Pre GGBO Part 6 Gluing the Neck in

Special thanks to Todd‪@SweetTGuitars‬ for the help and support on my journey into guitar building and repair.
Ok new project time. I have ideas for GGBO and want to make sure I can do what I plan decently enough as my build will be given away once completed.
This is a Les Paul kit someone gave my neighbor who I just did the LP Jr repair for. It is way beyond his abilities to make right so he has passed it on to me. I figured it would make a nice practice piece to get more experience with non standard build adaptations to learn.
Depending on level of success this too may be passed forward for someone to enjoy. After all I can not in good faith accept all the help I have been given and NOT pass something forward to keep some good in the world flowing.

[@ratzin]

Nice joint! It’s a real jigsaw puzzle you got there. Advanced level! Good luck!

[@borgonianevolution]

I live in tha matrix man. everything is 3d!!

[@gothridercreations]

Dude, you have patience beyond belief!!! At this point id be filling it full of epoxy and bondo 😂

[@borgonianevolution]

Stay tuned!!! that may just be next!!

[@TornelliGuitars]

Bill you’re the most patient builder I know, great job my friend!👍

[@borgonianevolution]

Nah just experiments and skill building. When is your next video for your master piece?

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@borgonianevolution We’ll both have bodies complete by the end of the week and then just a few days editing! Just waiting for wood to be delivered for my next commission build vid and the offset build is shelved for now as I have another commission to start! 😀

[@borgonianevolution]

@@TornelliGuitars Told you you were a somebody in the build world. Did the commissions come from the show by chance?

[@TornelliGuitars]

@@borgonianevolution thanks Bill. No they’re from KZbin. I have a third from KZbin also in a few months and one more from a local band so it’s picking up really well right now.

[@borgonianevolution]

@@TornelliGuitars Wow that is really awesome Gio. I am so glad for you mate. Well deserved!

[@eklypse69]

I kinda dig the strings for alignment. I just use the E strings of the set that I intend to install when I do it, but some tuning pegs have a tendency to beat the ends up enough to cause breakage after a few rewinds.

[@borgonianevolution]

yeah they dont have to be tuned they just need to be straight and thick enough to be an example of strings used. That is actually left over kite string from a neighbors kid whos kite was treed and ripped apart being pulled down. Plenty to be had and cheap as can get haha.

[@HatchA_Makes...]

Looking good, pal. I'd question the use of Gorilla Glue, though... Doesn't that expand in a similar way to expanding foam? Might leave a load of tiny air pockets, reducing full contact between the pieces? (I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's something I heard a couple of years ago). I had a similar alignment issue on the LP kit I'm finishing up (just need to make the knobs and switch tip for it). Though the neck fit perfectly with no wiggle room, there was more clearence between string and edge of fretboard on the treble side. What I did to get around this was to file new grooves into the bridge saddles for the G and E strings, edging them towards the side of the fretboard. I had left afixing the pickup rings in place until this point, which happened to be fortuitous as I was able to align the strings directly over the poles.

[@borgonianevolution]

Nah. this is Gorillas version of white wood glue not the expanding stuff. The wood around the joint will be destroyed before this glue lets loose. I tested it years ago on a radio case project with birch ply and accidently got a single drop on two 12 x10 square panels I stacked flat over night after working on the frame. The wood splintered and tore out huge chucks after prying them apart with mechanics prybars. I used it on the BRS I used it on Lzzy. I fully trust it.

[@HatchA_Makes...]

@@borgonianevolution Cool beans 😁

[@robertr4193]

Looking pretty good so far. This is turning out to be pretty tedious but that seems to be what is needed to correct the issues it had before you started working on it. If the original builder had taken more time and care all this would not have bee needed.

[@borgonianevolution]

What I get out of going thru this is the original builder 1. was new. I see some thinking patterns that go with a new builder with aligning a straight edge of the neck with a string. straight line to straight line. So naturally if the top string is parallel to the neckj the other 5 should also be right? Its easy to over look the subtle "triangle like" shape of a neck where one end is wider that the other. I can also see the thinking that once the neck was in place the only way to correct it was the bridge placement. again a new builder could have easily been thinking backwards and moved the bridge placement 3mm the wrong way. Finally yes it is tedious but for me its a learning process. I am trying out ideas to solve problems as well as going more intricate than necessary to learn more skills like carving and 3 dimensional shaping by hand. I know when I started this it was highly likely it was scrap and was only intending to slap paint on it to work out an idea I have for another build.. Obviously that is all evolving as the process moves forward.

[@patrickkem689]

Looks like that bridge is giving you a real time,,,been there done that. And plugged many a beautiful piece of Mahogany. Have you ever heard of a tool called a saddle or bridge finder. Stewmac has something by the name of SATTLEMATIC being totally honest about it. All you have to do is measure from the nut to the 12th. It has a notch to rest on the fret. Turn it around and the perfect length will Make up the full scale length. ;your days of double measuring will be done,,,hope that helped I swear by mine!

[@borgonianevolution]

The hardest part was figuring what was out of alignment. Learned it was both the neck AND the bridge. My Grandfather was a mold maker for a big injection molding plant. I learned to measure accurately and use hand tools early. I think he would come back and whoop me if I bought an expensive single function tool just to drill two holes. I will take a look to see what it is though for sure. ALWAYS interested in learning new things!

[@nsjguitarsakascotsman6989]

Coming along nice Bill, I think I said before but 630mm for high E and 633mm for low E works perfect every time for me using a tom on a gibby scale.

[@borgonianevolution]

yeah on the two I have built I mark the 630mm line then drop the low side 3mm and shift high side 2mm and easily hit perfect intonation with room in either direction for adjustment.

[@D.Guitar]

Lol.... Sanding. And fabricating little pieces of wood that have to be clamped as they're glued , is the most time consuming thing on a build....i pretty much only do ML and Stealth ML w / Floyd Rose and set necks. So i pretty much Know what I'm going to need. And if im smart or lucky. I can glue and clamp in two things in one day. So the next day i can continue. .i remember my Les Paul Custom. China kit Body build.. i set a Fender Squire Skull Showmaster Neck in it.... Trying to change the headstock to tilt back Gibson shape. From Fender. Parallel no tilt was a Beotch.. but i got the action so close. So tight. So everything was decked... I eventually raised the bridge 1/8" because the action was just too tight for good resonance. Lol. I still pull it out and play it occasionally.. i put EMG 81-85 set in it.. but getting the bridge to get perfect with a 25.5" scale neck. Was.. interesting.🤔. I do that all the time now so I'm used to it..

[@jasonhoward2002]

Where did you get that kit? I think I have one just like it

[@borgonianevolution]

The kit was given to me completed. It was assembled poorly and pretty much too wonky to play. I just wanted it as a paint practice project but stumbled into the rabbit hole of reconstructing it.

[@borgonianevolution]

Someone told me the W stamped on the back of the machine heads is Wilkenson?

[@D.Guitar]

I like builds. .. i do about 2 a year. Or 1 . Depending on the $ i can save up to buy parts i have a Ton of parts i could probably build 3 or 4 lame ones now.. its necks that i start my builds.. I do my necks the same way. Tracking the 2 outter strings down to get the trajectory. Height. Ect set when i clamp the neck in. And i set pretty much all my necks.. I need a decent fretted 24 fret neck to dtart a Build... the rest is just hobby craft to me