GUITAR KIT WORLD EXP-style Guitar Kit Assembly Manual
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GUITAR KIT WORLD EXP-style Guitar Kit Assembly Manual

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EXP-style Guitar Kit Assembly
Manual
This guide provides step-by-step instructions to build a DIY EXP-style guitar using a kit.
Even if you have never built before, you can learn how to get started by reading this tutorial.
There's nothing more satisfying than playing a guitar you have put together yourself!
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Summary of Contents for GUITAR KIT WORLD EXP-style Guitar Kit

  • Page 1 EXP-style Guitar Kit Assembly Manual This guide provides step-by-step instructions to build a DIY EXP-style guitar using a kit. Even if you have never built before, you can learn how to get started by reading this tutorial. There’s nothing more satisfying than playing a guitar you have put together yourself!
  • Page 2 Project Tools and Consumables Before we get started check the list below and ensure you have the necessary tools and consumables required to complete the project. Tools ● 2 X Timber clamps (*set neck guitar only) ● Electric jigsaw or coping saw (*If shaping the headstock) ●...

  • Page 3: Safety Precautions

    Parts List Below are the parts you will find included in your packaging to complete an EXP guitar kit. ● EXP body and neck ● Neck plate, neck plate cushion and screws (if bolt-on neck) ● 2 x Strap buttons ●...
  • Page 4 A well ventilated work area Ensure your work space is well ventilated, especially when finishing to prevent a build up of potentially toxic fumes. Making your Guitar Kit play & sound great There are four stages to building a great kit guitar, these are: 1.
  • Page 5 1. Preparation and Finishing Inspecting the body Once unboxed, carefully inspect the guitar body and neck under decent light. Identify problem areas, as these should be addressed early on before commencing the project. This includes large dents that require filling, deep scratches that require sanding and glue residue on the surface of the guitar that will prevent your finish from being absorbed evenly.
  • Page 6 Check the scale length You can check the location of your bridge post holes with regard to scale length by measuring the distance from the edge of the nut closest to the fretboard and the middle of the 12th fret and then doubling that number. An EXP guitar kit should have a scale length of 24.75”...
  • Page 7 The steel ruler should sit just above the saddles on the bridge when the bridge is sitting flat against the body. Cutting the Headstock If shaping your headstock start out by sketching a few rough concepts before transferring the design to paper at the correct size. When designing your headstock be sure to leave a margin of at least 15mm from the last tuning hole and edge of the headstock (the equivalent distance between the tuning peg holes).
  • Page 8 Setting the Neck If you have a bolt-on neck guitar you can install the neck once you have completed the finishing stage, but construct a handle from a section of scrap wood. This will allow you to handle the guitar when finishing. 1.
  • Page 9 Next we’ll move onto prep sanding the body and neck. Start by sanding the entire guitar using 180 grit sandpaper and follow that up with 240 grit paper. If you are applying a stain directly to the raw wood sand up to 400 grit, but sanding any smoother than this may begin to affect how well the stain is absorbed.
  • Page 10 Below are the steps required for applying grain fill: 1. Mix up enough product to grain fill the entire guitar. Follow the recommendations for the product you are using in terms of application, cleanup and safety, then mix your grain fill into a workable paste in a spare container. 2.
  • Page 11 Finishing It’s beyond the scope of this guide to cover every available way to finish an electric guitar but below are a few rules that apply to almost all finishing options: ● Carefully consider your finishing options with regard to how protective they are and how they might affect tone along with aesthetics.

  • Page 12: Hardware Installation

    ● Be aware of the compatibility of the products you use. If painting using spray cans I’d recommend using the same brand and type of paint for your seal coat, color coat and clear coats. ● If you have to spray outside avoid spraying on windy days. ●...
  • Page 13 Pilot Holes Drill pilot holes for all screws used on the body and neck of the guitar. The small screws used for securing your tuners for example are small, fragile and easily stripped. Whenever installing hardware, or plastic covers: 1. Use masking tape on the guitar to mark the location of the hole using a pen (pencils usually don’t result in sharp lines on masking tape) 2.
  • Page 14 3. Decide on the correct size drill bit (⅔ thickness of the screw) and mark the drill bit depth using a small piece of masking tape at approximately 2/3 the depth of the screw to be installed 4. Always aim to drill your holes straight. 5.

