bluesy Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I have started a new build, my second. I had my practice build, now I want to get serious I want an ES-335 shape with a bolt on neck. I have made the templates and even scarfed and cut the headstock (see picture). The only thing I haven't decided is whether to make it a solid, or semi-solid (chambered) body. A solid body is easier, and I don't have a nice piece of wood to use for a top anyway. The body will be New Guinea Rosewood which I expect would look nice as a one piece solid body, maybe carved slightly on the top, with white/cream binding on front and back edges. If I chamber it, maybe a contrasting colour wood on top would look good. I could use ply for the top to avoid the extra expense and difficulty of getting some top wood from a luthier's supplier. Some ply has very nice figured grain if you choose a nice piece from the stack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Really nice work on the headstock and the templates. What about hollowing it out from the back. Rather than adding a top, you could add a back to the guitar. Then you could use whatever sort of wood you want. Just a thought. -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Really nice work on the headstock and the templates. What about hollowing it out from the back. Rather than adding a top, you could add a back to the guitar. Then you could use whatever sort of wood you want. Just a thought. -Dave I had thought of that too. Do you think it would look OK - having the back a different wood? I thought it might look a little upside down - most people being used to seeing the back and sides the same, with a different top. But as I type this I just thought, why not make the sides and back, very dark stained, or even black? Might even be time I tried to do a sunburst on the front. Still, I haven't actually got the N.G. Rosewood yet - and if it's only plain looking, I might do a solid colour all over - then it won't matter if I chamber it from the back and use something cheap - like the ply, as a back plate. Thanks for helping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heggis Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 Really nice work on the headstock and the templates. What about hollowing it out from the back. Rather than adding a top, you could add a back to the guitar. Then you could use whatever sort of wood you want. Just a thought. -Dave I had thought of that too. Do you think it would look OK - having the back a different wood? I thought it might look a little upside down - most people being used to seeing the back and sides the same, with a different top. But as I type this I just thought, why not make the sides and back, very dark stained, or even black? Might even be time I tried to do a sunburst on the front. Still, I haven't actually got the N.G. Rosewood yet - and if it's only plain looking, I might do a solid colour all over - then it won't matter if I chamber it from the back and use something cheap - like the ply, as a back plate. Thanks for helping! You could put binding on the front and the back, that would hide the side of the wood on the back and make it look more uniform (provided you don't make the back wood thicker than the height of the binding) Or you could use the same kind of wood on the back... Heggis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I am putting binding on both front and back edges, so even if I use ply, it won't be easy to tell, because, yes, as you say, the binding will hide it's edges. As for using the same wood, I can't get a thin piece of the same wood, and I'm not able to (nor would I want to) reduce a thick piece down. I have been thinking about this more, and I think that I will chamber it from the back, and use something cheap like ply for a rear plate. Then, I might use a solid colour for the back, that matches the darkest parts of the grain of the front and sides. With the white/cream binding to separate it, I think it'll look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteBuchan Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I suspect you'll find the guitar will be incredibly heavy unless you get some decent sized chambers in there, assuming your template is the same size as a gibson 335. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 I suspect you'll find the guitar will be incredibly heavy unless you get some decent sized chambers in there, assuming your template is the same size as a gibson 335. Pete Yes it is the same size. Weight and sound are the two reasons I started to consider chambering. I feel happier now that I have pretty much decided to chamber from the back. I think I'll make it a large U shaped chamber, just leaving the neck through to the bridge solid. I am currently deciding how much I will shape the top, or will I leave it flat. I might have to practice a bit on some scrap to see how easy it will be to put a fake arch in it. I don't want much, just a few millimetres or so. Maybe I can just sand the shape in with some coarse grit? I wanted to leave the edges flat(tish) to make it easier to route for the binding. Thinking as I type again, I can probably route first instead, to the 6mm for the binding plus whatever depth I want to carve the edge down. Then I stop carving when I have only the 6mm left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 (edited) I had thought of that too. Do you think it would look OK - having the back a different wood? I thought it might look a little upside down - most people being used to seeing the back and sides the same, with a different top. In answer to this question, I think it might be weird if you tried to put a flame maple back on it with a sunburst pattern, but otherwise no - especially with binding. Carving the top will emphasize the front/back thing even more. I'll be anxious to see pictures as the build progresses. Maybe this one will take more than a weekend to finish. EDIT: Something else you might try is using a thin rosewood veneer over the back, if you want it to look