GregP

I don't think there's a better deal for recording than the TonePort UX2. However, since it sounds like you'll be recording your amps (and not the amp models in the TonePort's Gearbox software) you can probably get away with something else. So, my next best recommendation if you want something REEAAAallllly basic and inexpensive would be a unit like the Tapco Link.USB, because it comes with Mackie Tracktion, my favourite recording software. So, I'm a bit biased. Depending on your budget, there are many options to go from there. You're spoiled for choice, really. Greg

Maybe they ship to Canada. Found some retailers selling them for $70-79 USD. Not bad. I could always start with the neck version since I rarely use bridge anyhow. Maybe do what one guy did (from a review I stumbled across in my search) and put a P-90 form-factor humbucker into the bridge. I like humbucker bridge... Greg

+1. Looks vunderbar.

Sheesh, I was so sure that Lace didn't make one themselves that I didn't even search. <whacks forehead> Thanks for that, Robert. I hate my apartment... Now to see if I can find reasonable pricing.

So I'm rather sick of my apartment. It's littered with EMI. My favourite guitar is a humble Godin LG with P90's. Which is problematic for obvious reasons. I know you can get a Gibson P100 or other 3rd party (I think SD makes one) stacked P90 replacements. So those are 2 that I'm aware of. Does anybody know of other alternatives? Is there such thing as the "Lace Sensor" of P90s? Are there active soapbar pickups that are drop-in replacements? Seems to be a fairly underdeveloped market, but possibly because P90 lovers are even more sold on the importance of retaining the original engineering (a real single-coil) than even strat- and tele- lovers. Greg

He stated that he *primarily* wants to have fun, has some of the fundamental skills, has access to tools, has already done some reading, and wants to restrict his budget to $600 PER TRY, which is how I read those words. If that $600 is wasted, it might not encourage him to try again ever, but I didn't read it as, "I only want to spend $600 and then never think about building guitars again." Most people, myself included, focused on the bolded dark words which were his actual questions. Forgive me for my attention deficit in not registering the same words you did. I think at the end of the day, most perspectives are aligned with yours, though, in that we just want this young guy to make the right decision with eyes wide open. Other people have also told him that buying a guitar is still an option to consider.

I'm not the best person to answer this-- my first full-on project is still on hiatus (though I've done many of the major components) and I've only done minor projects in the meantime. That said, here's my additional and/or confirmational advice (I cross-posted with Soutpa, but didn't go back to edit redundancies!) get from almost anyone here: Many people here have been this or more successful right from their first builds. Other people have not. The deciding factor seems to be the planning stage and the amount of patience you have. I'm so patient that I haven't even finished my first full 6-string electric guitar project yet. An abundance of patience. Actually, I just have too little access to a workshop. It'll take exactly as much time as it takes. ;-) There's no way of predicting exactly how long it could take you. If you approach it wisely, you will spend a LOT of time researching first, and testing things out and learning your tools. Then you'll have to source instrument-ready wood and wait for it to arrive. Then you should spend enough time on each part that you don't 'burn out' in a day's work and get careless or impatient. Then the longest part, assuming you are persistent in plugging at it to get it to this phase (and also depending on the type used), will be finishing the guitar. You're fine doing either, in terms of "ease of build," but using known styles can give you certain advantages in some cases. For example, tried-and-true ergonomics (or at least known ergonomic issues that you can either accept or not) and the right components (eg. pickguards if you decide to do a strat style). If you are unsure if you can make a decent template (and templates ARE a must in most people's opinions, even if you design your own) there is guitarbuildingtemplates.com for you, which is handy. Well, the measurements are easy to find. But how many people can line up a fret slot and cut it with traditional tools, to a hundredth of an inch accuracy? Not many. Most people have specialized tools/jigs for the job. Luckily, your best bet is to go with a common scale length (24.75, 25, 25.5) and order a fretboard from a site like Luthier's Mercantile or Stewart MacDonald. You can get them pre-radiused, too, which saves you another step that usually requires specialized tools or at least patience in making a jig. You never know until you try. Everyone has different thresholds of frustration. The people who are on this site and have made it through several builds will tell you "yes!" But the common wisdom is that if your end goal is "to have a guitar," rather than "to make a guitar" (noting the subtle difference between those things) then you might just want to buy one. Hope that sort of helps.

Just a confirmation-- I've done the steel wool on a poly neck (skipped the sandpaper), and the result was a nice matte finish just as I had hoped for. Greg

Snow is definitely better than ice-cold rain. I mean, take that final step and become snow already. I'll be miserable, but I won't be as wet.

It doesn't look wrong at ALL now, but the bridge and bridge PU suggest an aggressive slant, so having a more aggresive curve (is that what you meant about the apex? Probably!) would fit that overall theme.

It hasn't hit Ottawa yet. Phew! I like snow for.... a week. About a week. And I like it REALLY cold for that week, so that I can wear my comfy goosedown jacket (unless it's REALLY cold, I feel silly wearing it because it might seem like too much!). But then, it gets old. And cold. And salty and slippery and miserable. And dark. Bah, winter is for the birds! Er... well... for the birds that haven't migrated!

Scott Rosenberger is selling a set of Carvins for $60. Not to put my nose where it doesn't belong, but I bet he'd part with them for $50 if you offered. I've never asked him, of course, so I can't speak for him... but if he agrees, that's $50 pretty well spent. Here's the thread: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...=26119&st=0 I only mention it because I'd grab'em for myself if humbucking pickups were at all a priority for me right now. Greg

A big thanks from the lurker contingent, too. ;-) We might not have much to offer but support, but it's something! Go, guys, Go!

