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The Slide Guitar Junk Dremel Boxcaster Build Thread


Elias Graves

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Many of you who were kind enough to follow my SG refinish thread http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2282594 (shameless self promotion) know that I expressed an interest in doing a build from scratch next. Being the tightwad I am, spending $400 on parts to screw up in a learning process has little appeal to me. Well, the little gears started turning in my head thinking up a plan.

 

In my adventures packing my basement for my upcoming move I came across some junk. A metal box which originally contained my 75th anniversary model Dremel tool, a chunk of walnut looking for a purpose in life and my box of spare guitar parts.

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Looks to me like I have nearly everything I need to do a nice little box guitar slide machine. I'll need to pick up a nut, a bridge and an output jack. Those items can be had pretty cheap so I asked myself: "EG, why wait?" So off to work I go. I think I'll do it as a four string. There's not room on the neck for six I don't believe.

 

Made a cut for the breakover on the headstock.

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Not terribly clean.

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A little better after some work with a plane, a rasp and a file.

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The pickup is supposed to be a Schaller. I pulled it grom EG Jr's Les Paul. The tuners also came from that Epi LP. The pot is a spare Gibson I had. I may buy a P90 yet. We'll see. I'll probably pick up an SG Jr style bridge. They can be had from Stewmac for $20 or so.

 

Should be a fun learning project. My youngest son is my partner on this and I told him as long as I can play it when I want, it can be his. The first interest he's shown in playing any guitar, so that's cool too.

 

This will be a learning experience for me on building. Who knows if it will even be a success or not, but you yahoos will get to see it all for better or worse. Given my impending move, this project will likely drag on for a while, so I don't want to hear any crap about progress. You've been warned.

 

Stay tuned for more.

 

EG

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No, it's just a chunk of walnut I picked up from the father in law a looong time ago. I was originally thinking about a walking stick with it, but never felt too inspired to do that so it just sat around collecting dust. I saw it while packing and thought it would make a great neck for just such a project. It has a really nice grain and the only knot in it is all the way at the end. It should be long enough that I can cut that off, still have a complete neck through build and be fine with a 24" or so scale.

 

EG

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this has the potential to be very cool
:thu:

 

Or an epic fail. :facepalm: I've never done anything like this so I'm winging it.

 

Regarding the P90...I've always wanted a P90 guitar. The GFS is only $33. It can't be any worse than the Schaller or the Epibuckers I have. Those were yanked for a reason. A lot of folks here really like the GFS pups. We'll see how nice it comes along. If it looks like it might fly, I may spring for a BG.

 

EG

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I was thinking about just running the neck all the way through. That gives me an anchor for the bridge and all.


EG

 

 

Yes, do this. If not, the tension of the strings will pull the bottom up. I learned that the hard way.

 

BTW, when you are cutting or drilling into that tin, make sure you use some scrap wood to back it up. That tin will tear like wet paper unsupported. You may have thought of that already (my 2 pennies)

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That's why I only wear chaps.

 

OK experts, couple of questions.

1. Why is the neck on a Gibson angled in relation to the body while a Fender is not? Does it make some difference? Do I want this one to run Gibson or Fender style?

 

2. Set up for slide, do I need the nut set up higher than normal or set it standard?

 

EG

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