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Searls Guitars Build Thread


demonx

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The quality of these are great, it's the wait time that's a pain and it's costly (about $5ea)

I keep telling myself to buy a plotter cutter and make them myself but I never seem to have the money.

PM sent paulie

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The burst is airbrushed.

I focused first on hiding/blending the join between the solid sides and the clear top, then after that is accomplised, I just freehand blend the burst until it looks how I want. I'm currently in between clear coats on this and the rosewood top tele, aka "Darkhorse".

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  • 2 weeks later...

Black burst cut and polished - photo doesnt really show it as theres too much reflection but the black is BLACK - I wont bother trying to take decent pics till it's assembled

Thew Jarrah board finished up WAY better than I was expecting. It was only yesterday I ws telling someone I'll probably never use it again, but after sealing it - the Jarrah has "popped" very nicely.

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A couple "Darkhorse" updates.

Tuners in:

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Trem installed and wiring started:

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I changed my mind on assembling as to which type of switch I'll use, so Ive had to drill a larger hole and order a larger switch which will set back assembly by as long as it takes xmas mail to get here.

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What the hell man! is that a 16 piece neck ? :blink:

how many chickens did you have to sacrifice to the god of clean glue joints before you got the nuts to try that ?

It'd be 18 actually if you count the matching lams on the top of the headstock. I'm not fussed about numbers.

I was trying to get a certain look and I think I found it. Enough that I've already had an order for a similar neck but in more exotic timbers.

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What the hell man! is that a 16 piece neck ? :blink:

how many chickens did you have to sacrifice to the god of clean glue joints before you got the nuts to try that ?

It'd be 18 actually if you count the matching lams on the top of the headstock. I'm not fussed about numbers.

I was trying to get a certain look and I think I found it. Enough that I've already had an order for a similar neck but in more exotic timbers.

Well whatever you were shootin for, it came out cooler than a polar bears nuts. I wouldnt use that many scarf joints, or have them going that far along the neck personaly. But you cant deny it looks savage. Nice work man :D

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8 String All Aussie Timber Neckthru

Queensland Maple neck

Tasmanian Blackwood wing caps and matching headstock

Tasmanian Oak for rear of wings

Figured Jarrah fingerboard with small gold pearl dot inlays

Soap Box timber binding

Kahler Tremolo

Lundgren M8 Bridge Pickup

Coil split switch

CTS 500k pots

0.022uf Paper Dipped in Oil Capacitor

Switchcraft output jack

Schaller style strap locks

Gotoh tuning Machines

12 degree +/- headstock angle

16" fingerboard radius

27" fingerboard scale

24 frets

6150 Dunlop fretwire

Black side dots

Comfort curve rear

Top carve

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Another one finished this week:

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Tele 6 Neckthru

African Mahogany neck with Maple and Brazilian Rosewood highlights

Tasmanian Blackwood headstock with maple highlights and Indian Rosewood caps

African Mahogany wings with Bookmatched Indian Rosewood cap

Indian Rosewood scarf joint laminations

Indian Rosewood fingerboard with small Black Pearl dotinlays

Ebony binding

Gotoh GE1996T Tremolo

Bareknuckle Warpig Bridge Pickup

Bareknuckle PAT63 Neck pickup

Three way selector switch

CTS 500k pots

0.022uf Paper Dipped in Oil Capacitor

Switchcraft output jack

Schaller style strap locks

Grover tuning Machines

12 degree +/- headstock angle

16" fingerboard radius

25.5" fingerboard scale

24 frets

6150 Dunlop fretwire

White side dots

Comfort curve rear

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Man you have been cranking out some guitars lately....all very hot too. This one is very nice. That's a very nice and pleasing combination of colors and woods from the front....maybe just a tad busy when viewed from the rear. As Paulie said, quite savage regardless. What is the thought behind the cut away on the bass side rear at the neck join? Is it a design feature or does it have a hidden function I'm not quite grasping? I do like the way it looks and the uniqueness it gives to this tele-ish design.

SR

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That is stunning B-) I think im in love with that tele. If I wasnt poor Id purchase that in a heartbeat lol. That must have been pretty difficult to glue up that many layers of different woods in the neck. Do you have a jig or process to get every thing to stay where it needs to be while glueing or is it a multi step process?

Also I finally got my decals from that site you recomended and they look amazing! Thank you very much for the tip sir!

Tyler

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Thanks guys.

The tele gets picked up on Saturday if all goes to plan and hopefully I'll get some cool stage pics as the guys band is about to release another CD so I assume they'll be touring. I haven't advertised the 8 string yet.

Tyler: with that multi lams I just used two dowels, one at either end and then just added the wood like a big kebab! It makes glue ups nice and easy with no slipping or movement and no jigs required.

Re The back carve: it just happened. I was chiseling away and feeling the heel as if I was playing the guitar and marking where it felt uncomfortable and I kept hacking and hacking and then this popped out.

Re the decals: glad I could help Tyler. The last lot I got from them was much thinner vynil than in the past, which has made it easier to clear over but have to take a bit more caution in the application. I do like them better though.

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if you decide to ship to america... me and you need to have a chat ;)

Best freight quote I've had so far from Australia to USA for a neckthru is around the $700.00 mark (just for freight). That was Fedex. I cannot use the postal services as the dimensions are too large.

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  • 2 weeks later...

In build threads I see people using all sorts of templates and jigs to do truss rod slots.

I used to do it the hard way with a jig, however now I use a router table. I find it much faster, way less setup time and it is very accurate and easliy adjustable.

Heres a short video showing the layout stage (using existing center line) and the actual cut of the truss rod slot using a router table with a spiral upcut bit:

http://youtu.be/BgB4tjw_ryA

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