112 replies to this topic

[Fran]

In view of the current market prices and the fact i thought it was time i got my tools out i'm attempting my first guitar project which will not consist of ready made parts. Well, not entirely.
Yep, i'm going with our old friend... the Jag-Stang.

I ordered a slab of Mahogany for this influenced by the awesome tonerz of the Fender Toronado. It arrived today, its a nice piece...



The other parts i have up to yet are a Bronco neck that i fitted a bone nut on and erm... Grovers. The SP, switches, pups, etc.
The only undecided area of this project concerning hardware is the bridge/tremolo. A Jaguar Synchronised Trem would be by far the easiest to fit, but i'm really into the Floyds at the moment and i just scored one fo free off a forum member. But they are notoriously a bitch to fit.
So i'm going to see how i feel on that when i get to it.

As for finish, i'd hoped to use a clear coat of Danish Oil to seal and emphasize the Mahoganys grain, then finish with BriWax and .0000 wire wool. This is a common high end Joinery/furniture method that was adopted by Patrick Eggle guitars, and i tried it on my old Jap Flying V with excellent results.

Any comments and criticism welcome, and hopefully we can all have a flame war at the end.

[Another Tool]

My oh my, this is f*cking hardcore guitar building right here, mahogany floyd rose jag-stang WTF!!!

Are you dead set on the jag-stang shape?

I'll make a mock up for you in sonic blue and see what the score is.

I wanted a floyd for my build really, but i didn't wanna spend the cash on one that was basically for a prototype build, and i don't have people offering me free ones you lucky bastard!

[Another Tool]

I Don't know man, i don't think the childish body goes with the man parts.

Maybe try a few different paintjobs and straighten that bucker.

[Another Tool]

I tried a few different paintjobs and didn't really like them, but then again, i don't really like the jag-stang, but the black one looks alot better than the blue in my opinion.

[CROSS]

Don't butcher the neck with those awful nut clamps!!!

[Fran]

Thanks for the mock up Tool. I think its well in proportion but like you say, the colour scheme WILL matter.
Whad'ya mean CROSS?

[CROSS]

Are you planning on drilling the nut clamp to a stock Jag-stang neck?
That's blasphemy

[Fran]

No, i have a Bronco neck for this project. Ah, i get what your saying now. Your on about the Floyd locking nut? I'm not using one. I have a Kahler on a Jap Strat and it works fine with a standard nut and graph-tec string trees.

No chance with the Jigsaw cutting this, so i got the guy at the joinery shop up the road to cut it me on the bandsaw. His advice was in future make a template and cut your body with a 1/2 Router.. much neater, much quicker. He reckons i have a good 2 days work cleaning up the edges and sanding. Wheres my spokeshave and sander?.........
Its a heavy body, so i think i'll definitely put a rib contour in for comfort and to lose some mass.

See whatcha think..

[Robbmonster]

No, i have a Bronco neck for this project. Ah, i get what your saying now. Your on about the Floyd locking nut? I'm not using one. I have a Kahler on a Jap Strat and it works fine with a standard nut and graph-tec string trees.

No chance with the Jigsaw cutting this, so i got the guy at the joinery shop up the road to cut it me on the bandsaw. His advice was in future make a template and cut your body with a 1/2 Router.. much neater, much quicker. He reckons i have a good 2 days work cleaning up the edges and sanding. Wheres my spokeshave and sander?.........
Its a heavy body, so i think i'll definitely put a rib contour in for comfort and to lose some mass.

See whatcha think..

I for one kinda like the look of the wood, I vote for natural finish

[Another Tool]

Blimey, you didn't hang around on this did you?

Do you have a router? You'll need one to make the neck pocket and you'll need a round over bit for the edges.

I can show you how to do the neck pocket sweet when you're ready for it, so that's another thing off your list of jobs when you get around to it.

[melvin-man]

Sexwee!
i would do a custom colour otherwise the headstock will let it down

[Fran]

Blimey, you didn't hang around on this did you?

