Al's Special Les Paul Junior

[ozziebluesman]

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Originally posted:Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:38 pm


G'day everyone,

This is my first electric project and I thought it had progressed enough to show a few pictures.

The Blackwood Cap: Won this cap at one of the forum auctions. Thank you PaulB, it is a beautifuly figured cap.

Body: The Queensland Maple body is from Andrew another forum member here. Thanks for offering to supply me a bookmatched set suitable for an electric les paul style body. Very nice indeed and well dried.

Neck: Is also nicely 1/4 sawn Queensland Maple.

Rosewood: Fingerboard, headplate and back plate.

The plan I am using was downloaded from our plan secion here on the forum. I am making a few changes to the Les Paul Junior available.

Here are some pictures for you all to check out especially some of our new members who are contemplating electrics for a first build.

The wood
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The shapes cut out
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Routing for the wiring
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Neck pocket roughed out on drill press with final shape using chisel
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Neck blank scarf joint and truss rod channel routed
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Fingerboard glueup
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Binding channel cut and neck ready for fretting
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Binding glued in using Weldon 16 messy stuff!
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Cheers Alan

To be continued....
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[Nick]

Well done Alan, that Blackwood cap looks gorgeous. Should be a ripper when it's all finished.
_________________
A handmade Guitar for $300 ? Phftt. Sure, give me a chunk of wood, a hammer & some 6 inch nails & I'll see what I can knock up for ya.

Nick Oliver
www.oliver-guitars.com

[Taffy Evans]

Thats terrific work Alan, I was wondering what you have been up to lately. You are turning out some nice tasty guitars.
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Taff

[Kim]

Yes very cool Alan, the blackwood it prime. Cool

Cheers

Kim
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ĆϾϿƆ
_(ӧ) ∩
_ڔ ڔ
Pull me Finga

[ozziebluesman]

Here is a picture of the bound top
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To be continued....
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[ckngumbo]

Lookin' GREAT!

[xray]

alan that is gorgeous. Good to see the qld maple going to a good home. Thanks fr doing it justice.

Bloody nice caps too. Cant wait to see/here it in action
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Ability is of little account without opportunity.

[Dave Anderson]

A very good 1st electrical guitar. Beautiful blackwood top. I'm planning on doing an electric
or a few just for fun,someday.It's coming along nicely Alan.
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Dave Anderson
Port Richey,Florida

[MattB]

Looks amazing but I think you are selling it short calling it a les paul junior. Binding and a great figured top = lp standard at least, if not better!

[J.F. Custom]

That's just beautiful work Alan.

Blackwood and Qld Maple compliment so nicely and that figure... That is going to look and sound fantastic when finished. Look forward to it.

Jeremy.
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J.F. Custom Guitars
www.jfcustom.com.au

Cannons Don't Kill People...
Pirates with Cannons Kill People.

[Aexion]

Very nice Allen, very coincidental you are doing this, in a month ill be starting my first guitar build, Sassafrass body Les Paul, still deciding on a top/neck.

Can i ask you guys about the Forum Auctions? Sound interesting

Loving the progress pics Alan Wink

Edit, found the buy sell swap lobby;)
_________________
"Strive not to succeed, but to be of value" - Albert Einstein

Tim Mason

Last edited by Aexion on Wed Aug 25, 2010 8:08 pm; edited 1 time in total

[DarwinStrings]

Looking good Alan, I have to get around to one of these one day as I have a case to suit one so I reckon I better make something to fit it.

Jim

[ozwood]

Hi Alan ,

Looks Great !

I've been looking for some Single cut away JNR plans for ages , can you help .

Regards ,
Paul
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More clamps !!!!! more clamps !!!!

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I am looking forward creating this one steady as she goes. I think getting the binding process right is a tough job! So far,so good.

