Archive for October, 2009
New Electric Guitar Plan Available
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on October 28th, 2009
Check out my latest design, which I’ve named the Raizr. It’s now available on my order page. If you build it, be careful of how you swing it around on stage. Someone’s gonna get cut!
A Cut Above The Rest
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on October 26th, 2009
Before I get too busy again, I’ll try and crank out another design, which I will add to the order page hopefully within the week. It’ll be called the RAIZR. Here’s a peek:
An Update On The Legato Electric Guitar Build
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building, Legato Build on October 25th, 2009
Sorry it’s taken this long since the last update, but I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been able to work on the Legato. Today, however, I devoted an entire afternoon to wet sanding the body, neck and headstock. I started with 1,000 grit wet/dry paper to smooth the surface. Then, I continued with 1,500 grit and finished with 2,000. To lubricate the paper, I used mineral spirits since they don’t cause any exposed wood to swell. After the last grit, I did a test polish on a small section to gauge the surface quality. Even though had I used a good scratch remover, no amount of elbow grease would eliminate the fine scratches that remained after the 2,000 grit. For that reason, I decided to switch to Micro Mesh sanding cloth.
Micro Mesh sanding cloth is basically a system of progressively finer grits ranging from 1,800 all the way up to 12,000. However, their rating system is a bit different than traditional wet/dry paper. For example, their 6,000 grit cloth is more like 2,400 grit paper. Since I had already sanded to 2,000 grit, I opted to start with the 6,000 grit Micro Mesh. And since Micro Mesh falls apart when used with any type of solvent, I had to switch to water as a lubricant. Fortunately, I had sprayed on so much lacquer, I wasn’t too concerned with raw wood exposure.
After sanding with 6,000 grit, I moved on to 8,000 and finished with the 12,000. Then, I did another test polish. The surface came out absolutely scratch free and glass smooth. Satisfied I was on the right track, I continued polishing with scratch remover—entirely by hand, using a clean cloth and a lot of pressure—until the entire guitar was finished. Finally, I examined the surface under a bright light to check for any potential inconsistencies. A few were found that required a dab of clear lacquer applied with a Q-tip. These repairs will be carefully sanded and polished once they have cured. Since polishing has a tendency to soften the top coat of lacquer, it’s a good idea to let the guitar rest for about a week anyway before applying the fine polish and swirl remover.
Hopefully by this time next Sunday, I’ll be telling you about how I’m ready for final assembly. Stay tuned!
Don’t Stop Believing, Hold Onto That Feeling!
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on October 24th, 2009
Over the past few weeks, I have received a bunch of emails from customers concerning the various aspects of guitar building. Most are asking about the finer points of construction such as carving the neck and what tools to use. I have to admit, I’m pleased to know that so many of you are determined to get the job done right. It’s like my dad use to tell me; “A job worth doing, is worth doing well.” Of course, he was talking about raking leaves in the back yard when I was a kid, not building electric guitars. However, his philosophy certainly applies to our treasured pastime.
While I realize most of you desire to make the perfect guitar on your first try, I feel it’s necessary to stress the importance of gaining experience on your first build. The chances of achieving perfection the first time out are slim, even if you have a lot of woodworking experience. After all, most woodworking tools and techniques were developed and perfected for use in making furniture, not electric guitars. For example, consider how we use a router when building a guitar.
Routers were invented to make shaping the edge of a table or molding easier. However, we use them to smooth the highly curved edge of a guitar body as well as to hog out pockets for the pickups and neck. To do the work properly, we need to use templates and jigs to guide our routers. And while this approach isn’t too far removed from their intended purpose, it does require, I believe, a higher degree of precision. After all, a guitar not only has to look good, it has to satisfy the demanding needs of the musician who’ll play it. A piece of furniture can be poorly made and still serve it’s purpose. A guitar, on the other hand, simply won’t work unless a high degree of craftsmanship is applied during it’s construction.
When you start your first build, don’t be dismayed if something goes wrong. Instead, channel that negative energy into the determination to press on. During my first build many years ago, I had to make the neck three times before I got it right. I could’ve quit the project and bought a finished guitar, but another luthier encouraged me not to give up. He was right. By the third guitar, I was starting to anticipate the problems, which had almost derailed me the first time out.
The truth is, even after more guitars than I can count, I’m still learning. Just when I think I have a technique nailed, I try out a different approach, which demands tackling a new learning curve. That’s the beauty of building electric guitars. No matter how experienced you get, there’s always something new to keep your mind and body working.
Wagner HVLP Control Spray Plus Review Part 2
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on October 22nd, 2009
Applying lacquer finish is alway best done with a good sprayer. You can use spray cans, but you’ll need at least two and as many as five cans to do the job. That’s why a lot of people prefer to use a spray gun. However, spray guns and cans create a ton of overspray, which is such a waste of good lacquer. Enter the HVLP sprayer. HVLP stand for high volume, low pressure and it works by utilizing a turbine to move a lot of air, but at low pressure. As the air moves through the gun, it draws the liquid into its path creating spray that’s deposited onto the surface being coated. All you have to do is thin the material you’re spraying to the right consistency, pour it into the gun’s container and plug everything in. Then, you are ready to start spraying.
The big difference between HVLP spraying and the traditional spray gun/compressor or spray cans is velocity. The traditional methods shoot paint at a higher velocity, which results in clouds of overspray. If you don’t have a great deal of experience with this type of equipment, you’ll end up loosing half your finishing material to overspray. With HVLP equipment, you can easily deposit most, if not all, of your finish right where it needs to go. However, care must be taken not to accidentally spray the finish on too thick. I recommend spraying on scrap cardboard or wood to get a feel for this type of equipment. You’ll need to be aware of how close or far away to hold the gun as well as how fast to move it from side to side. The goal is to avoid runs and orange peel. One or both of these problems are usually unavoidable, especially if you’re new to spraying and that’s why I like lacquer. Lacquer is easy to fix.
