JCJCJC wrote: » Has anybody here got any experience of GFS's 'super-smooth Gotoh-style' tuners (or machine heads if you prefer). I fitted a set, and I'm not happy with how often the guitar needs to be re-tuned, maybe every 30 minutes or so in play. They were relatively cheap at USD22.95 so I'm wondering if they were a bad choice. I think I'll get a different set when I'm next ordering hardware and see if that solves it - it can't be anything else. JC
red_hot_nirvana wrote: » Heres a few pictures of a guitar i built for my leaving cert a few years back, the quality of the image isnt great but i have more......somewhere!
JCJCJC wrote: » Has anybody got a cheap neck for a tele? JC
fuzztone wrote: » Possibly. I have a neck off a MIM Deluxe Nashville Tele lying around (this model http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0135300332). I bought it for a project I was going to do ages ago that just never happened. How much are you looking to spend?
JCJCJC wrote: » Anybody know of an over-the-counter source of aniline dyes in Ireland? I have seen great burst finishes being acheived on www.tdpri using aniline, but apparently it can't be shipped from the US. JC
nialldabass wrote: » Have you tried Mylands in the JFK trading estate? Dont have info to hand but should be able to supply most finishing needs
JCJCJC wrote: » No sign of them on Google or eircomphonebook.ie, are you sure about the sp? I can have a look there, I'll be in Dublin a few times in the next few weeks - where are they in the estate? JC
nialldabass wrote: » I'm so sorry I got mixed up Its Morrells not Mylands here is the linkhttp://www.morrells.co.uk/branch/7 And if you go in and speak to them they should be able to show you the full range of colours And by the look of it they still sell cellulose laquer
JCJCJC wrote: » Thanks for that - I'll go and have a look the next chance I get, I see they also have brush-on tinted wax finishes, as used by Rico Daniels in 'Le Salvager' on Discovery.
nialldabass wrote: » Haha yeah that was a great series, I suppose you visit the Luthiers corner over at mylespaul, I've just started looking at valve amp kits aswell now:rolleyes: There is somthing about making stuff with your hands that becomes addictive
nialldabass wrote: » Yeah the angle grinder is not as scarey as you first think, many people carve LP tops with them And what do you think of Scaterlee's work I'm gobsmaked looking at his builds
nialldabass wrote: » Wow thanks another cool site to add to the list, I still have no router. next on the list, cutting truss rod channels with a fine saw and chisel is fun,but do-able. My biggest problem is trying to find a good affordable wood supply and to design a nice original headstock, the rest are just challenges to overcome, and your right thinking outside the box is key. Oh and I'm in south Dublin And wouldn't it be nice to just walk into woodies and pick up some maple for a couple of necks for about 5 dollars like the Americans
nialldabass wrote: » I'll have to keep my eye on Aldi, only have a Lidl near me but they get some good gear at times. the trussrod channel was pretty straight and relied on the filler strip to curve it so not perfect, But it worked out well and the neck is great. Despite my name i play guitar, for a while I was playing bass with a band and I picked that name and just kinda kept it for online stuff I'm still very new to guitar building although I'm a French polisher by trade and worked most of my life in the Piano industry so its not totally alien either Oh and the latest project is a 30inch bass, though I'm gassing for a pinecaster and feel the need to do a chambered guitar, doubt it would work so well with pine, so thats 2 more builds lined up, in my mind anyway. One day a full bodied jazzbox, even though I'm no fan of jazz but it must bring all the elements of guitar building together. I suppose home grown lumber is the way to go, do you use any for neck builds or stick with the maple?
JCJCJC wrote: » I haven't attempted to build a neck yet but I will get there. I bought a cheap neck from GFS for my first one, couldn't fault it - it hasn't even needed a tweak on the truss rod. I have some 25-yr old red larch from a tree I cut down that might do for necks. Larch twists a bit as it seasons, but this stuff has had plenty of time to reach its final shape. It's as hard as steel, that's the only snag. With your finishing skills you could be making incredible instruments. With native timber a chambered guitar makes sense - Irish oak, beech, ash, yew, holly, elm etc would all be very heavy. My first sycamore tele is about 8 lbs weight - it wouldn't want to be any heavier. My future plans would include an electric 12-string, an 8-string mandolin, an electric bozouki, etc etc... I have it very much in mind to develop an idea I got on tdpri.com, that is to build 'the ultimate eagles guitar' which would probably be a tele with a tele bridge pickup, a humbucker, and a strat neck pickup - if it all worked, it would suit what I play, ie Eagles amongst other things, although it wouldn't obviously do the Hotel California intro. I intend using rumpelstiltskin coolwhite pickups on my current build, have you heard of them? Going back for a minute to french polishing, what wood would be the best to use for a french polished guitar - mahogany I suppose?
nialldabass wrote: » Firt thing is I have really neglected the finishes as I know what I can do so i just stain seal, couple coats of laquer and leave them, shame really but it holds no challenge so Im not too bothered, besides I like the old used look lol Those pickups sound great, not heard of them before, but there is a guy in Wales Wizardpickups, taught a very famous pickup maker and his prices are fantastic, again not tried them but plan on doing so. Meant to be a great guy and will wind what you want Any wood will take french polish, though it is softer takes alot of effort and not resistant to alcohol, but can look great, I suppose doing somthing day in day out for over 20yrs, ya kind of fall out of love with it Love the Ideas you have new builds, get some build threads going if you do
nialldabass wrote: » You should be able to get precat laquer from them which is as close to nitro cellulose as you can get, build up and then sand and buff you'll get a super high gloss finish, they should do it in aerosols and should do coloured aerosols but they might need to do a big batch, but they are proffesional finishing suppliers and know their stuff so tell them what your up to and I'm sure they'll help, Heard good reports about these pickups that are cheap again no first hand knowledge but I'm sure there are reviews aroundhttp://www.axetec.co.uk/ They have some demos online too
RamblingRebel wrote: » Nice thread. Those guitars look good. Do they play as good as a proper tele? It's always put me off building my own, I'd be worried it played naff. But I suppose that'd come down to how accurate you are in your execution. How hard is it for someone with next to none woodworking skills?
