Calum_Barrow Posted May 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 They probably don't to a lot of peoples', but that is what I decided on, mainly because the 12 string neck is modelled off of my 70s Hohner 12 string acoustic, and it wasn't all that easy to get one that matched the tele headstock. Also, I don't really like the Fender XII headstocks anymore (I sued to a bit, and did consider one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Keep up the great work, always looking forward to seeing progress on this build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinny Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Wow, I remember seeing the first posts with your drawings and now its ALIVE!!! Very, very cool ! -Vinny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted May 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Cheers Guys Updates: Drilled holes for the controls on the main control panel and on the upper bout of the chambered bit too. Also, you can just see the first of the two holes I cut in the side for the outputs to go through. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/195.jpg Pic showing the stage of shaping I am up to so far. Still very rough around the heel transition as you can see. It's actually still pretty rough around the headstock transistion, (and by that I mean I want to do more work on it) but it doesn't really look it. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/196.jpg Mockup of where I've got to. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/198.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/202.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Wicked stuff man! Looks great and super clean in every aspect. I loved the bookmatched pieces especially how it looks in between the two different bodies, nice touch. I can't wait to see this one all done, you can say that you finish your first and second guitar build, lol. Best of luck man and keep the pics coming. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrol Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Lovely work! Sympathise with you on GCSE's, I'm going through them too haha! All the best, great work Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Coming along very very nicely. Keep taking your time, it's showing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKO Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 beatiful work. that f hole is damn sexy. one thing, im not too kean on the arrangement of your switches and knobs. maybe if you put the pots on a curve from the bridge pickup something like a strat and moved the top line of switches down, it looks like those might get in the way of your hand. just an idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted August 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 I keep forgetting about this thread!! I ain't posted for like three months, but I'll update you on it all. Basically, since late May when I had all my exams I haven't done much at all. I was busy with exams, and then I was away a lot. I'm not going away for a while now, so I've got a few weeks to do some work on the guitar. Work really resumed today. Finished making the electronic cavity covers for the back, and started to fit the top too. Couple of pics of the binding channel on the back that I did a few weeks ago now. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/207.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/208.jpg Pic of the cavity covers http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/203.jpg And I glued on the first part of the top today too. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/210.jpg Once the top is on and I've done the top channel I will really feel like I'm getting somewhere. Tomorrow I am going to attach the 12 string neck properly, which means lots of measuring and looking along the neck to make sure its straight before I drill the neck affixing holes. I'll also do the inlays on the top, and maybe rout the binding channel on the fretboard too. That's it for now, but hopefully this project is finally back on track! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
low end fuzz Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 i really wish your back cover had the red (possibly padauk?) laminates in it to have more asthetics; but either way it looks phenominal, i like how your doing the channels with sperate tops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Progress at last! Looks good That binding channel looks immaculate... such a clean cut And good luck on thursday with your GCSE results! My brother's just done his too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 (edited) ^Cheers Ben! i really wish your back cover had the red (possibly padauk?) laminates in it to have more asthetics; but either way it looks phenominal, i like how your doing the channels with sperate tops! I'm still debating on whether to do that or not. I've got plenty of padauk and maple left so I may well do the trem cavity like that and then thickness plane it. Worth the effort? I think you just made me think so! Dunno if I should do it with the middle cover as well or not. Think I should? I did the inlays on the 12 string neck, so the fretboard now needs sanding down again to level it out and get rid of any glue. I also carried on on the cavity covers on the back, but I am going to redo two of them as said. I also drilled the holes for the 12 string neck screws, and test fitted it and am happy with the results at the moment. I also finally got around to making some wooden knobs that match the rest of the guitar! Here are the inlays done and awaiting the fretboard to be sanded down to make them smooth. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/212.jpg Bad and blurry pic showing the 12 string neck attachment (I know, not that great a pic or very interesting, but I'm keeping a good photographic document of the progess of this build, so I took it anyway) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/214.jpg And here are the knobs I made just drilled out with a holesaw. This explains the slight burning on the sides still and the general appearance. I am going to make them a little smaller in diameter as they are rather large, but the next holesaw down was too narrow, so it was better this way. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/216.jpg Calum Edited August 21, 2007 by Calum_Barrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismoore Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 (edited) And good luck on thursday with your GCSE results! I know what he means about the G.C.S.E's its hard to build stuff while you have all that work to do. I'm really glad mine are over now =D And getting the results soon Oh yea, Nice project Calum! Edited August 21, 2007 by travismoore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted August 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 First thing was to fill in the inlays on the 12 string neck with epoxy to make them a perfect fit (they were good anyway, but some had little gaps that I wasn't happy with). While that was drying, I went and glued on another part of the walnut top. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/218.jpg Then I put that to one side to leave it overnight. I then turned my attention to the neck and sanded back all the epoxy and inlays so they were all smooth. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/227.jpg Then I got my free bandsaw out and gave it a clean, adjusted the blade and whatnot, and then set about making a shim as the nut is not high enough to clear the fretboard. I am really happy with the bandsaw, and I am very grateful to the man I got it from. Works perfectly, and came with the instruction book and a good few spare blades too. It's not big, but it was FREEEE! