Faux Acoustic guitar build

[gitlvr]

I really like your thinking here. Well done and looking great.

I wonder if you've thought of the possible inclusion of a mic or piezzo p'up inside the cavity? Maybe with a VOL pot and small knob on the face to go along with whatever other controls you're gonna have.

Thanks, Joe. I think the SBT pickup i'll be using on this is a peizo. That will be mounted to the guitar's top, a little past the bridge.
As far as other pickups go, i've thought of adding an undersaddle transducer to the mix, but I don't have a clue how to blend them.
As to controls, I will most likely just control it from the amp.
I have wiring diagrams that show me how to wire in a volume and tone to this preamp, but I'll most likely not use them.
I've got all the tone shaping I'll need with an amp or PA. As to volume control, if I find i need it, a volume pedal between it and the amp/PA should work just fine. But, then again, I could change my mind.

 

[SurferJoe46]

Sounds right to me. I wuz just thinking about whatever echo or resonance the hollow would make to a mic inside the body too.

Are you expecting much resonance from the top of the body? At almost 1/8th inch thick it may not vibrate much - but second guessing it, ANY vibration is more than a solid slab body anyway ................ intriguing.

 

[gitlvr]

Sounds right to me. I wuz just thinking about whatever echo or resonance the hollow would make to a mic inside the body too.

Are you expecting much resonance from the top of the body? At almost 1/8th inch thick it may not vibrate much - but second guessing it, ANY vibration is more than a solid slab body anyway ................ intriguing.

Yeah, i'd be scared of a mic. Don't have a clue what the result would be.
As to the top vibrations, the pickup manufacturer recommends a maximum thickness of .125, so I think .118 will be good. I made the top thicker than normal because the bracing pattern is (I think) fairly light, and the top is an AA top, so I think i need to think about it being maybe off quarter or having some runout, which will affect it's stiffness(and which I know very little about how to actually assess). Sort of trying to compromise in order to maintain the top's integrity. The top will also thin out a little more during final sanding before finish. Not much, but at least a couple thousandths(knowing me, more like a 16th of an inch, LOL).

 

[gitlvr]

Sorry there have been no updates lately. This heat wave is something else. I've been playing it safe. Will resume once the heat breaks.

 

[gitlvr]

Finally had the chance to get back to this one. Hit the back with a 1/4" roundover bit.

After that I used some double stick tape to affix the rear cavity template....

....chucked up a 1/2" forstner in my drill....

...and put a 1/2" hole in each corner.

 

[gitlvr]

Took my jigsaw and cut out most of the waste.

Chucked a top bearing bit in my router...

.....and finished the cavity.

Basically repeated the process for the cavity cover rout.

 

[gitlvr]

Finally, I get to close the box on this one.

I'll let that sit at least overnight. Stay tuned.

 

[gitlvr]

Routed the top flush with the sides.

Binding is on order. Should come in sometime next week. stay tuned.

 

[gitlvr]

Routed for binding today.

My improvised binding router bit left a little indentation around the side of the body. Not a real problem. Nothing a little sanding won't cure. And if you're gonna be cheap and improvise a tool instead of buying the right one, you gotta expect there may be a few little "issues" to deal with.

 

[gitlvr]

Before I install the binding I want to rout for the neck pocket. To that end I place a strip of masking tape on the top, and mark a center line.

Mount the neck pocket template....

...and rout the neck pocket.

Couple of issues here. Firstly, you'll notice there are still a few marks left from the forstner bit I used to hog out the majority of the wood prior to routing. I got some of them about 1/16" deeper than intended. Don't know how that happened, but i can't go any deeper. No one will see this, and i don't think they'll be a problem.
Secondly, I had some splitting on the treble side of the neck pocket rout, so the little tab of wood left there had to be cut off a little shorter than I would have liked. Nothing I can do about that. It will just have to be what it is.
Onward with this build.

 

[gitlvr]

Once I had the neck pocket routed, I proceeded with the binding portion of this exercise.

Used the Stew Mac binding tape. This is the first binding job I've ever done. Guess I'm gonna have to spring for the proper bit and bearing so I can do this again.

That'll have to set up for at least 24 hours. More is better, I think.

 

[SurferJoe46]

Please more details.

What glue are you using? I just used pure acetone, no glue at all:::

Did you have troubles with the negative/concave areas and getting the binding tight?

I think my triple deep routing and the use of three layers made it harder to get the
binding to lay flat in the groove and I had to do this with the toothpicks and rubber bands.


Does the tape 'roll-over' the binding and try to twist it?

Are there going to be more layers or is this as far as you're going?

Sorry to hijack your work, but I thought my questions would
be better asked with visual aids.

 

[gitlvr]

Please more details.

What glue are you using? I just used pure acetone, no glue at all:::

Weld-on #16, from Stew Mac

Did you have troubles with the negative/concave areas and getting the binding tight?

I think my triple deep routing and the use of three layers made it harder to get the
binding to lay flat in the groove and I had to do this with the toothpicks and rubber bands.

My binding is just a simple strip of .060" binding. Pretty easy to bend around the contours.


Does the tape 'roll-over' the binding and try to twist it?

I didn't have any problems with that, I don't think. But this is my first time with binding. All will be revealed, for good or ill, when the tape is removed.

Are there going to be more layers or is this as far as you're going?

No, that's it. Just a simple strip of black for contrast.

Sorry to hijack your work, but I thought my questions would
be better asked with visual aids.

Don't sweat it. Thanks for chiming in!

 

[SurferJoe46]

OK _ fair enuff. Let me know if you want any of my experience in scraping it to the right height.

 

[gitlvr]

OK _ fair enuff. Let me know if you want any of my experience in scraping it to the right height.

I sharpened and burnished my scraper earlier today(first time for that, too). As to advice/experience, I'll take all I can get, especially from someone who's been where I'm going.

 

[SurferJoe46]

I think I liked using the back of a utility blade best as it's small and cuts lightly. I found that the
back side had a 'hang-on' lip that was just right --- not too aggressive nor too small to
actually cut:::

When you see this happening, it's getting close to the correct height:::

Remember that I'm using a triple layer here - B-W-B and that's why the routing is so deep.

You'll see some long tails that start appearing and that's the big hint.

Then a little sanding and burnish it:::

I just used the shank of a round shaft on a Phillips screwdriver and it polished up and sealed
any roughness on the bitter edge of the binding.

Then it's first clearcoat:::

 

[SurferJoe46]

Maybe another pix:::

or two:::

Wait until you see what my next headstock has for inlays and binding. All in all, I think binding is very easy.

Take it slow and make sure everything's in the right place and the right size/length before you commit to making it glued on.

 

[gitlvr]

Thanks, Joe. That's great info, and I'll put it to good use. When you post the build thread for your next one, pm me, please.
A question, if I may?
What's the best grit of sandpaper for the binding. And is there a grit that's too rough? I'm guessing that you could really mess up the binding, especially on the sides, with the wrong grit.
By the way, from what I've read in my little bit of research on binding, the acetone technique you used is the way to go when using multiple layers of binding. The weld-on cement I used is best used for single layer binding, or multi-lam already joined. The acetone is best used to join binding to binding.

 

[SurferJoe46]

I only used the acetone as the binding from Stew Mac is ABS and/or PVC anyway and acetone makes it bond nicely to the wood. It was acetone all the way, even in the convex/negative areas and it held very well.

I use just 220# paper, but the burnishing is important! Don't forget to do it to close the pores and any scratches/imperfections from the binding.

 

[gitlvr]

Will do, and thanks!