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Building a guitar with what I've learned here. Walnut/Maple/Ash/Eastern Red Cedar
- Thread starter lbridenstine
- Start date
I smoothed out the front more and drilled some pilot holes for the screws, then I strung it up to test it.
I didn’t take the time to intonate the bridge, but I tuned it to pitch and everything seems to be fine. The headstock held up good. The neck is a lot thicker than I’m used to, but I did that on purpose because I always get guitars with “super thin” necks, so I thought I’d make this one different.
The clamp is only on there to hold the nut in place since it’s not glued yet. The nut flew off when I put the first string on, so I thought the clamp might prevent that from happening again…
I decided to make the tuners slant with the headstock shape.
The action is pretty high right now, but that’s only because I didn’t want to press the bridge posts all the way down in case they wouldn’t come out afterwards. I don’t want them in while I’m sanding or finishing. I didn’t put the ferrules in while I was testing it for the same reason.
I think it’s looking pretty good now. I still have to get the areas where it transitions from walnut to ash a bit smoother. I also re-recessed the pot holes and one of them started cutting past the walnut (of course), so I’m thinking about just making the recesses all go into the ash and make it like a highlight around the knobs. I’m not completely sure if I’ll do that or not, but it does show with the knobs there.
I checked to make sure all the pots and the switch fit good and they do. I did that before I got the camera out.
So, it's finally getting pretty close to being done! I just need to:
-Sand
-Fill the fret ends
-Finish making the truss rod cover
-Make the pickup rings
-Put on the finish
I haven't leveled/crowned the frets yet. I played every note on it today and nothing buzzed at all, but I'm not going to leave the action that high, so I'll see how it is after it's finished and I might need to order another crowning file, since I realized that the one I have is for wide frets and these are medium.
I didn’t take the time to intonate the bridge, but I tuned it to pitch and everything seems to be fine. The headstock held up good. The neck is a lot thicker than I’m used to, but I did that on purpose because I always get guitars with “super thin” necks, so I thought I’d make this one different.
The clamp is only on there to hold the nut in place since it’s not glued yet. The nut flew off when I put the first string on, so I thought the clamp might prevent that from happening again…
I decided to make the tuners slant with the headstock shape.
The action is pretty high right now, but that’s only because I didn’t want to press the bridge posts all the way down in case they wouldn’t come out afterwards. I don’t want them in while I’m sanding or finishing. I didn’t put the ferrules in while I was testing it for the same reason.
I think it’s looking pretty good now. I still have to get the areas where it transitions from walnut to ash a bit smoother. I also re-recessed the pot holes and one of them started cutting past the walnut (of course), so I’m thinking about just making the recesses all go into the ash and make it like a highlight around the knobs. I’m not completely sure if I’ll do that or not, but it does show with the knobs there.
I checked to make sure all the pots and the switch fit good and they do. I did that before I got the camera out.
So, it's finally getting pretty close to being done! I just need to:
-Sand
-Fill the fret ends
-Finish making the truss rod cover
-Make the pickup rings
-Put on the finish
I haven't leveled/crowned the frets yet. I played every note on it today and nothing buzzed at all, but I'm not going to leave the action that high, so I'll see how it is after it's finished and I might need to order another crowning file, since I realized that the one I have is for wide frets and these are medium.
I made the pickup rings today.
I don't know if I'm being too much of a perfectionist here, but I don't like the gap between the pickups and the rings. I used a plastic pickup ring for a pickup the same size as a template, but it seems like the opening is too big.
Aside from that, one of the sides got cut shorter than the other (the carpet tape didn't hold good enough for the router) and the screw holes are cutting into the roundover and you can see a little bit of the pickup route on the side.
These aren't finished, by the way. I need to clean up the inner area and make it square-er and I haven't done any sanding yet.
So, I might just make new ones, I'm not sure yet. I don't even know if I have enough rosewood left to make new ones. I don't think these look terrible, I was just expecting them to be better.
I don't know if I'm being too much of a perfectionist here, but I don't like the gap between the pickups and the rings. I used a plastic pickup ring for a pickup the same size as a template, but it seems like the opening is too big.
Aside from that, one of the sides got cut shorter than the other (the carpet tape didn't hold good enough for the router) and the screw holes are cutting into the roundover and you can see a little bit of the pickup route on the side.
These aren't finished, by the way. I need to clean up the inner area and make it square-er and I haven't done any sanding yet.
So, I might just make new ones, I'm not sure yet. I don't even know if I have enough rosewood left to make new ones. I don't think these look terrible, I was just expecting them to be better.
