avengers63 Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 With the first PRS body winding down, I centered in on what the next body will be: an LP. I know... some of y'all gripe about all of the PRS, Tele, Strat, and LP copies out there. Deal with it. I have some white limba for the base. It's 1" thick and 8" wide, so a 2 piece base is in order. The top is what I'm calling 'double bookmatched' zebrawood. I had a 2" thick 18" long piece of zebrawood which I split down the middle, then split those as well. There was some drift with the bandsaw blade I USED to have on there so after planing them all down to a uniform size, it'll end up 5/8" thick. Sandwiched between then will be a layer of mahogany. This is for two reasons: 1) color variation. The limba & zebrano are pretty close in color, so a pinstripe will add some visual interest. 2) thickness padding. Without the extra, the piece would only be 1-5/8" thick. With this padding, it'll be pushed up to 1-13/16". That small ammount makes me a LOT more comfortable. Here goes nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 (edited) With the first PRS body winding down, I centered in on what the next body will be: an LP. I know... some of y'all gripe about all of the PRS, Tele, Strat, and LP copies out there. Deal with it. Who me gripe? Never... I would build a V copy out of it.... soon you will get enough guitars in your arsenal to get around to building the V. Then you will know the real power of not being able to sit while playing! I like the wood. Looks nice. Keep us posted. Edited July 14, 2008 by RestorationAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 I have no problems sitting and playing a V. It's all in how you hold it. The middle part of the V straddles my right leg. No issues. I love the zebra but then again, it's one of my favorite woods to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAK Guitars Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Thats some nice lookin lumber! I will be watching this one! What kind of finish are you planning? I'm assuming clear. I like the "double bookmatch". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted July 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Like the PRS I'm finishing up, this will go up for sale. However, were something unexpected happen and I keep it, I'd most likely finish it clear. Maybe I'd experiment with shellack. FWIW: I just won two things of interest on eBay. 1) a set of mini-humbuckers from a Gretch Pro Jet for $45 shipped. I have designs for them already, but I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag on that one just yet. 2) A piece of bubinga 37x6.25x2 for $22.50 shipped. It'll probably yield 6x1.75. With a center lam of maple/jatoba I have in the works, this should make nice body wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpcrash Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 can't wait to see it - also very curious how those Pro Jet buckers sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inisheer Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Cool, that's some funky looking wood. I'm still on the border with zebrawood for some reason...it looks cool and I badly want to use it, but I can't seem to figure out how to mix it into a design. Hopefully yours will be some good inspiration. Can't wait to see this come along, good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ae3 Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 I love zebrano, and lp's but Iv'e never seen them together, can't wait to see how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted July 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2008 Gluing up the pinstrpie. One half has already been done up, the other is in the clamps. I have to do it in 2 parts. The finished width will be 14"-15", and my planar is only 13" wide. After both sides come out of the clamps, I'll plane them down to the exact thickness. The next step is to true the edges of the zebrawood and pretty much repeat the process. Just for giggles: This will be the center lam for whatever I'll be making with the bubinga. It'll come in at 3" wide. Actually, it'll be either just over or just under by 1/8" - I don't remember which. It hasn't been glued up yet - a lot of my clamps are being used to secure the thin mahogany pinstripes. I'm still considering splitting the center piece of maple and adding a thin jatoba stringer. I'm afraid it'll be too much visually, so I'm just not sure yet. Then again, the bubinga isn't figured, so it won't be competing with anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted July 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2008 LAST NIGHT"S PROGRESS: The second half came out of the clamps. Both halved planed down to 1/4" thick. This will make a nice thickness for the pinstripe. A stuck the two zebrawood halfs together with some double-stick tape and trued up the sides as well as I was able on the table saw. I'm really looking forward to getting a jointer. I glued up a body blank from some cheap construction-grade pine. This will get planed down to about 1" and be made into a routing template. I have one now, but it's MDF and is only the outline. I want one a little more sturdy and that has the chanels for the innards as well. Also, doing this template will give me a practice run before doing the real thing. The bubinga came in. I cut it to length, trued the edges, and planed it down to 2". As I expected, there was no figuring in it, but that doesn't concern me in the least. The maple/jatoba core went into the clamps. I decided to go with the thicker strips of jatoba that were in the top of the picture. This widened the core to 3.75". Cheap putz that I am, the true purpose of this was to give me just