Mr Natural Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 So- i have wanted to do this for a while. I have other projects I need to finish- but this one for whatever reason has the fire under my arse at the moment so its getting my attention. I have wanted a jazzmaster, but I never really dug the upper horn on them. In the last couple of years I have noticed a lot of various players with Fano JM type guitars-and thus the itch was started with me. I want to build mine out of all mahogany though., Start with some plans: what to do about that horn I am not so fond of- trying some options- still not liking any of them this will get a headstock like the old Teisco guitars- I love those crazy things- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 tucked away on a bottom shelf, some nice old swietenia macrophylla and some quilt maple I almost forgot I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 8 hours ago, Mr Natural said: tucked away on a bottom shelf, some nice old swietenia macrophylla and some quilt maple I almost forgot I had. ... people do that!?! Forget they have exquisite wood tucked away?!? Looking forward to a personal build! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 This should be fun. That's some good looking quilt. It wants to go on something special. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted October 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 I bought that quilt close to 20 years ago now. I bought it specifically due to the quilt pattern- as it matches Jerry Garcia's Wolf guitar- and at one point I probably had a hair in my back end about building a copy. It sits in the bottom self of one of my wood shelves- waiting patiently. So- I started thinking I wanted an upper horn on this like an old Maton MS series, but it didnt look right on this body- so- I ended up opting for this- but then I thought to myself- I have seen this guitar before. Yeah- duh- look familiar? An old Teisco GS-64. My upper horn is a little fatter like the Maton- but more forward like a fender. So- not sure if this has any originality to it- but its what I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nollnoll7 Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 If you like it, then do it! Great wood btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 11 hours ago, Mr Natural said: An old Teisco GS-64. And look--it has an F-hole all the way through it. I've never seen one of these before, but it goes to show there is nothing new in the world. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted November 1, 2017 Report Share Posted November 1, 2017 23 hours ago, ScottR said: And look--it has an F-hole all the way through it. I've never seen one of these before, but it goes to show there is nothing new in the world. SR Ha! That's what I was thinking. Maybe it's a proto Ibanez monkey grip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 1, 2017 Report Share Posted November 1, 2017 1 hour ago, komodo said: Ha! That's what I was thinking. Maybe it's a proto Ibanez monkey grip. That's it! Actually I've done a couple with an F-hole that goes all the way through like that, and this is the first one I've seen...excluding the monkey grip...that also had that feature. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 get the paper plans finalized so I can make templates tomorrow headstock. I increased the nut width to 1.75" wide. I will probably do a nice big fat and chunky C/D carve on the neck- somewhat south of a full flown basebat bat but enough meat on the neck to really put a chunk of wood in your hand. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 It's looking very good from over here Good to see someone else who uses pencil and paper 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 putting the "plans" onto 1/4" mdf board to cut out for making templates. I do this on 1/4" first- as it is easier to sand and dial in, then attach that 1/4 inch template to 1/2" or 3/4" (whichever I happen to have on hand) and then take it to the router table. The 1/4" master then goes into storage, and if anything happens to the thicker templates (ever drop MDF onto concrete?)- I always have the masters to resort to. a quick visit with a jigsaw and band saw and we have rough cut templates. I will take to the sander to get close- finish off the straight edges of the neck with a straight edged template attached and trip to the router table with pattern bit. once all is said I done I pipe in some CA on the edges- let it dry- and kiss it with 400 grit attached to block or dowel for the inside curves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 in the mean time while that paper plan dries completely before i sand it- time to start cutting some mahogany. I dont own a planer- so- I end up using a slightly thicker than final body thickness blank, i joint one edge and then glue that edge- any "unevenness" caused by using a rough cut face against the joiner fence will come off when I use my thickness routing jig. This wood is just under 2" thick. The table saw is buried under rumble, so- circular saw it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 Neck blank. This I can square up and prep on my Craftsman 4" table top jointer. I have said this years ago- most table top tools are crap- I know- I own a bunch- but this is truly a decent tool for the money. Unfortunately with mahogany- and any wood really- you never know what removing a couple of millimeters of wood might reveal. A nice worm hole that wasnt present on the surface. and my luck- on the other side too. I am going to continue on- with the possibility that this neck blank gets scraped. the first hole is up around the headstock- the second by the first fret area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 glue up on the body wood. - again- this will get eaten by the router thicknessing jig tomorrow- almost a full 1/4" of wood is coming off. ( in case anyone is wondering- that is my new roof sitting in the driveway thanks to tropical storm Irma -going on Monday) neck getting (top) headstock ear attached- prior to applying 2 more clamps (in case Carl got nervous I was only going to use one clamp :-)) I am trying to get a lot of the glue squeeze out prior to applying the other clamps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 5, 2017 Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 I've had worm holes show up in a couple of necks before. They've never created a problem that I can tell. They let you claim tone voodoo and the worms always vacate to make room for an epoxy fill. