Thread: My First Build based on the Martin Oakman book

Nice looking guitar body you've got going there. Is it Qld maple? What timbvers are you planning to use for the neck?

Cheers,

Peter

yay a build thread!!

lol

looking good
keep it up

Thanks guys,

Yeah it's Qld Maple, I currently have the intention of using a completed neck first time around, that is until my woodwork skills improve enough to make a quality neck.

I've been a bit slow on posting pictures, but here is the latest ones. I'm loohking for some advise on installing the trem, what is the best way to line it up in the correct position as i dont have the centre line marked any more.

Any help would be great thanks,

A few ways ... asuming your neck is securely fitted ...

Find the mid point at the nut and also at the body end of the neck ... then get a long straight edge and redraw your centre line.

Stand your guitar up on end and use a plumb line so that it lines up with the centre of your fret inlays.

Secure your top and bottom E strings and line up it up using those ... helps if you've got another set of hands.

I'm sure there's other ways

This is how I do it. fit your neck and place a straight edge along the edge of your fretboard and draw a line that extends your fretboard past the position of your bridge. Do this for both sides of the fretboard, and a line exactly midway between the two lines will with the "string centreline". if you set the tremolo inline with this centreline, you can garrantee that the strings will be set correctly over the freboard. You should always set the bridge to the centreline of the neck and NOT the body. Remember that a deflection error of 0.1degrees in the neck translates to an error of 1mm (sideways) along the total scale length. I don't know about you, but I know I'm not that good to get the neck to line up within less than 0.1degree with the centreline of the body.

Cheers,

Peter

Pete's got it.
It's got to be foolproof or you're inviting errors. This is one of the first things I look at in
any guitar I look at. If the neck alignment or bridge is set off centre, that tells me
all I need to know about it. Call it a pet hate at best.

Nice progress BTW

nice queensland maple

does it often come figured like this?

Thanks for the advise guys that is a great help ill give it ago on the weekend and let you know how it went.

R3R I brought the timber from www.luthierssupplies.com.au and from what i can see they have a few piece that are high figured check it out.

Cheers,

thnks for tht guitar007

there are a few lovely pieces there...