GregP

I'd like to add that Line6 has offered a FREE upgrade for the XT, giving it even more features than before: - now 42 amp models - now 63 FX (new wah models, for instance) - ability to buy and install Bass amp expansion packs Full details here: http://line6.com/podxt/UK/version3.html Makes a good bargain even better. Don't forget to have Recursion transfer registration details to you. Greg

My first build had a lot in common with yours. It's not done yet. I shelved it for now because I kept running into problems with either the techniques or the equipment. I'd also follow Doeringer's advice and buy the neck. I will likely do this for subsequent builds. Might even go with the neck-through route so that I can avoid neck angle and/or tight pocket. Not that those things are necessarily rocket surgery, but with the limited time that I have to work on such things, if I'm going to go partway I might just go whole hog. Or, more concisely: don't worry about your first project being your "dream" guitar. Save that for later. Make your first project one of the kinds of guitars that fuels your passion, but try to pick the most basic one possible. Sure wish I had chosen a non-carved, non-bound, easy bridge (strat, one-piece wraparound, etc), etc., kind of guitar for my first. It's not too late, mind you. I can keep this one shelved and do another one.... hmm.... Greg

Mattia, I don't know why you're still trying to win a point when I've already conceded, but since I'm probably just as stubborn as you, I'll answer : If you create a domed shape on your narrow edge, you won't be able to create a proper hook. You can only "round over" the edge so much before it becomes impossible to draw enough material to create a hook from. That's the "so what". However, as I already mentioned when I conceded, it's should be relatively trivial with the proper tool (even just a file) to square off the dome again so that you can start from scratch. As for purchasing them, I agree completely. Lee Valley has the exact same ones as StewMac, for a little cheaper. They're not expensive tools at all. I don't know that their alloy composition has been all that meticulously researched, but for the mere reason of getting a variety of pre-shaped edges that you can work with, it's worth the price of admission tenfold. There are times where sometimes it's actually "fun" to fabricate your own tools and parts, but scrapers just doesn't seem to be one of those, for me at least. Greg

Very reasonably priced, indeed! This comes closest to what I'd need, in terms of price AND features: http://www.billlawrence.com/Pages/Pickup_W...Pedal_Steel.htm Found it owing to the above link. I've already got something in the works, but people reading this thread in the future may still find the information/link handy. The next step will be deciding what kind of nut/bridge to go for, and which method of mounting the tuners to use. Greg

Mattia, if you continue to only compress the edge of a plane of steel, it will eventually dome. But taking a cue from the Carruthers article (cool read), I guess that's the point in time at which the grinder could come in handy, and once flat you could begin just compressing the edge again. So, you've won me over. Greg

Well, except for physics. That's a lot more material to square off, burnish, and then turn a hook, regardless of whether or not the actual metal spreads out by the same linear amount (ie. you're only spreading it out by the same fraction of a millimeter on either side). If your edge has a lot of "surface area" to it, though, the compression of the metal will have to distribute over a much wider area. Certainly not impossible by any stretch of the imagination, but I wouldn't want to do it. That said, I'm sure Mattia knows about 5000% more about scrapers than I do, so I'll shut it now. I'm thinking in terms of logic and Mattia knows from experience. I might debate from time to time, but ultimately I value the latter more than the former. Greg

Nah. They're just stamped-out hunks of metal. Not much precision in their creation. Even store-bought ones won't do anything until you turn a hook into them, which is where the real magic happens*. There are several people on this forum who have makeshifted their own from various pieces of metal. I think somebody used a spoon as one of their favourite scrapers. It will come down in part to the metal used, though. It needs to be fairly thin, and yet rigid. If it's too thick, you'll never turn a hook on it. Scrapers are nifty little tools if you're any good with them. I suck with them, but the few times I've got'er going properly, I really saw the potential. They're nothing particularly special, but you need to understand how they work. First you burnish the edge, which means basically flattening it out so that the metal at the edge kind of "sticks out" in a way that's detectable with the naked eye, but isn't immediately obvious. Then you continue applying pressure, but toward the edges, so that the flattened-out bit becomes a very small "hook" shape. This hook digs into the wood and starts scraping off shavings. If you're any good. Which I'm not. Greg * I should say, where the magic allegedly happens. I suck with the burnisher and have only lucked into turning a proper hook a few times. I'm sure it's not that hard, but I don't like the tool I have. I'd rather have something a little more "automatic" (for lack of a better word).