a little bit more leftover bubinga that I can use on a box sometime in the future. I still have NO idea what I'll make from this. All I know for certain is that the blank will be 18" long, 15.5"-16" wide, and right at 2" thick. And it'll be pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted July 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 I'm really am blessed. My kids are with me this week, but every babysitter we had backed out on us. When I explained the situation to my bosses, that I was going to have to take a week without pay to stay home with them, they said I could work from home! Considering that my load at work isn't that great anyway, I'll be able to sneak into the basement for about 20-30 minutes a couple of times a day and get some REAL work done. I love my job. They're really great to work for. Even without these types of things, they let me take an hour or two when I need it for doctors appointments and whatnot WITHOUT taking personal time. Then this week happens. They're really great. LIMBA & ZEBRANO LP The second half of the zebrano comes out of the clamps today and the white limba goes in. No need to post any more boring pics of wood being clamped. The two halves of the double-bookmatched top will be planed even this afternoon. Tomorrow, I'll probably be able to rough cut the basic shape from the limba and glue down the mahogany pinstripe. I know this sounds a little out of order, but it really is necessary. I don't have a jointer yet, so the edges of my center joins aren't 100% square. They're off by about 1 degree. With anything of about an inch or more, it's enough to notice. So, after anything is joined, I have to run it through the planar to square out the top. So you're thinking "Why cut the basic shape before planing?" That's because my planar is 13.5" wide. It will barely accept a body width, not a full blank. My process is a little jimmied up, but it's working so far. So.... does anyone have a benchtop jointer they don't want? MYSTERY BUBINGA BODY The center lam camp out of the clamps and was planed level. It came out to be 3.75 wide. These two pics are of the center with both sides of the bubinga. Considering that only one side of one half of the bubinga has sapwood, I'll be trying to place it so that it will not be on the body. I only have three templates right now - LP, PRS, and firebird, and this thing will NOT fit a firebird. I'm thinking this should be a PRS because it's not a drop top. There's no way to do the traditional wiring channels for an LP w/o the drop top, and I'm just not experienced enough to rig it up. On a separate note, I have a question ablot the schematics & diagrams that are available for a donation. What format are they in? Can you print out auto-cad drawings from home in the right scale, or would I need to take them someplace? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 LIMBA & ZEBRANO LP Nothing unusual to report. The mahogany pinstripe is glued on, the body base cut out & routed to shape, and the control cavities & wiring channel have been routed. Today I'll be gluing on the zebrawood. I'll probably be able to finish the whole thing up tomorrow. If not, then by the end of the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 On the left is some longhi, on the right is bloodwood. Both are 1" thick. I believe this'll be another PRS, unless I can get ahold of another template in the next week or two. With a 1" thick bloodwood top, it'll be dang heavy. But, the yellow & red combo will look pretty nice. I'll most likely be carving the top. I'm seriously considering keeping this one. Also in the works: The zebrawood is all in the clamps. I'll be cutting the LP to final shape tomorrow. I don't know if I'll have time to do the pup routes or not. The bubinga gets glued to the maple/jatoba core tomorrow. A Tulip blank has been glued up. In the planning stages for a pair of mahogany LPs with burled redwood tops and cream binding. One would be for sale, one for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 The build's lookin' good. And to answer your question, yes, I have a benchtop jointer I would be willing to part with, unfortunately I'm in michigan and it's heavy enough it would probably be too much to ship. If you happen to be in east lansing with an extra long body blank sometime though, it's all yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 BUBINGA PRS I got the bodt cut out & routed to shape, the edges given a 1/2" radius, and the pup cavities routed. I'm not going to carve the top of this one. I'm seriously considering giving it a forearm contour and a belly cut. I know that's more Strat than PRS, but it just seems like the right thing to do. http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...a%201/bub04.jpg TULIP The second body was cut out, routed to shape, and the edges given a 1/2" radius. After (basically) naking two of these bodues, I can see the need for a little tweaking of the design. It needs to be a little longer and the neck pocket a little bigger. http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...edesign/202.jpg ZEBRAWOOD TOP LP Except for the pup cavity recess and input jack, this one is done. It turned out looking pretty nice. http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...3/LP1/wip07.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...3/LP1/wip08.jpg In other good news, I was talking with a dude I went to college with who now works at Guitat Center. He's interested in buying a PRS body from me. I'm taking the bubinga, zebrawood, and chechen bodies in for him to take a look at after work. We'll see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Zebrawood Top LP All done and reasy to go http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...P1/frontdry.