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Table of Contents
Summary of Contents for Stewart MacDonald DELTA RESOMASTER
- Page 1 Resonator Guitar Kit Assembly Instructions www.stewmac.com...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents Getting started..........1 Mount the biscuit to the cone . - Page 3 Kit parts list Coverplate, and screws (12) Cone Truss rod cover, and screws (2) Metal guitar body Tailpiece Rosewood overlay Biscuit bridge Rubber band Neck block Tailblock Hot-Rod truss rod Rosewood fingerboard Mahogany neck Fingerboard supports (2 parts) Truss rod filler block Instructions Pearl dots (10) Bone nut...
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Page 4: Installing The Truss Rod
Installing the truss rod The truss rod is installed so that it adjusts at the peghead end of the neck. This makes it easy to adjust the truss rod under string tension. Roll the rods simultaneously between your thumb and fin- gers to adjust them, until the thread in the upper half of the brass lug (the rod without the adjusting nut welded to it) is flush with the face of the lug, and not protruding excessively. -
Page 5: Shaping The Fingerboard
Shaping the fingerboard The fingerboard has 24 fret slots, more than are needed for a resonator guitar. Trim off the fingerboard at the 20th fret slot. Draw a pencil line across the back of the fingerboard to mark the location of the 14th fret slot. The end of the neck’s fin- gerboard gluing surface, at the top of the heel, will line up with this mark when the fingerboard is glued on. -
Page 6: Installing Side Dots
Within the four 1/4" holes, just barely start a secondary hole difficult to drill without overdoing it, so practice on scrap! with a 7/32" twist drill (not a brad-point) (6). These secondary This chamfering is very delicate; the slightest turn of the drill holes bevel the bottom of the 1/4"... - Page 7 Keep the wire from tipping and prying up a chunk of wood as Use a smooth mill file, held at an angle, to bevel the fret ends. you tap the two ends into the fret slot with a hammer. prying up a chunk of wood as you tap the two ends into the fret slot with a hammer (7).
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Page 8: Preparing The Body For The Neck
Preparing the body for the neck With a straightedge, mark the centerline on masking tape. From scrap wood make a “centering stick” 9-5/8" x 1-1/16". Before you can bolt the neck on to check its fit, you must pre- pare the metal body. First, find the centerline of the body. From scrap wood make a “centering stick”... -
Page 9: Fitting The Neck To The Body
the tail block for the strap button mounting screw that holds where the sides meet the top and back. It must have a 1/4" the tailpiece. If the tail block is quite snug, leave it installed tall, 3/32" deep channel cut into the top front edge to allow from now on. -
Page 10: The Neck Heel Sets The Neck Angle
The neck heel sets the neck angle The neck angle is controlled by the shape of the neck heel as it contacts the sides of the body. It is not determined by the fit of the mortise-and-tenon joint. Removing wood from the top or bottom of the neck heel tips the neck forward or back. -
Page 11: Neck Angle Check
removing wood from the bottom will lower it. Taking wood TIP: Chisel carefully near the two neck bolts — from either side will move the neck in that direction. don’t push your best chisel toward the bolts! It’s important to note that removing wood from the upper Remove the last bit of wood around the bolts using part of the neck cheek edges will not only raise the neck, but a throw-away item such as a razor knife blade (or... -
Page 12: Neck Adjustment: Side-To-Side
fingerboard to hold a long accurate straightedge up off the fingerboard, simulating string height. For these two spacers we used drill bits: a 5/64" bit at the nut, and an 11/64" bit at the 12th fret. This gave a very close approximation to the final action. -
Page 13: Neck Adjustment: Tilting The Neck Back
Neck adjustment: tilting the neck back Removing wood from the bottom of the heel on both the treble and bass sides equally will tip the neck back (22). This is the most common adjustment. Remove the wood in a wedge shape which tapers to zero at the top edge of the cheeks. -
Page 14: Understanding Neck Angle Geometry
Understanding neck angle geometry Here’s the way to determine how much wood must be The measurement we want is X — the amount of wood removed from the bottom of the heel for the correct to remove from the heel to change the neck angle so neck angle at the bridge. -
Page 15: Installing The Fingerboard
