Making a les paul special style in limba

Danielsguitars

Hi while i was cutting out other bodys and prepping up stuff i thought i'd get a limba body i had cut out ready too
It won't be a replica so relax, i'm thinking body contours and better upper fret access and because of the body shape it won't have the 6mm lip along side the fretboard so i have to change the tenon to a normal lp long tenon not a junior one

This is an all limba build but i'm thinking of using a bubinga fretboard and would like opinions or experiences please

I'm going for tv yellow, i really want one badly

Also headstock opinions, i could use my headstock like my goldtop or do what everyone else does and do a normal looking headstock and just round the top so it doesn't look like an open book

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/guitar%20kit%20stuff/20161213_154547_zps0y7en8h5.jpg


http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/guitar%20kit%20stuff/20161213_120134_zpspp3mrmzr.jpg  

Xsmnmy

Sounds cool - I've got Special variant on the go too, but I've gone with cherry. Are you sure the bubinga will look ok with the TV yellow? I'd go for dark rosewood or ebony myself. That makes me a traditionalist I suppose, in gtr terms anyway. Are you going for a wraparound bridge too? 

Danielsguitars

smnmy said:

Sounds cool - I've got Special variant on the go too, but I've gone with cherry. Are you sure the bubinga will look ok with the TV yellow? I'd go for dark rosewood or ebony myself. That makes me a traditionalist I suppose, in gtr terms anyway. Are you going for a wraparound bridge too? 

Thanks, I do think bubinga will good when it darkens down if not I'll stain it, I could use rosewood but fancy something else,  it'll look like rosewood when it's done anyway 

I used a schaller signum wraparound bridge on a set neck tele I did and I could go modern again or go for a more traditional looking wraptail bridge, I'd like more opinions and preferences   

Xsmnmy

ok, the images weren't showing up for me before, that board looks nice, I've seen some more red-ish bubinga I think. Not that familiar. The body looks great!

Danielsguitars

smnmy said:

ok, the images weren't showing up for me before, that board looks nice, I've seen some more red-ish bubinga I think. Not that familiar. The body looks great!

i wouldnt want a really light board either  and that board is just with a bit of oil on it, they do darken down, that's what I've read anyway

Yeah I love the limba I've got a dc cut out when I get round to it oh and a firebird body

Danielsguitars

Well i've made it, just needs a set up and finishing, after faffing about with junior templates and asking Neil about his special i went with a traditional long tenon and angled shoulders, you can see i'd already cut the neck pocket

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170111_114134_zps5pwcrgu0.jpg

Danielsguitars

I make traditional style necks so i cut the neck out of a blank squre block, i only cut the headstock angle first so i can shim one end up to create the angled truss rod channel, here is the neck with the maple filler strip glued in then thickness on the pin router
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20161223_171615_zpszo83jbor.jpg

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170116_132443_zpsvh0ongvb.jpg

Danielsguitars

I also cut my tenon width on the router and i can take tiny amounts off until it fits nicely then its just the angled shoulders to worry about which is fairly straightforward
The only thing i did different is glued 2 little ramps on either side of the tenon so i didn't ramp the body down too much at the front and lift the body up and route my neck plane on the pin router
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170119_171420_zpsowchlcxe.jpg

Danielsguitars

I got a new fretboard radius jig that i bloody love, 2 mins and its radiused perfectly with a little router going with the grain then a bit of sanding after, it'll make life alot easier
I also taper my boards first then cut slots by hand, it's the way i got taught and it's accuarte, i've tried doing it square but i don't like it, try checking with a sliding bevel if your slots are 90 degress after tapering a square board, it only has to be out by a smidge on the centreline

I put cellulose nitrate dots in first then radius

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170104_131013_zpsnae2yycs.jpg
 

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170110_124734_zps14jic1kd.jpg

Danielsguitars

Here's the jig side on, you just turn the silver handle thing and it swings the whole carrier back and forth, i do one half centre it and do the other half
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170110_124745_zpsrb5zmlxh.jpg

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170110_125530_zps9xqlquli.jpg

Danielsguitars

I bound the board and just use acetone to stick it on
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170111_163238_zpsg2e7oyg5.jpg

Danielsguitars

At this point i glue the neck in and get the board glued on using hot hide glue because i like it
Obviously i went with my headstock but i modified it slightlly wider to straighten the e strings and i think it looks better too

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170119_171532_zpslkh0yxoi.jpg

Danielsguitars

I cut the p90 pockets on the neck plane so they sit under the strings properly
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170202_152400_zpsxjyh6zpv.jpg

Danielsguitars

Quick mock up, i used a kluson wraptail and it works well and intonates properly and it's reasonable money

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170201_235225_zpsbepg0uxb.jpg  

WezV

customkits said:

I also taper my boards first then cut slots by hand, it's the way i got taught and it's accuarte, i've tried doing it square but i don't like it, try checking with a sliding bevel if your slots are 90 degress after tapering a square board, it only has to be out by a smidge on the centreline

Its an interesting point, but I don't think it makes too much difference.

I slot whilst square because its easier to line a square board up in the slotting jig I have.   With a tapered board the error may  occur when fitting the non-square board into the jig.  I have done it whilst tapered but was less sure the slots were going to end up perfectly perpendicular to the centre line

But either way you would expect the error to be small and would not really matter if the error was consistent on each fret  If the frets looked to be on a slant obviously that's terrible, but if they are all on the same slant, along with the nut slot* it would actually still work totally fine.  Rickenbackers Slanted fret models are a good example of this taken to the extreme. 

Anyway, Horses for courses... Enjoying the thread 

* that should read "uncompensated nut slot", because some use a slightly slanted nut for improved intonation

Danielsguitars

Here she is with all the machine work done, i put kluson junior tuners on it and i like them
I Like the limba with the bubinga fretboard, it's a really nice tone, i'll get a pro  demo done when she's finished
Tv yellow next and a little tease of a moden 59 build with spanish cedar body, eastern maple cap, i might post a build thread up if people are interested enough
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/special%20build/20170205_104234_zpsrsscbsyy.jpg

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w449/plexiblues/modern%2059%20build/20170203_183408_zpsvm8idti0.jpg

Danielsguitars

WezV said:

customkits said:

I also taper my boards first then cut slots by hand, it's the way i got taught and it's accuarte, i've tried doing it square but i don't like it, try checking with a sliding bevel if your slots are 90 degress after tapering a square board, it only has to be out by a smidge on the centreline

Its an interesting point, but I don't think it makes too much difference.

I slot whilst square because its easier to line a square board up in the slotting jig I have.   With a tapered board the error may  occur when fitting the non-square board into the jig.  I have done it whilst tapered but was less sure the slots were going to end up perfectly perpendicular to the centre line

But either way you would expect the error to be small and would not really matter if the error was consistent on each fret  If the frets looked to be on a slant obviously that's terrible, but if they are all on the same slant, along with the nut slot* it would actually still work totally fine.  Rickenbackers Slanted fret models are a good example of this taken to the extreme. 

Anyway, Horses for courses... Enjoying the thread 

* that should read "uncompensated nut slot", because some use a slightly slanted nut for improved intonation

I only use the slotting jig to mark positions then use a sliding bevel and cut them by hand, it's just the way i got taught and it works for me, i've tried doing it square, never again

axisus

Great thread! I wish I had access to some of that machinery!

Danielsguitars

axisus said:

Great thread! I wish I had access to some of that machinery!

You can do it all by hand and a router this just speeds it all up

One thing that doesn't change is the amount of sanding and scraping etc on a carved top even after copy carving
I'm in the middle of 4 carves and it's tedious