Feck Up. Ideas/Suggestions please ...

TTony

On this other thread, I've been slowly putting together a Q4 challenge guitar.

You'd think I'd have learned by now, given the number of times that this has got me into trouble before, not to think "ahhh, I've got a spare half-hour, I'll just nip out to the workshop and do XXX".

Because that generally leads to me doing something quickly, which generally leads to fecks-right-up.

Putting a roundover on the top of the body to create a natural binding effect when I add the top coats.

So far, so good ...



And then ...


Yup, numpty error, etc.

I swore.  Quite loudly.

Trying to fill that, or cut in another piece that matches - can't see that working.  Best idea I've had so far is to try to make some sort of contrasting piece of metal that slots into the top and folds over to be the jack socket cover - a one piece thing that looks like a fancy jack socket.

But I'm very open to other suggestions ....

Sporky

I was thinking a bit of brass or chrome tube. Highlight/celebrate it. 

Funkfingers

Make a feature of it.

Older Fretboarders may remember El Maya guitars from the late Seventies and early Eighties. To avoid litigation, they cut a few semi-circular notches in their bodies and/or headstocks.

WezV

It's neat enough that you can make it look intentional.  Like you intended it to highlight where the jack socket goes.


I think Sporky's idea of a metal tube will look fun, but need to match it to the jack socket

or make a wooden plug to do the same thing, maybe hollowed out to act as a circular jack socket... like an oversized electrosocket


An L shaped piece of metal will also work.  I had a lapsteel with a jack socket mounted like that.  Im just not sure how you tie it in  visually with the rest of the guitar

axisus

In its own way it looks quite cool, I wonder if it would work to somehow make in an intentional feature? 

Incidentally, I've done that either two or three times with my 6 instrument builds! It's bloody annoying!

Funkfingers

What about one of those Dan Armstrong jack socket effect units? They had names along the lines of Lemon Squeezer, Brown Finger, Purple People Eater et cetera.

Jonathangus

Do you use a wireless system (the type with a bug transmitter)?  Could you mount the socket on the inside of the cavity, and use the recess to stop it sticking out so much?

Sporky

It's such a super-neat bit of routing that it deserves highlighting. 

TTony

Thanks guys.

I've stopped swearing now.

I think you're (all) right in that I've got to make it into a feature.  Hiding it isn't going to work.  

I could use a piece of aluminium tube, matching the outer diameter of the jack socket hole (which is 25mm, helpfully).  Then a piece of contrasting wooden dowelling on the inside of that, drilled out to fit an eletrosocket.

TTony

Sporky said:

It's such a super-neat bit of routing that it deserves highlighting. 

The roundover did make a beautifully sharp line at the edge of the top & sides.  Much cleaner than I would have managed if I'd tried masking off to stop spillover between the blue & white stain. 

So, in that respect, the experiment was a success!!

(I might have stopped swearing, but I'll be kicking myself for a while longer yet).

monquixote

When I looked at the picture I assumed it was intentional.

Make a feature of it.

TTony

monquixote said:

When I looked at the picture I assumed it was intentional.

Make a feature of it.

If I can make it work, this thread will disappear 

Sporky

TTony said:

monquixote said:

When I looked at the picture I assumed it was intentional.

Make a feature of it.

If I can make it work, this thread will disappear 

I assume my cheque is in the post. 

paulnb57

If its any consolation Im guilty of doing exactly the same thing, trying to achieve the same binding effect….

It made great kindling, but thats because I couldn't think of a way to fix it….

TTony

Sporky said:

I assume my cheque is in the post. 

I'll assume that too

TTony

Right, slightly calmer, stop swearing, open a can of cold Crabbies and start thinking

(I do like having a workshop full of that'll-come-in-handy-one-day bits).



Option1;


Don't need the alu tube - I could use this (25mm dia) Walnut dowel, with a jack socket hole drilled through the middle.

Bit of glue around the outside, and it's already a tight fit, so that would work.

TTony

Option2

I've had these on a shelf for years.  Made by a friend who's had a CNC machine a lot longer than me



Slightly oversize, so sand to fit, ready drilled for the jack socket (Walnut again, but I've also got the same in Maple and Sapele).

[edit] these are only *just* thick enough to cover the wandering roundover mis-cut, so maybe not ideal.

TTony

Option3;

Make my own versions of the above, out of these come-in-handy-one-day pieces of vintage rosewood (old parquet flooring)



Those pieces, with a bit of oil, would make a nice matching contrast to both the white sides and the blue top.

Moe_Zambeek

Could you fit some manner of slightly recessed kill switch in a way that it looks like the notch is a handy guide for the digit, and cut another jack socket hole elsewhere?  

dchwhite

Recess the jack socket hole back to match the notch? It does look very neat.

BillDL

I usually have difficulty finding the hole (if you'll pardon the expression) when I try and plug in the cable by feel alone, and often have to tilt the guitar up a bit to see the plate.  Having a thoughtfully included "feature" to help with visual alignment of the jack is a great idea.  If you decide to recess the socket the notch might also allow you to use a 90 degree jack if you chose to do so.