Home built guitar number 2, a bit of progress
- Thread starter STINNETT
- Start date
Thanks guys.
I'm going to be fretting today, and then on to carving the neck - my favorite part of the whole process!
More pics soon.
I'm going to be fretting today, and then on to carving the neck - my favorite part of the whole process!
More pics soon.
Once this guitar is finished (this one is for my personal use) I'm going to start building them for sale.
Do you think there is more of a draw for guitars like this one (in the 1500 dollar range) or for maple capped arch-tops like a PRS (or like the guitar in the first thread I posted), which I would probably sell for around 2,000?
I want to build a few to have on hand before I really start advertising.
My next guitar will be a mahogony body / quilted maple top with the same body / headstock shape as this one. If anybody wants to get on board with a deposit and spec out that guitar before I build it - now is the time!
Do you think there is more of a draw for guitars like this one (in the 1500 dollar range) or for maple capped arch-tops like a PRS (or like the guitar in the first thread I posted), which I would probably sell for around 2,000?
I want to build a few to have on hand before I really start advertising.
My next guitar will be a mahogony body / quilted maple top with the same body / headstock shape as this one. If anybody wants to get on board with a deposit and spec out that guitar before I build it - now is the time!
So you're not planning on carving the top like on the other one you posted? Cuz that carved top was super boner-inducing, but if this one is gonna stay flat top, that honestly decreases my interest somewhat. Also, are you committed to neck-thru, or do you think you're able to do a set-neck construction? Cuz I can see how neck-thru would be easier, but I prefer a set neck tonally...
Oh, this top will be carved - definitely. The other guitar just had the figured maple cap and a deep set neck, which seems to appeal to a whole different demographic. The other thing that will effect the price is the binding and inlay work.
I could do any sort of neck construction, and actually, I think a set-neck is easier. Alot less neck to handle during construction, (and alot less wood), and I can finish the body seperately from the neck. As a contrast, I can't carve this guitar until it is fully assembled. The thing is, any set-neck variant of this body style will need to be capped with something to cover the neck joint. (unless you wanted to see the neck wood extending past the neck pickup). Otherwise I'll need to redesign the cutaways to add a little more wood around the joint, or have a bit of a neck heel.
I'll have to put a traditional style set-neck on the drawing board for a prototype.
Fretted this thing today, and I learned something....stainless steel fretwire is a pain in the ass to cut, I basically ruined my cutters on this one fretjob.......but it'll be worth it.
The only problem is I didn't have enough wire for 24 frets - I only got 23 out of it........but while I wait for some more wire to come in I can start carving the neck, the fun part!
At the press:
Went ahead and did a little filing to get those sharp edges out of my way!
The only problem is I didn't have enough wire for 24 frets - I only got 23 out of it.....
...but while I wait for some more wire to come in I can start carving the neck, the fun part!At the press:
Went ahead and did a little filing to get those sharp edges out of my way!
Carved the neck today, here are some pics.
Laying out some guidelines for the carving:
The tools I use for carving - a couple of surforms and a spokeshave:
Headstock end roughed in with surforms:
Heel end roughed in:
Then I play connect the dots with the spokeshave:
Then I hit it with some 80 grit to smooth it all out:
Volute all shaped up with 80 grit:
Neck carve is done!
Another quick mock-up:
Next I'm going to work on the control cavity - and after that I'm assembling this baby to prepare for carving the top and pickup routing, etc.
Laying out some guidelines for the carving:
The tools I use for carving - a couple of surforms and a spokeshave:
Headstock end roughed in with surforms:
Heel end roughed in:
Then I play connect the dots with the spokeshave:
Then I hit it with some 80 grit to smooth it all out:
Volute all shaped up with 80 grit:
Neck carve is done!
Another quick mock-up:
Next I'm going to work on the control cavity - and after that I'm assembling this baby to prepare for carving the top and pickup routing, etc.
SocialNumb
Damn Christians!
Sloan
Sounds like shit!
Sweet mother, those carving tools look terrifying! Is that brown coloring rust? Tetanus city!
But hey, they certainly get the job done! How come you kept that slight taper under like the first two frets?
But hey, they certainly get the job done! How come you kept that slight taper under like the first two frets?
Sweet mother, those carving tools look terrifying! Is that brown coloring rust? Tetanus city!
But hey, they certainly get the job done! How come you kept that slight taper under like the first two frets?
No, that brown color is left over mahogony from the last neck carve.
I'm not sure what you mean about the taper on the first two frets. Are you talking about the volute, or the little hump where the headstock meets the neck? If so, I just think it looks classy - and it adds a little strength in that critical area.
Jaymz
Stymphalian Productions
Wow it looks fantastic, I wouldn't know where to start but it looks pretty fun now your getting semi close to having it in the guitar rack Good stuff
Good stuff
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
What's the shape of the neck?? It looks similar to an Ibanez neck , or is it thicker? It looks awesome either way... and I think that the "volute" which I have never seen before, looks pretty sick.
It's loosely based on some of my Jackson necks, but it's actually a little thinner. The last one I did I left the neck kind of chunky, so I'm making up for it with this one. I want to shred on this guitar.
Alot of hand builders use a volute. They can also be found on several production guitars. My Ibanez bass has one.
Chryst Krispies
Vanilla Gorilla
I've never heard the term "volute," but I guess that's what I'm talking about, yeah - the hump where the neck meets the headstock I like, and I actually thought all guitars with angled headstocks had that. This is what I was referring to:
The area within the circle looks thinner to me than the rest, and I was just curious what your reasoning for that was.
The area within the circle looks thinner to me than the rest, and I was just curious what your reasoning for that was.
I've never heard the term "volute," but I guess that's what I'm talking about, yeah - the hump where the neck meets the headstock I like, and I actually thought all guitars with angled headstocks had that. This is what I was referring to:
The area within the circle looks thinner to me than the rest, and I was just curious what your reasoning for that was.
It's not thinner there, perhaps that is just a photographic effect. It's a uniform taper from the heel to the headstock.
looks like you did an awesome job... how heavy is it? i got a guitar with a zebrawood body and it's is ridiculously heavy... easily the heaviest guitar i've ever seen. it sounds amazing though. pretty bright, but has this real nice low-mid rumble
what pickups you thinking about?
what pickups you thinking about?
Hard to say now, the zebrawood is fairly heavy so this might be on the heavy side when it's assembled. I expect it to be pretty edgy, so I'm going to try and put some warmer pickups in it. I might try a Duncan Custom and a '59 or Jazz in the neck.
