Les Paul Custom build

davros

It's been a few months since the end of my last build, so kicking off a new project. This will be a slow burner, I think as my wife has plenty of house and garden DIY jobs to do over the summer, but I've ordered neck, body and fretboard blanks.

The plan is to build something that's very constructionally similar to my red LP build - traditional LP construction but with fully chambered body and sculpted heel. This one, though, will be a white Custom, humbucker bridge and P90 (possibly staple) neck, multiply binding, ebony fretboard, MOP blocks and split diamond.

Some mockups below, I'm leaning towards the first one - I'll keep you all updated on build progress.

PeteC

Always good to see a white LP - very much looking forward to your build thread 

merlin

That will be beautiful.....Just needs a staple at the neck, regular P90 at the bridge.....and..........a.....





Bigsby!

timmypix

That last one ticks all the boxes for me. Phwoar.

Out of curiosity, have you had these mockups a while, or is there a way to get the Frank Montag configurator working without Flash?

davros

I downloaded the SWF file from the website a while ago, I don't know if it's still there? You can then run the file in a website called "ruffle". It works a treat!

The same method might work with the Kisekae generators for other models.

ICBM

A Custom always needs a tune-o-matic.

Personally I would go for an alnico staple pickup in the neck and the humbucker in the bridge.

guitargeek62

ICBM said:

A Custom always needs a tune-o-matic.

Personally I would go for an alnico staple pickup in the neck and the humbucker in the bridge.

Gibson did a Hot-Mod run around 2010 of LPs and LPCs. I had the chance to play on a batch in Mansons around then and one of them was a '55 LPC with a wraptail and HBs - it was the pick of the bunch for me.


@davros That second one in black or aged silverburst is essentially what I'd build for myself  

davros

Ooh, just googled hot mod customs. This is very tasty

WezV

I'm suddenly tempted to drill my trapeze LPC for a wraparound

guitargeek62

davros said:

Ooh, just googled hot mod customs. This is very tasty

That's the one! They were a fantastic range, much more interesting than the usual R-series models, and the '55 neck profile that they used was just sublime

davros

Leaning towards #3 with a staple in the neck, but I really like the Oil City Firewatch, probably not compatible with staple polepieces but I can ask!

davros

And we're off!

A lovely Khaya mahogany body and neck blank, and a very black gabon ebony slotted fingerboard blank have arrived, and I've been doing a little template updating.

Largely reusing them from my last LP build, but have made a new body template, 0.5mm larger all the way round to give a little more sanding allowance. I got a larger bearing for my binding cutter to do this super easily.

New headstock template for the Custom. I couldn't find a decent one online so drew a new one based on 1958 dimensions from MyLesPaul forum and photos to get the curves right. It looks about right to me.

The new skills part of this build is headstock inlays (logo and split diamond) and multiply binding. I'm going to start by making a headstock overlay. I have purfling and binding, a 3mm thick fiberboard veneer (like Gibson use) and a split diamond MOP inlay from the same place in China I got the block inlays for a previous build. I'm waiting for the blocks to come into stock so I can order them too.

benvall

Looking forward to seeing this progress.
I love your red les Paul and the olive tele Paul. 

It’s number 2 of the mock ups for me. 

davros

Started on the headstock as a first project. I decided to build a headstock overlay, separate from the neck, Gibson style. I think that will make the inlays and binding easier. I'm using a Luthitec fibreboard overlay for this. It seems to have been a good decision so far, it works well and obviously has no grain to worry about.

I'm still wondering how to go about finishing the headstock - whether to dye the overlay nice and black and just clear over it, or mask the inlays and paint it black. I'm assuming Gibson do the former, but any insights on the best option would be gratefully received. My wife has a Cricut and I have some solvent proof masking film, so painting it black won't be a problem.

Positioning the bits of the split diamond, which I bought pre-cut from China was a challenge and I was a bit paranoid about fucking it up. So, I scanned all the bits into my PC, traced around the shapes in Illustrator and moved them around until all perfectly aligned. I then used a printout to cut the inlay rebates.

davros

Decided on this configuration, not a photoshop expert, but looks close enough if you squint!

SteveRobinson

davros said:

I'm still wondering how to go about finishing the headstock - whether to dye the overlay nice and black and just clear over it, or mask the inlays and paint it black. I'm assuming Gibson do the former, but any insights on the best option would be gratefully received. 

On traditional guitars Gibson paint the whole face black and scrape the inlays and binding clean before spraying a clear coat over the lot.

Some modern guitars (e.g. Custom Classic) have a black plastic face plate with integral inlay and binding that just gets glued on and clear coated.

guitargeek62

davros said:

Decided on this configuration, not a photoshop expert, but looks close enough if you squint!

This is the right choice. Can you make a spare please but finish it in black for me?  

davros

@guitargeek62, I'd suggest picking up @WezV 's black custom build that's for sale, it's lovely - sure he could rout you a bridge HB and a P90 should slot nicely into the mini HB route in the neck 

guitargeek62

Heh, I’m sure he could! I’d already given that one some serious thought before splurging on my Explorer yesterday!

davros

I have managed to cut a reasonable logo from MOP, inlay it in the headstock and rout the multiply binding channels.

But, I'm doing a test with the binding and the 0.5mm strips, despite being advertised as ABS seem to be impervious to acetone. Does that mean it's not ABS (and therefore I can get a refund), and should i just use this with some different glue or get some more strips that are ABS?

Also, does anyone know a reasonable price for 0.5mm ABS binding strips, £7 a piece and 6 plys sounds expensive to me. This stuff was much cheaper, from Spain.

Photo below shows the difference between the 1.5mm and 0.5mm strips in acetone.

davros

After longer in the acetone it has become super flexible and stretchy, but in no way sticky