New Build Day.. LP Liteish

[Rabs]

Hello all.. So we are here..  Getting started on this new build which most of you know will be based off this guitar that I saw online but when I went to see it, he was asking way too much so I decided to build one myself.. One of the main things I like is the colour scheme. I know a guy here in the UK who has been making Nitro spray cans for years.. He is going to sort me out a custom colour and is gonna get me as close as I can... One thing I will say (as I do think its important). This is a personal project. It wont be for sale and it wont be a fake as I wont be putting Gibson on the headstock as this guitar will absolutely be a RabsWood  🙂 . It wont even really be a copy either as I am gonna do some stuff slightly different like im not gonna do a coil split switch, but the usual 2 tones and 2 volumes so lets call it a guitar heavily influenced by this.  A 1988 LP Custom Lite.

 

So this build will have.

Metallic Pink/Red Nitro

7 ply body binding

5 ply headstock binding

White MOP block neck inlays

Gold MOP headstock logo and split diamond 

Gold hardware

Ebony fretboard

Oh yes.. And for the first time ever on a RW guitar, neck binding and NIBS  😄 (its a must for the tone as is well known)

Also for those that dont know, a LP Lite is a LP with a thinner back and a belly cut.. Also known these days as the Les Paul Less Plus.

THE WOODS

We have a Sapele back and neck and some English field Maple.

So, the next post. Which I will be doing straight after will show my first day. Remember this is my first time in a while building and well.. It didnt go badly but it didnt go great either mostly due to not having a few things I needed which I thought I had with me but didnt and not having my block inlays yet also slowed me down. But more on that coming up. (Its been a long day, I need to eat now, back in an a bit). I thought  I would at least get an intro up for the first post for people who havent seen that other thread.

[merciful-evans]

You've done the research & have the plan. I realize there are some new skills to acquire but I know you already work methodically. It really is a terrific project. I notice you are going with the gold hardware too! 👍

 

[Rabs]

OK here we go..

One of the reasons I take pictures as well as to share them is so I can look at my work and make sure that it all looks ok visually. And actually in looking back at what I have done I think I know why im not so happy with it at the moment but we will get to that soon.

So heres my bench. I brought everything  😄  As I wasnt sure exactly what I would be doing in the gluing sections and I have a few other builds going on.

So first thing, I thinned out the sapele to 30mm. Cut it in half and glued it.

Then I squared and flattened the maple top.. Its a bit wonky but thats ok as its 50mm thick and I only want 26 (20mm for the carve and 6mm for the tops lowest areas) around the edge of the body.

And all done

This particular type of Maple is known as Field maple.. Not the prettiest but it doesnt have to be as I am painting over it anyway. Still has some nice flame going on though

I did cut it roughly to shape but didnt get a picture of that..  Then the Sapele

And on that I will end this post as it is already long and continue below.

[merciful-evans]

 

Will you be using knotting solution or something else? 

 I feel I'm experiencing this vicariously. 😉

[Rabs]

So this is where things started going not so much to plan.

I usually use normal double sided tape to stick my templates down but had brought a different type as its all they had when I was looking..  And well it did the job a little too well.

 

Also this is when I found out that I didnt have the right router bit with me (a top bearing template bit)..  I literally had every other typo router bit you can imagine but that one. I asked the workshop who couldnt find their one. I went to two local DIY shops and neither of them had what I wanted either.

In the end I asked one of the regular workshop members who I know and she did have one but it wasnt long enough..  So I decided to use it anyway as it was a start and I can finish it easy with the top bearing bit. So you will see a ledge around the side of the body which was as deep as it would go.

Now this is one of my major issues with today.. Not that I didnt have the right bit, but when I look at that picture the control cavity looks too far forward. If you imagine a knob say where the bridge volume pot would be it doesnt look right... Now maybe its me and its the angle of the picture or something but its really bugging me.. I mean these templates were bought and meant t be laser cut AND when I first got them I did some measurements and it all looked ok.  BUT as said, its bugging me and I will check it tomorrow as im too knackered at the moment (my poor back). And on that note.. At the moment my hands seem to be holding up, so thats good news.

