Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
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Jazz Master
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Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Sun May 22, 2022 2:27 pm

Been working on the Brian Moore iGuitar i2000 1.13 this afternoon
I got a black tip from Fender for the tremolo arm that needs drilling a bit bigger
Also put some foam under the center EMG Gold pickup to match the height of the two EMG Red Humbuckers
Got a dozen of the trem arm springs that go in the threaded hole under the bar to remove the wobble that threaded trem arms have
Still working on it & stopped to say HEY!!

My Son also has a B.C. Rich Eagle I just restrung with .010" Polyweb strings..
It's another OffSet Guitar that ROCKS! It has a Bigsby & requires finesse to string up, better to bend the end & get it on the roll pin & then use a capo to hold it while you wind the strings on the tuners = Needs Sperzel Locking Tuners = Coming SOON Enough!

Got the headstock veneer off the Takamine by using an iron & then a sharp chisel & then sanded it flat with the orbital sander
These now leaves me a unique opportunity to put splints under the new rosewood veneer completely hidden forever
I ordered a Tusq nut from Graph-Tech that should be here next week sometime for it too
Forgot to order a Tuq nut for that old Japanese guitar with the 4x2 headstock :fp:
Headstock veneer came from Stew-Mac for $12 + S&H
Got two water slide decals for the Takamine as well = See Photo
Need to go out to the wood shed & make a couple maple splints the width of my router bit & put at least two splints in this headstock or three?
It glued up well but it very thin BUT doesn't have a truss rod in the center like the Gibson does, It WAS a complete broke off headstock & the back isn't pretty YET!! More to come on this Surgery... Will need an amber/orange tint to make it disappear completely...
Put Blue Painter's Tape at the Neck end as this guitar has FRET SPROUT & needs the beveled fret end file run over the ends & dress the frets
I paid $30 for this Takamine Project, It's a $400+ guitar & has the most beautiful back I have ever seen on an Acoustic + rose wood sides & has active Piezo & tuner etc. Will get some photos of that later on tonight, I'm running my dogs out & am on #3 waiting on the 4th...
Need to go find my 10mm drill bit in the shop for the headstock veneer's tuner holes after glue up, Going to wait till the nut is here even though I know it's width should be 0.204"
Next will be the Gibson Les Paul Studio Lite with M-III electronics & the Parker Fly Deluxe
So many guitars to repair & so little time left in my life to do it...
Fender Jazzmaster coming August 26th 2022 too!
Also need to order a set of Sperzel Tuners for my Son's B.C. Rich Eagle, Will Call Ron Spercel Soon = Best Tuners I have ever used in the last 45 years

Well at least the Brian Moore is repaired & back in the studio upstairs along with the B.C. Rich Eagle Ready to ROCK! ;D

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Jazz Master
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Sun May 22, 2022 8:53 pm

t looks like I will be able to put the veneer right up to the fretboard & then the nut on top of that?
Unsure, this my 1st headstock overlay, But would make the headstock stronger IMO?
It will also give me the unique opportunity to put splines in the headstock hidden under the veneer
I could make a template & rout a couple splints of hard maple or mahogany into the break area = see orange strips I photoshopped
Been sanding the break on the back of the neck with 600 grit slowly but it will need something else as the break was not 100% clean
Have a look at the back & sides of this guitar = SWEET!
I'll have $57 SO FAR + my time in this one = $30 for the guitar + $12 for the rosewood veneer & $15 for the Tusq Nut
Will need some red & amber tint & some clear coat plus a bunch of sanding still...

What do you think? Should I put splines/splints under the veneer?
Thinking about having a look at the router bits I have & making a template Jig for Gibsons & maybe using it on the Takamine even though it doesn't have a truss rod up in it's headstock & will be flat were the splints fit making it easy to rasp/file/sand them down
What say you Luthiers out there???

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MattK
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by MattK » Sun May 22, 2022 9:04 pm

Nice thread! Love to see other folks solving problems and getting things in shape.

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Jazz Master
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Mon May 23, 2022 2:46 am

I wish I had a couple 3" long carbon fiber pieces of square shank
I'd make the time to inlay them under the veneer as they are super strong in two directions but flexible in the other two
Might be overthinking this repair :fp:

Have a look at this thread = What another Junior Luthier did to a 12 String Takamine
http://cadam7777777.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... tring.html
Getting Ideas!

