Stavromulabeta Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Thanks Scott! Haha! Yes, blisters were certainly involved.. Saying that, stupidity would probably be more apt than fortitude as it turned out that there was a guy down the road who would have lent me use of a bandsaw.. oh well. That's encouraging to hear! Well, it's getting there now. I decided to do a couple of uploads, so there's actually more to report, as i went back to get some pics. i've pretty much finished all the wood working now (just in time to head back to Spain!). I used the template and a router with a bearing to quickly thrash out the shape without further blistering! I also drilled through my control holes from the template and then worked from the back with some flat drill bits and a router. Pick-up cavities routed out and bridge pegs drilled for. i did a quick string-up and every has come out really nicely aligned. As expected, with the pegs recessed a mm I got a decent range of adjustment for bridge height. Game on for a low-profile bridge! With everything still square, I put in the channel for the binding. I then put in some radiusing on the back edges and set about some contours. I'd always felt that the original explorer was a bit too slab-like to be really comfortable. I put in a contour on the top edge and one around the neck-joint which really helped to make it feel more friendly, especially sat down. Another way to reduce the overall weight and slab-ness, I went for a 40mm thick core over the normal 45mm and decided to sculpt the top a little. With 4mm off the top edges, I could have a subtle shaping but still keep a 7mm binding. Helps to make it feel a bit thinner and more manageable. So here it is, pretty much finished now, just needing some oil and a varnish! I'm really pleased with how it has turned out. I think it has just enough of a twist to look modern without losing the vintage feel - just what I was after! Once my p'ups arrive and I have it set up I'll post the final results! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Well now--that really did turn out to be a classy looking guitar! I agree with your calls on the contouring. It not only makes it more comfy, but adds some elegance to what wants to be a slab. And your wood choices worked out wonderfully together. Very nice job! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Looking great! I finished the woodworking and finishing on a neck through explorer a few months ago (still need to buy the bridge and tuners). When I was planning it out, it was almost impossible to find neck through builds of it. Yours is looking great. I think the explorer shape works really well with a neck through. I look forward to seeing how it looks when it's all put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 That's looking amazing, the neck heel looks really comfy, are you going to put a locking strap attachment on the upper bout rather than the neck heel to keep the heel clear and also have the better feeling strap orientation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Thanks very much for the positive comments guys! I really appreciate it, especially after so long lusting after the various other creations on this site with little to show myself, haha! I found the same when looking for inspiration, I could barely find anything with a through-neck, even less with some contouring. It seemed an obvious solution to the key drawbacks of an explorer shape.. Ripthorn, did you do a post about your exp? I'd be interested to see how another through-neck turned out! You must have good eyes to see that from the pic, haha! but thanks! The neck heel has turned out well. It's really pretty comfy at the moment, but it could slim down a touch on the bass-side. I think I'll have another adjust once it's all strung up and I get chance to see what's lacking. I'll post a close-up when I get home (in an airport at the moment..). I was planning on using the shoulder, yeah. I found some wide strap pins which look nice and vintage, I might have to go with strap locks though (which I find look pretty bulky unfortunately - but better than a snapped neck..). I certainly find those behind neck strap pins a little odd as well and wouldn't want to lose that smoothness on the heel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 The key to using the behind the neck pins is that you put the strap on that button backwards.Nothing weird about it.Matter of fact the strap falls exactly right on your shoulder when you do it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Oops, all these years I had it wrong! I guess it's what you're used to as well, I don't normally go for guitars with the pin there to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Yeah,I play a lot of Vs and Explorers,so I went through a lot of strap pin moving until I figured it out.There are a few styles of guitars that need that button on the back to balance right,Vs and Explorers being two of them.If you do put the pin on the top though,be sure to use straplocks. Really,straplocks are a good idea no matter what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Nice build you've got going on. The below pic shows the placement of the strap lock pins on a NT Explorer I built last year. There was no issue of balance, it was comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 The guitar is looking great! For the strap buttons/pins I placed the neck side button on the side of the upper bout next to the neck on the Explorer I built last year and it worked well. I do like the look of demonx's placement and I may borrow it on my two upcoming Explorer builds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Hmmm, looks like I'll have to trial a few of these ideas. I like the look of the one behind the top shoulder - thanks for the suggestions. Here's a couple of shots to show the heel in more detail. I definitely don't want to mess around with strap pins on the nice smoothed area. (I still have a little work to do with shaping in the binding there as you can see). