Q4 Challenge - a guitar

TTony

I've failed to finish any of the recent challenges.

Despite my best intentions and all my efforts at pissing off potential clients, retirement continues to evade me and work is, if anything, busier than ever.  On the upside, it means that when it gets really cold in January, we can have the heating on.  (Just for the one day).

So I'm a little wary of committing to this challenge, but without the group-incentive (and shame of failing again), I'd certainly not get anything built.

With the help of Mr @GSPBasses who has provided the body (and neck), I'm going to try a putter-togetherer.  It's a nicely weighted body, not too light, not too heavy with a normal-Graham-standard top.

A quick look through the parts-cupboard revealed a mini-HB (neck) and a stacked Tele pickup (bridge).  I think I'm going to direct mount the bridge pickup, and quite probably the neck 'un too.

I also found a Graphtech Ghost acoustiphonic control board.  All I'd need would be the piezo equipped saddles, so that's a possible.  

Not sure on how to finish it yet.  I'll round over the top edge, and probably belly-carve the back.  I'll stain the top, but haven't a clue what colour/s ...

Anyways, pics as it is now, and will probably stay for the next few weeks at least.

paulnb57

Nice!

Neilybob

Interesting idea. Looking forward to seeing this one finished. 

As someone who has been building a guitar for, well I've forgotten how long, I feel your pain. I'll get it done at some point 

TTony

Absolutely zero progress on making any sawdust, but I did spend an hour or so this afternoon digging through my parts cupboard to sort out what suitable bits I already had.

An hour??

It's a large and disorganised cupboard!

Now I'm trying to work out the best way of getting the little piezo cables from the saddles into the control cavity.

Rabs

Nice.. What is that, an Ash back?

I am still waiting to see what happens to that big lump of London Plane   

Funkfingers

TTony said:

It's a large and disorganised cupboard!

You are C. S. Lewis and I claim my five Guineas.

TTony said:

I'm trying to work out the best way of getting the little piezo cables from the saddles into the control cavity.

Simples. Drill a hole through the maple cap, somewhere near the centre line of the body. Hide this hole under the vibrato tailpiece of your choice.

TTony

Funkfingers said:

Simples. Drill a hole through the maple cap, somewhere near the centre line of the body. Hide this hole

It’s a cunning plan ....

Funkfingers said:

under the vibrato tailpiece of your choice.

... but falls apart at that point.

The only vibrato tailpiece I’d choose is no vibrato tailpiece!


PlanB is a HB in the bridge, with some sort of pickup surround under which the piezo wires will disappear into a maze of cavities and sub-cap tunnels.

Funkfingers

TTony said:

PlanB is a HB in the bridge, with some sort of pickup surround under which the piezo wires will disappear

That is how the Roland GK hexaphonic pickup cables are concealed on my modified Hamer XT Echotone. 

TTony

That took a ridiculous amount of time to get done!

paulnb57

Potential idiot question, couldnt you use the CNC direct on the body rather than to cut a template?

TTony

paulnb57 said:

Potential idiot question, couldnt you use the CNC direct on the body rather than to cut a template?

LOLz @paulnb57 - what an idiot question!!!





Yes, I could, probably should, and might even dare to ... you're not an idiot at all.

I did the template to test/check the CNC code really.

I'm thinking that, if I test all the individual "parts" of a build, I should be able to combine them all together into a complete body.  The target is to be able to mix & match body shapes, carves, cavities, etc.  

Mr Gibson is shaking right now ...

paulnb57

Good thinking, that was the gut feeling I had, testing.
Im a bit envious of your CNC, however I would probably turn good wood into kindling

TTony

Rather than "bolting" the neck on with screws (why is that always called "bolt-on"??), I'm going to bolt it on with bolts, into captive nuts in the neck.  And recess the bolts too, 'cos that's neater.

Also want to take 5mm off the back of the neck cavity because it's more than thick enough.

So here it is with the recesses cut, 5mm off the join area, and the carving tool out to start to blend it in ..


And here it is a few minutes later ...


Next jobs;

• fat belly carve
• sandpaper out to blend the shaping above, and the belly carve
• round over top & back edges

By which time, I might have decided on pickup configuration and hence bridge, and can then get the p'up cavities routed.

It's either going to be a tappable HB in the bridge, for which I need to buy and fix a chrome cover, or a P90.

Plus I'm going to buy a set of piezo saddles to feed the Acoustaphonic kit I've had languishing in my parts cupboard for years.

paulnb57

Nice!

GSPBASSES

I can’t remember if that body was chambered, I would be more tempted to put some pick up pockets in first and drill out sideways with a small drill to see if there are chambers before you do a belly cut.

TTony

Thanks for the warning @GSPBASSES - it is a comfortably light body.  I might skip the belly carve and just do a larger round over instead.

GSPBASSES

Sorry I can't remember chamber it or not, if you put your pick up routs first and then just drill sideways you'll know whether it some chambered.

PeteC

Really like the neck joint carve Tony    Quite jealous of the CNC machine but i imagine there is a pretty steep learning curve ? 

TTony

No worries @GSPBASSES ; - if I decide I want a belly carve, I'll do as you suggest and drill an exploratory hole or two first.

Thanks @PeteC. ;
There are a couple of learning curves really - one is the software tool that you use to do the designing of whatever you want to cut/shape, and the other is then the application that turns the design into code that tells the cutter where to go and how deep to cut.  Neither is massively steep, but it's completely new ground for me, so my main challenge has been retaining what I learn - and then don't use again for 6mths, by which time I've forgotten some part of it ...

TTony

Postie delivered a couple of packages yesterday.

Thanks to @GluedtoMusic and to Axesrus for excellent service.

TTony

Tidied up the carved heel area, and rounded over the back.  I tap-tested the top and @GSPBASSES may well have been right re the cavities.  I'm not going to belly carve the back!



Also got the captive nuts installed in the heel


That neck is going nowhere.


I'm going to use a couple of tappable HBs.  Mini in the neck, and full size in the bridge.  Plus the Graphtech Ghost saddles.


OPTION A:



OPTION B



I'm leaning towards option B.  I'd then cut some small grooves into the bottom of the p'up ring for the piezo wires, or some small grooves in the top of the top.