Search found 105 matches

by Dave Weir
Sun Aug 31, 2014 9:54 pm
Forum: Electronics
Topic: Experimental rail pickup construction: wiring question
Replies: 81
Views: 85883

Re: Experimental rail pickup construction: wiring question

Jason, thank you for this thread and thank everyone for all the comments and advice. It's very interesting. I'm also am building my first pickup. It is like a mini humbucker but with bar steel on both sides, so no adjusting screws. It's wound to about 7K and it's not in a guitar yet but I wired it t...
by Dave Weir
Sat Jul 26, 2014 11:28 pm
Forum: Glues and Finishes
Topic: WENGE FRETBOARD??
Replies: 13
Views: 14248

Re: WENGE FRETBOARD??

I've made a couple guitars with a one piece wenge neck and fret board. It was a little splintery and seemed more dry than oily. I finished with several coats of my standard linseed oil/shellac/denatured alcohol blend. It didn't really fill in the grain, but seemed like it was sealed up good and left...
by Dave Weir
Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:22 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: would fanned-fret spacing benefit a dulcimer or small guitar
Replies: 5
Views: 6158

Re: would fanned-fret spacing benefit a dulcimer or small guitar

I made this fanned fret lap steel a while back. I play left handed with the bass string away from me. So I got the advantage of a longer base string and a more comfortable wrist position. Works great for me, and no one tries to borrow it.
by Dave Weir
Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:43 am
Forum: Electronics
Topic: "Voodo djo" in elect guitar and bass circuitry
Replies: 7
Views: 7489

Re: "Voodo djo" in elect guitar and bass circuitry

The first guitar I built had 43 switching options. It had a push pull volume which put the pick ups out of phase, a four way selector which was bridge, bridge neck parallel, bridge neck series, neck It had two three-position four pole mini switches that gave me either coil or both coils from each hu...
by Dave Weir
Tue Jan 28, 2014 12:13 am
Forum: Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments
Topic: What bit to use for boring?
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Re: What bit to use for boring?

I've never used the auger, so I don't know if it would work better. I'm pretty sure you should not put it in a power drill. I would think it would be hard to hold straight and crank it by hand. I know this is how it would have been done back in the day. I would start with a 1/4" brad point, 4&q...
by Dave Weir
Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:51 am
Forum: Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments
Topic: What bit to use for boring?
Replies: 13
Views: 21376

Re: What bit to use for boring?

I drill 5/16"x18" deep holes in guitar necks with a bell hangers bit. I take them out of the package and roll them on a flat surface to make sure they are straight. Most of them at Home Depot are not. Harbor Freight has them also. It works a little better in a lathe, but in most woods I ca...
by Dave Weir
Fri Nov 01, 2013 12:15 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: weldless truss rod
Replies: 7
Views: 5158

Re: weldless truss rod

Finally completed the first neck with the new truss rod. Seems to work fine. I put about half turn on it and got a little back bow. Eased it of just a bit and it seems pretty stable with the tiniest relief. Neck is Lyptus, which is a South American plantation grown hardwood. It is rated a little har...
by Dave Weir
Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:54 pm
Forum: Wood and Materials Q&A
Topic: Mexican Marimba?
Replies: 2
Views: 3541

Re: Mexican Marimba?

Platymiscium spp. Strangely enough, they make Marimbas out of it. I've seen it at wood floor stores. Looks like it has potential for neck or even fret board.
by Dave Weir
Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:08 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: cutting aluminium with a router?
Replies: 7
Views: 4943

Re: cutting aluminium with a router?

I use a hand held router and 1/4" round over bit to round over rectangular aluminum bar. Run at slowest speed and nix stix wax or cutting oil as a lubricant helps a lot. It makes a horrible noise and a giant mess and makes me very tense but actually makes clean cut. I've carved aluminum with a ...
by Dave Weir
Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:34 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: weldless truss rod
Replies: 7
Views: 5158

Re: weldless truss rod

No, I'm still drilling the necks. There is a 5/16" lamp auger that leaves a round hole slightly undersized. The rod slides right into a 3/8" hole, or I can square it up with a long 1/4" square file. I'm also wondering if a truss rod is even necessary at all. I've seen lots on the topi...
by Dave Weir
Wed Aug 21, 2013 9:55 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: weldless truss rod
Replies: 7
Views: 5158

