More guitar making stuff...

Gotta love guitar porn. 

Oh an inlay that sounds quite a neat idea

Very inventive. 

Thanks for joining in guys...wasn't sure it would be of interest.
 
Wookiee- I liked the inlay idea too but I'm still thinking...first time with stuff is a risk and sometimes very costly. I'm also not sure if that's a new idea but I don't recall ever seeing an inlayed guard. I'm attracted to seeing how it would look. I have seen pup covers made of wood and I know that sometimes to much of something can hurt the appeal.
I've heard the wood pup covers like to crack in time...
 
Drew- Thanks for the kudos- I hope to have some fun with it and maybe have a project to post so we can see how it works out.
 
Bat- "scary" is a certain. Routers scare the hell out of me and then experimenting combined ? It did cost me getting this far but at least there were no incidents. That was the original guard to that black anniv. Strat I posted not long ago...bummer there. I did tape it on so the taper was towards the wood to help give distance but it wasn't enough and the thin edge wasn't enough for the process...and I did go easy. Just not enough beef like that.
The spacer and the metal guard were keys. I don't know if a spacer and tapered plastic would work- probably- but I don't need to try that now.
I sand everything very close so the router doesn't have much work. That sure helps.
 
Jan - thanks...If I were more into video I'd post on youtube since I couldn't find help with making a template from a plastic pickguard...but unfortunately right now I'm not.
 
Mesh and Craig...

Very cool. :)

 
I decided on the fretboard wood so I ordered a Birdseye board so I could attempt to inlay
a matching pickguard.
The neck build process I put in a link in the 335 thread. Two excellent videos I stumbled on.
 
I'm on hold waiting for the tuners. I decided to go vintage and I don't like drilling the holes until
I have the hardware...and that's the next step before I router down the head to the correct thickness.
You may notice I used a wheel type truss-rod.
If I get bored I'll inlay the fret dots/markers.
Haven't decided on body wood or design yet....moving pretty slow and really making decisions as I
go along. Since it's my first bolt-on build I know I'll build a display case to go with my first build- a neck-thru.
 
Since I'll be trying my first inlay pickguard it was a good time to do a bolt-on build. If it goes south I'll
still have the neck - with a neck-thru I'd lose it all.
 
Flame and Birdseye neck...it sure looks beautiful...hope it makes it.
 
 
 
 

Thanks Bat.
Sorry for my lack of photo skills...
 
Got the tuner holes drilled (not for the bushings -still waiting to check size) and head thickness.
(bushing bits have a 1/4" guide so no problem drilling them and best done before sizing the head thickness- makes for nice clean holes)
Markers and 12" radius done.
Nut slot done.
(note: the fret slots are not cut to needed depth. They will be cut as needed to fretwire-when decided. Good fit but also if I decide to fill-in rather than the fret tang showing there will be much less to fill. And very little, if any, with the tang showing.)
 
Tried to get better shots of the Birdseye...

you know, when i used to play full time, i'd end up needing a fretjob about every 2 years....
and my luthier, on the 2nd re-fret, just slotted for the frets and glued them into place, instead of pressing..
 
and it sounded exactly the same, felt exactly the same, and the next time he did the re-fret, he just heated the frets with a solder iron, they slid right out, and he put the new ones right in the same way.
LOL
 
 
my current state of affairs:
 

 
heheh
 

∞

∞

The picture of the nut slot does make it look like the bottom of the slot is radiused like a fingerboard. It must be a trick of the lens and shadows.

LOL...I use a nut slot file which is flat but I'll sure find out how flat it is when I install the nut !

Thanks Bob and glad you're enjoying it.
 
I decided to take a break and grab some photos.
Not much to add as they really tell the story and naturally the
result I'm shooting for is the feel I want.
I use both sides of the file and then it's sand paper.
Guidelines help keep me from where I don't want to go. The rest
is just do it and hope like every other step- ya don't blow it.
Really only one rule that runs through me brain when doing this part...
ya can't put the wood back. :)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Probably the most important line to me- keeping me away from the fretboard. Hit that wrong-game over.

Isn't it amazing how the memories are so vivid?
While I restored my first I was flooded with memories...and
just so very glad that the neck and body had made it through so many years. A '63 Harmony
bought from a local music store where I took lessons. Fortunately it had a Mahogany neck.
 
And the sense of touch...just thinking how we can feel the difference of a
one-thousandth of an inch difference between string sizes so playing it again was
just a trip...thinking of all the hours I spent with it and records I ruined trying to learn
parts...feeling that neck again from so many (50) years ago. 

Wookiee
Excuse me
 
Dribble

LOL...
 
Well that was fun. Got my first bolt-on neck profiled. Lots of file and lots of sandpaper- down to 320...but I'll go much smaller.
I know some of the pics are blurred but trying to shoot the profile seemed silly but what
is in the shots is shadows. I use them to tell me how it really is. Light and shadows tell me stuff
that feeling just won't find.
Now I can decide on what frets while waiting for the tuners so I can finish sizing the holes.
Hope you enjoy the ride.
 
Oh...I noticed the template and remembered that I had mentioned making some and would post more when and if I got them completed. Well I'm home alone for a few days, have time to do as I want so things did go good so I'll  take some photos and post them here.