Posted by steve vargo on February 3, 2009 at 1:35am
hey, anybody want to share your gitar building mistakes? learn from our messups....
i had a nice box, neck built, frets in, etc.... then i put it all together and measured the scale length. the box wasn't long enough! now i either have to re fret it or put a longer neck on it....
stupid.
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Just finished my first build. I intended from the beginning for this to just be a throwaway, but it's been a blast to play. My wife was stunned when she came into the room and realized that sound was coming from the comical looking project instead of one of the guitars. I should have tried to make every possible mistake, because I almost did. A few highlights:
5. little drill press turned out to be a POS and it almost injured me
4. lag bolts make bad nuts & saddles - with loud metallic sounds and broke a string after two hours. Will be replacing with bone.
3. tuners were poorly placed, so I ended up adding a guide screw
2. almost everything was cut first on the wrong side. mostly because of kid distractions.
1. vastly underestimated the time it would take to get storage stuff out of my tool shed. Spent 10x as much time fixing up the workspace as it took to build the tool. Ah well, it was a good cause.
Also - I found a 1/16th inch drill bit was good for piloting most tuner screws. Rubbing a little soap on screws before putting them in also helps them glide in easily.
I can attest to the poplar neck issue. After 2 years of my first build I tried putting heavy strings on. It not only bent the neck it split my body at the top plate.
Gary Krepak- Sole Food Diddley Works said:
One day last summer, I found a "Cuband Rounds" box that was very large. It was asking to be an electric CBG. I had built only three before this, and decided to make it a four string instead of the one or two string variety I had made before. I had a super-simple sound guy gig at a friend's bar that night for his acoustic gig. So... I figured I might as well bring the box and the clamps and build it RIGHT IN THE BAR. I did.
ONE PROBLEM.
1x2 Poplar does NOT like having four strings tuned to pitch on it! The headstock bowed within 30 minutes of tuning her up. However, I proved that I could run sound and build a CBG at the same time!
I put together a baritone uke scale length 3 string. Put flames on the neck had everything measured and painted, even put some pin-up pictures on the inside of the box one can see through the f-holes. Then attached the neck and realized I did not cut down the neck to make the fingerboard flush with the body. I can only play down to the 5th fret before the strings touch the body.
I routed the wrong side of the neck on the last guitar I built, (or building). So I just routed both sides and made a skinnier fret board. It might work.
One trick I've learned that helped me speed up build sessions, was to buy a small Magnetic screwdriver to install the small tuner screws. I just touch the driver in a pile of small screws and at least one comes up on the driver,arrange it on the bit and drill er' in.
It makes quick work of a tuner install session. Especially when your installing 6 or 7 DB's at the same time.
OMG, its great to see I am not the only one, I have only made 4 CBG's so far but have screwed up at least 3 necks in the process, Should of listened to my old man when he said " measure twice, cut once " My wood working skills are crap but with all the mistakes and the information learnt online with this site I can say at least I am improving each time.
Thanks to CIGAR BOX NATION....and all its members
I twisted the heads off 3 of the screws that came with the tuning pegs on my first build before I realised they must be made of cheese! I now bin them immediately and use the fattest self-tappers that will go through the holes. No problems since. No matter how carefully I measure the box lids, I nearly always cut the recess in the necks too long, allowing for the box wall thickness where I shouldn't. Man that annoys the hell out of me!!
Replies
ROFLMAO!!
I'm sure that went over well... 8-O
5. little drill press turned out to be a POS and it almost injured me
4. lag bolts make bad nuts & saddles - with loud metallic sounds and broke a string after two hours. Will be replacing with bone.
3. tuners were poorly placed, so I ended up adding a guide screw
2. almost everything was cut first on the wrong side. mostly because of kid distractions.
1. vastly underestimated the time it would take to get storage stuff out of my tool shed. Spent 10x as much time fixing up the workspace as it took to build the tool. Ah well, it was a good cause.
Also - I found a 1/16th inch drill bit was good for piloting most tuner screws. Rubbing a little soap on screws before putting them in also helps them glide in easily.
O-DAD said:
Gary Krepak- Sole Food Diddley Works said:
guitars 014.jpg
guitars 011.jpg
It makes quick work of a tuner install session. Especially when your installing 6 or 7 DB's at the same time.
Thanks to CIGAR BOX NATION....and all its members
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