Got the new guitar today... now what? aka, what to do first so i'm not sorry..

[High_Flight_Music]

I have to say I'm very excited.  The neck and body look amazing!  With that I want to get her up and playing, but I know I need to be patient and not mess it up.  To that end I have some questions.  (My searches have thus far not found what I need, but I may not know how to phrase the question for the machine.)  Of course, I may not ask all or even the right questions, so I'll happily accept advice about the assembly process even if its outside my specific questions.  I'm also looking for corrections to what I think I've already learned about assembly (so pipe up if I've got some of the proceedures wrong.)  Thanks in advance!  Steve.

1.  Shielding the control cavity.  I bought the copper shielding from the big W.  For size cut it slightly larger, press into the shape of the bottom and let it ride just a small amount up the sides.  Then insulate the side with the other strip of copper.  Poke a small hole in the copper to bring in the pup wires.  Nothing needed on the control cavity cover.  

2.  Soldering.  Don't do it in the guitar if possible.  For parts that I have to have electronics in the guitar, what do you guys use to protect the rest of the guitar while soldering a connection?  What type of solder do you recommend?  

3.  Ferrules.  Do I glue them in?  Or just push them into place?  For that matter is glue ever used?  I'm thinking, no, but I'm not sure.

4.  Pads shims and other spacer-ish type things are bad.  Anything between a hard part like the bridge and the body will negatively affect tone.  Just put the item directly on the body.  But, don't do anything to the finish.  Just put the bridge on top of the clear coat.  One exception could the the strap locks, can use small felt pads..

 

[High_Flight_Music]

Continuted (the edit screen was being wierd.)

5.  Attaching the neck.  Mine is a pre drilled gecko on gecko with 4 screws.  Two are long and two are short.  Which go where?  I read on the forum here that if i use a hand screw driver it will be easy to tell when they are tight enough.  That sound correct?  Do I need to have a luthier set the neck or will it be properly placed if I just line up the holes and screw it on?

6.  I read a bit about proper pilot holes, so I'm going to watch that VERY carefully.

Any other tips for a first time builder?

Details on my new baby:  Swamp ash Gecko5 medium with quilt top and blue dye.  Wenge neck and graphite nut.  TG5 through body bridge and the standard gecko tuners (gb7).  Baslines ASB2s and their mostly pre-wired STC3A tone circuit.

 

[m4rk0]

I have to say I'm very excited.  The neck and body look amazing!  With that I want to get her up and playing, but I know I need to be patient and not mess it up.  To that end I have some questions.  (My searches have thus far not found what I need, but I may not know how to phrase the question for the machine.)  Of course, I may not ask all or even the right questions, so I'll happily accept advice about the assembly process even if its outside my specific questions.  I'm also looking for corrections to what I think I've already learned about assembly (so pipe up if I've got some of the proceedures wrong.)  Thanks in advance!  Steve.

1.  Shielding the control cavity.  I bought the copper shielding from the big W.  For size cut it slightly larger, press into the shape of the bottom and let it ride just a small amount up the sides.  Then insulate the side with the other strip of copper.  Poke a small hole in the copper to bring in the pup wires.  Nothing needed on the control cavity cover.

 
Sounds about right... I myself never really bother with shielding...

2.  Soldering.  Don't do it in the guitar if possible.  For parts that I have to have electronics in the guitar, what do you guys use to protect the rest of the guitar while soldering a connection?  What type of solder do you recommend?  

I have so many rags around... all the ones I bought for (oil) finishing but found them to lint-y and threw them in a pile I use a couple of layers and tape them with masking tape to all sides of the cavity..

3.  Ferrules.  Do I glue them in?  Or just push them into place?  For that matter is glue ever used?  I'm thinking, no, but I'm not sure.

No glue needed... a great trick is to heat them up with a soldering iron, so they will slide in easier.. use a screwdriver type device that within the ferrule over the hole and hammer them (Carefully) in. I sometimes use green soap (as I do with all screws)

4.  Pads shims and other spacer-ish type things are bad.  Anything between a hard part like the bridge and the body will negatively affect tone.  Just put the item directly on the body.  But, don't do anything to the finish.  Just put the bridge on top of the clear coat.  One exception could the the strap locks, can use small felt pads..

I use pads for the neck plate.. don't think it makes a difference..  full bridge/body contact makes sense, but then again, on TOMs, Wrap Around and some trems, the only contact is 2 studs..

 

[tfarny]

You'll be fine. For protecting against solder, use some painter's tape and tape some rags to cover the finish, any area that conceivably could get a splash of solder. But you don't need very much solder at all.

Practice on scrap parts - both drilling and soldering, or anything you're not sure of. If you've never used a drill, go drill 100 holes in some scrap wood of the appropriate size.

No glue, certainly not on ferrules. Push with gentle, firm pressure. Again, tape off areas if you are doing something that looks dodgy. If they won't go, don't force them - set them on the hole and heat them (a bit) with your soldering iron till they soften, then they'll go right in. I'm just talking a few seconds.

Normally you'll have no need for shims or spacers of any kind, personally I doubt they are as bad as some say. You won't need them if you do the rest right.

Good luck!

 

[Mor Paul]

Shims aren't always bad, they are used under the neck sometimes to adjust the angle.

 

[m4rk0]

Continuted (the edit screen was being wierd.)

