Build#2

[Charlie H 72]

So, I've been playing Lagarto (my last build) pretty much exclusively. I love it, but its time for another build. You guys will get this one from start to finish. Here's the story; at the end of last summer, I saw this Hacker-Craft boat tied up to a dock somewhere, and basically, I fell in love with it. Here's a little sample- http://www.showmanagement.com/media/originals/hacker26.jpg. I was in Maine over memorial day weekend, where I first saw this boat, trying to figure out what my next build would be. Then, I got a sudden inspiration to build a guitar inspired by these boats. The goal is for it to be fast and elegant, with classic, (but a little bit funky) styling. Also, it will have a few nice pieces of chrome hardware, kinda like the boat. No plastic allowed on this one. The tops of the boats are made from mahogany with holly strips, so that's what I'll do to this. I will use pau ferro instead of mahogany though, because I have a bunch sitting around from an old couch. Its a couch from when my dad lived in Brazil for a few years. I also have a chunk of basswood sitting around too, so that will be the back.

here's the body shape (some tweaking still, maybe):

Specs:

Neck

-Painted maple back

-Ebony fingerboard (stained totally black)

-25.5" scale

-12" radius

-3x3 headstock

-vintage style tuners

-medium/medium stewmac fretwire

-Inlays: Chrome grommets, with holly dowels or ebony dust & epoxy to fill in, or some kind of creative block style inlay, or just the grommets w/ nothing in the middle, or some cool dots from laminated pau/holly dowels (tell me which you guys think is the best)

-headplate to match the body

-hopefully 24 frets

-Chrome dot side markers.

-The neck will be built up like this: Maple back, 1/16" holly lam, 1/16" pau ferro lam, ebony fretboard

Body:

-Pau and holly lam top, 1/2"

-Basswood back

-Spar varnish finish on the top

-Holly binding

-Painted back and sides

-rear mounted controls

-Archtop-style trapeze tailpiece

-chrome barrel knobs

-TOM bridge

Electronics:

1vol 1tone, besides that i'm not sure. I really want to look into p-rails, but i also want a guitar with some nice warm, smooth paf-style pickups. Lagarto is really tonally versatile, but its far from warm, esp b/c of the all maple body. what do you guys think?

also, what color should the back, sides, and neck be painted? I was thinking, if I keep it like a boat waterline, navy blue, black, and a nice rich red would all work. Right now I'm leaning towards red or black, but if I choose black, it could look weird next to the fretboard.

[Charlie H 72]

So maybe i need some wood porn? here it is (even though i havent stripped the wood of its absolutely horrible old finish):

(not all those pieces are usable)

the basswood, which is 12" across.

here's the tailpiece i'm using: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Cast-Open-Harp-Tailpiece-Chrome-for-Full-Body-Jazz-Guitars_p_143.html#

and I havent gotten the holly yet, but i might just use maple

Edited June 7, 2011 by Charlie H 72

[Charlie H 72]

Okay, update, sort of. This project won't get started for awhile, because im headed off to vietnam for 5 weeks in the beginning of the summer (never been out of the country, except to canada, this will be crazy), but I've decided to make it an archtop, and make the f hole round, with a chrome ring around it, sort of like a porthole, but not too close to one. The pups will be p-90s (or should i get some p rails?)