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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on February 7, 2010 at 8:05am

Well, I just built my first one, strung it up for a test and made a few changes. If you can put it together for a test run go for it. Then put on the final finish, if you can stop playing long enough to take it apart.

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Permalink Reply by Hip Bone Bellaire on February 7, 2010 at 10:26am

Good Point!

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Permalink Reply by Tres Seaver on February 7, 2010 at 5:29pm

I know exactly how you feel: stopping to do final fit-and-finish is really hard when you are close enough to test it. The only real downside to stringing it up early is that you tend to go through strings pretty fast, as the "test strings" often break when being restrung.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on February 8, 2010 at 4:16am

This just happened to me, the test string broke the second time around, why is that? I'm pretty sure I over tightened it, went past the D on my electronic tuner and kept on cranking, ping!

Tres Seaver said:

I know exactly how you feel: stopping to do final fit-and-finish is really hard when you are close enough to test it. The only real downside to stringing it up early is that you tend to go through strings pretty fast, as the "test strings" often break when being restrung.

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on February 8, 2010 at 6:47am

heck, string it and play it..... who knows? you might like it a' naturale' in the finish dept.
but then, I have adult ADD and have to get'er done quick/quick....

the best,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Randy Webb on February 8, 2010 at 10:56am

Since I hardly ever use the high/low E strings on builds, I use them to test intonation before finishing my builds.

While the guages are off a little for the final intonation, it helps me to string them up on the outer string positions (3 or 4 string builds).
Then I use my dummy bridge (has no pickup in it, but is just like my bridges with pickups) to slide around and pencil dot the marks for intonation on the high and low end.
Then I know where the best place to drill my hole for pickup leads is. (since my peizos are in the bridge and not in the body)

I hope all that made sense.

Then i remove those, drill the pickup wire hole, and stain/paint/varnish/whatever before finally stringing it up for real.

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Permalink Reply by Hip Bone Bellaire on February 9, 2010 at 10:36am

great, Big Help... thanks

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