5.  Attaching the neck.  Mine is a pre drilled gecko on gecko with 4 screws.  Two are long and two are short.   Which go where?  I read on the forum here that if i use a hand screw driver it will be easy to tell when they are tight enough.  That sound correct?  Do I need to have a luthier set the neck or will it be properly placed if I just line up the holes and screw it on?

use the short keys for the recessed part of the heel... yeah always use a hand screw driver

6.  I read a bit about proper pilot holes, so I'm going to watch that VERY carefully.
Any other tips for a first time builder?

yes, measure everything 50 times before you drill use some soap for the tiny tuner/tree etc screws..

Details on my new baby:  Swamp ash Gecko5 medium with quilt top and blue dye.  Wenge neck and graphite nut.  TG5 through body bridge and the standard gecko tuners (gb7).  Baslines ASB2s and their mostly pre-wired STC3A tone circuit.

Sounds great... !  :icon_thumright:

 

[JaySwear]

definitely second the "measure fifty times and THEN drill" advice.

the way i put my first warmoth together was to pick a different step and research it online for a day or two before i did anything. there's a ton of information on forums on assembling guitars. a good thread on them will list multiple ways to do one thing (for example, i've seen a few different ways that string ferrules should be installed).

take your time but have fun with it! if anything goes too wrong you should be able to get a luthier to sort it out for you (as long as you don't start drilling holes through the body or anything  :icon_biggrin: )

 

[High_Flight_Music]

How tight do you tighten the tuner nuts?  GB7s on a wenge neck.  I've already got the small screws in to keep them from rotating in the headstock and I've tightened them to what feels "firm" but I'm using my mechanic wrenches and they do provide plenty of leverage.  I don't want to over do it and damage the wood.

Thanks.

 

[NickS]

Going though the exact thing that you are right now building my SG.  I have done the copper sheilding and found that if you make a "trace" with paper then use that to cut the copper you are way better off.  Also on that point when sheilding around round areas use small cuts in the copper so that it will easily go around the shape of the wood.

Tonight we are putting the electronics in, and we plan to solder everything outside of the guitar then put it together.  However I am using active pickups (don't ask why I did the shielding now) so they have quick connects on them which makes this much easier.

 

[AprioriMark]

How tight do you tighten the tuner nuts?  GB7s on a wenge neck.  I've already got the small screws in to keep them from rotating in the headstock and I've tightened them to what feels "firm" but I'm using my mechanic wrenches and they do provide plenty of leverage.  I don't want to over do it and damage the wood.

Thanks.

This is just me talking, but on all my basses, I've only ever just tightened to feel, and they tune up rock-solid.  I'm afraid of stripping gears and wood, and coming from an upright bass school of thought, these modern tuners are MUCH more precise to begin with.  If you notice slippage, tighten it when you change the strings. 

-MArk

 

[jackthehack]

1.  Shielding the control cavity.  I bought the copper shielding from the big W.  For size cut it slightly larger, press into the shape of the bottom and let it ride just a small amount up the sides.  Then insulate the side with the other strip of copper.  Poke a small hole in the copper to bring in the pup wires.  Nothing needed on the control cavity cover. 

Shielding the control cavity is a waste of time, don't bother.

2.  Soldering.  Don't do it in the guitar if possible.  For parts that I have to have electronics in the guitar, what do you guys use to protect the rest of the guitar while soldering a connection?  What type of solder do you recommend? 

I ALWAYS solder with the components in the guitar, never had any need to "protect the guitar", use a pencil type soldering iron and be careful.


3.  Ferrules.  Do I glue them in?  Or just push them into place?  For that matter is glue ever used?  I'm thinking, no, but I'm not sure.

Never glue; use a wash rag and a small hammer and pound them in.


4.  Pads shims and other spacer-ish type things are bad.  Anything between a hard part like the bridge and the body will negatively affect tone.  Just put the item directly on the body.  But, don't do anything to the finish.  Just put the bridge on top of the clear coat.  One exception could the the strap locks, can use small felt pads..

Utter nonsense. If you want to, use them, no effect on tone whatsoever, where did you hear that balderdash?

 

[Patrick]

well the first thing you should do is post some pics so we can drool over its beauty  :icon_thumright:

 

[High_Flight_Music]

Thanks for all the replies so far. 

The bass is nearly done, but I have two new issues.

1.  I can't get strings long enough.  Tried EB slinkys and they were too short by and inch or so.  So I went off on a longer trek to GC and they sent me home with some rotosound long scale 66s.  This time i pulled out the .130 first, ran it through the ferrule and up to the nut.  1/2 inch too short!!! arg!

2.  While attempting to string the bass, the nut popped off.  Its a graphic one that came on the neck.  How do I re-attach it?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Cagey]

- Shielding the control cavity is a waste of time, don't bother.

I've often wondered where that whole idea came from. That, and the pickup cavity. It's like building a submarine with a screened doors and windows. Worthless.

- I ALWAYS solder with the components in the guitar, never had any need to "protect the guitar", use a pencil type soldering iron and be careful.

Same here. If someone's so sloppy with a soldering iron that they need some kind of protection, they shouldn't be soldering.

- Never glue [ferrules]; use a wash rag and a small hammer and pound them in.

No kidding. What kind of glue would one use, anyway? And why?

- [pads/shims/spacers are] Utter nonsense. If you want to, use them, no effect on tone whatsoever, where did you hear that balderdash?

I agree.