Help Please

Re: Help Please

No problem Edgecrusher. Old saying here is "never assume, as to assume makes an Ass out of U and ME. Like I have said time and time again, I'm a Chippie not a luthier so I do not know the in and outs of guitar construction but I would really love to transfer my skills and learn how from you people that have that knowledge. My last post was a dummy spit in frustration. I really am a grumpy old prick.

If you can direct me to where I might find these templates Kramersteen that would be fantastic.

To everyone else, when I get some more pics from my son I'll post them, but I am willing to bet it's a cheap piece of **** from what I've been reading. The LP project by Crusty Philtrum was an excellent read and with ever so basic tools that he had/borrowed to build the thing the end result is a real credit to him.
 
Help Please

Before you rout for a Floyd, research whether you can do it on an SG style guitar. They have thin bodies. You might have some issues putting in a rear spring cavity and finding a short block (not sure what's out there myself, in terms of the block heights available). A Kahler might be more suitable to the thin body (and certainly easier to install).
 
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Re: Help Please

Let us know how thick the body is even if its in ugh.... Metric. You could put threaded inserts into the neck joint to make it super strong. If you need advice on easy fool proof methods i can help as can many others here. Welcome to the forum
 
Re: Help Please

ItsaBass said:
Before you rout for a Floyd, research whether you can do it on an SG style guitar. They have thin bodies. You might have some issues putting in a rear spring cavity and finding a short block (not sure what's out there myself, in terms of the block heights available). A Kahler might be more suitable to the thin body (and certainly easier to install).
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From all that I have learned from you guys and the research I've done, the standard Floyd is a non starter. The body is way too thin. I did watch a tutorial by the man himself on the Floyd website on using a newer bridge called an SFX if I remember correctly. It's a surface mounted and easy as to install
 
Re: Help Please

Gaspasser69 said:
Let us know how thick the body is even if its in ugh.... Metric. You could put threaded inserts into the neck joint to make it super strong. If you need advice on easy fool proof methods i can help as can many others here. Welcome to the forum[/QUOTE

Body thickness is roughly 35 mm (1 3/8"). (Sorry about the metric thing but we converted from imperial in 1972). I will measure it properly with callipers once I get it here from Sydney. I use a **** load of SS 6 gauge screw in threaded nuts in my cabinets and furniture similar to the one pictured,IMG_0504.jpgIMG_0505.jpg that I'm sure would tighten things up no end. I am open to any advice and will accept it gladly
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Re: Help Please

IMG_20150716_220744889_HDR.jpg

This is a screw with the head cut off so I could thread it into the insert. Then lock the insert up with nuts. Then put the threaded piece with insert into drill press Chuck. Line it with your hole in the neck then with one hand press the drill down and turn the insert/threaded rod into the hole nice and straight. Since you have Allen wrench inserts you could use a t handle. The 8-32 inserts I use for guitar have the slotted top like a flat head screw driver. Need special tool ugh....... The screws look good to you could forstner or Brad a counter sink or not. That should work nice. I think you are well on your way.

Do you know about scale length? I'll check if 35mm is enough for a Floyd. My guitars with a Floyd measure 1 3/4 or 43 mm. You might be too thin
 
Re: Help Please

Gaspasser69 said:
View attachment 67301

This is a screw with the head cut off so I could thread it into the insert. Then lock the insert up with nuts. Then put the threaded piece with insert into drill press Chuck. Line it with your hole in the neck then with one hand press the drill down and turn the insert/threaded rod into the hole nice and straight. Since you have Allen wrench inserts you could use a t handle. The 8-32 inserts I use for guitar have the slotted top like a flat head screw driver. Need special tool ugh....... The screws look good to you could forstner or Brad a counter sink or not. That should work nice. I think you are well on your way.

Do you know about scale length? I'll check if 35mm is enough for a Floyd. My guitars with a Floyd measure 1 3/4 or 43 mm. You might be too thin
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The body on what I have is too thin. It wouldn't leave me enough meat to fix off safely. One of the Aussie members did say they are smaller block lengths but I would prefer to err on the side of caution. The surface mount version is an option, but at $A400 + here it's bloody pricey. I'm back in the UK in the next few months so I might do better there price wise. I could use the hex drive inserts I normally use without the flange to achieve what you have shown me here in your pic?????? I could also use the hex screws similar to the ones in my pic as well do you think??? I'm reasonably confident that would achieve the same result as what you are showing me in your pic. Perhaps using stainless rather than mild steel. My normal supplier can get SS for me albeit a bit more costly. Your thoughts?????