Do you have a router? You'll need one to make the neck pocket and you'll need a round over bit for the edges.

I can show you how to do the neck pocket sweet when you're ready for it, so that's another thing off your list of jobs when you get around to it.

Yo, i'm a joiner by trade so i just go stuck in! Plus i've had parts and been contemplating doing it for months.
I've 95% sanded the edges down. Yes i have a Router, i got the profile cutter (bearing guided) to round all the edges off and i'm going to start on a MDF template tomorrow for the neck and electronics.
Then the big test arrives. Jaguar trem or Floyd rose?
It should be finished in a week.

[phaeton]

well this could be interesting, and already is.

i traced over one of cobains early jag-stang sketches and altered it for my preferences a little while ago and came up with something similar to what you're doing.

i had a jagstang body with jag trem and TOM bridge.
i also added a 3 way switch to the upper horn and had the two mustang switches as coil splitters/out of phasers.
so that way it was more a true mix of cobains two main guitars.

i vote custom colour, although an original sonic blue would suit it well being a jagstang. i think that pic was just a bad example.

[Fran]

Day 3. Rain in my work area so in a bid to remain Manland i took the project into my garden shed. Proper rock n roll...


I made my template from Ply for the control cavitys and neck pocket. This is where my first problem and minor disappointment arrived.
Firstly my router would'nt plunge deep enough for the pup routes, so it looks like going over budget and buying a manrouter or using the good old wood chisel.


Secondly, my neck pocket has ended up slightly wider than i'd liked. I took the measurement 3 times so i'm not sure how it has happened, but not to worry. Other than that its a nice fit.


I'm going to wait for some fine weather to carry on with the edge profile. Then there is the daunting task of fitting/routing the bridge/trem.

[tragictravisty]

how did you make the template?

[Another Tool]

Ah dude, i hope the neck fits ok, i have a fool proof method of getting a perfect neck pocket.
If you weren't working at such a high speed i would have PM'd you a guide.

What scares me is that i cannot see a centre line on the body, although the pickguard looks like it fits around the neck perfectly.

[Fran]

The template... i used my JS for the outline, then marked out where stuff was going, then marked out the cavities adding 5mm (in this case) for the guide bush on the router.

I have'nt marked a centre line, everythng has been governed by the scratchplate in a way. But i will mark one for the bridge. My methods may seem a bit odd, i'm kind of working by carpentry instincts and over confidence i suppose.

[tragictravisty]

The template... i used my JS for the outline, then marked out where stuff was going, then marked out the cavities adding 5mm (in this case) for the guide bush on the router.

I have'nt marked a centre line, everythng has been governed by the scratchplate in a way. But i will mark one for the bridge. My methods may seem a bit odd, i'm kind of working by carpentry instincts and over confidence i suppose.

i mean how did you get a clean template from your other jag-stang? did you free-hand? although i suppose it wouldnt have to be perfect since youd be sanding later...

[Fran]

The template... i used my JS for the outline, then marked out where stuff was going, then marked out the cavities adding 5mm (in this case) for the guide bush on the router.

I have'nt marked a centre line, everythng has been governed by the scratchplate in a way. But i will mark one for the bridge. My methods may seem a bit odd, i'm kind of working by carpentry instincts and over confidence i suppose.

i mean how did you get a clean template from your other jag-stang? did you free-hand? although i suppose it wouldnt have to be perfect since youd be sanding later...

I drew round the outline then cut it with a Jigsaw.
Its only a template for the cavitys that i could drop on top perfectly then secure, if it was a body template you would have to make it larger to compensate for the Router guide bush (if you cut it that way).

[Fran]

Day 4

Some further progress after the trem decision.

1/ Edges routed/rounded off
2/ Trem cavity routed (for Synchronized Tremolol)
3/ Neck pocket tidied up
4/ Marked out ready for bridge cups and neck plate holes.

Just waiting for the bridge cups to come from GPR then all the main work will be finished. It will just be a case of finishing it, then the electronics (again, some of this stuff is on order).
*Edit: may do a rib contour yet, not sure.*