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2017 I always sand my flat straight lines with this sanding bar- this thing has stayed straight and true despite being kept in a garage that experiences some serious temp swings. put pencil lead on the edge- sand- check if flat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2017 tracing it up to get an idea, Not sure what that weird reddish hue is in the pic- ghost in the machine I guess. gluing up the ears on the neck now-I usually dont do this prior to routing the truss rod channel- but this time around I will be using a trim router with an attachment I was gifted, and since my blank is square- and I will be using a spoke wheel truss rod with access at the body end of the neck- I am good to go. @MassimoPL77 's beautiful inlay job on that Les Paul he did got me to thinking about an inlay for this guitar. hmm.but not with shell -looking thru old odds and sods of pen blank cut offs I got on the cheap years ago-I am thinking about wood inlay- but what should my subject be. .......hmmm-my avatar is calling ..maybe if I can actually pull this off without looking like crap I can call this the "NatchMaster". I think that beard has to be done in shell though- white m.o.p. Not sure the Holly blank I have will stay that white. may need to do a test run. use black epoxy for the outlines/eyes- and place it all in a circle of flame or quilt maple. Shoes in walnut and koa- that shirt....not sure if I will use the yellowheart or may be the nara or maybe something else. Osage orange would be nice but it will change over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted November 7, 2017 Report Share Posted November 7, 2017 hah looks like these sanding beams are also available in Europe. I think I'm going to get one, my old leveling I-beam (or whatever that's called) that I used for this is now dented in the middle. Good luck with that inlay project, can't wait to see how it turns out! I vote shell for the beard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 7, 2017 Report Share Posted November 7, 2017 Your avatar will make a very cool inlay! Good call. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 I told myself that I am going to try to post something- anything- progress wise- no matter how small every day- or at least every other day on this build. I have some serious vacation time I have to start burning by end of year so- I should be able to make some progress every couple days. if I stop posting who knows- I might disappear for a couple years.........() with that said- today's progress- no big deal- just rough cut the body blank with a jigsaw. I will further clean it up on my little 9' band saw (ha ha ha ha) if possible- or else take it to the belt sander and get it a bit closer to the outline before routing the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2017 making thins of wood to cut for the inlay- ass end of the body after hitting the belt sander prior to trimming with router Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 body routed- but a nice little chunk came out the back side on the butt end. Hoping the round over will take care of this- it should Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 On 11/5/2017 at 10:07 AM, Mr Natural said: A nice worm hole ... All the more "natural!" Nice body shape ... kind of Bulbous Bouffant . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted November 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 so- Thanksgiving Holiday got in the way of progress here. I also changed my mind on my original idea regarding electronics and such. I have finalized on the following Fender style trem vs the bigsby I was going to use for this. I am saving the bigsby for another project, I was originally going to go with 2 P-90s but I want some balls in the bridge - but I didnt want to give up on the p-90 either- so- compromised and going to use a Seymour Duncan P-rails in the bridge, and I was going to use a mini DPDT on/off/on switch to go between the p-90, the rail and then humbucker (series)mode-(I did this with a lap steel I built a few years back) but I notice Duncan has come out with these Triple Shot humbucker rings with switches in them that allow for the p-90/rails/and humbucker in both series and parallel modes. Think I will give that a shot and have one less switch on the face of the guitar. I am doing a test on the headstock. It appears that teisco guitars did not have a headstock angle. they also appear to not have string anchors-so- I am wondering how "deep" the face of the headstock has to be to get enough pressure over the nut so not to cause any issues. In other words folks- i havent completely finished the "plan" for the neck- and should before I continue. progress pics forthcoming 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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