Soooooo.... quarantine got me back into building.

[ricky1918]

Ok guys, what's up?

It's been a lot since I've been present in the forum, or even posted here. You know, life lol.
But since Italy is locked down and it's starting to get boring, I dug up my chisels and router these days!!

So let's make a little update on the situation:

I started making this Jazzmaster for a friend. He only wanted the body (at that time), which was made in poplar. He tried painting it with spray can but he got the paint type all wrong.

Now I'm trying to fix it, and build a complete neck for it from some scrap Korina I had in the shop. It will have some maple inlay in the headstock as it was routed for a telecaster body I later sold.
Rosewood fingerboard, not much to say here.



Next up is a Telecaster:

This was a pre routed alder body on which I put the binding and routed the humbuckers.
Neck is flamed maple and rosewood fingerboard.

While these two were stuff left over/inherited from friends, next one is completely new:

Les Paul DC Special, 2 P90s.

This is a poplar back, which was all I had around since I didn't really stock up better wood.
I sincerely hate working with poplar. If you watch it too closely, it will get dented.

Since it's not a really good looking wood, I thought to improve it with this beautiful top I had:

and this is the wet top to show its beauty:

So the LP will end up being a 1" poplar and 3/5" maple top.
Neck mahogany and rosewood fretboard.


So yeah, this is it.

How y'all be doing guys?

 

[Matt_21]

Lookin good!

 

[LPTDMSV]

One question (and I don't know the answer) - is poplar a good wood to glue, for attaching a set neck? I know it is a difficult wood to cut precise shapes in, tends to dent rather than cut cleanly, as you know perhaps if you can do all the shaping with a very sharp router bit?

 

[ricky1918]

is poplar a good wood to glue, for attaching a set neck?

TBH I do not know. I'm learning as I go, and it was the only wood I had for a body.
Worst case scenario, I'll take a hybrid approach and put both glue and a couple screws to hold the neck. I was already considering this as I want it to have 2 P90s, and I read that LP DCs had issues with the neck pickup weakening the neck joint.

Right now I'm still taking it to the correct depth, I plan on glueing the top tomorrow.
When I did the Jazzmaster body I didn't have particular issues with the bit ripping off wood, and this time it's almost 50/50 poplar and maple.

Nonetheless, it's the last time I'm gonna work with this wood.

 

[LPTDMSV]

TBH I do not know. I'm learning as I go, and it was the only wood I had for a body.
Worst case scenario, I'll take a hybrid approach and put both glue and a couple screws to hold the neck. I was already considering this as I want it to have 2 P90s, and I read that LP DCs had issues with the neck pickup weakening the neck joint.

Right now I'm still taking it to the correct depth, I plan on glueing the top tomorrow.
When I did the Jazzmaster body I didn't have particular issues with the bit ripping off wood, and this time it's almost 50/50 poplar and maple.

Nonetheless, it's the last time I'm gonna work with this wood.

I looked it up in my wood book and it said good for glueing, at least if it's poplar like Fender use (a.k.a. American tulip poplar". Other people in Luthier's Corner no doubt have better knowledge .

P90s don't need a deep rout, especially if you use "dog ears" of course, which will help. You can also go for the longest possible tenon, and you could also consider moving the neck inwards - does it have to join at the 22nd fret? Why not 19th fret, for example?

just some ideas!

 

[fatdaddypreacher]

i've never had a problem with glueing poplar. for that matter, never had a problem in any milling of it either, though i primarily used it as secondary wood while building furniture. i rather like using it, as a matter of fact.

 

[ricky1918]

You can also go for the longest possible tenon, and you could also consider moving the neck inwards - does it have to join at the 22nd fret? Why not 19th fret, for example?

Thank you, LPTDMSV! I still have to make a choice about the neck (I'm just building the body right now), as I don't have ANY wood that can be turned into a neck right now.
Also, because of quarantine, wood sellers in Italy are not shipping.
I'll get some mahogany when the quarantine ends, and then I'll see what's best!!

i rather like using it, as a matter of fact.

IDK if it's a different type of poplar, the main issue I have with this wood is that it is WAY too soft and gets dented too easily. If I lock my clamps too tight they leave a mark!!
I bought it when I started as it sounds ok (I liked how it sounds, having had a Jackson with poplar body) and is cheap, so I could learn without ruining good wood and spending tons of money!!



today I took it to the desired depth. Tomorrow routing and top glueing I hope!!


Thx guys!

 

[LPTDMSV]

American tulip poplar is not the what we call Poplar in Europe but it looks and behaves in a similar way. Good for making matches!

For your mahogany, time to look at some old furniture

 

[fatdaddypreacher]

actually i believe what we use primarily in poplar is yellow poplar. don't know if that tells you anything, but at any rate, i never put clamps directly on my timber. i always use a caul, or buffer piece to avoid denting...even hardwoods can dent if enough pressure is applied.

 

[ricky1918]

Soooo

some updates. nothing major, and nothing actually finished.

