DIY Thread - post your guitar DIYs and ask your DIY questions here

[markcasq]

Parang bushing yata yan ng tuner:


Check mo sa WDmusic.com

Tapos yung tuner, ang di ko maisip is pano nya nakabit ng stable yun sa gilid, parang wala naman screws.

[e-guitar]

Parang bushing yata yan ng tuner:


Check mo sa WDmusic.com

Tapos yung tuner, ang di ko maisip is pano nya nakabit ng stable yun sa gilid, parang wala naman screws.

Thanks!!!

yun nga din isa pang tanong eh, paano kaya nakabit yun ng maayos since manipis lang ang headstock.. wala pa namang tutorial sa net neto..

[Gunslinger]

What cloth should I use when hand buffing? I tried using an old cotton shirt, but the gloss of my guitar still has some scratches/swirl marks (I'm using a swirl remover btw).

Should I use flannel? Microfiber cloth? Suggestions please and thank you.

[stringman]

^^ mirofiber. Better you check what auto detailing shops are using.

[franzdean]

I know I've already asked this in the newbie section, but I found this DIY thread and I though to post it here again instead 

How do you stain a pickguard?

I have a white one. It's not super white, kasi mejo matagal na rin sya, pero I want that dark stains sa sides nya parang road worn finishes.

any tips? thanks.

[stringman]

Actually leave it a very humid room for a few months and it will age naturally. Baking it in oven or dipping it in coffee doesn't really work, trying hard ang dating.

[franzdean]

follow up question....

I want it to have an aging effect without removing the pickguard. hahaha so tamad XD

[stringman]

^^ Then leave it there and let it age.

[Gunslinger]

^^ mirofiber. Better you check what auto detailing shops are using.

They use power tools with some kind of foam. I'll only be doing hand buff. Microfiber won't leave any scratches?

^^ Then leave it there and let it age.

Ah yes. The best answer for me.

[stringman]

They use power tools with some kind of foam. I'll only be doing hand buff. Microfiber won't leave any scratches?

Ah yes. The best answer for me.

Donat, set aside the power tools of detailing shops. They also use micro fiber lalo na sa mga hard to reach areas. Masyado maselan ang mga clients ng detailing shops, they don't want even hairline scratches on their cars.

[Gunslinger]

Donat, set aside the power tools of detailing shops. They also use micro fiber lalo na sa mga hard to reach areas. Masyado maselan ang mga clients ng detailing shops, they don't want even hairline scratches on their cars.

I just tried using flannel. Better results than the old cotton shirt, but still has those light scratches. Try ko maya yung microfiber. Bili muna. Thanks!

[Freak]

The only thing I can remember I "DYI" is using a ballpen springs for my missing pickup springs 

[Gunslinger]

The only thing I can remember I "DYI" is using a ballpen springs for my missing pickup springs 

Resourcefulness level: Filipino

Guess those ballpen springs will serve as a nice alternative for lost pickup springs. Thanks for sharing.

[markcasq]

The only thing I can remember I "DYI" is using a ballpen springs for my missing pickup springs 

Uy, good tip to a!  Nice.

[free2rock]

I know I've already asked this in the newbie section, but I found this DIY thread and I though to post it here again instead 

How do you stain a pickguard?

I have a white one. It's not super white, kasi mejo matagal na rin sya, pero I want that dark stains sa sides nya parang road worn finishes.

any tips? thanks.

A few drops of lacquer stain in a small cup of lacquer thinner. Get a cotton bud and gently dab on areas you want to age.  After drying, get some fine grade 000 steel wool (kung wala, scotch brite will do) and rub on the lacquered areas until it blends.

Another option is to soak the plastic in coffee or tea. But you'd have to wait a few days for that.

[ericbaquiran]

toothpicks + wood glue will tighten screw holes in bodies.  acceptable enough if you don't have a dowel handy.

[Freak]

@gunslinger13
@markcasq

Thank you guys! 

[markcasq]

toothpicks + wood glue will tighten screw holes in bodies.  acceptable enough if you don't have a dowel handy.

Pwede din posporo    I have been using this inside screw holes to tighten the guitar strap screw when I change to Dunlop straplocks.

[siopao69]

ive found Turbo rust remover gives a nice aging effect on metal. medyo parang na strip away yung top layer of chrome. nagiging matte. and for areas where rust have begun to form, after application of the rust remover, nag color copper.

[iced.ink.used.ink]

Good thread.
I recently modified a pickguard for a rare RG440-not a roadstar II I guess..RG440 1987 model.
Anyways, ganito pickguard nun dati-



Not my actual guitar. But the same model same color--Ruby Red
I miss the strat that I sold and so I wanted a strat configuration for this.And the humbucker in this model is in a ring and then screwed on to the pickguard-ehehe weird.Just like the old roadstars.

[iced.ink.used.ink]

So since wala naman ako mabili na pickguard na saktong ganito s-s-s, I thought of transplanting the area around the pickup holes
from an unused strat pickguard lying around.

And before that I ordered a
 "Pickguard Blank For Acoustic Guitar
With Adhesive Back
9" x 12" X .025"
WHITE PEARLOID"   LOL--copy pasted from the ebay shop.




Anyways. So I cut the strat pickguard around the pickup area and transplanted that to the Ibanez pickguard.
I used this saw.




fast forward-and I got this.

[iced.ink.used.ink]

And after that I traced the pickguard shape roughly against the thin pearloid material.I used that saw to trim that--
I even cut the pickup holes with the same saw, very easily done.
Sorry, no WIP pics--Never thought I'd be posting this.

and so after all that cutting, I further smoothed out the edges using a rotary tool with a mini sanding drum attachment.Ok sanding band. including the bevels of course.
Actually I moved the pickups further up--Ya know exactly where the neck pickup will be on the 24th fret position.Whether or not it will enhance the neck pickup sound , felt good to know it's right there where it's "supposed" to be.
So I then further smoothed out the insides --holes, cavities etc with a finer sanding band and some sandpaper.

Anyway-here's what came out after all that work.

[iced.ink.used.ink]

By the way, I had to use contact cement to stick the pearloid material just to be sure.
Had no problems about bulge/bubling as the material was rigid but thin enough as not to add too much thickness to the existing pickguard. Also had to shave like 1 mm of wood in the neck pickup cavity when I repositioned the pickups further up.

[iced.ink.used.ink]

Moving on---

Here's the guitar so far.After more trimming to exact shape.This is the final shape as compared to the pickguard shot 2 posts up.
Good thing about the pearloid top is that I was able to cut the pickguard around the tremolo area as tight as possible.
It was wider (the space ) around originally.



I still have to rout a battery compartment beneath the pickguard see the paper template-I don't want to rout the back side.tho it would be more accessible.
Also the electronics-I'm still trying to figure out the best possible layout for controls.the knobs will get in the way of the switch.
I want the first knob as far away as possible from the strings.

 I have a concentric pot-Vol and tone and the strat presence control pot--a 2nd tone control sort of mid eq..plus the PA-2 boost.Got them cheap from a dude at jemsite.
Sorry to be hogging much space here.I seldom post and I just wanted to share some of what I do during the weekends.Thanks!

[free2rock]

Great job, Ink! Looks nice.