There are redeeming qualities to almost anything, if you look at it the right way. Let's put it this way: For $100, you might get a playable guitar! You will likely need to learn a few things to do to make it even more playable, which is a valuable experience. OR, for $100, you might get a disaster which you are never able to bring to a satisfactory level. You will notice the neck pocket gaps, how badly the frets need recrowning and polishing, how the routes are not located in the right spots, etc. Now, I'm not saying that'll be the case. But if it IS, the experience of building it will still teach you stuff. That's $100 not entirely badly spent. Greg

With computers achieving such low latencies these days, I feel that the days of EITHER option are numbered. I use VST plug-ins and a barely-detectable amount of latency (4ms to be comfortable, though I can push it down further if needed). The hosted plug-in is easily a replacement for either traditional stompboxes OR multi-fx units. The current downside is that it's not very giggable. When they come up with a rugged and portable computer with enough juice, that'll be the end of it for multi-fx units. Though, pedals will probably continue to be around for the foreseeable future. There's something cool about stomping on a nice rugged Boss pedal. Greg

I can't lie and say I know from experience, but I find it very plausible that building a parts-o-caster will in fact get you a higher-quality instrument than Fender provides. Assuming you know at least a bit about what you're doing. There's no way I personally would get a factory finish like Fender's, but that's because I know jack and squat about finishing. But in terms of the rest... I can easily believe that a Warmoth body and neck, plus your own attention paid to the electronics, can produce a better instrument.

It was either Thirstygums or Toddler68 for me.

Nothing lets you "change while you play" better than a footpedal, as mentioned on page 1. Even the least obtrusive hand switch still requires a hand. While a stompbox requires your foot, an appendage not normally used during the actual playing of a guitar. Greg

+1 for tape +1 for forstner/brad (I used forstner) As long as your dots are of at least a passable thickness, err the drilled hole on the side of "too shallow" and then just sand flush. You should have plenty of control to just eyeball in conjunction with the piece of tape, though. My drill's depth stop is a dodgy piece of crap and the tape is far more reliable for me. People with better gear will have better luck. Greg

Just adding my name to the list of looking-fors.

Matthew Sweet - "Girlfriend". The guitarist is some guy who guested and whose name I never remember. But I lurrrve that solo.

For mic placement, you'll probably want to experiment, but two very common formulas that you already have access to: SM57, only a small distance away from the grille, pointed at the centre of the speaker. (on-axis) SM57, close to the grille, pointed at the speaker, but not at the centre of it. (off-axis) Can't get much more classic than that. Another popular method as of late has been using a ribbon mic, which is sensitive without being fragile (like a condenser) and hanging it in front of the cab. I haven't tried this one, but it seems like a good one. Really, there's no "wrong" way to do it, so just grab a mic and your headphones, get someone to play around on the guitar, and move the mic in various locations until it sounds good. You can also add a second mic with a different sound/position, and then blend those 2 signals together. If you choose this method, be aware that you may need a hint of phase correction or frequencies could end up cancelling each other out and producing a thinner sound than with just one mic. Bass-- I vote for direct-in. If your Cakewalk product has a VST wrapper, get MDA's free "combo" plug-in to add a touch of cab sound so that it's not 'as' direct. But direct bass is classic. Vox-- completely and totally depends on the vocalist's style. If he's a full-bore screaming dynamo, then he might even sound good with one of the 57's. It wouldn't be the first time in history. More common, however, is for the vocalist to use a large-diaphragm condenser microphone. If you have access to one of these, it couldn't hurt! They're sensitive, though, so use a pop-filter (even if it's just pantyhose stretched over a wire loop made from a clothes-hanger) and try to isolate the vocalist. Many a home hobbyist has sucked up their pride and squatted under a heap of blankets to help deaden the sound. Give the vocalist some reverb and/or delay in their headphones-- it inspires confidence in the vast majority. Greg

Interesting. I've seen it with an "S" shape (ie. where your XXX's are but without the OOO's) but not an X-shaped one. Could be cool! I bet someone on here knows someone who has tried it, but I can't think of one offhand. Greg

I dunno. Doesn't seem quite the same as the Saga kit from where I'm standing. Not saying that it's going to make the best guitar ever anywhere EVAR, but I don't think it's quite the same.

<insert something about a pot and a kettle...> Part of "Tone Voodoo" comes down to transference. We know that tapping a piece of wood that's coated in thick gunk isn't going to sound the same as tapping a piece of wood that's NOT covered with thick gunk. And we transfer that to our perception of an electric guitar's "tone equation." But what gets overlooked is that the physics of tapping a piece of wood (ie. the "vibrations") is not the same as bolting two pieces of wood together and putting electromagnetic pickups on it. Yeah... sure... some of the vibration is going to be altered somewhat as the vibrations extend throughout the entire volume of the pieces of wood... but at the end of the day, it's a much much smaller piece of the equation than the "tap test" might have you think. The kind of Electric guitars being discussed are, at their core, nothing more than metal strings vibrating across magnetic pickups. THAT's where the tone really lives. The wood choice IS significant in that it's the mass that the nut and bridge are "anchored" to. But as long as you have a solid anchor (in this case, just the body end will be different anyhow) you WILL have a successful electric guitar. Who the heck made that see-through Plexi thing? You'd instinctively think that it would have "dead" tone, but as mentioned already in this thread, that's not the case. I understand that it's really hard to separate our instincts and first thoughts from the reality of the physics and the "tone equation" in the guitar... but it's a disconnect that is easily understood once you think it through logically. Greg