Res-O-Glas Complete Guitar Kit Product Disclaimer

Res-O-Glas Complete Guitar Kit
Product Disclaimer
Res-O-Glas™ Guitars and related parts are not toys. This product contains small pieces that are choking hazards.
Assembly should be completed only by adults or by children 16 years of age or older. Construction of this kit should
only begin after thoroughly reading the enclosed instructions.
Modifications made to this product should be completed while wearing protective eyewear. This product has sharp
edges and should be handled with care. When touching the edges of the guitar (such as when applying the white stripe
binding), protective gloves should be worn. Your Res-O-Glas guitar body should be kept away from extreme hot or
cold temperatures, whether unfinished or as a completed guitar. Consult the specific manuals of any tools used to build
this product for proper safety tips and care. House Brands, LLC, the manufacturer of this product, does not
manufacture or endorse any electronic equipment supplier or manufacturers to be used in conjunction with this guitar
body. All installed electronics should be checked and tested by a professional prior to use.
WARNING!!! HANDLE WITH CARE
Fiberglass Product May Have SHARP Edges!
Res-O-Glas Guitar Building Preface
These guitar bodies accept 2-3/16" wide necks with a square heel style finish (Telecaster, Epiphone bolt-on, Eastwood).
Virtually any scale length neck is possible with this guitar body since the design accommodates a floating bridge (not
included) that can be moved forward or back to achieve proper intonation. Wherever possible we have used the most
commonly owned tools to complete this project and purposely shot our photos in a typical basement workshop setting using
these types of tools. The assembly of a Res-O-Glas Guitar is different from traditional guitar kits and we recommend that
you read the instructions in their entirety before you begin construction to ensure that you have all of the tools necessary to
complete your project, and that you are comfortable with the build level of the project.
Tools and Supplies Needed To Complete Your Guitar
Philips and flat head screwdrivers of various sizes
Yardstick or T-square
Soft cloth to cover work area
Clamps
Drill and various common size drill bits
Two tubes of Loctite Quick Set epoxy (or similar brand)
Dremel tool or hobby saw (if routing body)
Sandpaper & painters tape
Eye protection
Diagonal pliers
Soldering Iron and Solder
Pencil
If you do not have the necessary parts to complete the project and would like to return the guitar, please do not open your
package any further. Contact info@guitarkitsusa.com to coordinate the return of your product. Please mark the subject of
your email “return.”
Please note: The fit of the guitar neck on this model is different from conventional guitar necks. When installed, the guitar
neck will sit approximately 3/4" to 7/8" above the surface of the guitar body. This is similar to the original
Res-O-Glas Guitars manufactured in the 1960’s.
Photo of vintage Res-O-Glas Neck and Body
Res-O-Glas Guitar Kit Contents Fiberglass guitar top (A) Fiberglass guitar bottom (B) binding (C) Internal
maple block–top (D) Internal maple block–bottom (E) Neck plate bag (F) Internal wood support blocks (G) Foam (H),
Bridge Base (I), Bridge (J), Tailpiece (K), Neck (L), Tuners (M), Strings (N), Tuners (O), Potentiometers & Knobs (P).
Instructions
Before assembly, place a sheet or towel over your work area to protect the body from scratches.
These instructions will show you how to complete the one pickup, 1-volume, 1-tone control guitar kit shown in the
photo below. Please note, this photo and the photos throughout the instructions show the Jetson body style. This set
of instructions is used for all body styles as the methods of construction are the same for each body shape.
Neck Fit
The Res-O-Glas Guitar body will have extra room in the neck area than the fit found on a traditional guitar. This is
similar to the fit found on a vintage Res-O-Glas models from the 1960’s. There are a few reasons for this “loose” fit. If
the fit had been too tight the body would have cracked in this area. Wood has more “give” than fiberglass when under
pressure. Also, the manufacturing process of fiberglass determined the actual shape of the guitar neck used on the
vintage models. The trapezoid heel found on the vintage necks allowed the neck to rest in the neck pocket without
meeting the guitar at a right angle. There are no 90 degree angles in the neck pocket area or anywhere else on the
original guitar body design, again, because the fiberglass would have cracked or chipped. Our body provides the
snuggest fit possible for 2-3/16" width necks while maintaining maximum strength throughout the body.
