Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ILL GREEN on January 13, 2019 at 8:52am

Oh thanks for that info about sustain. You must be a luthier right.

Me, I'm no luthier. I learned from a Les Paul DIY kit and absorbed its construction for weeks before building it. After that build, I had extra hardware pieces that I thought would be cool to build a little guitar with them. That build was a semi-disaster but it showed me I have much to learn, so ever since, I have been experimenting on plyboards from the local Home Depot for now.  Figured it be a good start to up my game. The necks, I buy from CB Gitty because they come ready scarf-jointed.  However I do plan to build my own neck soon.

I really like doing the experimental building with the plyboards. Its cheap and messing up is just another $9 dollars to spend.  Its like an alchemy to me, mixing scales with wood and humbuckers and capacitors wondering what kind of tone will come out of it.  I feel like a mad scientist.

You do major work or its to pass time.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on January 13, 2019 at 9:14am

Luthier? I wasn't trained by anyone with experience. I started doing setups for friends and others for a little money back in the 80's. Then I started fixing guitars, making upgrades, wiring mods, pickup installs and making partscasters from pawnshop finds. By the late 80's I started building some solid body electric guitars. 

I took a break from building for awhile and sold off everything(wish I didn't have to) for finacial reasons and then started back around 2000.

I'm like a mad scientist myself. I like to try different ways of doing things and trying new materials. I've branched off into building amps and effects. I don't have as much time to do things as I wish though.

I've done some things for others, but a lot has been for myself and learning about materials and techniques. 

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Permalink Reply by ILL GREEN on January 14, 2019 at 7:08am

I only assumed you're a luthier because your name reminds me of PRS' for some reason :) Besides, Paul Craig Guitars does sound like a made company.

Thats some awsome history. Glad you decided to return to building, every man needs a hobby. I also glad that its an affordable hobby thanks to shops like CB Gitty.  Though I'm not making full sized guitars, I kinda prefer this lane of ingenuity-building that CBGs are all about

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on January 14, 2019 at 7:50am

These CBG's are easy to modify and try different ideas.

The string pull magnetized rod issue is probably a bad idea for sustain like I mentioned and others mentioned. Your builds with those rods may not be affected by the negative results due to wood thickness between the rod and strings and low magnetic gauss of the rods. If the rods used were of harder steel(more carbon content) it could be a stronger magnet and cause a string pull problem like pickup poles do.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on January 14, 2019 at 7:31pm

I thought about going all out before, maybe I will some day. 

Once you get used to it and learn a few things you just start adding strings or making something else. Keep studying.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on January 13, 2019 at 3:16pm

Hi, if you want to test with or without a magnetised rod effect, I would consider swapping necks instead of swapping actual rods. Have a neck with a none magnetised rod and one with. 

Thinking like a scientist, which I can't, but I'll throw this in for what it's worth regarding the pull if any of the magnetic rod on strings. 

The rod may be too far away from the strings (action hight), plus being buried under the fingerboard. Also it would only be under the middle string and any effect would be on that string. Whereas a pickup has magnetic poles close to and under each string.

Just saying...........

Taff

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on January 13, 2019 at 4:14pm

You’re right on, taff. It would be too far away & if it did pull, it would only be the middle two & it actually would stifle vibration just like when pickups are too close to strings

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Permalink Reply by ILL GREEN on January 14, 2019 at 7:28am

Thanks Taff for that info. I really don't know if its doing anything, I install truss rods because I like using heavy strings. But its pretty cool.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on January 14, 2019 at 7:40am

Problem with that is the variables in each piece of wood can make a small or large difference, that's why I suggested the same piece being used and changing trussrods instead. I know that's practically impossible, but every piece of wood can be different.

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on January 14, 2019 at 4:36am

the bass bridge pieces turned up in the mail today. just re gluing the neck scarf joint after it slipped while clamping.. still waiting on the pickup and the fret wire and strings. have designed the headstock to fit the tuners. off to bunnings in the morning to look for a re-enforcing rod for the neck.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on January 14, 2019 at 8:04am

That looks awesome so far Timothy.

A lot of ways to stop the slipping when gluing a scarf joint. Some will put salt or a little bit of sand/grit between the pieces to make them grip. Some embed little barbs of metal on one side. I fit the pieces when they are dry and clamp them up, then I drill holes all the way through the 2 pieces, then I remove the clamps and put the glue on both pieces, put them together, put screws in the holes and wipe away the excess glue. The screws hold the pieces together in place and clamped while drying.  Remove the screws when the glue has dried, drill the hole out to 1/4" and glue in 1/4" dowels through the neck, trim to surface and sand smooth.  Viola

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on January 14, 2019 at 10:15am

Hi Tim, do you use rod or solid bar. I know you said you have done it before, but I find that a rod embedded in the neck will bend with the neck unless it is an adjustable rod, threaded with a nut on one end, so it can pull against the tension of the strings.

Far more stable is to use a solid bar that is higher than it is wide, say 1/4" x 1/2". It will resist side ways bending better.

Taff

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