Attempt to get close to a '59 burst replica

lapdawg · 2014-01-20T22:38:01+00:00

Over the past few years I have built a few amplifiers and made even more cabinets, mostly repro's of Fender & Marshall amps. I done a reasonable amount of research & reading about amps & their construction but... I've always wanted to build some guitars. The closest I've come to building in all my years of playing is making lefty nuts for my string flips. Guitar building, as I am finding out is a different in some very fundamental ways. Most importantly: The amount materials needed, The levels of accuracy needed The amount of work and detail involved The number of tools & jigs needed Impatience is my biggest weakness, so that’s my personal challenge. My fascination with Gibson, especially the 58-59-60 bursts, means that this project can't be anything else. I have done a lot of reading on the construction of the 58-59-60 bursts. This is territory for obsessives & endless debate. I initially started out with idea that I would like to build a few completely accurate ’59s. The first thing I've decided is to build a few of them. 2 reasons for this: If I mess something up, then all my eggs are not in one basket. Secondly, with the jig building, lumber sizes etc. Its just not worth the effort to make one guitar. Through all the reading I have done, I have seen a lot of DIY build threads that just die. I promise I won’t do that. If I mess up, I’ll post it. That ambition of “completely accurate” has changed with a bit of discovery, most importantly: the availability of Brazilian rosewood, Honduras mahogany (Swetenia). The price & ethics that go with this are both a problem for me. The price of repro bridges, switches, fret-board inlays etc. is extreme. I am not sure that a first build will justify that outlay. These decisions need to be made as I go. Pickup rings that are "repro" can easily cost R2 000 with shipping & duties to add. Ridiculous. I've bought plans which I think are mostly accurate. They were supposedly modelled on 3 bursts that the drafter had access to. There are one or 2 details that haven’t 100% added up for me & some info that is missing. I have worked out my adjustments to these and think I have a good idea of what to do. I've bought African mahogany & sapele for the necks. I have been unable to find any info or sources for featherweight African mahogany, but I know it exists. It won’t be playing a part in this build. I have read that some of the bursts had sapele necks. I have ordered 2 pieces of tiger maple – eastern red maple. This was mostly what was used on the bursts. I want to make as much as I can, within reason. I will definitely do all the woodwork. I’m going to make & wind my own pickups. Obviously, tuners, tailpiece, bridge etc should be bought. I think it makes economic sense to make things like hide glue, fish glue & some of the plastic fittings. I've started with making the body templates & will post those later.

singemonkey

Yeah. I wouldn't. Rather just use the materials that will lead to the same result over time.

lapdawg

My rotoplane arrived in the post, so I could go head and thickness the butts to 38.1mm (1.5"). This is very NB for fitting the neck to the body:

They will now fit the truss jig I made. A couple of successive passes are needed. The side rails are not level but are at the same slope as the underside of the neck. the cut stops a few mm from coming through the back of the neck. This old style truss is straight - unlike others that have a curve e.g. Fenders. Tightening the curved truss has an obvious straightening force. This truss causes a compression on the underside of the neck, so its effectiveness means it needs to be set deep. I have managed to get 3/16" steel rods but cannot fit them until my 10-32 dye arrives. I eBay'd it - local price was R400.

Done!

Next - cutting the truss end recess in the HS. I worked out how to do it without the spotfacer

Looks right to me:

There's not a lot of meat left here. No wonder so many HS snapped off. I will use Gil Yaron's method of soaking this HS truss pocket with CA glue to reinforce it. The wood is fairly porous.

lapdawg

I lifted this x-section picture from one of Gil Yarons's threads, not sure where he found. it, It is/was apparently a '57 Gold top. ...>1000 words:

Chocklit_Thunda

That truss end recess jig is AWESOME!!! ? well done

lapdawg

Today I made a brace to do the neck taper in the robosander.

Neck tapers done:

I've hide-glued the "ears" to the HS and those can sit until tomorrow night. There's a taper in the thicknes of the headstock, the ears need to be oversized on the underside. Next, I'll clean them up then and start shaping the headstocks.

Chabenda

Lapdawg - this has to be the most incredible post that I have ever seen. The scope of the project and the quality of your work are truly amazing. BIG RESPECT SIR!

RobbieZ

Interesting tread. I am learning a lot. I am planning on start building my custom guitar towards the end of the year. Also with all the jigs that you show, I can even use some of them, although miniaturized somewhat, on my ship modeling hobby. :applause:

lapdawg

Chabenda wrote Lapdawg - this has to be the most incredible post that I have ever seen. The scope of the project and the quality of your work are truly amazing. BIG RESPECT SIR!