uniform. Edited August 11, 2008 by dpm99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAK Guitars Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 From the google search I just did, New Guinea Rosewood looks pretty nice. I think it would look good in a trans or natural finish. It might be a shame to cover it up in an opaque finish. Just my opinion though. Good Job so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 From the google search I just did, New Guinea Rosewood looks pretty nice. I think it would look good in a trans or natural finish. It might be a shame to cover it up in an opaque finish. Just my opinion though. Good Job so far! Thanks. Yes NGR can be very pretty. I am thinking of a natural finish for the top and sides, now the issue of back routing and a back plate is pretty much sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 I think I found my back plate, a piece of Lauan ply. I really like the look of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Nice. Looks perfect to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Nice. Looks perfect to me. Hey, not bad for $4.50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 My New Guinea Rosewood has arrived !!! ...and it's beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 So c'mon! Build it already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 So c'mon! Build it already! Naw, takin' my time and enjoying it. Actually I've been setting up a router table... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Progress this weekend already. I have chambered the body from the back, and also routed for the top binding strip. The reason for this last bit is that I want to do all the top routing, while it's still flat, before I start carving it. I routed deep enough for the binding+carve depth - and the plan is to now carve down until there's only 6mm of the route depth left for the binding - in fact, I may put the binding on first, so I can easily see my target depth at the edge. I need to route the pickup and neck pockets and cut the f-holes also, before I start carving. I am still nervous about the f-holes. I think I'll do them slowly "by-hand" using dremel and files. Here's a picture from the back showing the chambering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 One little idea that can help when freehanding using the dremil or hand tool, is to draw your outline, then try to put some tape around the outline, sometimes it can help prevent you from going outside the lines as well as protect the top if your hand slips. Not much protection, but it can help some. I've done it a couple times just for extra protection. Looking good so far, keep the pictures coming. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 One little idea that can help when freehanding using the dremil or hand tool, is to draw your outline, then try to put some tape around the outline, sometimes it can help prevent you from going outside the lines as well as protect the top if your hand slips. Not much protection, but it can help some. I've done it a couple times just for extra protection. Looking good so far, keep the pictures coming. J Thanks, and yes, good tip about "masking" off the top around the f-hole shape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Funny how the things you worry about, turn out to easy than you imagine sometimes. Making the f-holes wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. I bought a good quality clean-cut jigsaw blade and it allowed me to use a electric jigsaw to cut all the lines on the sides of the f-holes with ease. The top round hole of the 'f' was easy using a 10mm brad point drill, and next time I'll get a bigger one for the bottom round hole, but I enlarged them by hand for this one. I am quite happy with the look of this guitar so far - and even the sound, as I discovered that holding it up and tapping it produces a nice acoustic note, even now, with no back plate on yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Nice work, and that wood is looking really good. Did you carve the top? I can't tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 Nice work, and that wood is looking really good. Did you carve the top? I can't tell. Thanks, and no, I haven't carved it yet. I want to make the neck pocket and pickup cavities first while the surface is still all flat. You can see the 1.5mm ledge on the side from the route for the bindings on the top edge, and how it's way more than the 6mm binding width from the top. I am going to carve the top down and just leave the required 6mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherokee6 Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 ES-335's use a high quality, no-void laminate. You can get the same quality by purchasing aircraft ply. You can go to Aircraft Spruce, Wag-Aero or other aircraft supply outfit that caters to kit planes and aircraft rebuilding. You may be disappointed with the use of the luan which may actually deaden some of the tone. Rockler also has the ply. Keep us posted on your progress! You've got beautiful wood and nice work going there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boundsteelblues Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Great job! I am really impressed and inspired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesy Posted August 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 ES-335's use a high quality, no-void laminate. You can get the same quality by purchasing aircraft ply. You can go to Aircraft Spruce, Wag-Aero or other aircraft supply outfit that caters to kit planes and aircraft rebuilding. You may be disappointed with the use of the luan which may actually deaden some of the tone. Rockler also has the ply. Keep us posted on your progress! You've got beautiful wood and nice work going there. I was hoping that, since it's only the back of the guitar that will have the ply on it, that it won't effect the sound much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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