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My first 3 piece necks and new pups


Rabs

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So I thought this might be interesting to some people (or not) :)

 

Made my first three piece neck this week... From Ash and Meranti.. I think now ive done this I am going to use that huge piece of Ash that I showed in my last thread as another neck through, just cos I really like the neck through design and the way it looks, and, well, why the hell not :) (if its big enough I may even attempt to make a bass from it)

 

So I got some more ash but they were much thinner boards.. Just cutting it in half would only just about have given me the width I need for the fretboard.. so thus I decided to do a three piece with a different coloured wood in the middle (I may cut one of my bodies in half and stick some meranti in the middle to match the stripe).

 

So heres the board... cut in two

20140515_172402_zps704e6722.jpg

 

Then I simply sanded down the tops so they are smooth and then check to see if it is all flat enough. which it is :) if you can get wood that close together without having to press it down you are pretty much on to a good thing

20140515_172447_zpsa1740768.jpg

 

And then glue and clamp the crap out of it :D

20140515_174618_zpsad199263.jpg

 

And so that one will dry tonight... BUT (in good Blue Peter fashion), heres one I made earlier, or yesterday to be more precise :) using the same wood types...

20140515_164227_zpsd78f4e7d.jpg

20140515_164239_zpsbd014754.jpg

 

Just the right size with the meranti in the middle

20140515_164301_zps4e55240c.jpg

 

And also just as a side topic... Heres some new pups I got today.. Pretty interesting, they are from Axes R Us and are what they call their "showstopper" P90s :D

20140515_180405_zps794e8e52.jpg

20140515_180427_zps71d406d9.jpg

 

Hopefully I will have no2 and 3 done soon.. Having some finishing issues which im currently sorting out. But when they are ready I will make some vids :)

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I really like the look of that so far, Rabs!

 

[thumbup]

 

P.

Hey Pippy :)

 

And cheers man... I too am pretty happy with it.. It came out just how I pictured it (oddly ;))

 

Im wondering how that will look with one of my meranti bodies... Or do I make it from a light wood and stick a meranti strip down the middle.. lol so many options.. I may have to try both ;)

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Very cool watching your wood projects.

Cheers man... its quite hard work sometimes but a lot of fun too, creating stuff.. :)

 

Hopefully I can get good enough to take this all further... We will see.

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I look forward to seeing this build unfold. Good luck, it looks great so far. Im currently finishing an allparts neck I bought and I hope to pick up some finishing tips from this

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I look forward to seeing this build unfold. Good luck, it looks great so far. Im currently finishing an allparts neck I bought and I hope to pick up some finishing tips from this

Well im not sure how much of the builds I was going to show yet but if people are interested I can of course :)

 

And if have any questions you can always IM me and I will help if I can...

 

So is the neck you have shaped? Im not sure if you remember this.. But I now use an angle grinder with a sanding pad attachment to shape my necks.. Works really well and is way quicker than using a rasp and files etc (its just VERY messy :))

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Well im not sure how much of the builds I was going to show yet but if people are interested I can of course :)

 

And if have any questions you can always IM me and I will help if I can...

 

So is the neck you have shaped? Im not sure if you remember this.. But I now use an angle grinder with a sanding pad attachment to shape my necks.. Works really well and is way quicker than using a rasp and files etc (its just VERY messy :))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNNwL_n7U0I

 

Thanks, I'll probably PM you if I come across any problems. The neck is already shaped, I just sanded it by hand a bit so it better fit my hand. I've been thinking about using tung oil as a finish. Some research I did on tdpri told me that I need to do around 8 thin coats, the first of which is diluted with white spirit to help it absorb into the wood. I was also going to do a PRS style freehand squiggle signature on the front of the headstock in a metallic gold permanent pen. I've not yet worked out at which point I should do that

 

I don't think I remember seeing that vid before, looks well executed. What shape did you go for? Looks like a D shape but I cant be sure. How long did it take to shape it?

