First kit build - Martin dred

[rcplanefan]

OK, ski trip is over so I'm back at it. I've been working on the neck/fingerboard/headstock. The kit came with mother-of-pearl inlays for the fingerboard and I glued them in with Duco cement. They stand a little proud, so I have a 16" radius sanding block on order to fix that.

After laminating the rosewood headstock cover plate onto the headstock, I hand drilled from the back (already had drilled the tuner holes for the headstock) and they finished up nice and clean. And it's a beautiful piece of rosewood, too. I need to work on a logo that I can make a gold leaf decal from - plenty of time to worry about it, but I'll get started on it.

For the photos, I just laid the bridge on the top of the guitar. Next up, shaping the nut and measuring and locating the bridge.

[rcplanefan]

A couple more photos:

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Looking really good. Nice clean work!!

[rcplanefan]

Question for the experts. Should I fret the guitar before finishing? I assume since I’ll be masking off the fingerboard anyway, I might as well.

Also, I have read that I should finish the neck and body separately and then glue the neck on. Any reason not to do this?

Thank you!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I always install frets before spraying.
If that's a dovetail neck I'd glue it in and do your finish

[MaineGeezer]

I'd finish the neck and body separately. It will make it easier take the neck off in 20 years when it needs a neck reset. It also eliminates the problem of getting the finish even in the corners where the neck joins the body, if you finish after assembly.

[Stray Feathers]

I've done all mine with the necks attached - I like the look of the finish running uninterrupted through the corner at the joint. I would consider trying finishing them separately, for reasons many have given here on the forum, but I have one question: How do you get the finish smooth and even on the edges of the heel (i.e no drips etc.) so that when you put the neck on, the seam is as tight as when it was fitted dry, and shows no gap? And if you do have to do some sanding on the heel to get it right, how do you hide the sanding marks? I'm using lacquer. Bruce W.

[phavriluk]

I'd finish the neck and body separately. It will make it easier take the neck off in 20 years when it needs a neck reset. It also eliminates the problem of getting the finish even in the corners where the neck joins the body, if you finish after assembly.

I concur. The ones I made have all had their necks and bodies separately finished before assembly. I found it was so much easier to get a good level finish on the separate elements before assembly.

[rcplanefan]

Thanks for all the replies. I will finish the neck and body separately and then join them. I think I'll hold off on fretting the fingerboard until everything is assembled.

Currently locating the bridge. I'm about to start reading about finishing guitars which is a whole other subject.

[phavriluk]

I install the bridge as the last assembly step, after all the finishing. Same reason as the sequence of body finishing, then assembling them: no finish buildup on inside corners.