Well, I am just wondering how people repair the more common mistakes/ For example, if your cutting your box to insert a guitar neck and you cut the hole too deep or too wide. How do you normall correct such? Does anyone ever use a beading around the wooden neck at the hole insert to make the enlargement there less noticible? Do errors as this make the box a toss away or is there a good common fix to such?
In a neck through, one actually has two chances to muck up the holes for the interted neck; front and back. It is always easier to work with a hole that is cut out smaller than to cut it larger and then try to repair. Still, mistakes do happen.
Any other tips on common mistakes?
Thanks,
Huey
Replies
I use those boxes for other purposes, they stick around to remind me of what NOT to do...
My favorite box is any Black, rounded Rocky Patel. I had two but didn't pay attention to the fact that they're different sizes, so I cut the neck slot off-center on one... :-(
It holds picks and slides now...
A recent build kept buzzing, even though I glued EVERYTHING down... I ended up cutting the glue joints out, and rebuilding it only to find it still buzzed... I was SOOOO close to cutting the neck off and giving up, until I realized the wires from the piezo resting on the lid...
A drop of hot glue later, and no buzz..... I won't make THAT mistake again... I'll invent all new ones for next time.
John
In the summer I hide my mistakes under my work bench, but in the winter they go directly into the potbelly stove.
I was rushing to finish and get a few new 3 string builds in the post , I tested them all left handed even though they were right handed builds and as I was wrapping one of them I noticed the strings were in the wrong place .....duhhh, no wonder the test had gone well, i'd strung it left handed ! cost = two wasted strings...heigh ho, more haste less speed! ;-)
If that's all you screwed up, you're below average on the fail-scale! :-)
you made a mistake? you doing it right :)
Ha ha - I've never done anything like this before, no sirree! <sarcasm>
Dig those pieces you cut off out of the trash, and then glue them back in to patch the holes. Of course you'll want to sand the edges smooth so it makes a nice tight joint. They'll be similar enough looking that they'll match in closely and nobody (but you) will notice. I've used this technique on both the box and the neck.
Similarly, if you've drilled tuner holes in the wrong place or made the hole too large, you can glue a dowel or rod in the hole, smooth it off and redrill. Veneer can be used to cover a headstock with patched tuner holes.
Well, exxcuse the photos, but I believe the enlarged holes for the neck will be an easier repair than I originally thought. I found a drawer handle at Home Depot that I hope to use in anchoring my strings once I drill holes into it. I'll likely use black threaded rod for the bridge and nut. Although the photos also show a large sound hole cover laying on the box, I really don't plan to use it on this project. At least not at present. Just looking to see who it may look, just in case. I have pearloined tuners on order to go with this guitar build. Although not shown, I'll be adding another 1/4" fret board to have it just above the level of the top of this box. At this point, I am going with fretless builds on the first three CBGs I have in various stages of build. All the parts are simply laying on top of the box and have not been installed just yet. I am not sure if I like the placement of the volume knob where I have it in photo and I'd really like to replace the silver part of that knob. Probably have to paint it if I can't pry it out from the plastic knob. The silver does not go with this box design in my opinion. I have a gold and black striped knob, but I am not sure if I like it any better at this point. Tail piece will be shaped later, after the glue dries to the fretboard. That fretboard won't be added until I finish off shaping all the neck and tail piece to suit the CBG. Lots to do before completion. The tips here help, for sure.
Two things I've learned over the years. One, it's easier to make the flaw into something noticeable and artistic than trying to make it look like the flaw never happened (as in trying to match finish etc). Second, if you do something once, it's a mistake.....if you can duplicate it, it becomes a design
I usually solve such problems by becoming enraged and smashing everything into dust. Problem solved!
That was my same reaction for years. Over time though, I have learned that there is usually a saving grace that I had not thought of and the destruction I had racked up to satisfy my anger cost me more than the piece I had buggered up. A good, refreshingly cold brew usually softens the blow though. :-)
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