I pretty much finished shaping the headstock transition of the tele.
The fretboard is a big slab, about 1/4".
I just love fat fretboards in fender necks. Not as the one Fender produces right now

I finished shaping and glueing the top on the LP.
Cavities are 90% routed, they need to be cleaned up from the tool marks.
I'm waiting for the neck before routing neck pocket and neck pickup.

I might be routing the binding channel and put the binding in, still thinking if it's better to wait for the neck or if I can do it straight away.

I got burns from my drill bit, unfortunately. But they will be covered up by conductive tape


here's a little vid of me shaping the back of the neck.
It's the first time for me to shape a neck, I have to work on it a lot before calling it complete.

First neck shape

I made the inlays tonight, but I'm still looking for the fretwire that seems to have gone lost.
I hope to finish the neck shape, put the inlays in and radius the fretboard tomorrow.
Then, I will have to find or order some fretwire.

 

[LPTDMSV]

Wouldn't it be better to use your router for the control cavities? I know nobody ever sees them, but ...

 

[ricky1918]

Wouldn't it be better to use your router for the control cavities? I know nobody ever sees them, but ...

I used the router for the pickup route, the marks you see are the drill wood bit that as you know dig a little deeper. I don't want to go deeper with the router, I'll fix it somehow.


As for the electronic cavity, I don't have the template. So I drilled them and worked my way with chisels, but they are not complete!

I'm waiting to choose which pots to put in it, so I can route the cavity at the correct depth! At that point I'll make a template and fix those bad looking marks!


I really appreciate your presence on this thread, LPTDMSV!!


Also, just bought some fretwire from Amazon. Wanted to go the stainless steel way, so hope it gets here soon enough

 

[LPTDMSV]

I really don't know if I am helping?!

Anyway at the moment all I am doing is some re-finishing and swapping parts between different Fenders - which is not really being a "luthier", it's more like Lego

 

[LPTDMSV]

For a deep cavity with a router I do multiple "passes" , for example 4mm so a 20mm cavity is 5 passes.

To avoid putting strain on the router bearings and motor.

 

[fatdaddypreacher]

i also hog out my cavities with a forstner, but stop shy of my finish depth so the router just cleans them up. like mentioned, they won't be seen, but still, just one of those things. you're doing good. don't stop now. just send more pics

 

[LPTDMSV]

I had one of my brilliant (?) ideas here, so you could get a long tenon and lots of gluing area without cutting into the figured top or having to cover it with a pickguard - install the neck from the rear!

It might just work on a DC shape with all frets clear of the body?

Soooo

some updates. nothing major, and nothing actually finished.

I pretty much finished shaping the headstock transition of the tele.
The fretboard is a big slab, about 1/4".
I just love fat fretboards in fender necks. Not as the one Fender produces right now
View attachment 453112

I finished shaping and glueing the top on the LP.
Cavities are 90% routed, they need to be cleaned up from the tool marks.
I'm waiting for the neck before routing neck pocket and neck pickup.

I might be routing the binding channel and put the binding in, still thinking if it's better to wait for the neck or if I can do it straight away.

View attachment 453116

View attachment 453117

I got burns from my drill bit, unfortunately. But they will be covered up by conductive tape


here's a little vid of me shaping the back of the neck.
It's the first time for me to shape a neck, I have to work on it a lot before calling it complete.

First neck shape

I made the inlays tonight, but I'm still looking for the fretwire that seems to have gone lost.
I hope to finish the neck shape, put the inlays in and radius the fretboard tomorrow.
Then, I will have to find or order some fretwire.

 

[ricky1918]

I had one of my brilliant (?) ideas here, so you could get a long tenon and lots of gluing area without cutting into the figured top or having to cover it with a pickguard - install the neck from the rear!

It might just work on a DC shape with all frets clear of the body?

Rickenbacker style!! I like the idea, I'll see if I can manage to do it this way!

Today I installed the dots and pretty much finished shaping the neck. Also, drilled the holes to attach the body to the neck.

Check this out!!

Even if I managed to not line up correctly some dots, I got to say I'm super proud of this fretboard. It's stunning, I just love deep dark rosewood

I don't know if I'm 100% satisfied with the neck shape, I'll have to put some strings and test it before finishing it.

The grey you see on some areas is the primer coat I did ages ago, it came off as I sanded it recently.

I also started working on the Jazzmaster neck, today

Edit:

This telecaster will be painted Ocean Torquoise. I have a nitro spray can somewhere that I have yet to find

 

[ricky1918]

for those of you who might wonder, the inlays are made with grey Fimo molding clay.

I drilled some 1/4" inch holes in a 1/16" thick metal sheet, put the Fimo in and let it cook for 45 minutes

 

[LPTDMSV]

here's a little vid of me shaping the back of the neck.
It's the first time for me to shape a neck, I have to work on it a lot before calling it complete.

First neck shape

that video is very fast - I did not see if you used my favourite neck tool, the spokeshave?!
photo from Wikipedia

 

[ricky1918]

that video is very fast - I did not see if you used my favourite neck tool, the spokeshave?!

Unfortunately I don't have one!
I used my rasps, an orbital sander and a belt sander.

I want to get a spokeshave or a shinto rasp in the future, as soon as I get back to work.

Working in a restaurant is not fun when the restaurant is closed because of Covid