Thread: My First Build - A Les Paul

Hey Kiwigeo
No, I didnt use any locating pins. I could'nt find anything to use, so I had to settle for patience
More and more people (on this and other forums) are advising me to keep it the natural colour
Im getting my nitro tomorrow and Ill experiment on the weekend
dayvo

I use a couple of 1.5mm diameter brads with the heads nipped off as locator pins. I get the fretboard all positioned without glue and when Im happy with the setup I knock the brads into holes drilled in the 3rd and 12th fret slots. Just knock 'em in about 5mm. . I then lift off the fretboard leaving the pins protruding from the neck. I then glue up the fretboard dropping same over the locator pins. Drill holes in the clamping caul so it clears the protruding pins. Once the glue is set take of clamps and caul and pull out the pins with a set of nippers. The holes in the fret slot will get covered up by the frets when you stick them in. See attached pics of a recent fretboard glue up on a classical. Fretboard is ebony and the glue is PVA. I put a bit too much glue on the fretboard and I didnt scrape off the glue 10mm in from edge of fretboard as I now do as a matter of course.

Good luck with the finishing, looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Cheers Martin

It look's great, Dayvo. Silky Oak's a strange timber. It lacks depth but has so much grain that it look great. It's one of my favourites and I've never seen a guitar made from it. I have an Epiphone LP that doesn't look half as good as that.

MMMM cant really carry 2x12 cabs any more

Ohh and if you stain that wood green or whatever
!$#@%$##%#^&%$^&%*^%&*(^(*&)*()(_
if anything just a touch of stain in initial coats just to warm it up and only if necesary...
my2cworth

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

I use a couple of 1.5mm diameter brads with the heads nipped off as locator pins. I get the fretboard all positioned without glue and when Im happy with the setup I knock the brads into holes drilled in the 3rd and 12th fret slots. Just knock 'em in about 5mm. . I then lift off the fretboard leaving the pins protruding from the neck. I then glue up the fretboard dropping same over the locator pins. Drill holes in the clamping caul so it clears the protruding pins. Once the glue is set take of clamps and caul and pull out the pins with a set of nippers. The holes in the fret slot will get covered up by the frets when you stick them in. See attached pics of a recent fretboard glue up on a classical. Fretboard is ebony and the glue is PVA. I put a bit too much glue on the fretboard and I didnt scrape off the glue 10mm in from edge of fretboard as I now do as a matter of course.

Good luck with the finishing, looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Cheers Martin

Damn! and I paid $14 US dollars + shipping for the LMI drill bit and locator pins when I could've just used brad nails shows what good it is to think before spending money.
Just a question about your pics Martin, where's the truss rod? :confused:

Hi Phil,

No truss rod...the guitar in the pics is a classical. Its my first classical so its a vanilla design based on one of Torres' instruments. Subsequent instruments have two graphite rods running through the neck for reinforcement.

For steel strings I use the same procedure with the brads but make sure the brads are located clear of the truss rod channel.

Cheers Martin

Hey guys
Im still going with my build and I just thought Id add a few more pics
Most of my time since the original post has been taken up by doing stuff around the house
But in that time Ive changed the headstock style and routed the cavities for the knobs and switch
I still need to sand, stain and lacquer and purchase pickups and knobs
Hopefully, it will be finished sometime in March
dayvo

Dayvo... mate catch this greenie comin your way! Thats looking bloody brilliant!


note please check your pms

Cheers
Shane

i would love to hear the sound of that

Finally finished my Les Paul
Specs:
Brazilian Mahogany body and laminated neck
Ebony fretboard
Lacewood caps
Paua trapezoid inlays
Bone nut (handmade)
Black binding on body, neck and head
Finish, gloss nitrocellulose lacquer
D'Addario strings
Hardware, Gold Gotoh tuneomatic bridge and tailpiece, and tuners
Gold pickup surrounds, toggle switch, strap holders and various screws
Stewmac jumbo frets
Pickups: Neck 8.5k, Bridge 14k. They were made by Mick Brierley
Electronics: I have the Jimmy Page Mod using 4 push-push pots and a 3 way toggle switch to allow for coil, series/parallel and reverse phase switching

That looks like you have done a really nice job there Dayvo. Well done! How does it play?

If only I liked green.......

But nice build and I see it is entered for GOTM. I think the biggest compliment to make is that it looks like it came from the Gibson factory. Aside from the colour and the headstock inlay people will assume it is one of them there Gibson's.

What a beaut! Well done

Hey Dayvo that looks brilliant, I love it. I'm currently working on my first build, and if it turns out half that good I'll be happy. Good stuff mate.
regards
Wal