Search found 1323 matches
- Thu Jun 12, 2025 1:36 pm
- Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: How thin is too thin? Neckthrough bass
- Replies: 4
- Views: 116
Re: How thin is too thin? Neckthrough bass
For me the minimum thickness has depended on how the controls are mounted, and how deep the cavity has to be routed to accommodate the pots. This usually turns out to be 1 3/8".
- Mon May 12, 2025 12:54 pm
- Forum: Detailed Builds/Tutorials
- Topic: When to sand the fretboard radius?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 334
Re: When to sand the fretboard radius?
Just to reply to the question, I have sanded the radius at many different stages - fretboard unattached to neck before and after taper or slotting, and fretboard glued to neck, before and after taper or slotting. For slotting I use a HFT 0.020 kerf pull saw in a homemade 90 degree jig that slides al...
- Wed Apr 16, 2025 12:55 am
- Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Starcaster Strat pickup issue
- Replies: 4
- Views: 2766
Re: Starcaster Strat pickup issue
It looks like your springs are tightened to the max - you need to add 2 more springs or get stronger springs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3NqsVRarFw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3NqsVRarFw
- Tue Feb 18, 2025 9:27 pm
- Forum: Detailed Builds/Tutorials
- Topic: Working on my first build, and have a question.
- Replies: 6
- Views: 17074
Re: Working on my first build, and have a question.
Welcome Danny. I don't know the correct answer to your question - I used a different soundhole scheme on the reso I built, so I didn't have to use the screens. I just now pried off one of the screens from a cheap Chinese reso I have, and it was glued on with what looks like a PVA wood glue, not what...
- Tue Dec 31, 2024 12:37 am
- Forum: Jam Session
- Topic: End-of-the-year giveaway!
- Replies: 19
- Views: 13211
Re: End-of-the-year giveaway!
I'll take #13
- Tue Aug 20, 2024 7:35 pm
- Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Jangly B string
- Replies: 2
- Views: 6411
Re: Jangly B string
Frustrating.
Probably no help but:
Put a small piece of thin paper on the nut slot and press the string into it - see if it persists.
Loose truss rod?
Bad string? - try another.
Dampen the string (with finger) from nut to tuner.
Probably no help but:
Put a small piece of thin paper on the nut slot and press the string into it - see if it persists.
Loose truss rod?
Bad string? - try another.
Dampen the string (with finger) from nut to tuner.
- Tue May 28, 2024 1:17 am
- Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Number 4
- Replies: 6
- Views: 10730
Re: Number 4
You've probably seen this thread here, but if not it may stimulate some ideas about tools for making nut slots.
https://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=414
https://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=414
- Sat Feb 10, 2024 5:37 pm
- Forum: Bowed Stringed Instruments and Bows
- Topic: Re-hairing a renaissance bow?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 20805
Re: Re-hairing a renaissance bow?
It was many decades ago, before the WWW and online instructions/videos, and I didn't know what I was doing - I mean, how hard could it be? :o The synthetic hair came prepared for installation, so I was lucky, though it was probably a pretty crappy job. The horse's hair was individual strands, and I ...
- Sun Feb 04, 2024 8:22 pm
- Forum: Bowed Stringed Instruments and Bows
- Topic: Re-hairing a renaissance bow?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 20805
Re: Re-hairing a renaissance bow?
Good luck. Years ago I rehaired a violin bow with synthetic hair and as I remember it went OK. I tried rehairing a bass bow from the tail of one of our horses, and it was a complete disaster. 

- Mon Dec 18, 2023 2:59 pm
- Forum: Jam Session
- Topic: RIP Frank Ford
- Replies: 4
- Views: 31692
Re: RIP Frank Ford
So many great methods, tips on guitar repair, and much more, and kind enough to answer emailed questions. What a loss.
