Thread: ES-335 Copy - Tassy Blackwood

Oh right. I didn't realise you were doing it that way.

Unfortunately thers no way round it....the 335 body has carved [presed] top and bottom
You gotta get those pots and switch in through the F holes.
its fiddley but you can do it as long as the pots will go through the f hole
you gotta obviously solder it all up first.

the other way is to use an access hole in the rear of the guitar.

see the gretsch here

with a shaped back your screwed really unless you wanna use the gretsch's butt ugly way of doing it

As promised I have uploaded photos of the Dr Parts neck as part of my web site. Please have a look and tell me what you think.
http://www.gourmetsaint.com.au/Guitars

I have just watched the Gibson video on the Clapton Es-335 copying and they mentioned that that cut a large access holes through the pickup routes for passing the electronics through. Sounds like an interesting thought.

Originally Posted by GourmetSaint

As promised I have uploaded photos of the Dr Parts neck as part of my web site. Please have a look and tell me what you think.
http://www.gourmetsaint.com.au/Guitars

yeah looks allright,....hopefull it is nice and stiff with not much flex in it
would you say it is a thick neck?? what sort of profile C U V??

That Gretsch access hole is horrid I've seen pots replaces in a 335 at a guitar repair shop, where the repairman put a piece of solder wire through each pothole he was working on, shifted it up through the pickup hole, hooked it around the pot and dragged it down through into the body and the pot pulls back through.. Just gotta twist the solder so it'll curve back up through the pickup hole.

Originally Posted by old_picker

the other way is to use an access hole in the rear of the guitar.
with a shaped back your screwed really unless you wanna use the gretsch's butt ugly way of doing it

What about cutting a 2"-3" section out of the ribs/edge, below where the pots sit? With the amount of wood there, I think it would be relatively easy to make a secure and good-looking access hole, without cutting/compromising the back or top. You could even mount the jack in the rib at that point.

Good thought. I'll make the final decision before I join the top and back and when I have all the hardware purchased.

wrt the neck: I compared it to the neck on my Epiphone Black Beauty and it looks (and feels) identical.

I have just purchase the router bits I need and a couple of flap disks (60 and 120 grit) so if they are delivered before the weekend, I'll get things on the way.

angled cuts like a light dovetail in the rib will make the plug fit like a finger in a b*m. Just need to find a neat way to secure it eg: single brass screw through the back at the edge

Well - I had some problems with the router this weekend. The bearing slipped and the pattern ruined I will have to reuse this blank for a smaller pattern. LP? or SG? I will purchase some more timber for the ES-335 project. Lesson learnt. Rough with jig saw to minimise router work. Never used a router before - need practice. The DW "predicted" my demise. If I make a LP I will keep that and sell my "Black Beauty" to fund my "future" projects. My 12 yo step-son is doing well with his guitar lessons who will fast overtake me with fret skills. I have promised to make him a Strat when completes another year of lessons.

Yeah, routers can make a big mess of your workpiece very quickly. Commiserations.

Try a practice run on some MDF or radiata next time.

Thing I learned after about 5 disasters [i am a slow learner] was 2 simple rules
1. make sure the item being routed including the pattern is down real damn tight and can not move at all...use clamps screws etc DS tape is never enough on its own
2. never lift the router out of or away from the job while it is still spinning. power off and wait till bit has stopped

I trashed several expensive templates b4 i learned that you only ever cut from an original template once and that was to make a copy..... then rout copies from that one

i cost myself a lot of time fixing up router blunders in the 1st few bodies i cut.

i use a table mounted router now and that is much easier also a band saw is easier than a jigsaw. the blade can twist and be inside the line underneath while you have 1/8" on top. use a rough cut blade and cut real slow with a jigsaw.

its a real downer when you trash something but ur LP or SG will be great anyhow and you had a good lesson you wont forget ever...

btw id do a lp as the neck join on a sg can be tricky

I have just purchased a set of 6 drawings (in dwf and pdf formats) for US$6.50. Good deal, nice detail. The pack included Strat, Tele, LP, SG, J-bass and LP Jr. I am still doing the ES-335 first as soon as I get more timber. The LP will next (I have the timber ) followed by a Strat for my son (after he completes another year of guitar lessons).

Originally Posted by GourmetSaint

I have just purchased a set of 6 drawings (in dwf and pdf formats) for US$6.50. Good deal, nice detail. The pack included Strat, Tele, LP, SG, J-bass and LP Jr. I am still doing the ES-335 first as soon as I get more timber. The LP will next (I have the timber ) followed by a Strat for my son (after he completes another year of guitar lessons).

Hi Saint

As this is something I might be doing in future, (also for son), I would be interested if you could post where you ordered your "packet" of plans from.

Thanks