Around the Shop with Strobel Travel Guitars – Feb 2016

Which body for the best  STROBELCASTER travel guitar design? 

(wk5).  Working on factory STROBELCASTER travel guitar bodies.  Hog out spot for VOL control with sanding cylinder. Use 30mm studs, AP wheels, 8-32 acorns. 7/64” holes tapped with 6-32 tap. Relieve paint around holes. Neck bolts loose in holes, need to be glued.  Put 3 lock washers under CTS pots to lower shafts so knobs can be correct height. Cable clamp can only use less than ¼” screws. Put on E strings to help locate pickguard (Version C). Scoot pickguard towards bass side.  Neck pocket could be 1mm deeper on MT travel guitar bodies to get strings closer to pickups.  SP body = 46.3mm, MT body = 44.6mm.

Assembling pick guards for Rambler® STROBELCASTER Standard portable guitars

(wk 6). Putting SC Standard portable guitar pick guards together.  Keep jack shield wire covered.  Pots have to sit lower so knobs go down further.  Be careful to install knobs before attaching pickgaurd to travel guitar body.

Building the first few single coil  Rambler® Travel Guitars

(wk 7). Sanding and buffing the first six SC Standard travel guitars.  This is a long process, working with Popular bodies is easier than most woods.  Nice and light, easy to sand.  Some color variations to deal with in the raw wood.

Best neck attachment process for Strobel detachable neck travel guitars 

(wk 8).  SC B3 drill neck holes with 3/16” through body while mounted in Neck Attach fixture.  Re drill body holes with 7/32”.  Bigger diameter hole makes neck much easier to remove for traveling with the guitar. Note, some neck bolts require 11/64” holes as they are smaller in diameter.  Measure bolts before drilling neck holes.