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BRC's tone monster
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10123&t=33725		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  BRC [ Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:01 pm ]
Post subject:  BRC's tone monster
Hi all, first post, just wanted to say hey. I'm building my first guitar. I've been a professional player for many years and am also a car-guy with a serious shop. Why I have never built my own guitar I just don't know..... This might become my new hobby, I can put 100 guitars in the space of one torn-apart hot rod, and it doesn't take a trailer to move them.... :) So here is the first-post-long-story.

So I started from a slab of hard maple that I cut many years ago and it has been drying ever since. I just recently shaped it. The grain is interesting but not amazing, so I bought a highly flamed small slab, cut the best figured piece out of it and book-matched it. I then had it planed/wide-belted down to 1/4", and Tite-bonded it to the top of the body. I've rough shaped the top by sanding the edges of the top down at a pretty flat angle creating a crowned-type shaping. (not really an arch-top, just not a flattie). I only have a 1/4" to work with so I guess I already learned something... :)

I did do something trick (at least to me) on the fore-arm relief, or whatever it's official name is, on the top-rear of the face. Before I bonded on the top I cut that spot way back, about 3/4" at the side height and block sanded that face perfectly flat. Then I set the new top on and marked it out where the break line was and sawed the top in 2 there. I sanded both sides of that sawed edge to match the angle and glued it all together. Then when sanding everything back it created a big curvature for the arm relief, still keeping with the top wood. I will post pictures when I get a chance.

The neck; well, I am starting with a Ibanez wizard II neck that I had. Maybe you experts will scoff at that, but for me it makes sense. By the time I'm done with it it will have little resemblance, but for now it is a hunk of good maple that is roughly the correct shape, and it already has a truss rod and is the right length for my 24-1/2" scale and 24 fret plan. I am skinning the head-stock with a piece of matching flamed maple (cut-off from the body top) and reshaping the head-stock. The neck will be permanently set in the body with joint fitted and epoxied, and likely doweled or countersunk screws with grain-matched plugs.

I have bought most of the electronics and bridge. I'm using a EMG 81TWX and 89XR combo, with a Kahler USA hybrid fixed bridge in gold, with gold pickup rings. This is my tone-monster.... :)

So, uhh, hi, and anywhere you think I could improve this let me know.
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Author:  Jim_H [ Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Hey BRC, welcome to the OLF!

Your guitar sounds amazing. Any chance you have some pictures to show us? =D
Author:  BRC [ Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
OK, here's a few pics. I wetted it up so you could see the wood better:
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The whole body is still much thicker then it will be when finished. The EMG 81TWX is deeper then normal HBs and they haven't arrived yet so when I cut the pickup holes I will be able to measure how much I can thin it down in the center and finish carve the back from there.
Author:  Chameleon [ Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
The back of that body is wild. Did the top look like that? Nice top too.

Welcome.
Author:  BRC [ Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
More tonight. Got the neck notch fitted and shaped.
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Yes the top looked like the back but not as nice. I think it is really cool with the birds eyes in the knots but think the flamed top will be better overall on the top face.

I am having a problem with putty though. There are a couple of bug holes in the the top wood that I need to fill. I bought some maple Minwax stuff and it is not so hot for what I'm doing. I put it in and the color is wrong and it stayed soft so I dug it back out. I knew a cabinet maker years ago and he used some stuff all the time on bare wood and it was great. press it in a nail hole and it dried hard in a couple of minutes and sand it off flush. You could finish over it and hardly ever know it was there. Does anybody know what this type of putty is?
Author:  Sandywood [ Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Very cool BRC.

Looking forward to your build.

Sorry I can't help with the putty issue. I have
seen it offered at places like Stu-Mac but not
sure if it's what you need.
Author:  BRC [ Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
I went to a local woodworkers group tonight. Man, this really must be an addiction if I had to go to a group meeting.... :)

I got an answer on the putty question - don't use any.... I guess I never thought about that, me being a car and metal guy. So one of the guys showed me how to make a grain direction plug that was almost imperceptible. duh Don't know why I didn't think about that, if it was steel I would weld it and grind. With wood I can add a piece and sand. Amazing what is right in front of my eyes sometimes.

I did get to shape the head and sand the whole neck and head like I wanted. I found the head face to have really nice grain. It's not what I had pictured but it's growing on me. I was going to skin the face but I think I want to stare at it for a little bit first now. Pics will be coming.
Author:  BRC [ Tue Oct 11, 2011 8:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Moving forward slowly.... :)

I got the control cavity and pickup pockets routed and shaped, and the bridge located. I recessed the knob mounts slightly to get them all the same level, and to make them look OK when the pots are pulled out (push-pull pots). Today I got to finally set the neck, yay! I drilled for 2 dowels, set the dowel locater buttons in the holes and slid the neck in from the top and gave it a light tap with the rubber hammer to locate the dowel holes on the bottom of the neck, then I drilled those holes. They are in the same place as the original neck screw holes to miss the tension rod.