Zvakanaka Chabenda.

lapdawg

RobbieZ wrote Interesting tread. I am learning a lot. I am planning on start building my custom guitar towards the end of the year. Also with all the jigs that you show, I can even use some of them, although miniaturized somewhat, on my ship modeling hobby. :applause:

Most of what I am doing comes from what I have learnt on forums. I have added some new, adapted some, collated etc. and come up with methods that I can use, (hopefully with a little success) in my own workshop. If I can assist others, then I'm happy.

Chabenda

lapdawg wrote
Chabenda wrote Lapdawg - this has to be the most incredible post that I have ever seen. The scope of the project and the quality of your work are truly amazing. BIG RESPECT SIR!
Zvakanaka Chabenda.

Zvakanaka chaizvo!! ?

lapdawg

I couldn't resist cracking on with the headstock shaping, so did one when I got home from work. This is easy to do in summer...
The ears that I added last night had set well. The HS gets thinner to the end so the ears are best shaped to thickness after they've been added. That's done on the underside, with the robosander.

Next is quick cleanup of the surfaces with a mouse. The headstock is now ready for shaping and the very familiar "moustache" on top. This is another template I cut out in December. I did it by making one half of the template, then "copied" it on the router with a flush cut bit. I joined the 2 pieces. The result is a template that's accurate to a few 100th's /mm.

the profile cut is done with the Robosander. It goes very quickly.

I cleaned up the middle of the "moustache" with a small file & chisel. Here's the result:

This is pleasing milestone. Some finer sanding is still needed & I need crack on with the others...

RobbieZ

Where did you get the Robosander that you put in the press drill? I am looking for one, but not very successful ☹

lapdawg

RobbieZ wrote Where did you get the Robosander that you put in the press drill? I am looking for one, but not very successful ☹

StewMac. You can search elsewhere, but you will struggle to find it. They might be the only sellers. There is another thing made by Microplane that also comes with an optional bearing guide. It looks like a cheese grater drum. I couldn't find anyone to sell online to SA, but could have use a forwarding agent. After using the Robo, I am glad that I went with it. I got the kit of 3 (I recommend this) & got some spare sandpaper tubes. The sandpaper seems to last for ever - really good quality. I have used mine a lot and aren't close to changing the paper.

You could make your own. You need the rubber drum from a spindle sander and a few other pieces.
Here's a link own how to build one: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bad-dog-cafe/196054-home-made-robo-sander-build.html

Hope this helps. Using it take a bit of practice. I think you want high rpm and move the piece with not too much force. My drill press is 750W - a little under-powered for a robosander, so I need to be patient.

Gearhead

Methinks Lapdawg on a roll here :applause:

Attila

RobbieZ wrote Where did you get the Robosander that you put in the press drill? I am looking for one, but not very successful ☹

They are available from Hardware Center in a kit of three varying sizes talk to Harold Stern... cant remember the price

lapdawg

Attila Barath wrote
RobbieZ wrote Where did you get the Robosander that you put in the press drill? I am looking for one, but not very successful ☹
They are available from Hardware Center in a kit of three varying sizes talk to Harold Stern... cant remember the price

I asked about this in the CT Hardware centre. They didn't know what I was talking about. They have the sanding drums that fit to the drill press, but hadn't heard of the drum with the template guide - the free running disc on the bottom.

Attila

lapdawg wrote
Attila Barath wrote
RobbieZ wrote Where did you get the Robosander that you put in the press drill? I am looking for one, but not very successful ☹
They are available from Hardware Center in a kit of three varying sizes talk to Harold Stern... cant remember the price

I asked about this in the CT Hardware centre. They didn't know what I was talking about. They have the sanding drums that fit to the drill press, but hadn't heard of the drum with the template guide - the free running disc on the bottom.

I see..... the one I am talking about were the drum sander type no guide .... +- 600 bucks for the set of 3...... not the same thing then ......

RobbieZ

Attila Barath wrote
RobbieZ wrote Where did you get the Robosander that you put in the press drill? I am looking for one, but not very successful ☹
They are available from Hardware Center in a kit of three varying sizes talk to Harold Stern... cant remember the price

Thanks guys.

rikus

I just stumbled across this thread at TDPRI regarding binding adhesives

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/461250-binding-adhesives-staining-tinted-lacquers.html

Seems like the consensus is that acetone does work!

singemonkey

Gearhead wrote Methinks Lapdawg on a roll here :applause:

Oh yeah. Exciting to see these guitars taking shape so quickly.

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