Re: weldless truss rod

weight is just over 1/4 pound. The cap screw seems o.k. I was more worried about the threads I cut in the bar, but they seem o.k. unless I put a cheater bar on the allen key. The first one I made had the center leg right up tight in the U turn. It got pinched pretty tight and I bent the screw. I'm n...
by Dave Weir
Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:33 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: weldless truss rod
Replies: 7
Views: 5158

weldless truss rod

Here is a prototype weld-less truss rod. Pretty easy and super cheap. 1/8" x 1/4" steel bar. It does a 180 at about 18" and then another 180 over the top of the first end. I just bent it with a hammer and a vice. I'm sure it could be done better. Then then the end is drilled and tappe...
by Dave Weir
Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:32 pm
Forum: Glues and Finishes
Topic: Alternative to French Polish
Replies: 38
Views: 29003

Re: Alternative to French Polish

I need to edit what I posted before about the wipe on poly. I would NOT use more than 3 coats. Maybe I'm just too impatient, but the forth coat never dries before I touch it.
by Dave Weir
Sat Jul 06, 2013 10:26 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Zero Fret, No Nut
Replies: 21
Views: 12409

Re: Zero Fret, No Nut

The neck is pressed in and fits really tight. But I also install a standard Fender type neck plate. The neck can be removed and reinstalled. To drill the hole. I use a really sharp bit and don't push very hard, and clear the chips a lot. I am am usually within 1/32" of my target. I cut out the ...
by Dave Weir
Sat Jul 06, 2013 5:32 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Zero Fret, No Nut
Replies: 21
Views: 12409

Re: Zero Fret, No Nut

I don't really have any pictures of the pocket. Here's a neck that's had the truss rod hole drilled. The hole you see is 1/2". It's this diameter for 1", and the 1/4" the rest of the way. The pockets are made after the neck is done. They are undersized by 3/128 of an inch. The pocket ...
by Dave Weir
Sat Jul 06, 2013 3:51 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Zero Fret, No Nut
Replies: 21
Views: 12409

Re: Zero Fret, No Nut

Simple is certainly the operative term. The pickup is wired directly to the end pin output jack. There is no volume or tone control. For me, these things were always somewhere between a distraction and an annoyance. Once I started building my own guitars, they were the first thing to go. The neck po...
by Dave Weir
Sat Jul 06, 2013 3:39 pm
Forum: Glues and Finishes
Topic: Alternative to French Polish
Replies: 38
Views: 29003

Re: Alternative to French Polish

I only make solid bodies, but I use Watco Danish oil and Minwax Tung Oil Finish. Both have varnish or something that makes a hard film, but it's pretty thin. Once you get over the misleading names, (Tung Oil Finish apparently contains no tung oil) and the fact that you get them at Home Depot, they w...
by Dave Weir
Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:41 am
Forum: Wood and Materials Q&A
Topic: Wenge neck questions.
Replies: 2
Views: 3321

Re: Wenge neck questions.

I have an unfinished Wenge neck I've played for years. It is not smooth like Maple. It's very open grained, and unfilled. It feels fast, I think because of less surface area. I never thought of it being splintery, or had any concern about it. I didn't make it, so I think if there is a concern it wou...
by Dave Weir
Thu Jul 04, 2013 5:34 pm
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Zero Fret, No Nut
Replies: 21
Views: 12409

Re: Zero Fret, No Nut

I've built about a dozen guitars over the last couple years. I've used P90s, Bill Lawerence L45S, GFS Minitrons and Minibirds, all mounted this way. No problems with any of them. I feel like any kind of rubber would defeat the point of having it as solid against the wood as possible. But that is a g...
by Dave Weir
Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:56 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Zero Fret, No Nut
Replies: 21
Views: 12409

Re: Zero Fret, No Nut

That's the kind of thing I'm concerned about. So far I haven't had any problems, but I don't know about long term. I assume finishing in the cavity would help some. Could the expanding wood actually damage the coils? I just have no idea have much wood could move in this type of cutout. I use typical...

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