'59 Les Paul - Step by Step - Bartlett Plans

[LtDave32]

I remember seeing a mammoth thread on another forum of Gil Yaron explaining his builds step by step. Maybe google it and im sure you'll find it.

That's the best, most in-depth and comprehensive Les Paul build thread I have ever seen. It truly is a masterpiece of a build thread.

 

[RibbonCurl]

Some people made a really cool angled box jig that the guitar body fit inside and the router rides on top of. I didn’t go that fancy.

I can tell you how I do it. I removed the bulk of the material from the neck pocket with forstner bits at the drill press. I made an MDF template (you’ll need a lot of those) of the neck pocket based on the plans. I made some 4.4 degree wedges with my table saw. While the guitar top was still flat I attached my wedges and template to the guitar, aligned center lines and confirmed the angle. Then used my router to cut the angled pocket.

On my next build I did the same thing but without the wedges. I went ahead and cut the neck angle into the top but didn’t carve the top so I had flat plane at the proper angle. Then I attached it template straight to that angled surface and router the same way. I’ve got some pics of this somewhere...

Thanks DaveR, I totally appreciate the time you took to explain the neck pocket routing to me. I would really appreciate it if you can locate the photos (you mentioned) of your explanation above. There are still some aspects I don't understand. Thanks DaveR.

 

[RibbonCurl]

Unfortunately, Barnaby used photobucket for most of his photos and they're gone. But he has a couple of good video series of his building! @Barnaby is still around here from time to time but not as active as he once was. I miss his daily presence, and I think we can all agree that he thoroughly documented what amazing results can be achieved with hand tools and perseverance!

Barnaby's Video Build Diary: Handtool DCJR

This is a build thread for an LP JR doublecut using only hand tools in a small apartment. What Ive done this time is a video diary for people who want something a bit more interactive. There are a bunch of videos showing the steps and tool usage, from start to finish. As usual, Ive probably...

www.mylespaul.com

I think there are 15 vids in this series...just hit the next button after watching the first. If you get lost, you can navigate to his user page on youtube and go back through his videos 6 or 7 years to find this series.

He also has a 9 part bass build, I haven't watched this one yet...but it looks like the video quality is better on these.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the hand tools aspect unless you're just itching to do it that way. If you have a table saw and a router you are ahead of the game in the tools dept. Even Barnaby eventually moved on to a power tool equipped workshop to be more efficient.

While we're talking video diaries....this series by Freddy G that is linked earlier in this thread uses power tools but is phenomenal. It features a lot of great details on some of the more difficult aspects of building and I think this should be required viewing for anyone considering a LP style build.

Unfortunately, Barnaby used photobucket for most of his photos and they're gone. But he has a couple of good video series of his building! @Barnaby is still around here from time to time but not as active as he once was. I miss his daily presence, and I think we can all agree that he thoroughly documented what amazing results can be achieved with hand tools and perseverance!

Barnaby's Video Build Diary: Handtool DCJR

This is a build thread for an LP JR doublecut using only hand tools in a small apartment. What Ive done this time is a video diary for people who want something a bit more interactive. There are a bunch of videos showing the steps and tool usage, from start to finish. As usual, Ive probably...

www.mylespaul.com

I think there are 15 vids in this series...just hit the next button after watching the first. If you get lost, you can navigate to his user page on youtube and go back through his videos 6 or 7 years to find this series.

He also has a 9 part bass build, I haven't watched this one yet...but it looks like the video quality is better on these.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the hand tools aspect unless you're just itching to do it that way. If you have a table saw and a router you are ahead of the game in the tools dept. Even Barnaby eventually moved on to a power tool equipped workshop to be more efficient.

While we're talking video diaries....this series by Freddy G that is linked earlier in this thread uses power tools but is phenomenal. It features a lot of great details on some of the more difficult aspects of building and I think this should be required viewing for anyone considering a LP style build.

Thank you DaveR. I watched all 14 videos in Barnaby's "Hand Tool Guitar" series. I'm speechless. After watching, I believe all first time builders and even seasoned builders should consider this hand-tool approach. Like Barnaby said, "you can hear the wood instead of rhe power tools". Ok, I get it ... power tools sure make the mundane and laborious tasks (that are usually done by hand) more fun but the art of patience sure is taught in his 14 part video series. Lots of questions still needed to be answered but all-in-all it was a gold-mine of information.

 

[RibbonCurl]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the hand tools aspect unless you're just itching to do it that way. If you have a table saw and a router you are ahead of the game in the tools dept. Even Barnaby eventually moved on to a power tool equipped workshop to be more efficient.

I have a radial drill press, two routers (one plunge and one fixed), table saw and maybe soon a bandsaw but after watching Barnaby cut out the body with a bow saw I quickly asked myself why own a bandsaw at all? Obviously a bandsaw has a ton of uses in guitar building but just watching Barnaby construct a professional Les Paul Junior style guitar from what amounts to nothing more than 19 century hand tools is stunning! Just wish his carve-top Les Paul build was still available.

 

[ARandall]

Looking at hand tool builds gives you more respect for the classical instrument builders of centuries past.

 

[DaveR]

I’d still get the bandsaw. I have two of them now. Barnaby’s work is most impressive but I’m not manly enough or patient enough for that bowsaw business.

I’ll see if I can dig out some pics of how I did the neck pocket sometime in the next few days.

 

[RibbonCurl]

I’d still get the bandsaw. I have two of them now. Barnaby’s work is most impressive but I’m not manly enough or patient enough for that bowsaw business.

I’ll see if I can dig out some pics of how I did the neck pocket sometime in the next few days.

Sounds good DaveR. I'd really appreciate seeing those pics of the neck-pocket routing jig. Yes, speaking of Barnaby's bowsaw approach, I was curious how he accurately traced the body onto the blank using his template ON BOTH SIDES. He mentioned the sides of the body blank were not square thus curious how he accurately made sure the body lines on both sides of the blank were dead-opposite each other. This enabled him to accurately monitor his cut along the body lines on both sides simultaneously while sawing using the bowsaw.

 

[DaveR]

Sounds good DaveR. I'd really appreciate seeing those pics of the neck-pocket routing jig. Yes, speaking of Barnaby's bowsaw approach, I was curious how he accurately traced the body onto the blank using his template ON BOTH SIDES. He mentioned the sides of the body blank were not square thus curious how he accurately made sure the body lines on both sides of the blank were dead-opposite each other. This enabled him to accurately monitor his cut along the body lines on both sides simultaneously while sawing using the bowsaw.

Draw a centerline on the front. Use a small square to transfer it on both ends to the back, then connect the lines with a long straight edge on the back. There's your center. Then just measure from one end or the other for the position of the template and duplicate that measurement on the back. Definitely close enough for woodworking, just don't forget to turn the template over on the backside or you could have a big whoops. Almost did that once...

 

[RibbonCurl]

Here is where you have a lot of build threads, as well as the sticky's for the most concentrated luthier resource I think I've come across.

Freddy G has a video build series on Youtube too, which shows you process as well as still pics.

Yes, I've watched FreddyG's 12 part video series over and over again! Here is part 1 of 12

 

[ARandall]

You've got all you need there just in that series alone.
All that is needed from you is to apply the steps as you go.....making sure to double check each step or procedure as you go.

 

[ddavis510]

I hope @Freddy G doesn’t mind me posting his playlist. Go give him a sub and a few

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_MmsedwJYjeFYeLNJMewXQwaAgV2aFN2

This is what I came for!!!! Yeah! Thread search!