MiKro Posted May 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2020 The 2021 Restart of this one. Ha I found the original CAD files. MK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2021 Okay, I have been shamed the past few months for letting this one linger for so long. I have officially started back on it again for the forth time. LOL It was sitting back in the corner of the shop patiently waiting on me and my stubborn ass to move forward with this one again. So I will do my best to not let my earlier issues with this one bother me anymore and get it done. I started sanding again and figured out what fret size I used. LOL!!! Need to sand more, make a cover, pickup rings, and install frets. mk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2021 So some of the things I don't like. First is the neck to body transition, It is too blunt. I am deciding how to tackle that one first? I may steam out the neck or do an inlay of some sort with the cnc to add more wood and redo the transition? Next I am not sold on the head stock shape anymore? May have to rethink that as well? Pickup rings are another problem area. I recessed them and now I am rethinking that idea. Any good suggestions are welcome. My first thought is to get some reference points so I can put it on my CNC and know exactly where I am again. So I will have to make some jigs for that. So using the 6 string through holes I can base everything from those points. This will give me an X and Y I can then use and apply to my original CAD drawings to check all cut areas that were done by CNC years ago. I also have a reference hole in the bridge pickup area for center line. Using these I can then triangulate the position. LOL I have other builds on the table as well but this one needs to get done. MK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 Personally I like the headstock shape. And I think the recessed pickup rings are an interesting idea. I get where you're coming from on the neck though. You maybe could re-profile by feathering the neck into the cutaways, but that could compromise the strength of the area. Adding material sounds like a great idea if you can pull it off. I have no idea how difficult that would be with a CNC, but it's well beyond my analog abilities! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 this is a lovely build... and I know your not asking for my o... but the neck transition is one of the things that really appeals to me. it looks like it is kept as think as possible as high up as possible. imo... it would use some scraping/sanding... but it's very close to something I'd be happy with. love this top. love the idea of recessed pickup rings. not overly crazy about the headstock shape... but again just looks like it could use some minor shaping. You are too much of a perfectionist!! in a good way tho. rawk on. looking fwd to seeing it alive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 6 hours ago, mattharris75 said: You maybe could re-profile by feathering the neck into the cutaways, but that could compromise the strength of the area. That's what I was thinking of as well, both the solution and potential strength issue. So I started thinking the @mistermikev way. I've always wondered why there's so much flat area in the heels of bolt-on necks even if the lip is rounded for easy access on the uppermost strings. On your build that issue is pretty much solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 So I have been sanding the rasp marks out of the neck transition and moving it back some more. A slow process. It is looking better and feeling better as well. A lot more to do here before I move on to other issues. mk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 7 hours ago, MiKro said: A slow process. It is looking better and feeling better as well. A lot more to do here Do your fingers go numb after some sanding? My experience is that after carefully sanding the neck it feels perfectly smooth but after a couple of days it's full of humps and lumps! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 Mike, I would transition the curve of the neck carve further up to where it joins the body, even feathering it into the back side of the cutaways. I personally like inset pickup rings because it allow me more flexibility with the body carve. As long as I don't get into the base of the inset, I can carve up into the pickup area and still have a flat level spot to mount the rings. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 41 minutes ago, ScottR said: Mike, I would transition the curve of the neck carve further up to where it joins the body, even feathering it into the back side of the cutaways. I personally like inset pickup rings because it allow me more flexibility with the body carve. As long as I don't get into the base of the inset, I can carve up into the pickup area and still have a flat level spot to mount the rings. SR Thanks Scott, looking at the neck join I don't have a lot of material so I can only go into it a small amount more. I am taking it slow as my design back then is far from what I do now. Having to look at my old work is rather spooky. LOL MK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 @ScottR So I took it back some more. I cannot go much farther as this is a fully chambered body with thin walls. I am afraid I will break through if I continue to bring back the hand cutouts any more. It weighs in at 4lbs 2 oz currently. That was me weighing it with me on the scales. I think it is less than that. Well I am taking a little more off. Damn I wish I could find my card scraper. So much easier to control on flame maple than a rasp. It is getting much better though, not blunt like it was. Much more pleasant of a feel. I knew I did not like the original shape I had at the transisition. LOL Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 30, 2021 Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 Yep, that's looking better. SR 1 hour ago, MiKro said: Much more pleasant of a feel. Your hands often know better than your eyes. