muggatu Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 I thought it might be cool to show you guys what I've been working on. This is my first project and I'm still getting all of the parts ordered for it. Basicly I was messing around at school one day drawing guitars and such and the idea of actually making one really hit me. So after school got out I went out to my friends shop and started drawing out the design on some old pine and ended up making the complete guitar out of pine in a couple of days. Recently a friends father gave me a load of black walnut because he liked the idea so much, so here are some pics of what I have done so far/// I like the way it looks with maple so I'm going to do the neck and fretboard out of curly maple with a black walnut headstock laminate. ///// Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 Nice walnut! But two things look to be a concern. The upper horn looks like it will collide with the neck. But more worrisome is that punky "spalty"-looking area in the neck pocket, if that's what I think it is (soft) you'll have a seriously weak neck joint if it goes to any significant depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted September 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 Thanks man. The neck joint is actually a lot wider than it should be. I had to leave some room because it wasn't measured when i cut it. No worries about the "spalt" either because it's actually really hard, at least to cut through, and the body is two 1in. peices thick and that will be routed out into the bottom peice that is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyd Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 sweet body shape i really like the lower horn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 (edited) Why did you glue body blanks up like that??? Now there is big free-way center area with two smaller bikelane side areas.......It just doesn't look very balanced. Same goes for upper and lower horn. They don't seem to match. Flow and balance is very important in body shape.......here top and bottom area have a miss match in flow pattern. Flow from upper/lower horn to neck area is also not very attractive. When you did mock-up of guitar....didn't you notice the cramped upper horn access issues. The whole upper horn area looks very badly thought out. When going for new design it's normally best to test body shape with piece of MDF (or cheap Pine) to see if you're happy with flow/balance and access of body......reading you did exactly that......suprises me even more. Beauty of course is in eye of beholder.......but this is not my cup of tea. Sorry. And if you brake the one pic per post rule.....please make sure you post pics that are in focus. Not wanting to piss on your project....but also not wanting to sugar coat my critique. Edited September 29, 2005 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted September 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 Why did you glue body blanks up like that??? Now there is big free-way center area with two smaller bikelane side areas.......It just doesn't look very balanced. Same goes for upper and lower horn. They don't seem to match. Flow and balance is very important in body shape.......here top and bottom area have a miss match in flow pattern. Flow from upper/lower horn to neck area is also not very attractive. When you did mock-up of guitar....didn't you notice the cramped upper horn access issues. The whole upper horn area looks very badly thought out. When going for new design it's normally best to test body shape with piece of MDF (or cheap Pine) to see if you're happy with flow/balance and access of body......reading you did exactly that......suprises me even more. Beauty of course is in eye of beholder.......but this is not my cup of tea. Sorry. And if you brake the one pic per post rule.....please make sure you post pics that are in focus. Not wanting to piss on your project....but also not wanting to sugar coat my critique. ← The reason the body is glued like it is because of the amount of wood that I had in the first place man. It was given as a gift and I did what I could with it. The upper horn is fine for the way I play and really doesn't get in the way once it's shaped with the neck in place. As for the other questions you got it right when you said beauty is in the eye of the beholder so you can just live with that. Thanks for being honest by the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 30, 2005 Report Share Posted September 30, 2005 Good reply - it's your guitar and if you like it then so be it! I don't like it though - just not my cuppa tea - good work though fella. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren wilson Posted September 30, 2005 Report Share Posted September 30, 2005 That centre piece actually looks like a really sweet piece of crotch walnut. Is it the full thickness of the body, or is it just a top laminate? If it's full thickness, you could have re-sawed it into a bookmatched top. Regardless, it should look pretty nice when it's finished. I agree with some of the other comments about the flow and proportions of the design, and don't really have anything to add to that part of the discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted September 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2005 That centre piece actually looks like a really sweet piece of crotch walnut. Is it the full thickness of the body, or is it just a top laminate? If it's full thickness, you could have re-sawed it into a bookmatched top. Regardless, it should look pretty nice when it's finished. I agree with some of the other comments about the flow and proportions of the design, and don't really have anything to add to that part of the discussion. ← Thanks, thw wood is very nice and I wish the top was bookmatched but I just didn't have enough wood to do it that way and have an all wlanut body like I wanted. As for as the shape go's it's like I said before. I have had this cut out for almost a year now and I'm still very pleased with the way it looks and feels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryDolman Posted October 1, 2005 Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 First let me say, Good Job..... For a first build you did an excellent job, you worked