There are a lot of HVLP sprayers on the market these days and they range in price from about $100US to several thousand dollars. I chose the Wagner Control Spray Plus since I only build one guitar at a time. The reason I made this choice was partly out of price (less than $100US at gleempaint.com) and the fact that it has received pretty good reviews. Like most tools in this price range, there’s a lot of plastic used in it’s construction, but it seems very well built. I followed the clear directions for thinning my clear lacquer ( it comes with a simple viscosity tester) and was able to apply a full quart in less than two hours after allowing about ten minutes between coats. I would estimate I lost about 20% to overspray, which is far less than what I would have lost using a spray gun/compressor or cans. In the end, I did have a run or two and some orange peel, but a good wet sanding took care of those issues. Cleanup was very easy with some lacquer thinner, but for my next guitar, I plan to use water based lacquer, which will cleanup ever better. Another feature I noticed was the quality of the molded plastic nozzle parts. My research told me the quality of the nozzle parts was critical in getting good performance from an HVLP sprayer. The higher end units use CNC machined parts whereas the Wagner CSP uses plastic. However, the moldings are flawless and it showed in a good, consistent spray pattern. In conclusion, I highly recommend the Wagner Control Spray Plus unless you’re running a high volume production line. In that case I’d go for a more robust machine. Here are some photos of what you’ll get:
This is what comes in the box
A 20ft hose connect the sprayer to the turbine unit.
Cleanup is a piece-of-cake with easy disassembly.
The Neckrofeliac Electric Guitar Plan Is Now Available
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on October 21st, 2009
Check out the order page. I just added my latest design, the Neckrofeliac. The name was inspired by the neck-through design, which I chose in order to maximize sustain. To compliment the potential for sustain, I spec’d an extra thick body to boost the tone. This guitar features a 25.5″ scale, 24 frets dual humbucker pickups and includes the mountain range fretboard inlay pattern. Here’s a preview:
Buffing the Legato Electric Guitar
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building, Legato Build on October 11th, 2009
After wet sanding with 600 grit paper, I paid a visit to my local Painters Supply to pickup some finer grits for pre-polishing. Originally, I had planned to use 800, 1,000 and 1,500 grit papers, but they had 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 in stock, so that’s what used. Overall, the process went rater well except for one spot along a sharp edge where I sanded through the finish. Because I was using a solvent based lacquer, the repair was easy. All I had to do was airbrush on a few coats of thinned lacquer over the bare spot and blend into the surrounding area with 2,000 grit paper soaked in mineral spirits. Then, it was off to the buffing machine.
In the past, I have always hand polished my guitar bodies. However, I came across a free 1/3hp motor recently and decided to build a simple buffing station. To do this, I added an on/off switch and an arbor to attach an 8″ cloth buffing wheel. Next, I bolted the motor to a board, which I clamped to my workbench. Then, I switched on the motor and charged the wheel with a stick of fine plastic polishing compound.
With the guitar in hand, I began polishing by gently pressing its surface against the wheel. To my surprise, the lacquer quickly developed a deep, mirror-like shine. Unfortunately, as I polished over the edges, the buffing wheel instantly burned through the finish. To make matters worse, I didn’t see the problems until I was finished. I blame it on inexperience with power buffing. Fortunately, the damage is cosmetic and can be easily fixed. That’s the beauty of using solvent based lacquer. It’s easy to repair.
So, why did this happen? I knew even before I started that the motor’s 1,725 rpm might be to high. In fact, I’ve since learned that the best speed to polish lacquer is about 800 rpm. For that reason, I’ll go back to hand polishing after I repair the finish. Later on, I plan to purchase a ball bearing mandrel and a pulley large enough to cut the rpm down to a safer speed. Oh well, live and learn!
New Electric Guitar Design
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on October 9th, 2009
I’m putting the finishing touches on a new design, which I’ve named The Neckrofeliac. This guitar will feature a neck-through design, a 25.5″ scale and 24 frets. It’ll be available on the order page in a few days, so be sure to check back. Here’s a sneak peek:
Wet Sanding Lacquer On An Electric Guitar
Posted by admin in General Electric Guitar Building on October 7th, 2009
After letting the clear lacquer on my Legator guitar cure for about 10 days, I’ve begun the process of wet sanding the finish. The reason for wet sanding is level the surface prior to final polishing. When you apply lacquer, it dries nice and glossy. However, close inspection usually reveals a less than smooth surface. Since my goal is a flat-as-a-mirror surface, I’ll need to wet sand starting with 600 grit wet/dry paper. Most people use water with a drop or two of dishwashing soap to soak their sandpaper. I like to use mineral spirits instead since water tends to make wood swell, especially around bridge post holes and pickup cavities.
So far, I have sanded the body nice and smooth with the 600 grit paper. It took about 4 hours to sand the entire guitar. That breaks down to about an hour each for the neck, back, top and sides. The surface is flat, but the gloss is gone for the time being. Next, I’ll switch to 800 and finish with 1,500 grit. Both these grits should take about two hours each to do. After finishing with the 1,500 grit, the surface will start to acquire an initial polish. Then, it’s off to the buffer where I’ll use some fine polishing compound to remove the last remaining sanding scratches. Finally, I’ll hand rub the guitar with some swirl remover to really make it shine. Stay tuned!