bob123 Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) No one cares about initial cuts, so I waited till I had something to show! Basically I want a PGM style guitar, think 401 meets 301 meets 90th lol. As usual, Im totally down with criticism both good and bad, if you see something I need to do better, or have some advice for this build, let me know! Specs -> edit: forgot to mention, ALL the maple is from the same tree! Hopefully providing some kind of synergy for resonance and tone perhaps. I know its purely voodoo, but all the same, cool when I can do it. NECK -> Flame maple sides, jatoba stringer, flame maple fretboard, non adjustable stainless truss bar, medium jescar frets. Suprisingly the jatoba was NOT difficult at all to work with. BODY -> Flame maple.... lets call it "half" since its massive haha, tulipwood back HARDWARE -> black hardware, gotoh tuners, black locking nut, black hardtail bridge with chrome roller saddles FINISH -> going for a violin burst ala 401, but with natural binding on the edges this finish would be ideal Anyway, on to pictures: This is my volute idea, asymetrical, and comforms to my hand PERFECTLY, I dig it a LOT Same deal with the neck joint, Im going for a more beefy, asymetrical AANJ style, but with more mass (more tone/sustain hopefully?) I have an exact template made from the neck joint I made out of mdf, so it will match the body perfectly when I get to that point. Always had issues with shaping the headstock thickness, so I just did it the easy way this time! ran it through a bandsaw, and I was pretty blown away at how accurate it got from just the saw and about 30 seconds of sanding lol Reverse headstock of course... top with a smidge of oil on top to show some of the grain, I have a scrap peice ive been testing on, and its going to POP when its all done Chunky body together of course Edited November 12, 2012 by bob123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Projected color Actual is a smidge more red then the camera shows, but I may do more red in the mix next time. Bear in mind this will be sanded off anyway, just trying to figure out EXACTLY what I want to do for colors before I move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 That's a good color for your darker sandback layer. And then a redder lighter layer. If it gets too red, just sand it back a little and put another layer of your brown. Each successive coat of dye will make the deep areas even deeper. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 That's actually a great idea! I have some crimson red oil color I may try for color. I want a deep red, more brown almost. Debating how I want to do the f holes, black dye or a decal... thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 That's actually a great idea! I have some crimson red oil color I may try for color. I want a deep red, more brown almost. Debating how I want to do the f holes, black dye or a decal... thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 My thought is, if it is not a real hole don't do it. Fake holes look fake. If nothing else route them in to a quarter inch depth and paint or dye that black. ...you did ask.... SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Gotta agree with Scott. Fake F holes suck, its like a V8 badge on a prius. But - stain will not work neatly enough, so decal or pain is the only real way to go here. Unless you inlay a darker timber for them. Personaly i would do real F holes, or at least recess them 3mm into the body. Just opinion but as Scott said - you did ask. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Well keep in mind this is a tribute to the pgm, which has painted f holes Inlaying some walnut would be fabulous though, provide the "fake f hole" motiff while also being fancy... ill practice some f holes on some scrap, see what I can do perhaps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Being a tribute does not mean you have to stick to the spec of the production model too closely. Just stick to the original design concept - & then do what ever you feel like doing from there. I mean this is supposed to be a JS http://www.aeolianguitars.com/flamed-satch-lotus-asl10 But the production models are nothing along the construction involved here. I say do the inlay, Go nuts man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 We'll see on the inlay! Id LOVE to do that, Im just not positive of my inlay abilities yet I have some spare bits of super figured walnut that would just be killer though... anywho, working on shaping the body. I gotta build the jig for the fretting, so Im waiting on that to work more on the neck (not much left to do really). I can't believe how much of a pain the arse this was to do... Figured just sanding it down a little bit, good to go. NOPE, it was uneven and looked like crap, so I took a sanding block went to town. After about 45 minutes of that (hard maple ) I went at it with a scraper which got it looking real nice! BTW, I ALWAYS dye everything black so I now where Im working and I can see hard lines if I need them. To make the line solid and crisp (it is, the picture isnt very good), I took a block and clamped in the body at the right angle to get a solid line to run the scraper against. Worked real well! And with the back contour, I was pretty shocked when the figure jumped out at me lol With luck, the flame will go through the whole board That said, this side was exactly as I had expected it to be, nice and easy. Same deal, went at it with power sander, block sanded, then used the scraper to get it going right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 Not a "build" update, but I want to take the time to remind everyone... GET A DAMN RESPIRATOR!!! I forgot to wear mine today, and boy Im paying for it now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maull Posted November 15, 2012 Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 Ouch. Maple screws my lungs up pretty badly so I am hoping you are ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 Ouch. Maple screws my lungs up pretty badly