Thread: Les Paul Junior Style Guitar Build

Look's great Alan, I love the blackwood top,do you know what area it grew in?
Rob.

I am really enjoying the build on this one. I haven't been around here in 5 years or so and in the mean time I have started playing the guitar. Between the love of a good sounding guitar and my love of wood working......this thread has made my day.

Keep us in the loop!

Scott

The Junior was fretted today. All went to plan. I'm getting a better job everytime. Getting the correct radius on the fretwire prior to fretting certainly makes the job very easy. I found it much easier fretting the electric than an acoustic. The fret sides have been profiled so it is now ready for the fret dress later on. I also made a wood control cover plate and fitted it. The nut has been setup and tacked in with some white glue. Now for some quality time hand sanding.
Here are a few pics:


Thank you for looking
Cheers
Alan

Nice job Alan. Really classy looking build bud

Ahhhhh she's a beauty!

I have been a little concerned with the neck set and bridge height. On the weekend the bridge posts where inserted, bridge fitted and I put on a set of strings and gave the guitar a quick setup. I'm satisfied now all the angles and heights are right and I will be able to setup a good playing action! Phew!!!! The first one is always tests the nerves.
Here are a few pictures:




more to come.......
Cheers
Alan

Well, the finish has been started. I want the back of the body and neck darker in colour as I am trying to achieve the a vintage cherry finish. The top and fingerboard have been masked off to avoid dye getting where it shouldn't. I have applied a mahogany timber mate filler to the back and neck and after a few trial runs with the mahogany dye, I was happy enough and the dye has been applied.
Here are a few pictures:




Thanks for looking. I have this week off so hope to get into the finish process and a few other projects in the workshop.
Cheers
Alan

Looks good mate..Enjoy ur week off ya lucky bugger

I like the back colour Alan, a nice looking wine colour.
Regards, Bob

The back of the neck and body have been finished using hard shellac. Leave it now for a month to cross-link and then it will be buffed out to a satin finish.

Now for the top finish......

Good job Alan. Shes come up really nice

Coming up a treat Alan, nice finish.
Cheers, Bob

Thanks Floody and Bob for you comments. The colour has been a little hit and miss. The dye ended up making the endgrain darker than say the middle of the back. I think there is a product that when applied, will even out the staining. Anyway, I now have a vintage cherry finish

Cheers

Alan

Hi Alan,great looking guitar,
if you want to fine tune the staining process you can apply a glue size coat
before staining,this can be made up with yellow glue white glue or hide glue,
a desert spoon of glue in half a tea cup of warm water would be a good place
to start, being a water based step the timber needs to be prepared by wetting
then left to dry and fine sanded with 280 or 320 or as I like to do wet, and fine
sanded while wet which shows up any glue left on the job,then wiped dry with a
rag ,when dry light fine sand with 400. next brush on glue size and before it dries
lightly wipe straight with a damp rag,when this is dry light fine sand with a used
before or worn 400, two or three light wipes and hardly touch corners, and you will
have the smoothest piece of timber you have ever felt with a barrier that will hold
the stain at an even level,seal that in with shellac and go from there,after the stain
has been sealed in you can coulor further with spirit stain mixed with thin shellac
you could go further to the red side with bismark brown or kill of red with spirit
black mixed with a little green both applied thin and slow with a french polishing
rubber, one wipe and you cant see the difference two or three and you can just
start to see it is the strength. seal that in with shellac and then go for it, just be
extra careful with any cutting back specially on corners.

Hope I have added a tool to your already very skilled kit, regards Rob