SerpentineGtars Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hello and thank you for taking a look at the 2015 build/news thread. This year is going to be a busy one so we hope you enjoy what's to come. To start off the new year, here are a few pics of the latest build to leave the Serpentine Guitars workshop, on its way into the hands of its new owner - Black Walnut Custom 7-string DC... We have a few other builds in progress at the moment, so look out for updates on these in the near future. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 That's quite tasty. What was the finish treatment on the neck? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 That's quite tasty. What was the finish treatment on the neck? SR Thanks SR. The finish on the neck is my favourite; Tru-Oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted February 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 We have several builds that we're working on at the moment but here's a sneak preview of a custom DC Quilted Maple on Mahogany with carve-top that is currently on the workbench and due to be completed next... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 looking forward to seeing how that turns out 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Yeah, that's an evil little tease. It brings to mind so many questions.....but I'll settle for one. Will you be dishing out the control knob relief areas or leaving them sharp edges with tight fitting knobs? SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted February 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Yeah, that's an evil little tease. It brings to mind so many questions.....but I'll settle for one. Will you be dishing out the control knob relief areas or leaving them sharp edges with tight fitting knobs? SR I will sand the edges over a little but they won't be scooped out a la PRS style, no. Unfortunately, the Quilt Maple tears out easy and I didn't get a sharp enough edge to leave them as they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Ah. The next question would be what is causing that hard line where a contour carve line is often penciled in. It looks like it could be a sharp bevel edge and lighting....? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted February 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Ah. The next question would be what is causing that hard line where a contour carve line is often penciled in. It looks like it could be a sharp bevel edge and lighting....? SR That's the peak of the carve. I tend to carve/sand it this way, as I will keep that sharp line at the neck end of the body and then round it off slightly at this end. Like this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 (edited) That's a beautiful carve. Edited February 6, 2015 by crazygtr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted February 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Our workshop has just had a complete overhaul, including brand new machinery and tools, but you're going to have to wait to see pictures of the new shop space. Instead, as we get back into the swing of things (making guitars, that is), here's a better sneak preview of that Quilted Maple carve-top DC... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted February 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 The Serpentine Guitars workshop; refurbished with new workbenches, planer thicknesser and pillar drill... Behind the camera is space for the new bandsaw (on order) and additional workbench/wood store space... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Nice open workspace. The quilt on that top is fascinating. Most of it looks concave instead of convex......in that shot anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing that one done. Have you got a color planned for that top or is it staying natural? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Nice open workspace. The quilt on that top is fascinating. Most of it looks concave instead of convex......in that shot anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing that one done. Have you got a color planned for that top or is it staying natural? SR Thanks ScottR. The carve on this body is concave, yes. I prefer the look of a concave carve and tend to do all my own carves like this unless otherwise requested. The whole body will be stained a dark brown (we've yet to do some test samples) and then shot with a clear coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Ah. I believe you are referring to the recurved carve you do....which is indeed concave. Actually I was referring to the illusion in the quilt itself. Most of the time, and indeed in a few areas of this top, quilt looks like big billowy pillows. Many areas in this particular quilt look instead like smooth divits that have been scooped out. At least to my eye. And that is a fairly unique thing. I love it! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Ah. I believe you are referring to the recurved carve you do....which is indeed concave. Actually I was referring to the illusion in the quilt itself. Most of the time, and indeed in a few areas of this top, quilt looks like big billowy pillows. Many areas in this particular quilt look instead like smooth divits that have been scooped out. At least to my eye. And that is a fairly unique thing. I love it! SR Ah, yes, the quilt does vary depending on the angle and lighting. The left side looks more how you're describing it then the right, but if you look down on the guitar from directly above, it looks the same both sides. I did almost wonder if the bookmatched sides were marked incorrectly at first, but these are definitely the two mirror-image sides. I also Google'd images of "Quilted Maple" and the figure does appear like this quite often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 One of the wonders of natural wood. I expect the figure really moves and dances as you shift it around in the light, more so even than figure that mirrors itself from more viewing angles. Again, a very cool piece of wood. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted March 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2015 You may or may not remember in 2014, Serpentine Guitars built an old-school style SS for Swiss airbrush extraordinaire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKiz2V9KgvY. Well, we have been asked to build a further two guitars; both of which will also have Winy's amazing, original artwork applied, and both of which feature inlay work by VanWhy Inlay & Design, USA. Here's the latest on the MOP in Rosewood inlays - complete and ready to ship back to me here in the UK... Photos of the completed guitars as soon as they are complete with artwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Man those inlays are nice. Cant wait to see these come together. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Following this... The past six weeks have been a bit slow in the Serpentine Guitars' workshop. However, I did take some time to plan and start work on a new prototype/demo/guitar-for-myself build - Xothermic #1 (6-string, Mahogany body, Black Walnut/Wenge/Black Walnut neck, Indian Rosewood fretboard, Gotoh Tune-O-Matic bridge (recessed) and 301 machine heads, DiMarzio X2N pickup (bridge only) and black gloss finish). So far, all routing/mounting work complete and the neck/heel is ready to carve before we move on to spraying... More updates (new/old builds) coming soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 That prang looks wicked. Everyone okay? SR BTW the neckwood combination looks stunning, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted April 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 That prang looks wicked. Everyone okay? SR BTW the neckwood combination looks stunning, Is a nice combo, Walnut and Wenge. Just a couple of spare laminates I had lying around, thought they looked good together. There is a slight flame in the Walnut so I'm hoping that is revealed when the neck is carved and clear coat sprayed. The car came off worse, thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted April 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2015 Been playing around with some Quilted Maple over the past two days... This is a replacement body for the earlier "Quilted Maple custom DC", which suffered some severe cupping and had to be scrapped. Had I attempted to level out the original body, I would've lost too much thickness (almost 6mm front and back combined). On top of that, there would be no guarantee that the body would've remained stable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 24, 2015 Report Share Posted April 24, 2015 I'm starting to think the only way to go with heavily figured billets is to get them a bit thicker than needed for just that reason. Take a perfectly square, perfectly dry billet and slice it down the middle and it can be like you released the catches on tightly wound springs. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerpentineGtars Posted May 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 Twins... Sort of. Two old-school Super-strat style Alder bodies nearly ready for stage one of finishing, prior to going out to Switzerland for some airbrush-magic by Mr Wohlwend - http://www.winycustom.ch/ These will come back to me afterwards for their clear coat and assembly - including Schaller Lockmeister and M6 locking tuners, BKP/Seymour Duncan pickups and some custom wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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