Les Paul Guitars x2 (lots of pics)

[Philly]

Aww...you guys :lol:
Simon - good chance I won't beat you :wink:
Philly

 

[Slim]

We had another weekend working on the guitars. We spent most of Saturday morning hunting down a large bearing for a rebate cutter, which would enable us to cut a shallow channel for the binding.

First job was to make sure the profile of the guitars was absolutely smooth and flowing, as the bearing would ride along it.

I don't have a spindle sander, so I turned a cylinder on the lathe and glued some 100g paper to it.

This enable us to sand right into the cut away.

Then came about 2 hours of head scratching. We had route a channel all the way around the body for the binding to sit in. The problem was that with a carved top, the router would be sitting at an angle. So after several failed ideas, we came up with an overhead router jig.

I did have a few worries about the safety of this jig. However, we were taking such a small cut and the guitar was big enough to keep fingers well away, so we went for it. It worked perfectly.

So, on to the binding. After a trip to Morrisons for masking tape, I began. It is simply a case of running some superglue in the channel and taping the binding in place. Or it would be if we didn't have the crappest masking tape ever made! I resorted to gluing the channel and spraying activator on the binding. The instant curing meant no masking tape was needed.

We had to heat the binding in order to get it to bend around the horn.

After a bit of scraping and sanding, this is what they looked like.

After rounding over the backs, that is the bodies complete (apart from the holes for the bridge and tailpiece)

We have finished the inlaying of the fretboard. Next time, we will be working on binding the fretboard and glueing it in place. Then there is not much left to do before the finishing process.

Thanks for looking.

 

[ByronBlack]

sw-eeet!! That binding really brings the whole look up a notch! Good going. What did you use to heat the binding? I have the very same stuff that I intend to use for my next project. I think i'll be copying your over-head router idea, that is a very good way around the carve body issue.

Are you using the same plastic binding for the fingerboard? Also, I assume your fingerboard is the pre-slotted and pre-radiused one from stew-macs? How will you cut the taper and size it to accommodate the binding, are you making a template first? (sorry for the questions, I just intend to do this myself at some point and interested in hearing your method).

Looking great! I best order the finishing materials for my maple as I've been a bit lazy with it recently.

 

[Slim]

Hey BB,

Thanks for the compliments. We used a lighter to heat the binding. Just keep it about an inch above the flame.

Yes we are using the same binding for the fretboards and they are pre fretted and radiused. I have been thinking about the process for a while now. As we have full size plans, we can take accurate measuments for the width of the fretboard. If we subtract two widths of binding from the measurements, we can make an template. If we then taper the fretboard and glue it on using a centre line, we will in effect have a channel for the binding. If you see what I mean :? Otherwise, we might bind the fretboard before we glue it on. I haven't really decided.

It really hurts my head all this thinking! :-k :-s ](*,)

 

[Philly]

Great stuff, Simon! They look awesome - can't believe you guys haven't splashed some finish on them yet to see the figure pop :lol:
Looking forward to the finished guitars,
Philly

 

[Slim]

Great stuff, Simon! They look awesome - can't believe you guys haven't splashed some finish on them yet to see the figure pop :lol:

Cheers Phil, good things come to those who wait. I hope! 8-[

 

[woodchip]

Hi Bainzy,

Doesn't my username help with my location :wink: , Or were you asking which part of town I live in ?

Thanks for the offer of the templates, I'd like to take you up on that.

Cheers
Chris.

Hey three of us (at least!) on the forum from Bingley, small world!

 

[Ironballs]

Hello, just happened upon this forum and thread whilst idly trawling google for Les Paul/guitar making info. Wouldn't be the first time idle curiousity has got me into trouble...

Cannot play the guitar other than a bit of AC/DC rhythm section chord strumming, though always dreamt of being Jimmy Page et al and always loved the Les Paul.

Combine this with having to think about what to do for my 3rd year project at cabinet making night school and you can see where this is going - serious hot water with my girlfriend for not making something practical for the house probably.

Any road, if I was to think about making a guitar, is it something that is sensible for a night school student who had never heard of a planer/thicknesser 18 months ago?

 

[Slim]

Hi Ironballs, welcome to the forum.

The Les Paul is definately not the easiest guitar to build yourself, but it is the prettiest :wink: .

If you are a 3rd year student, then I am sure making a guitar like this would be well within your reach. I had never tried anything like this before, and I seem to be doing quite well (touch wood, quick!) This thread has been running for a long time now, but in reality, we have only had 8 days workshop time.

You need to think about the cost as well. Although, it will be significantly cheaper than buying a Gibson, my build will probably cost in the region of £300. The satisfaction of building your own, though, will be priceless.

Get the plans from StewMac and see what you think.

Best of luck

 

[Ironballs]

Thanks for the re-assurance, had a chat with the tutor last night and he seemed to think it would be fun. They haven't had anyone do a guitar yet but would be happy for me to do it if I got my hands on some plans.

Ordered a set from StewMac and will have a look at what's involved. Two big questions for me, is building my own neck a step too far and is it still possible to get mahogany in this country for the body?

Cheers

Damian

 

[Slim]

Hi Damien,

This is the first time I have carved a neck, and I didn't find it too difficult.

I note you are in Huddersfield. John Boddy timber isn't too far away, and the last time I was there they had some honduras mahogony. Although, you don't have to use mahogony. There are plenty other tone woods you could use. Each will give its own unique tone.

