I know that feeling. Just assembled a new smoker I’d purchased. Was an easy assembly and didn’t really take that long. It still kicked my butt.
What's on Your Workbench?
- Thread starter jtcnj
- Start date
mcblink
Ambassador of Riffs & Spliffs
Restoring a client's first guitar....
I've been tinkerin' again.
Lately I developed a fondness for ultra short scale guitars. Like in the 22ish inch scale length range.
They work well for my limited two finger approach.
I've recently acquired my third one. It's like gas all over again, just when I thought my guitar strangling days were done for.
This is the day I got number 3.
By the next day I had ripped it apart.
This was my vision for it.
After the sawdust had settled, this is what I ended up with...
It's small (22.75" scale) but mighty.
Lately I developed a fondness for ultra short scale guitars. Like in the 22ish inch scale length range.
They work well for my limited two finger approach.
I've recently acquired my third one. It's like gas all over again, just when I thought my guitar strangling days were done for.
This is the day I got number 3.
By the next day I had ripped it apart.
This was my vision for it.
After the sawdust had settled, this is what I ended up with...
It's small (22.75" scale) but mighty.
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
I have a pellet smoker and got a charcoal grill a couple of months ago. I use the charcoal grill more.
Nigel Hendroff Signature Models brought to me for tuning stability issues...
So, basically, I widen the nut slots to my standard SOP of +.004" over string gauge and cut a generous "fall away" on the tuner side...
Here the nut is both too narrow and the string has full contact across the entire floor. Sharp eyes will notice a flat floor profile at the slot entry.
Slightly wider and now has a rounded floor profile. The fall-away limits full string contact with the nut floor.
Tuner side view of the fall away.
Only have about 484 more to go...LOL
So, basically, I widen the nut slots to my standard SOP of +.004" over string gauge and cut a generous "fall away" on the tuner side...
Here the nut is both too narrow and the string has full contact across the entire floor. Sharp eyes will notice a flat floor profile at the slot entry.
Slightly wider and now has a rounded floor profile. The fall-away limits full string contact with the nut floor.
Tuner side view of the fall away.
Only have about 484 more to go...LOL
OP
jtcnj
Ambassador of the Crossroad
Great info once again, Rob!
The tech of nut slotting is of great interest to me, as some of you may know.
I have a guitar that will be set up for surf; I plan to fit it with 11-48, so the nut is going to need some work.
Looking forward to it.
The nut files I have are 10-46, so some finessing by tilting the files a little and burnishing / sliding the string back and forth more aggressively will be in play. Hopefully, I can make it work.
The tech of nut slotting is of great interest to me, as some of you may know.
I have a guitar that will be set up for surf; I plan to fit it with 11-48, so the nut is going to need some work.
Looking forward to it.
The nut files I have are 10-46, so some finessing by tilting the files a little and burnishing / sliding the string back and forth more aggressively will be in play. Hopefully, I can make it work.
It pays to get custom files +.004 over your string gauge. 'Wallowing' out the slots is a prime reason why so many players have tuning issues.
Last edited:
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
Intewesting...
I've been contemplating replacing my old Weber gas grill with one of them Traeger pellet doodads!
OP
jtcnj
Ambassador of the Crossroad
Beater Bass Back on Bench!
Great cheap boom stick -
But the tuners really suck - low ratio and not smooth. Keep going flat to sharp, sharp to flat, trying to nudge it into tune.
Oddity - the stock tuner bushings are threaded on the inside (last pic).
Enter - Musiclily Pro tuners. Huge improvement for under $20.
Great cheap boom stick -
But the tuners really suck - low ratio and not smooth. Keep going flat to sharp, sharp to flat, trying to nudge it into tune.
Oddity - the stock tuner bushings are threaded on the inside (last pic).
Enter - Musiclily Pro tuners. Huge improvement for under $20.
OP
jtcnj
Ambassador of the Crossroad
couldn't leave well enough alone.
I'm over the upgrade everything on cheap guitars thing, but.....
Musiclily Stainless steel saddles to replace the stock cast ones.
They came with extra / longer screws too.
Seems more punchy, but I'm still fooling with the new pickup heights.
Also, the fretboard has some nice grain pattern.
I'm over the upgrade everything on cheap guitars thing, but.....
Musiclily Stainless steel saddles to replace the stock cast ones.
They came with extra / longer screws too.
Seems more punchy, but I'm still fooling with the new pickup heights.
Also, the fretboard has some nice grain pattern.
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
I'm having flashbacks...
OP
jtcnj
Ambassador of the Crossroad
Since the Indio tele neck swap didnt work out, I decided to do a fret level. It wasnt horrible, but every 2 or 3 frets was just a tiny bit hi/lo with the fret rocker. For this $90 guitar, it took a minimal number of strokes with the leveling beam, the least of the 10 or so I have done.
I didn't plan on doing this, or I would have not done recent string changes on both guitars.
I've been playing both of these lately; I havent picked up a humbucker guitar (or P90) in a couple of months.
I do this work in the garage because of the metal filings. So, since I already was set up for it, I did the Firefly FFJA as well.
Good lighting is essential.
The FFJA was a lot more all over the place, both from fret to fret, and from the bass to treble side. I didnt see any lifted, but probably should have hammered them all down beforehand. I didn't think of that until I was underway.
It wasn't playing badly, but the benefit is worth the time and effort.
I have an issue with it where when you slack the strings and the trem pulls down, the post bushings lift up. They aren't sloppy, just not tight. Also, the low e string intonation screw was frozen. Even after applying PB Blaster and letting it sit a full day, I eventually stripped the allen head socket on the screw. I contacted the seller trying to get some kind of credit. I wont address the bushings until I get a new bridge. Some things on cheap guitars are hit or miss.
I still need to fine tune the nuts on both.
I didn't plan on doing this, or I would have not done recent string changes on both guitars.
I've been playing both of these lately; I havent picked up a humbucker guitar (or P90) in a couple of months.
I do this work in the garage because of the metal filings. So, since I already was set up for it, I did the Firefly FFJA as well.
Good lighting is essential.
The FFJA was a lot more all over the place, both from fret to fret, and from the bass to treble side. I didnt see any lifted, but probably should have hammered them all down beforehand. I didn't think of that until I was underway.
It wasn't playing badly, but the benefit is worth the time and effort.
I have an issue with it where when you slack the strings and the trem pulls down, the post bushings lift up. They aren't sloppy, just not tight. Also, the low e string intonation screw was frozen. Even after applying PB Blaster and letting it sit a full day, I eventually stripped the allen head socket on the screw. I contacted the seller trying to get some kind of credit. I wont address the bushings until I get a new bridge. Some things on cheap guitars are hit or miss.
I still need to fine tune the nuts on both.