Thread: ES-335 Copy - Tassy Blackwood

The 335 is my favorite guitar shape. I'll really look forward to seeing the finished article.

I assume that you are going to leave it natural?

I was planning a cherry red stain but grain will be visible.

Speaking of 335's, check this out if you haven't already seen it.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ght=ec%27s+335

You can see how Gibson does it.

OK - a couple of question for all you who have gone before me. So far I have:
1) Purchased and glued the book-matched timber (Tas Blackwood)for top and bottom.
2) Completed the drawing and had them printed full size.
3) Made the routing templates in 6mm MDF for the body contours.
4) Purchased a Dr Parts LP custom neck (nice quality/finish).
5) Purchased Gotoh tuneomatic bridge and stop piece
6) Purchased neck plate and screws.

Questions:
1) Should I glue the neck in (when I get that far) as well as use neckplate and screws?
2) What's the best way to determine the rake back of the neck? From the "arch" once I've finished the body shaping?
3) Should I use a sealer before staining (cherry) to get more even colouration?
4) Should I attach the binding (white to match purchased neck) before or after staining? How do you "scrape" the binding evenly after staining?
5) Would gold surrounds for pickups look too much? Black surrounds?
6) What colour pickguard? Black pearloid?

Sorry for all the questions. I cannot bounce them off my DW.

Mark

Originally Posted by GourmetSaint

Questions:
1) Should I glue the neck in (when I get that far) as well as use neckplate and screws?
[A] NO definitely not its a bolt on

2) What's the best way to determine the rake back of the neck? From the "arch" once I've finished the body shaping?
[A] draw it up carefull and cut the pocket to match the angle you calculate from ur drawing - this is a very tricky area btw

3) Should I use a sealer before staining (cherry) to get more even colouration?
[A] yes

4) Should I attach the binding (white to match purchased neck) before or after staining?
[A] seal and stain and seal again before cutting the binding chanels

How do you "scrape" the binding evenly after staining?
[A] with great care

5) Would gold surrounds for pickups look too much? Black surrounds?
[A] gotta take a punt here mate

6) What colour pickguard? Black pearloid?
[A] gotta take another punt here mate

Sorry for all the questions. I cannot bounce them off my DW.

Mark

question for you mark what is the dr parts neck like??
wanna post some pics including some detail closeups??

The end design is up to you man. Far as I know, ES335's are set neck, provided the body join is stable enough you shouldn't have any problems, perhaps a bit of investigation into acoustic guitars could help you with that one. You're probably gonna want to put a strap peg in where the neck join is, bare that in mind.

Neck angle is covered briefly here: http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/tips/eangle.htm - from Martin Koch's book. Most people suggest you make a full scale drawing of the guitar, front/side/back and profile views, to work from, that way you know beforehand what the angle will be.. PM if you need more and I can provide some info...

As for the pickup surrounds and pickguard, that's really up to you, I'd only offer that you should come up with the overall style of what you want - think over the Lucille style, Clapton's 335's, decide which overall style best fits you.

I think the neck is great. Ready for finishing. I'll photograph it and post on the weekend. Thanks for all the feedback.

I have done that. See first page of drawings in top of post.. The angle there is 2deg. I also have the Martin Koch book which I've "devoured"

This may seem like another "dumb" question but what style of "knobs" have you used for your works of art? I'm thinking of using a variation "Jimmy Page" wiring setup with push-pull volume and tone pots. Need the ability to pull and push the knobs, I am wondering if the traditional "bell" top knobs are suitable. Any ideas? Anybody using different wiring plans?

the rule i use with knobs is less is more
some i just have a volume thats all
most just 1 volume 1 tone

i find as a player with a complicated onboard electronics with switches and coil taps phase switches etc that i look for the guitars sweet tone and thats all i'll use often have ended up pulling all the crap off guitars for the sake of simplicity and better tone

thats why i love the tele design so much it is so simple
esquire takes it a step further and that straight through sound is awesome

Originally Posted by old_picker

the rule i use with knobs is less is more
some i just have a volume thats all
most just 1 volume 1 tone

i find as a player with a complicated onboard electronics with switches and coil taps phase switches etc that i look for the guitars sweet tone and thats all i'll use often have ended up pulling all the crap off guitars for the sake of simplicity and better tone

thats why i love the tele design so much it is so simple
esquire takes it a step further and that straight through sound is awesome

Yeah - I hear you. I think I'll tone it back a bit but I do want the "classic" ES-335 look (3 way switch, 2 Volume, 2 tone). I think I'll use the attached layout just so I can play with series v parallel.

When I changed the pups on my Epiphone 335 it was quite a pita having to drag all the electronics out through the f holes.

Originally Posted by craigb

When I changed the pups on my Epiphone 335 it was quite a pita having to drag all the electronics out through the f holes.

I can imagine. I'm dreading the installation job which unfortunately has to be after joining the top and bottom (and finishing)...unless somebody has another idea...

Originally Posted by GourmetSaint

I can imagine. I'm dreading the installation job which unfortunately has to be after joining the top and bottom (and finishing)...unless somebody has another idea...

I can't think of how else you could do it. Even if you wired the pots up and attached them to the top plate before gluing it on you'd still have to drop them for finishing.

Btw, what wood are you planning on using for the centre block?