Building a Les Paul Guitar

I've been needing to add an electric to my harem of guitars, so what better project than to build one.  An electric will give me some options with performance I don't have right now (that's my wife groaning) and certainly is easier than building an acoustic from scratch.

I will be making a Gibson Les Paul style with Myrtle wood and Mahogany.   I just ordered the top set for laminating the body, and a neck blank from Oregon Wild Wood (see side bar).

 All I can say is: wow!
















I'm new to the electronics side of things, so from a little research it seems the following are good choices for blues/jazz sound.  I will need to verify that with someone who knows more than I.

Seymour Duncan sh-1 59 pickup.
D'Marzio PAF 36th Anniversary  DP103, and  DP223
D'Marzio Bluesbucker DP163
but will probably settle on :
Gibson Burstbucker 1 Vintage '59 LesPaul

Deciding how to match

Trim a glue-line with hold-down jig

Top set glued

Working on the kitchen too, so not moving real fast right now.  However, I have the Myrtle drop top thickness sanded and will press it on some 1.75 in. Mahogany this weekend.

The neck blank I rec'd is a 1x4 about 36 in. long.  It is nicely quarter sawn, so will be quite stable.   I'll have to cut a small piece off the end to use for making up the thickness for heel and scarf the other end for a 16 degree headstock.  

Here is the body blank glued up and sawn out.  The main body is quartersawn Mahogany.

Had a little time to work on the neck last night.   I scarfed the headstock last week and cut the channel for truss rod, so it was just a matter of routing the truss rod access and veneering the top of headstock.

Some good building information: Luthier-than-thou