SJE-Guitars Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Righty! As I have posted several times about the availabilty of lovely timbers around this part of the world I have decided to make something special and different (well for me anyway!). So far I've built purely solid body guitars i.e. on big hunk of would cut in half and jointed - mainly since the timber is available to such things over here. In my mind however I have hankered to make a topped body. So I decided now is the time! However with the kind of timber available at my disposal I couldn't just do something 'standard' - I mean why bookmatch - just get a single chunk'o'wood big enough to do top and for the back obviously a soild 1 piece chunk is required! So today I visited my every so friendly timber merchants and return with the following: 1 large square of 3.5 cm thick Afzelia Xylee - I love the all-round tone of this wood it really has a fantastic tone - the tap tone of it is great: Big chunk'o'wood You can just about make out where I marked out the shape of 2 bodies and a squiggly line which is my cut line so I can get two bodies whilst avoiding the cracks and big split So after a few cuts on the bandsaw and resorting to the jigsaw for the centre bit as the wood was to big for the bandsaw, then a numerous trips over the jointer and some sanding I end up with two chunks looking like this: So my first dilemma is which body to use . . . the first is my initial thought but I like both . . . what d'ya reckon? Ok well for the top I wanted something special, very special, something that really shows off the wood from Laos. In the timber merchants I looked at Pink & Black Ebony (yes there is such a thing!) , White & Black, Brown & Black (Macassar) nothing really grabbed me. Then hidden on a shelf I discover the following: Right then - I make no apologies for the next picture - extreme wood porn time! For the unaware this is the Rolls Royce of Burls - Amboyna - call so because Rolls Royce started out used it for the dashboards in their cars. It really is stunningly beautiful. Now as I am building my 8 string single cut my main thought is to make the 6 string version: The neck will be a matching Afzelia Xylocarpa with a Laos Rosewood fretboard - no pickup rings mount them direct into body and will have a tailpiece rather than ferrules - I think give it a more classic look more suited to the burl. What d'ya reckon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XBIGJIMX Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Incredible looking wood I am curious what a slab of perfect wood like thaats costs when you can get it locally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Incredible looking wood I am curious what a slab of perfect wood like thaats costs when you can get it locally ermm hmmm not as much as it does in the US . . that's about as much as I can divulge! I can do a good deal on several similar sized Amboyna tops . . . or even a chunk of asian padouk the size of my Afzelia chunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD83 Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 WOW! Just the kind of the effect I want this guitar to have - especially as all being well (if I can swing some booth space) it'll be on display at an exhibition here in a few weeks time! So what's the thoughts on which body blank? I think the first but maybe the grain is a bit busy when it's having such a busy top? Or am I thinking about it too much and should JFDI! The other thing is the grain on the neck is basically the same as the second one . .. . hmmmm decisions . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 No one got an opinion on which body blank? Here's another question for you all - do I keep the tail cut in piece or not - personally I like the tail cut piece but due to the top being used it seems a shame to cut it out! Without the tailcut it would look like: Just I want do a straight cut rather than following the curve around . . ignore the string ferules etc this is just my old body design I've modified for this purpose. The 8 string version of this body with the cut out in tail looks like this: Thoughts please - cut or not to cut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 Erm...sorry, I was inspired. I like the cut though. Keep it. If the burl is situated so that the right side of the picture is the tail of the guitar, it will blend really well. Either body blank is great. It just depends on how busy you want the back. I'm tempted to say the first because the burl is so insane and deserves it. And use a wraparound tailpiece so you can show off more of that burl. Gold, of course. Rosewood knobs, gold tuners, misc gold hardware. Good stuff, I like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 LOL Like the fish! Strangely my wife always describes that wood as looking like a fish! Anyway this morning I took the JFDI line and did this: I didn't do the bottom cut as a I wanted see how the body looked in the flesh before making the decision and I am of the opinion now that I will be make the cut! The top as I now had a template I placed on the burl to basically keep as many of the eyes as possible so this is the proposed cut: Hmmmmmmmmmm gold . . . hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm erm no! Sorry but I can't stand gold hardware - rosewood knobs matching the fret board are a certainty however! Chrome is the way forward here! I have considered the wrap around and I'll have a look at some as I was thinking T-o-M with tailpiece. Yes I know the pictures are crappy . . only had my phone at hand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted May 9, 2009 Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 Oh, that burl isn't as big as I thought. I was under the impression that the grain would go the other way. Looks like you managed to line it up well though. Hmm, I just think chrome will make it look kind of cheap. What about satin chrome? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2009 Well you know I've been thinking about the gold thing and I MIGHT just consider gold . . seeing as I intend also to put a burl laminate on the headstock the gold might just work! In the morning I intend to cut the top to shape and I'll place the chrome parts on it and see how it looks. I can't believe I am even considering gold parts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ae3 Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 I'm a big fan of gold hardware, welcome to the dark side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 Well got a fair bit done today - but not much picture worth other than this: The headstock now has it's burl cap, the neck is all shaped up and the fretboard just need it's finishing sanding and the slots re- cutting. AND I tried the chrome parts and shock horror . . . I think gold will look better (don't believe I actually think it really!)! Think I'll go for a lie down in a dark room! As you might gather from the scrawlings on the top I was also considering the carving to be done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 I gotta say I think you might want to refine the looks of that cutaway you do on the bottom of your bodies...it really messes with the overall look of the guitar...keeps reminding me of a fat lady with bad skin and dimples in her butt. Before you carve you may want to get out the sandpaper and make the outer body lines flow better...they are a bit lumpy. I have often considered amboyna or camphor burl as a top...but I am not so sure now seeing it cut into a guitar shape...I guess I will have to see how it grows on me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 I gotta say I think you might want to refine the looks of that cutaway you do on the bottom of your bodies...it really messes with the overall look of the guitar...keeps reminding me of a fat lady with bad skin and dimples in her butt. Before you carve you may want to get out the sandpaper and make the outer body lines flow better...they are a bit lumpy. I have often considered amboyna or camphor burl as a top...but I am not so sure now seeing it cut into a guitar shape...I guess I will have to see how it grows on me... All will be done - It just been trimmed to the template with the router - the edges haven't been touched with sandpaper yet. The scribbling were just that any carving is a while away as the top ain't even attached to the body yet! I think the cutaway is a personal taste thing . . some like, some not .. .. as with most things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guernica Posted May 10, 2009 Report Share Posted May 10, 2009 ..definitely preference. I like the rear cutaway, ..sort of like something that you might find on alembic basses (got this impression alot with the "2-cut away" guitar you posted). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted May 11, 2009 Report Share Posted May 11, 2009 I gotta agree with wes on the cutout there. I think that instead of a V sort of shape you should make more of an O. Maybe something more like this http://www.edroman.com/guitars/quicksilver...g_06006_950.jpg But not quite as deep, more of an oval I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 11, 2009 Report Share Posted May 11, 2009 Look at how BC Rich does the cutout on the Beast...or look at mine...there are just so many ways to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJE-Guitars Posted May 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2009 Boys, boys! I've already said it will be shaped more during carving and shaping time! What I meant by the you like it not comment is the cut out in general. If you look at my 2 cut shape you'll see the cut away on that is wider and rounder. The V shape was originally intended to mimic my pocket shape however it has now become more of a wide v . . . however I still make initial templates based on the original CAD mock up then modified or shape to the required look afterward . . . The 2 cut shape I redid the template due to the use of the centre 'laminates' so it ensured the cut was spread across all of the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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