Search found 82 matches

by Phil Mailloux
Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:44 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Timber supply - WA
Replies: 42
Views: 44917

Re: Timber supply - WA

So much involved in pickups, Here's me making a pickup, hope its informative. http://www.mirwa.com.au/HTS_Manufacture_Pickup.html Steve Had a read at your page, very cool, nice old electro magnet yoke. I've got a feeling someone used to be an NDT technician :lol: I can attest that making pickups fr...
by Phil Mailloux
Thu Apr 02, 2020 9:55 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: StewMac fret blade arbor size
Replies: 9
Views: 9927

Re: StewMac fret blade arbor size

Definitely a job for a machine shop. The blade is fully case hardened. I got a shop to do mine years ago and they even broke a bit on it because of how hard that bore was
by Phil Mailloux
Sat Oct 05, 2013 7:09 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Fretless Bass Epoxy Treatment
Replies: 18
Views: 20265

Re: Fretless Bass Epoxy Treatment

I'm not so sure that Jaco put a layer of epoxy on the fingerboard itself. In his Modern Electric Bass video he mentions never practicing on his fretless because the roundwounds eat his fingerboard up, that certainly leads me to believe he had only filled the slots.
by Phil Mailloux
Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:15 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Fretless Bass Epoxy Treatment
Replies: 18
Views: 20265

Re: Fretless Bass Epoxy Treatment

I built a couple of fretless basses, one of them had an oiled fretboard and the other a layer of CA, using CA will be pretty close in sound and feel as the epoxy finish, I personally wouldn't do epoxy as its a bitch to use and sand down flat, the CA will have a similar finish but be a lot easier to ...
by Phil Mailloux
Thu Jun 20, 2013 9:40 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Dust Masks
Replies: 14
Views: 17176

Re: Dust Masks

I use my 3M 6000 series half face respirator with the dust filters on it. Its heavier and more tiring to wear over long sessions than a paper mask but i've never been able to wear those cheap things without fogging my glasses either. I don't get the point of the carbatec powered mask, why would anyo...
by Phil Mailloux
Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:36 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Buying buffing setup
Replies: 30
Views: 33903

Re: Buying buffing setup

I usually just buildup with clear coating, never used sanding sealers or other fillers. At this point I'm starting to consider using something else and just a few coats of clear over it. How's the West System? Epoxy is usually a bitch to sand down, not sure I want to go down this way, until what gra...
by Phil Mailloux
Sun Jun 09, 2013 4:09 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Buying buffing setup
Replies: 30
Views: 33903

Re: Buying buffing setup

Right that makes sense thanks for that, I've always wondered if I was adding all the scratches myself by sanding from P600 and up, I once tried just spraying a thinner coat after my last top coat was dry and that gave a great shine to the body where I felt like I should just leave it as is. I might ...
by Phil Mailloux
Sun Jun 09, 2013 12:37 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Buying buffing setup
Replies: 30
Views: 33903

Re: Buying buffing setup

I'm not sure I'm getting that Perry, do you mean you dry sand only? up to 2000 then move to the Makita polisher?
by Phil Mailloux
Sun Jun 09, 2013 12:16 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Buying buffing setup
Replies: 30
Views: 33903

Re: Buying buffing setup

Perry, not really wanting to get rid of it at this point since I might be the one not using it properly, never had proper tutorial for using this, its all learning on your own as you go as you know. I haven't seen a decent video tutorial on buffing so far. Here's the breakdown, in order of the steps...
by Phil Mailloux
Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:57 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Buying buffing setup
Replies: 30
Views: 33903

Re: Buying buffing setup

I bought the Stewmac buffer a few years back, cost an arm and a leg of shipping to get here, I thought I'd get the best finishes in the world with this thing. I don't know if the problem is the user or not but I don't like my finishes, way too many swirls marks once I'm done, I'm using the coarse an...
by Phil Mailloux
Fri May 31, 2013 12:14 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Laminated Guitar Necks
Replies: 7
Views: 7399

Re: Laminated Guitar Necks

A couple years ago on a multi laminate neck I used tassy Blackwood, ebony, Indian rosewood and qld maple all together. It looked great and I grain filled and sealed it with 2k clear as I was doing at the time. Over time the clear has sunk into the grain and when playing the neck you can now feel jo...
by Phil Mailloux
Sun May 19, 2013 7:46 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Trevor Gore's Modal Tuning course - Gulgong
Replies: 15
Views: 17408

Re: Trevor Gore's Modal Tuning course - Gulgong

Very cool, would have been a cool course to attend I'm sure, can we edit the first post to show the forum names of the members on the photo? :mrgreen:
by Phil Mailloux
Fri May 03, 2013 4:54 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Show me your truss rod jigs!
Replies: 10
Views: 10301

Re: Show me your truss rod jigs!

