Embarking on a new adventure

[BRENTrocks]

Neck is set. I let it set clamped for 48 hours.

TIME TO START SANDING!!!

 

[BRENTrocks]

Well…I think I’m ready for stain tomorrow morning.

I’m having the stain mixed up at the hardware store tomorrow morning.

I’m gonna hand rub the stain color on. Then do multiple coats of hand rubbed paste wax. Then a light buff n polish.

 

[Solarflares]

Good luck with the stain.
I probably don’t need to remind you to wash the guitar down with spirit or thinners, to remove any dust that might bobble.
My Strat, I slapped on the stain thick with a rag. Then polished it over some years with Mr.Sheen.
Very gradually it turned into something quite respectable.

 

[BRENTrocks]

Time for stain.

 

[BRENTrocks]

Stain is on and binding is scraped

 

[BRENTrocks]

I don’t know how people that work for Guitar manufacturers scrape binding all day long? My finger is so sore just from scraping that little bit of binding!

 

[shit butt poop party]

I don’t know how people that work for Guitar manufacturers scrape binding all day long? My finger is so sore just from scraping that little bit of binding!

They don't, they tape up the sides using auto fine line tape and only scrape the top edge...a little piece of steel with a burnish scraper edge makes it super fast to scrap the top edge.


https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/scrapers/stewmac-binding-scraper/

(30 dollars for a 20 cent piece of mild steel LMAO...just buy a strip from amazon or ebay and cut to length if you want to make one)

 

[Navigator]

Wow. This is coming together quick and looking good. Nice work. I'm curious; what is the neck profile like?

 

[BRENTrocks]

Wow. This is coming together quick and looking good. Nice work. I'm curious; what is the neck profile like?

It’s a 60s neck profile. That’s bro!!

 

[fusedbrain]

That looks freakin' great!
Nice job bro!
I wasnt sure about the color choice, but that red is killer.
What are the plans for hardware, and pickups? Covered or open? Bobbin color?
With all the right parts, that beast is gonna be a looker for sure

 

[VonBonfire]

That's looking nice Brent! Now all you need is gold hardware.

 

[fusedbrain]

That's looking nice Brent! Now all you need is gold hardware.

Lol! We all got are own style, thats for sure.
I was thinking nickel hardware with aged nickel covered PAF style pu's.
Whatever he does, I'm sure it'll look good.

 

[BRENTrocks]

That looks freakin' great!
Nice job bro!
I wasnt sure about the color choice, but that red is killer.
What are the plans for hardware, and pickups? Covered or open? Bobbin color?
With all the right parts, that beast is gonna be a looker for sure

It’s almost done. I’ll have pics soon. Thanks dude.

 

[BRENTrocks]

That's looking nice Brent! Now all you need is gold hardware.

It came with gold hardware. So that will be the theme.

 

[JackBootedThug]

Man that’s awesome bro!!! Love it!!! Got a Billy Gibbons vibe happening. I agree on the gold hardware. Gonna be sweet!

 

[VonBonfire]

It came with gold hardware. So that will be the theme.

 

[BRENTrocks]

Getting the electronics in was a real treat….

 

[VonBonfire]

Getting the electronics in was a real treat….


View attachment 453724View attachment 453725View attachment 453726

Semi hollow fun. That thing should have a real sweet tone. Crank up your amp and feel the air moving against your arm.

 

[CrystalSky]

Good stuff!

 

[BRENTrocks]

Well….its done. At least as done as done as it’s gonna be for now.

The frets are HORRIBLE. It needs a Refret but I’m not spending $400 for a Refret on a $280 kit guitar. Not yet anyway. If I had the tools, I’d attempt to do it myself. But tools would cost more than a pro re fret and new bone nut.

Overall….im happy with the results.

Is it perfect. No. From 2 feet away it looks great.

Aside from the poor fret work, (sharp, lifting fret ends) this guitar plays and sounds great.

What did I learn from building this kit?

1. Water based stain isn’t too bad to work with.
2. Scraping binding is tough
3. Aquarium tubing is your friend
4. Paste wax dries fast, is easy to work with and is a great top coat if you’re not “spraying”

The pickups are a SD JB/Lollar imperial.
500k pots
Sprauge caps

I had to leave blank leads out to soldier pickups to. (Well I didn’t HAVE to)

I used their tuners, jack, toggle, bridge, pickup rings and jack plate.

Did not use their pots, caps, knobs, strap pins, pickups, or Bigsby tailpiece.

All in all I’m very pleased. It was good experience for me to build this kit. And it was fun. Would I do another in the future….yeah.