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The "tang Top"


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Great stuff...still would have liked to see a bit more of a "tang" :D but the black is starting to work for me, I think the clear will bring it out and does contrast nicely with the woods...

I'm really intrigued by the fretboard and binding...I noticed we haven't seen a full shot of the whole thing...guess I'll just have to hold on for that...but it is really very, very impressive...thanks for sharing...now get some sleep...pete!!!

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Russ, this is probably one of my favorite builds I've seen in the time that I've been at this forum. Simply terrific. Everytime I open this thread I'm blown away. This guitar is so different, yet so classy. If it weren't for the respect of other builders (especially those with so much more talent) I'd be trying to plan a knock off of it right now!

And when you finish this thing, we want gratuitous shots from every possible angle!

A couple of quick questions:

You mention using a sealer to protect the purfling (and I assume the natural wood at the edge too?) from the dye - what dye did you use, and what sealer? I've been experimenting with this and haven't had any luck - maybe I didn't use enough sealer, but my experiments didn't work out. (The dye still buggered the sealed wood) Also, why remove the sealer afterwards?

Also - the purfling on the fingerboard - do you simply further undercut the fret tang here before applying it? Or cut the purfling just shy of the slots and inlay many many small pieces? If it's the small pieces method, do you stop these pieces under the frets but shy of the slots, or remove the barbs from the tang in this section? I've always wanted to do this, it looks so classy, but I haven't really been able to find any info on how folks do this.

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Thanks guys. Your support is a seriously awesome motivator.

And when you finish this thing, we want gratuitous shots from every possible angle!

I promise you the most gratuitous guitar pron my digi cam is capable of capturing.

You mention using a sealer to protect the purfling (and I assume the natural wood at the edge too?) from the dye - what dye did you use, and what sealer? I've been experimenting with this and haven't had any luck - maybe I didn't use enough sealer, but my experiments didn't work out. (The dye still buggered the sealed wood) Also, why remove the sealer afterwards?

The dye I use is stewmac's colortone dye. I know I had said it wasn't working for me. I was originally getting purple from using black. I later realized that you just have to put down a shockingly large amount of the black dye to get it to actually look black. The sealer I'm using is also from stewmac. It's called behlen vinyl sealer. I like it because it's pretty thin, and it tacks up in about 15 minutes and is totally dry within an hour. Here's the method I use: first I cover all of the binding and surrounding area with white masking tape(I use it because it's semi transparent), then I use a razor to expose only the binding. I also leave the base of the neck exposed. I lightly brush on about four coats of the vinyl sealer. Coverage is critical here, so use as many coats as it takes to make you feel comfortable. Once it is tacked, I removed the tape. Once it is dry, I dye the top. The key to not ruining your sealing job is to not apply too much dye at once. Also, wipe towards the middle of the guitar so you're never catching the edge of the sealer. This method didn't even work 100% perfectly for me. What you do once your dye is dry, is go around the guitar with a rag dampened with paint thinner and gently wipe down your sealed binding. If any binding/purfling still has some dye on it, use a razor blade to carefully scrape that away. I then spray a few light coats of sealer over the whole body(called washcoats) to get consistent coverage in order to avoid any color blotches. After this, you would do your grainfilling etc.

Also - the purfling on the fingerboard - do you simply further undercut the fret tang here before applying it? Or cut the purfling just shy of the slots and inlay many many small pieces? If it's the small pieces method, do you stop these pieces under the frets but shy of the slots, or remove the barbs from the tang in this section? I've always wanted to do this, it looks so classy, but I haven't really been able to find any info on how folks do this

What I did for this was make sure that there was a joint in the MOP underneath every fret. There wasn't enough room for a fret tang, that's too dangerous imho, you run the risk of cutting too short and having the fret not cover it at all. The joint is simply there so that it won't crack when pressure is applied from fretting. So , I do nip the tang so that the top of the fret just lies on the purfling and binding. This is ok though, because when I'm fretting, I bend the edge of the nipped fret over the side of the fretboard and put a drop of super glue on each end. The super glue is really a good practice in any situation when you're nipping the tang.

peace,

russ

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My first burst. Fortunately, the only place I had a heavy hand was directly below where the pickguard will be...shew(that's what a sigh of relief sounds like). In a few minutes I remove the masking/pinstripe tape, then I spray a few more coats of clear, then I wait. Good times.

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peace,

russ

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Damn! That's lookin' REAL nice. You should really go into business making and selling glued up 12 top blanks! I'd buy one!

As for all you people saying "I woulda done this...", screw that! This thing looks great.

Chris

PS: I woulda used a form of hardtail! hahahahaha (ah the hypocrasy.....)

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two pack. This time i had to spray it in an open field in a makeshift booth as I've not yet gotten my spray booth together. I use a dual canistar mask with organic vapor cartridges and dust filters as well as a full body suit and goggles. It's not preferable. The stuff is pretty strong and i didn't catch a wiff of it, so i felt comfortable spraying it like that. I'll be really happyto get my spraybooth together in this house i'm moving into though(I'm putting in a fan from grainger in that'll fully evacuate a 8x8x8 room in about 5 seconds :D ). We don't need to make this into a "two pack and no spray booth?!" episode.

peace,

russ

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Well, godin, you might as well be invited to the 2pack spray party once i get my booth up and running. I know chris has the itch to come and try it. As for the meu, I'm thiking you should make one out of 2x4's. Since it's a whopping 14" wide, you would redefine the phrase "fatty, fatty 2 by 4." hehe

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