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Thanks, I'll probably PM you if I come across any problems. The neck is already shaped, I just sanded it by hand a bit so it better fit my hand. I've been thinking about using tung oil as a finish. Some research I did on tdpri told me that I need to do around 8 thin coats, the first of which is diluted with white spirit to help it absorb into the wood. I was also going to do a PRS style freehand squiggle signature on the front of the headstock in a metallic gold permanent pen. I've not yet worked out at which point I should do that

 

I don't think I remember seeing that vid before, looks well executed. What shape did you go for? Looks like a D shape but I cant be sure. How long did it take to shape it?

Ermm.. neck shape.. Well I just kind of did it by eye and feel.. didn't use any roundness gauges, but I did use calipers to check the thickness.. From what I can remember its about 23mm at the head end and 25 at the body end so is quite slim... And yeah probably a slightly thinner d shape..

 

Hmm, well I haven't used tung oil but I did use Tru Oil which I highly recommend.. Very cool stuff.. Similar process to the tung application I reckon.. And its totally non toxic so you can even rub it in with your hands (even though it gets REALLY sticky)...

 

And for adding the signature... If you were using a decal waterslide youd have to finish the wood first or the wood under the decal will look lighter than the wood around it.. But for the method your using you could probably do it before you apply any finish.. Just make sure when you put the oil on, you dab it around that area rather than rub it (for the first coat anyway).. I have the tru oil on my Oak build and im REALLY happy with the finish.. I may even stop using Nitro as its really nasty stuff..

 

 

 

Oh yeah.. and that neck took about 10 mins to do with the angle grinder

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So remember late last week I had those new 3 piece necks....

 

So heres those two ash ones.. they look REALLY smart as the contrast between the light and dark really makes the woods pop.

20140519_140741_zps6f33e352.jpg

 

But since then I have now made three more :)

20140522_161642_zps34f5abba.jpg

 

One of them is made from Beech and Meranti.. That beech has a really interesting grain with red flecks in the wood.. purrdy

20140522_161658_zpsae413c8b.jpg

 

and the other two are made from Oak and Meranti (I have used up all my meranti now)

20140522_161710_zps2e55110a.jpg

 

Plus heres two I was working on previously one that is solid Oak and one that is solid Ash

20140522_161805_zps6d19aa3f.jpg

 

Ohh and the last 3 piece I will be making for a short while which is all oak.. So actually after tomorrow I will have 8 necks :)

20140522_174935_zps7a253c5a.jpg

 

 

Oh and if you didn't see my other thread.. I have 20 bodies ready to mix and match with these necks.. SO hopefully I will be in a goo position soon and can start really getting on with all of this now I have the wood ready.

20140522_170656_zpsfd2749b1.jpg

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[scared]

 

[woot]

 

Lordy!

 

I can see a point where Gibson will block you citing "Vested Interests and Unfair Competition" in the report!

 

Blinking Heck, Rabs! The Production Line Cometh!

 

eusa_clap.gifeusa_clap.gifeusa_clap.gifeusa_clap.gifeusa_clap.gif

 

P.

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[scared]

 

[woot]

 

Lordy!

 

I can see a point where Gibson will block you citing "Vested Interests and Unfair Competition" in the report!

 

Blinking Heck, Rabs! The Production Line Cometh!

 

 

P.

Lol.. cheers man.... and yeah, ive really been at it recently.. Im aiming to give myself options... what necks are going to go with what bodies and wood types etc etc..

 

I have realised an issue with that meranti though (better before I start gluing than after :)).. Its a VERY light wood.. my necks are made from oak, ash and beech which are all real heavy woods... so im going to have to watch out that I don't get guitars with neck dive.....

 

And yeah, I appreciate that this is Gibsons site (and they let me post all this)... But I really don't think they have much to worry about with me :)

 

I just think cos I started all of this on here, before I decided to try and do it for a living that you guys may find some of it interesting... I surely wont be so crass as to try advertise on here when I get to that point (much) :unsure: :unsure: ;)

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