Official Luthiers Forum!

I say "ish" because it'll be a jazzmaster body/neck, but the electronics will probably just be standard tone/volume/3 way selector with P90's, and we're doing a TOM bridge with a Bigsby B-50 trem.

Here's my tempered masonite master template


I just found this stuff on Friday and love it. It works very easily and makes a very nice master template.

And the poplar body blank


This will have an authentic jm neck that he's buying from another friend. Color scheme will be classic off-white (cream, bone, ivory, or whatever) with tort guard. Maple neck w/ rosewood fretboard.

This is my first jazzmaster and the first guitar that I'm doing for a friend, so I'm kind of excited/nervous. I'm not charging him anything to do it. I'm supplying the body wood, and he's buying everything else. I mentioned to a mutual friend that I was doing this, and he proceeded to tell me that he's always wanted a daphne blue hardtail strat. Looks like that's next on my list

Got the body cut out today. I'm not proud of the way I did it, but it ended up working . I don't have a band saw, so I was going to cut as close to the line as I could get using my scroll saw. This is how I've done everything so far. Well, I guess poplar is just way too dense for my saw because a new blade wasn't even going to do it, so I just screwed on the template and went to work with my pattern bit in my router. I was really nervous taking off that much material with a router, but I went slow and took as small a bite as possible. It ended up working. Next step is finish sanding the profile and any imperfections on the faces.



On a related side note... I've been trying to figure out where to start with my own body design. After seeing the jm cut out, I think I'll use it as my starting point and see where it leads me. I was thinking of going with an off set design anyway, so it's just as good a place to start as any

Awesome Roger - nice to see your beginnings of number 2 and have a different beast you are trying to tackle - thus far, I used a bandsaw to take off the initial "meat" of the body and went back in with some really awesome Whiteside router bits with my MDF template and it seemed to work out great. How did you get the shape? Is it just like a Jazzmaster, or slightly different? Are you putting some contours on it too? Looking forward to see this one in the making!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Thanks, V. This is actually #3 . Remember I've got that chambered alder tele I'm working on which is #2, and it looks like I'm already to do a strat for #4 . I've got another friend who's always wanted a daphne blue hardtail, so I'm thinking I'll make one for him when I'm done with the current 2.

My next power tool purchase will be a band saw for sure. I've seen some decent deals on CL, but I just don't have the funds lying around at this point. I'm hoping to get one some time this year though. And I'm looking at those whiteside bits as well (the spiral upcut). I've heard great things about them and how cleanly they cut. I do have an mdf template that I made from the master.

This is a jazzmaster body shape. I'll do all the proper roundovers and contouring and will probably do some chambering under the pickguard area as well. I didn't realize how heavy poplar was

Sheesh, what was I thinkin'? - I been watching that build too! LOL

Very cool man - you will get that bandsaw sooner or later!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

I've gotten some more work done on the JM. Last night my older son and I were working on the neck pocket template. It was awesome to have him working with me. The coolest part is that when I was tucking him in, he asked if we could do more work tonight





Tonight we finally got the neck pocket jig sorted



It turned out really good. This neck is from a classic player jm, and I'm waiting on the bridge to come in before I take the pocket to final depth

Glad to hear our son is in the shop with you! I learned almost everything I know about tools and woodworking from my father. Its always a blast to do a project with him!

How awesome is that?

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Got the Warmoth pickguard in. It's going to look great on a cream-colored body

Nice!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Getting some more done on the jazzmaster...

Getting the control routs done



I just free-handed them since the pickguard will cover everything.

Also started working on the arm contour






I've done some more work to it since that last pic. It looks and feels great now.

I also got the bridge in, but I need to get a larger drill bit to drill for the bridge posts. Since the neck is from a classic player jm, we're going with an adjust-o-matic like on the CP jazzmasters.

DUDE! you be on your way! I betcha yer happy to be back on it eh?
Looking good man - love the "extra flooring" you are using to avoid clamp marks too - I got a BIG stack of that in Mahogany (Smells like horse pee when you cut it tho )

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

This is looking good Roger. Keep posting progress pics. I have one of these planned for the near(ish) future. For me building years are like dog years. For every guitar building year it is like 3 or 4 actual years. I’ll get to it one day. But for now I’m living through your thread.

John

Thanks guys. Yes, V, I am VERY happy to be working on this again.

I know what you mean, John. I've got another tele that I've not touched in 3 months. I was finally able to get started on that one again too. I can't remember if I've posted anything about that one here...

I've been spending time on my TDPRI challenge build, but I was able to finally get some more done to the jazzmaster today.

I picked up the correct drill bit so that I could drill for my bridge mounting studs. Once I got the bridge in, I was able to finish off the neck pocket. I also got screws for the pickguard and mounted that as well.

The part I was dreading was transferring the existing mounting holes from the neck to the body. It turns out that the head of a finish nail was pretty much the perfect size to go into the hole. I then clipped off the nail pretty close and sharpened the end. I put one in each hole, lined up the neck with strings running through the 1st and 6th string positions, then pressed down hard on the heel end of the neck, thereby transferring the hole locations. It worked really well.

The hard part was getting the nails back out. I managed, though, and now it's starting to look like a guitar. Next up is the tummy cut

I'm seeing another guitar here dude!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Yes sir! The downside is that I'm waiting on the recipient to purchase more hardware before I can make a ton more progress. He still has to purchase the bigsby, pups and electronics. I think we're still a month or so away.

The deadline to finish the challenge guitar is May 14, so I'm hoping to get that done on time. The chambered alder/walnut tele is on hold for a while simply because the funds aren't there to keep it going

Roger,
I don't own a solid body guitar, but of all the Fenders out there, I've always liked the shape of the jazz master best. I think you've got a cool project going here. I agree with you about the pickguard, too. I can visualize it on a cream finish. It's going to look great.
Patrick

Thank you, Patrick. I was able to make a little more progress today.

First I needed to clean up the side of the neck pocket, so I employed one of my favorite tools... my 7 year old son


Once that was done, it was time to get started on today's real project.

Start with a rasp



And finish off with files and sandpaper


To get this

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Hey, Roger,
I am going on 64 years of age, but your thread is flooding me with memories of my father (who was a superb craftsman) taking me into his shop and patiently teaching me how to use tools. Good on you! You're a good dad, and your son will carry these lessons decades into the future, passing them down to his own children and grandchildren--and perhaps (like in my case) with some heirloom tools that once belonged to you. Now, I ask you, how can it be any more cool than that? It just can't get any better than that, my friend.

You are doing excellent work all the way around here. Now, if you would permit me one helpful critical remark, I will offer this: Regarding the body relief you just rasped and sanded in your last post, take a good, hard look at the curve where it meets the back of your guitar. Could be a trick of the light or the camera angle, but it looks to me like that curve isn't quite as fair as the curve at the top side. Looks like it might have a couple of "hard" spots (kinks) in the fairness. If I am wrong, then just know that I am not talking down to you. If I am right, then don't settle for an unfair curve where the relief meets the back of your guitar. Take about ten minutes to make that curve fair and perfect and you will never, ever regret the slight extra effort! Offered in good will and with congratulations on your progress thus far. You 'da man! Keep pressing on. I am very, very interested in seeing how this instrument comes out in the end. I think it'll be a beauty.

Patrick

Thanks, V.

Patrick, thank you. I really appreciate your encouragement. As for the curve, you are correct. There are a couple of spots in that shot that weren't quite there. I went back after that pic and worked them a little more, but they do still need a little more refinement so I'll hit them some more.