Advice Ideas on a guitar build

[ironpony52]

OK so, I have a friend who has a band. I have wanted to build him a guitar based on their logo for quite some time now. Finally now being retired I am off to the races.
I am starting with a Fender Strat donor guitar so hopefully it will sound decent when done.. I am going to reuse all the electronics and neck from it. The neck has been stripped of all marking and I will apply his logo to the neck and clear it.
For the body I am using poplar which will be laminated to 1.5"s thick. I plan on recessing all the electronics from the back so the front has no plastic on it. The idea right now is to build it so when he is playing the logo is in the correct orientation.
This is where I am at and my general thought on how it will be assembled.
Now I realize this is more of a novelty idea maybe for a song or two a night.
Also the name of the band is Big Bad Stache..............
Be easy on me.

This is their logo I made a few tweaks to make it workable.

 

[Seed tick]

Very nice!

 

[GreenGO Juan]

Might want to have the Neck parallel to the wood grain for stability and sound quality.

 

[ironpony52]

Might want to have the Neck parallel to the wood grain for stability and sound quality.

Because of the shape that is tough. The grain creates weak points in the design. One of the reasons I went with glued up Poplar vary the grain.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Birch plywood (many layers of thin 'semi-hardwood' cross-grained veneers) covered in a Poplar veneer (if that's the face-grain you're wanting) might be better and more structurally sound.

(see what I did there?)

Also, it being more 'solid' might help with the vibrations created, too. I'm sure others will chime in here.

(see what I did there, too?)

 

[Ronws]

I am going to hurt some feelings and start a flame war. On a solid body electric guitar, species of wood does not affect the tone of the guitar. On acoustic and hollow-body, sure. The physics of standing waves from bridge to wood and back again do not allow any vibrations from the wood to affect the tone of the strings. What affects the tone of the solid body electric guitar is the pick-ups, primarily. On board stuff like pots for volume and tone obviously have an effect. Most guitarists I have known, including myself, play with the guitar volume knob on ten (eleven is only on the amplifier) and adjust everything else in the amps and / effects chain. I have listened to blind tests and could not tell the difference between a solid body wood guitar and acrylic.

Yes, I know Gibson sells tone wood oil. People also used to buy snake oil. It's useless. They sell tone wood oil because someone will buy it.

Use whatever wood you want and build the shape that you want. Starting out as a strat, I would have the options similar to my Ibanez. Single near the next, Single in the middle, and a humbucker that can split at the bridge.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

Because of the shape that is tough. The grain creates weak points in the design. One of the reasons I went with glued up Poplar vary the grain.

yes

and why I said might. but for your purpose it might not matter, one or two songs. Tuning stabilitly would be a problem, especially when temp and humidity changes. Wood along the grain is less susceptible to movement than across.

I am going to hurt some feelings and start a flame war. On a solid body electric guitar, species of wood does not affect the tone of the guitar. On acoustic and hollow-body, sure. The physics of standing waves from bridge to wood and back again do not allow any vibrations from the wood to affect the tone of the strings. What affects the tone of the solid body electric guitar is the pick-ups, primarily. On board stuff like pots for volume and tone obviously have an effect. Most guitarists I have known, including myself, play with the guitar volume knob on ten (eleven is only on the amplifier) and adjust everything else in the amps and / effects chain. I have listened to blind tests and could not tell the difference between a solid body wood guitar and acrylic.

Yes, I know Gibson sells tone wood oil. People also used to buy snake oil. It's useless. They sell tone wood oil because someone will buy it.

Use whatever wood you want and build the shape that you want. Starting out as a strat, I would have the options similar to my Ibanez. Single near the next, Single in the middle, and a humbucker that can split at the bridge.

Primarly yes.

but if you don't think that woods structures makes its way into the strings, and affects how they vibrate... Okay. believe what you want.

 

[Ronws]

Primarly yes.

but if you don't think that woods structures makes its way into the strings, and affects how they vibrate... Okay. believe what you want.

But they don't. The grain and species of wood do not matter or affect the tone of the solid body electric guitar. I have even seen a demonstration of a guy cutting off parts of a solid guitar body and it made no difference.

Unless you got some math and diagrams to show how the frequency of vibrations are able to translate from the heavy density of the bridge into the wood and then back again through the barrier of the dense metal bridge.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

Unless you got some math and diagrams to show how the frequency of vibrations are able to translate from the heavy density of the bridge into the wood and then back again through the barrier of the dense metal bridge.

