Drak Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 I've been working on this thing for about 3 months now I guess, finally got it to the finishing stage today, here it is with about 3 coats of clear on it, which I did today. 2-piece Alder body, there is also booked spalt on the back too. Probably the most difficult guitar I've built yet, the spalt is 100% rot, it's so rotten it compresses like a sponge when you squeeze it, it was a true biyatch to get glued down, let me tell you. Then I had to soak it, front and back, with CA glue, there's at least $20.00 worth of glue in this thing, probably more. But I love it, I think it came out great for the trouble it has caused me hahaha! Really looking forward to finishing this one and strappin' her on! Let me know what you think. I have enough boards to do another one, I would love to add an inlay into the next one, I think the color of this wood would look great with some of the inlay I got last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Here's one more from a slightly different angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 (edited) DAMN! That spalt is amazing. It looks really great and I can't wait to see this one finished(don't WOD it. Jinx! ) BTW, how are you hanging that body? Edited September 12, 2005 by AlGeeEater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 jeez that looks like mine... pic not the greatest... and I tru-oiled mine which again not the greatest to do on a spalt... http://www.bigdguitars.com/sun1/g2.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 By the time they get to this stage, there is no chance of a WOD hit, it's as good as done now...I decided to never show pics of guitars in progress again, you guys get all weirded out about it if something happens, so I'm just posting ones I know are out of the WOD range, and I will continue to personally enjoy the WOD carnage as I always have, but not show them anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 BTW, how are you hanging that body? Ummm isint it obvious? It's a clamp thats holding onto it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 BTW, how are you hanging that body? Ummm isint it obvious? It's a clamp thats holding onto it... ← No kidding, but a clamp on lacquer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchen door Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 BTW, how are you hanging that body? Ummm isint it obvious? It's a clamp thats holding onto it... ← No kidding, but a clamp on lacquer? ← yeah but any mark left will be coverd by the neck plate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simo Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 That's freakin' beautiful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 jeez that looks like mine... pic not the greatest... and I tru-oiled mine which again not the greatest to do on a spalt... http://www.bigdguitars.com/sun1/g2.jpg ← it does? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 At some point, I spray the neck pocket, let it dry, then I just spray over the clamp when I'm spraying from then on, always done it that way. I have the sweetest lacquered clamps you ever did see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 wow, thats alot of rotten wood nice work,as always, but, its a tele (just kidding!) Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Seriously Drak, I'm never gonna be satisfied with any guitar I build because of all the AWESOME guitars I've seen that you made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Hey someone should sell phenolic impregnated spalt. That would be a real time saver, to soak it and press it so you ended up with a solid, workable plank. Nice work Drak, will you burst it? I think a real thin burst right around the edges would look nice on that, because the spalt is going all over the place, and I think it needs something to reinforce the outline of the guitar. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Nice work Drak, will you burst it? I think a real thin burst right around the edges would look nice on that, because the spalt is going all over the place, and I think it needs something to reinforce the outline of the guitar. Just my 2 cents. Thank you. I had sort of considered a burst, and I sort of agree with you, except for the 'theme' of my guitars lately has been one of a 'natural' look, at least the Tele's, Tele's being associated with country music and all like that kinda thang, y'all knows what I means, so I have been trying to keep them as natural and 'organic' as possible, and Alder actually has a really nice look to it left natural, so probably it'll be left as-is. Of course with me, anything is possible, and nothing is out of the question until it's buff-out time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Nice looking spalt! I being looking at the ones Durawood have, but I'm not to fancy about it, I guess on teles and strats they will look too country for a guitar that Iwill own, but I will like to work on one just to get the experience! Got pics of the back? did you did the cover the same fashion that you normaly do? (with the scroll saw?) and if you did, do you have to use another piece of wood to give the spalt rigidity? Theres a lot of stuff I want to do, but got no tools or desire (maybe time) but I'm soaking info like a junkie, as soon as I get back to Texas I will be getting realy busy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Got pics of the back? did you did the cover the same fashion that you normaly do? (with the scroll saw?) and if you did, do you have to use another piece of wood to give the spalt rigidity? Not yet, but I will a little later on. No, I could not cut out the rear like I usually do, the spalt is completely unstable and would have ripped to pieces and self-destructed if I tried that. I AM contemplating taking another piece from the same wood and sanding it down very thin, to veneer thickness, and gluing it to a standard plastic rear plate to get more or less the same effect...still thinnin' that one over. Not all spalt is this rotten, this is as rotten as you can get, but I have a few others that are spalted, but are very solid and hard, and others that are primarily hard with a spalted section in them...each piece is different like that... Here is an example of another spalted body. The center is hard as any Maple you ever saw, the outer sections still pretty firm, but the upper corners were falling apart. I actually tried to save the pieces for those sections, but they were toast. I didn't have some cool grand plan to fill those areas in with blue epoxy, it was just more like 'I gotta do something to save this, I'm not throwing this thing away', so I just came up with the dyed epoxy thing, it was the 'accident of nature/necessity is the mother of invention' kinda thing here... Gorecki, you reading this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 I AM contemplating taking another piece from the same wood and sanding it down very thin, to veneer thickness, and gluing it to a standard plastic rear plate to get more or less the same effect...still thinnin' that one over. glue it to the plastic before thinning...that way it won't tear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 I like spalt. For some reason this stuff looks kinda like oriented strand board to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 (edited) That blue epoxy would be great with some turquoise inlays like on the last guitar thorn threw on here, or binding. I know that might take it away from a traditional tele look but I think it would match well and look pretty cool. Also thats a very cool spalt, and after seeing that guitar I realized how well birdseye would go with spalt! Very cool man. Later. Jason Edited September 12, 2005 by jmrentis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Here's what you do. (maybe it's been suggested/done before) Take some rotten spalt like you have there, and go ahead and remove some of the soft spots at random. Then inlay them (like your blue epoxy areas for example) so it looks like molten pearl is blistering through like lava rock. If you did it right, it would look as if the pearl was left behind like scar tissue as the wood's wounds opened up. I know that's gross sounding, but its the only way I can describe it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 If you did it right, it would look as if the pearl was left behind like scar tissue as the wood's wounds opened up. I know that's gross sounding, but its the only way I can describe it. sounds cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Care to explain the Cianocrilate treatement? just to squeeze crazy glue on top on the wood so it absorbs it? I plan to use spalted maple at some point, and i was hoping it'd be just like you just described it is:) Looks gorgeus! xcongrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Drak, I find all of your truly inspirational. There are a few members here that really make me strive to push what I think I am capable of and you are one of them. As always this project is breath taking. Please continue to create and inspire. On another note, (and I know this is probably a stupid question but) what does "WOD" stand for and is there any reason that all of your projects are Tele's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Spalt-tastic! My girlfriend was in the room when I was looking at the pic on the first page, and she said, "Oh, I LIKE that!" and she's not usually enthused about geetars. Guess I'll have to splat it up some day. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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