 

[Ironballs]

Okay ta, might have a wander over to Boddy's at some point. Saw there was a luthier supplier over in Manchester as well that could be worth a look.

General question, do you know what Dragon Timber in Stanningley are like? ie do they stock decent quality hardwoods and do they let you have a rummage through their stock

 

[woodchip]

Okay ta, might have a wander over to Boddy's at some point. Saw there was a luthier supplier over in Manchester as well that could be worth a look.

General question, do you know what Dragon Timber in Stanningley are like? ie do they stock decent quality hardwoods and do they let you have a rummage through their stock

When I went to dragon they didn't have any hardwood at all, just sheet material.

 

[Ironballs]

Went to my regular timber yard yesterday to get a bit of oak and asked him what else he had in. Well in addition to the stacks of ash and beech, he had a ton of cherry, a few select pieces of yew and elm and some big slabs of mahogany. I think I know where I'm going to get the timber for the body

 

[Slim]

Which supplier is that?

 

[Ironballs]

Yorkshire Oak Supplies in Cleckheaton, does a lot of trade on ebay but also sells from his yard. Every time I've been he's spent an age with me looking for the right timber and talking rubbish about life/wood etc.

Had a big pile of 4/5" mahogany boards on Sat

 

[stef]

You need to think about the cost as well. Although, it will be significantly cheaper than buying a Gibson, my build will probably cost in the region of £300. The satisfaction of building your own, though, will be priceless.

I was also thinking about building my own axe, i had the SG or the les paul in mind.
However,i disagree with you on the cost issue.
if you want Gibson standard, you will need over £200 worth of pickups, another 50 in potentiometers, switches, plugs, another 150 in bridge + tuning keys... that 400 already and you havent even touched wood yet !
i'd estimate the costs to be very near a decent second hand buy... without the knowledge that the guitar will be spot on.
Having just bought a 2nd hand epiphone SG, i know too well how tricky it is to get a neck/fret board/body right.
(my SG was slightly bowed, which required me to 1-raise the action 2- redress the frets above the 12th. it is still bowed and the action is still high. it would need a replacement neck. i forget to mention that the action is measured at 2 to 8 64th of an inch. that is a very, very very tight spec for any wood worker, let alone average joe like me in his workshop !
factor in wood movements under the stress of the strings, and you really appreciate the experience required to become a guitar maker !
i dont question your abilities, but i think you will accomplish a miracle if you manage to get something comparable to a original gibson.)

that was just talking on the cost effectiveness of the approach though... not questionish the pleasure you do get out of it ! that goes without arguements !

They look beautifull though... so keep up the good work !

 

[bob_c]

You need to think about the cost as well. Although, it will be significantly cheaper than buying a Gibson, my build will probably cost in the region of £300. The satisfaction of building your own, though, will be priceless.

I was also thinking about building my own axe, i had the SG or the les paul in mind.
However,i disagree with you on the cost issue.
if you want Gibson standard, you will need over £200 worth of pickups, another 50 in potentiometers, switches, plugs, another 150 in bridge + tuning keys... that 400 already and you havent even touched wood yet !
i'd estimate the costs to be very near a decent second hand buy... without the knowledge that the guitar will be spot on.
Having just bought a 2nd hand epiphone SG, i know too well how tricky it is to get a neck/fret board/body right.
(my SG was slightly bowed, which required me to 1-raise the action 2- redress the frets above the 12th. it is still bowed and the action is still high. it would need a replacement neck. i forget to mention that the action is measured at 2 to 8 64th of an inch. that is a very, very very tight spec for any wood worker, let alone average joe like me in his workshop !
factor in wood movements under the stress of the strings, and you really appreciate the experience required to become a guitar maker !
i dont question your abilities, but i think you will accomplish a miracle if you manage to get something comparable to a original gibson.)

that was just talking on the cost effectiveness of the approach though... not questionish the pleasure you do get out of it ! that goes without arguements !

They look beautifull though... so keep up the good work !

Did you not try adjusting the truss rod?

 

[Slim]

Stef,

As I said earlier in the thread, the wood cost me nothing. The pickups will cost £140 from Ebay. I might go over £300, but not by much.

The purpose of this build is not to clone a Gibson. If I was going to do that, I would have made the top from maple. Besides, I already have a Les Paul. The purpose is to create something totally customed to my tastes, and of course have a lot of fun along the way.

 

[stef]

Did you not try adjusting the truss rod?

yes i did, but i am nearly at the breaking point, without much improvements.
(it's symptomatic of "cheaper" gibsons, where the neck/body contact area is very small, like on SGs)
A few years back, i broke the truss rod inside my uncle's acoustic gibson :shock: , by overtightening it.. i wasnt going to do the same mistake again, i can assure you ;-)

i am still at about 2.5times the specified action on an SG..and still, the neck was made by epiphone in mahogany. a half decent built, you would have thought ! it is still very useable, but maybe not as good as the real deal..

I definitely see the attraction in building your own, slim.. something i would still concider, and might do if i found a decent slab of mahogany.
I am just doubting the economical aspect of it. i am sure i could pick up a far better guitar for the price it would cost me to actually make one from scratch.
Since i am a keen guitar player, it would depress me big time to spend big amount of cash, time et effort, and end up with something that plays as well (bad) as an "encore", regardless of how pretty it looked! but that's just me, with my 2 left hands !
you let us know how yours plays, i just wish you'd work faster ! i am hooked to this thread !