Place the top half of the guitar body (the half with the neck pocket) face-up on a soft or padded surface. The guitar
neck has been roughly sanded to match the shape of the neck pocket. If the neck does not fit to your liking, sand the
sides of the neck until the neck rests comfortably in the pocket. Do not force the neck into the pocket. This may cause
cracks. Check the adjusted fit of your guitar pocket frequently from both sides and below.
Place the neck into the neck pocket. Make sure that the neck rests all the way at the back of the pocket (side closest to
where the pickups will be located) and is flush on the bottom of the neck pocket. The example above left is a body whose
neck will require additional sanding before it fits properly. (See gap at right hand side of pocket). Place the neck in the
pocket and tape the area that rests above the body. If needed, sand the area below the tape using a sanding block or a file
to improve fit.
Clamp the neck in place and run a straight edge (yard stick or T-square) down each side of the guitar neck and mark
the edge of the neck location with a pencil (not a permanent pen) at the base of the guitar and draw the line all the way
down to the edge of the body (see above photo). Turn the top of the guitar body upside down on a soft cloth and locate
the pencil marks on the bottom of the guitar body. Position the internal maple block (D) directly between these two
marks.
The wood block in your kit is already sanded and cut to provide a basic fit for the contours of your guitar body.
Since each fiberglass body is handmade, it is recommended that you spend time checking the fit of this part and
allow time to sand the block into an even more snug fit for your guitar. Do not worry if the fit is not perfect.
Vintage Res-O-Glas Guitars used a great amount of epoxy filler in these areas. (See vintage photo example below
right).
Checking the fit of the maple block.
Example of vintage Res-O-Glas epoxy usage.
Butt the bottom internal maple block (D) almost against the back of the guitar body. Allow space of approximately
1/8” between the body and wood block. There will be a gap at the neck end of the guitar of approximately 0.4".
Ideally, when you place the two body halves on top of one another, the body should close almost flush and show no
major gaps near the front of the guitar (see photo below left). Now place the top internal maple block (C) on top of the
bottom internal maple block (D) (photo center below). Place the bottom of the guitar back on the guitar. Apply a
small amount of pressure to the back of the guitar to see if it closes. The photos below show that overall interior maple
block still needs more sanding. Reduce approximately .008" (or 2 millimeters) near the front of the guitar for the body
to close properly without excessive pressure.
Once the fit of the maple block is satisfactory, epoxy the wood block in the center between the two marks that you
penciled earlier using the straightedge (photo below left). The wood block should be centered in the neck pocket as well.
You will use a great deal of epoxy to bridge gaps between the wood block and fiberglass body. A good example of an
area where this will be prevalent is between where the neck pocket ends and the wood block begins. Clamp the center
block in place and allow the epoxy at least 24 hours to dry. In the photo below right we are setting the center block and
two small mounting blocks at the same time. We will set the remaining three small wood blocks after this step.
Centering the wood block
Clamping the woods blocks in place while the epoxy sets.
When sizing drill bits for the various pilot holes used in this guitar kit, we recommend holding the drill bit next to
the screw and making sure that you can just barely see the thread of the screw on either side of the bit. Whenever
drilling into the body, we recommend using masking tape to mark your desired depth on your drill bits so that you
do not drill too far into the body or wood. Coating screws with paraffin wax will ease the process.
Customizing the Headstock (Not Required)
Our guitar necks are shipped with a thin coat of sealer and are ready to be installed on your guitar. However, many
people like to replicate the look of the old vintage Chicago guitars as much as possible. Below are the steps to
convert your supplied neck into a mini “Gumby” style headstock. Trace the desired shape on the headstock with
pencil. Cut the shape with a hand saw. Sand the edges where your cut was made and top of the headstock with 200
grit or higher sand paper.