My Spinsaw crapped out, after all. I think it's just the switch, as the motor didn't burn out. But those kinds of things are annoying to fix. Brought it back and got a router and a cheap JobMate dremel-alike instead. I've used a real Dremel, and it has noticeably more torque that the JobMate. We'll see how the cheapie holds up to a real job when the time comes. Greg

Forgive me, but I'm an English teacher and can't help myself: Unless you've made an intentional misspelling for a particular reason (and I can't imagine what that reason might be, to be honest!) it should be: Sentinel Just wouldn't want you to make a headstock or whatnot with the name on it, only to have someone tell you LATER that you've spelled it incorrectly. Greg

Mr. Alex and Pr3vail: excellent excellent ideas, actually. Lollar was the first person who came to mind, but they ARE a bit pricey. I'm not a cheap bugger, but it's hard to justify that kind of expense when I'm still a lap steel neophyte and I still have unwanted debts. I'll always have SOME debts, but it's the unwanted ones I'd like to clear out. [edit: When I first wrote the above, I hadn't actually clicked the link, but was going by memory. As it turns out, the pickups are VERY reasonably priced! The problem, though, is that I don't see a humbucking model, which is a requirement that's not optional for me. Cheers for the link, though!] The pickup seems to be sorting itself out via some PMs. Looks like with some help I'll be able to get what I need. Regarding the bridge: the more I think about people reminding me of the "obvious" metal bar that I was initially against, the more I think that it's a good thing they reminded me of that option. I still theoretically have the time to plan it out, I was just exhausted by all the planning that went into the prior project. Now that I'm getting energized again, doing the planning is becoming fun again so I shouldn't let it worry me. The Hipshot bridge is pretty slick, though, regardless of whether it's strictly necessary. I also remembered that since this one will be a fixed-string steel (the other one needed as little friction as possible because of the palm bender) I have more options in terms of "shaving down" saddles on other bridge types. Greg

Mattia: Good to know, re: the tuners. Regarding the bridge: Yes, a true bridge would be "overkill," but as mentioned I'm not really interested in fabricating a bridge for this one. Even a very basic bridge like the one on my 6-string turned out to be a real pain in the ass, and I'm probably going to replace it eventually anyhow. A plain ol' steel/brass bar IS the most common kind of bridge, and is often used at the nut, too, in place of a traditional nut. However, "grooves" are also very common, and since they're unnatural grooves, any bending (behind the bar bending is still bending!) becomes a real annoyance and string-breaker with a grooved-up bridge. To make matters worse, and this is where some advice could be handy-- I don't know where to source an appropriate metal rod/bar that's going to be smooth enough to fulfil the function. I worry that if I get el-cheapo metal from Home Depot or whatnot, that it's a string-breaking disaster waiting to happen. Also, where is the bridge measured? The centre of the bar, I guess? Is that where the fullscale spot would be? (ie. do strings "break" over a round bar at exactly centre?) But that's not even my main concern. My main concern is that "beyond" the 'bridge' I still need to anchor the strings somewhere. String-through with ferrules is an option, for sure, but then I have the additional worry of lining up the string-throughs and sourcing/installing the grommets. I know it seems trivial, especially in theory, but it's not so much the "overall difficulty level" that I want to avoid, but the "this is my first time doing it, so I'm going to take a million years measuring it all up" that I want to avoid. In my last build, it was maybe 5% building and 95% planning. Which is all well and good, but now that I've already done a lot of the planning, doing a second very similar guitar will require less legwork. UNLESS-- I end up using a bunch of materials and techniques that I need to ponder over and stare at for hours while thinking of the best execution. --- In short, I'm not saying "no" to the idea of a metal bar, and I agree that it's the easiest and even most common kind of bridge. But I simply can't devote a bunch of time to researching the best kind of metal bar, calculating the "string break" over the bar, and ball-end mounting options. Any advice or links that would take away this side of the thought process is appreciated, though, and every extra bit of information provided makes my own hours of net-searching significantly reduced. --- Back to pickups: A P-Bass pair is an option, and it's a good reminder to me that bass pickups are to be considered, too. The string spacing and staggering on a P-bass pair might get a bit wonky, but now my gears are turning around the idea of bass pickups in general! Ideally, I'd like a stacked P-90 (P-100) in 8-string width, but the odds of that happening are pretty much zero unless I get it custom made by someone who does stacked pickups. Cheers, Greg

Awesome work so far! I've nothing of interest to contribute, but I wanted to give you some props. Greg

