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body top

U

ulrichsd

Mar 6, 2013
16
0
#1
Hi everyone, I have an old project I finished a few years ago and was thinking of changing things up on it.

Its a body made from ash (Strat style) cherryburst finish that I bolted together with a pre-made ebony neck paired with some chrome Gibson LP stock pickups and floating tremolo bridge.

I'm thinking I'd like to ditch the pick guard but there is the carved out area for the eletronics (Fender Strat style under the pickguard). So I was planning to cut off some from the top and stick on a two piece maple top or something around 1/8 -3/8" to give it a nice wood finish and have the electronics accessible from the bottom. Sand down the current body, glue on the top and then put a nice natural finish on it.

Just curious if anyone sees any potential issues with this. Any recommendations for the top thickness? I was thinking I could just have the pickups screw into the wood top (or should do I need those plastic braces like you see on LPs?) I thought about giving it a carved top, but I think that would be biting off too much for me.

Thanks!
Scott
 
#2
The one thing you'll have to do is route out the back for access to the the electronics, so keep that in mind. I typically mount my pickups directly to the body since I route the depth of the pocket to the height I like my pickups to be. You could use pickup rings to make it easier on yourself if you'll be using humbuckers. But, overall what you're thinking of doing should work out fine. Anyways trying stuff like that is always a good learning experience!
 
#3
CholisGuitars said:
The one thing you'll have to do is route out the back for access to the the electronics, so keep that in mind. I typically mount my pickups directly to the body since I route the depth of the pocket to the height I like my pickups to be. You could use pickup rings to make it easier on yourself if you'll be using humbuckers. But, overall what you're thinking of doing should work out fine. Anyways trying stuff like that is always a good learning experience!
Click to expand...

Thanks Cholis! I appreciate the input. Yes, it will be dual chrome humbuckers going in. Any advantage to using pickup rings over just screwing into the top? What thickness top do you usually use - would 3/8ths or 5/16ths be adequate for a flat top (not carved)?

Here's a picture of the guitar in its current form. Thanks! It is fun to try some this out, it makes me appreciate professional luthiers that much more!!

Link Removed
 
#4
You're probably going to have to mount the pickups to the body not the top if you don't use pickup rings. for pups like that your going to want pickup rings in my opinion. it won't look right without them. Rings make adjusting the height a breeze anyways. Hard mounting is basically your only choice if you don't use rings. Unless you drill out the pickups fine threading and use springs or tubing under the pups around the mounting screws.

It's a bit of a hassle doing it that way, so when I'm not using pickup rings, I just route to the finish depth. You can't really adjust the height that easily though. go with pickup rings.

for the top, 1/4 or 5/16 is fine. that should work ok for your pot shafts. make sure you account for washers and the nut for the pots when routing out the back depth.

How do you plan to lop off the top quarter inch?
 
#5
Thanks for the advice! I guess I'll probably switch the 5 way switch for a proper 3 way switch. Right now it is soldered to only use 3 of the 5. :)

As for trimming the body I know a guy who is a hobbyist carpenter who does furniture and stuff. I'll see if I can borrow his band saw.

Thanks again!
 
#6
I think it would be simpler and less work to just build a body to those specs from scratch, rather than retrofitting a top to an existing guitar, especially one with tremolo routes. However if it's a learning experience then it should provide some great learning. :)

Regarding planing off the top, I'd probably sand back the finish quite a bit and then plane it down with a router sled...
 
#7
Beej said:
I think it would be simpler and less work to just build a body to those specs from scratch
Click to expand...

Good point. Its probably easier to make a new one. :) when I started making guitars I would have a cnc shop create plexi templates from my cad drawings. It was probably a little over 100. a drill press, router and bearing bits and you're all set. well and some hand tools :)
 
#8
Beej said:
I think it would be simpler and less work to just build a body to those specs from scratch, rather than retrofitting a top to an existing guitar, especially one with tremolo routes. However if it's a learning experience then it should provide some great learning. :)
Click to expand...

Yes, definitely learning without spending a lot of money :) Bought a burled maple top for under $30 w/ shipping. I was planning on keeping the tremolo bridge so having that routed out should be Ok.

If I use the pickup rings then that would allow me to install the pickups from the top? That would be a lot easier than going from the bottom.

Thanks!
 
#11
It's been a few months since istarted this thread, but I changed my mind and decided to keep the strat as is and start this project from scratch. Here's the details, have most of the parts but haven't yet started construction.

-Maple neck and fretboard. Mighty Mite compound radius 9.5-12"
-maple top shown above, ash body
- going to do a semi hollow body design with Bigsby-style gfs x-trem vibrato
-hsh triple pup config, gibson hb neck and bridge and p90 middle

Any suggestions from anyone who's done a semi-hollow build would be awesome! Thanks!
 

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