Complete EPI custom setup

[arcanis494]

[Roman]

Now, with my trusty old 3 corner file I get ready to smooth things out.

I make a lot of my tools, as all the veterans have. Remember, Stew mac wasn't always here.

A lot of old school luthiers use a 3 corner file exclusively for the fret shaping. Me, I am not that hardcore. I use both, this file and the store bought files.




With the 3 corner file I round the fret edges as well as rough shape the crown of the fret.



With my crowning files, I round the frets making sure to still have a bit of the top that is untouched.

[diceman]

Good stuff. I'm learning a lot!

[Roman]

Glad to hear it diceman

Ok, moving on.

The frets are ready for sanding. I tape off the fingerboard so I do not scratch it.




Some people use fancy "sanding sticks" I use my fingers. With my finger I can control the pressure and "feel" what is going on.

I put pressure on only the sides of the fret, so as not to take any meat off of the top.

I start with 220 and go down to 600 grit.



Then I take an old auto body sander and make sure the tops are still level and intact.

[Roman]

I am done with shaping and sanding now. Time to smooth and polish.

Keeping the tape on, I go though various grits of steel wool till I have all the sanding marks out and the frets begin to get a shine to them


Next, the tape comes off and it is time to oil.


More to come..........

Roman

[GNR4EVR]

Very Nice!

[lifele55]

Seriously, this is top notch RFR.

As always, pictures speak a million words.. some even words can't describe! Learning a heck load just from these 2 pages. Looking forward to how the fretboard looks like.. I hate looking at all those white spots and have been trying to get them out.

HUGE thanks RFR for not leaving us Epiphone lovers out.

[Sinmastah]

Too bad we all don't have that kind of stuff though

[-graham-]

Originally Posted by Sinmastah

Too bad we all don't have that kind of stuff though

+1 and even then I couldn't bring myself to file away at my guitar , I'm not much of a handyman...

[Roman]

The tape is now off and we oil the board. I usually do it a couple of times on a dry board.

My preference is good old fashioned Old English lemon oil. I have been using it for years.

I apply it, let it soak in for about a half hour, wipe off the excess and repeat.

Here it is soaking



Here it is after the oil. The fingerboard is now much darker as well.



sorry for the poor photos, but any white stuff on the fingerboard that people have complained about, is gone.

Its funny, I got a newer, better digital camera. but I take better pictures with my old crappy one.

Anyway.............................

The last step I do on the neck is to buff the frets. I use a piece of cowhide. Just like the old barber shops used to finish the edge on the razors.

This shines them up, and you don't have to use polishing compounds or other stuff that will want to get in the pores of the fretboard.

Some guys use a dremel with a small buffing wheel attachment, I like the leather.

[Hectgore]

Nice work Roman cant wait to get it back!Thats why i brought it to a very good luthier

[Circus]

Rockin thread man. I would love to have that done to my custom. But I could neeeever do it myself! This is great stuff. Keep it comin

[Muck Fe]

Fantastic words and pics Roman, thank you very much.

About time I got rid of some useless trivia and replace it with knowledge I can actually use.

Rick.

[b-squared]

Awesome thread!

BB

[wantsa58]

wow i actually did my frets the same way... im wish i would have this thread back then, would have been a lot easier.

[Roman]

Hi folks, I am back on the thread!

Now, this next picture is important!! I'll just let this sink in a bit.

[Roman]

The last picture was of a drill bit and a tuner screw. I ALWAYS tape off the drill bit so I do not drill too far. trust me, I have, and you will too, sooner or later.

Once I drilled through a strat neck. It was a Birdseye maple neck.........thank god for that.
Here I am drilling, 12 holes mind you, and my mind starts to wander. (usually you start thinking of some girl) All of a sudden..........whoops! The drill bit goes all the way through.
Since it was Birdseye, I plugged the hole with a tooth pick, and did some super glue tricks........... the repair looked like another Birdseye. But I KNEW.

The moral of the story is; always tape up your bit before drilling

[Roman]

This brings us back to the EPI.

We are putting gold grover vintage style tuners on it.

but before that, here is the roughed in nut blank.



Now some tuners.



