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In the beginning we mark the nut...

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Tej
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So here goes, first ever guitar build, this is likely to be slow going, if I start to progress quickly at any point remind me I should sleep 🙂

Here’s the design so far, a 25.5” scale length Bandsman

C6AACC68 026F 4515 9B6F 7E8030CB1180

The wood, mahogany all round and an Ebony fretboard will hopefully be arriving next week so I can get started on the neck.

To date I’ve made a load of jigs and templates, need to finish sanding the templates and can them cut working from the masters

Heres a few bits, I’ll not post all as you have seen them before!

75F51FE7 E3D3 4DB9 97DF E085779152CB
F99C2E4F 3588 4508 B394 9D49410D553E
05856BB0 676D 48FD 8C69 3F18A6E5B04C

I looked around at aftermarket base plates for the router and the generic ones weren’t that big anyway and ones that were big cost more that a sheet of Perspex. So I went with 8mm Perspex for my new base, cut on a circle jig I made for the band saw using a 24 tooth 1/4 blade from TuffSaws. It cut pretty cleanly so I took out the cut marks with some wet 120 grit wet&dry and worked up to 1500, keeping it wet, so I got super smooth edges and no clogged paper/melting plastic. The mount holes were taken directly from my actual router base plate and cut with a step drill so that I got the mount hole and rebate with one drill bit.

528E5CB9 533B 43D5 A001 1D393F1F9D76

Hopefully by the end of the weekend all the jigs and templates will be complete and sanded with working copies of all masters. I’ll then sit by the door and wait for the post next week 🙂

As for parts, I’ve got with a GraphTec Tusq nut, lovely material to work with if you need to cut it down at all!

A Gotoh 510UB bridge with individually adjustable saddles.

Gotoh machine heads, don’t recall the model number, the basic end of the range.

Pickups I’m undecided about right now, watch this space. The rest of the hardware is all chrome, no complex switching plans at the moment either. I think the Humbucker surrounds will be swapped out for something nicer too.

So, there we are for now, I’ll add more as I progress and post a full build video at the end 🙂

 

…on an elaborate journey to turn trees into music.


   
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Russ
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Great to see you getting started @tej

Looking forward to seeing your progress. Remember to measure twice & cut once. 📏📏🪚 

🙏🙂🎶🎸

🗝️ "Life's what you make it"🗝️


   
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Boo
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So, there we are for now, I’ll add more as I progress and post a full build video at the end 🙂

 

@tej Yep, you’re really getting it together now, looking good. It’s exciting watching people do this for the first time. You’ll soon be creating all kinds of new guitars but this one is the most important, you’ll learn a lot. After that, the sky is the limit. 👍

Make guitars, not war 🌍✌️🎸


   
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cheesewhisk
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Looking good @tej can't wait to see your build as it unfolds.


   
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mattbeels
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All looking great so far @tej, nice work! 

Practice on scrap...


   
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tv1
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I think the Humbucker surrounds will be swapped out for something nicer too.

Definitely a good call.

 

 

(I'm not a fan of bits of cheap black plastic appearing *anywhere* on a guitar!  We spend ages crafting beautiful pieces of timber into precise shapes, finishing them with love and care ... and then stick 50p bits of plastic on them.  So wrong!!!!)

Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk


   
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Tej
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I'm not a fan of bits of cheap black plastic appearing *anywhere* on a guitar!  We spend ages crafting beautiful pieces of timber into precise shapes, finishing them with love and care ... and then stick 50p bits of plastic on them.  So wrong!!!!

@tv101 Agree on that one, I’ve seen a few metal ones about, crazy high price tag for what they are though. If you’ve found good quality ones at a sensible price please post me a link!

…on an elaborate journey to turn trees into music.


