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Knightro Guitars 2017


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New year, new thread! I've got high hopes for this year...a lot of good projects are already underway, several are planned out, and I'm hoping to do a few wacky experimental builds. We shall see!

So, on to the good stuff. 

Installed the padauk/wenge multiscale 8's side dots:

IMG_20170103_175935_zpseeymcckq.jpg

 

And then went back to carving. 
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A dash of mineral spirits here:
IMG_20170103_151928_zpsjpx521zy.jpg

 

Coming together nicely! I think I'll start the neck carve tomorrow. 

IMG_20170103_180032_zpsbqftfakm.jpg

 

Thanks for taking a look and best wishes for the upcoming year!

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As it turns out, I did indeed start the multi 8's neck carve!

Homely homemade thickness/taper jig:

IMG_20170104_130429_zpsowntz3lw.jpg
IMG_20170104_132221_zps8cfkpnjo.jpg

 

The result- a flat and consistently tapered surface at close to my final thickness.

IMG_20170104_134700_zpsr1sbiqre.jpg
IMG_20170104_134709_zps1mdnbahv.jpg
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Now it's just a matter of getting the profile right. 

IMG_20170104_142640_zps72zm46tz.jpg
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IMG_20170104_153223_zpsfm2yts6e.jpg

 

There's still quite a ways to go, but it's starting to feel like a real guitar!

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Thanks Dalton! 

More work on the multi 8. This neck is about 75% done- just need to radius and install frets, then I can glue it in, blend the heel, and get it all finished up. 

IMG_20170105_171435_zpsde5owao7.jpg
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Back to the surf green Pulsar...well, I actually decided that I'd rather show off the natural ribbony goodness of this sapele, so it was time to break out the acetone. Thankfully, nitro lacquer is exceedingly easy to remove. 

IMG_20170109_121154_zpsaglhhrln.jpg
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And finally, I've been invited to do this year's iteration of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's singer/songwriter charity event. I've decided that it'll be a fun way to debut a new design, so here's some alder for this fresh project:

IMG_20170109_131557_zpsfc4p7brw.jpg

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OK PG friends, I just got in from a nicely productive day. As mentioned above, I'm working on a new design for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Songwriters in the Round event in March. Some of you might remember that I did this very same event last year- I ended up donating my personal padauk Voyager MS6 as the invitation was on somewhat short notice and I didn't have anything else in the chute at that point. Fast forward to now... there's plenty of time to prepare, and prepare I have! Given that this event is based around Nashville songwriters telling tales and singing songs, there's a decidedly country flavor to the affair. With that in mind, I'm doing my take on the venerable Tele- with details that Mr. F may or may not approve of....

Alder body blank prepared:

IMG_20170110_131010_zpshabaa9nv.jpg
IMG_20170110_131248_zpso8xzz7nk.jpg

 

Box o' templates:

IMG_20170110_141321_zpswhnfftbz.jpg
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Body cut out, holes marked where necessary, outer contour routed. 

IMG_20170110_143804_zpsyejce4l2.jpg
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Drill some holes, rout some cavities:

IMG_20170110_154543_zpsvi4g2rcw.jpg
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IMG_20170110_161545_zpsezsumq5r.jpg
IMG_20170110_164031_zpsmpqxhgmg.jpg

 

Rout some more:

IMG_20170110_170124_zps06nlwz4f.jpg
IMG_20170110_170524_zpswoinhqcb.jpg
IMG_20170110_172656_zps4wz755gd.jpg
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IMG_20170110_174806_zpswtsgiuej.jpg
IMG_20170110_175419_zpsdheox1uq.jpg

 

 

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Well hey, it seems to fit so far! 
IMG_20170110_175757_zpsg4kqexi3.jpg

 

Time to move on to the neck. I'm going dead simple- quartersawn maple, flat headstock, bolt-on.

IMG_20170110_180618_zpshyqs2jcd.jpg
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And this is where I finished up for the night:
IMG_20170110_192007_zpswrktohbh.jpg
IMG_20170110_192015_zpsap5opdkx.jpg
IMG_20170110_192021_zpsv4ajkqpz.jpg

I've been working with cantankerous exotics so much recently, I'd forgotten how pleasant and easily workable alder is. 

And with that, time to grab a Jai Alai. Thanks for checking in!

 

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Sweet.  Haven't seen the old padauk / Wenge combo in a while.  They complement each other so well.  Too bad the Padauk loses its orange from UV - keep that in its case as much as possible (of course you know that likely).  Love its vanilla smell when machined.  I always wanted to see if common sunscreen (SPF 2000 or something insane) would help keep the orange in Padauk.  Then see if it would take a finish.  

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Working on the headstock:

IMG_20170111_143449_zpslfjcli4j.jpg
IMG_20170111_143727_zpsyn3bwcls.jpg
IMG_20170111_144358_zpsldir13rc.jpg
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Cutting the pickguard and control cavity cover:

IMG_20170111_150759_zpsrxufckrd.jpg
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Output jack and strap locks:

IMG_20170111_162928_zpsjqkoedvm.jpg
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The cover ledge has some pretty tight radii, so I have to use this adorable little template bit:
IMG_20170112_121502_zpsfh3rq4ps.jpg
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String-through and neck bolt holes:

IMG_20170112_123425_zpsoxca1tfw.jpg
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IMG_20170112_124135_zpsswwkqnyf.jpg
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It's starting to look like a thing!