I hate stickers!! It makes a guitar look cheap, like it was made in China! Maybe it was, but the whole damn world doesn't have to be reminded of it.



Ok, they are gone.

[Roman]

We have now drilled the tuners (without drilling though), and they are buttoned up and we move on to the nut.

The string spacing on the old nut was good, so I just mark off the slots with a pencil using the old nut as a template.



Now that the slots are marked off, with a small jewelers file, I notch for the strings.



Once again, I am sorry for the poor image quality. I would also love also to show certain steps, but I only have 2 hands, and not an extra to hold the camera.

[Roman]

The nut is rough cut and shaped. I keep the nut height high for a while. I do not want to blow it and get the nut too low.



We are almost done.

[Roman]

The next thing I do is adjust the truss rod to where I want it, and let it sit for a while.

Time to go take a break and eat!!

[Eggy]

Damn it Roman. Here I am thinking "nobodies Epi plays as nice as mine" and here you are showing everyone how it's done. What am I gonna have left to brag about once everyone starts sending you their Epi's ?


BTW.... Nice thread mate! A lot of people will hopefully get the chance to turn their OK guitars into good ones because of you.

[Scooter2112]

and even then I couldn't bring myself to file away at my guitar , I'm not much of a handyman...

I did it once (out of necessity) on a cheap $100 acoustic. It's really not that difficult, but the pucker factor increases in direct proportion to the cost of the guitar.

Bravo, Roman!! Best thread ever.

[wantsa58]

Hey Roman when you notched the nut for the strings you mentioned that you used a "jewelers file". Is that all you used to start the string slots? I have been wanting to make a bone nut for my epi for some time because i acquired a blank from a friend, but i have been hesitant because the stew mac tools are very pricey.. If all you used was a jewelers file could you please tell me where to find one and the cost of one?

I know how to shape one etc.. just don't have a tool to cut the slots..

[Roman]

Originally Posted by Eggy

Damn it Roman. Here I am thinking "nobodies Epi plays as nice as mine" and here you are showing everyone how it's done. What am I gonna have left to brag about once everyone starts sending you their Epi's ?


BTW.... Nice thread mate! A lot of people will hopefully get the chance to turn their OK guitars into good ones because of you.

Over the pond is ALL yours!

Thanks Mate, I am just trying to demonstrate that even an inexpensive EPI can be a great guitar...........As you and many others already know.

[Sinmastah]

Hey Roman, how much do those Klusons cost that you put on the Epi? I was at GC and they had Klusons deluxes there, and the price under them was 20 dollars, but that seems too low.

[shotgunlew]

Originally Posted by RFR

Over the pond is ALL yours!

Thanks Mate, I am just trying to demonstrate that even an inexpensive EPI can be a great guitar...........As you and many others already know.

Thats some funny stuff brother, Its lookin great bro, good work as always!

[Roman]

Originally Posted by wantsa58

Hey Roman when you notched the nut for the strings you mentioned that you used a "jewelers file". Is that all you used to start the string slots? I have been wanting to make a bone nut for my epi for some time because i acquired a blank from a friend, but i have been hesitant because the stew mac tools are very pricey.. If all you used was a jewelers file could you please tell me where to find one and the cost of one?

I know how to shape one etc.. just don't have a tool to cut the slots..

Years ago, I got a bunch of stuff in a garage sale. I am always on the lookout for old tools.

The point is, I do not know where and how much. I am sure you could do a search for some jewelry tool suppliers and come up with something.

As far as Nut files I use an old set the same as the Ibanez factoy used in japan.

Also, you might want to check out some Exacto hobbyist stuff. They have small saws.

[Roman]

Originally Posted by Sinmastah

Hey Roman, how much do those Klusons cost that you put on the Epi? I was at GC and they had Klusons deluxes there, and the price under them was 20 dollars, but that seems too low.

These are 50 bucks or so. Stew mac and allparts have them.

[Sinmastah]

Originally Posted by RFR

These are 50 bucks or so. Stew mac and allparts have them.

Alright thanks, I guess GC just had them mislabelled. Also is there a big difference in putting those in there? Aside from the change from kidneys to keystones.