DIY SG Build thread (mission aborted, but now back on course!)

thecolourbox

I shall have a look and make some notes on how far stuff is out up the neck. If the nut is too high what do I have to do? Make the slits for the strings deeper or sand the bottom of the nut? If the latter then I suspect that'll be difficult as I think it is stuck down.

I'm using my usual preferred type of strings not the ones included in the kit. I imagined certain stuff included within the kit would not be ideal so I was prepared to get my own parts for something's like strings tuners and pickups. What I didn't expect was for essentially every part of the kit to be rubbish including the neck body guard and electronics

My main criticism of this particular kit (though it can't be the same for all others) is that the only thing shitter than the kit and constituent parts is the manual which has consistently been wrong or misinformative.

For anybody looking to get their first kit guitar do NOT buy a Stretton Payne brand one. I cannot reccomend it lowly enough

Andyjr1515

thecolourbox said:

I shall have a look and make some notes on how far stuff is out up the neck. If the nut is too high what do I have to do? Make the slits for the strings deeper or sand the bottom of the nut? If the latter then I suspect that'll be difficult as I think it is stuck down.

You can do either.  I'm not the best guy to explain how to check and slot the nut (I go about things a little unconventionally, albeit finishing in the same place) but it is quite important to check the nut height correctly and, if they do need deepening, not going too far and not widening the slot while you are doing it.

Guys - can someone point @thecolourbox to a decent thread or youtube clip of how to do this without going into the expense of nut files?

thecolourbox

Thank you all, and thanks for the pm @andyjr1515 which I will answer tomorrow when I'm more with it

I've broken another string tonight fiddling about with it, but what I've done is tune the ones I've got up correctly, then fretted each note with the tuner on and listed how far out each fret is on there. My tuner has bars either side of the exact note so for eg +4 means it's sharp, -2 means it's flat and so on. Fine it on 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th 12th and 15th on the for remaining strings:

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a639/matthew_goodwin1/Mobile Uploads/IMG_20160219_221303_zpszw0zgb28.jpg

Interestingly as you can see from the 7th fret upwards all is fine, then things get worse and worse the closer to the nut you get. I'm not too concerned at the -2 on the 15th fret on the D string as that probably just needs a quick screwing one way or the other, but the predicted pattern is definitely there.

So then, let's see if I can find a good way to sort the nuts, I'm guessing I'm going to need lots of patience here to get it right. Which is a problem when I'm the last patient person you could ever hope to meet but needs must

Andyjr1515

Almost certainly it's simply that the nut is too high.... Needs doing properly but a standard and straightforward tweak for a newly built guitar

WezV

Definitely the nut height then.

It is best to lower the slots rather than sand the bottom, but its tricky without proper files.

I have proper files, but tried a totally DIY method for the kit guitar challenge a couple of years back. I cut up a beer can into strips and folded 240g wet & dry paper around the metal shim. It wasn't perfect but did work.


The welding cleaning tips may work here too, especially if its a softer nut(quite likely on a cheaper kit)


The only answer for pro results is proper files

thecolourbox

I did a bit of general fiddling about on this last night, ending with me sending a lengthy annotated copy of their awful instruction manual back to where I bought it from, noting the incorrect parts of the manual and also pointing out all the issues I've encountered through the kit being rubbish. I don't know what I expect that to do but it felt Luke I needed to get it off my chest

I've resolved to try and get a new pickguard made to measure because the one I've got is now useless, quite how I'll do the template for that is a different question (and thread) but that's the only option at this point I think.

I'm going to try and put different strings on it before investing in the nut file, in case the problem doesn't occur with slightly different gauge strings.

I don't know what the seller will come back with, or whether there was even any point in my complaining - I've has to spend quite a bit of money on getting the instrument even to this stage so I'm kind of invested in it, but I'm still quite bitter about buying it from then rather than other manufacturers who don't seem to have such quality issues (and in the case of Thomann probably would have been cheaper as well!!)

thecolourbox

Right I think I may have found a way to both get this guitar finished and also satisfy my frustrated wish to give up. Just spoken to a local guitar repair man (Little Guitar Shop in brum for those that care, so I can perve on the nice vintage and retro guitars while I'm there Haha) who is going to sort my nut and pickups, and let me try a few scratch plates on it to see if any fit better, then take it from there. Seems the best compromise and hopefully will mean I won't have to waste any more time trying to fix the fucker up

thecolourbox

Except I now can't go until Wednesday because the washer took three and a half hours so I've run out of time, ffs!!!!!!!!

thecolourbox

I've emailed the seller asking if I were to send them the instrument back (sans pickups of course, they aren't getting those off me) would they consider refunding me once they've seen the problems I'm on about. I doubt they'll respond but we can hope. I could then just buy a proper guitar and stop pissing about pretending making one was ever a good idea

WezV

I am happy to take a look when you come to pick up the resoglass kit, that should be ready by next weekend.

