Hi!
My hero is Steve Digorgio, and I've always wanted an ESP 5 string Forest style bass. But dawg gawn-it, every time I go into a guitar shop and want to buy something, I always say to myself "I could build a better one..."
I've built a few guitars over the years, and I ended up moving in with some crummy roommates who decided that my materials were up to sell for rent. Needless to say, I don't live there anymore. It's taken me some time to settle down and gather materials, so this is going to be my first build since 2009! I work at full time B3 Imagination Studio, which is a foam fabrication maker space. My boss said I could take over the shop at night to make a guitar sometime, so here we go!
Here's my transfer template made from 1/4" ply. I could build this entire thing with the CNC router we have here, but I want to do one with a band saw first
We have a gigantic 14" router from the early 1900s. It's been fitted with afterthought/safety regulation covers to keep you safe from the wooden spoke death wheels inside, but it cuts through most wood like butter!
Oh, I made a headstock transfer template as well.
Now, I asked for a 1 or 2 piece mahogany blank, but I ended up getting a 3 piece. Ah well. I'm painting it anyway. And I'm not sure how I feel about tap tone voodoo, but the 3 pieces definitely don't resonate with each other. Note the expert avoidance of those knots.
More to come!