Place protective painters tape on the edges of the headstock and back of headstock. Also cover at least the first three
frets of the guitar neck with painters tape. Use at least three coats of spray paint sanding in between each coat. For
additional tips on guitar finishing, we recommend visiting the wesite: www.reranch.com
Center your tailpiece between the two pencil marks you made earlier (when using your straight edge as a guide). Drill
pilot holes using a 3/32" drill bit through the top two tailpiece holes, through the fiberglass and into the bottom internal
maple block that is now epoxied in place (photo below left). Attach the tailpiece with the two screws holes that you just
created pilot holes for.
Install the tuners, and string the two outer e guitar strings. If you elected to paint the headstock, you will want to make
sure that the paint has been allowed a sufficient amount of time to dry before installing the tuners. Screw the shorter
set of bridge posts into the bridge feet using the provided allen wrench. Stop just before the bottom of the base. Do
not extend the post past the bottom!
Clamp the neck again in place and test the alignment of the strings in relationship to the edges of the guitar neck. (Make
sure there is equal spacing between the strings and the edge of the neck on both sides of the neck.)
You will need to position the bridge base and bridge you will be using with your build assembled on top of the guitar to
test the beck fitting and tailpiece alignment (see photo below right). We recommend using cheaper or old guitar strings
than you would normally use, because of the possibility of having to remove the neck/strings several times before the
guitar is completed.
Attaching the tailpiece.
Checking the neck/string alignment.
If the neck is out of alignment with the tailpiece, you can shift the bridge a small amount until proper alignment is
achieved. If shifting the bridge and neck still does not provide proper alignment, we recommend trying a shim in
the neck pocket for a more aligned fit, or shifting the tailpiece slightly in the direction needed to improve the
alignment.
Attaching a Neck to a Res-O-Glas Guitar Body
Position the neck plate in the center of the maple block. You want the back edge of the plate to be between 1/2" and
5/8" from the back of the neck pocket. Confirm this measurement from the topside of the guitar as well so that your
four drill holes do not extend past the center wood block or neck pocket in any direction and are aligned to meet the
neck square. Also, be far enough from the edges of the wood block so the screws do not split the wood (photo
below left). Clamp the neck in place. Make sure that the neck is all the way against the back wall of the neck
pocket. Mark the screw holes that are accessible in the center. Drill a 1/8" pilot hole 1.5” deep using the marks in
your neck plate as guides. Mark your drill bit with tape so you do not drill too far. You may need to remove the
clamp and position the clamp on the other side of your guitar to drill the last hole in your neck. Drill the neck
screws into place making sure that the neck does not shift when you are completing this step (photo below right).
Position the bottom internal maple block on top of the maple block already epoxied in place. You will not epoxy
this part. The internal maple block has a notch cut out on its underside to allow the block to slide right over the
neck plate (photo below left). Test the guitar body to make sure that it closes (same step as performed on the
bottom of page 6). If the body does not close, you will need to sand more wood off of the block at this time. If the
fit is acceptable, drill a pilot hole 1" deep and screw the two screws that secure the top and wooden blocks together
(middle photo). Add the 1/4" foam to the top of the block. Vintage Res-O- Glas Guitars had the foam extending
almost the entire length of the block. The use of the foam is up to the preferences of the builder. We recommend
having the foam run approximately 9" across the top of the narrow wood block (photo below right).
DO NOT USE standard size neck screws. Standard screws are longer and may split your guitar neck.
Installing the Five Mounting Blocks, Foam and Neck Strap Buttons
This step can also be completed later, after you install your electronics, but since it involves using epoxy we suggest doing
the installation now. The drawback to installing the five mounting blocks now is that you run the risk of interfering with
the placement of the guitar’s electronics. Therefore, be sure you have spent adequate time laying out your build design and
taking measurements.
The use of the mounting foam is an optional step during your build. All vintage Res-O-Glas Guitars used a strip of
foam for cushioning along the bottom maple block (see photo next page left) and on each of the square mounting
blocks. To install on the mounting blocks, cut 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" squares of foam, remove the protective back and
attach them to the mounting blocks. Stack them on top of one another to achieve the desired height. Simply trim an
approximate 5”-8" length to the width of the bottom maple block for use in this area. All remaining foam can be
used for adjusting the height of your pickups (see Adjusting Pickup Height section of instructions).
