Starting out in guitar building - There will be questions!

WezV · July 2023

the simplest way to do a truss rod is to route an appropriate flat bottomed channel for a 2-way rod into the blank before cutting anything out. you can use the edge of the blank as a guide for the router if everything is square.

the traditional fender rod needs a curved channel and drilling for access with special jigs. Its a shorter back route because the ends are done with the drilling jig I think the Hiscock book covers one way of doing this on the tele style build, but it is unnecessary if going with a separate board and modern 2-way rod

SteveF · July 2023

Thanks Wes, that agrees with what I have picked up from various sources and is how I am going to approach it I think.

HilditchGuitars · July 2023

As stated already, that's designed for a skunk stripe. But @WezV is bang on with his advice od using the edge of the blank as guide for routing the slot, exactly how I do mine. I'd recommend Touchstone Tonewoods for your truss rod if you haven't already got one, and go for a 2 way adjustable. Should fit nicely in the channel made by a 1/4" straight bit, at a depth of 9mm.

Don't try to take too much off in one pass with the router, I've seen some people going for huge passes and ending up with nasty tear out routers biting and doing what they want. Quick way to ruin a piece. Best to draw your outline on your wood and cut as close to the line as you can and then take small nibbles with the router. Never more than half the diameter of the bit if you can help it. I fancy doing a video on the subject on my YT at some point, unless one already exists.
And use masking tape and superglue to stick your templates down - Piece of tape on the template and the body (other template if you make more) and glue them together. Works a treat and simple to remove when you're done.

And remember that centre line. If you can keep it accurate it makes lining things up much easier.

Sorry for the essay, just catching up lol

HilditchGuitars · July 2023

Here's a terrible video of me doing this a few years ago

SteveF · July 2023

Thanks for all the really useful advice guys!

GSPBASSES · July 2023

I purchased this last year, it's really good for cutting Trust Rod channels, either straight flat or curved either way Gibson or fender style. Bit expensive, but it does do a really good job.

SteveF · July 2023

That looks nifty! Maybe one for the future if I am going to be making more necks

I hadn't heard of them before. I like the look of their fretboard slotting jig too.

TTony · July 2023

Look for Bagpress fret slotting jig on eBay.

(Made in UK, eBay is his sales channel)

SteveF · July 2023

Got my parts all ordered now I think.

Gone fairly conservative for the first build. Hardware mostly from Northwest Guitars, with some Nitro ordered from @SteveRobinson and a fortyniner/honky tonk angel pickup set from @OilCityPickups. I've also got fretwire and MOP dots from David Dyke. Only other thing was a control plate with slanted switch from (I think) axesrus.

I also plumped for the O'Brien electric guitar course to give me a detailed process to follow (thanks for the recommendation @Kalimna ). Watching through it ahead of getting started but it seems well presented and very detailed.

SteveF · July 2023

TTony said:

Look for Bagpress fret slotting jig on eBay.

(Made in UK, eBay is his sales channel)

That's interesting Tony - just watching Mark Bailey's demo of it at the moment.

SteveF · July 2023

Aaand that's one way to splurge a ton on a Sunday night

OilCityPickups · July 2023

SteveF said:

Got my parts all ordered now I think.

Gone fairly conservative for the first build. Hardware mostly from Northwest Guitars, with some Nitro ordered from @SteveRobinson and a fortyniner/honky tonk angel pickup set from @OilCityPickups. I've also got fretwire and MOP dots from David Dyke. Only other thing was a control plate with slanted switch from (I think) axesrus.

I also plumped for the O'Brien electric guitar course to give me a detailed process to follow (thanks for the recommendation @Kalimna ). Watching through it ahead of getting started but it seems well presented and very detailed.

It's also only the price of a phone call to ask for tips about fitting your pickups from me in person :-)
It's all part of the service.

SteveF · July 2023

Thanks Ash much appreciated

SteveF · July 2023

Quick delivery from @OilCityPickups

Ash, I assume 250k pots would be the norm for these?

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/4529e1db7ab7df94f45b3117f0dde66e9a41d9697adfbda329

And the Bagpress jig arrived - seems extremely well built. Such a clever system.

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/4a5837bae86093a900ade55404d12e3c8d31c8cbf353096076

OilCityPickups · July 2023

All coming together :-)
250k pots - it should be.

SteveF · July 2023

Great stuff, thanks Ash.

So first lesson learned - be more careful when ordering parts. Managed to end up with left handed tuners

No harm done. After a brief moment of considering a reverse headstock, I ordered some more and will save these for a future project, maybe get another right handed set and then have a couple of sets of 3 a side.

Itching to get started but had one more thing to do to finish off my workbench first.

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Got the vice face made and fitted the vice. All went fairly smoothly.

Then I thought I would make a start on copying the templates. Just got them roughly cut out with a jigsaw before I ran out of time. Going to have to tidy them up a little before flush trimming them with the router.

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SteveF · July 2023

LOTS of dust from the MDF - even with the vac attached to the saw. Had the safety gear fortunately. Had forgotten since my school days how horrid this stuff is.