I'm not really seeing a need for a jig on that one, the two options i see are: 1. Cut the rout on the square neck blank with a fence on the router before you taper the neck and 2. Make a template of the tapered neck with the rout line/pattern routed in the middle of it at the width of the follower c...
by Phil Mailloux
Mon Apr 01, 2013 10:11 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Leftie Dreadnought
Replies: 8
Views: 9386

Re: Leftie Dreadnought

Thanks guys, an archtop is definitely on the plans but god knows when that'll be, seems I'm always too busy with other projects and never have time to build something for myself, I've had the Benedetto book and dvd for years and do have the back and side blank in stock so who knows... I certainly fe...
by Phil Mailloux
Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:16 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Leftie Dreadnought
Replies: 8
Views: 9386

Re: Leftie Dreadnought

:lol: thanks Bill
by Phil Mailloux
Mon Apr 01, 2013 2:31 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Leftie Dreadnought
Replies: 8
Views: 9386

Leftie Dreadnought

After 10 years of building electrics I went and built my first acoustic, its actually a gift for an old friend, he wanted a J-45 clone with a sunburst so I obliged. The back, sides and neck are Blackwood and the top Sitka Spruce. It was a fun project, I spent a whole lot of time going through about ...
by Phil Mailloux
Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:42 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Removing frets from an ebony fingerboard
Replies: 28
Views: 24088

Re: Removing frets from an ebony fingerboard

Well the easy solution is to clamp and superglue the culprit frets if its only a couple of them. If you insist on removing the frets, you don’t need to heat the fingerboard (never heard of that for fret removal), you just use a soldering iron to heat up the fret by stroking it with the iron then use...
by Phil Mailloux
Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:27 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: lutherie reading
Replies: 4
Views: 5907

Re: lutherie reading

funkytwang wrote: Here's some I found :

EUB - Bill Paulin
http://www.ozbassforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1484
That seems awefully familiar :lol:
by Phil Mailloux
Sun Mar 10, 2013 3:50 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What to buy with my birthday money?
Replies: 30
Views: 23393

Re: What to buy with my birthday money?

Right, so for my 40th instead of pressies, I asked for guitar building $$$. I have lots of awesome friends and after counting I have about $2.5k to spend. What do I need? Well the following I think... Decent band saw (to resaw tops as well as other basic stuff) Jointer Saw table (for ripping and sc...
by Phil Mailloux
Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:15 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Coming up with a model? How did you do it?
Replies: 9
Views: 10002

Re: Coming up with a model? How did you do it?

The short answer is it took a long time, it took me more than a year of tweaking my Fender style headstock before I got something I was happy with and willing to send out there in the world. My modern style headstock and body (DCS model) evolved over the builds, my first bass was a Warrior copy, the...
by Phil Mailloux
Sun Mar 03, 2013 9:28 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Binding tape ruining my top
Replies: 20
Views: 18327

Re: Binding tape ruining my top

Definitely shellac the top; a few coats. I use glass reinforced packaging tape (use a good dispenser). Almost impossible to snap unless you're binding edges are really hard/sharp (e.g. bloodwood), very sticky, slightly stretchy, so it has good "pull in". It peels off fine if your shellac is hard en...
by Phil Mailloux
Sun Mar 03, 2013 12:12 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Binding tape ruining my top
Replies: 20
Views: 18327

Re: Binding tape ruining my top

Thanks guys, looks like a shellac coat will be the go next time, I ended up sanding the gaps away, I'm hoping it won't compromise the structural integrity of the top.
by Phil Mailloux
Sat Mar 02, 2013 2:01 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: archtop bass
Replies: 29
Views: 27331

Re: archtop bass

Nice bass! I'd love to find out more about the custom case, what does it look like and what sort of prices was the maker charging, I can certainly use custom cases once in a while, they're a royal pita to build
by Phil Mailloux
Sat Mar 02, 2013 1:58 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Binding tape ruining my top
Replies: 20
Views: 18327

Binding tape ruining my top

I used the stewmac binding tape for the binding/purfling on the top, no matter how careful I was removing it there's a few areas where its pulled the fibres off the top and I don't like the look at all, I'm not sure I want to scrape or try to sand down it looks fairly deep and the top is only about ...
by Phil Mailloux
Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:49 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Soundboard too thin?
Replies: 11
Views: 12868

Re: Soundboard too thin?

I'll +1 the Kent Everett DVD too, its been invaluable for making the top on my first acoustic, most of the AA Sitka Spruce (from Stewmac) is around the 2.5mm mark with nearer to 2mm around the edges, I'll let you know how it went when I string it up first :D but so far with the bracing this thing fe...