Man locking nuts get hot when you put them on the grinder. Rather than try to lower the nut seat on the neck I just ground the Locking Nut down using hte side of my grinder and finishing with my belt sander by hand.
When you get the open string action right it makes a world of difference.
King V is ready for sanding and finishing ...
Monday, January 28, 2008
Testing finish
Boredom creaps into the boring mind
Strung the King V up to get a final fit before sanding and etc...
2 things. One I botched the angle of the trem claw screw and it sticks up 1/16" over the back. Looks like a job for the deadblow hammer.... but I will probably fill it and re-drill. The trem recess missed by an 1/8" on the upper side so I will clean that up too.
Overall I was amazed at how well the thing plays without a real setup yet. I wish I had recessed the neck into the top a little more.... to late now.
2 things. One I botched the angle of the trem claw screw and it sticks up 1/16" over the back. Looks like a job for the deadblow hammer.... but I will probably fill it and re-drill. The trem recess missed by an 1/8" on the upper side so I will clean that up too.
Overall I was amazed at how well the thing plays without a real setup yet. I wish I had recessed the neck into the top a little more.... to late now.
Boredom creaps into the boring mind
Strung the King V up to get a final fit before sanding and etc...
2 things. One I botched the angle of the trem claw screw and it sticks up 1/16" over the back. Looks like a job for the deadblow hammer.... but I will probably fill it and re-drill. The trem recess missed by an 1/8" on the upper side so I will clean that up too.
Overall I was amazed at how well the thing plays without a real setup yet. I wish I had recessed the neck into the top a little more.... to late now.
2 things. One I botched the angle of the trem claw screw and it sticks up 1/16" over the back. Looks like a job for the deadblow hammer.... but I will probably fill it and re-drill. The trem recess missed by an 1/8" on the upper side so I will clean that up too.
Overall I was amazed at how well the thing plays without a real setup yet. I wish I had recessed the neck into the top a little more.... to late now.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Next up RR V Project
This is one massive hunk of 8/4 Ash. I bought the billet 20 years ago. It has been a body blank for around 12 years. Originally it was the replacement body for my RG470. However I have grown to like the RG and it is time to do something new with it. The cool thing is it is really going to make 2 guitars. One bolt on and one neck through. First up will be the bolt on. I am using these bolt on projects to refresh my skills as it has been a while since I built anything...
Beater V
I filled every hole in it with Bamboo skewers and epox/Padauk dust mix. Then I routed it for the Kahler. After the mock up I realized I am going to either lower the neck in the body or redusce the neck angle for the new bridge.... This looks ugly but when I strip it, sand it, seal it it will all be covered.
Model 5 to San Dimas
I really hated the purple poly coated 1989 Model 5 Charvel for numerous reasons. One was because it was a Fort Worth USA and not a San Dimas. It had 2 pickups, an active boost, three knobs, a 5-way, twelve coats of poly, and it was heavy. So here is the results of a massive overhaul. I think I will refinish it all white soon.
Stripped all the paint and used Super Glue to refinish it. The poplar sides where very soft until I hardened them with the Super Glue. No need for a heavy finish now. It soaked into the wood so far I was able to shape some contours and still have solid Cyanoacrylate permeated wood.
Moved the input jack to a strap jack and re-contoured the back shedding weight as well as hard edges.
Filled the neck pickup with a maple block.
Simplified electronics with a coil tapped 1989 SH-6 Seymour D and a push-pull 500k volume knob and built an aluminum bracket to fasten the SH-6 directly to the body.
Mounted the volume knob in the input jack hole. Not a great idea cause it is hard to get to. I will fix this before I refinish it.
Stripped all the paint and used Super Glue to refinish it. The poplar sides where very soft until I hardened them with the Super Glue. No need for a heavy finish now. It soaked into the wood so far I was able to shape some contours and still have solid Cyanoacrylate permeated wood.
Moved the input jack to a strap jack and re-contoured the back shedding weight as well as hard edges.
Filled the neck pickup with a maple block.
Simplified electronics with a coil tapped 1989 SH-6 Seymour D and a push-pull 500k volume knob and built an aluminum bracket to fasten the SH-6 directly to the body.
Mounted the volume knob in the input jack hole. Not a great idea cause it is hard to get to. I will fix this before I refinish it.
Saving Jackson Neck and tuners
I think V's are the most efficient builds
The V Templates
King V Project Trem Routes
Saving Jackson Kahler style
Decided to put the cheap Jackson together as a beater. I have a slew of 80's parts that I am using. I am fogoing the stock TOM in favor of a vintage Kahler Flyer. I am not sure about the pickups yet. I have the original Jacksons, a set of JC80's w/20db boost out of my Model 5, or a strange set of German Ultrasonics I might use. The tuning keys are cheap allparts circa 1989. After stripping the neck and cleaning it up I lost a mm or so. It went from a 43mm to a 42mm nut. I am refinishing the neck with superglue /clapton style=""/. The hardboard top of the V will get the same Superglue treatment before paint. Wicking the hardboard with Cyanoacrylate makes it hard as a rock. I have used this technique on Basswood and Poplar guitars before finishing them because it is not as heavy as an epoxy or poly.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
King V project Neck Pocket
Saving Jackson
The other V I picked up was painted with car paint and green.... And the second Jackson neck I scored for cheap had been bolted, glued, and painted into some monstrosity to look like a neck through. I bought the wasted remains and cleaned it up. The King V turned out to be some unknown wood with a hardboard top and back. I could re-top it with the back of a poster frame... I bought it as a template anyway.
The humanity...
The humanity...
King V project
King V projects underway...
So I got a JS30 King V Body from ebay.... the plan was to build a King V and to use the JS30 as a template. So after getting the wood together, buying some parts, and a spare Jackson neck or two I ended up with some interesting prospects.
Basically I will have a King V made from Padauck, Wormy Ambrosia Maple with Mild Flame, Purple Heartwood, and my enemy Cocobolo. I am highly allergic to Morado and Cocobolo dust. Sucks. Never was when I was younger... now my nose swells shut and drains for days after exposure. I can't even sweep my shop without dust protection.
Here is the padauk body blank. You have to love the motorcycle tie downs...
Basically I will have a King V made from Padauck, Wormy Ambrosia Maple with Mild Flame, Purple Heartwood, and my enemy Cocobolo. I am highly allergic to Morado and Cocobolo dust. Sucks. Never was when I was younger... now my nose swells shut and drains for days after exposure. I can't even sweep my shop without dust protection.
Here is the padauk body blank. You have to love the motorcycle tie downs...
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
King V Neck Pocket
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