The strap button at the base of the guitar will be located in the center (remaining hole) of the tailpiece. Drill a pilot
hole before installing the strap button. For the strap button closer to the neck, the location of this button is up to the
builder. We have designed a longer internal support block to accommodate numerous locations of this strap button.
The hole is traditionally drilled on the bottom side of the fiberglass near the white binding. A portion of the strap
button rests just under the binding.
Installing The Supplied Pickup and Single Volume and Tone Control
We have designed our Res-O-Glas kits to be as easy as possible to assemble. The following instructions are for the
single pickup, one volume and tone control layout. However, that doesn’t mean you need to follow this layout for
your build. Our kits were designed to accept as many layouts and pickup configurations. Pickups and controls can be
located anywhere on the guitar body that doesn’t interfere with the center tone block and five small internal wood
blocks.
Below is a photo showing the underside of the included pickup as well as the pre-wired pots and input jack. You will
only need to solder the two pickup lead wires to complete the installation of the electronics. We will explain that
simple installation below.
You will need a 5/16” drill bit for the pots and a 3/8” drill bit for the input jack. Before routing or drilling for the
placement of any electronics, make sure that the wood blocks inside the guitar will not impede the location of your
electronics. Laying out the controls using a paper tracing of the internal wood block provides a good visual guide
(photo below left. We removed the tailpiece for the photo, you may keep yours installed). Mark your desired
location of the jack and pots on the top of your guitar with a pencil. To start the drill bit through the body of guitar,
reverse the direction of the drill and press down in the location of your tone control using a 5/16” drill bit. Applying
a medium amount of pressure to create a guide hole that doesn’t go all the way through the body. Repeat for the
volume control location. Set the drill to its standard clockwise direction and complete the holes using a consistent
rpm and downward pressure on the body until the drill bit passes through.
Place the shaft of the pots in the hole that you drilled, installing from the underside of the body. Use the supplied
around the pot shaft so it lies on top of the body. Thread the nut for the jack and pots into place and do not over tighten
(above right).
Note: When you drill the hole for the pickups, most likely it will go through the center wood block of the guitar if you
are placing it in the bridge position. That’s fine. Center the pickup under on the face of the guitar using the outer e
strings as a guide. Mark the area where you will feed the pickup wire through the body (photo next page).
Drill a 3/16" or 7/32" hole to feed the pickup wire through the guitar body. Feed the wire through. The bottom left
photo is a close up of the pickup wire prior to being soldered into place. The black ground wire will be attached to
the solder ground on the back of the pot. The white wire will be soldered to the bottom terminal of the pot on the
backside of where the other wire is currently attached. The right photo shows the two completed solder joints.
The below left photo shows the final installed pots, pickups and jacks from the underside of the guitar. The photo
on the right shows the ground wire being terminated between the tailpiece and the woodblock.
Adjusting Pickup Height
A couple of items should be checked before you modify your guitar or pickup height. The first thing you should
confirm is that the neck screws you used in the construction of your guitar passed through the center wood block
easily before threading the wood of the neck. This will ensure that the neck screws are pulling the neck securely
into the neck pocket and that it rests at the true bottom of the neck pocket when fully tightened. If you are confident
that you did the previous step correctly, string the guitar with the strings that you will use on the guitar when
complete.
The neck and bridge height determines how high the strings will be off of the guitar body (and also how high your pickups
will be off of the guitar body). We suggest adjusting the neck and bridge first before finalizing the height of your pickups.
After doing this we suggest doing the basic set-up and intonation of the guitar. Check the relief in the neck using a
long straight edge and play the upper frets of the guitar. Make sure that there are no areas where the guitar buzzes.
Make the necessary truss rod adjustments on your guitar neck if needed. If you are unhappy with the guitar’s action,
you might need to use a shim in your guitar’s neck pocket to resolve this issue.
