Official Luthiers Forum!

I had a couple of questions as I am mapping out things here - what is the thickness of the support beams for the router on here? I am also curious how long your router bit is for something of that distance - I looked at my router bits and I may have to buy a longer one - any suggestions on the length/width of the router bit would be appreciated - thanks!

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Its mykas design, and ive contacted him about building me one, just never heard back, regardless, myka needs to be the one profiting from it, not stew Mac, so if he sends it in then cool, but I wouldn't want to take money from his pocket like that

Sorry to offend ya there Jimmy, my suggestion about S-Mac was tongue-in-cheek. In the future I will be more liberal with my smilies.

Great - what about the thickness of them rails?

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

I see the Whiteside catalog, but they mention that the 3/4" cutting diameter on the 1/2" shanks have the B19 bearing, which has a "fragile nature" and they actually recommend the 1 1/8" cutting diameter (which is insanely LARGER!) it looks like a typo on their site maybe?

I already have some 1/4" shank bits, but me thinks they prob ain't long enuf.

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

You should do some "Dueling Squirrels" inlay on it.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

Reminds me of when I was looking for bits to cut through 2 inches of cocobolo trying not to waste a ton of wood. The really long bits are usually massive in cutting diameter but I managed to find I think a 5/8 inch bit with a long enough shank to barely do the whole 2 inches. I'll admit, it was a little scary, and I did push the amount of shank needed inside the router chuck, but luckily I made it out of my workshop alive and with a very nice guitar-shaped table-top.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

I was thinking more like dueling rabid pugs, but hey, that's just me.

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

I can't believe that thing is that big.

That's what she said and the bed broke.

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Don't even need the angle meter, just to trigonometry. My jig is static, but I have a few different thicknesses of shims that I put at the ends, same size ones for no neck angle but thicker guitar, and thicker ones to make an angle. Took about 2 seconds on a calculator to figure the thickness difference I needed across the whole jig to get 2 degree neck angle. Works like a champ and is much simpler.

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John Thiessen
http://www.iszacguitars.com

Trigawhat?

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Jim Hansen

3 months to go to night school to figure out trigonometry: $1200
3 really thick books on trig: $224
Gas expense: $300

OR just getting a $27 Inclinometer at Harbor Freight 2 miles from my house: PRICELESS

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Nice!

Or you could just use your calculator and this formula

tan(insert your neck angle here)*Length of your jig = Height of the shim you need

I use a 2 degree neck angle and my jig is 21 inches so

tan(2)*21 = 0.733 for my shim

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John Thiessen
http://www.iszacguitars.com

tan? we gets them thar thangs down yonder here in floriduh all the time!

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Chris - seems like you know your router bits - did a little research and come upon this: http://www.provenwoodworking.com/router-bits.html

Also, I am nearing the end of my jig - it's looking pretty awesome, but still have some tweaking to do - will post pics soon!

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Well, come down to Tampa and we can shoot it here, since I'm about to use mine for the first time!

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

That jig is nicer than my guitars.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I am nearing the end of building my jig - took some breaks over the past few days to work on the Silver Willow a bit more and now I am even more sidetracked building some custom clamps for the neck to fretboard glue-up. Will post pics soon - mine looks VERY similar to yours Fillipo, but I am trying to add a couple extra goodies on it - necessity is the mother of invention, right? I could see why builders want you to make them one - it is a bit time consuming, however, I should be able to knock any future neck pockets quickly and accurately - I also know why you wouldn't want to make these for people to sell now - they would jump too high from the price on the labor and materials! My sister sent a very cool b-day gift today - I just got in the mail 5 (kickarse) Whiteside pattern router bits. (what a great sis!)

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Absolutely - I understand quite a bit as to how this all works (quite the perspective on things when you actually build something!) but I still want to hear all the tips and tricks! I have added a couple features and should be done in the next day or 2 (insert "woot woot" here)

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Hope it isn't the "tape" trick lol

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

I actually finished my jig a couple of weeks ago - it took a LONG time to make, so I can see why it was said that you didn't want to make one for anyone else - I would have to agree with that - I mean, hey, everything has it's price, but if anyone would want to pay me for 2 to 3 weeks of labor and materials, I might say yes, but I think this bad boy likes it's new home - I am in the beginning of making a jig for my fretboard radii's so I will let everyone know how THIS jig works out when I cut the neck pocket next week.... I TOTALLY tried to use Filippo's creation almost to the "T", but I did add a couple options while pimping mine out, one was and adjustment handle that raises and lowers the ramp - this seems to be cool for fine tuning the angle without holding the heavy door (with a heavy guitar) in place - I basically lift it close to the angle desired, tighten the side knobs, bring the set screw to that level, loosen the side screws, then tweak the height of the ramp to exactly where I want it, then re-tighten the side screws.

I also implemented a "Neck alignment guide" which is basically a slider guide that runs the distance of the base of the body and goes all the way up the neck - it took some tweaking to get it just right but seems to do the trick... my only cost on this thing was the t-tracks, aluminum strips and the handles and some bolts - my friend Steve hooked me up with the scrap birch plywood and all the exotic woods were from my exotic woods scrap box

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

YOU'RE MAKING ME LOOK BAD HERE VIRGIL! I thought two white oak board were good enough.

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Ken

LOL Ken! Yeah, I used a bunch of scrap wood on this - Mahogany flooring what was recycled for the beams, Santos Mahogany, Walnut, Padauk and Black & White ebony - just be proud of me that I didn't do any inlay on it ..... yet.

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Virgil, I am VERY disappointed you used plastic knobs.

You surely must have had some black ebony scraps you could have carved some from? Sheesh, where are your standards?

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Jim Hansen

Jim, I truly believe you have called me on my Shiite. I just can't cut any corners around here. I do have the Ebony and I could have layered it with some Camatillo wood - similar (Perhaps the matching set thingy)to the African Blackwood/Camatillo hex wrench handle I made. Please don't mention this to anyone - thanks.

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Yey dude - appreciate the funny sarcasm when it arises, we don't have THAT many opportunities to do so around here!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar