dudeiferous Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Hi everyone, I heard about this forum through a few fine blokes down at forum.intermusic.com Im a total newcommer to guitar building, never even dabbled! I am at the moment working on an LP guitar...although I think my next one will be a flying V...Im guessing the body would be a lot easier to make! Anyway, heres my 'effort' so far...I'll post the links instead of the pictures because theres a few of them and we dont want the guys on dial up gettin upset http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rpinderblackbird/wood.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/dude...s/progress1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/dude...s/progress2.jpg http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rpinderblackbird/IM000006.JPG Right. I have a question...as this is my first attempt, should I risk doing a carved top? I have limited materials at the moment so I have thought about doing it like this... http://members.fortunecity.com/jtfish/lpc/shaping.htm Or is there a better way? Im assuming there is Guitar building is great isnt it! Sooo therapeutic...this is going to be addictive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Fruit Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Welcome. Cool that you could make it. Re. the carved top, if you think you can do it, then go for it. Afterall, it is your project! Enjoy your stay, im sure you will never leave! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 thats a nice hunk of wood, what is it? good progress so far, and if i were you i would leave it flat, because every LP is carved, and i think a flat one would be killer Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeiferous Posted May 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) thats a nice hunk of wood, what is it? good progress so far, and if i were you i would leave it flat, because every LP is carved, and i think a flat one would be killer Curtis The wood is Sapelle, which is apparently a species of Mahoghany. I have made one annoying blunder though- the edges are not 100% vertical around the guitar, they are a bit out at places....the shape of the horn is fatter on the top side than it is on the bottom, where it is almost down to a point!...I used a jigsaw to cut it and apparently this is quite a common blunder! I'll probably use a bandsaw next time, well maybe unless I do a Flying V Edited May 23, 2005 by dudeiferous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) Yes it does deffinitly help too use a bandsaw because the blade doesn't flex as bad. If you have too use a jigsaw It's best too cut it not so close too the line and than either rout or sand up too where it needs too be. Will you be making your own neck for this? If so what woods are you going too use? That sapelle looks prety dark, usually it's lighter in color. It looks real good. I think it will turn out great being that shade. Edited May 23, 2005 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeiferous Posted May 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Yes it does deffinitly help too use a bandsaw because the blade doesn't flex as bad. If you have too use a jigsaw It's best too cut it not so close too the line and than either rout or sand up too where it needs too be. Will you be making your own neck for this? If so what woods are you going too use? That sapelle looks prety dark, usually it's lighter in color. It looks real good. I think it will turn out great being that shade. ← Im not sure, it depends on what I can get hold of I suppose. For the neck Ive thought about getting more Sapelle? and the fingerboard Im not sure...I love the feel of ebony but its black colour is a bit boring I think, so I havent decided yet. Maybe something a bit unusual, like the Sappelle is.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 you could always go with striped ebony. I did and I think that it looks great! I think the black ebony looks cool with an awesome inlay but I like the stripped stuff for no inlay. It's not that expensive either. I paid about $5 for enough for 2 fingerboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammy Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Welcome to the forum dudeiferous. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Any type of carving you do will involve some variation of that method. Check the thread on the rosewood LP project, you can see how XLR8 did his carve.. He did step routes using a contour map then used spokeshaves and planes to flatten it out. Me, I generally route one step to give me the bottom part of the carve, then use a chisel to carve the top down to that point. Takes a little longer but i don't trust myself routing steps like that freehand. You need a good sharp chisel and practice on some stuff.. then you can use scrapers, spokeshaves, or just an orbital sander to knock off the marks and smooth it all down to a nice carved top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Welcome to the forum! Yes, it is addicitve The router-step method will definitely work, but I would not finish it off with a hand-held belt sander. I think that you will not be happy with the edge of the body, you'll find that you won't get a consistent "height" all the way around the edge. Mledbetter's idea is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 These guys are right. You can do the carved top if you have any tools capable of getting the job done. Trust yourself and just do it. My first guitar is underway and it's turning out better than I'd expected, so just dig in ad do it even if it's the "hard way". You'll learn from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moreau Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 i think carving the top is all a matter of picking a technique youre comfortable with. just keep in mind hand tools are easier to handle and mistakes are minimal when considering what a router can do with a lil slip of the wrist. i think the use of an angle grinder is also a good one. especially for getting a convave carve. but i have yet to carve a top. im still learning from all you guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeiferous Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 i think carving the top is all a matter of picking a technique youre comfortable with. just keep in mind hand tools are easier to handle and mistakes are minimal when considering what a router can do with a lil slip of the wrist. i think the use of an angle grinder is also a good one. especially for getting a convave carve. but i have yet to carve a top. im still learning from all you guys ← Im experimenting with my router now, but in preperation for the neck pocket and pickup holes. Seems theres a lot more skill to using it accurately than I first invisaged! Ofcourse Im trying it out on scraps of wood first.... It is something of a brutal machine to say the least....hmm Maybe I should expirement with a chisel for this...or is that simply barmy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted May 25, 2005 Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 You would be surprised how fast a chisel will rough in your carve. I have done 2 carves to date.. carves turned out great, but i haven't finished them yet so no one has seen the finished product but the carving part is done. I did one with a chisel and I did the other with an angle grinder with a flap disk on it.. 60 grit i think. You have to be very careful with the grinder as it will eat that wood to pieces but it can be very controlled if you have a steady hand and make even passes. The last one I did with a chisel was a limba body. I chiseled out the carve in less than 30 minutes. They were my friends chisels though that had been expertly honed by someone that actually knows how to do that.. They sliced through that wood like it was nothing. You can chisel then use an orbital sander to smooth it out.. or scrapers even, but i'm not adept enough with sharpening scrapers to use them totally. I'm learning still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeiferous Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 (edited) I think I am going to leave it flat. Im worried about getting the neck socket and pickup holes accurate.. gah. Using the router for this could prove hard... Theres obviuosly some technique Im missing out on Ah, just found out that the pocket should be a little narrower then the width of the fret board and neck. I suppose that is obvious Well that makes things a bit easier for a start... Edited May 25, 2005 by dudeiferous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted May 26, 2005 Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 Are you using templates for your router or are you trying to do these pockets freehand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeiferous Posted May 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 (edited) Are you using templates for your router or are you trying to do these pockets freehand? ← Well Ive drawn on the wood where I should cut if thats what you mean...or do you mean something that rests on the wood? Ive thought about that... Edited May 26, 2005 by dudeiferous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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