IMG_20170112_124629_zpsddivjhrn.jpg
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And finally- give me a rasp and some wood, things are bound to happen:

IMG_20170112_130231_zpsfhhftxol.jpg
IMG_20170112_132338_zps1eur51fl.jpg
IMG_20170112_144511_zpsujfftyow.jpg
IMG_20170112_160654_zps3iskdwb9.jpg

 

 

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So after all that, I went to a local lumberyard and stumbled into some amazing sapele. I'm sure you can guess what happened next.

Another Pioneer:

IMG_20170112_163656_zps8woq9cs9.jpg
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IMG_20170112_204702_zpsoybkmdjg.jpg

 

And a Voyager 7:

IMG_20170112_163701_zpsphkds0fx.jpg
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IMG_20170112_204938_zpsn7mm5vae.jpg

 

I've already got a solid rosewood neck for the 7, now I just need to make a matching sapele neck for the Pioneer. 

This pair has been my first set done at the same time with different designs, and it's gone well so far. Over just a couple hours, I took these from blanks to nearly complete bodies, which is easily my fastest time yet. I've worked a lot to establish a set of common measures and an SOP (my Army is showing, haha) for standard no-frills builds like these, and it feels great to have it work out. 

That's enough out of me for today, thanks for checking in!

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More work on the sapele bros...

Pioneer neck pocket:

IMG_20170114_172715_zpsrlk4gn5o.jpg
IMG_20170114_172927_zpsm8cb98g4.jpg
IMG_20170114_172934_zpslhxy4qeo.jpg

 

I scarfed this neck blank up yesterday, so there's a bit of a time warp here. This is a compound joint, as usual for my multiscales:

IMG_20170114_163118_zpsgsc00o8r.jpg
IMG_20170116_130811_zpszo5yedo4.jpg

 

Truss rod channel:

IMG_20170116_132203_zpstliqmtfo.jpg
IMG_20170116_132212_zps1x5rdxf8.jpg

 

Neck outline:

IMG_20170116_134512_zpsoc4lvfmg.jpg
IMG_20170116_135439_zps1w55dme5.jpg

 

Headstock and tuner holes:

IMG_20170116_142030_zps9brxjc1g.jpg

 

Lightly stressful wiring holes:

IMG_20170116_153422_zpsai3en4jp.jpg
IMG_20170116_153456_zpsceeg21wk.jpg

 

Quick little belly carve:

IMG_20170116_155342_zpscqa1mbmy.jpg

 

Mockup time!

IMG_20170116_155427_zpsgdfvjemx.jpg

 

And the Voyager 7 gets its neck pocket:

IMG_20170116_182651_zps6l9yjcyj.jpg
IMG_20170116_182743_zpsgwhwzimt.jpg
IMG_20170116_182841_zps4a7a0ixs.jpg

 

 

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That's a very nice way to talk about my gadget addiction :P  Having a bunch of very specific tools drives my wife crazy ("you bought another router bit? I thought you already had one!"), but I enjoy it, so there. 

Back to the 7 string thing!

Dot installation via eggbeater:

IMG_20170117_113327_zps2k38bmjg.jpg
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Carving the neck. Unfortunately, while Yucatan rosewood is a true Dalbergia, it does not smell nice like its relatives.

IMG_20170117_134053_zpsxwgmnpo9.jpg
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I'll be able to finish up the heel area after getting it glued into the body. 

 

Radius and fret installation:

IMG_20170117_181344_zpsgygsfv48.jpg
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It's very nearly a guitar! 

IMG_20170117_193808_zpszrpk9ipt.jpg

 

I'm hoping to get the neck set in by Friday, so I can finish the carve over the weekend. Time to order more hardware, I suppose.... 

 

 

 

 

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Wow, I love the multiscale Tele! Awesome  idea and the design is great!

I'm looking at your neck pockets - this tenon lip that's extending under the pickups, you're planning to keep it there, right? But the screws are only in the area under the fingerboard. So is the idea here just to have some extra lever arm to counteract the force from string pull?

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Thank you! You're correct, the extra tenon stays. I just haven't routed it flush with the bottom of the pickup cavity yet. The idea is to have a neck system that works as either a set-neck or bolt-on, the only change necessary is the addition of bolts. In either case, the extended tenon helps: as a set-neck, it's a good bit of extra gluing surface; as a bolt-on, it prevents the alignment from ever shifting out of place a la Fender or Ibanez (I've had to realign tons of these for myself and others). Also, I'm not sure if you can see or not, but the tenon extension's thickness will be about 0.25" (6.35mm), so it does have a fair amount of strength on its own. 

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Ah, so this is for sideways stability too, I see. 

Yea, so the tenon is not thick enough to hold screws, but still plays a role (in bolt-on, for set-neck it clearly does). That's pretty cool!  How thick are your bodies? I was thinking with a ~45mm body I could actually have ~10mm thick tenon and have screws holding the neck under the neck pickup (either from below or from above)

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