govtmule Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 It's slow going but I decided to put together a small batch of 6 tele style guitars to be placed in local shops on consignment. This design is part Tele, part Jazzmaster with a nod to both in the headstock. Nothing revolutionary but I like it. The idea is to follow the telecaster model. A simple, rock solid, blue collar, go to guitar that may not have the flash but has the substance. Hence the name, the Mule. Not the prettiest horse in the stable but it's the one that you break out to do the heavy lifting. 24.75" scale Sperzel tuners 12" radius SS frets with a zero fret Flat top an back Deep set neck Wilkinson bridge SD P-rails pup 1 Vol 1 Tone vintage cap Anyway, here are a few pictures. The basic templates. The headstock looks pointy in the pic but it's at an angle and I sanded some around the tuner holes so it looks a bit choppy here. A shot of all six bodies and necks. Two walnut, two Spanish Cedar, and two African Mahogany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblaty Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Not sure about the grain direction on the mahogany neck... besides that it looks: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whalehazard Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 looks good...I dig the body shape and the headstock works really well. looking forward to seeing your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah, that one neck blank scares me... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yeah, that one neck blank scares me... Chris I agree. The walnut is quartered and the spanish cedar is close but the af mahogany is goofy with knots and swirls. This first batch is meant to help develop a consistent, repeatable process. So they are really prototypes that will be offered up to friends at cost unless they turn out nice enough to sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblaty Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) I agree. The walnut is quartered and the spanish cedar is close but the af mahogany is goofy with knots and swirls. This first batch is meant to help develop a consistent, repeatable process. So they are really prototypes that will be offered up to friends at cost unless they turn out nice enough to sell. yeah, those knots and swirls make insane looking stuff, but on bodies. Neck should have grain as straight as possible. I don´t even like using less than perfectly quartersawn blanks (haven´t used flatsawn yet). I have seen wood doing crazy things with grain twisted like that. Edited September 21, 2011 by oblaty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 I wouldn't even prototype with it if I were you. Too much work put in for it to most likely not be as stable and lasting as you'd like. African mohog is cheap, go grab another piece. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) Wow. That Mahogany would make a beautifully unique neck! Dali-esque but beautiful. How unique wouldn't be up to you of course! Edited September 21, 2011 by Prostheta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted September 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I wouldn't even prototype with it if I were you. Too much work put in for it to most likely not be as stable and lasting as you'd like. African mohog is cheap, go grab another piece. Chris Thanks a lot for the input guys. Maybe you're right. Maybe it's a waste of time to use that piece. Maybe I could use it as my first neck carve guinea pig. I have a large roundover router bit that I've been thinking about using to start my neck carves. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Sounds like a positive use. I'm all for those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightninMike Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 start it as a "reference" and see how it goes.... as you progress, you will know whether or not it is suitable for a real neck..... you might find it will hang up a bit on the grain as you route the neck.... go very slow and take off minimal amounts as you go..... the heavy cross grained areas will be the test of the necks stability.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Nah. If these are going on sale at local shops, then that Mahogany is probably more use propping their doors open for customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted September 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 ...then that Mahogany is probably more use propping their doors open for customers. Funny !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightninMike Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 If nothing else, you can use that piece to try out the router bit and see how it goes..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Definitely. More info on the router bit please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Wood does move, of that you'll get no argument. but "perfectly quartersawn" is not a neccessity. Flatsawn wood has been a proven neck wood for decades now. Are those dual rod routes in the neck blanks ? That would help with any twisting you may encounter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted September 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Wood does move, of that you'll get no argument. but "perfectly quartersawn" is not a neccessity. Flatsawn wood has been a proven neck wood for decades now. Are those dual rod routes in the neck blanks ? That would help with any twisting you may encounter. Not dual rods but one two way truss rod down the middle and two carbon fiber rods on the outsides running parallel to the truss rod. My thought is that I can use some more interesting looking wood that may not be ideal grain wise, and fight some of the potential movement with the carbon fiber rods. I haven't been building very long and haven't logged a ton of builds under my belt so I don't have many past examples to see that theory play out over time. I'm attempting to streamline and standardize the building process of this model so if the neck turns out to be crap I hope to be able to swap it out for another relatively easily. The best laid plans...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsman1031 Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 How are these projects going? I am a little lost on the woods used, what type of wood is that grey stock? I really like that stuff, I bet it would really pop with an oil finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted October 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 How are these projects going? I am a little lost on the woods used, what type of wood is that grey stock? I really like that stuff, I bet it would really pop with an oil finish. That's walnut. Ideally I would use an oil finish, that's what I like best, but these are three piece tops that are really nothing too special to look at. These are coming along fine, thanks for asking. I hit a snag recently with the truss rod access that I had to build a router carriage to correct. I'm trying to find a piece of plexiglass thick enough to use as a router base plate for the carriage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Made some progress in the last few days. Used my fret slotting jig: To cut the slots on the five remaining fretboards: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 And rough cut the necks. Ready for cleanup on the router table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Fretboards glued on and trimmed up. Drilled tuner holes. Side dots drilled for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Side dots installed: And nuts tacked in for alignment: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Boards sanded to 12" radius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govtmule Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Finished my neck pocket jig... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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