Check it out. I made this drawing in Illustrator (in blue) by tracing Google photos and dropping in bits of other diagrams. This morning Mr. Mustache sent me tracings of his Maverick, which you can see in pencil. My body edges were a bit off, probably owing to the slight perspective of the Google pics (vs. a flat tracing). I have already adjusted my lines to match the pencil, so I think I am almost ready to get it made.
The only thing I still need to do is measure everything so I can place the bridge properly. I think the posts need to line up along the same line as my XII's TOM. I traced several headstocks and confirmed that there were two sizes. I am hoping to make the smaller one, based on Mr. Mustache's--which was made as a six string neck instead of a XII veneer. Since I am gluing a new top to the headstock, a smaller piece would probably be more solid.
I am lousy at making updates, so here's this one. Mr. Mustache (Richard) was kind enough to trace and measure his Maverick for me. Unfortunately I had already glued on a new headstock onto the donor XII neck. Check it out though. I used Google images and was able to guess at what I thought the right size should be and I was pretty darn close. THAT IS NOT TO SAY IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
Part of what makes this build possible is having a XII, and a few Jazzmaster parts and templates lying around. I measured my XII this weekend to add to my drawing and make sure I got the scale right. I have been using scaled photos and it would be very easy to get one measurement wrong and wreck the diagram, even if my build works.
Are you planing to glue the headstock addition like that? I'm pretty sure it won't hold, gluing end grain to end grain like that? I would angle the joint and perhaps a face/back plate to add strength?
Sweet project. We can build anything on here. What are you doing about the control plate? Are you having one customly cut? I was gonna build one of these with jazzmaster pups and a mustang plate.
Congratulations! Your Punkacc9 evolved into Awstin.
I am agree with Chris. If it is glued just to the end of the headstock it won't resist a tension of the strings. It needs some scarf joint there to be solid.
Oh shit. Sorry, Richard. I had only known of one guy at VA beach. Well, say hello to Doug if you ever see him.
Minor setback with neck. I didn't get the top clamped down enough to make it a perfect bond, so when I clamped for the veneer it cocked it just slightly like a paper fold. Barely. But it looked goofy and wasn't stable. I put it on the edge of the workbench and snapped it off. If it was a good bind, in theory I shouldn't be able to do that.
I started making a second pudknocker for the top, only I wasn't as lucky with the straightedge this time. My seam is just a little uneven, and no amount of sanding is going to make it a perfect 90 degree angle. I looked around at my meager tools and decided that the best bet without a planer is to use the Colt hand router with a perfect straightedge. I forgot that when I did this for the XII, I had my FIL's shop to play in.
Meanwhile I started wet-sanding my latest Telecaster. I forgot these are the EASIEST to sand. I just finished the other Telecaster yesterday, but am waiting for the strings to true the neck before making final adjustments. Even before I found a neck for it, I knew it was a keeper. Like you wouldn't imagine. It had copper leaf on the top, which was gorgeous, but not cleanly done. I removed it and found the perfect blonde underneath. So it was more unfin than refin. Does anyone want to see it when I'm done? I don't think of myself as a Tele player, but they seem to be spreading.
Sanding won't get you a perfect 90 degree angle but an old fashioned block plane would. Does nobody use hand tools? Get a plane or two (block plane and a 5 1/2 bench plane are pretty standard for guitars) and scarf joint that thing up proper. It's strong enough to hold a steel string headstock on, it'll work perfect for this. It's relatively simple to do. Plus I wouldn't try and get the thing the perfect size before attaching, it'd be easier to cut it back once the joint is sound?