I'm happy with the way my 6-stringer turned out, and my mind is already turning on the prospect of an 8-string steel. Not many of the parts needed are "steel"-specific, and some can be adapted-> Nut: Graph-tech bridge, sanded to no radius, or inverted and the underside used instead. Tuners: Either 'singles' (one of the local stores can get'em in) or just suffer and buy 2 sets of 6. The remaining for could be used for an electric ukelele. But my two areas of concern are-> Bridge: I don't want to "make" one this time. I'd rather just give'er. The only 8-string bridges I've seen are Hipshot, and their price is "almost" right. Something closer to $40 USD would be preferred, but I realize that with such a specialized project, finding even the Hipshot one is a real blessing! Pickup: The magnetic field of a 7-string pickup from Carvin might be wide enough to get the 'outside' strings, but I'm not absolutely convinced. The more expensive alternative is to buy a "lap steel pickup" from George Boards or suchlike, but the Carvin price tag is more attractive. I could do a slightly narrower string spacing in theory, but it comes down to the bridge-- which if I get the HipShot immutable in terms of width. -- Unfortunately, the main issue is that price IS an object, especially if I want to do this within the next year. I'm not extremely cushioned in my cash flow situation. If I can pull off the whole project for a similar price to my last one ($200 CDN, but I'll settle for hitting $320 CDN due to the extra parts I'd need), then I'll be a happy man. But if I have to spend $200 on a pickup and another $100 on a bridge, the jig will be up. Cheers for any insight into sources for 8-string stuff. Greg

Trem-Nut Graphtech stuff, neh? That's what I'd be thinking aboot.

Way easier, cheaper, and healthy (do YOU want to breathe in fine metal particles from self-made shavings?) to just buy it. Greg

How's that bridge, Mick? I like the functionality of it, but I'm not sure the photos are doing it justice. I've yet to see any other guitars using it, so it's hard to put it in "context". Greg

No worries, mate!

I've by now discarded the packaging, and the actual drill bit I used is at my dad's workshop in a neighboring village. BUT, I remember for sure that I decided to buy an Imperial drill bit of some sort, based on a size difference. It may have been negligible and easily worked with, but I elected to just get what the package asked for. Now that you've got me thinking, though-- the size difference would probably be SO negligible that once you've screwed it down, you'd probably never even notice, so perhaps my warning isn't really all that important after all. Greg

Full-sized Grovers are great. My Guild has them, and I never have a tuning machine related issue. The hole size for Grovers is different than the hole size of Gotoh, Wilkinson, etc., though if I'm not mistaken. Whatever replacement you get, save yourself the headache of differently-sized holes by getting direct replacement. Greg

Having a look at that one, even though they "say" that it's a top-loader, I don't see why one couldn't use their special "anchor" holes for a string-through design for someone building from the ground up. Greg

Won't the solder discolour in a relatively short period of time if it's being manipulated? You'd have to be tricky and put an extra layer of "something" over the solder to avoid sweat-on-solder contact, I'd think. A question on the side: why epoxy? I would've thought CA would do the trick. That's what I've used on the few small things I've done.

An aside: After advocating the MasterCraft Spinsaw-type thing as a replacement for a router, I finally just got a 'real' (but cheap) router. The Spinsaw thing works OK, but keep your receipt. I'd take forsnter bits + chisel over any solution except the router. Bits + Chisel is especially effective when working on areas that you know will be covered up. I had this weird mahogany that turned to crud as soon as I tried chiseling in it. Greg

Look great! A glossier finish or more time with the sanding/buffing process would've yielded even more spectacular results, but as it stands that's very nice looking. Greg

Due to the overwhelming demand of 2 respondents, here's a sound clip. The obligatory "I don't actually know how to play this thing yet" disclaimer is in effect. It should be known that the clip is cheesy, and also that it uses "bar slants," which are an intermediate technique and partially explain some wonky intonation issues. http://www.wusik.com/song.php?id=1236 I have a few extra pictures, too, but they need to be resized. I'll use them as a lame excuse to bump sometime later tonight or tomorrow. The EZ-Bender didn't make it into this clip. As it turns out, C6 tuning (which I've decided to tackle) doesn't have intervals that lend themselves well to bending. A member of Steel Guitar Forums has made a tuning recommendation to me that I will likely pursue at some point in time, but for now I don't want to muck around too much outside of C6. Keeping a "straight-C6" guitar handy makes me think to myself.... hmm... one should really make ANOTHER one of these! I ended up needing to buy a proper tone bar, so I went to Steve's Music in Ottawa. One of the salesmen is one of Ottawa's more well-known guitar techs/builders, and he was understandably "medium" impressed-- as someone familiar with the work involved, he knew that it wasn't a feat of absolute genius. Another salesman spent a LOT of time playing it, though. He's a pedal steel player, and knew his way around a neck. He never plays in C6, and had never tried a palm bender before, but he put the bender AND the tuning itself to good use, running off some very impressive licks. I could tell he was well-impressed by the instrument and he seemed to be having a lot of fun playing it, which was the important bit. He kept trying to put it down, but then he'd grab the bar and play another few licks. <chuckle> Point of THAT story: even in C6, the bender was sounding GREAT, but I just don't know how to put it to good use myself yet.

I was in the middle of my reply when you posted.