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My First New Build... Javelin Prototype 1!


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i thought i saw a video of this guitar but i'm pretty sure it's not as nice as yours. i'd love to hear how it sounds and plays, here's the video i thought was you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On-wEH9lopU...ure=grec_browse <pretty solid guitar playing too

Nope, that's a totally different builder. Here's one of Misha Mansoor of Periphery trying out Darren's guitar though:

Edited by TemjinStrife
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  • 1 month later...

Yeah I'm with RestorationAD on the finish. Looks like you've built too much gloss up to still have open pores... I'd knock back the gloss with some 0000 steel wool for a nice clean sheen that actually works well with open pores. Gloss and open pores just looks like a poor finishing job...

Yeah, i learned to not trust the manufacturer's claims. :D

Everything i read said that after a few coats of the matte sealer/finish, the pores would be sufficiently filled. LIES! :D Next time i'm using a proper pore filler first.

I agree that matte generally looks better with oil finishes. However, with every coat i put on, the figure in the wood looked amazing when wet, and the matte finish diffuses enough light when dry that it just killed the 3D quality of the figure. So i impulsively decided to throw on a coat of gloss and got the pop i was looking for with the figure, but it did highlight the open pores.

Ah, well... that's why it's a prototype! Maybe in the summer i'll sand it back, fill it and re-finish it properly.

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Well, pots wiggle, with knobs on them or not split-shaft pots seem to be even worse. Personally, i hate split-shaft pots when i'm not using push-on knobs. I need to find a better parts supplier that has solid-shaft pots. When i'm using split-shaft pots with set-screw knobs, i always align the set screw with the split, so it won't be squeezing the pot closed when tightened.

With regard to the aluminum back plate, yes, it's rough, and it's temporary. (Doesn't anybody read the words between the pictures any more?)

Why a bolt-on neck? Why not? Check out <a href="http://decibelguitars.com/anatomy-of-a-neck-joint/" target="_blank">http://decibelguitars.com/anatomy-of-a-neck-joint/</a> for a full rationale behind why i chose to do a bolt-on neck vs. other neck styles.

As far as the finish goes, i'm not totally thrilled with it. I'm used to using pure tung oil, and this was my first try at using the polymerized stuff. This is my first build in a LONG time, and it's a prototype, so i'm trying different stuff with it. I may outsource my finishing to someone who's got the equipment and expertise to do a pro job of it. I intensely dislike painting, so i'd rather have someone else do it.

I've used a DuPont Polymerized Tung Oil for years and it is very finicky. I finished a very expensive custom made couch and chairs made of Birds-I with phenomenal results. The main trick is to brush on with a good brush and just before it sets you wipe it with a clean rag. It builds much faster than regular oil so you can get a high gloss very quickly but it still looks hand rubbed. I am a furniture maker and do all my own finishes but finishing is a profession in itself. The other way to go is to just use a Watco type oil and realize you will have to occasionally feed it and you won't get that high gloss. Just my 2 cents. Congratulations on a nice build. Completion counts! I should have mentioned that your final coat is not touched and so the last coat looks wet. Edited by jarvey
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Yeah I'm with RestorationAD on the finish. Looks like you've built too much gloss up to still have open pores... I'd knock back the gloss with some 0000 steel wool for a nice clean sheen that actually works well with open pores. Gloss and open pores just looks like a poor finishing job...

Yeah, i learned to not trust the manufacturer's claims. :D

Everything i read said that after a few coats of the matte sealer/finish, the pores would be sufficiently filled. LIES! :D Next time i'm using a proper pore filler first.

I agree that matte generally looks better with oil finishes. However, with every coat i put on, the figure in the wood looked amazing when wet, and the matte finish diffuses enough light when dry that it just killed the 3D quality of the figure. So i impulsively decided to throw on a coat of gloss and got the pop i was looking for with the figure, but it did highlight the open pores.

Ah, well... that's why it's a prototype! Maybe in the summer i'll sand it back, fill it and re-finish it properly.

I know you are serious about your guitars so I suggest you Read this. It will dispel most of the myth and voodoo around finishing.

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Thanks for the book suggestion! I'll check it out.

You are welcome... My favorite part are the myth debunks. He has little side boxes that explain common myths. Pretty cool. Flexner is considered an authority on finishing (even though I always take all that with a grain of salt).

I have been working out the finishing on my builds for 2 years now and I have to tell you it was harder than designing the guitars. Believe it or not I had it right in the 80s and have gone back to good old Nitro after testing water-based and a few 2parts. For my oil finishes I am still chasing the rabbit... but I think I have him cornered now.

Let us know how it works out.

Peace!

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