- Sat Nov 25, 2023 1:26 am
- Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: advise for altered approach for helping a first timer
- Replies: 18
- Views: 68630
Re: advise for altered approach for helping a first timer
Check this book out. It might turn out to be a fantastic teaching aid. I've suggested that it be added to the MIMF Amazon list, but in the meantime -- https://www.amazon.com/Building-Steel-String-Acoustic-Guitar/dp/1734125616/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VXOD9YUBN13D&keywords=r.m.+mottola&qid=170086414...
- Wed Oct 25, 2023 6:37 pm
- Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Paper for label?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 34135
Re: Paper for label?
I inkjet print them on regular copy paper, spray with rattle can lacquer, and glue with Elmer's wood glue. They will probably last as long as the instrument does, and certainly much longer than I will.
- Mon Oct 09, 2023 4:21 pm
- Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Walnut top basses
- Replies: 4
- Views: 24068
Re: Walnut top basses
Thanks for the kind words, Philip. I am a physician (now retired) and along those same lines, I was taught (semi-jokingly) that when doing a procedure on an awake patient, and a mistake is made, you forcefully say "There!", instead of "oops."
- Sat Oct 07, 2023 7:02 pm
- Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Walnut top basses
- Replies: 4
- Views: 24068
Re: Walnut top basses
I've inlaid coins, mostly Mexican but 2 Indian head pennies, in all the instruments I've made the last several years, mostly in the headstock. Easy to do once I matched drill bits with coin diameters.
- Thu Oct 05, 2023 1:01 pm
- Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Walnut top basses
- Replies: 4
- Views: 24068
Walnut top basses
Just finished a couple of basses. The tops are single piece walnut I cut out years ago from a milling offcut. Everything on these is from stuff on hand, except the black tuners and neck plate I bought to fit with the color scheme. Bodies are chambered, alder with walnut strips, as are the necks - fr...
- Thu Sep 14, 2023 2:59 pm
- Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
- Topic: Leaving a smidgeon of fingerboard to meet string span
- Replies: 12
- Views: 42384
Re: Leaving a smidgeon of fingerboard to meet string span
If the neck is already cut to width, I'd think you could make the bottom of the fret board the width of the neck, and bevel out to the top the 1/32 inch, which shouldn't be very noticeable, assuming the fret board to be 1/4 inch thick (arctan 0.125 = 7 degrees.)
- Fri Sep 08, 2023 8:20 pm
- Forum: Tools and Jigs
- Topic: Rust removal on flat double cut bastard file
- Replies: 2
- Views: 22717
Re: Rust removal on flat double cut bastard file
I've never had that problem, but I'd think a file card would clean most of the rust between the teeth, and just filing a piece of steel would get it off the tooth ridges if needed.
- Fri Jul 21, 2023 8:12 pm
- Forum: Tools and Jigs
- Topic: Make a tight radius bending iron
- Replies: 7
- Views: 37251
Re: Make a tight radius bending iron
I stuffed steel wool around my charcoal lighter to transfer heat to the pipe. Maybe it would hold the heat cartridge in place if stuffed in very tightly.
- Thu Jul 20, 2023 12:47 am
- Forum: String Instrument Repair: Practical and Political Issues
- Topic: How to repair the top of this Les Paul Standard?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 23570
Re: How to repair the top of this Les Paul Standard?
I can't tell from the pics what is above or below the level of the finish. A lot of it looks like some liquid dropped on it and ran down. I guess the first thing I would do is scrape it down to the finish level, assuming a some of it is above.
- Sat Jul 01, 2023 7:18 pm
- Forum: Glues and Finishes
- Topic: Maintaining polished brass inlays on guitar body
- Replies: 8
- Views: 29681
Re: Maintaining polished brass inlays on guitar body
Maybe I'm not understanding your exact need, but I googled "polishing cloth" and this came up:
https://www.amazon.com/Cape-Metal-Polis ... B00Y7KYEQA
https://www.amazon.com/Cape-Metal-Polis ... B00Y7KYEQA