YetzerHarah Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 I've been working on this for a while. It looks really messy at this point, hopefully it'll look better as I get everything dialed in. So I have these 2 really pretty pieces of limba that aren't wide enough to make a body (I guess I could make a 3 piece body if I had 3) so I decided that it would be a good excuse to do a scrap build with some other limba & paduak offcuts (the only thing that wasn't a scrap is the fretboard). I don't think I realized when I started this how much a pain a project w/ this many laminations (& all the grain direction changes at every joint) is when your main tools are a No 6 jointer, a No 151 spokeshave, miniplanes, & scalpels. 3 pieces of limba already glued up, gluing on 3/8" paduak "stringers," to build up the width glued together from the side, neck profile cut out & angled back 3/8" routed out for the top mock up w/ the top on (the top is a 3/8" slice off one of the wings). I don't know I'm not really in love w/ the 3 piece top, maybe I shouldn't have capped the neck (in fact I wouldn't have if it hadn't been such an unusually wide neck because of the not-really-wide-enough wings) Mock up w/ the angled shim, & headstock joint angle roughed in headstock glued together from 2 flatsawn scraps & paduak accent/reinforcement glued on oversized headstock blank messily glued in place mock up w/ the headstock cleaned up, headstock veneer slip matched & rough cut from the side Truss rod slot routed (WD double extending), gluing on the fretboard, one side of clamps on, one to go I had some trouble routing the binding channel on the headstock, I think the brushes are fried on my cheapo 220v router, anyone have any experience w/ these? I have no idea where to get a set of knockoff dremel brushes (also one of the caps that holds them in place is cracked). closeup neck rough cut out fast forward a bit, sides & neck jointed, glued together, shape coping sawed (sawn?) out, outline mostly dialed in (other than the cutaways), neck rounded but not really carved yet, started carving the heel in, back cut roughed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 That's a lot of work with very few tools. Anyone that cuts a body out with a coping saw has got my respect. Your colors are very nicely balanced and look good together. This is a nice start--do carry on. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 That looks nice. I lke the fretboard end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Good to see you making a build thread here mate. This is very reminiscent of my very first guitars, following the old Mexican Method and using stuff all tools and zero templates! To anyone not familiar with the Mexican Method. Dont bother researching it, the jyst of it is a large block of wood and a carving knife and start carving till a guitar pops out! The old mexicans are some of the best luthiers in the world! Cant wait to see the finished product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 That's a lot of work with very few tools. Anyone that cuts a body out with a coping saw has got my respect. Your colors are very nicely balanced and look good together. This is a nice start--do carry on. SR Thanx, every cut on this was done w/a coping saw except for the headstock scarf which was leveled w/a rip saw, & the slice for the top which was cut from both sides w/ a table saw, then leveled w/ my No 6. I really want to upgrade to one of these (god knows I use it enough), but $. Maybe after I get those palm gouges you recommended, & a ryoba. That looks nice. I lke the fretboard end. Thanx, it's not hard to do, just a little extra work w/ binding & cleaning up the shim. If you are going to do it & bind it, you should save the offcut to use as a caul for the binding. Good to see you making a build thread here mate. This is very reminiscent of my very first guitars, following the old Mexican Method and using stuff all tools and zero templates! To anyone not familiar with the Mexican Method. Dont bother researching it, the jyst of it is a large block of wood and a carving knife and start carving till a guitar pops out! The old mexicans are some of the best luthiers in the world! Cant wait to see the finished product. Sounds about right. The Mexican Method is also sometimes called the Paracho Method (which makes sense since it's the guitar capital of Mexico), Thanx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted December 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Some more carving done, the cutaways still need to go in a bit, more so on the treble side. I did the front based on a '63, the back is just whatever feels comfortable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Looks good and reminds me that I'm not the only one using chisels and no templates. Can't wait to see more progress on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 (edited) Got the inlays in from Andy DePaule, I was a little worried that there wouldn't be enough contrast, but that's apparently not a problem. I guess it's time to radius the board so that I can inlay these, but they look pretty good just sitting on top: I like them, but do you guys think the lotus flowers are too girly? Edited January 30, 2013 by YetzerHarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Nope.....I was going to say those look sweet, but that could sound like I was being sarcastic. They look great. Heck, I once lost a GOTM to a guitar with hundreds of inlaid cherry blossoms. You can keep your swagger. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 looking great Yetzer!! Korina truly looks a LOT like apamate from Venezuela/South America. I like the inlays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Inlays are cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 I like the lotus flowers. They have a nice contrast to the FB too. Good stuff so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) Haven't had much time lately. about 1/2 the inlays in, rough leveled & wetted for the pic: I really need more practice inlaying Edited March 12, 2013 by YetzerHarah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 (edited) On the 9th fret I tried a different way of marking it, & well I should have known well enough to try it on scrap first. Back to just drawing around the inlay with a sharp pencil. Anyway, I feel like throwing the whole thing in the fire, but I doubt that'll happen... Edited March 26, 2013 by YetzerHarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 I honestly don't see anything standing up and jumping around trying to get noticed here. Not for being fouled up anyway. If I squint and hold my head crooked, I might be able to convince myself some of them are a hair off center, but that could just as easily be camara angle. What's bugging you about it? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 The others are fairly close, but the 9th fret is about 4mm off center, & #1 is slightly rotated counter-clockwise. I know I should just get over it (or better yet get a CNC!). ScottR what do you think of breaking up the extra flower to use the petals for 19-21-24? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 When we build these little babies we are intimately aware of every tiny flaw, 99% of which no one else will ever find. We make these little errors to be inspiration and incentive for improvement on the next build. And there will always be a next build and it will always come with some pre-inspired incentive. I think adding some petals to those last three fret markers is a good idea. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted April 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 Just ran out of fretwire FML Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetzerHarah Posted May 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 fretted->milled->beveled->leveled->crowned->polished I guess I have to make up my mind on the electronics now so I can do the routing. I wanted to a p90 sized humbucker in the bridge & p90s in the middle and neck controlled by a Free-Way Switch, acting as if the 2 p90s are one humbucker, but reading the reviews I'm more than a little paranoid about using that switch. I guess I could do the same idea and just use a rotary switch. Or I could just do a p90 sized humbucker in the bridge w/ a push pull coil split on the volume & then just a p90 in the neck. I don't know. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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