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Thread: Luthiers - post your favorite jigs!

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by John Coloccia View Post
    This is all just my opinion, but I suggest you don't do a skunk stripe. Keep in mind that Leo Fender knew nothing about guitar building. Don't get wrapped up trying to copy that. If you've never built a guitar before, my suggestion would be to build something as simply and quickly as you can. The only way you will get good at it is if you build a lot of guitars, and the only way you will build a lot of guitars is to actually build them, not think about them. By "prototype" number 5 or so, you'll have a great deal of experience in reliably assembling an instrument that works. Then you can worry about things like bindings, headstock veneers, skunk stripes if you wish (though I would never), tremolos, etc. Again, that's just my opinion, but when I was an engineer, and especially as a manager, the key to success is to a long history completed "good enough" projects, as opposed to a long history of unfinished "perfect" projects. Someone told me that early on as a fledgling engineer, and I never forgot that.
    John, your blood sugar level is dangerously low and we're losing you - quickly eat 4 chocolate bars and 2L of Coca-cola. Probably gonna need some Clearasil in 24 hours with this prescription...

    "Keep in mind that Leo Fender knew nothing about guitar building." Quote: John Coloccia

    Leo Fender actually invented more guitar making processes and guitar designs (with the help of his staff) than any other guy in the world or the history of the guitar. His approach to guitar building was nothing less than revolutionary. I'll conceed that the Esquire, Tele or Strat may not be your cup of tea nor the finest expression of the guitar every concieved but they are genius in their design, execution and function. Let's not forget that his earliest guitars are still in use today - over 50 years old.

    I suppose that Paul Bigsby and Les Paul are other fellows that knew nothing about guitar building too? I'm charging up three car batteries and soaking two large sponges right now. If the sugar infusion that I've prescribed for you doesn't bring you back to your senses we're gonna have to use the lead/acid route to clarity/conformity.

    While I agree that the skunk stripe solid neck design may not be the best design in the world, it does have it's charm. It is fussy to build as you point out and I would agree with your advice to the OP in this regard. I haven't made a neck like this in some time but I would recommend that anyone interested in guitar building try it out for themselves sometime.

    I imagine that you have an image of Torres hanging in your shop. The shame...

  2. #17
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    A buddy of mine has the Grizzly fret board radius sander and he raves about it. If I had room in my shop, I'd have one too.

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Fournier View Post
    John, your blood sugar level is dangerously low and we're losing you - quickly eat 4 chocolate bars and 2L of Coca-cola. Probably gonna need some Clearasil in 24 hours with this prescription...

    "Keep in mind that Leo Fender knew nothing about guitar building." Quote: John Coloccia
    Please don't take that the wrong way, Chris. I never said Fender doesn't make a decent guitar. Leo was an electrical tech that knew nothing about guitar building. He teamed up with people that did, first making lap steel guitars, and then making so-called "spanish" electric guitars (i.e. non-lap guitars), borrowing ideas from Rickenbacker, and likely others. The truss rod was an after thought, and the earliest fenders had no truss rod. I believe they dumped the skunk stripe in the early 60s, and then it came back for some reason...probably for aesthetic reasons. I think it's completely gone now save for some reissues.

  4. #19

    Ha ha!

    No I didn't take your post the wrong way John, I was having fun. Your statement was pretty blunt and could be read the wrong way but I knew what you were saying and actually agree with you, I just chose to pursue the "heresy" angle.

    Leo Fender approached the guitar not from the pespective of a musician/player but from the perspective of a manufacturer. He built a guitar that didn't rely on acoustic properties to amplify the string vibrations and a guitar that was very easy to repair, set up - truss rod to deal with seasonal changes in the neck, a bolt on neck that could be reomved from the body etc..

    I think that Leo Fender should be included in Amercia's pantheon of Industrial Designer Greats. The number of patents that his company held at one time or another is staggering. I've really enjoyed learning about his life and pursuits over the years. There are much prettier guitars out there but there's something about the classic Fender electrics that makes my socks go up and down.

    I'm watching your future posts and keeping the batteries charged nonetheless...

