You have a video showing how to cover a pickup cavity up? I like to have 1 single pickup in the middle and most guitars have bridge and neck pickups that I’d like covered up
thanks Brad, can you give any details on that carving gouge you used? I'm looking to put in a cavity with rounded corners and I'm puzzled by the sweep number and such. thanks
Why not just extend your template, then put legs on it, so it straddles the guitar, like a little bridge? You can easily just use G or F clamps to hold down the body. There's no need for double sided tape or CA and masking tape. As for free-hand routing, with the body in that box thing, you can easily make a wide perspex base for the router. It will sit up and slide around on the edges of the box to keep its spindle perpendicular. Also, you should clamp the box down to the bench, or at very least, use non slip matting underneath. Even with that fastened, I'd still strongly recommend against routing freehand on such a curved surface. Also, I've never needed to score or chisel or even use forstener bits prior to routing a pickup cavity. Just plunge and go, in two or three depth passes. (FWIW, I was a wood machinist in a guitar factory, plus I have made many solid body guitars and basses from scratch over the years.) Cheers mate!
Hi Rob, as I said in the video the only thing preventing me from doing it freehand was that I couldn’t see what I was doing. I had a clear base, but the body of the router was in the way. Pre-scoring is to protect the thin veneer. Pre-drilling isn’t necessary, but I do it to help my bits (and arguably the router) last longer. Making a big template that can be fastener in place with a bunch of support let’s so that it doesn’t bow should work great actually. As long as you can get it lined up properly. That would be a good idea for someone doing a lot of these. For someone just doing one or two, making the template would take longer than what I did here. For me it probably wouldn’t be worth storing another big template for a job that I do so seldom and that doesn’t take long, but that is definitely a cool idea. Thanks man.
have you done a video with carving a new pickup cavity on an already painted guitar? i can’t seem to find one. I’m assuming the actors, chisel, drill, route steps are all the same except for taping down the area first to hopefully avoid tear out?
With a template that extends over the other two cavities, you could have screwed the template down inside the cavities. Then with two shims of the right thickness on either side, glued to the bottom of the template to keep it from rocking. Not sure if my french translation makes sense lol
Pretty much exactly the way I always make cavities. Depending on the wood type it's easier to just use really sharp chisels. Nice job though. I'll try that at some point. Be well....
Very little of what I do is on any kind of deadline. I always try to leave some room to change my mind if I have a better idea, or an easier way to do something. Works for me.....
great video, i was actually wondering about your two color relic video. If i have a guitar body with a factory poly finish, can i spray over that with spray paint and not put a clear coat on. Will the new coat wear away quickly just by playing it or will it tear off in big chunks? Also should i sand the factory finish down a bit before doing the new coat?
It likely depends on what kind of paint you put on top, but I think if you don’t sand first it will probably delaminate in chunks. If you do sand it may wear away over time.
any opinions on using a dremel based router with the see thru baseplate? there are also 3d printable bases for dremels for this reason... i feel this router is just too big for this delicate job 🤔🤔
Dremel routers are a good option for a lot of things. I generally consider them better for things like inlays. This job is a bit big/dee for that, but I don’t think there would be any harm in trying.
@@BradAngove thanks but I will be interested in what cutting head you use for them or would you use for this job with a dremel? could you be more specific? because the actual company does not have anything that is exactly for this kind of job more like for a wood decoration... also they don't have anything with an upper bearing for copying see thru templates... thanks 🙏🏻
If you have a body with a carved top, how would you suggest working on the back? (So the flat side) Have a body from an eBay kit that came with a control cavity that’s too small
I would procure a chunk of high density foam, or even styrofoam, and just carve a bit out so the carved to will sit in it to hold the guitar flat. Then clamp it with the foam under it.
There are lots of different ways to set these up. You can put a 6 way switch into that space if you want haha. Although it may require widening the switch cavity a bit.
Since you had that box, why didn't you just stick two slabs of wood over the top to run your router flat? Not that I don't appreciate seeing the handwork.