So yeah. That bloody double sided tape..  I coulndt get the sodding thing off.  I ended up shoving a chisel in there and pried it off eventually but all apart from one spot remained stuck to the template and ripped it up. So I wont be using that again. We live and learn  🙂

So. On to the neck..  Couldnt really do too much as the order that has to go is. Do the inlays, radius, fret, glue binding and then you can glue it to the neck.. Without the inlays all I could do was get the neck roughed out

And really thats all for this build today.. As said I spent a fair amount of time going to the DIY shops and asking around for that router bit..  But I did get some other stuff done too which I will post below. Ohh and that is one negative about a shared workshop.. You can spend time waiting for machines to be free which can also be frustrating when you want to get on with it. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Rabs

[Rabs]

Other stuff I did...

I have these new inlays I have been wanting to use and I have decided that I am gonna put them on an all Walnut DC that I started.. 

So I did a quick test to see how easy it will be or not to do them and it was actually pretty easy.

Said inlay

Draw an outline around it.. Drill a centre hole (6.5mm) and then use a chisel to do the edges.

And nice.. It fit straight away..

Also. I thinned the body for that build out as it was a bit too thick. 

Same for a mahogany one I was doing and a spalted London Plane build (this is just wood porn now  😄 ) 

 

 

All in all..  As said.. Not exactly a disaster or anything but some annoyances..  But that is how it just goes some days no matter what you do for a living huh?

If the template is out, not the end of the world. I have another piece of Sapele exactly like the last and it wont take me long to do another one (assuming I remember the right router bit next time 😄 ). And obviously the person I bought it from will get a fun email from me. But we will see. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Rabs

[Rabs]

23 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

 

Will you be using knotting solution or something else? 

 I feel I'm experiencing this vicariously. 😉

Hmm, not sure really. I will also be doing grain filling and sanding sealer for the first time too.. Hopefully that will seal it off enough. Im not even sure if they go all the way through you know.. Probably should have checked that  before cutting it to shape 

[sparquelito]

Such artistry.

Such patience!!

I possess neither, sadly.
😑

[Rabs]

Something else I would like to add about this workshop I go to and used to work at full time.

Theres many many makers that use the place..  Pretty much every decent sized offcut gets used by other people and as little goes to waste as possible. They have an offcuts bin where you can just go and take out what ever is in there for free. Even the wood shavings from the extraction machine go to some use. Which I always thought was really cool about that place. Theres a woman who works there called Anna, she got most of my Sapele offcuts today and was really happy about it. With it she will make stuff like coasters, keyrings, small boxes etc 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Rabs

[Rabs]

13 minutes ago, sparquelito said:

Such artistry.

Such patience!!

I possess neither, sadly.
😑

 I try..   Having worked in that wood shop for almost two years. You just kinda get used to stuff going wrong at least 20% of the time.. No matter how good you are, its just that kind of job where unexpected stuff just seems to happen all the time..  Let alone the fact that I cant walk in to that workshop without getting some kind of cut or bruise or multiple of both...  And no matter who you talk to there everyone says the same thing. Just kinda part of the job really. Its easy to get annoyed though.. You should have heard me today when I realised the template was fully stuck down and I was about to ruin it.

[SteveFord]

It looks like that piece was large enough for the body.

If so, why did you cut it in two?

[Rabs]

1 minute ago, SteveFord said:

It looks like that piece was large enough for the body.

If so, why did you cut it in two?

No. It was about 230 mm wide (about 9") and a LP is about 14". 

