Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: rv_bass on April 11, 2021, 09:36:55 AM
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Encouraged by Bill’s and Greg’s projects, I’m trying my hand at a guitar parts project. I have a mahogany Strat body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard, and Alembic pickups and electronics.
I just applied the first coat of oil finish, I’m using Mike Mahoney’s walnut oil, 100% natural, nontoxic, and he uses it with his beautiful wooden bowls.
Next will be sealer paint for the electronics and pickup cavities.
I have to drill a bigger hole to get the 1/4” jack into the jack cavity (I don’t want to cut the wires). This is the biggest challenge so far.
I used a sheet of adhesive foil from stewmac to insulate the underside of the plastic cover.
I still have to get pickup screws and adjustment springs, and pickup switch screws. Does anyone know the correct sizes? I’m mounting them to the underside of the plastic cover plate.
Onward! :)
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Nice looking body, Rob. I use a coat of Walnut Oil to bring out the grain on raw wood, but I’ve never tried finishing a guitar in it. Does it harden like Tung Oil (which is what I use)? You can find the pickup mounting screws and springs over at Stewmac. They give the size in case you want to run to the hardware store and save a buck or two. You might also check out their “Stewmax” membership. It’s like Amazon Prime. Pay one fee and get free shipping along with some other discounts. Have you decided on a bridge? I’d strongly suggest the Babicz full contact bridges. I really like the Z series. Another thing you might want to consider is adding a Q switch to the Alembic guts. Good luck with the project and please keep the updates coming.
Bill, tgo
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Go Rob, GO. ;D
I have got to get my issues sorted out with SuperTele. It's too good of a guitar to not go to 100%.
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That will be a nice one! I have some kind of mahogany wood Strat style guitar as well. Weighs a ton!
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Thanks, guys!
Bill, I have a 3-position Q-Switch to go with it, which will be nice. I’ like the Babicz bridge/tailpiece, but I don’t have the string through body holes. I’ve been looking at the Kluson separate tailpiece and bridge parts that I might go with. Thanks for the tip about stewmac for the screws/springs, I’ll check them out, their account offerings too!
Greg, get that tele 100%, it will be awesome!
Gtrguy, thanks! Mine is pretty light, maybe because of all the routiing and the routes are pretty deep too.
Since I only have two knobs, I’m going to put the 1/4” jack where the third knob would go, eliminating the need to drill a larger hole to the jack cavity, and use the jack cavity as the battery slot, it fits perfectly, I’ll just put a little cover over it with two screws. That will be a lot easier for replacing the battery than having to remove all of the screws to the large cover!
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Since I only have two knobs, I’m going to put the 1/4” jack where the third knob would go, eliminating the need to drill a larger hole to the jack cavity, and use the jack cavity as the battery slot, it fits perfectly, I’ll just put a little cover over it with two screws. That will be a lot easier for replacing the battery than having to remove all of the screws to the large cover!
Nice project Rob!
\When I put activators in my old Strat I did the same thing, input jack where the third knob was and battery in the compartment for the jack. I was too lazy to ever make a cover for the battery so it looks pretty ghetto. I really should add a three-way Q switch. When I bought the pickups back in '86 I had no idea that you could add a Q-switch. I also was not aware at the time that no Q-switch meant there was a boost "baked into" the circuit.
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I have a strat with Alembic innards and an idea i used from member Bill tgo, was to put the jack mounting plate upside down and that makes enough space underneath for the battery.
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Thanks, Stephen, good to know the jack cavity is a good battery holder! I have a flat piece of walnut that I will oil up and use as a cover, to be held in place with two screws. I’ll put a piece of foam in there to keep the battery snug.
Jazzyvee, cool guitar! Using the inverted jack cover is another good idea, I might try that as well!
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I have a strat with Alembic innards and an idea i used from member Bill tgo, was to put the jack mounting plate upside down and that makes enough space underneath for the battery.
I have passed that idea along o other guitar fora; every one seems to say something like "Really?? Cool! I'm trying that."
Peter
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I see that there is a little hole drilled in the top that leads down to the cavity. Do I need to ground the bridge/tailpiece to the cavity insulation? If I go with a separate bridge and tailpiece do I need to ground both or just the tailpiece? Thanks.
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If you are using Alembic guts, no need to ground the bridge.
Bill, tgo
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Awesome, thanks, Bill!
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Making progress :)
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Oooh, I like it! 8)
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Me, too!
Peter
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It appeals to me as well , quite much !
Prime Alembic parts and brass , shall be swell
With such quality ,thine ears dost smile bright.
Such sonic rapture shall quell , all despair.
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That's looking nice!
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Thanks, everyone, it’s coming along. I just ordered a brass bridge with brass saddles. Got the neck today, roasted maple with dark rosewood fingerboard. Also, black Gotoh tuners. Now I have to put it all together!
And Wolf, that’s awesome, very encouraging! :)
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Do you guys know if I have to apply shielding paint to the battery cavity? Thanks-Rob
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No idea about the shielding... my Wire Dunce Hat is bigger and emptier than Gregory's 2XL... just sayin'. :o
But yeah - that brass really pops on there and looks super!