so I am hoping you are ok. I'm allright now, but it felt like I had shards in my lungs earlier lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 (edited) I swear, something must have "clicked" in my head, this is going much faster and smoother then my previous attempts! My axis guitar is almost finished, I just gotta assemble it, but in the mean time... Got a seemingly large amount of work done today, but it didnt take me very long... LOTS of work shaping the body, hard maple is so ridiculously difficult to shape accurately , I keep getting "bumps" or whatever even though im block sanding! But its coming out well, and Im about done with shaping part. Got the neck pocket routed out, and about done shaping the heel, but I still have some work to do obviously. With neck attached: JUST KIDDING.... Im sure somehow steve vai started crying.... anyway, the black isnt a gap its black dye, I'll get some better pictures tomorrow. Heel is coming out exactly how I imagined it. AANJ + more mass + ergonomic = better? Still have some straightening out to do, but its coming along swimmingly. As a personal preference, every guitar I make and modify introduces the clooney scoop I dont know why its not standard on EVERY guitar, its not "uglier" and feels soooo much better then a squared up block of wood.... Is it trademarked or something? With neck attached, again, the black is dye, not gaps lol Edited November 16, 2012 by bob123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supplebanana Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 Get that shoelace tied before you trip! Other than that keep up the good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 comin along... got all the routing and shaping done today. Finished sanded to 320. Smooth enough for me... I must say, Im very proud of this one. Its coming along very nicely, Im thrilled I can make something like this happen out of bare wood. Its not perfect, but I love it. Note the router jump on the neck pocket. Any thoughts on that one? Im debating on cutting it off at the jump and rounding it over... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Well... this turned out quite a bit different then I was hoping. I made a miscalculation, but luckily I had enough room to turn this into a 7 string beast! color, style, everything changed tonight to accomodate the changes. It worked out stupid well, and despite the change, Im still thrilled with this. That said, I got a LOT of work done. I need to finish the back and sides, but everytrhing is routed, drilled, and sanded down. the color! I cant wait to get this thing playing! bridge is aligned/drilled, pup cavities are where I wanted them, color is fantastic (imo). I will spend more time straightening out the faux binding, and make sure the color stays constant. Barring that Im close to completion. Need to finish sand the back, stain, install the ferrules, and seal it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 If you are truly happy with that color, fine----but it looks to me like you are mixing your dye way too weak. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 (edited) Oh you mean comparison to the previous color. Yes yes, this is the color I wanted, I dilluted a dark red to give me purple, as my friend asked me to do a purple guitar Im not overly concerned, the whole project changed when I routed the neck pocket incorrectly. guess I should say what happened. In my haste, I measure from the center glue line. Well, stupid me didnt realize even think about the glue line being off center, so my cut wound up being based from a wrong position and it cut the neck join at an angle. Luckily, I had JUST enough room to widen it for a 7 string neck slot to get it straight and true to the body, not the glue line... more "live and learn". that said, Im not scared of the router any more, was pretty nice having templates this time. Edited November 28, 2012 by bob123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Head stock stained and faux binding roughed out. Im gonna wait for everything to "Soak in' for a couple days before I clean up the lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelvock Posted November 29, 2012 Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 I would be tempted to put on some more concentrated dark red, then do another sand back and reapply the purple. It does look a little washed out don't you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2012 (edited) I would be tempted to put on some more concentrated dark red, then do another sand back and reapply the purple. It does look a little washed out don't you think? From the photo alone, Id agree with you completely! I actually saw it and went "***?". I dont know if its the flash on the camera, the lighting, or what, but in person the finish is very even and the color is pretty much where I want it. These "light spots" disappear depending on the angle of the light, Im quite unsure how to make that not happen without doing a purple tinted clear coat. heres a comparison shot, taken of the exact same spot, just different angle. It shows up VERY dark one way, and VERY light the other. If theres a way to... kind a blend that in more, I dunno... Edited November 29, 2012 by bob123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 That's the nature of that kind of wood, some people call it chatoyance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 That effect is the whole reason for using figured maple. The purpose of dying multiple times in varying degrees of intensity and sanding back after the darkest layers is to intesify that effect. If you don't want that to happen used plain unfigured maple. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted November 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 I know I know. I used a black base coat, sanded back, used cherry red, sanded back, then used purple. I cant think of any further way to make the color "deeper", its where I want it in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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