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...LP1/backwet.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...LP1/backdry.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...63/LP1/side.jpg A special thanks go out to weaponepsilon for hooking me up with some LP back plates. Bubinga PRS Nothing to update. I've been working on a couple of boxes for the last two weeks, so there hasn't been much progress. This weekend, maybe tonight, I plan on giving it a forearm bevel and a belly cut. I'm also thinking about rounding the horns a bit. We'll see. After that, it's hog out a control cavity and she's done. Re-Paint The blue is all finished. I'm applying the poly now. I'm figuring 2-3 coats should do it. Tulip It's still being re-painted yellow. It's been either rainy or too dang hot to go out and spray very often, so it's been slow goings. Other Planning I got in some 8/4 Sapele, 8 1/2" wide. Still undetermined what shape. I was wanting to do a Firebird, but without a FB pickguard, I can't be sure of the pup switch placement or the wiring chanel, so I don't think I'll be going that route just yet. Maybe an LPjr or another PRS with a carved top.. The Longhi/Bloodwood will be getting done next week. I'll be going for an LPjr. I'm thinking about trying out some SG-type bevels on it. As discussed in a different thread, I'm carefully planning a pair of LP bodies with burled redwood tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Zebrawood Top LP Ebay is being uninformative jerks. They canceled the listing with >12 hours left claiming it was "significantly misrepresented". I'm guessing a Gibson rep decided they didn't like ME selling it. The 7 other folks who used "Gibson style" etc. in their listings were just fine. Yea... I'm a little hacked by this one. But there's not a thing I can do about it. So I'm going to finish it up and sell it locally. I'll start a new thread when I get the parts in. Bubinga PRS This one is finally all done. There's just a tough of detail sanding to do and this will be posted for sale, probably on Monday or Tuesday. http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...a%201/wip06.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...a%201/wip08.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...a%201/wip09.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...a%201/wip10.jpg Re-Paint & Tulip I've been really slow about finishing these up. They're all ready to get a finish, I've just been working on other things. Bloodwood LPjr WIP pics. The left half has been moistened with mineral spirits. http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...0LPjr/wip02.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...0LPjr/wip03.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...0LPjr/wip04.jpg The back needs to have a roundover put on and the neck pocket needs a little love. I'm extremely pleased with the rounding over carve I was able to get. It's very smooth. It fits the silky texture of the bloodwood perfectly. When I post this one for sale, I'm going to leave it without a control cavity. This will open it up for lefties to bid as well. I've had a couple of questions about "do you make left-handed bodies too", so I thought this would be an opportunity. I can rout the control cavity after the auction is over. I'll also make a neck HB rout available at the winner's request. Avenger I have another body style I'm working on. It's very similar to a Dean Cadillac, but with different angles. No pics to post just yet. I currently have the first body cut out and neck pocket/pup cavities routed, but no shaping done yet. I'll try and post some pics soon. The first one is sapele. On a pride/marketing note, Taylor makes a solid body from sapele. THe base model (only $1500) is ash, but the two models up the ranks are both chambered sapele, and priced at @ $2200 & $3000 or so each. Other planning I started sanding down the redwood burl this week. I ordered the Polycryl yesterday. When I get it sanded down to 150 or so, I'll apply the Polycryl and get that show on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) Re-Paint & Tulip I HAVE to get off my lazy butt and get the poly on these things this weekend. No more excuses. Avenger Prototype If I have time this weekend, I'll put a belly-cut on the back and do up the control cavity. Maybe, if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, I'll even start filling the grain. Probably not. Zebrawood Top LP Parts started coming in. Nothing exciting. It's all sanded down, so I'll try and start the grainfill this weekend. Redwood Burl It's all sanded down. I can start with the Polycryl this weekend. It would seem that I'm not really going to have a "cutting" weekend, huh. Can't have all that dust flying around if you're doing the poly and whatnot. Pity... that's the fun stuff. Edited August 22, 2008 by avengers63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherokee6 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Do you know where one can acquire PRS plans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2008 (edited) cherokee6: I bought a template on eBay. Re-Paint & Tulip I got the 2nd cost of poly on the re-paint and the 1st on the Tulip. Tonight, I hope to make it 3 & 2. When I get to 4, I'll let them sit & cure for a couple of weeks. Maybe the Tulip will be ready in time to lose next months GOTM. Zebrawood Top LP Grainfilled and sealed. I'll do a 2nd coat of sealer sometime this week. I'll be working on Limba back plates this week as well. Redwood Burl I started with the Polycryl Saturday. The directions said to flood the piece with a 15% dilution until it couldn't take any more, then put it in a plastic bag overnight. I do all 4 pieces and bag them, not opening it