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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Mon May 23, 2022 5:11 pm

The break SEEEMS very strong & was done with Titebond Original Glue & think it will survive without any reinforcement
There are a few very small voids & was planning on using mahogany dust & #10 CA glue to fill them + there is a ding on the tip of the headstock too

OH & It will be getting very light strings = .010" - .047" Martin Super Light Acoustic Strings = Less String Tension

I just started cutting out the peghead shape on the laminate with a 1/16" overhang = outside of the pencil line & have to wear cheaters to even see what I'm doing = going slow & cutting down with the coping saw blade in backwards

Blind old man nibling away at that $12 thin laminate

WISH ME LUCK!

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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Fiddy » Mon May 23, 2022 5:31 pm

Excellent work 8)

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hexes
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by hexes » Mon May 23, 2022 6:46 pm

i love this thread already.

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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Sat May 28, 2022 11:45 pm

It's 3:30am Sunday morning 5/29/22 & I was just rough cutting the headstock overlay veneer for the Takamine, I cut a V Notch in an old plywood template for a Gibson The Hawk/Nighthawk/Blueshawk Body from my Wood Shop & clamped it on my office bench under the bright light & with my spectacles on cut the shape out about 1mm too big = trying for the outside of the pencil line which is from a white pencil, sat it in place & it's almost perfect... Put a white towel over the two laptops to keep rosewood dust away from them BTW... Might make a couple pics from the scraps :mrgreen:
Going to wait to glue it in place until the new nut from Graph-Tech/Tusq gets here next Friday June the 3rd so I can get the angle just right, I can get it with my angle finder which is a wood workers tool = a square that's angle is adjustable with a wing nut.
I think I will glue the veneer on with Titebond Original but have epoxy & different CA Glues but am in no hurry for it to dry & think Titebond will give me the best overall finished results + squeeze out cleans up with warm water perfectly.
Still unsure about getting the finished edge just right, I think a router would be TOO MUCH for such a thin veneer, I have three different sizes of routers, Huge normal size, palm size & Dremel size...
Might be best to go slow & triple tape the edge of the headstock with blue painter's tape use sandpaper to take the 1-2mms off or cordless Dremel with a sanding drum OR File, Rasp ???
Also thought about wicking some CA Glue into the edge making it stiffer & less likely to splinter or crack

NOTE NOTCHED STRAIGHT EDGE I MADE when I was trying to give relief to a buddy's short scale guitar that had been in a storage shed for two years with no strings & the truss rod was tightened = back bowed neck really bad, I ended up heating the bolt on neck with a heating pad & then clamped it in a fixture & gave it relief at the 8-9th fret with a C Clamp with wood blocks & a padded half round under the scarf joint, It took two tries & eventually got the rock hard maple neck straight & then put .010"s on it & got enough relief that it played great with very low action
I only charged him $20 & that included the strings.
I have another piece of that aluminum straight edge there & want to make it my 24 3/4" & 25 1/2" notched straight edge
The one I cut is for 23" & 34" bass on the other side = Great tool for seeing exactly how much relief a guitar neck has

Photos of the Headstock Overlay Veneer & cutting station, More to Come SOON = Next weekend after the nut comes
Primus Concert Monday Evening they are doing RUSH's Farewell to Kings + a live set of their jam...
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Jazz Master
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Sun May 29, 2022 4:04 pm

I'm learning as I go on this rosewood headstock veneer & have sanded the flat top of the headstock down maybe the thickness of the veneer & wanted to thicken it up in that area, If I have to cut down into the veneer to inlay the nut, I will do so with a flat file to leave the ledge for it to sit into...
It's been like three years since I bought this project for $30 along with the $30 Parker Fly Deluxe project & am just now getting around to actually doing the repairs to both of those along with the Gibson Les Paul Studio Lite M-III
The Takamine had .0115"-.0515" D'Addario strings on it when the headstock was broken & tossed in the trash can about a block from my house
I think I have the original nut, but it was in a box with several others & I assume it's the black one in the 2nd photo here...
There were two sets of brass knuckles & 3-4 nuts & a banjo bridge in the box I found, NOTE: The two scraps that will become a couple rosewood picks
I have a Tusq nut coming from Graph-Tech due this Friday & will be busy going to the grave yards tomorrow & also going to see Primus tomorrow evening with my youngest son David..
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY to Everyone!

