Mickguard Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 I don't get what the black fiber veneer is for? Just for the look? And did I read correctly....you're going to have a ...gasp....pickguard on this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 (edited) Didn't you see the pickguard on the last one? You probably didn't since it was lexan . I don't know if that counts. This one is getting a rosewood pickguard that will match the fretboard, headstock veneer, backstrapping, and heel cap. As for the fiber veneer, I added it only for its cosmetic quality, but I suppose it does add some stability to the neck in the sense that it seems more rigid than the limba. I couldn't find a dyed black veneer in the thickness I wanted and I saw this stuff at LMII, so I figured I'd give it a try. Oh, and thanks chris, but I'm sure once I put a coat of clear on this guitar and bask in the glory of originality, I'll find out it was done 30 years ago. peace, russ Edited January 9, 2006 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Try a few hundred...lot of floors in Italian palazzos use that technique...it's going to look cool on the guitar too... I thought you put the veneer on the body too? In between the sandwich...kind of cool idea... Nope, missed the guard on the last one...think I was too dazzled by all that gold... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 (edited) C'mon mick, you think I'm so naive as to not realize this design originated on a hardwood floor? It's a totally different ball game as soon as you slap it on a guitar body though. As for the veneer, that doesn't go between the maple and limba. It goes between two pieces of limba. I still haven't glued on the limba back. I have to cut the control cavity cover out of it first. It'll make a pretty cool accent line when I hit the back edges with a 3/4" roundover bit and shape the gut cut. peace, russ Edited January 9, 2006 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 C'mon mick, you think I'm so naive as to not realize this design originated on a hardwood floor? ← You? Naive? Hah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Small update: I've got the headstock almost entirely bound/purfed, the back is glued to the body blank and I built a neat little jig to help me cut shell purfling. This took about 15 minutes and two blades to cut. Tomorrow I should finish binding/purfling the whole neck, get the body profile cut out, and maybe even start carving the neck. peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 This is going to be one beautiful guitar (I'm not talking about the shape so much as the treatment)... are you going to be treating the interior circle of your 'tang' (that's what I'm calling your palazzo floor thingamajiggy)? I can see some kind of purfling/inlay to accentuate the pattern (also solve the problem of getting every single joint perfect). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 The point where all of the wedges join will fall underneath the bridge pickup. I was considering doing something fancy to compliment the pattern, but I'll probably go for the subtle look. The biggest gap I ended up with was about the width of a hair and should disappear when I dye the top black, but if it doesn't there's always the fancy route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 The biggest gap I ended up with was about the width of a hair and should disappear when I dye the top black There speaks an inexperienced dye-er! Any imperfections will be magnified by adding dye - don't ever count on any gap or imperfection being less noticeable after dying or finishing. If the gap is going to bother you as it is now, sort it. If it's a tiny, tiny detail which you only see because you look for it, leave it alone. I've lost count of the tiny things on my builds which I obsessed about, which *nobody else* has ever noticed, and which I still have to hunt for! Eitherway, don't expect the dye to improve things, because it won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 (edited) I actually did a test run on a gap on a wedge I couldn't use(accidentally thicknessed it too much) with the dye I'll be using and, for all intents and purposes, the gap was less visable after dying. Perhaps it was a fluke. One way or another, I've got better things to worry about at the moment. In your defense, setch, I am, infact, an incredibly inexperienced dyer. peace, russ Edited January 10, 2006 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Got the back of the body cut out, the electronics cavity routed, and the top glued on. I also purfled and bound the headstock, but I forgot to take any pictures of that. enjoy peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Baby got back (The chrome jack plate is just an illustration. I'll actually be using a black one) peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahilltrade Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 I can't wait to see this thing done! This is going to be one fantabulous guitar! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyd Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 what no pics of the top? your going for that dramatic pause arent you! i think itll look great, the input jack is really original, i also like the way the veneers came out, dont see many guitars using veneers plenty of basses but not guitars, wonder why that is............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Ha ha, I thought the input jack was original as well, but apparently it's not. So far I know David Myka and Jet guitars have used the concept already. I thought I was onto something new, in that respect, when I added that to my design. peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 (edited) I had really hoped to make a dent in this guitar today...so to speak, but, unfortunately, wakeboarding was a higher priority. I might be able to get the inlay cut, the neck inlayed, the fretboard radiused, and the purfling glued in before I pass out, but I make no promises. The worst part about it is that I have to go back to school in two days so I will only have access to a shop intermittently. So I guess this tank top is going to get stretched . peace, russ Edited January 14, 2006 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 Yet another process I don't care to repeat for a while: I inlaid a small flame cut from red abalone above the first fret. I'm really displeased with the look of it. It's not that I'm unhappy with the quality, but rather it just doesn't seem to fit the guitar. Sooo, I think I'll route that out and replace it with a sort of block inlay that's an adaptation of the "signature" I put on my metal sculptures. peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninoman123 Posted January 16, 2006 Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 Russ- This guitar is looking awesome! I love how almost everything on this project is out of the ordinary. The jack idea is really cool and your wood selection is awesome. I love the neck and I like how you arent going with the normal ebony/rosewood fingerboards. A++ Ive been following this thread for awhile because the tang top is such a cool concept. Cant wait to see the finished product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 (edited) Actually, the fretboard, headstock veneer, and headstock backstrapping are all rosewood. The thing is, it's a combination of sapwood and heartwood. Normally you only see the heartwood used. A note of caution to anyone who decides to use a sapwood/heartwood fretboard as I did. The sapwood sands about twice as quickly as the heartwood, so you have to apply quite a bit more pressure to the heartwood areas to get an even radius. Thanks for the compliments. This guitar should be pretty fun to play once it's finished. peace, russ Edited January 16, 2006 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Finally got a chance to come home and get some work done. Today I focused on the neck. You know, I could swear I had put an inlay(which I decided I hated) at the first fret. Wonder where it went. hmmmm: I also could swear that I bound the fretboard, but it appears the binding has disappeared and the fretboard almost looks inlaid into the neck. This image gives you an idea of what the flame figuring looks like. It'll stand out more once a finish is applied. Tomorrow the fret job gets finished, the top of the body gets carved, and perhaps even the headstock will get inlaid. Only time will tell. peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted January 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 (edited) Well, I got a bit sidetracked today and didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked. It will be a week or two before I get another chance to do any more work. Here's the new inlay I decided to use on the headstock as opposed to the signature I normally use. Mostly I just changed the design because I'm sick of spending a day cutting an elaborate signature out of MOP. Also, this is the "signature" I use on my metal sculptures, so I figured I'd intigrate it into my guitars as well. You may see a variation of this as block inlays on a guitar in the future. Anyhoo...I haven't sanded the shell flush yet, but you get the idea. Note how the inlay wraps around the truss rod adjustment hole. For some reason, I like inlays that wrap around that curve. I also roughed out the carve on the top and routed the neck angle into it as well. The black is just from me doing a test run with some analine dyes. peace, russ Edited January 29, 2006 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 Got to spend some spare time in the shop today. Here are the fruits of my labor so far: Got the control cavity cover bound and fitted. Leveled and dressed the frets...too shiny? Never.(note to self: clean off gunk on fretboard) Got the top bound. Let the carving comence! There's about $700 worth of hardware, electronics and what not heading my way. The end is in sight...barely in sight, but in sight none the less. peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted February 3, 2006 Report Share Posted February 3, 2006 (edited) There's about $700 worth of hardware, electronics and what not heading my way. $700 !?! Is it even possiable to spend $700 on hardware and electronics for one guitar? Edited February 3, 2006 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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