New Project

[Radiohead]

Got some extra time on my hands this week, so I decided to embark on a new project. My inspiration is the Natural San Dimas Series Charvels from the Music Zoo. I first remember seeing them a few years ago and I have wanted one ever since.

I picked up this beautiful piece of Tuna Mahogany as a start.





Considerations that I could use some input form the Forum Bro's.

1 - Neck - Standard Charvel 1 piece Quartersawn Maple with Skunk stripe or Mahogany neck with an Ebony board?
2 - Pickups - I am considering a Bareknuckles HolyDriver for the Bridge and an Evolution in the neck. Any suggestions?
3 - Chrome or Gold Hardware?
4 - Lastly, the oil finish - Tung Oil or any other suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

[Carbuff]

I could make an awesome snack table out of that.

[Radiohead]

Quick update. Got the basic shape and routing completed. A few small mistakes but I am still learning. I decided to go for a BE Maple neck from Musikraft (Charvel Specs).









Does any one know the size of drill bit to fit the Floyd Collars? I used a 3/8 bit and it is too snug. Being a idiot, I forced it in and cracked the wood. It is a very tiny stress crack between the collar and the block cut out.. OPPS

Here is a sample of the Mahogany with a light coat of Tung Oil. I like it, but would like it to pop a little more. If anyone has an suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks

[sully]

Looks like you're off to a great start!

I drill Floyd post holes with an 11mm brad point bit.
Tung oil is fine, but I prefer to use gunstock oil (also called Tru Oil). No real reason, just a preference.

For making the grain pop, there's not a ton you can do (to my knowledge) with oil; It'll enhance what's there, but if you don't have much figure to begin with, it won't change that. You may notice a bit more "pop" after you've got all of your coats on.

Keep it up, man, you're doing great!

Sully

[Corpsegrinder88]

Thats a hell of a start .

2 part question

Where did you get the wood from?

Im looking for a few pieces to start a neckthru project.

And sully what is the difference (if any) from boiling linseed oil and applying it luke warm?

I've heard ppl say both ways.

Keep us updated!

[moku]

nice project. keep the pics coming!
i don't think mahogany is going to pop since there's not much grain. nevertheless, the body looks awesome.

[sully]

And sully what is the difference (if any) from boiling linseed oil and applying it luke warm?

couldn't tell ya; but I can't imagine actually boiling linseed oil when you can already buy boiled linseed oil. I guess that since it'd be warm, it'd be a little thinner and penetrate deeper, but offhand, I can't imagine there being that much of a difference that it'd be worth going to the trouble to do all of that. I guess you could take your bottle of oil and let it warm up in some hot water, and get a nice happy medium if you really wanted to do it.

Mahogany can be very stripey and figured; it just depends on what you get.

sully

[Radiohead]

Hey Guys, thanks for the positive feedback. I keep screwing up and making small mistakes here and there but I have always enjoyed wood working and I am really enjoying this project. It's a sickness, as I already want to build another.

Sully, thanks for the info. I ended up widening the Floyd post holes to 13/32, not sure what that is in metric - funny to have a Canadian working in Imperial and an American working in Metric . Your video episodes are excellent and have given me the confidence to give it this a try so thank so much.

Corpsegrinder88 - I found a local exotic woods supplier near my move in Toronto. The blank, which is Tuna Mahogany, cost me $80 canadian - approx $74 US. I am waiting on them to cut me a blank of Padauk for another build.

[Corpsegrinder88]

Good deal. I've been getting ready to start myself. Bought all kinds of woodworking machines .sullys vids are awesome. going one try to talk him into a guest appearance one day .

some great deals in canada on wood I hear. Maple selection is what I like and want.

Keep the pics coming.

[Radiohead]

Completed the rough assembly last night after everyone went to bed and it is coming out great so far. The Charvel Neck I used is from a Pro Mod that I took apart temporarily and have been using as a template. The Musikraft neck is the exact same specs and should be here in about 3 weeks. I can wait to get it as I paid for an upgrade to Premium Bird Eye Maple and I am hope its a real looker.









The guitar is super resonate and is really loud when playing it unpluged. Sustain is great.

I received the Bare Knuckles pickup from vector (another forum bro - btw - great transaction 100% satisfied and would certainly recommend vector). I love the pick up, it is super smooth and is highly responsive to pick attack. The pickup works great with these tone woods imo. I did not have any pickup rings so I just used some velcro to hold the pick up in place and realized I need to deepen my route for the pick up legs today.

So, today I plan on cutting back the excess wood around the neck pocket, deepening the route for the pick up legs, widening the holes for the volume and pick up switch, and widening the route for the floyd block.

I still need to order an Evolution Bridge PU and 42-mm Brass Block.

[sully]

Lookin' good! You know you have something good when it's loud acoustically. Good times!

When you go to do the roundover, be really careful around the area where your jack hole is drilled; the bearing has a high potential to wind up in the hole, which will screw up your roundover. You may want to do that area by hand. I do the roundovers first, then drill for the jack to avoid that pitfall. Also, when you're doing the roundover on the neck heel, it's a smaller radius than the rest of the body. I've been working on sculpted neck heels, so I don't normally use a roundover bit for that part, but I believe it's a 1/8" around the heel.

Sully

[Shawn Lutz]

Looking good! I have several premium grade Musikraft birdseye and they all vary in the amount of birdseye, its tough to tell when you grab a chunk of wood, after making a neck a lot ebds up on the floor . btw...an ebony board would be great combo for a mahogany body...

[Radiohead]

Hey Sully,

Thanks so much for the heads up about routing the round over near the jack. I totally would have screwed that up by not thinking it through! So I am pretty much done until the neck arrives. I have left some extra material round the neck route and will finish this once the neck is installed.

I am debating whether to recess the floyd or leave it sitting on the body? Any input would be appreciated.

[sully]

Hey Sully,

Thanks so much for the heads up about routing the round over near the jack. I totally would have screwed that up by not thinking it through! So I am pretty much done until the neck arrives. I have left some extra material round the neck route and will finish this once the neck is installed.

I am debating whether to recess the floyd or leave it sitting on the body? Any input would be appreciated.

Anytime, man. I'm glad it's never happened to me, but it was something I read once and I'm not gonna forget that!

I'd get rid of that extra wood at the neck pocket, though; it's super thin and will most likely splinter off and potentially take more off than you wanted to. I just take a razor blade and remove the excess, then sand the radius/roundover in to match.

As far as the floyd goes, I'd leave it non recessed. Did you do the neck pocket flat, or will you need to shim it?

Sully

[Radiohead]

Hey Sully,

Thanks again for the advice. I did route the neck pocket flat and needed to shim it. I used a guitar pic for my rough fit above. I will be checking out your YT vid's to see if there is a Sully's Garage showing how your route the neck at the correct angle with a hand router I am considering recessing the Floyd as the route for the the floyd block is oversized and would easily allow pulling the whammy sharp if the Floyd was recessed. A secondary consideration would be that the neck may not need to be shimmed.

The downsize would be that the styling of the San Dimas so not typically recessed and that was my inspiration for the build.

Is there a potential difference in tone between recessed or not?