By scale length am I right to assume you are meaning fret length or neck length???
 
Re: Help Please

Whats $400? get a gotoh online for 150 and surface mount that. take the block off and get it milled down at the bolt side at a machine shop. BAM fr sg. If the locking nut is a problem use locking tuners and the normal nut. Anything is possible.

All you guys worry too much just build it already.
 
Re: Help Please

the frx looks good. the gotoh might be a good alternative price wise. the screws you posted should be fine by them selves as they have a wide head. a counter sink would be nice with those. a guitar has about 80-120 lbs of pressure from string tension. given whatever gauge you use. 9-42, 10-46 or even 12 or 13's which i believe approach 150lbs. any screw should be able to hold that. i think its mostly about the wood and not putting too much pressure on too small of an area and compacting the material. ergo wide head or countersunk washers.

the pic is of my neck with the threaded rod (cut off screw with nuts) the flange is not an issue if you bury it and dont get between the neck and body, without the flange would be more desirable. = less work.the wood of the neck should be in full flush contact with the body. as ed roman ranted, many name brand guitars have horrible or inferior neck joints with poor actual fit. with the hex drive i think you should have little problems driving it straight.

i go SS so i know it can never rot in the 5 decades regardless of conditions. not a real problem, but i have had corroded screws and hardware over 15 years. just surface corrosion, but still ugly. with SS it cant happen. i can always take off the neck easily with machine screws and not lose anything like backing a wood screw in an out. works for traveling if you need it to actually. mild steel should be fine.

yeah, the scale should be 24.75 with gibsons. you could double check the fret distances from charts after confirming its a 24.75. you just never know. ;) i read a recent post of such a mutant where the wrong scale neck was put on a guitar. :o
 
Re: Help Please

Gaspasser69 said:
the frx looks good. the gotoh might be a good alternative price wise. the screws you posted should be fine by them selves as they have a wide head. a counter sink would be nice with those. a guitar has about 80-120 lbs of pressure from string tension. given whatever gauge you use. 9-42, 10-46 or even 12 or 13's which i believe approach 150lbs. any screw should be able to hold that. i think its mostly about the wood and not putting too much pressure on too small of an area and compacting the material. ergo wide head or countersunk washers.

the pic is of my neck with the threaded rod (cut off screw with nuts) the flange is not an issue if you bury it and dont get between the neck and body, without the flange would be more desirable. = less work.the wood of the neck should be in full flush contact with the body. as ed roman ranted, many name brand guitars have horrible or inferior neck joints with poor actual fit. with the hex drive i think you should have little problems driving it straight.

i go SS so i know it can never rot in the 5 decades regardless of conditions. not a real problem, but i have had corroded screws and hardware over 15 years. just surface corrosion, but still ugly. with SS it cant happen. i can always take off the neck easily with machine screws and not lose anything like backing a wood screw in an out. works for traveling if you need it to actually. mild steel should be fine.

yeah, the scale should be 24.75 with gibsons. you could double check the fret distances from charts after confirming its a 24.75. you just never know. ;) i read a recent post of such a mutant where the wrong scale neck was put on a guitar. :o
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OK. After a lot of searching through my more ancient tools, etc. I managed to find a folding timber rule in inches (FFS I'm going back in time over 40 years) Do you mean 24.75" from the bridge side of the nut to the end of the neck???? Now that I have the neck at home, I've started to install the screw in nuts and I'm using a bit slightly smaller than recommended to get it as tight as possible but big enough not cause too much extra pressure and with a little bit of persuasion the flanges comes off quite easily. I'm a little unsure what the neck timber is. Very blonde now that it's raw, but it smells like Camphor wood which was mainly used for furniture in the old days. Having said that, if it's a Japanese copy, Camphor wood is a native in China, Japan, etc so that would make sense
 
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Re: Help Please

kramersteen said:
Whats $400? get a gotoh online for 150 and surface mount that. take the block off and get it milled down at the bolt side at a machine shop. BAM fr sg. If the locking nut is a problem use locking tuners and the normal nut. Anything is possible.

All you guys worry too much just build it already.
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The Floyd FRX is over $400 in Australia is what I mean. Even on Ebay anything under $400 is hard to find
 
Re: Help Please

The body is 35mm. just top mount a gotoh fr and get a 32mm block. If you don't want to use a locking nut go for locking tuners, If you dont want to drill horizontal holes for the claw get a schaller sure claw. Just stick tou your original idea and don't bother with that frx ****.

