Search found 301 matches

by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:29 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

Installing the bolt-on neck. I prefer using ferrules to attachment plates, both for aesthetic reasons and because they don't get in the way when playing on the uppermost frets.
Installing the bolt-on neck. I prefer using ferrules to attachment plates, both for aesthetic reasons and because they don't get in the way when playing on the uppermost frets.
I strung the guitar with Dean Markley Blue Steel 10 series strings. They have nice smooth feel and a bright sound.
I strung the guitar with Dean Markley Blue Steel 10 series strings. They have nice smooth feel and a bright sound.
I tuned the guitar and tried it out with my 50W hybrid head & cab. Yes! Alive she cried!
I tuned the guitar and tried it out with my 50W hybrid head & cab. Yes! Alive she cried!
Th-that's all, folks! I hope you'll enjoy this thread. :D
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:19 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

I shielded the pickup cavity and the control cavity carefully with conductive copper tape. With the shielding connected to the grounds there is, to my delight, very little hum. 122_Shielding_pickup_cavity.jpg 123_Soldering_pickguard_to_jack_&_ground.jpg 125_Installing_pickguard.jpg 126_Installin...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:09 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

Polishing the body.
Polishing the body.
The tricky parts had to be polished with a buffing wheel attached to a power drill extension.
The tricky parts had to be polished with a buffing wheel attached to a power drill extension.
With all the parts polished I could begin reassembling the guitar, starting with installing the tuners.
120_Installing_tuners.jpg
121_Installing_tuners.jpg
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:00 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

After the final coat of clear lacquer I sanded the project one last time - with 800, 1200, 1500, 2000 & 2500 grit papers. 109_Final_sanding.jpg 110_Final_sanding.jpg Time to shine! I polished the smooth sanded lacquer with Farécla G3 and G10 compounds, a buffing sponge and an air-driven random o...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:48 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

The next steps were spraying layer after layer of clearcoat and wet sanding with soap water and 400, 800 & 1200 grit papers between coats. I sprayed no less than 7 coats of clear lacquer and sanded in between. 102_Masking_fretboard.jpg 091_Spraying_clearcoat.jpg 095_Intermediate_wet_sanding.jpg ...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:30 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

:) I laid the project aside for a while to find a solution to the paint problem - and eventually I found one. I repainted the body and the face of the headstock with white primer and topped it with my new mixture: 1 tbsp of pearlescent powder, 1 tbsp of reflective glass powder (commonly used in traf...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:41 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

074_Soldering_the_electronics.jpg 075_Checking_out_sound_and_playability.jpg 077_Sanding_body_contour.jpg The paint job is always the most tedious part of every build, but it pays off in the end. Sometimes I end up sanding off the paint and starting all over again, as I did this time too. I had spr...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:05 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

At this stage the neck was pretty much finished, just the frets needed to be levelled, crowned and dressed. So I installed the neck with tuners to the body, installed the trem and strung the guitar to check what I'd have to to do before the paint job. The first job was to check the fretboard for fre...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:45 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

Back to the body again. I drilled the trem block cavity with a 20 mm forstner drill bit first...
Back to the body again. I drilled the trem block cavity with a 20 mm forstner drill bit first...
... and finished the job with a router and a template.
... and finished the job with a router and a template.
The same procedure for the trem spring cavity: first the forstner...
The same procedure for the trem spring cavity: first the forstner...
...then the router.
...then the router.
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:47 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

Drilling tuner holes in the headstock with a 10 mm brad point drill bit.
Drilling tuner holes in the headstock with a 10 mm brad point drill bit.
The StewMac SafeT Planer is a nice tool for levelling headstocks and neck heels. I built the guide table according to the instructions that came with the planer and found this tool excellent. It saves a lot of time and gives accurate results as long as the planer blades and the table are parallel.
The StewMac SafeT Planer is a nice tool for levelling headstocks and neck heels. I built the guide table according to the instructions that came with the planer and found this tool excellent. It saves a lot of time and gives accurate results as long as the planer blades and the table are parallel.
Time to install the one-way truss rod. Squeezing silicone caulk into the rod channel prior to installation to fix the rod and to prevent rattling later. There is masking tape on both sides of the channel to keep the caulk off all surfaces that will be glued later.
Time to install the one-way truss rod. Squeezing silicone caulk into the rod channel prior to installation to fix the rod and to prevent rattling later. There is masking tape on both sides of the channel to keep the caulk off all surfaces that will be glued later.
Gluing the fretboard to the neck takes a radiused caul and an army of clamps. The clamps obey orders and stay on their posts overnight.
Gluing the fretboard to the neck takes a radiused caul and an army of clamps. The clamps obey orders and stay on their posts overnight.
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:29 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