I decided to order some pickup route templates from StewMac... Hopefully that will help. I ordered the one for a humbucker pickgaurd, which I'll use for the inside route of the new pickup rings and also ordered jazz bass ones so I don't have to bother trying to make my own for my next bass.
The rest of the leftover rosewood isn't big enough for new pickup rings, but I have a piece of walnut split in half thickness-wise that I was originally going to use, so I'm going to try making new rings out of those.
I also ordered a new crowning file so I can get working on my frets too.
I'm hoping to get the guitar hung up and start applying Tru-Oil to it sometime this weekend, but don't hold me to it. I still have a few things to do, so it just depends on how long those things take.
I can't wait to get this done! It's so close.
The rest of the leftover rosewood isn't big enough for new pickup rings, but I have a piece of walnut split in half thickness-wise that I was originally going to use, so I'm going to try making new rings out of those.
I also ordered a new crowning file so I can get working on my frets too.
I'm hoping to get the guitar hung up and start applying Tru-Oil to it sometime this weekend, but don't hold me to it. I still have a few things to do, so it just depends on how long those things take.
I can't wait to get this done! It's so close.
The fret slot ends are filled.
Before:
After:
And I worked on the truss rod cover a little more before filling them, so I could gather rosewood sawdust. I got the magnets in too, but one is off and it pulls away from the fretboard on one side, so I think I'll have to add one more magnet and offset it towards the fretboard and hope it pulls it back in place.
Maybe fretwork tomorrow?
Before:
After:
And I worked on the truss rod cover a little more before filling them, so I could gather rosewood sawdust. I got the magnets in too, but one is off and it pulls away from the fretboard on one side, so I think I'll have to add one more magnet and offset it towards the fretboard and hope it pulls it back in place.
Maybe fretwork tomorrow?
- Aug 15, 2011
- 571
- 171
- Disclosures
- Owner/Luthier:RoseBud Basses & Guitars LLC
was that TR cover a magnet on magnet thing? because... yea, I didn't like that technique when I tried it (if you recall my incident), I think i will try set screws next. lookin good cant wait to see #3 .
.
.
Yay, I got the frets done and I think they turned out really good. 
This one was before I leveled them, I was going to try to take pictures of the steps, but then I got my hands all dirty and didn't want that on my camera.
I marked the frets with a sharpie, laid a level on top of the frets and adjusted the truss rod until they all touched the level, then used the level with sand paper taped on the edge to level the frets. Once I cut through the marker on all of them, I did it again to make sure it was all good. Then I marked them again and crowned them, followed by fine sand paper, then 600, 800, and 1000 grit fret erasers, then 0000 steel wool.
This one was before I leveled them, I was going to try to take pictures of the steps, but then I got my hands all dirty and didn't want that on my camera.
I marked the frets with a sharpie, laid a level on top of the frets and adjusted the truss rod until they all touched the level, then used the level with sand paper taped on the edge to level the frets. Once I cut through the marker on all of them, I did it again to make sure it was all good. Then I marked them again and crowned them, followed by fine sand paper, then 600, 800, and 1000 grit fret erasers, then 0000 steel wool.
was that TR cover a magnet on magnet thing? because... yea, I didn't like that technique when I tried it (if you recall my incident), I think i will try set screws next. lookin good cant wait to see #3 .
Yeah, it is. I was looking at it today and decided to put a gold screw up towards the point of the truss rod cover to hold it where I want it, and the magnets still hold the other end in place. I like how gold looks against rosewood anyways, so I might as well (even though I was trying to avoid screws).
#3 is coming as soon as this gets done. If I have time, I might glue the body together this weekend. My main focus is getting the guitar done though.
- Aug 15, 2011
- 571
- 171
- Disclosures
- Owner/Luthier:RoseBud Basses & Guitars LLC
Thanks. I like them, they really cleaned up the frets pretty quickly. I didn't do much with the sand paper after crowning the frets, just basically got the rest of the marker off, probably SOME scratches too, but the 600 grit fret eraser took care of the rest really quickly, and the higher grits just polished them more. They kind of give the frets a matte look, so that's why I went over it with steel wool really quick at the end, just to make it shine, but it literally was like 15 seconds with the steel wool.
- Aug 15, 2011
- 571
- 171
- Disclosures
- Owner/Luthier:RoseBud Basses & Guitars LLC
Yeah, I made sure to go buy a set of drill bits so I can drill the right size pilot holes this time, so hopefully I won't have issues with the screws...