Its not going to ruin the integrity of the guitar in the slightest. Its a small cavity in a slab of wood.
 
Re: Help Please

kramersteen said:
The body is 35mm. just top mount a gotoh fr and get a 32mm block. If you don't want to use a locking nut go for locking tuners, If you dont want to drill horizontal holes for the claw get a schaller sure claw. Just stick tou your original idea and don't bother with that frx ****.

Its not going to ruin the integrity of the guitar in the slightest. Its a small cavity in a slab of wood.
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Do you have a link to the Gotoh FR? I can find bucket loads of the brands stuff, but not this one in particular
 
Re: Help Please

kramersteen said:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Floyd-Ro...-Nut-Chrome-/252094654567?hash=item3ab2032867

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Replacem...-Brass-/121624687906?var=&hash=item1c51657522

You will still need a shorter block so i guess it will add up fast. You can find them around for cheaper but you might have to import it. You might want to ask als the aus dealer if they have different blocks.
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Great stuff. (Saved to Favourites) I'll ask Mr Google for more info
 
Re: Help Please

kramersteen said:
let me know if you need any help/advice. I also know some great places you can score mdf templates custom made.
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Decision made mate. We have decided to start from scratch with the exception of the neck. My young fella is prepared to fork out for a good quality premade neck and craft a new body capable of all the mods that he originally wanted. We'll use the old ****ed up body to practice on and maybe a few MDF blanks as well to get the cut outs down pat. He wants some thing a little bit "out there" (his words) in terms of body shape but not too radical because I'll be the one doing the shaping. Any thoughts/suggestions on where to start will be gladly accepted. eg: timber species, etc
 
Re: Help Please

David121962 said:
Decision made mate. We have decided to start from scratch with the exception of the neck. My young fella is prepared to fork out for a good quality premade neck and craft a new body capable of all the mods that he originally wanted. We'll use the old ****ed up body to practice on and maybe a few MDF blanks as well to get the cut outs down pat. He wants some thing a little bit "out there" (his words) in terms of body shape but not too radical because I'll be the one doing the shaping. Any thoughts/suggestions on where to start will be gladly accepted. eg: timber species, etc
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If your templates are good and you can use a plunger router than its not really all that hard. Assuming the neck is bolt on. If i was in your position and had a few dollars to throw around i would just get a custom template made. That way all the hard stuff is done for you ie scale length bridge center and pickup locations.

Here is some i had made here in aus. I haven't got around to making and strats yet but you get the idea. As long as the bridge and the neck pocket are in the right location you can cut whatever shape you like around it. Some work better than others tho so you might want to research exactly what you want.


I had this one made with the option for drilling gotoh spaced posts. which are like .5 mm bee's dick smaller than a original floyd.

And if your a carpenter this will be a cake walk for you.

Timber is a big on and i guess it comes down to what you can get in your area. Heaps of great aussie wood out there like qld maple, Camphor Laural, Rose alder and even some houn and hoop pines. Just pick one and go for it. I often tap them with my ear against to see if it resonate or not.
 
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Re: Help Please

kramersteen said:
If your templates are good and you can use a plunger router than its not really all that hard. Assuming the neck is bolt on. If i was in your position and had a few dollars to throw around i would just get a custom template made. That way all the hard stuff is done for you ie scale length bridge center and pickup locations.

Here is some i had made here in aus. I haven't got around to making and strats yet but you get the idea. As long as the bridge and the neck pocket are in the right location you can cut whatever shape you like around it. Some work better than others tho so you might want to research exactly what you want.


I had this one made with the option for drilling gotoh spaced posts. which are like .5 mm bee's dick smaller than a original floyd.

And if your a carpenter this will be a cake walk for you.

Timber is a big on and i guess it comes down to what you can get in your area. Heaps of great aussie wood out there like qld maple, Camphor Laural, Rose alder and even some houn and hoop pines. Just pick one and go for it. I often tap them with my ear against to see if it resonate or not.
Click to expand...


Suitable timber slabs around the Newcastle area seem hard to find, but there are a few sites in Tassie and FNQ that sell some. I get my timber from a property in Mudgee area for my furniture but they would be way to dense for this purpose (Red Gum, Iron Bark and Stringy Bark and Spotted Gum). I don't like hiding beautifully grained timbers rather I like too bring the grain out. Qld Maple might be an option or Camphor.

Where did you get your templates done?
 
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