Happy to take a look and do you a plug and redrill on the bridge/neck join FOC... But as you know, it wont be speedy.

thecolourbox

Thanks Wez, good news re the Reso! I will let you know how it goes with the seller, I am coming to the conclusion that like another kind forumite has said, the guitar feels really tainted in my mind and that even of it does get fixed, I might still psychologically associate it with the annoying problems I've encountered and always remind me of my repeated complete failure to actually complete a project.

The wood looks nice but that could be done on anything with my leftover dye, and to be honest it doesn't look as nice as some of the wood coloured thinline Tele guitars you seen to be able to pickup very reasonably which I would probably target as a replacement

thecolourbox

I've decided that because I can't get my money back and that the guar is doing my nut in and would be tainted with that even if I did finish it, I am going to try and sell it as a project one. Somebody who likes doing that kind of thing (it is ripe for a relic job on it I think) might find it interesting. I could then use that money plus some birthday money to either get a replacement or get my cheap Tele brought back up to scratch. Should also get some money back selling on the pickups

The lovely Lady seems to be OK with that, if I can manage to find somebody interested.

thecolourbox

@jookychap would this be any good for one of your projects?

thecolourbox

Thanks to some extreme generosity from WezV this project is now back on course!

When picking up my Airline, I took this little fellow with me as well to see if anything could be done. Turns out the neck needed "shimming" which I hadn't heard of before. I think it means putting thin bits of wood underneath the neck joint to change the angle just slightly enough to get the bridge in line. I'd never have known about that let alone thought it might be needed!

The pick guard needed a bigger reamer than I had, but that was reassuring in a way because I had been trying the right thing, just didn't have the right stuff.

Once the whole had been sorted for that, the bridge screw in bits then fit through so for later adjusting it would be a case of raising it up, rather than having to go to and down on that.

The nut issues previously discussed and advised on here were correct - the grooves fur the strings were way too high so once the truss rod had been fiddled with, the grooves were filled down a bit.

So all I have left to do is slight adjusting on the intonation or action as I've not checked for any buzzes yet, soldering in my switch (those wonderful solderless eng pickups are not as solderless as they'd have you believe!) and then screw in the truss rod cover and the back cover over the electronics

From the brink of defeat...success may yet be reached*





*totally only because Wez did the hard stuff for me

WezV

its a common issue on kit guitar instructions, they rarely mention shimming.   There was no way a bolt on neck SG with tune-o-matic bridge would ever work without a shim.

I think i demonstrated the trial and error method quite well, should have just measured it to work out the shim thickness in one go.  It needed more than normal.  it has a 1.5mm maple strip towards the back of the neck pocket which brought everything nicely into line

the nut slots were 3mm higher than they needed to be - again, not unusual for these kits.

Its also looking pretty cool  - so this thread need pics

paulnb57

Kudos to @WezV for giving you a hand, it's good that this project seems nearer to being finished, agree it needs a photo or two....

thecolourbox

Here are some photos:
http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a639/matthew_goodwin1/Mobile Uploads/IMG_20160417_102644_zpsyvoixozk.jpg

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a639/matthew_goodwin1/Mobile Uploads/IMG_20160417_102644_zpsyvoixozk.jpg

Though the wood looks a bit lighter in photos than it does in person

Mkjackary

Try putting some packing foam under the neck pickup, that should keep it parallel with the pickguard. Really like the finish

thecolourbox

Thanks, ah yes I forgot to mention the pickup bit. I do need to jig them about a bit to get them lying flat (or use other screws!) as well as the other stuff

Sambostar

I like that, it wouldn't look a miss with my furniture too, even the sanding marks against the grain.  Sometimes these things work out and almost make themselves for a reason.  It looks great.