I6's First Guitar Build

[Ayrton]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Looking good man!

[ImmortalSix]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Thanks all!

And yes, Erik, hopefully I will get my act together and finish this before the new year dawns.

I really want to start on my purpleheart Tele project - it's a body I got in trade, that I really want to finish so I can sell it and get a good chunk of change for buying some new supplies (wood, mostly). But I really need to do one thing at a time!

Metalblaze, patience can be forced, and talent...well, I had exactly 0 going in to this (just read up on the internet), and still have close to 0 - there really is nothing to it but to put one foot in front of the other.

Thanks Ayrton - means a lot coming from you!

[bluesbend]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Nice job so far.

[Metalblaze]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Thanks all!

And yes, Erik, hopefully I will get my act together and finish this before the new year dawns.

I really want to start on my purpleheart Tele project - it's a body I got in trade, that I really want to finish so I can sell it and get a good chunk of change for buying some new supplies (wood, mostly). But I really need to do one thing at a time!

Metalblaze, patience can be forced, and talent...well, I had exactly 0 going in to this (just read up on the internet), and still have close to 0 - there really is nothing to it but to put one foot in front of the other.

Thanks Ayrton - means a lot coming from you!

Someday I might try it, however something tells me that it's gonna take me around 57 years to complete.

[ImmortalSix]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Someday I might try it, however something tells me that it's gonna take me around 57 years to complete.

I started in the Fall of 2010 and I am just now about 75% done with half of a guitar

[The Dali]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Looking good! I like the idea of the stealth P90... can't wait to hear it!

[Metalblaze]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

I started in the Fall of 2010 and I am just now about 75% done with half of a guitar

Quite fast if you ask me.

The most possible thing it'll happen to me is that at some point I'll start rushing and ruin everything like cutting the body in half with the saw or sitting on the neck, cracking it etc.

[ImmortalSix]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Quite fast if you ask me.

The most possible thing it'll happen to me is that at some point I'll start rushing and ruin everything like cutting the body in half with the saw or sitting on the neck, cracking it etc.

The very first thing I did when I got my mahogany slab was mess up with the jigsaw and cut the slab too small. On the "butt" of the guitar, it's not flat at all, it's angled because my jigsaw blade walked.

But as a novice who is learning, you can't get discouraged by stuff like that. Nobody expects this guitar to be the best guitar ever built - not even me.

The most worried I got was about routing the neck pocket, since it is so crucial to the guitar as a whole, and I put it off for months. But then I remembered, the whole theme of this build is to put one foot in front of the other.

There is a pretty bad flaw with my design, in the neck joint area.

I executed the plan perfectly, but the plan was flawed, and I didn't figure it out until I put the neck on the body. The body extends too far up the neck. The guitar body extends well past the flat spot on the end of the neck for mounting --- so the neck "exits" the body with the deep C carve, not a taper from flat.

But that's OK --- I learned from it. It won't hurt the playability of the guitar. Just an oversight. Next guitar I build will have that issue worked out.

I should have kept this (awkward) design - it would have solved the problem.

[crusty philtrum]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

There is a pretty bad flaw with my design, in the neck joint area.

I executed the plan perfectly, but the plan was flawed, and I didn't figure it out until I put the neck on the body. The body extends too far up the neck. The guitar body extends well past the flat spot on the end of the neck for mounting --- so the neck "exits" the body with the deep C carve, not a taper from flat.

Ah, that's what happened ... I saw you allude to some problem somewhere a while back but didn't understand what you meant.

If i'm understanding it correctly now, the flat on the back of the neck heel is set too far into the body, so the neck plate will be further in from the edge of the body than usual. In which case, couldn't you sculpt the heel area on the back of the body to tidy up the problem to some degree ?

[ImmortalSix]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

Ah, that's what happened ... I saw you allude to some problem somewhere a while back but didn't understand what you meant.

If i'm understanding it correctly now, the flat on the back of the neck heel is set too far into the body, so the neck plate will be further in from the edge of the body than usual. In which case, couldn't you sculpt the heel area on the back of the body to tidy up the problem to some degree ?

That's right.

I suppose so, but the only way to get the neck exposed properly will be to basically carve the guitar as shown above in that picture of the cardboard in the window.

[DankStar]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

looks cool, should be a real tone machine. main thing is you'll be holding something you hand crafted, how cool is that?

[ImmortalSix]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

looks cool, should be a real tone machine. main thing is you'll be holding something you hand crafted, how cool is that?

Thanks - and yes, it is cool. It will be even cooler when I give it to my son. One day!

[ratherdashing]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

I would be shocked if your first build had zero flaws. Heck, if the thing is even playable when it's done you should be immensely proud of yourself.

[ImmortalSix]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

I would be shocked if your first build had zero flaws. Heck, if the thing is even playable when it's done you should be immensely proud of yourself.

Yeah, I am looking at it the same exact way - this guitar is less of a guitar and more of a training program. The guitar itself isn't particularly important --- the act of doing every step one time is the important part.

I am not necessarily building this guitar to have a guitar, i'm building it because I want to start building guitars.

Also, I think Adam is right - I think I may have routed the neck pocket too shallow. It could also be that I am too chicken to tighten up the screws super tight and risk stripping the wood out of a custom made neck I have several hundred dollars in.

[Metalblaze]

Re: I6's First Guitar Build

The very first thing I did when I got my mahogany slab was mess up with the jigsaw and cut the slab too small. On the "butt" of the guitar, it's not flat at all, it's angled because my jigsaw blade walked.

But as a novice who is learning, you can't get discouraged by stuff like that. Nobody expects this guitar to be the best guitar ever built - not even me.

The most worried I got was about routing the neck pocket, since it is so crucial to the guitar as a whole, and I put it off for months. But then I remembered, the whole theme of this build is to put one foot in front of the other.

There is a pretty bad flaw with my design, in the neck joint area.

I executed the plan perfectly, but the plan was flawed, and I didn't figure it out until I put the neck on the body. The body extends too far up the neck. The guitar body extends well past the flat spot on the end of the neck for mounting --- so the neck "exits" the body with the deep C carve, not a taper from flat.

But that's OK --- I learned from it. It won't hurt the playability of the guitar. Just an oversight. Next guitar I build will have that issue worked out.

I should have kept this (awkward) design - it would have solved the problem.

Yeah that's the spirit.