What started out as a simple refret....

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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    Revisiting this after sitting in clamps for 30 odd hours this morning, we find ourselves here. I was excited to get started so missed some pics. Here's the neck resting in my headstock thickening jig ready to get it down to thickness.



    I'm aiming for between 16/17mm in total which will give me about 2.5mm extra 'meat' on the back of the headstock and still allow enough clearance for the tuners to get through.



    Bibbity Bobbity Boo...



    Time to work on the transition:



    I didn't get any pics at this point as I was keen to get on....and forgot basically.

    Anyway, I carved the transition, tidied up the edges with the router and we're currently here:



    An afternoon of hand sanding and grain filling awaits.... :)

    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    Further update (and spot the mistake time...)

    After some more shaping and sanding, it's time for grain filler, that is until I noticed that i'd need those all important tuner holes!

    So I drill those out and, as expected, I bugger it up, push the drill too hard and get some tear out on the G tuner hole...

    Now, what I should have done....and what I was actually going to do when thinking about it when I woke up this morning....but didn't cause I was too busy thinking about the next stage....was drill the holes before I thicknessed the headstock which would have given me perfectly clean holes. But, to be honest, it's no biggy given the extent of the main repair and a small dab of wood filler tomorrow will sort it out and, to be fair, the tuner body covers it pretty much fully anyway. But, just another one of those things which makes me shout "Neil, You Tit!!" 

    Here's a quick back and side shot of the headstock smeared with grain filler. I think I have another 2mm behind the truss rod cover than before so i'm happy.




    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    I would do a vintage taper on it - that will get rid of the majority of the tear-out I think. Somehow it just looks wrong with the full thickness all the way to the end now! Possibly because it's thicker than a normal Gibson head.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    fantastic job so far it looks awesome and really impressed how well it meets neck and looks like the vintage shape under nut area.

    agree with icbm but how do tuners work so ones nearer top stick through more or do you get sets for taper headstock?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    mr-mac said:

    agree with icbm but how do tuners work so ones nearer top stick through more or do you get sets for taper headstock?
    They stick through further - have a look at the pic of the '48 J50 above. It doesn't matter because they're further from the nut so the break angle is still low enough.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    ICBM said:
    mr-mac said:

    agree with icbm but how do tuners work so ones nearer top stick through more or do you get sets for taper headstock?
    They stick through further - have a look at the pic of the '48 J50 above. It doesn't matter because they're further from the nut so the break angle is still low enough.
    In which case I am with you totally that it would look best with a vintage taper ;)
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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    Begs the question why the hell did they change it?????
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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    ICBM said:
    I would do a vintage taper on it - that will get rid of the majority of the tear-out I think. Somehow it just looks wrong with the full thickness all the way to the end now! Possibly because it's thicker than a normal Gibson head.
    Well, as most of my audiences don’t come to my gigs with vernier gauges and I want as much strength behind there as possible, that’s whats it’s going to be.

    Totally appreciate the vintage aspect of it, you certainly have my ‘vintage cork sniffer’ side all of a dither but, as it’s no longer ‘Gibson’ thickness now anyway and, ultimately, i’m very happy with it, That’s what it’s going to be :) 
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited June 2018
    miserneil said:

    Well, as most of my audiences don’t come to my gigs with vernier gauges and I want as much strength behind there as possible, that’s whats it’s going to be. 

    Totally appreciate the vintage aspect of it, you certainly have my ‘vintage cork sniffer’ side all of a dither but, as it’s no longer ‘Gibson’ thickness now anyway and, ultimately, i’m very happy with it, That’s what it’s going to be  
    I don't think increasing the thickness of the head at the far end adds strength, and if anything actually makes the risk of breakage very slightly (well OK microscopically ) greater - it increases the mass of the head, and means that any bump on the back will start sooner and bend it further, even if only by a couple of millimetres.

    The greater thickness at the nut end does add strength though. I have no idea whether that's why they were like that originally - I'd probably guess it was some sort of quirk of the manufacturing process.

    Looking at the pics, I think it would be pretty close to the '48 at both ends if you thicknessed the new piece down to nothing at the far end, which would definitely lose the tear-out.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    @ICBM Alright, Alright, Alright, FFS Stop going on....

    Happy now?!!



    ;)

    What with your pedantry getting my vintage cork sniffing in a tizzy....I couldn't not do it...got nowt else to do on a Sunday night have i....
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • normula1normula1 Frets: 639
    That looks great
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Yes, that looks just right :).

    Look on the tear-out as a hidden intention ;).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    Well, Sealer, Colour and Clear are on and i'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out!





    Now the wait before I can polish it out and age it to match the rest of the guitar. I've also just ordered some yellow ink so I can re-stamp the serial number in original 50's font. :)
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    miserneil said:
    I've also just ordered some yellow ink so I can re-stamp the serial number in original 50's font. :)
    do you have a stamp for that?   I may have need of one for a restoration at some point. 


    https://i.imgur.com/tYRq9G8.jpg
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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    WezV said:
    miserneil said:
    I've also just ordered some yellow ink so I can re-stamp the serial number in original 50's font. :)
    do you have a stamp for that?   I may have need of one for a restoration at some point. 


    https://i.imgur.com/tYRq9G8.jpg
    Yes, I have a full set of 50’s accurate serial numbers, just give me a shout if/when you need :+1: 
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    miserneil said:

    Now the wait before I can polish it out and age it to match the rest of the guitar. I've also just ordered some yellow ink so I can re-stamp the serial number in original 50's font. :)
    That looks awesome.  I’ve never used nitro before how long will you have to leave it before you can start to polish it? 
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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    Stunningly well done... I'd guess that should last very well and it looks great :)
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    Massively impressive work - well done. If I'd have got that back from a repairer I'd have been more than happy to hand over the big dosh...
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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    edited June 2018 tFB Trader
    @Adam_MD @mr-mac @Bridgehouse Thanks chaps, really appreciate that!
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Yes, that looks like a really good job :).

    @WezV - is that a 50s one, or a '72?

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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