A Refined Truss Rod Access Solution

Every guitar I build is a one-off, handmade instrument. Since each one is different, I often encounter problems, which require a creative solution. While building the Highline Prodigy, I wanted the access to the truss rod adjustment nut to be easy, yet inconspicuous. I kept carving away wood at the heel of the neck, the body and the pickguard in order to make it easy to insert an allen wrench into the nut. However, the result started to look a bit clunky. To resolve this problem, I cut a piece of wood that matches the pickguard and made a nice looking cover. I guess it's true that necessity is the mother of invention. Here are some photos of how solved the problem:

The Luthier's Prerogative

When ever I build a guitar from scratch, I always have a tendency to change my mind about what I want to accomplish. As I was about to finish the Highline Prodigy, I decided to make some changes.

First of all, I felt the body was a bit too thick. To remedy this concern, I simply planed down the front and back, which thinned the body from 1-7/8" to 1-5/8." However, thinning the body also required me to cut down the thickness of the neck's heel in order to maintain proper string height. A quick trip to the belt sander took care of the heel.

The second change I made involved the black plastic pickguard. While I love the shape of the pickguard, I wasn't crazy about using plastic. Instead, I've decided to make one out of some scrap spalted Black Limba. The process to make this pickguard will be a bit tricky, but I feel it will look much better than plastic. I'll be sure to post some photos of how it works out (if it works), so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is what the body looks like after planning it down:

How To Make A Custom Pickguard

For the Highline Prodigy, I decided to add a custom, black pickguard. The following photos show how I did it.

First I covered the body with artist masking film.
Then, I drew the outline of my pickguard shape.
I had to be very attentive to the position of the bridge

Next, I transfered the masking film to my pickguard blank.

I used a jig saw to cut the shape. To play it safe, I guided
the blade along the outside of the lines I drew.

I used a fine tooth blade to make the edge as smooth
as possible.

The pickup holes were made by drilling a 3/4"
diameter hole in each corner with a forstner bit.

I'll leave the masking film in place to protect the pickguard
from scratches during the rest of the building process.