I don't need math and diagrams, I have played tons of different guitars and notice it. Its about feel and sound.

Do you hear the sustain... don't touch it... don't even look at it.

Sound waves also travel at different speed along the grain than across it, density affects the vibration and the speed at which they travel, some reflect, some dampen, which all translates through the hardware and into the string, which is picked up by the pick up. very nuanced but there.

 

[ironpony52]

Birch plywood (many layers of thin 'semi-hardwood' cross-grained veneers) covered in a Poplar veneer (if that's the face-grain you're wanting) might be better and more structurally sound.

(see what I did there?)

Also, it being more 'solid' might help with the vibrations created, too. I'm sure others will chime in here.

(see what I did there, too?)

I agree but I did not want to buy a whole sheet of ply to cut out two small pieces and the cabinet grade plywood I have bought recently has had voids in it.Also it is going to be a gloss back with white distressing

 

[ironpony52]

Appreciate the input, I routed the neck in, the pick up cut outs and the switch. I need to figure out where I want the volume, tone knobs.
Also want to get a side mount plug rather than on the face.
Another thing I noticed was it appears the old body had a clear epoxy coating to make it super smooth ?? before painting.

 

[Ronws]

I don't need math and diagrams, I have played tons of different guitars and notice it. Its about feel and sound.

Do you hear the sustain... don't touch it... don't even look at it.

Sound waves also travel at different speed along the grain than across it, density affects the vibration and the speed at which they travel, some reflect, some dampen, which all translates through the hardware and into the string, which is picked up by the pick up. very nuanced but there.

I didn't see any math here but never mind, let's just stick what the OP needs to build his guitar.

 

[vh20]

I didn't see any math here but never mind, let's just stick what the OP needs to build his guitar.

I mean, you stated your opinion as fact with no math, so where is yours?

 

[vh20]

To the OP, kinda too late to ask if you’ve already routed for the neck, but access to anything beyond the 15th fret is a hard stop. If it’s just for rhythm playing, it won’t matter.

 

[ironpony52]

tonights progress

 

[ironpony52]

To the OP, kinda too late to ask if you’ve already routed for the neck, but access to anything beyond the 15th fret is a hard stop. If it’s just for rhythm playing, it won’t matter.

I routed it to match what I took apart

 

[vh20]

Do you hear the sustain... don't touch it... don't even look at it.

Well………you would if it were plugged in.

 

[vh20]

I routed it to match what I took apart

View attachment 8697768

You said it started as a Fender Strat? If you will notice, the cutout in the body on the bottom side of the neck extends all the way back to the 21st fret. Your body/neck intersection stops at the 15th. Either way, nobody’s playing anything above the 15th on your design. I’m not saying that’s unacceptable, it’s just the trade off you made, esthetics vs playability. All those frets above 15 (maybe 16 or 17) are unusable.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

Is it going to be a hard tail? Or a whammy bar with springs?

Never seen a stat with the pickup holes cut all the way through the body.

Not hating, interested and just saying. There are 1000 ways to skin a cat.

 

[ironpony52]

View attachment 8697770
You said it started as a Fender Strat? If you will notice, the cutout in the body on the bottom side of the neck extends all the way back to the 21st fret. Your body/neck intersection stops at the 15th. Either way, nobody’s playing anything above the 15th on your design. I’m not saying that’s unacceptable, it’s just the trade off you made, esthetics vs playability. All those frets above 15 (maybe 16 or 17) are unusable.

The original guitar was, the whole body is new now so I still have the Strat body. Yes to maintain the design I compromised on the cut out, being it has been pointed out as a possible issue I have actually been playing with my pattern to see if I will add the dip to the shape. I am not decided if it will take away from the design or not.

 

[ironpony52]

Is it going to be a hard tail? Or a whammy bar with springs?

Never seen a stat with the pickup holes cut all the way through the body.

View attachment 8697792

Not hating, interested and just saying. There are 1000 ways to skin a cat.

It will be a hardtail, I also had a whammy bar set up but decided for what it was supposed to be the whammy was going overboard. The 2nd layer of wood has not been glued on so right now it is only half thickness. I thought it would be easier to do all the routing then glue it together and do all the finish work. Also I did not want any "plastic" on the front so everything will go in from the back.
Hope it all works out, like I said earlier more of a novelty than player ??? maybe it will play great. I do not play so until the recipient plays it we will not know.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

It will be a hardtail, I also had a whammy bar set up but decided for what it was supposed to be the whammy was going overboard. The 2nd layer of wood has not been glued on so right now it is only half thickness. I thought it would be easier to do all the routing then glue it together and do all the finish work. Also I did not want any "plastic" on the front so everything will go in from the back.
Hope it all works out, like I said earlier more of a novelty than player ??? maybe it will play great. I do not play so until the recipient plays it we will not know.