until Sunday afternoon. I take them out to find two things: 1) they're still a little moist, and 2) there are some black mold dots appearing. #1 I expected. Being in a bag allows very little air flow, and that was the purpose. You're re-wetting the wood, so you want it to dry as slowly as possible. #2 is the kicker. I let the pieces sit out overnight. I'll be trying to sand it out tonight. If it doesn't happen, I don't know what to do. The only possible explanation I could have for it is that all 4 pieces were in the same bag lying against each other. That may have been too little air flow and allowed the mold to grow. If I can sand it out, I'll try the next application in separate bags. If not, I'll have to risk open air drying. Edited August 25, 2008 by avengers63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 (edited) Tulip & Re-Paint The 4th cost of poly is almost done. It gets finished tonight. Then, it's just a matter of letting them sit for a couple of weeks to make sure they're cured. No pick - it's just applying the finish. Zebrawood-Top LP Everything is all filled & leveled. At this point, I'm waiting for parts. No pics - it's just filling & sealing. Redwood Burl The mold spots sanded out, only to reappear. Any suggestions that won't ruin the color? Two bathings of Polycryl are done with a third (and last) to come before the weekend is over. After that, they need to sit for a couple of weeks and completely dry. No pics - I'd rather wait until this step is finished. Other Planning I have the back of an LPjr cut from African Mahogany. Last night, I started glueing together the top: White Limba with some African Mahogany stringers. I needed the stringers to widen the pieces a bit. I started glueing up another blank as well - 3" wide pieces of Mahogany with a Maple/Mahogany/Maple core of about 2.5". I'm not sure yet if it'll be an Avenger to sell or abother PRS. If I get ahold of an appropriate wood for a top, I may try making a chambered body. There are probably a few weeks until I can get to the actual cutting, so we'll see what happens. No pics - it's just glueing up some blanks. Avenger Prototype I added a belly-cut and a kind-of forearm contour, the control cavity was hogged out but not routed, and the edges of the knob recesses were smoothed out a bit. I have my eye on an auction wil nearly all the hardware in one swoop, including some Washburn pups. We'll see what happens. No pics - I'm just lazy like that. Edited August 28, 2008 by avengers63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fridge Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 With the first PRS body winding down, I centered in on what the next body will be: an LP. I know... some of y'all gripe about all of the PRS, Tele, Strat, and LP copies out there. Deal with it. Who me gripe? Never... I would build a V copy out of it.... soon you will get enough guitars in your arsenal to get around to building the V. Then you will know the real power of not being able to sit while playing! I like the wood. Looks nice. Keep us posted. lol my first build is a jackson king v styled body. im actualy finding it fairly simple in terms of shaping the body/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 (edited) Just because I haven't posted any pics in a long time. Avenger Prototype http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...apele/a0105.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...apele/a0106.jpg Redwood Burl The last dose of Polycryl went on last night. Now, it sits for about a month. The redwood is really stunning. It will make some spectacular tops. http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...0burl/wip02.jpg http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...0burl/wip01.jpg African Mahogany & Limba LPjr I think the limba top will look really nice with the orange-ish african mahogany stringers. Other Planning http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff15/av...ymapleblank.jpg Nothing spectacular here. Just a mahogany blank with maple stringers. I have some woods coming in that should make an interesting body. On hand, I have a 1.25" thick piece of sapele, but it's only 10" wide. Coming in is a 4"x2" piece of yellowheart which will be the core and an accent laminate stripe. Tipping the wings will be purpleheart. Yellow & purple with a dark brown base shouldn't look too shabby. I just won a couple of neck auctions. One is a brand new Danelectro 19-fret '63 re-issue, the other is an 80's Westone with the tuners. Together, they were just over $80 shipped. Edited August 29, 2008 by avengers63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 man that is a lot of great looking wood. and you have so many projects goin on at once! you are catching up to me on number of projects! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted August 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 What's helping me on sheer volume is that I'm mostly just making bodies, not whole guitars. I only have three axes I'm working on that will be finished, and one of them is a really low on the priority list. I've completed & sold 3 bodies, have another 2 that are in striking distance, and 2 that are in long-term planning. Add to that probably a dozen templates of bodies, routing guides, and cavity plates. To top it off, there's the re-painting project that was ticking me off for quite a while. Then there's other woodworking projects in various state of (un)finish: 2 intarsia plaques, 4 boxes, 5 picture frames, 2 sets of coasters, 7 crosses, and some shelves for my kid's wall. Huh. Looking at it all, I guess I have been doing quite a bit. No wonder I need a vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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