My new PRS 1Q kit

[Tassieaxeman]

Just received my new PRS kit and did a pre assembly mock up.
Pretty pleased, only faults I can find so far are, a couple of small scratches around a humbucker rout and a small imperfection where the binding terminates at the bottom of the neck pocket.
Neck pocket is snug and true, a couple of small gaps that will fill when I set the neck.
Neck is straight scale length is perfect, bridge and tailpiece, holes spot on.
Laminate lovely, body matching colour mahogany.
In short this one is gonna be a ripper.

[McCreed]

That's great Tassie! I built a PRS-1TS (tiger stripe) last year. Very similar except basswood not mahogany. Got the same cool fret markers. Lots of people comment on how different they are!

re: scale length - I'm presuming the neck is fitted in at the right scale length in the photo. Looking at that, it appears you may have the same issue I had with the end of the fretboard encroaching the neck humbucker route.
If I'm correct, the pickup ring won't line up properly over the pickup route.
There are a couple of ways to address this if it should be the case, but check it out first. Yours may be fine.

Cheers,
Mick

[Tassieaxeman]

Cheers Mick, I spotted that as I was fixing a couple of gaps in the neck pocket. I ended up cutting about 8 mm off the end of the neck below the fretboard. Which involved a couple of tentative cuts on the band saw, then a lot of careful chiseling with a sharp Japanese Chisel.
The end result is a snug fitting humbucker with no gaps.
But it does take some wangling to remove the bucker!

[McCreed]

I ended up cutting about 8 mm off the end of the neck below the fretboard.

Wow. That's one way to do it!

What did you do about the binding on the end? Did you remove it then replace it?

[Tassieaxeman]

No I didn't touch the fretboard, i cut in parallel to the fretboard about 1.5mm below the fretboard
and parallel to that level with the tongue part of the glue joint. Both cuts about 7mm in then removed the material between the cuts. The end of the fretboard just clears the humbucker and the surround fits snugly below it and just covers the humbucker rout.
I could have done it with my inlay router but didn't trust myself freehand with a router. I also considered enlarging the humbucker rout rearward to give clearance but that would have left a small gap at the front. I also considered a custom humbucker mount with a gap for the neck but I figured that as the timber I removed wasn't part of the glue surface and appeared to me to be an issue caused by use of a stock G model neck rather than a purpose built neck. That my solution was more inline with original design spec's.

[Tassieaxeman]

Ok I've done an initial sunburst stain job on the top. Proof tint golden amber and Japan brown. I've used Siminoff's method which is I think the best method. Next step is to seal with FW sanding sealed and and fine sand prior to a final stain and Tru oil. I will get the top sealed with Tru oil then move on to binding the back with aged cream binding and a triple purfling strip.
The reason for starting from the front are twofold. 1. Seal and harden the thin laminate before it gets damaged. 2. Seal it before I stain the back and sides as I don't want mahogany blending into the face.

[McCreed]

Ah, thanks for the explanation Tassie. I misinterpreted your earlier post and you just lopped off a chunk of fretboard!

Nice even colours on your burst too!

[Tassieaxeman]

Burst is finished. 2 coats of Tru oil for the moment just to lock in the staining, lots more to come. Sides are filled and ready for FW sanding sealer.
I've cut the headstock in Gibson shape, I had intended to do a PRS head but, it would have required extensive reconstruction.

[McCreed]

Nice! The gloss really pulls that quilting out.

I know what yo mean about the headstock. I was originally going to try and do a more PRS-esque, but like you, I discovered it really wouldn't work with the pre-drilled tuner holes. I wasn't up for the amount of work it would entail, so I opted for a simpler design.

[king casey]

Looks great.

I had intended to do a PRS head but, it would have required extensive reconstruction.

A task not without a learning curve. I've been foolhardy enough to get sucked down that vortex.
Looking at the PRS layout though, it would probably help tuning issues to have the strings straight rather than splayed Gibson style.

cheers, Mark.