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Custom Grabber - 1st A to Z build
- Thread starter ThaCoast
- Start date
So due to weather i was forced to re-enter my home. But i did manage to smooth out both the body & its MDF template smooth. Now every curve is perfect. Tomorrow will be routing the remaining excess off the body. pcitures uploaded later as my phone died 
Picture day!! Body is done for today. Some minor handsanding to do on the sides to round them off a tad more. I found a few holes on the side of the body & i will be filling them with wood filler & wait 24h til they're all fully dry. Thursday, i'll trace the tummy, arm rest and cutaway cuts. And round off all the edges. There's a shot of the pickguard blank with the templates and etc that i traced a few days ago.
Attachments
Last night, i decided to trace all it's future hand cuts & fill in the holes. Hopefully thursday will be nice outside so i can work on it.
So before i get to cutting the neck blank, i think i'll have a problem in the future.
This is the wood i'm using for the blank. I think it's particle? & I was wondering if i'd be okay with using this for the neck, or if i should use this as a test piece and go find a one piece maple blank?
Thanks guys. p.s. the line is my 10 degree angle cut.
Thanks guys. p.s. the line is my 10 degree angle cut.
Particle board is incredibly brittle, and cannot support much tension, and cannot be smoothed.
Use MDF for the neck template, use Maple for the real neck.
Use MDF for the neck template, use Maple for the real neck.
I've thought of using the leftover MDF for the neck/neck pocket template.
I've also found a place to procure the new neck blank. 20$ +/- for a 48 inch x 6 inch x 1 inch.
Last edited:
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
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- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Sounds good, if it's a straight board with relatively straight grain. 48 inches will be more than long enough, including cutting the headstock.
I thought so 
thanks guys for helping me out. Giving me tips, advice & options on what/how to do. I started carving out the body. One of the cutaway recess' completed. The armrest has begun but it's taking a long time. Any specific tool i should use to carve it out easily ? I'm using a rasp & file but it's a very slow process.
thanks guys for helping me out. Giving me tips, advice & options on what/how to do. I started carving out the body. One of the cutaway recess' completed. The armrest has begun but it's taking a long time. Any specific tool i should use to carve it out easily ? I'm using a rasp & file but it's a very slow process.Attachments
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
- 1
- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Folks use a variety of tools for body carving, so it comes down to personal preference. Rasps and files are popular (I love my Shinto saw rasp!), but so are angle grinders! Obviously a power tool is quicker, but for beginners I think hand tools are better for learning how to work the wood. But a good-quality sharp rasp is definitely better than the old rusty one you found in Grandad's barn...
A nice, quality rasp is a lot of fun to use, I also really love using a spokeshave and a razor, as the curly woodchips amuses me for a weird reason.
Thanks, well the rasp i got is working so far. It's a good way to relax, shaping wood. Finding each curve beneath a slab surface. More done tonight, i finished class early and decided to continue with the armrest cut, it's near complete. Still a ways to go, but i'm near it. (I should invest in a shinto saw rasp). Also, both recessed cutaways are done.
Next week, i'll be going down to the shop to get my one piece maple blank for the neck. I'll start that asap so i can do the following on the body: 1-Neck pocket route 2-once the bridge arrives, i'll be able to place it, and drill the holes for the screws and the string through option hahaha.
Also, got a post office note in mailbox as i left for class. Tomorrow at 1pm, i discover what i have. I'm hoping it's either the new fretboard, or the bridge. But i really hope it's not the broken fretboard being sent back to me that would suck. Although, i could acquire some rosewood at the wood shop i'm getting the neck blank.
Enough suspense, here's some proof of the work
Next week, i'll be going down to the shop to get my one piece maple blank for the neck. I'll start that asap so i can do the following on the body: 1-Neck pocket route 2-once the bridge arrives, i'll be able to place it, and drill the holes for the screws and the string through option hahaha.
Also, got a post office note in mailbox as i left for class. Tomorrow at 1pm, i discover what i have. I'm hoping it's either the new fretboard, or the bridge. But i really hope it's not the broken fretboard being sent back to me
that would suck. Although, i could acquire some rosewood at the wood shop i'm getting the neck blank.Enough suspense, here's some proof of the work
Attachments
.047 cap, Tube jack mono output, Fender style 4 bolt neck plate, Epiphone les paul special black speed knobs & truss rod cover (thanks pops), Two 500k potentiometers (one of them has a broken solder lug, any idea how to fix?), electrical wires (taken from my mechanics school almost a year ago), 24 inch double-action truss rod (headstock adjustment - the best kind), Jumbo bass fretwire (2 ft), All parts Gibson style EB-O mudbucker (held together with tape), Stewmac Hipshot A bridge .750 spacing w/screws and allen key, Strap pins & string through ferrules.
Missing: Hipshot chrome 1/2 clover keys ultralites, rosewood 21 fret fingerboard, gibson style nut.
More building next week. I feel behind schedule but that's due to lack of essential tools, waiting for parts & getting the proper wood.
Stay tuned
I'm not replicating it down to the letter. it's my build with different takes on it. xp
No worries xP It's more an "inspired by" build rather than a "exact replica" build. I just made it a little bit wider than usual and slightly bit longer but not by much. Thickness changed cause my dad always thought they were too thin, & i agree with him on that. Look wise, it won't differ so much from the original grabber other than the pickup & bridge. But aside from those, it looks the part.
You should still be able to solder onto the remaining metal, if the solder lug itself has broken off at the 90 degree bend.
Hopkins
Commercial User