with the materials you had. Second let me say, in regards to the other posts, you guys can be really tough sometimes, not everyone has access to limitless supplies of exotic woods, tools, etc this guy already stated he is in school and probably can't afford to buy exactly what he would like to. I too was given a small amount of Black Walnut and worked with what little I had been given. Building your own guitar is not a cheap project. Although the comments here are "Honest" sometimes honesty can be brutal. As for the design, the shape of the guitar is not something that I would personally buy or build myself, but if it suits the owner then kudo's to him. I have seen some really ugly guitars on here that I would not own or build, but I don't see the necessity to scream yuk!!! I would like to see some encouragement for the first timers, and maybe some deplomacy when giving comments. thats it I'm off my soapbox LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyd Posted October 1, 2005 Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 i think that its great that for your first build you are doing your own design, and it really shows talent, i like the shape, its a heck of a lot better than seeing a strat or a tele copy........which is what most guys here do.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted October 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 Thanks guys. It definitely was a task to get it how it is today. It has been about a year since I started the process and like Gary said, building an electric is pretty dang expensive. As for as the comments about the looks go all I can say is that I really don't mind if you guys don't like it because I didn't make it for anyone but myself in the first place, ya know? I know you don't have much to appreciate at this point but I'd like to say that there's alot more involved with making a guitar than just what it looks like, I mean come on, you guys can surely find somthing to appreciate about someones project other than the looks of the body. Anyways I Just got my last parts in so you guys might see the finnal product within the next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted October 1, 2005 Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 That's quite a deadline you've set. I'm assuming you bought a premade neck then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted October 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 Na, I'm making it, thats just how long it takes me, assuming I can use the shop every night. I usually spend about 3-5 hours a night when I really get into the flow of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted October 1, 2005 Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 That's some really nice walnut, especially for free. Surprisingly I like the design. I don't usually go for wild designs. The only thing I don't like has been mentioned before. The upper horn will get in your way of upper fret access big time. I think just cutting that really sharp point off next time (assuming you build another one) will help a lot with functionality and won't hurt the look. I personally think you should've gotten that middle piece of walnut bookmatched and used it as a top. Doesn't look quite right have the glue lines where they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted October 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2005 Yeah man, I've never been much for crazy designs either but this just really works for me. As for the neck pocket deal, I compared the room to what I have on my acustic and I have more room on the electric. It's really not that bad. Thanks for the info on reshaping it, originaly there wasn't a cutout so it looked similar to a Les Paul in that area. So I really never intended for it to be an available area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted October 2, 2005 Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 (edited) Wait, have you ever built a guitar before(EDIT: nevermind, just read your first post)? Until you've built a neck, you can't really guage how long it will take you(personally). And you realise that putting a finish on it can take weeks in and of itself, right. Even an oil finish *should* take more than a day to apply and cure. Don't rush this project; save yourself the hastle of going back and fixing things. Oh, and get used to spending more than 3 hours in your garage at a time. A lot of guys here get pretty deep into their builds, spending many hours on them. I've woken up at 7am, started working on a project, stopped only for meals, and worked into the next day. It's the price you pay. It's not really something to proud of I suppose. What takes dedication is knowing when to stop working because you're too tired and could potentially injure yourself or mess up your work. peace, russ PS One more thing, are you working off ofany form of plans at all? Have you determined whether or not you need a neck angle or anything of the sort to compensate for bridge height? I'm really not trying to bash you or rain on your parade. I just wanted you to be aware of these things and make sure you've thought everything out thoroughly. PPS I meant to mention that I like the upper horn and I don't think it should cause you any problems as long as it doesn't hit the neck. It may be a pain to finish the inside of it if you're planning a set neck though. Edited October 2, 2005 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted October 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 Wait, have you ever built a guitar before(EDIT: nevermind, just read your first post)? Until you've built a neck, you can't really guage how long it will take you(personally). And you realise that putting a finish on it can take weeks in and of itself, right. Even an oil finish *should* take more than a day to apply and cure. Don't rush this project; save yourself the hastle of going back and fixing things. Oh, and get used to spending more than 3 hours in your garage at a time. A lot of guys here get pretty deep into their builds, spending many hours on them. I've woken up at 7am, started working on a project, stopped only for meals, and worked into the next day. It's the price you pay. It's not really something to proud of I suppose. What takes dedication is knowing when to