png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 19, 2006 12:46:43 GMT -5
Ok , So i have joined this forum recently and have found very interesting info, yet i have 2 main problems and many questions. Problems: 1) I don't know how to use a soldering gun 2) I am not good at carpenting. (though i can learn how to solder) --- Anyways here are my questions: (Keep in mind i am not going to build from scratch) [shadow=red,left,300] Section 1: Parts [/shadow] a) I am intersted in upgrading cheap guitars(like my Yamaha) and maybe eventually better ones, And also in assembling guitars (ie: Ordering Body of Guitar A, Pickguard of B, Pick Ups of C etcc.) Is it cheaper to assemble a guitar or is it just more worth it to buy it in a shop? b) What is the quality of an assembled guitar compared to an off the shelf one? c) From where would i be able to order just a neck of a guitar, or just a Body? (Keep in mind i live in Malta, and not many companies deliver here, though Ebay and companies similar do ,if i recall well) d) Would it be cheaper to buy a strat in parts and assembling it at home? Or is it just easier to buy? [shadow=red,left,300] Section 2: Safety[/shadow] a) Are there any dangers when tweaking guitars? Any risk of shock (i read shock section), or any thing to look out for? Well that is it mostly. If you have any tips on easy tings i can do to get used to make me moe confident in touching my guitars i will enjoy reading them very much.
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Post by ccoleman on Sept 19, 2006 13:20:04 GMT -5
Try universal jems (credit: sumgai) they have SAGA Tele style, Strat style, Les Paul style, and Paul Reed Smith style kits that include all parts and are really quite cheap. And they ship to Europe. www.universaljems.com/cart/kitun.htm
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png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 19, 2006 14:20:32 GMT -5
There are just a few problems: 1) Things you will need Things you will need Small saw for shaping the headstock, sandpaper, paint and buffing supplies -- I thought he said the head stock is already cut And in the picks they look ready Also i don't know how to paint, and it doesn't seem to be finished tooo well :S And also these have no brand right?
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Post by ccoleman on Sept 19, 2006 14:26:19 GMT -5
I thnk it comes with a SAGA sticker for the brand on the headstock...
Yes you would have to paint and do a light sanding ... bonus is you get to pick any color you want !!
Or just try getting a premade guitar for cheap price at musicyo.com maybe they deliver to europe !
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Post by sumgai on Sept 19, 2006 15:04:00 GMT -5
png, Living outside of North America or Europe can be frustrating, we all agree, when it comes to hobby stuff like music. From the questions you asked, I'd say that you might be better off buying a kit, but the best-known ones are by SAGA, as ccoleman just pointed out. The reason they give you a "blank" headstock is so they don't run afoul of copyright laws. You get to shape the thing as you wish, and if you make an exact copy of some famous brand, that's OK, you did it for yourself, and the laws of both the USA and the EU pretty much let you do that. (The laws of Malta, however, are outside of my experience, so take what I say with a grain of salt. ) So, you do have to put in some "sweat equity", and customize the final product - shape the headstock, final sanding of all wood surfaces, and finish it to suit. (Meaning, the way you like it.) If you are truly ham-fisted when it comes to tools, then you might wanna shop for an already finished guitar, at what you feel is a reasonable price. That way, you also have some kind of warranty, provided you purchase from a reputable dealer. BTW, I don't recommend buying the SAGA stuff that people have built and are selling. They may or may not have put a good effort into the assembly and finishing job. You won't know until you get it in your hands, and if you don't like it, you can only hope there are no problems returning it. As for where to buy individual parts, you can start with the Big 3 - Warmoth, USA Custom Guitars, or Carvin. They each have their benefits and drawbacks, and they each ship internationally (according to their websites) so you might be able to get what you want, where you want it. Good luck. Oh, and yes, you can learn to solder. So can you also learn to work with wood, and tools of various kinds. Takes practice, that's all. ;D sumgai
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png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 19, 2006 16:42:16 GMT -5
Hey Sumgai, Thanks for the help. I found a site with about 35 links for all guitar supplies etc.. (carvin ,and Warmoth included).
I bookmarked those who ship to Europe (Malta is an island under Sicily (Italy) (25mins by plane). By next week i will have a list of products to compare.
Till now i have liked the website cc ppointed out (that you gave him). I am interested in kits ranging from 120$-$290 ($290 - Painted Body) which is very reasonable imho. (+$45-$70 Shipping).
In all i am planning to spend a max of about $250 170$ - Kit 50$ - Shipping 30$ - Uprgrades
Regarding Wood shouldn't be a problem as a friend of mine is a professional carpenter and i will ask him to shape headstock and Gloss the wood. I am probably going to go for a Tele style guitar (natural wood with varnish). And a black Pick-Guatd. With Gold or Black Hardware. I will probably fit it with 2 Fender Soap Bars,which are relatively cheap ($40), or invest in Seymour Duncans or DiMarzio's ($70) each). Pick-Ups and knobs and hardware shouldn;t be a problem because there are a couple of good music shops here in Malta, though it may be cheaper to buy from US or other Euro companies..