To get accurate intonation, the distance from the 12th fret to ward or backward until the 12th fret measures the compen- the saddle should be approximately 1/8" longer than the dis- sated 12-5/8" distance from the center of the saddle. This will tance from the 12th fret to the nut. -
Page 16: Installing The Peghead Overlay
TIP: Prop the heel of the neck with anything handy (28) to force a slight upbow into the neck (here we have .012" of upbow). The upbow matches the .012" of backbow which the fret compression created in the fingerboard, and the two bows cancel each other out, producing a perfectly straight neck when dry. -
Page 17: Drilling The Tuning Machine Holes
peghead’s width. Drill a 1/4" hole at that point. This is the access hole for the truss rod. Remove the clamps from the overlay. Hold the overlay in one hand and elongate the hole by slowly tilting the overlay against a running drill bit (30). You may want to practice this on a piece of scrap (there’s plenty of excess overlay that gets trimmed away, so practice on that). -
Page 18: Shaping The Neck
Shaping the neck The neck has been machined to the basic shape, but left Use the half-round bastard file to shape the heel, then cut oversize for custom shaping. Any sharp edges left by the your “strap sander” to a narrower width, and “shoe shine” the machining process will be removed as you shape the neck to heel to shape as well. -
Page 19: Mounting The Fingerboard Support
Mounting the fingerboard support We chose the modern bolt-on method of fastening the neck The L-shaped fingerboard extension support supplies sup- to the body because it works well, is relatively easy to fit, and port for the top in the upper front shoulders. This L-shaped sounds great. -
Page 20: Mount The Biscuit To The Cone
Mount the biscuit to the cone Use the supplied small screw and washer to fasten the bis- Mark a concentric ring around the screw hole in the under- cuit to the cone. First, be sure to thread the hole in the biscuit side of the cone;... -
Page 21: Double-Check The Neck Alignment
Double-check the neck alignment At this stage, install the two outside strings to check two Center the two strings 2-3/16" apart on the saddle, and cut things: that the neck is well aligned to the tailpiece; and to slight starter notches for them. determine the approximate string height at the nut and Space the two outside strings approximately 1-17/64"... -
Page 22: A Quick Action Check
A quick action check With starter notches cut at both the nut and saddle, you can We needed to lower the strings until the bottom of the now lower the strings at each end, until you reach the correct strings dropped 1/8” (not the top of the saddle). The top of action height. -
Page 23: Finish The Nut Slots
the rear edge, leaving a distinct V-groove dropping away When we reached our final action of 1/8", the top of the sad- from the strings in front of the contact point (37). This moves dle was a little over 11/32" tall, and the bottoms of the string the intonation point toward the back edge (which is usually slots were approximately 9/32"... -
Page 24: Reinstalling The Neck And Leveling The Frets
Switch to a 1/16" bit and, centering on the point just created, Note: Depending upon how deep you drilled the flat bot- drill through the top and into the plywood support block tom 1/4" holes for the dot inlays, and depending upon the and the neck block. -
Page 25: Finishing The Neck
Finishing the neck At this point you should apply the neck finish of your choice. The following instructions, for spraying an aerosol nitrocellu- We present two recipes — the first produces a more “profes- lose lacquer finish, are pretty close to foolproof and don’t sional”... -
Page 26: Filling Fret Ends And Sanding The Neck
Filling fret ends and sanding the neck Before sanding the neck, “drop-fill” the small fret slot spaces head. Sand up to 320-grit, dampening to raise the grain. Do under the ends of the frets. Use fine rosewood sawdust this several times, so the end grain pores will absorb stain mixed in either Titebond or superglue. -
Page 27: Applying A Wash Coat Sealer
Applying a wash coat sealer Remember to wear clean cotton gloves whenever you touch Spray one uniform “wash coat” of clear lacquer on the neck. the wood. Lacquer is highly flammable, so always work in a A wash coat is a very light coat, so it won’t cause runs. The dry, well-ventilated area, away from open flames or sparks. -
Page 28: Wet-Sanding And Rubbing-Out The Finish
Wet-sanding and rubbing-out the finish Dry-sand the neck and body to a flat, dull sheen using 800- paper in soapy water often, to remove hard specks that can grit Fre-Cut® sandpaper. Clean the residue off the sandpaper scratch the finish. (Note: Soak the micro-finishing paper in often by rubbing it against a scrap of carpet.
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