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Searls Guitars Build Thread


demonx

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Last fingerboard to see glue and clamps in this run - here is #5

All guitars in this run are now sold. I can focus on just building them now instead of trying to plug them. I'll still be keeping all the customers updated of course!

If you look close you'll see one of the new clamping cauls I made myself. Bit better view for me when I lay it out that the old necks I was using! Also cut these to various scale lengths so the holes Ive drilled for the pin/nail placement actually line up in convenient positions for a change.

555877_523137484434757_2064516143_n.jpg

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good news to hear they are all sold Allan- that is great.

hey- I was wondering- do you (or any others from down under)have any experience/thoughts/opinions on that Redgum as a tone wood? We see it every now and again here in the states- and I think it has come up once or twice on this forum- just wondering. I have only seen it used on a couple of guitars- didnt know if that was because its not very good as a tone wood, not available- thought you (or any others) might be able to shed some light

thanks

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I've worked with Redgum but never in a guitar . Its heavy. very heavy. Its hard. If you're a "tone wood " guy I'm guessing it'd be a very dull timber. Only a guess though.

Maybe I should make a Redgum body one day just to see what happens. I reckon I'd need physio on my back though if playing it long periods of time

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To describe the use of Redgum to someone not familiar to it, it's usually purposed as fence posts, heavy furniture like slab table tops etc., flooring, railway sleepers, garden borders, retaining walls

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Hey RAD - look familiar?

Laguna 14SUV Bandsaw. My new toy.

Arrived today. This pic taken after I pulled it out of the crate:

IMG_6496small_zps019ddccd.jpg

After Assembly:

IMG_6498small_zps6f54b323.jpg

Big pain in the butt is that this thing has finally come into the country, but the blades are on backorder! So I have this awesome bandsaw and no blade! What a tease!

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Didn't get much work done building guitars as I was bookmatching everything I could get my hands on! Loving this new bandsaw!

Great saw. Great blade. Very happy.

A few snaps from today:

Brazilian Walnut:
996627_528221790592993_1166331994_n.jpg

Spalted Sassafras:
1379261_528212497260589_1587474359_n.jpg

Zebrawood:
1381457_528204713928034_1876553115_n.jpg

Rimu:
1378505_528201330595039_1321885620_n.jpg

There was lots lots more, but you get the drift!

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That goal got changed last night when a different customer moved his pickup time forward substantially as he now wants the guitar to record rather than a Xmas pickup, so I have to get that assembled and setup, then fret as much of the others as I can.

No stress. These things happen. It's just a shuffle of priorities.

On a side note, I think guitar assembly and setup is one of my most hated jobs in the whole building process. I much prefer the woodwork side of things

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On a side note, I think guitar assembly and setup is one of my most hated jobs in the whole building process. I much prefer the woodwork side of things

Yes. I work like mad on my fretboards to make sure leveling the frets is easy. I try my best to get everything as perfect as I can before finishing so bridge setups are easier. Thankfully my guitars are simple, no pickguards, control plates, strange metal objects need to be attached. Still I hate final setups. They take longer than most people think they do because the guitar needs to sit at least a few days under string tension before you can do a decent final setup. On top of that shipping world wide means that you can't have the customer bring a guitar in for its 6 month tune up. That is when I really get things right. Instead I have to depend on the local luthier to do the work... luckily for me in Perth it is Perry. But the rest of the world is not so lucky.

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Didn't get much work done building guitars as I was bookmatching everything I could get my hands on! Loving this new bandsaw!

Great saw. Great blade. Very happy.

A few snaps from today:

Brazilian Walnut:

996627_528221790592993_1166331994_n.jpg

Spalted Sassafras:

1379261_528212497260589_1587474359_n.jpg

Zebrawood:

1381457_528204713928034_1876553115_n.jpg

Rimu:

1378505_528201330595039_1321885620_n.jpg

There was lots lots more, but you get the drift!

Those look nice. I didn't know Sasfrass got that big. Around these parts one with a 6" diameter trunk is big.

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'' Instead I have to depend on the local luthier to do the work... luckily for me in Perth it is Perry. But the rest of the world is not so lucky.''

Do you really think that there aren't people capable of doing a proper job of setting up and adjusting a guitar anywhere else in the world? Or am I missing something here...

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'' Instead I have to depend on the local luthier to do the work... luckily for me in Perth it is Perry. But the rest of the world is not so lucky.''

Do you really think that there aren't people capable of doing a proper job of setting up and adjusting a guitar anywhere else in the world? Or am I missing something here...

What Brett is referring to - he has sold a couple guitars to Perth (international for Brett who is USA based) and he knows he can trust Perry if he needs someone reliable in that side of Australia.

HOWEVER if he send one somewhere else, how does he know the guy isnt going to take it to a guitar butcher who destroy things. Just because someone is a guitar tech or repair person or whatever doesn't mean they do good work.

I'll give you an example - I sold a guitar to a guy, he told me his band has a tech that does all their repair work and setups. Cool, no problem. I get a phone call a week later saying that the "repair guy" has to do a refret. I asked a few questions thinking *** as I have a video of my playing this guitar the day before this guy picked it up, in the video I was playing an yngwie Malmsteen cover. Both clean and distorted footage. No fretting out, sweet, fast, low action, I was happy with it. So I asked why it needed a refret, the guy said he took it to his "tech" who for some reason cut off all the strings and decided to file all the frets without even playing the guitar. Then there wasnt enough fret left so it needed to be refretted. How is this my fault?

I think this is what Brett is referring to when he talks about being able to trust other luthiers around the world. It's not saying everyone is bad, it's suggesting he doesn't know every luthier in every corner of evewry butt**** town in the world.

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