The only 2 problems that Remain are: 1) Company has to ship to Malta ,(I may solve this issue as my cousin lives in the US and he is coming down to Malta next February, so if Kit is not too large/bulky, i will ask him to bring it down)
2) Paint. I don't know how to paint, I don't know what paint to use or how to apply it :-(. I may give it too this carpenter but i guess i will have to buy special paint (or not??). I also would like a FMT (2 Layers Sunburst) eventually , Is this easy to do?
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Post by sumgai on Sept 20, 2006 2:28:39 GMT -5
png, Your budget looks good, but since you have a relative in the US, it might be cheaper to have him buy the kit/pieces, and have them shipped to his home. Then he can turn around and ship everything to you on Malta..... for a private person, it's no problem. Big companies don't want to "mess around" with shipping to "remote locations", they think it's too much effort, and that they'd "have" to charge too much for the customer to take the deal. Private parties don't have that mindset! I'll bet your cousin can get it all to you for less than $50, but not using next-day air. regarding finishing your new pride and joy...... visit www.reranch.com for some guidance. I can only say that they have a lot of articles on how to do the kinds of things you're asking. Sadly, they don't ship outside of the USA, so you have to settle for taking your new-found knowledge elsewhere to buy your materials. And yes, suburst is doable, read the specific reranch article here. sumgai
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png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 20, 2006 6:27:29 GMT -5
Thanks again man So you are saying i should get the company i order from to deliver to my relative (cost 35$), and then get him to ship it for another 50$ . Well good idea, but if the comanies ship to Malta i would rather get it shipped derectly for 65$ P.S thanks for site
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png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 20, 2006 7:11:10 GMT -5
What about the Section 2 questions (regarding Saffety) (a) Are there any dangers when tweaking guitars? Any risk of shock (i read shock section), or some poisonous material ?,or any thing to look out for?)
Also . There is a whole article about grounded generators and stuff. Is it really so dangerous??, and what would be the easiest/cost efficeint way to eliminate the risk? (ie: What should i buy and how much does it cost?)
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Post by sumgai on Sept 20, 2006 12:42:37 GMT -5
png, regarding Safety, etc. There are lots of old, and bold, guitarists here, and around the world. ;D Depending on where one is located, he (or she) could find ways to hurt himself, but not as easily as it used to be. Playing electric guitar in a public forum (or venue) will never be 100% safe, but for the most part, it has gotten better, and with a little foresight, a player can make sure he is not in danger. Here in the States, we advocate the use of a little toy known as an "outlet tester". This device will display any errors in the wiring of a house, or on a stage at the local bistro, or wherever. I don't know if such a thing would work in Malta, you'd have to tell us what kind of power source is the standard over there. As for working on your axe itself, in your home workshop, that's easy. Pay attention to what you are doing, and you won't get hurt. There is no direct way to get shocked while working inside of your guitar, but you could burn yourself with a soldering iron, that's possible. If you work on amplifiers, it's a different story. We can go into all kinds of details and safety warnings about that if you want, but you did say 'guitar' in your request, not amps. Don't go buying anything "special" for the sake of safety without checking with us first, OK? That should about cover it, but others here will be adding to this, I'm sure. ;D sumgai
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png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 20, 2006 16:58:55 GMT -5
Nah, i am not touching my amp, Just Pedals and Guitar. Well, I am not electrician ,and all i can tell you is that here in Malta we have plugs like in the UK. I am going to read abit more about pedals ,and start building one around December (or before) , Probably a simple one. I would also like to try the 'Quieting the Beast' on my Yamaha Pacifica (Strat Copy - S-S-H) (but the wiring is really messy and the Pick-ups are all in the same cavity, (and to a certain extent so is the Tone and Master Volume). I understood how to do the 'Q the Beast for a Tele' ,but the Strat version is way to complex for a beginner, Also is there any aim in covering the cavity in Copper tape when they are in the same cavity? *Coming to this can someone explain the principle the Q T Beast uses*, and maybe a way to put the QTBEast Tele method on a Strat :S? Oh and should i try include the capicitor incase of shock (altough this would make it way to advanced for me i think) Thanks guys,
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Post by sumgai on Sept 20, 2006 20:39:14 GMT -5