[Dub-T-123]

Your chisel is blunt! We say dull over here but I feel like blunt is more British sounding

 

Seriously though love the inlays you got for the other build. Great looking neck blank on the new project 

 

Are you going to transfer the busted up template to a new sheet? Could transfer it to acrylic and have a nicer template 

[Rabs]

7 minutes ago, Dub-T-123 said:

Your chisel is blunt! We say dull over here but I feel like blunt is more British sounding

 

Seriously though love the inlays you got for the other build. Great looking neck blank on the new project 

 

Are you going to transfer the busted up template to a new sheet? Could transfer it to acrylic and have a nicer template 

Lol..  Well spotted there...  Indeed that chisel was blunt..  And actually while I was looking for a router bit I bought a fresh one which was needed..  I am really bad a sharpening..

As for the template..  Im not thinking about it more this evening. I will first check if its actually in the right position.  Then yeah, maybe do a new one. I think I have some MDF laying about somewhere. WHATEVER !!!   😄  

Ohh, also I have decided that Walnut DC will get the Gibson mini hummers I have had for a while.  That should be a pretty cracking guitar too by the time I am done.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Rabs

[Dub-T-123]

Lol yeah it’s probably a stretch to call that MDF. Looks pretty low density to me. Melamine could work nicely too 

 

are you thicknessing your slabs with a drum sander or planer? If it’s a planer I applaud your shop on having nice knives

[Rabs]

Just now, Dub-T-123 said:

Lol yeah it’s probably a stretch to call that MDF. Looks pretty low density to me. Melamine could work nicely too 

 

are you thicknessing your slabs with a drum sander or planer? If it’s a planer I applaud your shop on having nice knives

This is the thicknesser.. Its a has a spiral barrel and is awesome.. The easiest machine in the workshop to use

I put the already shaped bodies through it kind of expecting it to chip out on the edges..  Nope, not even on the spalted Plane..  Those shots were directly out of the thicknesser too with no additional sanding.

And we have the big planer/jointer thing for the edges. This machine I think is older than I am  😄  But its awesome, if not a little scary.

[Dub-T-123]

That thing seems to be set up and maintained absolutely flawlessly. No snipe or anything 

[Dub-T-123]

Our big planer pretty much always snipes and one time it actually shot out a knife while it was running. I am so afraid of that machine after that

[Rabs]

Just now, Dub-T-123 said:

That thing seems to be set up and maintained absolutely flawlessly. No snipe or anything 

Which is one of the great things about working in a shared workshop. Its only £30 a day and they have to maintain the machines..  All the good without the bother 

[Dub-T-123]

That’s fantastic. When is your next day?

[Rabs]

Just now, Dub-T-123 said:

That’s fantastic. When is your next day?

I need to look at that tonight actually..  All the people there were telling me how busy it is these days so you have to book at least a week in advance.. Its a cool place that does a lot of community work and does like DIY building lessons and teaches school kids etc etc it was a great find for sure. As it goes I am kinda busy the rest of this week even though one of those days will be going to a guitar shop to but my niece a brand new electric guitar..  So probably next Tuesday if its not booked already.

Mind you, in saying that. If that template is correct and all I need to do is clean up the sides. I can actually do the rest of it in my old workshop (mums garage  😄)... I dont really need to go there for anything other than making wood flat and square which is much harder without those machines.. Ohh, the time I used to have to spend to get something flat ....

[Dub-T-123]

Oh hey before I forget you should check out this thread 

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/the-definitive-top-carve-thread.435924/

[Rabs]

2 minutes ago, Dub-T-123 said:

Oh hey before I forget you should check out this thread 

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/the-definitive-top-carve-thread.435924/

Interesting.. Cheers..

It may be one thing my version lacks..  I have done a couple of carved tops before but they were never quite LP like (or really meant to be)...  I have seen those templates but am not sure if I want to quite go that far.. I have 20mm to carve which is more than I have used before. Not sure thats enough for a proper LP type anyway.

[Dub-T-123]

If you have a thinner top you can make the steps proportionally smaller 

You might find this helpful as well

 

if you’re trying to go the Les Paul vibe I’d try to recreate the carve as accurately as possible because metallic finishes are super revealing in that way

[Rabs]

Yeah... I will have a think about it....