Part 1: Guitar build - design/spec

I have just started my second guitar build, so I thought I'd keep a record of the proceedings. 

Intended spec:

• tele shape body
• 22 fret Rosewood neck
• ebony fretboard (with chinese number inlays)
• reverse headstock
• burl top, slightly amber with white faded edge
• Fishman trem with piezo
• HB/sc/sustaniac pickups
• 5 way switch plus mini toggles for piezo mode and sustaniac mode
• volume for piezo, main volume (no tone - I want controls kept to a minimum)
• sperzel machineheads
• f-hole (just because I like the look)
• LSR roller nut
• fret LEDs that light up when the fret string is pressed - just for fun
• chinese writing inlay on the body

This is a mock-up I created with Photoshop. The White burst may been green instead, I am still deciding on that. Other decisions - I may leave the fretboard blank with no markings, I may omit the Chinese lettering on the body. I might design a new headstock logo, I may use my old one, I may leave it blank.

All my guitars I have put together or built seem to have slightly strange names that come to me whilst designing (Angel, Mojo, Fish, Chi Rho), this one is called 'Light'. Light does not refer to the LEDs, but it could be seen as that by others.


I have drawn up full size plans using Adobe Illustrator software. I have the use of a large format printer so I have printed copies to aid with templates etc



I have also been working on the wiring, which has proved to be something of a headache as I have no knowledge of the logic of wiring. The diagram that I have created is basically joining up the Sustainiac info with the Fishman powerchip and then adding in a 9-pin jack. I think I have arrived at a working diagram but it won't be put together and tested for some time yet. Many thanks to ICBM of the Fretboard forum for helpful input.

That's it for starters. 

Part 2: starting the neck

I've been buying up bits for a while, I currently have the Fishman trem, Powerchip, Sustainiac pickup, Kinman SC pickup, Machineheads. Also have LEDs, resistors, fretwire, fretboard and some other odds and sods.

This pic shows: The neck template I made, Rosewood fretboard, rosewood for neck (having just cut out truss rod channel, and a couple of blocks for the body (I can't recall what wood now, the order doesn't say and it was a while ago)

This next picture shows sorting out the neck template. I stuck the full size plan onto some MDF, did a rough trim on a bandsaw then tidied it up with plane, drum sanding bits in a drill press and a good old fashioned sanding block. Tools/facilities courtesy of my dad here, although much work will be done in my overcrowded, leaky garage with no work bench other than a little folding thing. Oh for good facilities! I made a telecaster neck template last time, but I fancied a more modern headstock this time. I am using the telecaster body template that I made a year ago. For some reason I just love the telecaster shape!

This is the top, and also an Ebony fretboard, which I am using instead of the rosewood from the first picture. It is pre-cut. I did my own slots on my last guitar but my saw is too narrow (fractionally) and it created problems, so I jumped in with a less hassle option for this one.

Rough cut of neck sorted

The neck wood was too thick and I do not have the luxury of a wood thicknesser, so some improvisation was required. I made a couple of 'rails' and stuck the neck between them. I put the router on a board, and then ran it up and down on the rails taking the surface lower in a few stages. Completed in the leaky garage! Seemed to work.

Part 3: LED stuff

I used the plotter to create an accurate plan of the fretboard and stuck it on with double sided tape.

I trimmed one side with a jigsaw, then planed it down. This we so I could keep the channel on the other side parallel with the side of the fretboard.

This is the holes for the LEDs, all the points were centre marked on the paper

Some of the LED wiring channels routed using the trusty old Dremel

extra resistor channels added and sorted positive wire. I wanted to keep some insulation so I cut lots of small bits at decreasing sizes. Not sure if it will melt when I get stuck in with all the soldering!

Slightly dead now (as can be seen!) due to an accident, but this was a mock-up to check my LED lighting up thing. It worked - provisionally. I have swapped the orientation of the resistors to run parallel to the frets as there won't really be room for them at the upper ones this way

I am going to fret the fretboard before attaching it to the neck. Not ideal, but I need to know that everything is still working at every stage, and I'm not happy with the thought of all that hammering about when all is irretrievably stuck together. I'm still not sure if I can pull this off but I like a challenge.

Part 4: Fretboard Inlays

I was going to skip my Chinese number inlays, it seemed like a LOT of work and hassle on a neck that I may well bugger up if the LED thing fails. Having said that, I kind of knew that I had to attempt it once I had thought about it. Anything else would seem a bit of a cop out. I could imagine myself looking down at the finished guitar and just thinking 'if only I'd done the inlays!'. So, I've started ....

I did the artwork using Adobe illustrator software, and printed it onto waterslide decal paper. This was them transferred onto Celluloid sheet (couldn't afford MoP).

I knocked up a rough platform to use with a jewellers saw, but I didn't really get on with the saw so I had to come up with a plan B. I made a board to fit onto the dremel base with a hole sticking out for a cutter bit. I then inverted it and clamped it with my workbench so that the tool bit was sticking up a few millimetres. This allowed me to cut around the shapes carefully. I had to be extra careful with my fingers so close to a sharp cutty thing that could cause major damage to flesh!

After the dremel, I used small files to clean up the shapes. Overall pleased with the results.

A tiny hand vice came in handy for holding small bits.

With quite a lot of them done I thought I'd better work out how to get them into the fretboard.

My initial idea was to paint around the actual inlay with fairly 'dry' paint. The finish ended up a bit 'wooly' and innacurate

This mean that it was somewhat 'overcut' for my liking by the time I attacked it with the dremel

I came up with a Plan B, which was to paint the fretboard (well, a practice offcut) all white, let it dry then scratch around the sides of the inlay with a scalpel. This was a much more accurate approach, and the subsequent cut/fitting was a lot better. Still pretty tricky to do. Useful tip: I wear reading glasses these days, strength of 2.0. I also have a pair at 4.0 strength which allows you to get closer to stuff for viewing (all bought from the pound shop!). When I want to get REALLY close and accurate I put both pairs on at the same time. Then you can get a super-close view of what you are doing.

Well, that's it for now. A few more inlays to cut out then I will be tackling putting them into the fretboard.