png, Well, there we see the differences between us. I think that the Strat and Tele arcticles were exactly the same, and redundant. IMO, if the author (John Atchley) were going to show a second job, he could have chosen either a Jazz Bass, or better yet, a Les Paul style guitar. But that's just me. The idea behind shielding in the first place is applicable to all guitars. (But some of them would be impossible, such as semi-hollow body's like the ES-335.) You are trying to keep electromagnetic interference from getting into your wiring and components. The only way to do this is to enclose everything in some sort of material that blocks such interference. Aluminum foil is one such material, and it is usually found in most kitchens. I personally don't like it, but probably more than half of our members here have used it successfully, rendering my opinions moot. The best material that is commonly available is copper, and it can be found also in foil form, most often with adhesive already afixed to the back. This makes for a quick and easy installation. The fact that everything is in one major cavity, or perhaps two cavities that share some part of one wall (that is cut away for the wires to run through), that's all the better for you. Here's what I do to mount the foil: 1) Lay a piece of paper over the cavity, and trace around the cavity's edge with a pencil. 2) Cut out that tracing, and lay it onto a piece of foil (either material). 3) Cut out the material. 4) Lay it in the bottom of the cavity. For large cavities, I might dividie the job into two smaller pieces, particularly if there is step up or down like in most Stratocasters. I then cut strips from the remaining foil that are as wide as the cavity is deep, and lay those around the cavity edges. I finish up by soldering a small section of each edge to the adjacent piece. There's no need do run solder all along the seam, that's overkill and wasteful. It might be argued that soldering isn't necessary at all, but it adds only 4 or 5 minutes to the job, so I figure it's good insurance. ;D If one has a Telecaster with two cavities, this job is simply the same thing as above, with no overlap between the two. Where there is a small-diameter hole between the two cavities, I use a piece of shielded cable, also called coax (or co-ax). The same thing applies to any guitar with rear-mounted controls. When it comes to protecting against possible shock from a blown amplifier, that's your call. I find the capacitor to be cheap insurance against this potential killer, so I use it. And even if the charge wasn't lethal, it's still d4mned uncomfortable, and can ruin your whole night! Like I said, cheap insurance. Read the instructions carefully, and several times. When you're ready to sit down to do the job, take your time, and refer to the directions often. If you something still bothers you, don't hesitate to ask questions here, we don't judge people on how well the understand everything they read! ;D sumgai
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Post by UnklMickey on Sept 20, 2006 21:09:06 GMT -5
png,
Well, there we see the differences between us. I think that the Strat and Tele articles were exactly the same, and redundant.... depends on who's reading them. for someone who's new at this, and doesn't read between the lines, the Strat article has all the stuff about star grounding and shock protection. we know that these concepts are applicable to other guitars. but for someone who is following the step-by-step instructions, the Tele article doesn't call for the extra stuff. so, it looks easier. unk
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Post by sumgai on Sept 20, 2006 21:47:00 GMT -5
mea culpa!
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Post by UnklMickey on Sept 20, 2006 21:57:58 GMT -5
...I use a piece of shielded cable, also called coax (or co-ax). ... this is not to be confused with co-ex.
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Post by ChrisK on Sept 20, 2006 22:55:32 GMT -5
What, some poor fool has multiple ones (and they're in cahoots with each other) ? Two rules on marriage: 1. Being in love is a stupid reason to get married and, 2. Don't marry anyone that you're not willing to go into business with, 'cuz that's exactly what yer doing! Oscar Wilde's observation on the "human addiction". The position is ridiculous, The pleasure is fleeting and, The expense is darnable. ....money,.....well,.......spent!
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Post by UnklMickey on Sept 20, 2006 23:04:07 GMT -5
...What, some poor fool has multiple ones (and they're in cahoots with each other)?... i guess that would also fit. i was thinking more along the lines of: 2 poor fools, having made the exact same mistake. (but at different times)
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png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 21, 2006 8:15:18 GMT -5
SO a few last things before i start buying the stuff for the QTBeast operation
1) I have Aliminium foil (1 side matt, other side shiny) that my mum uses in kitchen, Is this good? and which side up?
2) IN the Tele article, John uses Alumium on the pickguard and Copper in the Cavity (should i do that??), or just use aluminium/copper everywhere?
3) Do i need to cover back of pick guard with foil?
4) If all contols, and pick ups are in the same cavity ,do i need to fit in that small wire? (Oh and if i understood well that small wire is to join the two cavities right? So when i do my Telecaster i have to solder the wire into the foil in the Neck Cavity to the Foil in the COntrol cavity , right?)
5) If i were to se aluminium foil, how do i stick it?
6) How (and Where) do i stick the capacitor?
I am sorry for all these questions, It seems it has been a while since a noob like me came in and asked soo many questions , hopefully one day i will be able to contribute my share to Guitar Nuts2
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png123
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Post by png123 on Sept 22, 2006 6:50:02 GMT -5
(any one?)
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