hyunsu Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 amazing work.. too sunshine your guitar.. goooooooooooood.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannoG Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Drak, I usually don't post when you show us some of your creations, mainly because words don't do justice to the guitars. Now I'm in that same situation multiplied. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slabbefusk Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 That looks awesome! Me wants... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Nice all around! Drak how do you go about cutting out the control covers from the back wood? The grain matches up so well it looks like it was just cut out of the same location; it it?. I tried that once to make top covers for pickups using the tiny ball-thingy on a Dremel; took forever and the edges looked like crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavnerGuitarWorks Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Man, I love all of them. If something doesn't work out with either one of the buckeye bodies, I would definitly buy one from you. Especially the "Buckeye Blues". I can't get enough of buckeyes and burls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Those Buckeye tops were probably the hardest tops I've done, it takes a -lot- of preparation to get that stuff level and filled, it's as soft as balsa wood because it's actually spalted I believe, and the huge holes that need filling and levelled...the blue sparkle epoxy fill was the second idea I had, straight black being the first. I think there are a lot of possibilities with dying and coloring epoxy for filling huge holes and gaps like this that I haven't explored yet...lots of sparkles and colors and tints and different ideas out there to play with...I want to try a 2-color swirl effect one day...blue and white, black and white, lots of possibilities... erik...yes, the control covers ARE the -exact- piece of wood cut out and removed before I glue the rear panels on, that's where the scroll saw comes in. Since I have no big floor standing equipment, my scroll saw does double duty as bandsaw and scrollsaw, just depends on the blade size I use. Using the thin blades on the scrollsaw, it's easy to cut out the rear control covers as long as you take a few minutes to place the area correctly since once you cut it out, the panels have to go in the proper place once you glue them down. All of those guitars have the rear cover cut out of the figured wood except maybe one or two. Thanks everyone for the nice words, all these guys have a long road to hoe in front of them, but it'll be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prost893 Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 yes, the control covers ARE the -exact- piece of wood cut out and removed before I glue the rear panels on, that's where the scroll saw comes in. Since I have no big floor standing equipment, my scroll saw does double duty as bandsaw and scrollsaw, just depends on the blade size I use. Using the thin blades on the scrollsaw, it's easy to cut out the rear control covers as long as you take a few minutes to place the area correctly since once you cut it out, the panels have to go in the proper place once you glue them down. All of those guitars have the rear cover cut out of the figured wood except maybe one or two. Drak I take it after reading this explanation that you used the exact same piece of wood that was on the back of the body 'under' the control cavity and you put the body on the saw table prior to mounting the figured top and cut out the control cavity cover. Did you route out the cavity from above then cut the cavity cover? Also how did you get the scroll saw blade into the cavity? It might even be worthwhile if you had the time to do a tutorial on how to do this very cool trick. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 The control cavity cover is marked, cut out with the scroll saw, and then set aside while I glue the rear panels on. This method only works if you're using a figured 'top' on the 'bottom', Kapich? If you just had a figured top and no bottom, this method wouldn't work. I'll take more pictures of the back of some of these bodies with their respective control covers sitting off to the side, I think you'll 'get it' when you see those pics, because I think you're not getting the fact that the control cover is coming from the fact that I cover the bottom of the body exactly like I cover the top, with a set of bookmatched figured wood, sometimes even a mirror set of books as what are on the top. ...ehhh, sort of like veneering, best way I can put it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 (edited) Hey Drak, ill trade you my Sheziwite strat for one of those tele's ...i wish Edited November 5, 2004 by AlGeeEater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prost893 Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 I think you'll 'get it' when you see those pics Got it thanks. I guess I forgot the fact that it was a 3 part sandwich and not just a top. That's what I get for not paying close enough attention. A joke I heard yesterday. Doctor at a medical school is teaching a bunch of new students how to cut into cadaver for the first time. He says this is very important watch this. He then sticks his middle finger into the cadavers butthole and roots around. The he moves his hand to his mouth and quickly pops in a finger, a different one of course. Then pronounces it is the only way to conduct an important test and prompts the class to try. After a moment of disgusted looks and people staring at their fingers he informs them that they all failed - to pay attention - to the fact he swiched fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 I like 'em. I think that the GhostRider, Koa nad the Buckeye Blues are my Fav. Looking at the blues it look as if the epoxy set in the configuration of another steer head! Even all the tops are awsome I think that koa is on a league of its own, rich brown colors and overtones, very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Hey Drak - You make my nose hairs stand on end with these amazing pics! What do you do with the guitars once they are finished? I know you said you don't sell them but do you loan/give them to friends - keep them in a vault, use them to insulate your walls, ... ? What kind of music do you like to play (not listen)? Have you ever built a HM Tele? Maybe throw a reverse tele headstock on there with a floyd and get all kinds of wild? Nah, forget that - they are beatiful as they are. Keep 'em comin! DaveQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Man, I really like what you've done with these... the bodies (or frames, I guess I should say) the faces, the way you filled the occlusions... these are inspiring. But I think "Protoplasm" should be renamed "Dr. Strangelove"... it just looks like a mushroom cloud and atomic waves to me. