killemall8 Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 this is my latest. a kl explorer. i think its about time, see as i have built like 5 guitars with a kl headstock, without any of them being an explorer. so here it goes. specs: body: solid santos mahogany neck african mahogany/walnut/ african mahogany lam neck with figured maple headpiece 22 fret 25" bubinga fretboard jumbo frets( thanks zyonsdream!) i should have the neck built by tonight, maybe not the carve completley done, due to a broken random orbital sander. dang you craftsman. wood should be here next week. got a good deal. 5' by 9 1/2" wide by 2" thick, for 14 bucks. i love ebay. well, for the most part. my camera just died, so i will get pics up in a while of the bubinga fretboard, and the process of the neck. wooo! headstock pics http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb262/k...ie/DCAM0080.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xDrugFreeJonnyx Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Looks like the neck is going great. I'd love to see another custom explorer.. gonna be one of my firsts to build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 anyone else think this looks like bubinga? its not, but kind of looks like it. http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb262/k.../DCAM0077-1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 well, i knew things were going to well to be true. i just ruined all my progress. rounding the back of the neck, filed into the truss rod channel. dang. waited 2 weeks for the fretboard, ruin all in a few hours. i will try to see if i can get the fretboard off, and maybe salvage it. this sucks. again. dang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngaa Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 well, i knew things were going to well to be true. i just ruined all my progress. rounding the back of the neck, filed into the truss rod channel. dang. waited 2 weeks for the fretboard, ruin all in a few hours. i will try to see if i can get the fretboard off, and maybe salvage it. this sucks. again. dang. oh man, that sucks hope you can figure something out with the fretboard, though I've never seen a fretboard come off of a neck without bending a lot from the steam, unless you have a different way you do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 heres a few tips your gonna have to make a new neck..bummer to get the fretboard off use projects guitar removing a fretboard jazz, it worked perfectly fine even for removing a fretboard from a 30 year old classical acoustic but once you got that done this is how i shape my necks measure the thickness under the first fret and then under the say 12th, since your truss rod usually wont go much further but the thickness of the neck should be a taper from thinner at nut end to thicker, which can be achieved on a bandsaw. after that file the bottom corners, and the file the 2 corners that makes then the 4 corners that those 2 corners made and so on, you should start getting it pretty rounded when you get to the middle of your neck, then at that point its not a matter of getting thickness because thats already been determined by how you tapered your block on the saw. you really shouldnt file the thickness of your neck..thats trickey buisness as i guess you found out but you wont be doing that again!! OH btw. regarding the previous post, the fretboard i removed did not bend from the steam although i did put the iron ontop of the frets, i did drench the fretboard in hot steam for a good....30 mins? before jamming the razor in there and tapping it through the glue joint and worst comes to worst you lost 35 bucks getting a new fretboard..its all a learning process hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheIRS Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Probably NOT the best idea, but what if you clamped the neck down and just routed the wood away until its just fretboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 (edited) i already got it off. cut as much off as i could with bandsaw, and then did the rest with a thin knife. came off well, but is now a little warped. i guess i will now go with a all walnut neck, i dont have anything else. here it is. now i will have to glue it onto the new neck already tapered. i hate doing it like that, its a hassle. but o welll, my fault. Edited October 24, 2007 by killemall8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 poor headstock. gluing up another neck as we speak. already had a blank scarfed an ready to go, right now i am gluing the figured maple part on the top. tomarrow will glue the fretboard and do the neck carve. this walnut can look as black as wenge when stained even with clear. i think i will go with a satin finish on the whole guitar. the walnut almost has green highlights in it, as well as purple. so i want to show those off. what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 new neck http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb262/k...ie/DCAM0088.jpg will do the carve later today, and fret. hope all goes well. i love the way walnut cuts an carves. it leaves a very smooth appearence when rough cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 (edited) Ummm....I hope that's not an endgrain join....did you cut enough of the headstock off to scarf it? <MOD: DOUBLE POST - PLEASE DELETE! SORRY> Edited October 25, 2007 by Prostheta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Ummm....I hope that's not an endgrain join....did you cut enough of the headstock off to scarf it? It might also be too late to suggest that routing out the entire trussrod channel would have been an option if you cut an popped in a fillet :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Ummm....I hope that's not an endgrain join....did you cut enough of the headstock off to scarf it? It might also be too late to suggest that routing out the entire trussrod channel would have been an option if you cut an popped in a fillet :-\ where are you seeing end grain? no end grain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 sorry for so many posts so close together with pics. i just post as i build. neck mostly carved. yes it is flatsawn. it will be fine. i cant carve anymore until i get the body going and decide exaclty where i am going to have the neck join the body. probably the 17th or 18th fret. http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb262/k.../DCAM0091-1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 got the wood today, suprisingly fast. but i have no idea how the fed ex guy got it over the fence, i could barly cary it to the door. it 67lbs per board foot, and it is 7.92 board feet. that is one heavey board. it is only a 5 footer, but it is 9 1/2" wide. it is so heavy, i was thinking of doing a chambered body with a spalted maple top, but there is only 1 set that i have found that will be big enough for an explorer. what do you think? maple? no maple? i dont mind it being heavy, but if i sell it, that will be a down side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 decided to sand the wood a little bit. it was rough sawn on both sides, not planed at all. has saw marks on every part of it. here it is before rough sawn: and here it is belt sanded to 100 grit. http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb262/k.../DCAM0094-1.jpg i looks almost redish pink in real life. it is over 2 inches thick, so i will have to take it to school to plane it. this is no doubt the hardest wood i have ever dealed with. ridiculous. but o well, if i chamber it, it shoul go great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted October 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 can i ask why no one ever says anything on my builds? i never get any comments at all. is it really that bad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngaa Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 (edited) can i ask why no one ever says anything on my builds? i never get any comments at all. is it really that bad? Just like my thread man.. nobody comments on it or anything btw, I like that wood, what is it? oh nvm I read that it is mahogany Edited October 27, 2007 by ngaa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 boo hoo - no one comments on mine either If people are not responding it probably means what you do doesnt interest them - personally that doesnt bother me as i dont build guitars to impress people from a forum... i build them to impress people that might want to play them!! Just the way the forum works - just tell someone you are going to burn it and you will get loads of replies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngaa Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 yeah but I would like to get some feedback on how I'm doing since it's only my second one.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 I don't post unless I have something to say. You said it all. It's a chunk of wood right now :-D Ummm....nice wood.... Build, damn you!! Make more progress things happen!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 yeah but I would like to get some feedback on how I'm doing since it's only my second one.. yeah but nobodys paying us to feedback are they. It dont matter if its your 2nd or 122nd - people will only comment if there is actually something to comment on. Ask specific questions if you want answers!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 i suppose we should point out there is another way to get endless feedback of the forum kind (rather than endless musical feedback - see the ever growing sustainer thread for that) Do everything badly!!! As soon as you do something someone disagrees with they will point it out so you could see a lack of responses as a positive thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xDrugFreeJonnyx Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 I think the fretboard you have chosen is lookin pretty awesome man. Can't wait to see it attached to the body. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 Like Wez said, the lack of comments is an indicator than nobody thinks you're messing it up I rarely post anymore unless I see something which really makes me go 'oooh!' or I have an answer to a specific question. Doesn't mean I'm not enjoying the thread or that there's anything wrong with it. Killemall and Wez - I like your projects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.