Vee Body Bevel

[vintage guitars]

What would be the easiest approach on technique and tools for beveling the edge of a Vee shaped guitar? RR type V.

[killemall8]

a rasp most likely. because RRs dont have even bevels( wide at the points, hardly here at the neck)

just make your line with your straitedge, mark your depth, have at it with the rasp. then use a long sanding block. or, if you want the bevels the same widht all the way around, then use a chamfer bit in your router.

[Dadovfor]

I recently used killemall's method on a V and it worked fine.

But I had to start the project again .. turns out the template I made was based on a RR type V, and not the Alexi V my son wants to emulate

So second time around I used a large chamfer bit just for the experience. I used double-sided tape to attach a straight edge / guide to the face of the guitar and ran the router along that. The guide was set so that it would be a deeper cut at the tips, and fading away to just a couple of milimetres at the neck.

Both methods worked fine ... but the chamfer bit provided a slightly cleaner, more professional line.

A word of warning though, if you're going to put a jack in the side of the guitar as opposed to the face you'll need to carefully map out whether you'll have enough space between the top and bottom chamfers ... if you do both faces as I did.

[vintage guitars]

I recently used killemall's method on a V and it worked fine.

But I had to start the project again .. turns out the template I made was based on a RR type V, and not the Alexi V my son wants to emulate

So second time around I used a large chamfer bit just for the experience. I used double-sided tape to attach a straight edge / guide to the face of the guitar and ran the router along that. The guide was set so that it would be a deeper cut at the tips, and fading away to just a couple of milimetres at the neck.

Both methods worked fine ... but the chamfer bit provided a slightly cleaner, more professional line.

A word of warning though, if you're going to put a jack in the side of the guitar as opposed to the face you'll need to carefully map out whether you'll have enough space between the top and bottom chamfers ... if you do both faces as I did.

Thanks guys for the replies. I am going to try to duplicate the KK Downing Hamer Mini V.

[Dadovfor]

I am going to try to duplicate the KK Downing Hamer Mini V.

That's got a deeeeeep bevel ... I doubt you'll get a router bit wide and shallow enough to do it. I'd suggest you start practising your rasp skills

[Xanthus]

Check out my photo album under the V build I did. I took enough pictures that you should get a sense of how I did mine.

And start beveling the back first Just in case.

[ihocky2]

I haven't done a V yet, but have been practicing the bevels on scrap for when I get around to one. I found using a rasp and then cleaning up with a hand plane works great.

[RestorationAD]

I use a bench plane for the sides and a ... gasp ( body grinder ) for the inside (back) of the V.