Paul I do have a sc junior plan I can send you. Please make contact through my email: ozziebluesman at yahoo dot com dot au

Cheers

Alan
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[ozziebluesman]

Yesterday the neck was glued in after two weeks of measuring, checking, re-checking making sure I've got ths scale length and neck angle right. I'm satisfied it's all good. I've also sanded down to 120 grit, fitted the machine heads, the handmade trussrod cover and leveled the fingerboard ready for fretting. The bridge is a Schaller wrap-round with intonation adjustment. Even though this guitar is going to be very loud and proud, I hate a guitar that has poor intonation. There may be a chance I want to drop the volume and play a nice 13th chord in some blues and jazz. I mean that's what this style of guitar was made for in the first place.
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Thanks for looking
Cheers
Alan
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[Luke]

Looking great Allan you are making some wonderful instruments.
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Cheers Luke

[liam_fnq]

man, that's one classy looking guitar. Come to think of it all your instrument have quite the classy way about them Al
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Cheers, Liam.





Cairns Loon.

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Luke and Liam for your interest and comments. I am very pleased with the build so far. I'm sure you both could build a nice guitar with a cap like this one. I reckon the binding does it! Sort of like wearing a suit and then finishing off the look with a tie.

More to come.....

Cheers

Al
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[ozziebluesman]

The Junior was fretted today. All went to plan. I'm getting a better job everytime. Getting the correct radius on the fretwire prior to fretting certainly makes the job very easy. I found it much easier fretting the electric than an acoustic. The fret sides have been profiled so it is now ready for the fret dress later on. I also made a wood control cover plate and fitted it. The nut has been setup and tacked in with some white glue. Now for some quality time hand sanding.
Here are a few pics:
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Thank you for looking
Cheers
Alan
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[liam_fnq]

what's the plan for a finnish Al?

Can't wait. It's looking Cool Cool Cool
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Cheers, Liam.

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Liam,

A friend here in Townsville is a cabinet maker and he has years of experience spaying. He is building an electric at the moment and I have been giving him some advice on sequence of events building a guitar. He makes outstanding furniture so my experience as a guitar player and builder has been useful to him.

I want a vintage cherry finish similar to the originals for the junior. The back, neck is going to be filled with a dark filler and then tinted just enough to allow the gain to show. I'm not sure what is going to happen with the top but I will be guided by mate Paul. He is going to show me how to spay so I am looking forward to learning. So it will be a clear finish with a cherry red tint. Again I'm colour blind so I will leave it to Paul's discression. Should be a fun time!

Cheers

Alan
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[ozziebluesman]

I have been a little concerned with the neck set and bridge height. On the weekend the bridge posts where inserted, bridge fitted and I put on a set of strings and gave the guitar a quick setup. I'm satisfied now all the angles and heights are right and I will be able to setup a good playing action! Phew!!!! The first one is always tests the nerves.

Here are a few pictures:
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more to come.......

Cheers

Alan
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[Nick]

Looking beautiful already Alan, you've got some nice chunks of wood stuck together there, that back shot with the guitar laying down (or is that "reclining"?), nice smooth curves & radiused corners......... damn close to porn right there! Shocked
I see you are using the new magnet-less pickup system, I've found them to be a little quieter through the amp but the weight saving is great & no 50 cycle hum. Wink Laughing Laughing
_________________
A handmade Guitar for $300 ? Phftt. Sure, give me a chunk of wood, a hammer & some 6 inch nails & I'll see what I can knock up for ya.

Nick Oliver
www.oliver-guitars.com

[ozziebluesman]

Well, the finish has been started. I want the back of the body and neck darker in colour as I am trying to achieve the a vintage cherry finish. The top and fingerboard have been masked off to avoid dye getting where it shouldn't. I have applied a mahogany timber mate filler to the back and neck and after a few trial runs with the mahogany dye, I was happy enough and the dye has been applied.

Here are a few pictures:
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Thanks for looking. I have this week off so hope to get into the finish process and a few other projects in the workshop.

Cheers

Alan
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

[Allen]

Damn, that's a gorgeous color Alan. Too bad you can't appreciate how really great it looks. Sorry I somehow missed most of this post. I guess I've been too preoccupied these last few months. I'm looking forward to seeing this one in person once it's finished.
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Allen R. McFarlen