KnightroExpress Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 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: And then went back to carving. A dash of mineral spirits here: Coming together nicely! I think I'll start the neck carve tomorrow. Thanks for taking a look and best wishes for the upcoming year! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Can't wait 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 As it turns out, I did indeed start the multi 8's neck carve! Homely homemade thickness/taper jig: The result- a flat and consistently tapered surface at close to my final thickness. Now it's just a matter of getting the profile right. There's still quite a ways to go, but it's starting to feel like a real guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djobson101 Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Definitely another stunner coming to life there sir. I always dig watching your progress! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 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. 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. 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: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 I didn't know that nitro could be removed with acetone... live and learn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 I'm glad you decided to leave the sapele natural, I love the ribbon in it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 @psikoT Yep! It comes off very quickly and easily. @2.5itim Me too, I'm just annoyed that I took so long to make the decision...the damn guitar could have been done by now, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 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: Box o' templates: Body cut out, holes marked where necessary, outer contour routed. Drill some holes, rout some cavities: Rout some more: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 Well hey, it seems to fit so far! Time to move on to the neck. I'm going dead simple- quartersawn maple, flat headstock, bolt-on. And this is where I finished up for the night: 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! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 Man, talk about working fast! That was a productive day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 Two more days like that and it'll be done. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StratsRdivine Posted January 11, 2017 Report Share Posted January 11, 2017 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted January 12, 2017 Report Share Posted January 12, 2017 17 hours ago, ScottR said: Two more days like that and it'll be done. Templates make the world go round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2017 Indeed! Though now I'm stuck waiting for my fretboards and truss rods to arrive.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 Working on the headstock: Cutting the pickguard and control cavity cover: Output jack and strap locks: The cover ledge has some pretty tight radii, so I have to use this adorable little template bit: String-through and neck bolt holes: It's starting to look like a thing! And finally- give me a rasp and some wood, things are bound to happen: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2017 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: And a Voyager 7: 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! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 More work on the sapele bros... Pioneer neck pocket: 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: Truss rod channel: Neck outline: Headstock and tuner holes: Lightly stressful wiring holes: Quick little belly carve: Mockup time! And the Voyager 7 gets its neck pocket: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 17, 2017 Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 You have probably got the coolest assortment of bits, cutters and exotic hole making tools that I think I've ever seen. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2017 That's a very nice way to talk about my gadget addiction 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: Carving the neck. Unfortunately, while Yucatan rosewood is a true Dalbergia, it does not smell nice like its relatives. I'll be able to finish up the heel area after getting it glued into the body. Radius and fret installation: It's very nearly a guitar! 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.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted January 18, 2017 Report Share Posted January 18, 2017 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2017 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted January 18, 2017 Report Share Posted January 18, 2017 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted January 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2017 My bodies are normally 1.5" (38mm). I think @demonx (Searls Guitars) does something like what you're talking about with threaded inserts in a thick tenon extension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted January 18, 2017 Report Share Posted January 18, 2017 Like this pan kara? Sorry it's the best pic I've got of it, you might have to zoom in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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