Build thread: Pancake body les paul deluxe

WezV

strtdv;901549" said:

More updates please! I'm following this with interest, looks fantastic so far.

I have done some Christmas shopping, ordered some parts. That's about it until the parts come in.

I have 3 p-90 templates and none are particularly tight for the P-90 covers I have here so I waiting for some mini-hum rings and will make templates from the actual part. I also have a plate on order and will use that to make sure the spacing of the pickups is correct.

Really my oversight with the binding has delayed this being together already


Or at least left with only pickups to route

ICBM

WezV said:

I have 3 p-90 templates and none are particularly tight for the P-90 covers I have here so I waiting for some mini-hum rings and will make templates from the actual part.

Goof hiders!

Just like the originals when they screwed up used templates that weren't particularly tight for the covers.

WezV

Its not a feature I plan on replicating

WezV

well the new binding and parts are in - this cream was different again so I am rebinding the body and neck, no real bother at this stage

the other issue is the shape of the plate and pickup spacing.  if I put the pickup where I want it the guard will come too close to the edge of the body in the cutaway.   I am going to position the pickup 1/8" away from the neck and  reshape the guard slightly.  

I ordered part number TP-3406-01 which is a lightweight aluminium tailpiece.  I received TP-3405-01 which is a noticeably heavy wraparound tailpiece.   I was considering just going with a wraparound, but if I do I will be after a lighter one than this.   I am sure they will sort it out, easy mistake given the similarity of parts and part numbers 

I have the neck rebound, side inlays redone and have started the carve - volute still needs a bit of finesse but i reduced it down from the large size I started with to something more gibsony.  I also have the body rebound and that's just waiting to be scraped level

pics later

 

meltedbuzzbox

Kudos wez, its all looking great.

I feel slightly ashamed that you have crafted this beauty in your spare time and I can't even be bothered to plain a wardrobe door I've needed to sort for a while. Hats off to you sir

Shark_Eyes

I'm liking this more and more, shame you have to re-do the binding. Have you settled on a finish yet?

WezV

the binding looks loads better now - re-doing it meant I could upgrade it all to nicer stuff

I think I am going to dye the top black and put a few coats of sealer on it before I order any lacquer.  I plan on doing this one myself so it will be rattle cans after that.  I should know after the sealer stage if I want to go for the blue or black.  the black will at least help with some photoshopping if I am not sure

WezV

well its been a bit of a frustrating evening, the pre-brought fretboard from CH guitars bit me in the ass once again.  there is a lesson in this!!!

basically, i went to measure bridge position again and noticed that the pre-made fretboard wasn't quite ending up where I thought it should.  turn out its 10mm too long, it had an extra 10mm between nut and first fret than it should - obviously in the factory it comes from they cut the nut position last, that doesn't work for a DIY build.  I have trimmed it back by the required amount now, but I now have a wider nut shelf than I wanted and the headstock transition is 10mm longer than anticipated.  annoying, but thankfully not fatal

options:

1) fit a floyd rose.

2) cap the headstock.

1 is ridiculous.   Don't even go there.   2 is actually very possible and the likely route I will take.  I had planned on using a thin veneer if I capped the headstock.  actually, now it makes sense to take 2mm of the front which will reduce the size  of the shelf, then add a 2mm cap back on  to help reform a normal sized shelf

I said those pre-made fretboards would suit a newbie - i take that back, trimming the nut position is not an easy task for a newbie!!

anyway - other than that mishap the rest is all going well.  except i got a small cut I didn't notice and a little bit of blood got onto the guitar.   thankfully its all still very much in the rough and will sand out.  But bloody sweat and tears have now literally gone into this today  and I am out the other side smiling

because its looking pretty nice

 

John_P

Looking amazing - I can't believe how quickly you work

I have to say though - the idea of seeing it with a floyd would quickly lead to asking how much you want for it?! ;-) 

WezV

I should slow down and measure everything!!

Sarge

Looks great! Shame you're going to hide that lovely wood, but that's just me.
Re the extra 10mm. Did you consider a zero fret at all?

WezV

Nah, I don't mind zero frets but it would feel wrong having one on this

Andyjr1515

That binding looks so much better, @WezV Important tip ref the fretboard...I would never have thought to measure it. Reinforces the old sage advice to never make assumptions, which I confess I still do too often.

WezV

I think it should have at least been supplied with a fret slot at the nut position, thats the normal way pre-slotted baords come.   It gives you 3 options to use it as you wich.  slice al the way through for gibson style, slot wider for fender style or leave as is for zero fret style.  

My guess is that majority of people buying a pre-slotted fretboard won't be comfortable positioning a nut slot with no frame of reference.   I had to comapre the other fret distances to a few know gibson style scales to find the closest match and work out the nut to 1st fret distance

there is still a risk its not quite right.   I will intonate this using the fretted notes at 5th and 17th fret rather than tuned to the open string - then I can compensate the nut a bit if  that leaves the open string out of tune

 

WezV

replacement tailpiece turned up from allparts,  i really like these lightweight ones

the whole guitar is goign to work out a pretty nice weight - i predict between 8 1/2 and 9lbs

WezV

quite a bit done today

I thinned the front of the headstock down by 2mm which took the nut shelf back to a decent size.  the headstock has now been capped with a rather nice piece of ziracote.  I used that because it was the right dimensions. It may look odd next to the rosewood, if so it will get dyed black

I got that already to be glued up, then turned my attention to the board and frets.  Board got sanded from 120-12000g micromesh and a little bit of oil to even out the colour, then I put the frets in.  I leave teh frets overhanging the edge and put a dab of superglue on the ends - at this point i got the headplate glued on and the nut roughly shaped too.

Then I turned my attention to the body.   I got the curved scrapers out and refined the carve a bit.  then I drilled all the holes except bridge and tailpiece ones which will be done once the neck is glued in.  Its safer doing it last just in case the neck doesn't go quite at the right angle.  then lots of sanding on the top

And because I was bored I decided to stain the top black and brushed a coat of sanding sealer on it.  most will get sanded off again but It might help me make a decision on colour.  seeing the top carve as a mostly solid colour really shows the carve a lot better.  

pics later........

WezV

impmann

I like that finish right there - very Blow by Blow Beck!

WezV

its gone again now - mostly.   it allowed me to see the carve properly but now I have sanded it off and its all feeling silky smooth - all of the carving marks are gone

TTony

But I liked it black ..

 

I don't really see any issue with the too-long fretboard now either - it doesn't look particularly odd to my eyes.