Yamaha SG-3 & SG-2 replicas - SG-2 Finished p15/18

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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empyrean
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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by empyrean » Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:11 pm

Amazing! Glad to see it's still underway! I'm Jonesing for one of these now. I was having talk with a local guitar tech in his shop and after about 20 minutes when I proved I knew my stuff, he brought out his collection that included '62 jag, but also a '65 SG-3. It was beautiful and sounded amazing, better than the jag! It had the old script logo and everything, I'm really digging them now.

Really want to see this finished.

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by Stereordinary » Sat Jul 28, 2012 7:46 pm

Welcome back (again) Ben!

By the way, I still have a plate for you. Hit me up.
Rhoney Guitars, 2010-2017, 2024

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by EvLoutonian » Sun Jul 29, 2012 1:27 am

T A S T Y ! ! ! !

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by antisymmetric » Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:34 am

Welcome back, I've been missing your build threads. This is shaping up to be a beautiful guitar! Noticed your pic of the fret slotting done in the sliding compound mitre saw- I do the same- quick, easy and you can see what you're doing. 8)
Watching the corners turn corners

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by ludobag1 » Sun Jul 29, 2012 3:24 am

:) happy to see you again Ben
nice jigs too

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by Jazzprod » Sun Jul 29, 2012 6:37 am

I'm so amazed by your jigs Ben! Awesome work as usual! Welcome back!!!
8)

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by theworkoffire » Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:11 pm

Cheers guys!

Should really have fretted it first, but I had a good stretch of daytime free today and wanted to get the back of the neck carved. In my new spirit of jigging up, I figured out a way of doing the bulk of the work with my router. This might need some more work to get it a bit more adjustable and robust for future builds, but it worked better than I'd hoped on this one.

First pass with the cutter as low as it will go without nicking the template:

Image

It actually makes the earlier set-up for cutting the thickness taper pretty redundant - I'll know for next time. I put a bearing on the shaft of the cutter and made a template that sits under the neck - the bearing on the tip of the cutter is useful for setting up, but doesn't do any work.

End result after a second pass at the right height:

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Then I bolted it to the counter and cut the transitions by hand. I have a newish microplane rasp that worked really, really well for this, finshing off with a half-round file and sandpaper:

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All done:

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A slight misalignment with the router jig put a little nick in the binding between the 2nd and 3rd frets. Something I want to find a way of anticipating better next time. I melted some binding shavings into solvent-based adhesive to form a sticky paste and slapped it on. I'll scrape/sand it back down once it cures.

Neck thickness is almost exactly what Michael measured for me off his original SG-3 - about 21mm at the first fret, 25mm at the 12th.

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by kikey » Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:36 am

Hi, impressive work !! ;D
I will be following this thread!

I have had similar ideas for carving the neck.
I suppose maple is pretty hard for router work...
What radius for the router bit did you use?

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by CROSS_guitars » Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:51 am

what radius is that cutting bit for the neck?

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by Filly-Fuzz » Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:07 am

Soooooooooooooo good to have this awesome thread continue!!

Cheers 8)
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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by Shorty » Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:40 pm

I need one of these in my life before I die.
I like to build s***!

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 replica project build(s) - PROGRESS!!

Post by theworkoffire » Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:41 pm

Spent some time on the second (SG-2) body today.

The bulk of the routing was the same as the SG-3, but when I got to the top cavity I had to improvise a little to make sure the rhythm circuit would fit properly. When I had all the original templates cut I included an SG-2 pickguard but never bothered with the upper cavity. I ended up making an MDF template for those bits:

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All the cavities done and the rough cut of the roundover:

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Couldn't resist a quick mock-up with the guard template and an SGV bridge:

Image

Also, I've taken apart the trem I was so generously donated. It's a serious piece of engineering - even disassembling it took some working out. I've staightened out some kinks and dents here and there, and now all the visible parts are going off to get stripped and re-chromed at a specialist place in Lewisham. My local chrome plater isn't really geared up for fiddly stuff.

Image

For those who asked the radius of the bit I used for the neck carve, I'm pretty sure the radius is 7/8"

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 & SG-2 replica project builds - PROGRESS!!

Post by noisepunk » Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:03 pm

That neck "carving" is genius- I need to get a router table.

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 & SG-2 replica project builds - PROGRESS!!

Post by ludobag1 » Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:29 pm

this trem is really complicated :derp:
yours guitar look nice and clean as always ;)
but carefull with the routing for neck carve cause it is not a little bit :wtf:
looks easy and fast but i am always scare with big bit like that :wacko:
i am sure Ben you know it ,but for me it is not for all ,it is really near a (toupie in french) and this machine is really know to eat fingers

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Re: Yamaha SG-3 & SG-2 replica project builds - PROGRESS!!

Post by PoppaPopp » Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:14 am

Wow Ben, that looks super accurate! :-*
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