Sancho Marino Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 I started this one awhile ago, but I'm kind of stuck at this point. The body is Sapele and Spalted Maple, the neck is Mahogany and flamed Maple w/ Ebonyboard and Spalted headstock I want to do something a little different with the horns so I extended them both a bit more than an RG, but I think I want to chop the lower horn short... I'm also stuck on the headstock... I really wanted to use this piece of Spalt I had and keep most of it intact. I'm stuck trying to figure out a good 3x3 shape to go with an SS body? I'm also trying to figure out a carve for the top right now, but here's where I am at now... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Everything is looking incredibly clean so far! For what it's worth, I like the lower horn as it is. How do you feel about the Jackson or ESP (Horizon) 3x3 heastocks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 I would not carve the top... only the back with big rounding edges and a big belt carve. If this were my project, I would try with purfling... Regarding the headstock, you certainly don't have too much room to do things... as Stu commented, an ESP style would do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Everything is looking incredibly clean so far! For what it's worth, I like the lower horn as it is. How do you feel about the Jackson or ESP (Horizon) 3x3 heastocks? Thanks... I was thinking of ESP H3 type of headstock if I can't figure out something else to fit more of the spalted lines in. It's not that I don't like the lower horn the way it is, I'm just looking to do a little something different with it... I would not carve the top... only the back with big rounding edges and a big belt carve. If this were my project, I would try with purfling... Regarding the headstock, you certainly don't have too much room to do things... as Stu commented, an ESP style would do the job. I planned this one out as a 3x3 with a kind of hybrid reverse Fireman headstock design that I've used before and there's plenty of room for that. Then I ended up with this piece of splated maple I wanted to use and it threw everything out of whack! I have been contemplating binding the body and headstock as well... Thanks for the suggestions guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Or something like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 You have no real choice but to bind a spalted body. The stuff is just to soft in places & needs protecting. Carving it can be a real issue aswell so go glacier slow with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 I echo pauliemc heavily here. Especially when the fungi that caused the spalt has set up significant zonal boundaries (black "ink" lines) and metabolised significant quantities of the sugars from the tree (soft paler "punky" areas). Done well (as has been done so far) this will be a treat to see completed. You may fire when ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Thanks for all the suggestions fellers Finally got back at this one yesterday.... Carved and finish sanding the neck, figured out a shape for the headstock, drilled out for the bridge and ferrules, and routed out the control cavity... I routed around the edges as a starting point for carving, but I kind of like the way it looks, especially the back. Pretty sure the back is staying just as it is, but I'm not sure about the front yet... Time to think about it while I bang in some frets I guess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 15, 2014 Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Amazingly straight lines in the spalt......and the fretboard.....and the back (which is perhaps not so amazing, given what it is but it still matches the theme). It looks kind of windswept. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Thanks Scott... wish I could say I had the forsight to plan the windswept look I really like the fretboard... I was going to put some MOP offset dots in, but I changed my mind after I polished it up. I want to get my neck heel joints looking much better than my previous builds so I need some advice on tools... What are you guys using to shape that area? I've tried rasps, files, and sandpaper. Is there something better? Maybe a gouge would be more accurate? IDK Just want to improve the results... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 I use gouges to rought it in, maybe a little rough rasp work and sand paper. Do make sure have have some level of comfort with gouges before going at a neck joint with them though... SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Thanks Scott... Decided to make some wood chips today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Apparently your spalt is pretty solid and stable....... SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Yeah there's only a couple small spots that are punky the rest of it is pretty solid. I just need to be careful around the softer spots or anything I use digs in a bit much... I put an edge on that putty knife and it works pretty damn good as a scraper... maybe a little more flex would help, but it's all I have at the time. The little finger plane is pretty handy for carving too, it keeps a noob like me from doing too much damage all at once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 hah, nice job with the carving! indeed looks like this stuff is pretty solid. so you didn't need to do any stabilizing, it just works like a normal piece of maple? I have two spalted tops waiting for a worthy build, but I doubt they will be as east to work with, there's total mayhem going on there with the black lines and different-color regions.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Thanks man! No I didn't have to stabalize it. It didn't look rotten enough and it wasn't very soft so I didn't bother. Bookmatching went without any problems and so far the carving has been issue free too. I've gone at it a little more and the carving is just about done... I'm planning on doing grain filling with epoxy so that should get everything hardened up real good too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 And here it is finish sanded to 320 grit and a little Naptha thrown on to show it's colors... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 24, 2014 Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Still looking super sharp. I really like the understated carve on this one. It looks like you've nailed a 'signature' shape and set-up too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2014 Frets are in and finished up, neck is set in and heel joint carved Reshaped the headstock a little, I like it much better now... A few coats of sealer on the body and all leveled out. This one is ready for clear if I can get a day without 90% humidity anytime soon 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted June 29, 2014 Report Share Posted June 29, 2014 Very nice and clean work... love the headstock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Thanks psikoT I appreciate it! Here it is after a few coats of Tru-oil on the back and neck/headstock. I'm trying something a little different. Tru-oil on the back for a thin-skinned open grain look, and I'm going to shoot some 2k urethane on the top for a bit more protection and shine on the spalted maple... I really like what the tru-oil did, and the end grain on the sapele is beautiful imo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Oh my! I like the clean neck join and the headstock change was subtle......but the improvement was huge! Funny how that works. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 (edited) Thanks Scott! It is funny how a slight curve here or there can make such a big difference in a headstock The time I spent on the neck join was well worth it. I think it looks 1000x better than my other set neck builds... Friday is looking like a somewhat low humidity day, so hopefully I'll be able to lay down some 2K and get this finished up soon... Edited July 1, 2014 by Sancho Marino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted July 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 All polished up and ready for hardware and pickups... It's raining today.... obligatory sunny pics showing off the shine coming after it's strung up I guess 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Looks great. Finish looks very well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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