  5. #20
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    No image of Torres, by the way. He always reminded me of Edgar Allan Poe. 'Twould be creepy to have him looking at me in my shop, especially looking over my shoulder at all the mistakes I'm making.

  6. #21

    Spinning in his grave

    Yeah I did find that his eyes followed me no matter where I was in the shop. Had to take the picture down. I'm pretty sure that I gave him friction burns while he spun in his grave after watching my luthiery attempts. He would have approved of your fret slotting jig though...

  7. #22
    Hi John,

    I like your fret slot cutting jig idea. I currently have two fret slot cutting jigs, one for the LMI templates and one for the Stewmac templates (different pins). They are both the "standard" type of jig where you have to use double-sided tape and make sure it sticks the template to the fretboard blank perfectly (which it doesn't do every time!). I am going to steal your idea (I'm going to attribute it to you, unless you can come up with the name of the fellow who you got the idea from). Thanks!

    In compensation, I offer my version of Mario Proulx's compound radiusing jig for shaping the fretboard after the slots have been cut. The Grizzly compound radiusing jig is very nice, but it's large, expensive, and I don't really need another belt sander in my 'shop. The details of my version of Mario's compound radiusing jig can be found on my website here http://www.cambrianguitars.com/compradjig.html - I built the jig into the end of a bench/drawer unit that has a Fleischman/Williams binding router jig on the other end of it.

    I will put up some more of the useful jigs I've come up with and/or modified from other people's ideas shortly.

    Cheers,
    Dave Fifield
    Cambrian Guitars

  8. #23
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    I remember where I saw it. It was on Benedetto's archtop building video. When Bob did it, I think he used an unradiused fingerboard for his slotting jig. All I did was take his idea of using a stop (instead of double sided tape) and adapted it for use with StewMac's template.

    Now when I was in William Cumpiano's shop, he does a similar thing with a radial arm saw, except he still uses double sided tape to hold the fingerboard I think. The idea is that you can just make a jig with careful measurement and a regular fret slotting saw. Then he takes a feeler gauge the same width as his fret slot, and uses that as his "pin". I'll be making a custom scale length soon so I will be adapting my jig to use both the StewMac pin and a feeler gauge. I think I'll put the feeler gauge above the pin (high enough that it won't interfere with the regular templates), and then put a rabbet in my custom wood template so that it will not hit the pin. So I'll index from the side on the pin for the StewMac jigs, and from above on the feeler for my shop made jigs.

    BTW....very cool jig, Dave!!
    Last edited by John Coloccia; 03-01-2011 at 6:31 PM.

  9. #24
    I'll attribute the idea to Benedetto then, with thanks to you John!

    If you need a custom fretboard template making anytime, let me know....I can cut them out on my laser in a jiffy (in 1/4" thick acrylic) for the cost of the acrylic and shipping.

    Cheers,
    Dave Fifield
    Cambrian Guitars
    Dave Fifield

    XYZ Laser - 45W Epilog 36EXT, Rotary, Corel X4, Photograv

  10. I make jigs/sleds to run on the CW, it's not that hard..


  11. #26
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    I was hoping someone would post some Carvewright stuff. Will that do your mother of pearl as well? I actually almost enjoy cutting it out, but I don't enjoy the noise of my shop vac nor having to do it with a mask on.

  12. I think the CW is a cool little CNC... I use the thin abalone with my own wood backing cuts like butter like you expect. I even used the solid pearl in the machine but I you got to be a little fearless to try it..
    I will dig up some photos of the thin process...
    Last edited by Brandon MacDougall; 03-02-2011 at 8:08 PM.

  13. #28
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    Canyon Lake, CA
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    Leo Fender didn't like the way a worn and dirty maple neck looked watching players use his guitars. He changed to ebony and rosewood fretboards so his guitars necks would always look good. An ebony or rosewood fretboard gives you more freedom for inlays also. I also only use the double acting truss rods. I don't like the "skunk" stripe look either. I've been using the StemMac template, saw and small miter box to cut my fret slots with no problems. I use double sided tape and also an extra clamp to keep the template from jumping out of the pin. I made a jig for routing a 12" radius fretboard. My next jig will be to make compound radius boards.

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