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Awilcox's Flying V Build


awilcox

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But, I didn't think properly dried wood would warp when it was cut?

Work with Cocobolo. This is the only wood I have had 6% moisture content quartersawn pieces cup, the wood is crazy to work with and very hard to get just right. So much that I can't afford to sell it, since about half the stock either cups or warps one direction after resawing. The flat stuff stays flat though.

Great build by the way, very clean work as always.

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I know someone else who could give a informative response on this, but I believe even perfectly dry wood(in luthery terms) can cup, twist, and warp. From what I've heard, been told, and seen wood can have pent up tension that once cut or shaped can be released thus causing the wood to move.

I will tell you that I had my neck blank flat as can be and decided to shape it before I did anything other than route the truss channel and install the CF rods, I shaped early because of the possibility of the wood moving. I waited a couple weeks after shaping and sure enough it moved and had to be flattened again. And this was a very dry acclimated 3 piece neck blank of quarter sawn rock maple and jatoba which are some tough woods, plus two CF rods. So, I think doing as you did and waiting after cutting, thicknessing, or shaping with any wood is helpful, some more than others though.

BTW Jon- I was told the exact same thing about cocobolo, crazy. I need to find out how kingwood compares in this sense as I want to use some possibly as laminates in my next neck, however, I may just use another type of rosewood, if I hear any negatives about kingwood. We'll see.

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I know someone else who could give a informative response on this, but I believe even perfectly dry wood(in luthery terms) can cup, twist, and warp. From what I've heard, been told, and seen wood can have pent up tension that once cut or shaped can be released thus causing the wood to move.

So true. This goes for all materials.

A solid piece of steel would move too if you mill off or cut a piece of it.

Materials have inner tensions that will get released towadrds the weakest point.

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Well, I learned a good lesson on this build - when bandsawing out the rough shape, always leave a little extra wood to straighten things out if the wood moves. I was lucky with my first three neck builds ( one was a maple/oak/maple laminate and the next two were one piece mahogany), they didn't move a bit when cutting. And figuring out how to set up jigs to use the router as a planer to make things flat and shave things down was also a great help.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I actually got the idea from the Les Paul Supreme - which has the flame maple front and back - but I went with quilt on the top to switch it up. But the back/flame almost looks better and suits the guitar better. My first idea was going to use flame on the front as well and make it a carve top, 3/4" in the middle carved down to 1/4" on the edge, just cause I never saw a carved top V out there - I would like to see somebody do that - but after just completeing two carve tops I wanted to do something flat.

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I like the cool figure 8 in the dead center of the headstock. This guitars name should be Eight, as in the Eighth Deadly Sin, because that guitar is so sick it should be a sin. Nice work! I've really liked all your builds, just great clean work that is near flawless everytime. Jason

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  • 1 month later...

I finished up the Flying V build on the weekend. I think that I am getting there with my skills. This one is a great player - it has one of those necks that feels just perfect (to my hands anyway). Sounds great too. I have had a few offers on this one but I don't think I can part with it.

100_1667.jpg

Body Shot

Headstock

Back

Back Body

Back Neck

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