Renkenstein's LP Build Thread

[Canadrian]

Awesome build so far! To bad about your fretboard but I am pretty sure you will come with a good solution Renk!

 

[Renkenstein]

This gap here almost made me abort yet another neck. After the ridiculous amount of time I have invested, I decided to go ahead and fill the gap and proceed. It's my first build, and I've learned from my mistake and will be adjusting the process in the future. Here I've stuffed the gap with some mahogany sawdust and wicked in some CA glue.


After sanding the fretboard radius and then sanding again to get the inlay level, I was getting some high and low spots. As you can imagine, it frustrated me to no end. After thinking about how this happened, I realized sanding back and forth was hitting the middle of the fretboard twice, while the ends were only getting half the action. I changed to sanding one direction, lift, repeat. This ensures the whole FB is sanded evenly. Why didn't I think of that earlier?


After sanding the FB to 220. I also drilled the tuner holes and test fit some Grover tuners I had laying around from when I installed Sperzels on my Schecter. All I need to do is find a TOM to match that strange gray color. That may be a challenge.


Mockup with the body.


Final sanded the fretboard and started pressing in the frets. It's not pictured, but I also chamfered the fret slots with a triangle file, so if a refret is ever required, tear-out will be kept to a minimum. My dumb ass didn't realize that 2 pieces of fretwire isn't enough to do a whole neck, so I'll have to order some more of the StewMac wide-highest fretwire.

 

[scottop1972]

great to see you moving right along on this! i love those blue inlays!!!!

 

[Renkenstein]

Ordered another stick of fretwire to finish this up. Question....does anyone have a spare crowning file they'd be interested in selling? StewMac's crowning files just aren't in my budget right now.

 

[scottop1972]

check out ebay... you can just buy the one you need and not buy the whole set....

 

[scottop1972]

if still too expensive, i might be willing to loan you mine....

 

[Renkenstein]

I'll have to check out ebay. Haven't looked for those on there yet.

 

[scottop1972]

ebay is where i bought my notched straight edge and a number of files.... prices were much better than $tew mac. i have nothing bad to say about stew mac though. they have always had good products with great service and prompt shipping. but man their prices are high.

 

[Renkenstein]

HIGH!!! Prohibitively expensive on many things. Been trying to work around, but nut files and crowning files are a must buy.

 

[poro78]

Are they?

(Of course they're really handy, but poor man can manage without them)

 

[scottop1972]

i read about some real fine tooth torch? files or something like that to use as a nut file. real cheap. but i figured i might need the nut files and crowning files. the offer still stands if you want to use mine.... i have a wide crowning file. i went with the widest flattest wire i could find for my builds....

 

[scottop1972]

you could always use a small needle file to crown, i guess that is what they did back in the day.... but i am not near talented enough to use something like that.

as far as a straight edge i bought a marble threshold and cut it in half, but you have access to tons of that flat stuff at work right?

 

[scottop1972]

definitely recommend the notched straight edge before you level the frets... i made the mistake of thinking my neck and board were flat and they weren't..... oops. good thing i didn't remove too much material...

 

[Renkenstein]

I mentioned the torch cleaning tips in your thread I believe, Scott. I think I'll go the feeler gauge route and cut some teeth into a set of feeler gauges that I bought to make my fret slotting jig thingy. I only used 1 out of a full set, and now I know what to do with the rest.

 

[scottop1972]

I mentioned the torch cleaning tips in your thread I believe, Scott. I think I'll go the feeler gauge route and cut some teeth into a set of feeler gauges that I bought to make my fret slotting jig thingy. I only used 1 out of a full set, and now I know what to do with the rest.

LOL! i couldn't remember where i heard or read it!!!!

 

[Ronsonic]

All I need to do is find a TOM to match that strange gray color

Gotoh does something they call cosmo black or some such. Probably close. I'd be surprised if Grover doesn't sell a ToM to match their tuners.

For the nut files the cheap $20 kit beats hell out of torch cleaners. You can use the torch cleaners to clean up a slot, but cutting with them is gruesome.

 

[grohlstheman]

looks great man! where did you get the blue inlay material in the beginning of the build?

 

[Renkenstein]

looks great man! where did you get the blue inlay material in the beginning of the build?

Woodcraft. It's an acrylic pen blank. Cobalt blue, if I remember correctly.

 

[Renkenstein]

Gotoh does something they call cosmo black or some such. Probably close. I'd be surprised if Grover doesn't sell a ToM to match their tuners.

For the nut files the cheap $20 kit beats hell out of torch cleaners. You can use the torch cleaners to clean up a slot, but cutting with them is gruesome.

Yeah, cosmic/cosmo black or something. I've checked around the 2nd hand market a bit but nothing is jumping out as a great deal or a perfect match. I may end up all chrome or black by the end. I think that in-between color will look funky on a blue guitar.

For this build I'll be doing a DIY feeler gauge saw for the nut. I'll prob grab a torch cleaning set to put the round bottom in the nut slots.

 

[poro78]

Do you have a jeweller's saw? Helps a lot if you can saw the start slots before using feeler gauges.