demonx Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 I started this guitar 5 or 6 builds ago, it was one of those projects where everything goes wrong but you keep on going. Then I get a phone call from a guy who'd played one of my guitars and insists he wanted me to build one for him, so this "unfinished project" got shelved and has been collecting dust since. Now that I'm getting towards the end of the Black V I've been building, I've been racking my brain as to which of the million builds I want to do - then it hit me -FINISH THE ONE YOU ALREADY STARTED... Specs (revised build, not how it started with): Carved Superstrat body - 7 string. Victorian Blackwood Body wings Queensland Maple Center with Quilted maple cap Ebony stringers Tasmanian Blackwood 1 pce neck Figured Ebony board Headstock - most likely maple No inlay Ebony Binding on Fingerboard 25: scale So here it is to date: The slab of Victorian Blackwood (Damn heavy stuff): Test fit of the body pieces: Screw up #1 ... Router tearout. This was the first time I'd attempted to cut a body with a router. Ended in foul language. After another unsuccessful router incident - I no longer cut bodies with the router. I slept on it and decided this was too good of a body to be firewood. I seperated the tearout as much as I could, broke a few pieces off, filled it all with glue and put the pieces back as best I could: The repair was successful. I forgot that it was even damaged until I looked through some old pics to make this post! Pre drilling a few holes ready for the router: Test fitting the heel of the Tasmanian Blackwood neck: Screw up #2... I'd made a board from a real nice piece of Birdseye maple (cant see the grain in this pic) - when I went to dock the end, the saw blade ripped and smashed the crap out of the end frets. I managed to salvage this as I'd made it a 25 fretter, so I cut it back to a 24 fret neck. It was a personal build for me, so I wasn't too concerned. A bit pissed at the time, but I survived. I made a headstock from the best piece of Sassafras I had. Looks awesome in person. This pic shows the ebony binding being glued to the maple board, but you can see the Sassafras headstock: Screw up#3 THIS IS WHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG!!! I have since changed my neck carving method - but long story short, I carved through into the truss rod slot. Firewood. I tried to remove the fingerboard to re use, damaged it in the process. Firewood. Headstock is un-recoverable. Firewood. Truss rod salvaged. I used it in the Groges guitar build! So - Heres where it changes. I've dug through my board blanks, have a real nice piece of Ebony I've been saving. It's a mixture of light browns to dark browns and black streaks that swirl up the board. Pics to come as I restart progress on this build... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 I love the timbers you started with. Can't wait to see what you saved and what you replaced. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 I love the timbers you started with. Can't wait to see what you saved and what you replaced. SR I'm going to paint it all black...Joking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 Heres the board blank I plan to use for this rebirth: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Mahogany Headstock & Rosewood cap in clamps: I'm taking a risk on this one as I've used a cap I've had sitting there, but the grain is sideways. It'll either work and look greak, or just be wrong. I haven't decided yet but I'm taking the plunge! The new neck blank.I made this from the offcut from the old failed neck. There was just enough thickness to the millimeter so I had no room to screw it up. While I was doing the scarf joint I had to wonder if my straight edge was playing tricks on me! I had it on the wood on the linisher, it normally gets straight in a flash, but today it took effort after effort. I actually went and got a different straight edge just to double check! Got there in the end and now I'm waiting on the headstock lam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 Headstock cut and onto the scarf joint: First pic shows how I've glued and tacked it in place with the quik grips, then I let that sit and firm up for about the time it takes to walk over and get my other clamps ready, maybe 30 seconds. Then I clamp properly with the real clamps. The reason I do it this way, the scarf joint is a slippery little sucker sometimes, this is a no fuss quick way to get it to line up with my marker points first shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 I braved the hot workshop once more today to make the fingerboard. I had every intention of adding ebony binding to this board, but after I held up the ebony to the board I thought it was lost and overkill at the same time, so I linished the board to size for no binding. I even sat some paua dot inlays I have here onto the board and even that is ovrekill. Executive decision - NO binding, NO inlays! It's great to just build on the run and be able to decide things as I go rather than building to a concrete spec sheet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 I love the sideways grain on the HS cap. The real test will seeing it against the pronounced markings of the fretboard going ninety degrees against it....I think it will be great. I had a fretboard very similar to that one once. It was simply stunning when it was all polished up. Then I had to dye it black. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Headstock tang cut and hand planed, then I give it ONE pass over the jointer: Safety first, I put the first handle against the rear of the headstock so it has something to push against without slipping, the second one I put around 3/4 down the neck to try get as even pressure across the whole neck length as possible. For delicate work like this I also clamp the safety guard to the side so it doesn't interfere. Ok, ok, so I changed my mind again on the binding. Lock it in - ebony binding it is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 FFFAAAAAAARRRRRKKKKKKKKK.......... As you can see by the old iron on the fretboard trick - things aren't going to plan. To sum it up - I was being lazy, rushing the blank through the bandsaw getting it close to thickness to make carving it nice and fast - then for some reason I wondered off by about 5mm without even noticing (I really need sleep at the moment, shouldn't have even been near power tools!) and cut into the truss slot. It was a really great move Mav ... You got the number of that truck-driving school? Here it is - joining the wall of failure, the collection of screwed up guitars and instigator of swear words and fowl language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 It was a really great move Mav ... You got the number of that truck-driving school? Ha...I got the reference before I read the parenthesis...does that make me a nerd? Your dangerous ,Maverick!