Haha, yes. I'm watching your new thread and looking forward to updates. The wood selection in it looks so good. I really like the shape too.
The bass I'm going to make will probably be the last one for myself, at least for a while. I have had some people ask me about making them guitars, but I have a feeling they might not be able to actually pay me for it, so we'll see about that.
- Aug 15, 2011
- 571
- 171
- Disclosures
- Owner/Luthier:RoseBud Basses & Guitars LLC
Thanks! i'm trying to finish befor my client goes on the road so the up dates are a little behind, but I'm making a run at it.
I'm familiar with that too, especially seance most of my friends are broke a$$es from when I was trying to stand on a stage. or random people who have never even heard of luthiery before. Those people I always ask if there's anything they can do for me, like accounting, Web work, T-shirt printing, etc. you get the idea. I decided (and was addicted) along time ago that this is what I'm going to do. So If you got the bug, just build another one and see if someone wants it. next thing you know you have a local following and like every thing else you only get better.
I hope that sounds encouraging... that was the point, ha, ha.
Everybody who has asked me about it is in their early twenties, and I'm 25 and living at home, so I can't think of anything I'd be able to trade for. That is a good idea to start out with though. I might build another and try to sell it, but at the same time, I feel like I'd end up wanting to keep it, haha.
I got the final sanding done!
My dad gave me the idea of making circles out of a veneer to fill the area around the knobs. I just have to drill the holes through them before I start applying tru-oil tomorrow.
Which knobs should I use?
The zebrawood ones I bought
or these that I cut out with a plug cutter?
Im having a hard time drilling the holes centered on the bottom, so they look wobbly when they turn But I could always make more.
My dad gave me the idea of making circles out of a veneer to fill the area around the knobs. I just have to drill the holes through them before I start applying tru-oil tomorrow.
Which knobs should I use?
The zebrawood ones I bought
or these that I cut out with a plug cutter?
Im having a hard time drilling the holes centered on the bottom, so they look wobbly when they turn But I could always make more.
First coat of oil:
I forgot to take a picture of this yesterday:
Four coats of oil:
I tested bore oil on one of the pickup rings that I'm not planning on using anymore and it's basically black now. Good thing I tested it before putting it on the fretboard. I'll check again another day to see if maybe the darkness will fade or something. I wanted to use it on the fretboard to give it a wet look without actually finishing it.
I forgot to take a picture of this yesterday:
Four coats of oil:
I tested bore oil on one of the pickup rings that I'm not planning on using anymore and it's basically black now. Good thing I tested it before putting it on the fretboard. I'll check again another day to see if maybe the darkness will fade or something. I wanted to use it on the fretboard to give it a wet look without actually finishing it.
It has 13 coats now. I'll probably just do 2 more and call it good. I'm thinking about leaving the body glossy and only making the neck satin now instead of all satin, mostly because I don't think the flame/curl in the walnut will show good if it's satin, but also I just really like how it looks right now.
How can I make the front of the fretboard look as good as the sides? I know you're not really supposed to finish rosewood because of the oils in it. Any suggestions?
I actually really like how the headstock looks now that there's finish on it.
How can I make the front of the fretboard look as good as the sides? I know you're not really supposed to finish rosewood because of the oils in it. Any suggestions?
I actually really like how the headstock looks now that there's finish on it.
Alright, I ended up putting two thin layers of Tru-oil on the fretboard. It looks like it might be a little uneven.
And I went over the whole guitar with a Scotch Brite fine finishing pad and denim (with a tiny bit of lemon oil) on the neck and headstock and a piece of a cotton shirt (with lemon oil) on the body.
The finish looks kind of cloudy to me now. I don't know if you can tell in the pictures or not. I'll try to take some pictures out in the sun soon. I think it looks good other than that, but I'd like it to be clearer. I'll try to figure out what I need to do... any advice is welcome.
I made some new pickup rings today too and they turned out pretty good. I started finishing those, so I'll wait to install everything on the guitar until they're done.
And I went over the whole guitar with a Scotch Brite fine finishing pad and denim (with a tiny bit of lemon oil) on the neck and headstock and a piece of a cotton shirt (with lemon oil) on the body.
The finish looks kind of cloudy to me now. I don't know if you can tell in the pictures or not. I'll try to take some pictures out in the sun soon. I think it looks good other than that, but I'd like it to be clearer. I'll try to figure out what I need to do... any advice is welcome.
I made some new pickup rings today too and they turned out pretty good. I started finishing those, so I'll wait to install everything on the guitar until they're done.
