Author Topic: My Warpig7 fanned fret build (Read 25187 times)

Oli · « **on:** June 18, 2007, 10:20:17 PM »

Picked up my Warpig 7 from the post office today (cheers for the quick delivery Tim! :)) Will be going in a fanned-fret 7 string i'm currently building. Can't wait!

WezV · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2007, 10:52:51 PM »

Any pics of the build . . . and what scale lengths are you using for the two outer strings?

I'm currently experimenting with my first fanned fret build and decided to go with only a slight fan to the frets rather than a couple of inches difference. So far it definately looks less intimidating than the other fanned frets i have seen and seems to be a better compromise between lower and upper fret access.

Oli · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2007, 11:10:17 PM »

That's a 'mockup' of what it'll look like, the scale lengths are 27" and 25.5" if i remember correctly (all my stuff is down in the workshop, but i'm pretty sure that's it). I went with having the bridge nearly parallel, so that i can use a regular 7 string bridge, and not have separate saddles (purely a cost thing really- £15 vs. ~£50+). That said, i think the fan at the 1st fret will be perfect for a B5 chord :)

I've only got a few pictures of the build thus far (in the same directory as that mockup), i've got the neck laminates planed flat- i've just got to sort out the truss rod. Do you know where i could get a 500mm truss rod by the way? I could make my own, but the taps and dies are quite expensive (about £70 in total). The body is about to have the neck cavity routed, and i'll do the pickup cavity too- now i've got the pickup here :) I'll post some more pictures when there's something of interest- it's just a blank at the moment.

The only thing im curious about is the fretting- i could build cauls to press the frets in, but i think it might be easier to just hammer them in.

Do you have and photos of your build?

Edit: that photo looks a bit weird- the perspective is all out because it was laying on the floor away from me... the body isn't quite that big.

WezV · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2007, 08:25:16 AM »

good idea having the bridge parallel to cut down on costs, but it probably does make it a mainly lead guitar.

I have used standard guitar truss-rods in guitars up to 27.2" scale length. Since the truss rod has very little effect near the heel you can have it starting at the nut location. I usually use Cf reinforcement bars as well. You could always get a two-way bass truss-rod, cut it to length and get the ends re-welded. That will only work if you find the right kind of two way truss rod, it works with the deluxe ones craft-supplies sell but there stocks tend to vary.

As for fretting, i have only ever done one fret-job with a hammer - then i brought some cauls whichi have used for the next 50!! Pushing frets in with cauls usually means you have a lot less fretwork to do afterwards than when using a hammer. I am not yet sure if the fanned frets will affect what radius of caul should be used - i cant quite figure it in my head till i get around to it - which will be some point in the next few weeks.

The idigbo looks nice, i have some i am tryinag at the moment to see if it really is identical to Korina/limba.

I cant really post pictures of my ff guitar at the moment, i shouldnt even be talking about it!!. All will be revealed around the end of august. Oh, i suppose i can say i am thinking of getting some rebel yells for it.

Oli · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2007, 05:20:53 PM »

Yea, i've got some 500mm CF rods that i was going to use aswell anyway- i've got a 460mm truss rod here (damn ebayer, said it was 500mm :roll: ), so i might just use that then :) We'll have to see how it sounds/plays- i think it'll be quite nice (after the initial transition) to play rhythm with the fan like that. Also means that i won't have to adjust my sweeping technique much due to lack of fan at the higher frets.

With the fret cauls, what i was going to do was build a few radius blocks (of different widths- bass end will need a longer block than the treble), and then line the inside of that with some aluminium to make it stronger. That way, all you have to do is keep the radius 'caul' in line with the sides of the neck.

I look forward to the end of August then :)

WezV · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2007, 06:11:26 PM »

I use the stew mac fretting caul in my drill press for pushing frets in but there is no reason something similar cannot be constructed easily - i'm just lazy when it comes to making jigs and tools

WezV · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2007, 06:16:56 PM »

mine will be sold when all is said and done so i dont want to do anything so extreme it puts people off, i just want to add being able to do fanned-fret instruments to my repetoire. Scale length are 24.75" on the treble side and 26" on the bass with the 7th fret being the straight one, hopefully it will still be very easy to play and not look so strange as to put people off. Should downtune a lot better as well. I am fully documenting the build process as well - warts and all!!

Dennis · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2007, 07:31:21 PM »

Nice!

