Building a multiscale headless 6 string (progress pictures inside)

[mili9152]

Maybe someone on this forum is interested in guitar luthiery? This is my second build. Here are the specs:

Swamp Ash body
Rock maple neck/Birdseye maple fingerboard
25 - 26 3/8" scale length
Infinite radius
Trapezoidal neck profile
SS fretwire
Lace Aluma X-Bar pickup 3.5
43mm locking nut
Technologyformusicians bridge tuners

Made some foam prototypes:

Some of the components:

Planing the swamp ash!

+++Day 1 progress+++
Glued and clamped:

Making the miter box:

 

[mili9152]

Pretty happy with the work accomplished in one day

 

[Lasse Lammert]

From the specs and pics it looks a lot like its heavily "inspired" by strandberg, even up to the neck profile
Great guitars though, so understandable to use them as an inspiration.

 

[mili9152]

Yes, I can't disagree with you there... But to be honest, while drawing out the body and carves I was more inspired by Nolly's Vik guitar

Also, the trapezoidal neck profile is symmetrical, and I believe that was originally's Rick Toone's idea

 

[StefTD]

Yes, I can't disagree with you there... But to be honest, while drawing out the body and carves I was more inspired by Nolly's Vik guitar

Also, the trapezoidal neck profile is symmetrical, and I believe that was originally's Rick Toone's idea

I already wanted to write that the body looks like Nolly's Vik

Building a guitar atm, too, but I took a break, going to try a trapezoidal neck profile, too
but I am going to use a bolt on neck, so if I hate it, I can change it easily

 

[xplanet2112]

Thanks for sharing the pictures, I love seeing these tyes of threds on SSO. What you are doing is extremely skilled and I salute you sir!!

 

[Terminus]

Nice! I love Strandbergs and multi-scale designs.

 

[mili9152]

Thanks for the support!

Day 2: Shaping the body
But first, glued a veneer on the headstock to cover the truss rod:

Ready to be cut:

 

[mili9152]

Sanded the neck, but otherwise, only worked on the body today

Used a surform to being the sculpting:

Sanding to be continued tomorrow

 

[FIXXXER]

good work man!!!

 

[BLUElightCory]

Wish I had these kinds of skills.

 

[Frantick]

Wish i had tools so i could just try to make one (and fail, because of lack of skills)

 

[mili9152]

Day 3: Fretting and shaping the neck

Stainless steel is very tough!

 

[mili9152]

Safety plane to grind down the neck:

 

[heshian46]

I really love build threads. Makes me wish I had a wood shop at my disposal. I'd love to get in there and come up with something original. Nice work man!

 

[mili9152]

Thanks for the support

Having a workshop with power tools definitely makes the process easier, but if you have the passion and patience, you can make it work. My next build will be a 7-string, and I will purchase a few hand tools to build it in my 1 bedroom apartment!

I'm going to build up a luthier's minimalist toolset and hopefully encourage others to build, because for me, having the tools and space always prevented me from diving into a build.

 

[decoy205]

Very cool. Looks like you're building your own strandberg. I would def enjoy seeing a minimalist lutheirs toolset! I really want to try and put something together but i'm scared the tools and material cost would end up being just as expensive as getting a lutheir to do it right the first time.

Someone else showing what basics are needed would be encouraging.

 

[mili9152]

Day 4: Positioned the bridge and neck, and worked the frets. This will be finished tomorrow (minus the oil finish) after a lot of sanding

 

[abaga129]

That's looking awesome! Can't wait to see the finished product. What kind of finish are you planning?

 

[mili9152]

That's looking awesome! Can't wait to see the finished product. What kind of finish are you planning?

Tru oil finish... Still deciding if I'll do a black grain filler.