BYOGuitar.com LP Std User manual

LP Std Guitar Kit Assembly
Instructions

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Warning
Always wear safety glasses or goggles when operating equipment. Everyday
glasses or reading glasses are not safety glasses. Be certain the safety glasses you
wear meet the appropriate standards of the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI). Because there are various ways to cut and join wood, you can
make substitutions for the methods stated in this manual. We try to suggest the
easiest methods possible. However, only you know your skills with each piece of
machinery. Never compromise your safety by using a cutting method with which
you are not comfortable. Instead, find an alternative approach that will yield the
same result.
Warning
These instructions assume that you are familiar with the safe operation and use of
woodworking machinery and woodworking tools, and understand the techniques
used to assemble this project. If you do not qualify for both of these criteria, STOP
building this project for your own safety. Read and understand the owner’s
manual for the machinery you intend to use, take a woodworking class or visit
your local library for more information. Woodworking machinery and tools are
inherently dangerous because they use sharp edges that can and will cause
serious personal injury including amputation and death. Do not underestimate
the ability of these tools and machinery to cause injury. Never operate any tool
without all guards in place and always wear approved safety glasses. For your
own safety, please heed this warning.

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LP Std Parts List
Mahogany guitar body with flame maple veneer
Mahogany with rosewood fingerboard neck
1 Electric cord, 6 strings
Jack with 4 screws
2 chrome strap buttons, 2 screws, 2 rubber washers
Wiring harness with 4 pots
2 vol knobs
2 Tone knobs
3 way switch with selector plate
Rear cover with 4 screws
Rear switch cover with 3 screws
Bridge Assembly
Tune-o-matic bridge with 2 posts
Stop Tail piece with 2 posts
Neck
6 tuners , 3 each side of headstock
12 small tuner screws
6 bushings
Nut
Truss rod cover with 3 screws
Pickups
2 black ceramic pickups, 4 mounting screws each

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Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Installing the tuners ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Installing the set neck ................................................................................................................................... 6
Installing the Bridge and Tailpiece.............................................................................................................. 11
Installing the Pickups .................................................................................................................................. 11
To attach the pickups to the guitar body:............................................................................................... 11
Installing the Nut......................................................................................................................................... 11
To install the nut: .................................................................................................................................... 11
Finish ...........................................................................................................................................................12
The Body .................................................................................................................................................12
Solid Color Finish..................................................................................................................................... 12
The Neck .................................................................................................................................................12
Pickup wiring diagram................................................................................................................................. 13
Setup ........................................................................................................................................................... 14
Adjusting the Action................................................................................................................................14
The Nut................................................................................................................................................14
The Bridge ...........................................................................................................................................14
Pickup Height ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Intonation ...........................................................................................................................................15

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Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a BYOGuitar.com guitar kit. This kit includes everything you need to build a
complete custom guitar.
These instructions assume you are familiar with the anatomy of a guitar. Many of the terms used are
show in below diagram.
Here is the order of operations to complete the guitar:
Fit the neck.
Drill the mounting holes for the bridge.
Sand the body and neck.
Sand some more!
Finish the body and neck.
Assemble the guitar.
Wire it up.
Final set up and adjustments.
Plug it in and enjoy!
It’s recommended that you assemble your guitar before applying the finish. Drill all the holes to
eliminate any accidental chipping of the finish while drilling. Fit the neck and locate the bridge before
finishing the guitar. After the finish is complete all you should need to do is put it together and do some
fine-tuning.

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Always centerpunch the hole locations before you drill; this will ensure that the holes are properly
located (very important with bridge screws). If you don't have direct access to a drill press, have a friend
with a drill press drill a series of holes through a block of wood that correspond to the holes required for
your bridge. Then put the block on top of the body and use it to guide your drill bit.
Installing the tuners
Each tuner consists of the tuner, washer, and a threaded bushing. The tuners are attached to the
headstock with a small wood screw that attaches between the tuners.
To install the tuners:
1. Place the six tuners into the holes on the back of the headstock. The holes may need to be widened
with a peghead reamer or a round file. DO NOT widen the holes too much—the tuners should fit snug.
2. Slide a washer over the tuner shaft and screw the threaded bushing onto the tuner.
3. Align the tuners perpendicular to the edge of the headstock and parallel to each other. Use a strip of
masking tape to secure their position on the headstock.
4. Using a 1⁄16" drill bit in a drill press, drill 3⁄8" deep holes into the headstock.
Note—Drilling the holes deeper than 3 ⁄ 8" could result in drilling out through the front face of the
headstock. Use a depth stop or tape wrapped around the drill bit at the correct depth as an indicator.
5. Secure the machine heads to the guitar headstock with the tap screws.
Installing the set neck
There are a few things to consider when installing a set neck. First is the position, in and out, of
the neck in the body. Second, is the alignment of the neck with the center line of the body
(figure 1).

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Figure 1
To determine the location of the neck in and out, it’s important to understand how to
determine where the neck should be located. The distance from the nut (edge closet to the
fingerboard) to the 12th fret is equal to the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge (figure 2). If
the bridge holes have already been drilled in the body it’s important to locate the neck
correctly. If the bridge holes haven’t been drilled you have some leeway. Use the scale length
of the neck and the bridge location to determine the neck placement. DO NOT simply position
the neck so the heel of the neck is at the back of the pickup cavity. Typically it doesn’t
actually reach the back of the cavity and should not be assumed to be the correct neck
position.
Figure 2

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When measuring from the 12th fret to the bridge, you want to measure to the saddle on the
high E string. (Figure 3) If the bridge holes are drilled with compensation (usually the case on a
tune-o-matic bridge) the saddle on the high E string will be closer to the nut then the saddle on
the low E string.
Figure 3
If the bridge holes haven’t been drilled yet, install the neck first. Simply locate the neck so the
end of the fingerboard is located correctly with respect to the front pickup. Place the pickup in
the cavity and slide the neck back until it’s touching the pickup mounting ring.
When you have the neck located in and out, mark it with a pencil so you can position it
correctly when it is glued and clamped.
Next you need to align the neck with the center of the pickup cavities and bridge. This step is
the same if you are installing a set neck or a bolt on neck. It’s important to get the correct neck
alignment. If the alignment isn’t correct the E strings won’t run parallel to the edges of the
fingerboard.
Clamp two straight boards to each side of the neck and use a ruler to align the neck with the
center of the bridge (figure 4). If the bridge holes are already drilled, the center is known. If
they haven’t been drilled, align with the center of the pickup cavities. Once you have located
the neck, make a mark on the heel of the bridge and pickup cavity so you align it when gluing
and camping.

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Figure 4
The last thing to check is the neck angle (figure 5). If the angle is not correct you won’t be able
to get the correct action. With the neck in the pocket, place a straight edge on the frets. Push
the straight edge back until it’s over the bridge. The straight edge should be just over the
bridge (figure 6).

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Figure 5
Figure 6