Search found 20 matches

by gene downs
Sat Oct 29, 2022 12:47 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: The hard and the soft of it
Replies: 1
Views: 1530

The hard and the soft of it

I haven't built a guitar in a long time. Thinking about taking the plunge again. I would really prefer to use the wood I have on hand, as I have way too much of it. But it seems I have a lot of woods that just don't go together terribly well. I'm thinking of building something vaguely Tele-esque (a ...
by gene downs
Sun Nov 15, 2020 3:10 pm
Forum: Wood and Materials Q&A
Topic: Good source for alder?
Replies: 6
Views: 9301

Re: Good source for alder?

I'm in South Carolina. Kinda hard to come by here. I hate not being able to choose my wood in person, and shipping cost is an issue too, of course.

Anybody know any place in Charlotte NC that might have it?
by gene downs
Sat Nov 14, 2020 11:08 am
Forum: Wood and Materials Q&A
Topic: Good source for alder?
Replies: 6
Views: 9301

Good source for alder?

Where are you guys getting your alder? My local guy has gone out of business.
by gene downs
Sun Aug 23, 2020 5:04 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: A different look for maple fingerboards?
Replies: 4
Views: 6633

A different look for maple fingerboards?

Maple f'boards are about the only reasonably priced thing going. But that maple look doesn't work for every guitar, of course.

Has anyone experimented with stains and such on maple? Does anything look good?
by gene downs
Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:50 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Resizing pattern/templates.
Replies: 9
Views: 11388

Re: Resizing pattern/templates.

Thanks, guys. I'll cogitate on all this and see where I can take it. Yeah, I'm a big fan of the original Swedes. I love that mahogany top look. If I'm making something based on an existing guitar, as opposed to doing something original, I never do an exact copy. There's always something I want to ch...
by gene downs
Sun Apr 07, 2019 7:42 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Resizing pattern/templates.
Replies: 9
Views: 11388

Re: Resizing pattern/templates.

Well, you learn something new everyday! Thanks. I hadn't thought of the grid thing. That might just work. I did experiment with printing ... what, 25-30 years ago (!)? I don't remember much about the experience except that they (Kinkos) didn't have printers big enough to make copies of my pattern .....
by gene downs
Sun Apr 07, 2019 4:49 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Resizing pattern/templates.
Replies: 9
Views: 11388

Resizing pattern/templates.

I never make the same thing twice (or even once, lately). The way I make bodies is to draw a design on poster board, cut it out with scissors, trace it on to a slab of wood and then go at it with bandsaw and lots of sanding. From time to time my drawings will come out too big or small. I will someti...
by gene downs
Sat Mar 09, 2019 9:42 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Kahler Bridge
Replies: 22
Views: 20139

Re: Kahler Bridge

Nobody uses them these days. Take that as a warning.

I had one. I installed it in one guitar and then the same unit in another guitar. Same thing happened with both: No sustain and bad tone. It's a high quality product, but my experience with them was not a good one.
by gene downs
Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:19 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: How dry doe a 3-4mm 'veneer' top need to be?
Replies: 8
Views: 5913

Re: How dry doe a 3-4mm 'veneer' top need to be?

I can't remember his name at the moment, but some famous builder said in his book that he uses contact cement to glue veneers of this sort. Has anybody actually tried that? I seems like you would get a rubbery glue line that wouldn't take finish well.
by gene downs
Mon Sep 09, 2013 1:46 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: DIY Headless Guitar Tuner?
Replies: 7
Views: 7110

Re: DIY Headless Guitar Tuner?

I have the ball end at the head. I tie the strings on classical style at the other end. Works fine. The scale is 24.75". The turnbuckles are the smallest I could find. I don't have the guitar with me right now, but I think the body of the turnbuckle would be right at about 1.75 inches long. The...
by gene downs
Sat Sep 07, 2013 1:00 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: DIY Headless Guitar Tuner?
Replies: 7
Views: 7110

Re: DIY Headless Guitar Tuner?

Here's what I came up with for my backpacking guitar I built back in '96.
by gene downs
Mon Jul 08, 2013 1:08 pm
Forum: The "Reclaimed Materials" Challenge (closed)
Topic: Greg Robinson's mini tube amp
Replies: 40
Views: 100905

Re: Greg Robinson's mini tube amp

Hey Greg. Been away from the mimf too long. I didn't even know this contest was going on! Great project. I just discovered this thread and haven't read it yet, but I wonder why you went with such large cathode bypass caps. I haven't built an amp with a 12au7 as a power amp, but it seems that the usu...
by gene downs
Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:41 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?
Replies: 22
Views: 16914

Re: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?

Yes, of course. But a question: Do you guys do any roughening of the bottom of the fingerboard so the epoxy has something to grab? I made a knife out of a saw blade once that I just epoxied the scales on and one of them fell off after a few months. I didn't really know anything about epoxy at the ti...
by gene downs
Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:28 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Denser neck wood than body wood
Replies: 6
Views: 5567

Re: Denser neck wood than body wood

I've built necks with hardwoods (maple, etc.) and softer woods (mahogany, poplar, etc.). I used to defend the softer woods. But now I'm not so sure. Strength, stiffness of the wood has not been an issue for me. But recently, I had a chance to play a couple of guitars I build 15 or so years ago, one ...
by gene downs
Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:35 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?
Replies: 22
Views: 16914

Re: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?

Yeah, I know. But I've had too many bad experiences with (admittedly cheap) epoxy: not hardening properly, failed bonds, etc. I'm kind of scared of it at this point. I have in mind to come up with a neck gluing jig that introduces a tiny bit of forward bow. I just never seem to get around to actuall...
by gene downs
Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:34 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?
Replies: 22
Views: 16914

Re: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?

Not sure I want to answer that.... Okay, as often as not my necks come out slightly backbowed after gluing the fingerboard on. You'd think I would have solved that problem by now, after having done this off and on since ... 1976? Damn! So maybe I need to start a new thread on glue ups and backbow? l...
by gene downs
Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:27 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?
Replies: 22
Views: 16914

Oh, by the way....

Anybody know anything about Bruce Johnson's trussrod? Apparently, there's something new/different/better about it. The pics on his website don't reveal much though. I imagine he would sell them. Maybe I'll email him.
by gene downs
Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:24 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?
Replies: 22
Views: 16914

Re: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?

I like my guitars to be as light as is practical. And on my personal guitars, I always put the strap button on the back of the neck around the 18th fret, SG style (they just play a lot better when put there). Needless to say, that makes the thing tend to be neck heavy. Kinda looks like I might have ...
by gene downs
Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:20 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Single-rod dual-action trussrod?
Replies: 22
Views: 16914

Single-rod dual-action trussrod?

Stewmac used to sell one, but no more. Anybody know where I can buy this type of rod? It uses one rod that can correct for both bow and backbow. The rod has both ends threaded: one forward and one reverse - and it turns in two blocks, one at each end. I used to make my own but am not setup to now. T...

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