ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

[Metalblaze]

Two weeks ago I decided to start building a guitar from scratch. Once a custom order is too expensive I decided to build it on my own. So this is gonna take me long as I won't do much work every day as the day is shorter in winter and the only space I have for this job is my balcony lol. Also I guess the neighbours will want to throw their shoes on my head while I cut the woods etc.

Anyway the guitar will be like a Schecter C1 Hellraiser. Actually it'll have the body of the ESP LTD H-1001 and the headstock of the Hellraiser.

Neck-through (easier to build)
all maple (I love the sound of the Kramer Baretta)
Rosewood fretboard.

I was struggling with the plans the last tweo weeks or so. I found some good top-view pictures of the guitar body and headstock, I chose the best of them and designed the plans. These below are what I came out with.

I designed the whole scale with Adobe Illustrator based on the stewmac fret calculator and with the bridge distances provided there I made the plan of the whole scale from nut to bridge so even if the printer was a bit off (which is not), I'd be ok. And last but not least, the neck-through profile.

Today I cut the templates out of MDF and tomorrow I'll go to get the woods (Hard Maple and Rosewood or Bubinga).

Anyway here are the plans. Download them, use them as you like...

You can see the plans here too (edited for non-members):
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/1ESPbody.png
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/ESPfretboard.png
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/ESPhead10degreesangle.png
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/neckthrough.jpg

Pics will come soon.

edit: I made the neck profile like the ESP LTD H1001 which is thicker at nut and thinner at twelve fret. great thought of them if you ask me.

 

[Bfeeney]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

I've never done a neck but I have done a few bodies and it really isn't hard. Make sure the bridge measurements are right, draw a center line on everything BEFORE you cut!!!! Good luck.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

I've never done a neck but I have done a few bodies and it really isn't hard. Make sure the bridge measurements are right, draw a center line on everything BEFORE you cut!!!! Good luck.

Hey thanks for the advice. Yeah I think it'll be ok. A bit slow but at least I have the tools needed and a bit of creativity with them will help too.

I attached the jig saw on a spare closet shelf I have and used it like a table saw. Much better and a lot less tiresome.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

Today I got the wood, it's a piece of hard maple 240cm x 15cm x 5.2cm for neck and body sides and a piece of bubinga for the fretboard. They didn't have rosewood and I got that instead, it's stiff and I think it will enhance the stability of the neck too which is critical for a neck-through. Actually I think bubinga is too light, I'm going to dye it dark brown or something. I still need to find a piece of flame maple... I found one but it was a slab way bigger than I need and they charge it 80 euros(!!!!).



For pickups I'm thinking Invaders. What do you guys think about Invaders in maple? (for metal of course) The bridge is going to be a hipshot hardtail.

Actually it's still too early for pics but.....

edited for non-members: pics linked below

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/IMG_3678.jpg - Templates
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/IMG_3679.jpg - wood
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/IMG_3680.jpg - jigsaw turned to table saw
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/IMG_3681.jpg - blade
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o157/valgrath/IMG_3683.jpg - router

 

[CTN]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

cool!

Are you doing a carved top like the H series? or is it gonna be flat top? If it's flat top, you can get a bookmatched top specifically for flattop bodies.

Also the invaders should sound amazing in maple. they'll have lots of attack, mids and sledgehammer tight lows.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

Thanks, that's what I thought about the Invaders too.
I wanna do a carved top like the H series. I found this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax0ZFIl_o2w
Very informative. The only thing is with that router jig he uses for cutting the steps and how easy is to control your cuts through that. But on the other hand it's not that critical because all that is going to be sanded down.

 

[CTN]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

not critical, but it makes things more symmetrical using templates like that.

It's a good way to make sure that the structure of the carve is visually appealing from any angle. Something about the human eye being attracted to symmetry.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

not critical, but it makes things more symmetrical using templates like that.

It's a good way to make sure that the structure of the carve is visually appealing from any angle. Something about the human eye being attracted to symmetry.

Yeah I'll definetely draw the whole thing on the guitar trying to make it symmetric, lets hope my hands will be steady enough to maintain it. That's the process (in the video) I'll follow actually, I find it easier than any other I've seen online, router steps and rotation sander.

Today I worked on the templates and I found that the sander can be unforgiving when used without care, it can eat your design in no time. With the MDF that is, I guess hardwood like maple would be tougher to shape.
Oh and I cut the slab of maple in two pieces, one for the neck and one for the body sides for easier storage and I have to say that maple is a b***h to cut especially with 5cm thickness. I hope when I plane it down will be easier. Also I'm thinking to do most of the cutting with the router and the templates, there is no way the jigsaw can handle maple for that body shape and all those tight curves and horns etc... Well maybe it could after one hour or two....

 

[CTN]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

hehe yeah maple is quite a hard wood. Puts up a good deal of resistance to sanding and shaping.

As long as your saw blades are sharp and you are patient (also let the blade cool from time to time), it shouldn't be too bad. Let the blade do the work instead of forcing it to eat into the wood.

If you're using a jigsaw, do a bunch of relief cuts perpendicular to the curve so that the jig saw blade doesn't bind up and get forced in a direction you don't want it to go in.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: ESP - Hellraiser guitar build project

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions ConvoysToNothingness, they're definitely helpful!

At some point I tried to turn the MDF a bit too much on the jigsaw blade and saw smoke out of the cut and a burnt smell too. Oops, FIREEEE!!!! Jimi Hendrix style...