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 13 minutes ago, ScottR said: Yep, that's looking better. SR Your hands often know better than your eyes. SR I agree, the way it was, it was more like a Strat Transistion ( bumpy step ). Now it has some flow not exactly what I would like but still 100% better than before. I took a little more off and it is better. Will revisit it in a day or so. I think I need to work on the pickup ring problem next. LOL mk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 I am thinking maybe to cut the horns back like my Cut Horn series style? Problem is I will have to cap the ends as the chamber goes into the area of the cuts. Then I would have to do a burst with solid color sides? Hmm, Have to think on that one. It is doable though. I need to look at it in 3dCAD first. Maybe narrow the lower bout some as well?I think I can remove about 0.25" in that area if I am careful. mk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 30, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2021 If I were to cut the horns I can just plug the ends. This should keep most of the wood as is. then since I plan on a cheruse black finish on the back do a slight black burst to the cap and then go from there? mk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 LOL! So you already have a guitar that's way better than most of those on the upper shelves and you're not happy to leave it that way... Makes me think that you must be an artist of sorts. That reminds me about Terry Pratchett whose books had to be ripped off his hands to be published - he always found something that required changing or at least adding something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gogzs Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 Uh uh, I really wanted to see this just being finished and playable, but I love the cut horn look, I say go for it. Nice job on the neck joint. Also, as for the recesses for the pickup rings, how feasible would it be to make em from ash and have them flush with the body? The build looks so nice and clean, I wouldn't want to disturb the front with pickup rings of any colour. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 9 hours ago, Bizman62 said: LOL! So you already have a guitar that's way better than most of those on the upper shelves and you're not happy to leave it that way... Makes me think that you must be an artist of sorts. That reminds me about Terry Pratchett whose books had to be ripped off his hands to be published - he always found something that required changing or at least adding something. No I am just picky as hell. I never finished this one for reasons that I was not happy with the way it was looking then. Now, I am rethinking the whole thing. LOL mk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 8 hours ago, Gogzs said: Uh uh, I really wanted to see this just being finished and playable, but I love the cut horn look, I say go for it. Nice job on the neck joint. Also, as for the recesses for the pickup rings, how feasible would it be to make em from ash and have them flush with the body? The build looks so nice and clean, I wouldn't want to disturb the front with pickup rings of any colour. My thought s back then were to make custom rings from black ebony. Still on the fence with this process. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gogzs Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 1 hour ago, MiKro said: No I am just picky as hell. I never finished this one for reasons that I was not happy with the way it was looking then. Now, I am rethinking the whole thing. LOL mk I'm actually glad this isn't sitting in my shed. One one hand I really love the cut horn drawing, on the other hand, the way it sits now, it's such an oddly beautiful instrument... hammer frets in, varnish it and enjoy. Looking forward to see whatever you'll do with this 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 1 minute ago, Gogzs said: I'm actually glad this isn't sitting in my shed. One one hand I really love the cut horn drawing, on the other hand, the way it sits now, it's such an oddly beautiful instrument... hammer frets in, varnish it and enjoy. Looking forward to see whatever you'll do with this @Gogzs,Funny you say that, as I too think it would be better looking as a cut horn. I have someone that wants it when done as it is, so I will just continue on with it and leave it alone. LOL Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 31, 2021 Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 I'm with that "someone", the top wood simply requires the horns. And since she was born a longhorn, cutting them now... Well, living in the Longhorn State you should know! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted March 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 2 hours ago, Bizman62 said: I'm with that "someone", the top wood simply requires the horns. And since she was born a longhorn, cutting them now... Well, living in the Longhorn State you should know! @Bizman62, Too funny my friend, thanks for the laugh. I get your point. I put a light very thinned coat of blonde shellac on to see where any problems may be as far as blotching, scratches and such. It sure changes the color of it. Not great pics but it let's me see my problem areas. Most will get sanded back and not show but I will need to be careful when I use a clear to not let it get into the grain and color it to dark. I will test some sealer on scrap first if that wont work then it will be a slow light spray and build up LOL mk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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