any questions you have.

In answer to some of the questions -
Do you need to sand - yes. Even the thin veneer will take a very light sand (~400 grit from memory). The rest of the body will take much more - up to 240 / 320 or so.
Getting a black natural burst on a quilted top - maybe Wokka (another member may be able to help here - Wokks and Gavin Turner are kings of the burst.
Getting the back and neck to be black shouldn't need filler - once sanded, depending on stain, they should be black. You can use black filler (ebony timbermate) as a wash, but it will dry to grey - stains over the top will return it to black.
Yep - mask off the fretboard to minimise stain. Sanding should take care of any bleed, though you could also use some auto detailing tape which will minimise bleed. That said, many have used the blue painters tape from large hardware stores to good effect.
Body not drilled for bridge - adds complexity, but can be done. You can put the neck in to get accurate measurements before glueing it in. Use a clamp to hold the neck in place while you measure (check out how to place a bass bridge here - same technique - different bridge: http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=3048).
Drill the body first. Wet sanding is typically used for poly / spray on finishes. Stains tend to be more drysanded. You can always pack the holes with something to minimise any harm from water.
Glueing can happen earlier if you are finishing the back / neck with the same finish / colour, but they do tend to be easier to work with separately.
Pickups - look at the surrounds - there will be a natural taper in the surrounds. The highest end of each surround goes towards the bridge. The surround with the highest end goes in the bridge position.
On the bridge - either way works - that said, having the screws towards the pickups makes them easiest to adjust.

Hope that helps and look forward to seeing you on the forum.

[jrmehle]

Thanks Brendan, I've definitely been reading up here on the forums since my kit arrived. I also purchased a copy of Martin Koch's Building Electric Guitars book and have been watching a ton of videos online (Crimson Guitars is fantastic for this). I should also mention I don't play guitar (though I am hoping to learn on my finished guitar), but I have dabbled in bass for the past 15 years.

Another question just popped into my head (for anyone to answer, not just Brendan). Do I need to do anything with the neck/fretboard other than apply a finish to the wood? Does every fretboard need to be re-leveled once the neck has been installed? I wasn't expecting to get into fret leveling and crowning in this build.

[Muzza]

Just a word of warning... the 'Q' bodies have a notoriously thin veneer. A lot of builders have gone through with a little too much sanding.

I didn't actually sand through mine, but it was so thin in 2 areas, it lifted (like a bubble) when I applied the stain.

Luckily, like you, I was doing a burst, which effectively covered the repairs.

Also, due of the thin veneer, I would suggest NOT trying to 'pop' the grain.

I love the PRS style kits. I don't understand why they're not more popular.

Good luck mate. Welcome to the PRS kit klub.

[jrmehle]

Hi Muzza! I'm actually familiar with your PRS builds as they come up in all the searches I have been doing. This thin veneer thing is really disappointing. As a new builder, I wasn't even aware that I should be watching out or thinking about this sort of thing. Now it's going to affect what kind of finish I can apply? GRRRR! I guess this is part of the process.

[Muzza]

No, it shouldn't affect what finish you choose. The world is still your oyster.
(Except for popping the grain...)

[wokkaboy]

Hi JR, welcome to the forum and your future addictive hobby !
The neck will probably need a fret level and possibly re-crown depending how much you had to sand the frets to get them level. Best do this before you set (glue the neck)
For the fretboard best use Dingowax, Dr Ducks Axe Wax or a natural oil like orange or lemon oil.

With the burst have a practice on some scrap wood.
I think if you are careful you should be able to pull off a black to natural burst on the veneer. Give us a shout when you are up to that stage. I'd sand the rest of the body to about 320 grit. The neck usually won't need a grain filler as the maple is very tight grain. I assume you are planning staining the back/sides and neck black (not solid paint) ?

[stan]

welcome and enjoy, plenty of good advice here, and friendly help