  • Page 15: Installing The Truss Rod Cover

    Installing the truss rod cover While not strictly hardware, it’s important to center the truss rod cover on the headstock. The simplest way to do this is by using masking tape on the headstock, measuring half way across the headstock (the guitar has a nut width of 42mm, so the number should be 21mm) and drawing a line extending out from the nut to the end of the headstock.

  • Page 16: Tuner Alignment

    Tuner alignment If you plan on aligning the tuners to the headstock using a square, I’d recommend doing this as you install each individual tuner as there will be insufficient room to fit a square between the tuners in most cases. You can also align tuners relative to one another using a steel ruler across your tuners once in place.
  • Page 17 Grounding the bridge Look for a small hole on the side of the bridge post hole. This will normally be the hole closest to the electronics cavity. There should be a small hole just large enough to thread the ground wire through to the electronics cavity. There should also be a corresponding hole on the inside of the electronics cavity (as shown).
  • Page 18 3. Make a small ‘hook’ in the top of the wire so the ground wire sits at the top of the bridge or tailpiece post hole before installing the bushing. 4. Remove the post from the bushing. 5. Insert the bushing into the predrilled hole, ensuring the ground wire ends up sitting flush against the bushing.

  • Page 19: Connecting The Electronics

    5. Mark your pilot holes as done previously, remove the pickups from the cavity, and drill the pilot holes. 3. Connecting the electronics Soldering If you haven’t soldered before you’re going to need a soldering iron, solder, and a damp sponge to clean the tip of your iron.
  • Page 20 The wiring diagram below shows one way the guitar can be wired (keep in mind there are many ways to wire an electric guitar). We’ll cover each of the steps below. The EXP-style kit has 2 wiring configurations. 2 Humbuckers w/ 2 volume, 2 tone, and 3 way switch, or 2 Humbuckers w/ 2 volume, 1 tone, and 3 way switch.
  • Page 23 Install the pickup selector wires and pickup selector 1. Take the four long wires included in your packaging and thread them through the hole in the side of the neck pickup cavity to the pickup selector cavity. 2. Install the pickup selector to the pickguard. 3.

  • Page 24: Installing The Pickups

    1. Remember the colors you use for each (in most cases black is used for ground wires). 2. Solder a wire to one of the outside lugs that will be used for the neck pickup. 3. Do the same for the lug on the opposite side for the bridge pickup. Next connect the wire you will use for your output wire to the two lugs joined in the center of the switch.
  • Page 25 Grounding the bridge Next, taking the ground wire we installed to the bridge previously solder the ground wire to the back of either of the volume pots. Connecting the output wires to the tone pot and input jack Next, connect the loose green and black wires to the input and ground lug of the input jack. The ground lug on the input jack is connected to the inner sleeve of the jack.
  • Page 26 Connect the output and ground wires from the pickup selector to the tone Join the two green wires (one of them should already be connected to the input jack) and solder them in combination to the ground lug (the left lug if facing away from you) of the tone pot.

  • Page 27: Final Setup

    Completing the ground circuit Next, connect the remaining ungrounded components together on a circuit by connecting the two volume and the tone pots together by black wire from the casing of all three pots. From here our wiring is complete. It is now time to test the pickups by securing the pots in place, installing the electronics cavity cover and plugging the input jack into an amp and testing the pickups and selector switch and volume by tapping on the pole pieces of the pickups in each position.
  • Page 28 You may also want to revisit aspects of your setup once you have had time to play the guitar and have identified problems e.g. fret buzz or intonation issues. Adjusting neck relief The ideal guitar neck is one that has a small amount of inward bow or relief to provide clearance for the strings when vibrating.

  • Page 29: Adjusting The Action

    placed on the neck. Be sure to continue to check your tuning through the entire setup process. Adjusting the action Action refers to the height of the strings from the fretboard of the guitar. This is usually measured from the top of the 12th fret to the underside of the low E string. A good starting point is 2.4mm on the low E side and 1.6mm on the high E side, taking into account the different string gauges.

  • Page 30: Adjusting Pickup Height

    Your scale length is not a precise measurement as there is some compensation required for the additional mass of the heavier bass strings. This is also why most bridges on electric guitar are angled away from the body of the guitar toward the bass strings. To lengthen the string, turn the intonation adjustment screws at the front of the bridge counter clockwise.
  • Page 31 But, if unsure, a good starting point is 2.4mm from the top of the magnetic pole piece to the underside of the string. However, this should be measured when pressing down the last fret of the guitar. To adjust the height of the pickups, adjust the mounting screws on the outside of the pickup surround.

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