Once the desired string height is obtained, you will want to have a gap of about 3/32" between the underside of the strings
and the top of the pickups you are using on your build. For instance, after the guitar is tuned and the strings are at the
desired height, subtract 3/32" from the string height above the guitar body – this will be the desired height for the top
surface of your pickups. Please note you will need to do this for both your neck and bridge pickup if you are building a two
pickup guitar. If you need to bring the pickup off the body closer to the strings, cut a section of the supplied foam into the
shape of the pickup base and place underneath the pickup.
Fastening the Back of Your Guitar in Place
Complete your guitar body by fastening the five grommets and screws into place over the five hole guides on the
back of your guitar. (For the Belmont style guitar, it will be four and the location of these blocks is determined by
the builder.) These holes should align with the five internal mounting blocks. If you used the foam on your
mounting blocks, drill a large pilot hole through the foam so it does not grip your drill bit and tear.
Installing the Res-O-Glas E-Z Binding
Please note, the installation of the E-Z binding is irreversible and removal would require using additional new
binding. We have included two sets for this purpose. Regardless, be sure to test all electronics before installing the
binding so you do not waste a set. Once the gaps on the outside of the guitar have been addressed, remove the
protective backing and slowly work your way around the guitar applying downward pressure to the tape as you go.
After attaching the binding to the outside of the guitar, we recommend using multiple rubber bands to hold the
binding in place and help it adhere to the guitar body’s surface. Leave the rubber bands in place overnight. This is
critical in the places where there are sharp angles/contours along the body. Below is a detailed photo of what this
procedure would look like on the left and when completed on the right.
Please note, if you ever need to remove the binding after it has been attached, use a hair dryer to heat the material and
loosen the adhesive. Slowly pull the binding away from the guitar body to avoid damaging the guitar body.
Using the Kit for your Own Guitar Design
Given the flexibility of our kits, many of you will choose to add multiple pickups, knobs and add other accessories.
If this is your intention, we suggest you lay out your guitar design prior to assembly and make sure that you have all
the parts necessary to complete the project. Be sure to confirm that the wire length you have between your pickups
and pots is sufficient (or make sure that you have the wire necessary to extend the length of the connections), and
that parts such as the volume, pots or pickup selectors do not interfere with the internal wood support blocks of the
guitar. Finalize your design before drilling or making any modifications to the body.
The photo below shows the interior of a nearly completed Res-O-Glas Guitar. We selected this photo as an example
of how a neck pickup wire is threaded through the center support block and how the location of these wood parts
will affect the potential location of your pots and switches. The guitar offers tons of space to locate your switches
and controls, however you must remember that the location of the wood blocks will limit the positioning of these
items once the epoxy is set.
Therefore, we suggest making a template of the interior wood parts of your guitar out of cardboard or paper. Place the
template on top of your guitar as a visual aid when laying out your guitar design. The ideal location of the five interior
support wood blocks for the Jetsons model is noted on the bottom of the guitar by five small dimples. These marks
indicate where the connecting screws enter the back of body. The Belmont style guitar does not have these markings.
Tracing the wooden blocks onto a sheet of paper.
Concern: Pots located too close to the internal
center wood block – Neck pickup wire not long enough.
Placing the templates on the body. (Be careful not to
scratch the surface.)
Concern: Pots located above wood block – neck pickup
wire not long enough
Spending time conceptualizing your guitar design before you build will help eliminate erroneous drill holes or unnecessary
routing. Please read the design concerns above and keep these in mind when planning your guitar build.
We thank you for your purchase and hope that you will share photos, MP3 files or video with us. Send any projects or feedback
to info@guitarkitsusa.com. If we use your clip or image, we will provide a link to your band’s website, “like” you on Facebook
or link to your personal Myspace page – just send us the address. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We hope that you enjoy your Res-O-Glas for many years and we look forward to offering you more great products in the future!
*Strat and Tele are registered trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Res-O-Glas Guitars is not
affiliated with Fender Musical Instrument Corporation. Guitar Kits USA is not affiliated with Supro, National, Valco or
Airline Guitars and their respected companies. Any mention of these brands is a historical reference to the original
vintage products of the 1960's.
The photographs, text and ideas contained within these instructions are the sole property of Guitar Kits USA. Any
authorized use, reproduction or distribution of these materials is forbidden.