Preperation for Paint

     Now that mostly everything is cut and shaped it requires one last look over. I recommend fitting all the parts. I fitted the pickups one last time and saw that it was too tight. I spent some time to sand out the hole to make it snug. To prepare for paint I sanded with 600 grit sand paper and made it buttery smooth. Then I got a can of Sanding Sealer which is used to fill in all the pores from the wood to make an even surface. The process of applying and sanding should be done 3 or 4 times or until smooth. About a minute before the paint or stain is applied you should take a microfiber cloth and wipe the surface from any dust or particles that could obstruct your paint job.

Positioning the Neck

      

     The next step in this rigorous project is to sand and position the neck of the guitar. The neck is the only part of this guitar that I bought pre-made and I recommend everyone to do the same. I say this because in order to make a neck is requires many more tools which are rare and expensive. Plus it would be near impossible to get the fret bars as perfect as a machine would. It was only $90 and I believe it was the best route to go.

      To place the neck in the body you must carve out a 5 degree angle. This is a rare case where everything must be calculated on an angle because of the arc in the wood (this is a signature of all Les Paul’s). In a real Les Paul they use industrial strength glue to attach the neck. However, I bolted on the neck with a metal plate and used glue to make sure there is no chance if it separating.