Building my first body.

[line6man]

As I've mentioned in the thread about which Floyd Rose to get, I've decided to try building a guitar body.
Now would probably be the time to start a dedicated thread about it, here. :blob7:

I just won this two-piece bookmatched set of Curly Black Walnut on eBay. This will be the body core.

For a laminate top, I'm trying to source a billet of Waterfall Bubinga, suitable for a 3/8" bookmatched top.
I may or may not opt for a Maple or Flamed Maple accent line between the Walnut and Bubinga.

I've got a guy that's going to prepare the blank for me, because I don't have a planer (Eventually I'll build a router-planing jig, though.), and I don't have enough wood clamps to glue a body. After that, I'll do the rest of the work myself. The plan is for a Strat or Soloist style body, rear routed, with no pickguard. It will have a Floyd and most likely, an SXH pickup scheme. I'm not sure on the exact type of finish yet, but it will be oiled.

Any thoughts?

Suggestions on a neck? I'll be using the neck off my MiM Strat until I can afford a Warmoth neck, but I definitely want a nice raw exotic at some point.

 

[rapfohl09]

That is some awesome looking wood! I am just finishing up my set of templates for a Strat. What are your plans on templates? I have the plans if you wanted a set. I have it on some 8.5x11s or in one big sheet. It is based on 62 I think.

Otherwise, what you have to so far is gonna be awesome :icon_thumright:

 

[line6man]

That is some awesome looking wood! I am just finishing up my set of templates for a Strat. What are your plans on templates? I have the plans if you wanted a set. I have it on some 8.5x11s or in one big sheet. It is based on 62 I think.

Otherwise, what you have to so far is gonna be awesome :icon_thumright:

I ordered the routing templates from StewMac to do the neck pocket, bridge, pickups and control cavity.

As far as the shape, I was going to trace my Strat on a piece of paper or something and see if I could modify it to be a bit more like a soloist, but now I'm wondering how narrow the horns should be, since I plan on doing a rather thick top. It could look weird. :blob7:
If you don't mind giving out a set of paper drawings, I'd love to use them, and modify some of the curves a bit.

 

[pabloman]

I just bought some 8/4 wenge to do a soloist build with. I have a Dinky body I was going to trace. I could hook you up with that outline.

 

[rapfohl09]

Sent via Email

 

[swarfrat]

Maybe I didn't parse that right, but are you going to cover up that bookmatched curly walnut with bubinga? Bubinga is a pretty wood - but that's a crime against nature to cover up that thing!

 

[Cagey]

I agree. Curly walnut is pretty rare, especially in large chunks like that. Be a crime to cover it up. Better to resaw it to make tops.

But, it would make a pretty back, too. Just that nobody will see it. Put an ebony over walnut neck on, veneer the headstock with bubinga to match the top, clear gloss the whole thing, and it would be a real showpiece.

 

[mgaut051]

How thick is the walnut?

 

[mgaut051]

Because, if it's like 1.5" - it would make a great vintage tele or SG. Or a PJ bass.

I'm begging, on my knees - please don't cover that wood. It would be like priming over a van gogh to put a Warhol. Both art, both great - but why not do both? Sister Geetars - you know? One hardtail and one trem? Curly 'Nut and Curly Bub?


I'm so sorry - it's my GAS. I have serious wood envy.

Great lumber - building a body is easier than it looks and very satisfying.

 

[line6man]

Um, you guys realize that the backside of a guitar is just as important as the top, don't you? (At least to me. I hate fancy tops with plain backs.)

The Walnut pieces are 24"X9 3/4"X1 7/8" each. This is quite large for a guitar body, so I should be able to saw off a good two inches of width and five inches of length from each piece as scrap for some other project. I could make a small bowl from the excess length cutoff, for example.

Come to think of it, since the wood is 1 7/8" thick, I could probably have a lam top's worth of wood cut from it, since the finished thickness will be 1 3/4", with a 3/8" lam top, and possibly the accent line.

 

[line6man]

Ok, got my lam top wood!

Pomelle Bubinga, 22-5/8" x 9-5/8" (down to 6-3/8") x 15/16".
It should be good for one lam top, and a bunch of pen blanks.

 

[Cagey]

Wow. You don't see chunks of wood like that every day.

 

[erogenousjones17]

Wow. You don't see chunks of wood like that every day.

That's what she said.

Someone had to say it. Seriously though, that's some nice stuff. I must say, however, that I agree with the others: two guitars -- one walnut, one boobinga!

 

[line6man]

And btw, before anyone says it, because a few people have hassled me over it already- I will be practicing on cheap wood before I do anything with the Walnut and Bubinga.
(I suppose that means this will actually be my second, third, maybe fourth body.)

I've got a two-piece Alder blank on the way, and that will be my practice body.

 

[line6man]

I got my routing templates this morning. :icon_biggrin:

I find it interesting that StewMac's instructions for the neck pocket template contradict the instructions for the 3/8" pattern follower bit.

The neck pocket template's instructions state that: "Many builders prefer to use extra bearings on the shank. With a stack of four bearings, the cutter bit contacts the template at all heights." Conversely, the instructions for the bit state: "We recommend that you use no more than two bearings stacked at one time[.]"
:tard:

 

[Cagey]

Double check the dimensions on that neck pocket template. I bought one from them and it was oversized by .062" (1/16") in width.

 

[djf67]

Yeah, the StewMac neck pocket template (and all their pickup templates) are, er, generous...
Tape alone is no good, IMO.
My technique is to use 0.6mm wood veneers held on with double sided tape and shave the veneer so it isn't proud of the template so it won't snag the router. Easy enough to build up layers if you need more than 0.6mm. I then make another template in MDF with the narrowed StewMac one and use the mdf template to make the pocket.
HTH.

Lovely wood, btw!

 

[line6man]

Ok, four layers of masking tape, and my MiM neck fits snuggly.

Perhaps a fifth layer is in order to make sure the pocket comes out TIGHT.
Is it unreasonable to have four or five layers of tape on the template, or should it work ok?
I'll have to route some scrap and see what happens.

 

[kboman]

Building my first body.

That's what Frankenstein said!


...ok I've had too much beer for forum posting I think...

 

[Cagey]

Ok, four layers of masking tape, and my MiM neck fits snuggly.

Perhaps a fifth layer is in order to make sure the pocket comes out TIGHT.
Is it unreasonable to have four or five layers of tape on the template, or should it work ok?
I'll have to route some scrap and see what happens.

Tape can be spongy, especially when there are multiple layers involved, so the less you use the better off you are. I'd definitely be routing some scrap first to be certain of the dimensions. Even a 2x4 will do.

I ended up not using mine as intended, so the inaccuracy didn't affect me. I wasn't routing a new pocket, though; I was just lowering the floor of the existing pocket by .100" or so. So, I bought a 1/4" tall follower, which allowed me to use the existing sidewalls of the pocket to guide the bit, rather than the template, and just used the template as a stage to ride the router on rather than as a guide. Had the template been accurate, I could have used one of the taller followers I already had.