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My motto: when in doubt, shield! Small compartment, no down side.
Bill, tgo
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Thanks, pauldo, I like the brass too!
Thanks, Bill, I just painted the battery compartment :)
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Chambers insulated...moving along :)
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Put the 1/4 jack where the third knob would go. If I had to do it again, I would use the copper tape rather than this paint, I put on three coats and it still chips easily.
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That battery box needs a brass cover. I could probably fabricate such an item... if I had a Strat jackplate for a template.
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Greg, that is exactly what I was thinking. Waiting for a new Stars Guitar type bridge that is on its way.
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Send me a tracing of your jackplate. I've got a buncha' brass plate stock up in the shop. ;)
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This looks really great! I should bust one of my guitar kits and build it! Very nice and inspirational!
Second on the foil tape...
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Thanks, pauldo!
Greg, thanks very much for the plate offer, that would be great, I’ll send something down!
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I'm wondering if where I went wrong on SuperTele was in mixing the two. I foiled the back of the pickguard, but painted the cavities. The bridge pickup is perfect, but the neck pickup is receiving a Cuban radio station. (really well at night! ;D) I think I inadvertently built an Alembicized antenna. I gotta' call Mica about the switching too.
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It’s getting there. Not sure if the brass plate will look as nice as I hoped; but, Se la vie. The 1/4” jack will be moved to the third hole in the brass plate, which is stronger than the plastic and better for plugging and unplugging (I’ll use a right angle connector). The battery will go in the oval compartment where the jack normally goes, that will make replacing the battery easier. The Q switch will go in-line in between the center control (filter) and 1/4” jack. Onward! :)
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Ah, a semi-Alligator! Perhaps you should call it “Caiman”?
Lookin’ good.
Bill, tgo
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see next post
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Sorry, I did a cut & paste, and for some reason it would only show as dots. i was trying to say:
Very nice! But if you have something else that could/should go in the 3rd hole I have heard somewhere (nyuk nyuk) that you can flip the jackplate 180° laterally & 180° longitudinally, so it's an outie rather than an innie, and you can put the battery in the cavity & still have the jack there.
Peter (who seconds Bill's "caiman" suggestion; good one, Counselor!)
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The form and function of the brass plate seems perfect.
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Looks good!
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I have been through the alembicising of a strat and now have two. I' have recently spent a lot of time shaping the neck on my most recent build until it matched my others. I think I'm close enough now just got to smooth it off and oil the neck.
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Thanks, everyone :)
I like the Caiman suggestion, Bill.
Jazzyvee, nice that you have a couple Alembicized strats. The neck on mine is “roasted maple” and is very smooth and does not require a finish, I guess the roasting process seals the wood in some way.
I guess I will have to find a caiman sticker :)
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Cool fixed bridge.
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Just wondering if I can use a passive pickup with an active circuit? Thinking of adding a Benedetto B6 pickup to this guitar for a warm jazz tone option. Thanks for your insight. :)
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Almost done. :)
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Very nice! Are you using the inverted jack plate as part of an OBEL?
Bill, tgo
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Thanks!
The battery is under the inverted jack plate. Greg made me a flat brass plate in the same oval-like shape that I will install soon.
One issue I’m having is squealing when the Q is engaged. I’m exercising the pots to see if that helps. Any suggestions for eliminating Q squeal if that doesn’t work?
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Could you have miswired the Q switch?
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Could you have miswired the Q switch?
Not sure, I have removed it fo now and will think about what to do.
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Well, here it is done for the most part. I removed the Q for now, and the brass battery cover plate is Greg’s handy work. Now I just have to get used to the sound of a Strat! :)
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Congrats!
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Finally finished, sounds great :)
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Looks like you got the Q sorted out. And the lightning bolt on the battery cover is a real nice touch! Also, I noticed you changed the bridge from the earlier Alembic-style to a harmonica bridge. What’s the story there? Is it all Walnut Oil finished, or did you top it with something else?
Bill, tgo
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Thanks, Bill! Yes, the Q switch is working now. There was buzzing from the saddles on the Stars type bridge I had on it that I couldn’t resolve, so I replaced it with the harmonica bridge, which works great. It is heavy solid brass. I also replaced the middle pickup with a larger square one to match the bridge pickup. The body is solid mahogany with an organic oil finish.
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Looks great Rob!
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What kind of oil is “organic oil”?
Bill, tgo
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Thanks, Greg (and thanks again for the battery cover) :)
Bill, walnut oil
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Rob,
I noticed a couple different bridges in the picture. Would you mind sharing who made them? They look fantastic!
Dan...
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Dan, the bridge and tailpiece in my recent photo are from Kluson, they are good quality and solid brass. The Stars Guitars type bridge that I originally had on there was from an internet seller who is now making them in that style. Pretty good quality, but the saddles seemed a little loose and buzzed, so I replaced it with the Kluson bridge.
Rob