   
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tv1
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@Tej - here you go;

http://axetec.co.uk/guitar_parts_uk_035.htm

https://www.axesrus.co.uk/Completely-Flat-Metal-Humbucker-p/pr8945.htm

 

Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk


   
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Tej
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@tv101 I honestly thought I’d looked on axetec as I was looking to get pickups from there!! Clearly didn’t look very well! 
Does remind me though that I need to decide on pups!!!

…on an elaborate journey to turn trees into music.


   
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tv1
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Does remind me though that I need to decide on pups!!!

Those Iron Gear p’ups are very good.

Depends on what sort of sounds you want if course.  I have Rolling Mills and the Blues Engine / Dirty Torque sets in various of my guitars.  Hot Slags went into my first Bailey BYOG course build.

 

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mattbeels
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I'm not a fan of bits of cheap black plastic appearing *anywhere* on a guitar!  

@tv101

I completely agree but... ?

image

Practice on scrap...


   
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tv1
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I completely agree but... ?

image

Ahhhhhhh @mattbeels, but I didn't make that one.  

It was created for me, by a guitar making genius, using special magic, known only to a master of the guitar building art.

I could not change a thing.

 

Yup, still got the original strings on it.

Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk


   
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tv1
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OK, maybe i did change the strings.  But I wound them properly, according to the teachings.

Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk


   
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mattbeels
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but I didn't make that one.  

I know @tv101, you can tell from the photo that it was made by a pro! 😂

Seriously though, why didn’t you specify no BLACK PLASTIC?

Practice on scrap...


   
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tv1
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Seriously though, why didn’t you specify no BLACK PLASTIC?

@mattbeels - when I eat at Michelin restaurants, I don't (often) tell the chef what salt to use.

Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk


   
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Rocknroller912
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Professional builders aren’t offended by customers having specific requirements like no black plastic. It all adds to the challenge and it’s a great sense of achievement when you can tick all the boxes.

Some people call me a tool, others are less complimentary. Tools being useful things.


   
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mattbeels
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I don't (often) tell the chef what salt to use.

Fair enough @tv101...

Practice on scrap...


   
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tv1
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Professional builders aren’t offended by customers having specific requirements like no black plastic.

@rocknroller912 (& @mattbeels).

There's a story to this guitar.

When I did my first BYOG workshop course (2007), we all stayed on-site, and sat around in the evenings drinking, talking, drinking, playing guitars, and drinking.

One of the guitars we sat around drinking playing was one of Mark's own builds.  It was a stunning guitar.  Better than anything I'd played.

I tried to persuade my wife that coming home with 2 guitars would be a great result from the course.  She didn't fully agree.  So, I didn't dare buy it.  Though I really -really- wanted to.

Scroll forward a few years and I was booked to do another (would have been my 3rd) course, booked, deposit paid, ready to go, but had to defer.  Carol filled the place, so someone else got lucky.

Rather than return the deposit, we had a chat, and I put it towards Mark building "a guitar, just like the one I played on that first course".  I sent up a few bits of hardware (PRS HFS & VB pickups & wiring) and Mark built the guitar.

I didn't spec any more than "like the one I played".  He did the rest.

It is, head & shoulders (or, more accurately, neck & body) my #1 guitar.  Even with the black plastic.

😉

Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk


   
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Tej
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Hot Slags went into my first Bailey BYOG course build.

@tv101 curiously that’s what I was planning to use for mine, so much more of the sound depends on what you plug it into it’s hard to get recommendations for pickups I’ve found. Too subjective!

…on an elaborate journey to turn trees into music.


   
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tv1
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so much more of the sound depends on what you plug it into

Totally agree.

Most famous players have their sound, doesn't matter what pickups are on what guitar, through which amp, they still sound like you expect them to.

The pickups are but one component in creating the sound.  I think people choose the pickups based on the sound that they want (logical so far!), but it's actually their playing in the style that they want to emulate that does more in creating the sound - but they may still attribute it to the pickups.

 

Online guitar making courses – guitarmaking.co.uk


   
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