I mixed up some high strength industrial epoxy and gooped up everything both sides, set the dowels, carefully slid the neck in the pocket and lightly clamped it. Now it sits until tomorrow. Here are a few pics:

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Author:  Pineapple [ Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
AWESOME !!!!!! [:Y:]
Author:  BRC [ Sat Oct 15, 2011 9:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Moving forwards. Got the control pocket lip routed, jeeze, the little lip for the cover to sit in took longer than the pocket itself. :) I had to make a template and clamp it all down on a piece of plywood because of the surface contour of the back. Think of the pocket cover being a lake and the back surface being a mountain range next to the lake and you get the idea. I couldn't just run the router around the pocket. Got the jack hole in and the recess for it. the pic of the back is just when doing the grain fill with lacquer. That will all be sanded back to the wood again but it did show off the shape and grain pretty well when it was wet. I did another mock-up (first pic) where I set everything on the body to get a total view. One of the main functional design features is to have a 24 fret neck set back into the body as far as I can go and still have space for 3 HBs. (yes there is only 2 right now but if I want to I can add a 3rd in the future, there is room). I'm liking it..... Pics:
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Author:  BRC [ Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
More progress on #1. Got the finish done on the body. Still waiting for the Floyd Rose locking nut and the Gotoh gold tuners to arrive. Color in the first pic is correct, the other 2 are washed out from indoor lighting.

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Author:  alan stassforth [ Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
I really like the back of that,
and the front,
and the finish,
and the shape!
DON'T put another pickup in there!!!!
Unnecessary for tone,IMO,
and will look bad, IMO.
Author:  BRC [ Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Thanks much Alan. Don't worry, I'm just fine with the 2 pickups at this point. I wanted the design to be able to handle 3 if I wanted to later. I'm using EMG active pickups to start with on this guitar. Unless I for some reason hate the sound (can't imagine that) then it will stay as is. This one is going to be laser scanned so the major design can be used on following guitars. Likely my number 2 will be this "core" recreated in neck-thru and in that one I might just use 3 PAF style HBs. I've played 3 HB passive guitars, and really love the drive that you can get. I can't imagine I'll need three with EMG actives.... :)

I'm really happy to be this far along. Wish my other parts would come in!
Author:  BRC [ Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Getting close.....
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Author:  BRC [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Built a moulded cover for the electronics pocket today. Long story but in a a nutshell the push-pull pots are longer than my cavity is deep. It was all good until I recessed the knobs on the front. (sigh). So I built a moulded cover that would clear everything with ease.

The way I did it was easy: I drilled a hole in a piece of plywood and installed a air chuck fitting. Then using the pocket routing template I clamped a piece of textured plastic in between both pieces of wood. Then I heated it up with a heat gun and put air to it. Whoosh, it formed a perfect bulge. It is rough trimmed and will be fitted properly when I'm done.

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Author:  alan stassforth [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Cool fix.
I've had problems like that a couple of times.
Once I had to grind some off the bottom of a 3 way switch.
Then I found out later that they make them lying down!
laughing6-hehe
That was a while ago,
and now I'm smarter, I think...
Maybe not.
Author:  BRC [ Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Alan - Yeah, it was totally my fault. I wanted to make sure the knobs didn't stick up too far when in the pulled out position. I shimmed on the backside after insetting the front and it just dropped them farther then the cover would cover.... my bad. Next time..... :)

I am finished! Yay! I played a gig with it last night and a bunch of people came up and checked it out and thought it was awesome. That was pretty cool as they didn't know I made it until I told them. I still have a couple of small things to do but I probably will be doing small changes forever. Here are the "finished" pics:

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Author:  alan stassforth [ Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
Looks great!
Nice finish.
What is it, oil based poly?
I'm a sucker for the amber over maple.
I used to not ike it,
but now i do.
I'm using ambery finishes now.
Author:  BRC [ Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: BRC's tone monster
The finish is a combination of things. The neck is lacquer, 2 light coats of low gloss on the back, and several coats of gloss on the front of the head. The neck is natural under the lacquer.
The body is stained and wiped back twice on the front (masked from the back wood). The back is natural. I only tried to get the color close to equalized between the front and back because the front wood was much lighter. Then I sprayed the body with automotive catalyzed acrylic urethane, sanding with 1500 wet between coats. I did tint the first coat with a touch of red/brown just to equalize the color a little more, I think I did 4 coats total. After the final coat I sanded with 1500 and power buffed it with 3M compound and glazed it.
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