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Hi all, the neck is coming on nicely now. Really starting to feel like a good axe. I did my final shaping with some 80 grit and the strings on to test it between passes. I put some D'Addario 11-52's on and it is sounding chunky and loud! Is it possible that the weight-saving cavity could be contributing to the volume? (it was only 15mm deep or so.. I've also got my chosen p'ups on the way, a Dimarzio Air Norton / Air Zone combo - I can't wait to get those in! I was just wondering on finishing.. I was planning to stick to an oil finish and a clear-coat on top. Do you have any recommendations? I have some boiled linseed oil which brings up the Rosewood/bubinga a treat. The purpleheart is unbelievably purple after a bit of oil as well. Not sure if this is the best I can do for finish though. I have some lemon oil for the fretboard too. Also, on the clear-coat front I'm not all that sure what to go for. I normally use a satin household varnish, but for this one I'd like to see if there is something more appropriate easily available. Unfortunately, I don't have the facilities to spray coat, so it will be a brush and a lot of sanding back for me! Anyone got any advice on this front? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Be careful on choosing both oil and clear coat. Most clears wont work over oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Thanks for the heads-up on that! How do you get that natural finish on your explorers? The way the grain pops out is incredible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I just use danish oil. Its a pretty simple process. Also, the loudness of your guitar is probably because it doestn have the pickups in it yet, along with the small chamber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 OK, have done a little research and this looks like a good route to go down. The agreed process seems to be fairly consistent too. Just a couple of questions: * Is this stuff ok for fretboards as well, or should I avoid getting it on there and use lemon oil instead? * Is it worth seeking out tung-oil as opposed to Danish oil? i.e. is there a difference in colour and is the additional hardness worth mentioning given that they are both quite low-protection finishes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Tung oil and danish oil have different purposes. Danish oil doesnt really build up, it soaks in and hardens inside the wood. Tung oil and tru oil build up on the surface. Lemon oil is a cleaner, not a hydrator. You should use danish or boiled linseed oil on the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Ah, I see. great. Thanks for the clear explanation . I'll go with that then. I just have a few more bits to tidy up and I should be able to start getting the finish together. Cheers, Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Today was an exciting post-day from Axesrus and Thorman. The Danish oil (or Aceite Danés) is also on the way! I can't believe how tricky it was to find Air-Zone stock in the UK and Europe! But glad I persevered. After a couple of days playing on the neck and picking out the trouble spots, I had a final go at it tonight and it plays great! Really fast, but without being too skinny and losing that "feel". I can't wait to get it finished and amped up! One final question on the finish: Is it worth getting some wax or even a wipe-on poly coat to buff up the shine and give a little more protection? I'm a big fan of satin-low gloss finishes, but will the oil need something over the top to maintain the lustre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Paste wax or a polyurethane should work over your oil, but it depends on what you've used. I use polyurethane applied with a cloth by hand over danish oil on furniture I've built as well as paste wax over danish oil on necks. The polyurethane will provide more protection and typically the paste wax is going to require reapplication to maintain the look you get from it when you initially buff it off with a cloth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 My neck through explorer is finished in danish oil with two coats of paste wax on top. Nice low gloss sheen. The thing with wax is it has to be reapplied every now and again, but it's easy. Poly is applied only once, but to get enough on there to provide protection, you tend to lose the feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 OK, progress update. The Danish Oiling is well underway! I've not got anywhere to hang it really, so I've had to one side at a time. The back has now got 3 coats and has been wet sanded with 400 and 600 grit, it's really starting to feel nice and the grain is really popping out! I have some beeswax polish on the way, but I won't be needing that for a while. I really like the natural feel, so I think I'll stick to the wax. I also like the idea of this guitar ageing as I use it, so it seems the right route to go. Here she is, as of this morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 One more showing the neck a bit better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Be careful with the beeswax polish. I use s beeswax/canaubra blend which is made here in Australia on my Fingerboards. It my favorite Polish for that purpose. I bought a different beeswax/canaubra blend to use and it's horrible and made a big mess. They're not all created equal. The one I like is an off white yellows color, the horrible one was whiter. Do tests first on scrap or you may regret it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavromulabeta Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Thanks for the advice, I'll take it carefully! The polish I have on the way is one that my dad uses on his longbows (and people think making guitars is eccentric...) so I hope it works as well on this as it does on yew. I take it that he's been through a few to find his favourite, but I'll try some scrap pieces first for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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