I went ahead & cut all the wiring out of the Parker Fly today, leaving an inch at each end, cut to help me get the thing up & working on the bench away from the guitar & will also allow me to primer & grain fill the wood properly first...
Am still hoping to get the original color by taking the guitar to Wolf Glass & Paint Co. about a mile from here were I used to get all my autobody supplies 2-3 decades ago, If Not I will get a close Dusty Black & might go with a crazy flake or pearl over the black then a clear coat & polish
Need to get going on these projects...
I also found a brown Gibson Les Paul switch plate cover from the early/mid 90s that was replaced on a Classic Trans Amber Plus+ I had 25 years ago
A couple Velcro string dampeners that I am going to use on the Brian Moore iGuitar i2000 1.13 Midi to absorb overtones to the Roland GR-55
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:53 am

Might get around to gluing the headstock veneer on the Takamine today but I don't have any WAX Paper for my padded cauls I cut from some flooring in my table saw, they are bigger than the headstock & will require I clean the squeeze out up with Q-Tips??
I should take my time & cut the padded flooring to be exact, might even buy a new saw just for this? Hmmm?
The Tusq nut came from Graph-Tech & seems to be the exact perfect size without even cutting it at all = SWEET!
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Wed Jun 08, 2022 9:47 pm

Been working on the headstock of the Takamine
I drilled six little holes & put six little brads upside down in the headstock with 1mm protrusion to keep the veneer from slipping around & set them with #10 CA glue to mark the veneer & keep it from slipping around on the glue
Got four clamps & six pinch clamps & several wood blocks, pads & leather & have just finished clamping it up & cleaning the small amount of squeeze out off
Going out @ 11:15am but will be back very soon with pictures of the mess
Used Titebond Original & used a small brush to get every inch, cleaned out tuner holes with a few Q-Tips
Be Right Back, Wife is already in the car, Need to get my shoes & run Fast...
Gary :o
OK @ 1:30am I just unclamped the veneer glue up & snapped a few photos before & after
My work table is covered & the Parker Fly is there right underneath sideways under the Takamines neck with the blue foam in between
Will look at sanding & scraping the veneer after it dries overnight or longer
Time for bed & Wife is already sleeping & fell asleep with the TV on again
Gary at The Wood Shed Music
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Sat Jun 11, 2022 3:22 am

More sanding & slow Dremel work on the overhang of the headstock veneer of the Takamine Acoustic Guitar...
It is almost impossible to sand the edge of the rosewood without touching the side of the headstock which looks like mahogany to me through the finish
I have been using 220 grit on or around a few different things to get it there just right & keep it all square = eraser, tubing + Files, scotch brite & steel wool. A bit more sanding was done late last night for 15-20 minutes with 220 dry = slow process
Guitar clamped to padded table with eraser + leather + blue foam pads...
Note: around guitars keep steel wool in a zip lock sandwich bag + use sparingly & clean up all shavings well...
I will be done sanding sometime on Saturday IF I spend more time at it, Then more sanding with 600 800 1000 2000+ to try and blend it all together
Then some clear coat after I blend the break on the back = Added some more CA Glue in the crack to fill it if flush & smooth + need a tint to match the orange finish the neck & headstock sides need some of
Need to clean up the mess left by this process of sanding & shaping

NOTE: An American Hero Stephen Schmidt who passed away 1/6/22 Vietnam Veteran & a Good Ole Friend = POW/MIA next to Elvis

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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Insomnicide » Sat Jun 11, 2022 5:36 am

Nice work so far!

If you are wondering about headstock repairs, the YouTube channel TWoodford is an excellent resource for learning about doing splines and other methods for strong repairs.

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Jazz Master
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:42 am

MORE SANDING!
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Found the six little gold screws for the tuners
They were in a shot glass on my other work bench...

Trying to find a color match for the crack & glue lines = Stain markers

Still looking for those three Parker Fly Supreme Black Rotary Locking Knobs

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Jazz Master
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Re: Takamine Headstock Break + Brian Moore i2000 1.13

Post by Jazz Master » Sun Jun 12, 2022 2:50 pm

Still sanding & filling & trying to color match the wounds on the Takamine
Found a divot in the neck & filled it + color & stained the cracks glue & will set it with CA Glue
Slow process & still need to even up the veneer at the curved areas
MORE TO COME!
Still looking for those three Parker Fly Control Knobs? Where are they at???
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