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I spent the last part of the summer rebuilding a decrepit deck, then thought I could just jump back into my latest guitar build. Sometimes I think I'm just not detail oriented enough to build a guitar that doesn't need a myriad of repairs during the build...


Good news is I have the cutoff that matches, bad news is I have minimal high confidence level in doing an acceptable repair. I remember reading that it takes 10 guitars to really learn how to make a decent one. So naturally I wanted the fourth to be my no repair guitar. I thought then mebbe I could ask how to change my stated focus from repair (which I really only do on every one of my own builds) to build. Not gonna happen yet. I also have problems with the slot head I'm trying to repair too. I'm hoping to build a good enough fixture and rout the slots on my next neck. I just can't get decent results drilling parallel holes and trying to smooth the sides. But I'm at least gonna take a stab at cleaning up my problems on this one. Will post again if I can show anything that looks decent from mebbe 5 feet. Guess for now I was just looking for commiseration. Roy

I can definitely commiserate. If you haven’t already, have a look at my “Guitar #1, warts ‘n all” thread. I’m definitely learning how to repair mistakes, usually major ones. And I’m only on my first guitar, at least you have the pride of 3 completed ones.

Thanks, Colleen. I'll hunt for your thread. Roy

The difference between a beginner and a master craftsman is frequently just an acute ability (built from experience) to fix your mistakes.

You have options here. For one idea, You could start an inlay here that continues up to the heel cap.

I am on guitar 25 and I still make gut-wrenching mistakes.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
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Exactly - make it a feature, don't try to hide it.

I’m over 300 in and still making stupid mistakes. It just happens.

But yeah, you’ve got an opportunity for a ‘feature’ there…

I did that too and covered with inlay. Not sure what the pic shows, Roy. Is the neck block upside down too? That's fixable also. By the way, that's purdy wood, what is it?!!

I wonder if you could describe how that happened. When people share what went wrong, it can often help other builders avoid the same problem in the future.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

What they don't tell you is in the beginning. One is not an instrument builder, one is a repair/restoration person. I can't tell you how many and how big of mistakes everyone goes thru in the beginning. The funny thing it does get easier but the mistakes keep happening.

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Were you routing your binding ledge and your bearing fell into the mortise? Damhikt!

Pat

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Pat

I’m betting on that one!

My guess as well.


Steve

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Hi Roy,

Here is my solution to a successful operation by *not* having the bearing fall into the mortise slot, plus a repair option.

Mistakes are learning!

M

ok, thanks everyone for the suggestions...I was just routing the back edge flush after mounting the back. The neck block in that pix does not show one of the M&T mounting holes, it's fine. I had just finished mounting the neck for adjusting the angle and flossing before mounting the back. I love the insert you show, Michael. Gonna definitely borrow that idea, thanks. I wish I was more creative and better at inlay. I'll have a fair amount of time to try a few things hoping I can come up with something that really does look like a feature rather than covering up a mistake.

Meanwhile, still trying to repair the slot work on the headstock. I showed it to my wife, who's very complimentary of anything I show her. She said throw it away and start over...but I'm nothing if not stubborn. Oh, the wood is just East Indian Rosewood. First try with a more expensive wood. I still have high hopes for it. I suspect I'll be saving up a bit for a good quality slotting fixture, the one I'm trying to make looks like a tragedy. Roy

BTW, Michael. Can please explain the routed square 'box' on the soundboard side picture? Assume it's a version of a more solid fretboard mount?

Roy

It’s a pocket for a bolt-on fretboard extension.

Make sense?

M

Roy Smith wrote:
"Meanwhile, still trying to repair the slot work on the headstock. I showed it to my wife, who's very complimentary of anything I show her. She said throw it away and start over...but I'm nothing if not stubborn. Oh, the wood is just East Indian Rosewood. First try with a more expensive wood. I still have high hopes for it. I suspect I'll be saving up a bit for a good quality slotting fixture, the one I'm trying to make looks like a tragedy. Roy"

One of the best tools I've found for cleaning up peghead slots is a laminate file. The teeth are more aggressive than on a metal working file and less aggressive than a rasp. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/tech ... ou-needed/
I use a mortising attachment on a drill press to chop out the slots, usually going half way through from both sides. Some people make a simple router jig and some people buy a more expensive one.
It is surprising how thin some makers have made the outer walls of their slotted pegheads - in some cases I have had to shorten the screws when fitting a new set of tuners so the ends didn't protrude into the slot.

Another thing I use a laminate file for is refining the binding ledge - the safe edge of the file allows you to work into the corner of the rebate and increase the depth without increasing the width.

I do that anyway, just to be safe. I use an egg beater hand drill and a very small bit to drill the pilot holes, being super careful about the depth of the holes, and I snip off the pointy tips of all the screws before driving them. I have had the heartache of tuner installation being the thing that causes a crack. It's gut wrenching.

Spent some time trying to think of a new feature I might like. Little or no creativity happened, so I thought I'd start out trying to make the issue go away and look normal...

As expected, it's not perfect. But I'm pretty sure I can make it all go away with what I'm thinking of doing with the binding and purfling.
Will take quite some time, as I have a number of other things in the works, but I will update when I think it's ready for show and tell.
Appreciate all the commiseration. Always good to know my stupid mistakes are not unique. Just seem never ending.

Roy

We should have a “Watch out for this stupid mistake” thread to go with our handy tip thread, lol. I think we’ve all probably done what you did. I know I have, several times…

probably not the most experienced guy to start such a thread, but I can contribute fer sure... Roy

That could turn out to be a huge thread, especially if I contribute.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

One day I’ll need to share how one my my guitars “sploded”


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