stop working because you're too tired and could potentially injure yourself or mess up your work. peace, russ PS One more thing, are you working off ofany form of plans at all? Have you determined whether or not you need a neck angle or anything of the sort to compensate for bridge height? I'm really not trying to bash you or rain on your parade. I just wanted you to be aware of these things and make sure you've thought everything out thoroughly. PPS I meant to mention that I like the upper horn and I don't think it should cause you any problems as long as it doesn't hit the neck. It may be a pain to finish the inside of it if you're planning a set neck though. ← Okay, sorry i really ment that I would have it playable by then. I plan to do a French polish for the body and I need some help with the neck finish, I'm not sure if it's wize to do it with the fp, any suggestions? It's going to be maple and it will have an angled head stock from either 10 to 13 degrees. The neck itself will have a slight angle from the body as well. I would definitely spend more time on it if I had the chance to. I really can only work on it for that much time because the shop i work in isn't mine and it is only available for that much time every night. Thanks man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted October 2, 2005 Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 (edited) I can't help you with the french polish. Although for some reason I think mattia might know a thing or two about that finish. I've heard they can be kind of tempermental when it comes to guitar necks. I mean to say a bit fragile. I can't say for sure. If you want to go the oil and wax route, be aware that your neck could potentially start looking a bit darker(since it's maple) from oils and dirt after you play it for a while. If it were me, I'd clear coat it and rub it down with steel wool(since you're going for a matte look, right? and obviously smoothness). I would also recomend rigging up a jig to get your neck pocket angled just right. David Myka of www.mykaguitars.com has an excellent jig for this. One could be made from plywood; I'm planning on building a lexan one before I start my next build. peace, russ Edited October 2, 2005 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 2, 2005 Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 I'm nowhere near an expert. I like shellac on my necks, but I'm not quite sure I can say they're properly french polished. I just kind of pad it on with a little bit of pressure. It works for me, but it's not the 'proper' way to do it, really. Also, French Polish is a technique, not a finish, although it's usually used to mean applying shellac by pad. Shellac is fragile, yes, but it feels lovely, you can touch it up easily, and can be fairly glossy. It's on par with oil in terms of feeling nice to the player's hands. Smooth, not sticky, and it looks nice. Classical guitars have been french polished all 'round for a very, very long time, and most of them are still fine. It's a finish that gets harder with age as well. Significantly so. Anyway, who needs me when you've got the Milburn folks to give you an extensive FP tutorial, right? http://www.milburnguitars.com/fpbannerframes.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted October 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2005 Awesome link man! Although I have to say that I had done some searching and already found that site recently, I guess searching really pays of eh? I did some more work today and made some progress on the neck which before today was just a peice of maple and a truss rod. Thanks for the info guys. I'm pretty sure I'll use shellac on the neck as well, the fretboard is a different story though, what would be durable enough for that, as it will be maple and will need a coating. I thought about the neck angle to, I can just make the angle on the neck right, just at the heal kinda like adding a wedge under it but actually cutting the angle in the heal? Here's a pick of the back of the body, the links are of the neck work I did. ///front of neck ///headstock soon to be covered with walnut ///view of the back of the neck with truss rod in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted October 3, 2005 Report Share Posted October 3, 2005 Hmmm, I haven't seen anyone build a neck with a skunk strip here on PG. What stopped you from sawing the fretboard off, installing the truss rod, and gluing the fretboard back on? Looks like there's some nice figuring on the middle board of that body. I think if you're going to shellac the body and neck, you may want to clear coat(most likely laquer) the fretboard. You can tape everything off and spray the fretboard, than feather the edges of the finish on the sides of the fretboard, than shellac everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted October 3, 2005 Report Share Posted October 3, 2005 I don't know about the maple you are using for a neck! Quilt is not as stable as flamed or birds eye. I would use some re enforcements in the form of grafite or carbon fiber strips. I have seen a few guitar with quilt before, especialy a aqua blue Moser custom, so I know it is doable, but I don't trust it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggatu Posted October 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2005 No wonder I coulden't find anything on how to do the truss rod. I guess I really thought it would be better to do it skunk stripe style rather than sawing off the fret board and reglueing it all. It was somewhat nervracking at points but it turned out great. So laquer is good for the fret board, I think I will do as you suggested on that one. The graphite bars sound good to, but can you install them from the back? I have a few peices of this maple and if this one doesn't turn out good I have another one lined up and ready to go. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted October 3, 2005 Report Share Posted October 3, 2005 Unless you figure out some really interesting way to fit them into the neck from the back, you'd need more skunk stripes to hide the graphite. One idea would be to use graphite as the skunk stripe, but graphite dust isn't too good for your lungs. peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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