Kalimna · July 2023

You think MDF is bad? Wait till you rout/sand padouk or afromosia

SteveF · July 2023

Never heard of either of those!

Kalimna · July 2023

Padouk is a fairly dense, reddish brown hardwood that produces dust that gets everywhere. Beautiful timber.
Afromosia is another dense tropical hardwood, chocolatey brown with interlocked grain (damn awkward to plane), the dust is like ground pepper.....

SteveF · July 2023

Kalimna said:

Padouk is a fairly dense, reddish brown hardwood that produces dust that gets everywhere. Beautiful timber.
Afromosia is another dense tropical hardwood, chocolatey brown with interlocked grain (damn awkward to plane), the dust is like ground pepper.....

Both sound nice, if a little unfriendly to a beginner

. I would like to know whether it’s me or the wood when my initial planing attempts go inevitably wrong!

Been working through watching the O’Brien guitar course - great content. Love that he’s making a bolt on and a carved top set neck too - double the value!

SteveF · July 2023

Finished off the templates today. Only bothered with the neck, body and routing ones for now. Not sure I will need the others but can always do them later.

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I made a start on the body blank. Not a straight or flat side was to be found anywhere so I figured I better learn to use a plane! A few YouTube videos later and I had a couple of sharp and set up planes. Did the edge first and also flattened and squared one face which will be the bottom. I’ll do the top once it’s all together. Glue up seemed to go ok. Found it tricky holding it together while trying to get it clamped up. I’m sure there’s a knack. Also not sure I have the best clamps for that job, but they seem to have done ok.

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After that I made a start on the neck. Again, not flat or square anywhere so flattened the top and then squared one edge to use for reference. Whacked the centreline on and marked where the nut will go. Wasn’t 100% sure where to locate the truss rod so a bit more YouTubing and went for just short of where the nut is. Then some head scratching to work out the best way to approach it. The guide on my router was deeper than the neck blank so I needed to raise it up. Went for screwing the blank to a couple of 2x2s with some sticking out the ends to clamp to the bench. I made sure I placed one of the clamps such that it would act as a stop for the end of the channel. The plan was to do a few passes using the reference edge as a rail for the guide fence. Unfortunately on the first pass I was too busy checking how it was cutting and didn’t focus on keeping it tight to the edge so had a small wobble. It was only in the first pass and only about 2mm deep so I don’t think it will matter and it will be covered by the fingerboard. Widened and tidied up the nut end with a chisel and I think it’s ok

definitely a part I was really worried about. All in all a good weekend’s start to the project

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Kalimna · July 2023

That is looking most excellent indeed

Regarding your query about clamps - you could do with a few more. I suspect it would be difficult to get suitable clamping pressure with those f-clamps. If you can get hold of some use sash-clamps (or cramps, Ive never worked out the difference), they will do a much better job. As for holding it all whilst applying the clamps? Practice, and several dry (i.e. no glue) run throughs. And have everything ready to hand so there's less mental stress once glue is applied! The number of times I've found myself sprinting around my garage looking for extra clamps.......

SteveF · July 2023

Thank you

It certainly feels like some kind of rite of passage doing the truss rod slot - very nerve-racking! I think I tried to order some sash clamps (I did wonder about the cramps thing - I had seen a few people call them that on various woodworking forums and thought it was either autocorrect or just a thing people said!) but they were out of stock when I did my order.

Happily it is now unclamped and all seems to have cured ok and seems to be still flat and well bonded as far as I can tell. I will definitely look for some more suitable clamps for the next build though.

SteveF · July 2023

While I am looking - am I likely to need any longer than 600mm sash clamps for any guitar building purpose?

Kalimna · July 2023

Longer than 600mm? Unlikely, unless you decide to have a go at a bit of furniture making too - which is not unreasonable given the effort yyou have put into the bench/jigs/tools so far.

SteveF · July 2023

That may come, but for now I'll go with as small as I can get away with - they're fairly unwieldy and take up space which is at a premium!

Might even have a look at those pipe sash clamps. They seem to be used by quite a few of the builders on YouTube and I guess I could just get some longer pipe if I needed bigger

HilditchGuitars · July 2023

Sash clamps for the win. 2 decent ones will manage any body blank glue up. Remember the clamping force works roughly on a 45 degree angle out from the point of contact. So over the width of your 2 body pieces the force will be spread plenty far enough. I've got by fine with 2 for the last 4 years, never had a joint fail.

I strangely like the smell of Padauk, reminds me of a kind of Vanilla perfume

SteveF · July 2023

Would these do the job or are they too cheap? I see these have a U section and I have seen some others with a T bar,

Link to Amazon

Kalimna · July 2023

I wouldnt go for the aluminium bars, they'll bend too much.
I have a bunch of these (well, an older model) and would recommend them as a good compromise between price and utility.

https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-trade-clamps-sash-clamp-760mm-505578?queryID=892a7be25e2b13b0723c3a366941c521

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Starting out in guitar building - There will be questions!

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