I shape the neck with a belt sander first. Yes, there will be dust, but I have found that this works for me, as I get the shape close to what I want quite quickly. Using a belt sander calls for caution, though. It's very easy to ruin a good neck by sanding too deep. 050_Shaping_headstock_with_belt_s...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:08 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

Cutting out the neck from the blank with a band saw. I try to cut as close to the outlines as possible, yet leaving enough extra wood for shaping.
044_Cutting_neck_from_blank.jpg
046_Cutting_neck_from_blank.jpg
043_Cutting_neck_from_blank.jpg
048_Cutting_neck_from_blank.jpg
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:58 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

039_Routing_pickup_cavity.jpg 040_Routing_output_jack_cavity.jpg The neck takes a turn. I usually start with preparing a neat flatsawn maple blank for a Fender type neck and routing a truss rod channel in the middle of it. If I have several blanks I rout a truss rod channel in each one of them to s...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:20 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

035_Drilling_holes_for_fretboard_side_markers.jpg 036_Fixing_fretboard_side_markers.jpg Back to the body for a change. Before routing any cavities I removed all excess wood with a forstner bit to reduce the heating and wear of the router bit. Drilling first also adds less dust and debris into the w...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:53 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

Sanding fret markers flush with the fretboard.
Sanding fret markers flush with the fretboard.
I cut all the frets a little longer than the fretboard width. Then I installed them using CA glue and a plastic hammer. Applying glue here...
I cut all the frets a little longer than the fretboard width. Then I installed them using CA glue and a plastic hammer. Applying glue here...
...and hammering in frets here.
...and hammering in frets here.
I often use a belt sander with a 150 grit belt to crude dress the frets and a file to finish the work.
I often use a belt sander with a 150 grit belt to crude dress the frets and a file to finish the work.
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:41 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

I've made some radiusing cauls with different radiuses for fretboards. The "16 caul in use here.
I've made some radiusing cauls with different radiuses for fretboards. The "16 caul in use here.
Drilling fret marker pits with a 6 mm brad point drill bit.
Drilling fret marker pits with a 6 mm brad point drill bit.
Applying CA glue to fret marker pits.
Applying CA glue to fret marker pits.
Gluing fret markers into place.
Gluing fret markers into place.
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:53 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

I cut the fret slots using a miter box and a rip saw.
I cut the fret slots using a miter box and a rip saw.
I marked the fretboard outlines with masking tape and cut it out with a band saw.
I marked the fretboard outlines with masking tape and cut it out with a band saw.
I planed the fretboard edges carefully to level them.
I planed the fretboard edges carefully to level them.
I have constructed a straight-edge guide for routing Fender type nut slots. Using a 3 mm straight router bit here.
I have constructed a straight-edge guide for routing Fender type nut slots. Using a 3 mm straight router bit here.
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:44 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

017_Cutting_body_out_of_alder_blank.jpg 018_Sanding_body_with_belt_sander.jpg 019_Routing_body_edges_flush_with_table_router.jpg On to the neck then. I had a nice rosewood blank for the fretboard. I started by measuring and marking out the fret positions with a digital measuring tape. 021_Measuring...
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:23 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

...and bevelled.
...and bevelled.
I often plane enough alder to make several body blanks at a time, sometimes not. My planer/jointer is a good tool for that, powerful and accurate. I has only "8 working width, but it's small enough for my workshop and gives good results.
I often plane enough alder to make several body blanks at a time, sometimes not. My planer/jointer is a good tool for that, powerful and accurate. I has only "8 working width, but it's small enough for my workshop and gives good results.
Planing the board sides in a 90° angle with the top and bottom here. There will be no gaps or curving when the pieces are glued together.
Planing the board sides in a 90° angle with the top and bottom here. There will be no gaps or curving when the pieces are glued together.
Good clamps are the best friend of body blanks.
Good clamps are the best friend of body blanks.
by Markku Nyytäjä
Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:08 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric
Replies: 28
Views: 35967

Re: New build: The Alligatrix Stinger solid body electric

Routing pickguard edge flush with the template.
Routing pickguard edge flush with the template.
I used 2-ply (black/white, couldn't find black/yellow) ABS plastic sheet for the pickguard. It looks nice with a bevelled edge. I used a 45° bevelling router bit for the job.
I used 2-ply (black/white, couldn't find black/yellow) ABS plastic sheet for the pickguard. It looks nice with a bevelled edge. I used a 45° bevelling router bit for the job.
I could use off-the-shelf trem spring cavity covers, but I prefer making them of the same sheet as the pickguard. With a template that's very little trouble. Drilling the cover here.
I could use off-the-shelf trem spring cavity covers, but I prefer making them of the same sheet as the pickguard. With a template that's very little trouble. Drilling the cover here.
Of course the cover has to be routed flush with the template...
Of course the cover has to be routed flush with the template...

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