O okay, I assume you understand scale length and intonation when you mount the bridge?

 

[ironpony52]

O okay, I assume you understand scale length and intonation when you mount the bridge?

I won't say I understand it but I do know I have to maintain a certain length to be able to tune the guitar. So I am 100% duplicating what I started with.

 

[vh20]

O okay, I assume you understand scale length and intonation when you mount the bridge?

This is an excellent point, since the OP is not a player and may not understand. If it’s a standard Strat scale-length, it should be 25.5”. Here’s a good reference:

https://leftyfretz.com/guitar-scale-length-explained/#1

 

[vh20]

@ironpony52
I applaud your effort and tribute to your friend. It is an excellent gesture. We’re just trying to help you deliver the final product in a form that’s as awesome to the recipient as you hope it will be.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

Yes it is very important that the length is correct, so you can properly set the intonation with the adjustments on the bridge. Setting intonation is not hard but very necessary, if not when you fret notes they will not be right and sound out of tune.

Id youtube videos on setting intonation, to understand it well.

Also trust rod and string heights.

Hard tails are a lot easier. Good choice to simplify it.

 

[ironpony52]

@ironpony52
I applaud your effort and tribute to your friend. It is an excellent gesture. We’re just trying to help you deliver the final product in a form that’s as awesome to the recipient as you hope it will be.

This is why I asked for help. I am smart enough to know when to say I do not know.

 

[ironpony52]

This is an excellent point, since the OP is not a player and may not understand. If it’s a standard Strat scale-length, it should be 25.5”. Here’s a good reference:

https://leftyfretz.com/guitar-scale-length-explained/#1

This is what I noted before I disassembled the original.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

This is what I noted before I disassembled the original.

View attachment 8697827View attachment 8697828

Thats a short scale, which is 24"

 

[GreenGO Juan]

This is a good watch and covers it well.

 

[91Eunozs]

View attachment 8697770
You said it started as a Fender Strat? If you will notice, the cutout in the body on the bottom side of the neck extends all the way back to the 21st fret. Your body/neck intersection stops at the 15th. Either way, nobody’s playing anything above the 15th on your design. I’m not saying that’s unacceptable, it’s just the trade off you made, esthetics vs playability. All those frets above 15 (maybe 16 or 17) are unusable.

It’s all good, his buddy just has to channel his inner Jeff Healy! LoL

 

[vh20]

This is what I noted before I disassembled the original.

View attachment 8697827View attachment 8697828

That sure looks like a 24" scale, which is definitely NOT standard for a Strat. Measure the distance from the back (fretboard side) of the nut to the 12th fret. If it's 12.0", then that would confirm it's a 24" scale. On the other hand, if the donor guitar measured exactly 25-1/4" (as pictured) from whatever point of the nut you originally measured, to the backside of the bridge, and you duplicated that EXACTLY, you should be OK, assuming the guitar intonated correctly to begin with. Note that 25-1/4" in the picture is not the "scale-length". Scale-length technically refers to the length of the vibrating string, which goes from the back (fretboard) side of the nut to the bridge SADDLE (not the back of the bridge). Since each saddle has to be in a slightly different place for the string to intonate properly, "scale-length" is really just sort of an average of these individual distances.

 

[vh20]

It’s all good, his buddy just has to channel his inner Jeff Healy! LoL

View attachment 8697862

Well...you're not wrong!
Edit 1: Poor Jeff. Cancer took his eyesight as a kid, causing him to learn to play that way for some reason, only to return and take his life as an adult at the peak of his career.
Edit 2: I see you Liked my post with a laughing emogee before I posted Edit 1. So this edit is to credit you for those reading to know that you weren't laughing at Edit 1.

 

[vh20]

@ironpony52
I don't recognize that volume knob in the pic as being Fender. Do you have a pic of the whole original guitar?

 

[ironpony52]

@ironpony52
I don't recognize that volume knob in the pic as being Fender. Do you have a pic of the whole original guitar?

No I did not take one, it is a used guitar so no idea what parts it has. The guy that supplied it said it played very good and he is the one that told me to make sure the length was correct so I assume it was.