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 That's right.... Iceman, I am dangerous! Awesome movie. It's timeless! The movie is 26 years old and still "has it"... So many of the 80's movies just loose it with their 80's cheese, whereas Togun holds it together no matter what decade it is. I just editied my post to remove the explanation. If people don't get it they don't deserve too! hahahahah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 The original Nightmare on Elm Street totally holds up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Geez, I dont think I've seen that since the mid 90's. Time flyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Sometimes they are not meant to be finished. Fight till the end. This is why we burn our failures so they do not temp us. Man I do not know what to tell you other than if you ever get it done you will have to keep it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Messed up bodies often make great showy templates. Throw them through the nearest thicknesser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Sometimes they are not meant to be finished. Fight till the end. This is why we burn our failures so they do not temp us. Man I do not know what to tell you other than if you ever get it done you will have to keep it. BOLLIX TO THAT !! Its just the guitar tellin you it doesent like the neck or finish or customer or whatever. put it away for a bit then come back to it again. Iv had lots of little frankensteins turn out to be absolute gems. even if they take 2 years or more to get finished it always worth it (nothing to do with my pig headed refusal to let some piece of fookin timber get the better of me ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Sometimes they are not meant to be finished. Fight till the end. This is why we burn our failures so they do not temp us. Man I do not know what to tell you other than if you ever get it done you will have to keep it. BOLLIX TO THAT !! Its just the guitar tellin you it doesent like the neck or finish or customer or whatever. put it away for a bit then come back to it again. Iv had lots of little frankensteins turn out to be absolute gems. even if they take 2 years or more to get finished it always worth it (nothing to do with my pig headed refusal to let some piece of fookin timber get the better of me ) Not to mention, RAD, that your Hand Of Doom fought you every step of the way....at least the ziricote did, and what a masterpiece that turned out to be. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Sometimes they are not meant to be finished. Fight till the end. This is why we burn our failures so they do not temp us. Man I do not know what to tell you other than if you ever get it done you will have to keep it. BOLLIX TO THAT !! Its just the guitar tellin you it doesent like the neck or finish or customer or whatever. put it away for a bit then come back to it again. Iv had lots of little frankensteins turn out to be absolute gems. even if they take 2 years or more to get finished it always worth it (nothing to do with my pig headed refusal to let some piece of fookin timber get the better of me ) Not to mention, RAD, that your Hand Of Doom fought you every step of the way....at least the ziricote did, and what a masterpiece that turned out to be. SR Point taken. HOD was evil... threw itself off the bench it did. It was evil all around... only has 23 frets you know. Allen if you can find the right combination of neck and body finish it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Twice now the blackwood neck has been cursed... I must find the complete opposite of blackwood... Maybe huon? Not to mention the board I used on it. I bought two that were exact same and when I come to think about it the other one was cursed also! The combo of cursed neck and cursed board was too much for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Burn the old neck in front of the new neck blank to teach it manners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 That's a seriously good idea, quite possibly the smartest thing I've heard all day. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Back on the horse... I had a look through my wood stash and decided on the Huon. For anyone that doesn't know whay Huon is, its basically a rare thousand year rainforest old growth timber from Tasmania Australia and it is illegal to mill, unless it's dropped wood. I picked up a small inch board of it a few years ago and it's been sitting there until I felt "comfortable" enough to use it for something special. A small handfull of acoustic luthiers have had success with 1 piece necks made from Huon, so I figured I should be right to make a 3 piece. I also had a small bit of scrap left over that was just enough to make a headstock from. It has bits of bark etc embedded in the grain (the neck pieces were perfect) so I worked out a way I could use this for the headstock keeping the tang part stable grain for the scarf joint. In this pic you can see the detail in the Huon grain - It's the first time I've worked with this stuff and I cannot wait to get a clear onto it. Will look phenominal and this is only fresh off the file, I can't wait till it's sanded! DON'T SCREW IT UP - DON'T SCREW IT UP - DON'T SCREW IT UP - DON'T SCREW IT UP - DON'T SCREW IT UP - DON'T SCREW IT UP - DON'T SCREW IT UP - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 This could work. I usualy put a nice piece of timber into my necks on scrap builds, or screw up salvage builds. Its like it balances the mojo out. scrap body + swanky neck = balance restored in the cosmos, ying & yang, good & evil, Ford & Chevrolette all in perfect harmony. Man - What the hell am I smoking here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juntunen Guitars Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 I hate it when this stuff happens. I've had two guitars go terribly bad on me. The latest my first neck through. I had to cut the neck out of it twice and either glue in new wood or remove bad glue joints not to mention my router decided it was very hungry that day and ate a lot of wood for the control cavity, no more on that guitar. It now sits on my wood rack so every time I go to get wood it reminds me of things I shouldn't do when building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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