That’s precisely what the box is designed for, but as I said in the video, I couldn’t see what I was doing well enough. It still doesn’t address the issue of not having a template, so you need to be able to see and maneuver very well.
@@BradAngove I have one, my brother (he was my music teacher after my mom passed) got me a custom Hello Kitty from Fender Japan. I also have a Hello Satan. But my guitars are mostly all pink.
Dude, I used your hack and made a fret rocker out of a spent gift card. I'm pretty sure I saw that on your channel. I like learning how to do things with everyday equipment like this.
You have a video showing how to cover a pickup cavity up? I like to have 1 single pickup in the middle and most guitars have bridge and neck pickups that I’d like covered up
You want to fill them in completely?
Looks real good Brad I don't think I would have done it any other way the number one thing that it takes that you showed a lot of and that is patience
Sometimes there's nothing better than a few manual hand tools...the easy way isn't always so easy. I think your personal satisfaction benefits too. :)
I absolutely agree.
Really good demonstration of old school hand tool work. Nice job, very impressive.
Thanks Michael!
That was fantastic bud. Fantastic demonstration I might try that myself. I'm sure I could pull that off on my next custom project
I’m sure you could!
It looks awesome Brad
Working on building a couple necks for practice now so that I can get that done correctly.
@@BradAngove awesome sauce
Thank you very much for that video I use the same kind of tools as you are it was most helpful for me I'm still learning a lot to go get thank you
Thanks; I’m glad it was helpful.
thanks Brad, can you give any details on that carving gouge you used? I'm looking to put in a cavity with rounded corners and I'm puzzled by the sweep number and such. thanks
Im afraid I don’t have much information on it. It was part of a set of carving chisels from Skil.
Why not just extend your template, then put legs on it, so it straddles the guitar, like a little bridge? You can easily just use G or F clamps to hold down the body. There's no need for double sided tape or CA and masking tape. As for free-hand routing, with the body in that box thing, you can easily make a wide perspex base for the router. It will sit up and slide around on the edges of the box to keep its spindle perpendicular. Also, you should clamp the box down to the bench, or at very least, use non slip matting underneath. Even with that fastened, I'd still strongly recommend against routing freehand on such a curved surface. Also, I've never needed to score or chisel or even use forstener bits prior to routing a pickup cavity. Just plunge and go, in two or three depth passes. (FWIW, I was a wood machinist in a guitar factory, plus I have made many solid body guitars and basses from scratch over the years.) Cheers mate!
Hi Rob, as I said in the video the only thing preventing me from doing it freehand was that I couldn’t see what I was doing. I had a clear base, but the body of the router was in the way.
Pre-scoring is to protect the thin veneer. Pre-drilling isn’t necessary, but I do it to help my bits (and arguably the router) last longer.
Making a big template that can be fastener in place with a bunch of support let’s so that it doesn’t bow should work great actually. As long as you can get it lined up properly. That would be a good idea for someone doing a lot of these. For someone just doing one or two, making the template would take longer than what I did here. For me it probably wouldn’t be worth storing another big template for a job that I do so seldom and that doesn’t take long, but that is definitely a cool idea. Thanks man.
wonderful technic👏👏👏
have you done a video with carving a new pickup cavity on an already painted guitar? i can’t seem to find one. I’m assuming the actors, chisel, drill, route steps are all the same except for taping down the area first to hopefully avoid tear out?
I’ve never done it. I suspect it’s the same process, but yes you would tape and carefully score the finish with a razor first.
thanks for getting back to me@@BradAngove
With a template that extends over the other two cavities, you could have screwed the template down inside the cavities. Then with two shims of the right thickness on either side, glued to the bottom of the template to keep it from rocking. Not sure if my french translation makes sense lol
Yes, that would have worked. I don’t know that it would have been easier per se, but it makes sense.
Pretty much exactly the way I always make cavities. Depending on the wood type it's easier to just use really sharp chisels. Nice job though. I'll try that at some point. Be well....
Doing it by hand can certainly be a fun alternative.
