Yamaha SG3 Content

[Deed_Poll]

I got the front and back toolpaths ready to make a Yamaha SG-3 style! These screengrabs are from my toolpathing software, so the roundover doesn't go around the back (I will do so with a bearing), but the front is all carved on the machine to a totally smooth variable radius, except the sections between the horns and the neck pocket, which I will do by hand with the half inch roundover... It's basically a carved top as far as the machine is concerned!

One thing I didn't realise about this design is that there's a lot more width on the treble side than on the bass side, to the extent that the join line will have to be off-centre... It gets extra offset points for that in my book! It just surprised me because it has always looked like a very well balanced shape to me. Proof of the rule that symmetry is in the eye, not in the ruler.

Cheers!

Dan

[kdanie]

Now THAT is cool. If I was ever going to PAY for a body that would be the one.

ken

[Deed_Poll]

Cheers, Ken! Coming from a boundless enthusiast such as yourself, that is high praise indeed

[Fiddy]

Would this one show gaps at the bottom?

[Deed_Poll]

The problem would be that the mounting screws on that vibrato would have nothing to bite into!

I could always cut the traditional shape with an 8mm bit so the corners would be squarer than usual. That would at least work better than a Fender route

I agree, that shape of plate would look great on it!

[Embenny]

Yeah, that was one of my first thoughts - the square Mastery plate is the closest to the original vibrato.

[Deed_Poll]

I've designed my own plate that's as close as I can get to the Yamaha shape, so I'll get a few of those made as well. But yes, the Mastery is certainly an option. I could do a T-bone route the other way, that would probably work and wouldn't interfere with the mounting screws.

[venompstinger]

you probably want to use new hardware but I've used a few URAL guitars (from Russia) for parts - they have pretty much the same trem hardware as the SG2/SG3/SG2a etc. They can be snapped up quite cheaply on ebay too.

[Deed_Poll]

Awesome! I looked them up and indeed it looks exactly the same.

On my travels, I also found this Formanta which is definitely a cool design!



Like a chunkier / squarer version of my Jupiter design. I'd be up for making one of these as well

I'd probably lose the middle pickguard section and replace it with a Firebird style shelf.

[Jaguar018]

I love the body of the SG3-- and I also love the headstock. That's sort of the key that would start me scheming on orderding one.

Some 3+3 headstock would be an insult to this body!

[Musjagjazz]

How will you make the pickups for them?

I know they are single coil - will you make a Jaguar type pickup?

[Deed_Poll]

How will you make the pickups for them?

I know they are single coil - will you make a Jaguar type pickup?

ThePearDream has designed some covers for Jag pickups to make them look like the original Yamaha pickups, you should check that thread out!

I will just be routing this one for Jazzmaster pickups initially, lots of options in that form factor and they suit the design fairly well.

Anyway here are some progress pics - number one is cutting as we speak!

This is one of the very lightweight heat treated poplar boards I had to hand. From the blank, it looked as if it was a pretty boring looking blank, but once it started revealing itself it's actually very nice and stripey with a cool grain pattern that reminds me of figured maple!

I'll keep y'all posted

[Deed_Poll]

Here we go! she's off the machine and weighs less than 3lb 1oz

[kdanie]

Very cool, love it... I'm beginning to think I need one of these.

ken

[ThePearDream]

If anybody out there has one of the real pickups and can take some good measurements, I'd love to tweak my design to be truer to the original. Mine is a bit narrower. I based it on the width on a WRHB, since I had no clue on the actual width.