How do you guys make the fret slots?
Just measuring and marking them with a sharp knife or something and than saw? -->is that accurate enough?

WezV · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2007, 08:02:07 PM »

basically but it needs to be very accurately done, a normal ruler wont suffice. For my first i am marking it individually and very carefully but if i end up doing more i will make some templates like these:

http://www.doolinguitars.com/articles/novax/

Dennis · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2007, 08:54:24 PM »

That's cool!

I was thinking about trying to make fret slots just by calculating and measuring "by hand" (also to experiment with different scale lengths etc.) but I am very worried about the tolerances though, but for fanned frets this is a cool option :D

Oli · « **Reply #10 on:** July 27, 2007, 12:06:00 AM »

Well, time for an update methinks :)

That's it at the moment- body has been rough-shaped, a few mm to take off still and body contouring to do etc. (and the heel too). The fretboard needs radiusing, and the neck needs shaping, which i've now started, but as you can see, there's a lot of material to remove! Headstock has been rough shaped too, but again needs finalising. Need to drill the holes for the string-throughs and the pickup.

A few other pictures from the build are here

To the mods: if you wish, this topic can be moved to the guitar/amp forum, as it isn't so much about the pickup itself anymore :)

WezV · « **Reply #11 on:** July 27, 2007, 12:19:20 AM »

looking good!!!

have you thought about the high e string and what angle it will be at over the nut- at the moment it looks like it might hit the angle where your headstock starts before getting to the tuner. I think this may be a problem for th fanned fret design unless you can get your head around the angled splice joint - personally i cant yet!!

Maybe having the nut then a carved wooden string guide will solve the issue - be interested to see what you think!!

Oli · « **Reply #12 on:** July 27, 2007, 12:27:42 AM »

Quote from: WezV

looking good!!!

have you thought about the high e string and what angle it will be at over the nut- at the moment it looks like it might hit the angle where your headstock starts before getting to the tuner. I think this may be a problem for th fanned fret design unless you can get your head around the angled splice joint - personally i cant yet!!

Maybe having the nut then a carved wooden string guide will solve the issue - be interested to see what you think!!

Yea, that's the thing i've been working on, ideas have included having a nut which will be kind of triangular shaped so that all the strings exit at roughly the same angle. Or having a string guide built into the truss cover, which will cover the area from the nut to the end of the truss channel. When i get the tuners for the guitar bought and installed, then i'll be able to sort it out properly :)

This project has already been a real big learning curve- the next neck (got it sitting here as i got two necks out of the one blank- which was a short set of neck-through lams) will be much better build and smoother too :) After reading Mr Hisc--ks' book, i am tempted to to a set tennon design next, but my sensible side says i should do another bolt on to perfect that first. I think it might be a regular 7 string, but i'm not sure, because i might save the neck as it's wide enough to do an 8!

Carving an angled neck volute is a strange thing- it looks all wrong, but feels correct when you hold the neck :)

Oh, and by the way, the fingerboard is quite thick- about 7.5 mm (not radiused yet, so probably about 7 or just under when done), so the strings will be quite high off the the neck when they exit the nut, so i might not have such a problem.... maybe ;)

WezV · « **Reply #13 on:** July 27, 2007, 12:34:09 AM »

well the angle on my first fanned-fret headostck transition isnt as much as yours - but it felt wierd carving it. It feels nice now though. All i need to do is drill for the tuner holes, inlay the headstock and get it sprayed and i will put some pics up!!!

i was thinking of a triangular nut or a normal nut with a traingular bit of ebony behind it as a string guide but its not as much an issue on mine because i have much less of an angle at that end of the neck

but then my design is for a 6 string that can be down-tuned with relatively even tension. If i was doing a seven string i may have gone for scale lengths more like yours

Oli · « **Reply #14 on:** July 27, 2007, 12:47:06 AM »

I was thinking of an ebony thing too actually... it might be one of those things it takes a few attempts to see what works best, not too hard to change it. The scale lengths are actually 27" and 25.25", and not 25.5 as i said before. If the bridge was angled as well as the nut, then there wouldn't be this 'problem'.

I decided that i'm not going to have any controls on the guitar, as it's only 1 pickup i don't need any switching, and to be honest, i never use the tone control on my other guitars... so it means there'll be no front or rear cavities, as i'll drill a hole from the output jack through to the pickup cavity- nice and minimalist :)