Author Topic: Disaster! (Read 5938 times)

Jonesy76 · « **on:** October 03, 2007, 01:53:44 PM »

Bugger!!!!

I brought my SG into our lab this morning before starting work to use the polishing lathes to put a shine on the newly refinished body, however I managed to buff through an area where the bridge sits, due to the fact that I couldn't remove the bridge screw-posts.

Muggins here then decides that the only way I'll trully be able to get a world class finish on this guitar is to remove the corroded bridge screw-posts (this SG is a bolt on neck copy that has had a very hard life). After wrapping some tape around them to protect the threads I applied a bit of brute force to try and get them turning which they did start to do..........then the first one snapped off!!! The corrosion was so bad it obviously was siezed inside the metal locator in the body for the screw-post. I then decided that if one was buggered I might as well try the other which also snapped off.

Any ideas out there on what I can do now? Is it a case of digging the hell out of the body to remove the pins before filling with wood and then re-drilling?

The other more drastic option I've considered is to keep the neck (which I've refinished, replaced the inlays on, and refitted with Grovers) and remake the body from scratch. The body itself is a heap of shitee anyway as it's only ply, but I brought it for 25 quid as a project guitar to practise my refinishing skills on. Part of me thinks that buying a nice big block of mahogany, cutting it out to be an exact match to the original body could be a good first step towards building my own guitar, and would mean I could have a thicker body over the thin one I have at the moment which isn't even deep enough for the SD humbucker adjustment screws!

What do you guys reckon?

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #1 on:** October 03, 2007, 02:07:52 PM »

Any chance of seeing a piccy so i can advise my thoughts on the situation

Or if there are already pix on here - point me in the right direction

Jonesy76 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 03, 2007, 03:15:14 PM »

Just let me find the CD's for my camera drivers as I had a major crash with my laptop last week and as of yet have not got round to re-installing the drivers for my EOS digital.

The body is such a cheap piece of work I really do feel that routing out a new piece of mahogany could be a good way to improve it from the toy that it is!

Nadz1lla · « **Reply #3 on:** October 03, 2007, 07:25:46 PM »

Argh mate! Sounds horrible! I hope it can be rectified! Good luck dude.

Roobubba · « **Reply #4 on:** October 03, 2007, 07:59:30 PM »

fingers crossed this little incident will end up meaning you have a killer axe after all, rather than "just" a killer neck! In my experience, these things tend to work themselves out in the end, just often in onforeseen ways...

Good luck!

Roo

Jonesy76 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 03, 2007, 08:33:42 PM »

Well.....I've had a good think about things and after coming to terms with the fact that it was my fault that I buggered up the body, I've decided that as I was going to have a crack at making my own guitar from scratch I'll make my own body as a first step.

What do you guys reckon? Mahogany, or something else like Alder, Basswood etc? Should be a good start on the road to making my own guitar, and I think I've learnt a huge amount by faffing about with this cheapo tatty guitar. It was only 25 quid from eBay, and the neck alone would cost probably cost that. If it was a solid wood body then I'd definately be a lot more bothered about trying to retrieve this disaster, but it's only a ply body and it's only SG Special thickness. I've lost nothing but my time in getting to this stage......it's not as if I've buggered up a whole load of expensive components.

WezV · « **Reply #6 on:** October 03, 2007, 09:07:31 PM »

if you really want to make a new body give these guys a call

http://www.luthierssupplies.co.uk/

see if they have some idigbo/korina, its quite reasonably priced and works really easy - sound wise its similar to mahogany with a little more midrange

Oli · « **Reply #7 on:** October 03, 2007, 10:21:55 PM »

Quote from: WezV

if you really want to make a new body give these guys a call

http://www.luthierssupplies.co.uk/

see if they have some idigbo/korina, its quite reasonably priced and works really easy - sound wise its similar to mahogany with a little more midrange

They don't- i got the last piece a few weeks ago... Dave told me that he didn't have plans to get anymore in soon (or something like that). Wes, perhaps Simo from UKGB has some?

WezV · « **Reply #8 on:** October 04, 2007, 07:15:29 AM »

yeah simo was going to be my other suggestion but really my point was that you are not limited to mahogany, ash or alder - going for something slightly different can sometimes make it a more interesting and cheaper project

of course, if you dont mind some extra work then straight from the timber yard is the cheapest way to buy wood:

http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/looseboards_timber.asp

but minimum orders usually apply and there is more wastage to take into account - might be worth seeing if you local timber yard has an offcuts section

Jonesy76 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 05, 2007, 03:00:51 PM »

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the suggestion of Dave at Luthiersupplies.....had a chat with him this lunchtime and was very happy to talk to a fellow Welshman who didn't kill himself laughing at the thought of a non-luthier having a go at building his own body to start with!

He's just got in a whole truck load of Idigbo too! What do you guys reckon? Idigbo for a super thick (Les Paul thickness) SG? That's what I feel like but was wondering if you lot had any other thoughts.......weight isn't an issue with me as I'm a big bugger

WezV · « **Reply #10 on:** October 05, 2007, 03:36:59 PM »

dont go that thick, i wouldnt make it over 1 3/4"

Jonesy76 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 05, 2007, 04:03:07 PM »

I just like the thickness of Les Pauls.....can't really stand thin flimsy guitars and like a bit of meat on my bodies!

You reckon the Idigbo would work well for an SG Wez?

WezV · « **Reply #12 on:** October 05, 2007, 04:12:50 PM »

yeah - infact i have an idigbo sg in the works, although that has a wenge and mahogany neck through.

making an sg a bit thicker is a good idea - but i think as thick as a lp is at the centre is too thick and weight ebcomes a concern

Oli · « **Reply #13 on:** October 05, 2007, 04:30:30 PM »

Quote from: Jonesy76

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the suggestion of Dave at Luthiersupplies.....had a chat with him this lunchtime and was very happy to talk to a fellow Welshman who didn't kill himself laughing at the thought of a non-luthier having a go at building his own body to start with!

He's just got in a whole truck load of Idigbo too! What do you guys reckon? Idigbo for a super thick (Les Paul thickness) SG? That's what I feel like but was wondering if you lot had any other thoughts.......weight isn't an issue with me as I'm a big bugger

That'd be Wayne, he's a good guy, really helpful :)

Good news on the stocks of Idigbo though, Dave must have had a change of heart.

WezV · « **Reply #14 on:** October 05, 2007, 05:36:00 PM »

i asked him for some a few weeks ago but he didnt have any then - he did say he would get some more, i guess if people are asking for it he will stock it