MIMF

I've been using a simple 40W radio shack soldering iron for the longest time. I've finally wore out my tip. Went to go buy a few new tips only to see that between tax and shipping the tip is more than what I paid for the iron. So I though to look into getting a new one I'm just not sure what to go f...

Yes, I thought that after I posted to add a faceplate and backplate to increase the strength. I'm thinking that as long as everything is glued up securely all should be fine. Would you all agree?

In a previous post I mentioned that I was moving from finishing all my repair jobs to starting new build projects. What I'm going to be working on is a 8 string (as in 4 root & 4 octave strings) 28.5" short scale bass. The neck I'm planning on using was starting life as a 5 string but has h...

Hello all. It's been a while since I've posted here. For the last 3 years I've been repairing all of my guitars that were damaged in the 2016 floods in Louisiana. Except for a few small things here & there I'm finally done with the major repair jobs. Now I'm moving back to some new projects. I c...

Hi all, I live in south Louisiana right where all the flood is. I got caught right in the middle of it and my house went under water. Don't worry, the wife and I are fine. We haven't made it back to the area yet but should be in the next day or two to assess the damage and start th clean up process....

Thanks guys, that's just what I needed to know.

I'm planning out a new project, I'm wanting to do a 28.6" short scale fretless bass. On my plans the fretboard area will be about 21" long. I'd like to use a double action truss rod from stew-mac. My question is what length truss rod will be best? Will the 18" one they sell be long en...

really nicely done! Are you going to clear coat it now? Ho durable are the paint pens? And are they water-based or solvent based? I did a spray on polyurethane finish. The pens I used were OneTree Hill brand that are water based, I picked up a set at the local craft store. The guitar has been fully...

Thanks for the compliments! Honestly it wasn't overly hard to do. Using the paint pens if you can color within the lines anyone can do this. Like anything if you go in with a good plan it makes things go alot smoother. I started out by drawing out the design on a sheet of paper and coloring it in wi...

And finally a few close ups of the front. http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l259/electricwombat00/Iceman%20Restoration/PB280080_zpsce3b915a.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l259/electricwombat00/Iceman%20Restoration/PB280082_zps5d3ce638.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l259/electricwombat0...

Here are some in progress pictures of the artwork http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l259/electricwombat00/Iceman%20Restoration/PB260069_zps6166e2f4.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l259/electricwombat00/Iceman%20Restoration/PB260070_zps646bfe6c.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l259/electri...

Hi all, It has been a while since I've been on here as I've havent been working on much stuff lately. I did however finally finish the '97 Ibanez Iceman project I've been working on. Whe I got it, the neck was in good shape it just needed a little cleaning. The body however was pretty roughed up; lo...

I'm in the planning stages of an 8 string short scale bass build; 8 string as in having octave string like a 12 string guitar. I'm wanting to model it after the dimensions of a Hagstrom HB-8. Looking up the specs on that bass it says on their web site that the nut width is 40mm. I have a 4 string ba...

My experiments are coming along nicely, I've learned a good bit so far and have been having fun with it. I decided to do my tests on a spare Ibanez INF2 pickup I had laying around. So far, along with the stock A5 magnet, I've tried out A2, A8 & ceramic magnets. I'm still waiting for a few magnet...

So I did a magnet swap on an old ibanez INF2 stock pickup from A5 to ceramic magnet. I did notice a change in tone right away but in general how long does it take for everything to fully adjust to the new magnet, few hours, a day, a week?

Thnaks for the info david, I look foward to reading that article when it comes out. I don't have any meters or anything to analyze the current components so I guess my best course will be to swp components out to things of known values & materials and go from there. I minored in physics in colle...

I have a box of cheapie humbucker pickups that are just sitting in a box collecting dust. I want to get into winding & modding pickups and figured these things might be a good place to start learning. My thought are to take these spare pickups and instead of pulling them apart and rewinding and ...

Thanks for the help. Re-reading my question, I think polishing was the wrong word for me to use. What I was trying to ask was how to level the finish without leaving all kind of scratch marks in it and not buff it to a shine. I sprayed up some test pieces and have been playing with that to see what ...

I may be mistaken as I haven't worked with it yet, just have a few pieces laying around in my collection. All the literature I've read on wenge says its slightly oily, not oily like cocobolo or anything but not completely lacking in natural oil... somewhere more in the middle. Either way if you go l...

Wenge should be fine as a fingerboard and I believe it is naturally oily and wouldn't require a finish.