Very little of what I do is on any kind of deadline. I always try to leave some room to change my mind if I have a better idea, or an easier way to do something. Works for me.....
I’ve always wanted a triple pick up less Paul and want to try this on a cheaper guitar
great video, i was actually wondering about your two color relic video. If i have a guitar body with a factory poly finish, can i spray over that with spray paint and not put a clear coat on. Will the new coat wear away quickly just by playing it or will it tear off in big chunks? Also should i sand the factory finish down a bit before doing the new coat?
It likely depends on what kind of paint you put on top, but I think if you don’t sand first it will probably delaminate in chunks. If you do sand it may wear away over time.
@@BradAngove Thanks very much for the response. Is it 600 grit I should sand with??
Yes
If you eat lots of sweets and drink soda, the cavities will come naturally. Yaay KANAYDIA 🇨🇦🤘🤜
any opinions on using a dremel based router with the see thru baseplate? there are also 3d printable bases for dremels for this reason... i feel this router is just too big for this delicate job 🤔🤔
Dremel routers are a good option for a lot of things. I generally consider them better for things like inlays. This job is a bit big/dee for that, but I don’t think there would be any harm in trying.
@@BradAngove thanks but I will be interested in what cutting head you use for them or would you use for this job with a dremel? could you be more specific? because the actual company does not have anything that is exactly for this kind of job more like for a wood decoration... also they don't have anything with an upper bearing for copying see thru templates... thanks 🙏🏻
I’m not aware of any dremel bits that have copying bearings, but I have some carving bits and mini router bits from Amazon for dremel.
@@BradAngove yes thank you Man I thought so... I was just wondering if I'm crazy that I can't find anything I mean from a bigger brandname.
What is the depth of the pocket?
I don’t recall off the top of my head, I just copied the other ones for this one.
Why not make a duplicate template a bit thicker than usual then make a radius on the bottom of it that's the inverse of the top's carve radius?
Could do that. I would take a fair bit longer to make that template than it took me to do this task, but it’s an option.
If you have a body with a carved top, how would you suggest working on the back? (So the flat side) Have a body from an eBay kit that came with a control cavity that’s too small
I would procure a chunk of high density foam, or even styrofoam, and just carve a bit out so the carved to will sit in it to hold the guitar flat. Then clamp it with the foam under it.
@@BradAngove ah, that makes total sense, thank you!
if i was to send my bass guitar body to you and pay can you carve a musicman style cavity in my 5 string jazz bass?
I’ve stopped taking commission work, but I bet Derek from BigDGuitars could do it.
What good is a 3rd cavity when theres NOT a 5way switch to take advantage of it in an LP body
There are lots of different ways to set these up. You can put a 6 way switch into that space if you want haha. Although it may require widening the switch cavity a bit.
Since you had that box, why didn't you just stick two slabs of wood over the top to run your router flat? Not that I don't appreciate seeing the handwork.
That’s precisely what the box is designed for, but as I said in the video, I couldn’t see what I was doing well enough. It still doesn’t address the issue of not having a template, so you need to be able to see and maneuver very well.
I wish I had that kinda talent. But alas... I don’t and usually have to order my stuff from the factory.
Luckily this one came down to patience at least as much as it did skill.
@@BradAngove you need to make a Hello Kitty guitar.
The Dooooo style?
@@BradAngove I have one, my brother (he was my music teacher after my mom passed) got me a custom Hello Kitty from Fender Japan. I also have a Hello Satan. But my guitars are mostly all pink.
Or you could have paid extra $35 and have Precision Guitar Kits do that for you. 🤪
This one isn’t from precision.
@@BradAngove my bad. Those precision look sweeeeet
Absolutely. They are sweet.
You’re such a hipster…using chisels to build guitars 🙄
😂😂🤣
Dude, I used your hack and made a fret rocker out of a spent gift card.
I'm pretty sure I saw that on your channel. I like learning how to do things with everyday equipment like this.
Not everyone has the skill to build a guitar with a jigsaw Dan haha.