Building a Guitar but i hope you can help

[Caden_Vekk]

I need help with my truss rod on my neck-thru I'm building. Here's a post from Alembic forums that I made.

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Long story short, I'm building my first guitar for a project at school which, if failed, I dont graduate. I'm going to build a neck-thru electric guitar, dual humbucker, one tone, one vlume, 3way switch guitar and one of the problems I'm having is the truss rod. I'm getting a two-way action truss rod in order to keep a flat channel but, I can't seem to find anywhere that has any kind of details on the "best" way to route a channel like this for a neck-thru, I've searched and searched, I have two books, and its all details on bolt-ons. So i decided to come to the source. Alembic specializes in neck-thru's, so why not as them. So PLEASE, if you have any advice (along with pictures) please please please help. If possible, could you provide pictures of the just glued neck blank, to truss rod finishing. Thanks.

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I'm looking at a few of these guitars and basses, and it seems to me that whether or not it's a bolt-on or neck-thru, it's the same basic channeling, except where the access point is.

For example, the access point of a bolt-on could be at the join between neck and body to where if one were to change the action, the neck would need to come off, but if one were to route the channel in a way to mimic the end of a bolt-on neck (along with an access recess) that would be acceptable.

Is that assumption correct in any way?

 

[SDB Guitars]

For a neck through, I would use a spoke-style adjustment if you don't want to adjust at the headstock.

As for routing the channel, you need to have either a template you can follow, or at the very least a straight-edge so that the channel is straight. I usually clamp a straight-edge to my workbench (in my case, a joined purpleheart 2x2 that I know is true) and then run the router along that (one side of the router is flat).

I use Stew-Mac Hot Rod truss rods, or I make my own... the Stew-Mac ones require a 1/4" wide by 7/16" deep channel. I route that in 3 or 4 passes.

 

[Yvarg]

I'm no expert, but from my understanding the truss rod channel is the same between bolt ons and neck throughs. The thing that would change it is the type of truss rod you're using; good luck.

EDIT: Haha, too slow.

 

[Caden_Vekk]

Thanks, but not exactly what i was asking. I probably didn't make it clear enough, haha, sorry. Made sense in my head.

Say, i wanted to make my truss rod like this [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], how would i go about doing that? Route the channel straight, got that, 1/4" wide by 7/16" channel (i'm getting a two-way action from stewmac), got that, what i dont get is what do i do after, I route it? Is there any difference in the routing of a bolt-on and neck thru?

 

[SDB Guitars]

The routing is the same... a straight channel that runs under the fretboard - starting somewhere between the nut and first fret and ending wherever you need it to end based on the length of your neck. it doesn't matter what construction method you are using.

 

[Caden_Vekk]

OK, good. Thanks alot. Should the truss rod be in contact with the back of the fretboard at all?

 

[Caden_Vekk]

I'm back again and ready to make my baby a cyborg so I need some help with the electronics. My setup is two humbuckers with a 3-way toggle switch and a master volume and master tone. I've got both 250 and 500 pots for those and I've forgotten which value goes better with which function.
Anyway, I'd like to have the toggle functions as:
Top Position (switch head pointing towards sky): Neck Pickup
Middle Position (switch head pointing straight out) Both pickups
Bottom Position (switch head pointing toward floor) Bridge pickup. With the given photo's, do you think this setup will be possible and if so how would I connect all the wires and such?

Basic Setup

Electronics cavity

"Top" as seen from playing position. I'd like this to select the neck pickup

"Middle" as seen from playing position. I'd like this to select both pickups

"Bottom" as seen from playing position. I'd like this to select the bridge pickup

The pickup wires. White wire indicates neck pickup, Yellow is bridge pickup.

 

[Al Heeley]

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ignore the white and red taped together in the diagram, that's for coil splitting on a 4-conductor humbucker.