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/224.jpg Here is what I was doing. This is a little ledge chiseled flat to accept the shim. The colour is because the headstock front has gotten dirty from lots of fretboard sanding. Needs lots of tidying up, but you get the idea http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/228.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/229.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/230.jpg I routed out another chamber as a last minute decision to try and reduce weight on the body, and I fitted the last part of the top (after fitting the first part of the wiring!!) As it stands at the moment (the middle top is just pushed into place for this pic) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/234.jpg Extra chamber to further reduce weight http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/238.jpg First bit of wiring going in http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/239.jpg Top clamped using my fabulous designed on the spot clamping method. I needed to get the middle bit clamped but don't have any clamps that will do the job. So I got an offcut of maple from one of the necks, and clamped it onto two bits of scrap in the middle to clamp it down. The maple only rests on these so that all pressure is on the middle, and the maple bends quite a lot from this. The maple was put diagonally across the top so that I could still fit a clamp at either end of the top too. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/242.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/243.jpg That's it for now! Tomorrow I shall take off the clamps, trim the top back with the router, plane the top all to the same height, and probably rout the binding channel for the top too, then think of a way to do the bit of channel the router bit wouldn't get into (I think I have a bit that will do the job though - I'll explain more tomorrow). I might do some other things too, depends on how much time I have and whether I can be bothered (If I can't, I shall make myself be bothered!) Calum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 Excellent work, I'm looking forward to seeing the top planed down even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted August 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Ain't updated this. This is the progress of the last few days (bar today as I was out). Started by taking the clamps off the top. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/245.jpg Then started planing the top flat. It's getting there.... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/251.jpg Pretty much done! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/254.jpg As it stands after the top has been flattened. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/258.jpg Top binding channel routed http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/261.jpg Top binding in place and drying http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/265.jpg Top binding dry and trimmed and scraped etc. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/271.jpg Bottom binding drying http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/272.jpg All binding done! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/275.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/276.jpg Top of guitar scraped over with epoxy to fill the grain on top. Of course, the epoxy really brought out the colour and grain, and I love it!! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/Calum/277.jpg More updates as I do more!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 I've never been a big fan of double necks in general, but this really is turning out to be a super cool and unique build. Good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I have been waiting a long time to see this finished!!!! its looking excellent - but also heavy and unpractical as only a double neck can. I didnt imagine it with binding but it looks good. personally i would think about remaking one of the necks at some point to get a bit more of a coherant look to the guitar and lets add a picture rther than a link for all those people that dont click links and maybe even a clicky thumbnail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 (edited) Cheers guys. Wez, it's not actually that heavy, thanks to all the chambers and cavities in the guitar. I hope I can get it to be under the 10lb mark, but I doubt that is going to happen once all the hardware is on (might be alright before the hardware though). I know the necks are very different, but that is what I wanted. I pretty much wanted it to be two guitars put together. The 12 string should give a more acousic sound, but the bottom a nice Strat sound. I wanted the warmer sound of the rosewood board on the 12, and the acoustic style headstock too, as I don't like the flat Strat style headstocks on a 12 really. The pickups are very different on each, but that is the style I wanted again. I didn't want to have to make the two the same just because I was making a double neck. EDIT: On UG I just put all the photos up, which is much better IMO, but we're not allowed on here are we? Edited August 27, 2007 by Calum_Barrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bygde Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Uhm...yes, the epoxy brought out the grain and colour! Lost my breath when I saw that pic! Awesome build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 well thats fair enough - its just the one thing that strikes me as odd about the instrument, but that aint a bad thing if its what you want. The good thing is that its a bolt-on neck so if you ever do change your mind it aint an issue to attach a new neck - loads of options!!!! it sounds like it should be quite light - - for a double neck you can have one photo and as many clicky thumnails as you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I, too, am not usually a double-neck fan (don't like 12-strings in general, come to think of it) but this thing is... well, it's just awesome. So many nice and elegant touches. This is the first time I've checked into this thread, so forgive me for some of this being far too late; however, here are the only small criticisms I could think of: - the electronics seem mad. Too mad for my tastes. But since you get to decide your own level of madness, I find myself wishing the switches were at least in a different arrangement - Since the guitar is already electronics mad, I would have been tempted to put a piezo-loaded bridge into the 12-string part. Or is that already the plan? I didn't see an access routs for that. Other than that.... wowee! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum_Barrow Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Thanks guys. Aye a bolt on neck does mean they can be easily replaced, but then again they have to be made exactly to fit the scale etc. Further down the line I may well change one or maybe both - who knows! I think at the moment the body is under 7lbs, but I can't remember really. I'll weigh it again tomorrow since I made another chamber but also added the top since last time I weighed it. I'll do it with the necks on too to get a good idea. Yes, the wiring is a bit mad on this thing, but that is what I like. There are hundreds of switch combos, but then again I wanted it to be versatile, and to get loads of tones out of it. Anyone who tries to pick it up and play might find themselves a bit lost with the controls!! The 12 string bridge will have a piezo yes, and there is a hole drilled for the pickup wire to exit through in the top of the maple, and this goes into the hollow bit to the left, where it will be wired up to the toggle on the top horn. Should be easy enough to put a new one in or whatever since the hollow bit is well, hollow and it can get accessed through the hole at the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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