New Build: Alder and Maple Tele

[Greg Peterson]

That was a convincing victory by Dallas yesterday. Looks like yesterdays games were simply a repeat of last weekend. Let's hope today is the same.

It looks like you angled back the headstock, which would explain the thick neck billet.

Request: Could you detail the nut work when you get to that point? Very interested to see what tools and techniques you use. Doesn't seem like it would be extremely difficult, but then again your documentation makes the process look easy, which is probably the highest form of flattery I can offer.

For my slide guitar I don't really need a very refined nut, but no harm in trying out some actual techniques rather than winging it.

[glen mccurdy]

how do you know where to put the frets, I've often wondered. GREAT work

[Greg Peterson]

Stewart-MacDonald has a calculator on their site that gives you the measurements.

Enter in number of frets and scale length and it comes back with the distance to each fret from the nut and the distance fret to fret.

[Mark Crenshaw]

That was a convincing victory by Dallas yesterday. Looks like yesterdays games were simply a repeat of last weekend. Let's hope today is the same.

It looks like you angled back the headstock, which would explain the thick neck billet.

Request: Could you detail the nut work when you get to that point? Very interested to see what tools and techniques you use. Doesn't seem like it would be extremely difficult, but then again your documentation makes the process look easy, which is probably the highest form of flattery I can offer.

For my slide guitar I don't really need a very refined nut, but no harm in trying out some actual techniques rather than winging it.

Hey Greg. Yep, the Cowboys are looking strong.

The headstock isn't angled, just carved down from the fretboard level. The back of the neck will be carved the other direction to thin it out.

The nut is pretty easy if you know what kind of action you want from the guitar. I'll post some pics and details when I get to that point. I don't know much about slide guitar but from the way they sound, I would guess it uses an open tuning so a poorly cut nut will only frustrate you...it's worth the effort to make sure it's right.

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

how do you know where to put the frets, I've often wondered. GREAT work

Hi Glen. A calculator will do it but if you want to know the math, this is how to do it.

Traditionally, frets were placed using the rule of 18. Today, it's more common to use 17.817". Take the scale length, and divide it by 17.817. That's the location of the first fret. Subtract this interval from the portion of the scale length you just divided and divide by 17.817 again for the next fret until you have the desired number of frets. The 12th fret is the physical halfway point or octave of the scale...regardless of scale length.

Fender's 25.5" scale length would be...

25.5/17.817 = 1.431" (first fret)

25.5-1.431 = 24.069" divide this by 17.817 and so on.

Peace,
Mark

[Anthony Scott]

Great work! What did you use to accurately lay out the shape of the body? I am having trouble getting info on the correct dimensions for a strat or tele. I don't own one or know anyone that does.
Thanks

[Eric DeSilva]

I've been silently enjoying this one--as well as your prior thread. I'm not quite yet possessed to build one myself, but you do make it look interesting.

The one question that popped to mind looking at these pictures was how you address wood movement between the top and body. The top maple seems pretty thick--maybe 1/4"? Seems too thick to be called a veneer... Do you have any fear about differences in wood movement between the maple and alder causing splitting? (I will confess, I know nothing about guitars and very little about veneering--trying to learn as we speak).

[Mark Crenshaw]

Great work! What did you use to accurately lay out the shape of the body? I am having trouble getting info on the correct dimensions for a strat or tele. I don't own one or know anyone that does.
Thanks

Hey Anthony. I used routing templates that started out as a product I bought from http://www.ronkirn.com/ but I have modified them slightly over the last few builds. Templates for both Strat and Tele can be purchased from them. There's another seller on eBay...long order turnaround but nice product.

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

I've been silently enjoying this one--as well as your prior thread. I'm not quite yet possessed to build one myself, but you do make it look interesting.

The one question that popped to mind looking at these pictures was how you address wood movement between the top and body. The top maple seems pretty thick--maybe 1/4"? Seems too thick to be called a veneer... Do you have any fear about differences in wood movement between the maple and alder causing splitting? (I will confess, I know nothing about guitars and very little about veneering--trying to learn as we speak).

Hi Eric.

It's a very common process to use mixed wood densities. Les Paul guitars are .325" carved maple tops with a 1.75" mahogany backs. I'm sure they've had their issues over the years but I've never seen one that looked like the result of it pulling itself apart. Many, many guitars are made this way.

I guess there's always a chance of something shifting and cracking. I have a 1981 Fender Lead II that has a crack along the body seam. It appeared several years after purchase.This was probably a bad join since it's a 2 piece body with no separate top.

I try to minimize any risk by using stable woods and plenty of glue during glue up...the entire surfaces of both top and back are coated with glue. My very first build 7 years ago was similar to the Les Paul I described above, but shaped like a Strat...it's doing fine so far.



Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

Back on the build today. I started by working on the neck. With callipers and my trusty plane, I got to work on carving the back. My finished thickness will be .890" both ends. I took it down to .910" to leave .020" final shaping and sanding. A little trick I picked up on it to set the callipers, lock them off and turn off the display...saves the battery since mine don't shut off automatically.





I roughed in the detail at the headstock...




...and the heel.

[Mark Crenshaw]

Time for the dot markers. Rather than drawing an X at each fret, I drwaw a single diagnal, then an X at the first and last markers. I then draw a line down the fretboard from the centers of the 2. This gives me an average of the fretboard center and makes ceratin that the markers are in a straight line. Hand drawing individual X's can cause the markers to shift position...at least in my experience.



Instead of using a drill or drill press, I like to hand cut the positions with a brad point bit. I also use a 2X magnifier to make certain I'm setting the point of the bit exactly on center.



Almost drilled and ready to glue in the dots. I use Weldon 16 cement for plastics. I've never had an inlay come loose. It sets up in about 30 mins and the bond grows stronger over the next few days.



Though I haven't had one come loose, I have seen them pop up from hydraulic pressure caused by the cement underneath. I use very light clamping to make sure they stay seated.



Out of the clamps and ready for leveling which takes place during truing and then radiusing the fretboard.

[Mark Crenshaw]

All leveled and ready for detailing.



Here it is sanded, fretboard edges rolled and ready for frets.



I finished up the machining on the body, too. Here, I'm drilling the paths for PU wires. One from the neck PU to the bridge cavity...



And one from the bridge cavity to the control cavity. The clamping caul keeps the drill biy from riding on the edge of the bridge PU cavity.



Nice clean, single entry point into the control cavilty.

[Mark Crenshaw]

I didn't stop to take pics but I layed out the controls and drilled for them. Vol, Tone, 3-way selector and phase switch.

Here are a couple of hots of boring the output jack. Very easy on my Shopsmith with it's ability to bore horizontally.





It's getting close. Tomorrow I'll work on frets and start prepping for finish.



Peace,
Mark

[Anthony Scott]

How did you learn to build guitars?
Thanks

[Mark Crenshaw]

How did you learn to build guitars?
Thanks

One mistake at a time.

Seriously, I played guitar for many years before I started building so I already knew the math and mechanics involved. I studied and measured guitars that I owned and started cobbling things together. Most of the later knowledge came from trial & error. I like to build one-of-a-kind guitars, so I'm always learning and developing new ideas and techniques.

There are several good books on the subject. One by Dan Erlewine, Guitar Player Repair Guide

And one by Melvin Hiscock, Make Your Own Electric Guitar

Tons of great info in these 2 books. Amazon has both of them and sometimes they can be found on eBay also.

Peace,
Mark