Building a guitar

Unfortunately I am having to wait for the new nut to arrive as at the moment it's my highest priority, then I can get to work actually installing the neck and getting the bridge setup. Between now and the nut arriving (that's going to take 2 weeks as I'm importing it from the US) I can get a few jobs done like getting holes drilled for the bridge ground wire, fitting the jack socket, fitting the tuners etc but nothing major.

EDIT: I've managed to get practically everything I can do to the body and neck done without the use of a pillar drill or vertical mount for a normal drill, I'll be getting that sorted at the weekend. Currently the tuners, string retainer bar, jack socket mount and strap buttons are all fitted and holes for the bridge ground wire and output wire to the jack are drilled.

Hopefully I'll be able to get the neck drilled and attached to the body over the weekend and the bridge I should be able to work on during next week. But the next job to tackle will be getting the pickguard soldered up as I've still not got round to it.


Edited by N Ellingworth - March 31 2008 at 12:45

It's the bulky Fender variety but I'm used to that sort of heel so it's not a problem and I don't tend to play that high up the neck anyway so the advantages of a shaved heel would be wasted on me.

Just had a look around the Seymour Duncan forum, if I ever need serious advice about pickups it'll definitely be my first stop.

EDIT: Speaking of pickups, I've just got the pickguard wired up and ready for installation.


Edited by N Ellingworth - April 04 2008 at 09:15

Ohh, I like the way the Wilkinson bridge looks on that, looks way better than the vintage 6 screw trem IMHO.

Suffered a major setback today, firstly the installation instructions supplied with my Wilkinson trem are wrong and I've ended up with loose mounts, so if I've got to buy some dowel and fill the holes and redrill them but I won't be doing that since I've discovered that all the routs on the body are slightly misaligned and therefore even if I do fit the bridge properly the guitar won't be playable anyway.

A warning for everyone don't buy bodies from Axesrus.co.uk they clearly sell utter rubbish.

I can't afford a replacement neck and body so I'm afraid this project is over unless I can somehow scrape enough money together to buy some Warmoth parts.




Edited by N Ellingworth - April 11 2008 at 11:55

Which routs are misaligned?

Ah. That's surely a case for returning the body to Axesrus for a refund. (ie "not fit for use")

^ I'd PM Trademark before doing anything too drastic

Talk to me man!  If I can sort out what's wrong with the body you have, I may be able to help you out .  If not I have a Strat body I might be able to send you way without killing your budeget.  Its a blonde Swamp Ash body already set up for a Wilkinson and 3 single coils.  Stock Fender neck mounting so it should match your neck.  It was originally intended for Roye Albrighton of Nektar (He has two of my guitars already), but he chose a slightly different body shape and size in the end. Now it has no home.

I've bought plenty of stuff from Axesrus and never had a problem, haven't bought a body though.

I fitted a Warmoth neck (paduak with an ebony fingerboard) to my Mexican Fender Strat. I saved some money because paduak doesn't need to be oiled or lacquered but it was still fairly expensive.

I've had some success using Colron Antique Oil to finish necks and bodies. Obviously it isn't as hard-wearing as lacquer but it is cheap and easy to use,  just take your time.