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Hey Drak - You make my nose hairs stand on end with these amazing pics! _______________ Thanks Dave. Coming from someone who can do optic light installations, (I wish), ...most appreciated. _______________ What do you do with the guitars once they are finished? I know you said you don't sell them but do you loan/give them to friends - keep them in a vault, use them to insulate your walls, ... ? _______________ Well, I play them. And collect them I guess. I never really put much thought into it. The reason I started building guitars is to make the guitars I could never find in any store for any reasonable amount, and it still continues to be the driving force I would say. It's certainly not money. _______________ What kind of music do you like to play (not listen)? Have you ever built a HM Tele? Maybe throw a reverse tele headstock on there with a floyd and get all kinds of wild? Nah, forget that - they are beatiful as they are. _______________ I play lots of different types and styles of music, I love music as a whole, music from all over the world I love. As far as a Heavy Metal Tele, -No Way Hose-. I've got other Heavy Metal axes I've built that have Floyds and EMG's, that kind of thing. I consider Teles as rather sacred, a design that was perfected when it was born so to speak, I love them just as they are. That's why you don't see mine modified too awfully much, although most of mine will have Afterburners in them, and lots of tone shaping pots, but they will -also- have nice clean pkps to start out with, and normally traditional Tele bridges, meant to enhance the natural sound of a Tele, which goes along with my philosophy of 'clean to mean at the roll of a pot'. I consider HM'ed Tele's as narsty, hehehe... Don't get me wrong, I love HM guitars, but you need not ruin a perfectly good Tele to make one. Score one for Leo. ________________ Keep 'em comin! DaveQ _________________ You know I will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerryL Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Buckeye Burl top, bark inclusions gap-filled with blue-sparkle dyed epoxy Gosh, That's Purdy. Seriously, That's the most beautiful top. Ya can tell lotsa work went into it being as it's burl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Drak, I have been thinking, who's the real whack job here? It's ok, really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoofnagle Posted November 6, 2004 Report Share Posted November 6, 2004 Simply put - "NICE" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 6, 2004 Report Share Posted November 6, 2004 Those steer head sound holes are too friggen cool. I'm getting into guitar building for the same reason as you, Drak. My ultimate goal is a Korina Gibson Moderne copy. I'm even thinking of learning to wind the pickups myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted November 6, 2004 Report Share Posted November 6, 2004 (edited) Whatever happened to the one picture per post, the rest are links rule? No, on a serious note... I like your avatar! HaHa, just kidding, those guitars are beautiful even the semi hollow that only shows the guts of! I feel like im turning into a "Draks tele" addict now, after i see one i need another and another and another. Edited November 6, 2004 by silvertonessuckbutigotone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Utterly speachless, as usual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 good stuff. When I was in upper michigan at a crafts fair I saw a bowl turner that was using silved to fill in the holes and any other gap. Kinda what you did with the epoxy. Very cool and unique wood, very nice to see untraditional tops. Class act in putting that all together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 Just added a few new pics. Buckeye Swirls, Blue Tip, and Ghost Rider have new pics. Blowtorch and Buckeye Blues, well, WOD -does- have to eat, hehehe. Personally, I thought they blew chunks, so the hand of fate has intervened in their behalf and severed their lifelines. I just glued up a brand new one tonight, another Spalt. Sweet. I did another steer head on it, like Ghost Rider. Blue Tip so far is my favorite so far. You just pick it up and everything feels just so frikkin' 'right', it's an intuitive thing. That guitar is going to be a sweetie amongst my horde of night-goblins. Buckeye Swirls is going to be a really nice, light, 'bouncy', 'jangly', typical Fender-sounding guitar. It's pretty lightweight and resonant. I'll be putting some 6-7K vintage style pkps in that one, I can tell already. Ghost Rider is going to be way-fat more Gibson-sounding, that thing is built like a brick sh*thouse. You pick it up and you want to hit someone or something with it. I have pics of all the rest, but they're not wetted or finished, so they just look like plain white wood until something goes on top, so I figured I'd not waste the bandwidth showing a bunch of pale whitish looking Teles, I'll wait until they look like something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 Drak, is the neck for the "Ghost-Rider" warped around the 12th fret, or is that the camera. Im looking at it like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 Camera angle. PS, on the pics with necks, those necks will be lowered and 'ever' so slightly angled. I don't use pickguards, and that's how I deal with the neck looking like it's sitting too high, I cut the pocket down below 5/8" and put a very very gentle angle on it, so little you'd barely notice it, and it makes the guitar appear 'normal' with no 'guard. But that step hasn't come into play yet for most of these, the neck was just stuck on there for the pics. Also, the neck in Buckeye Swirls IS really that yellow, I shot it that way on purpose for use with a blue guitar. Yellow necks look waaay nicer on a blue guitar than 'Amber' does. My opinion anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 Camera angle. PS, on the pics with necks, those necks will be lowered and 'ever' so slightly angled. I don't use pickguards, and that's how I deal with the neck looking like it's sitting too high, I cut the pocket down below 5/8" and put a very very gentle angle on it, so little you'd barely notice it, and it makes the guitar appear 'normal' with no 'guard. But that step hasn't come into play yet for most of these, the neck was just stuck on there for the pics. Also, the neck in Buckeye Swirls IS really that yellow, I shot it that way on purpose for use with a blue guitar. Yellow necks look waaay nicer on a blue guitar than 'Amber' does. My opinion anyway... Oh ok, i was gunna say "why the hell is Drak really using that warped neck?" Cool tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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