pukko Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 I usually post progress pics while I'm building but since this one was for my dad's 65th birthday I didn't want him to accidentally see anything from the build. This time, everything at once! It started with a flooded kitchen at our neighbors house where our summer house is. The floor was ripped out of the house, it was made from thick, wide planks of really old spruce. They weren't all water damaged so I grabbed a few of the planks. Later I saw an ad on a Swedish guitar forum, someone was selling a maple and a walnut top/bottom, probably meant for an acoustic build. I bought them really cheap... Here's what they became. The spruce body core is like a frame that is connected all the way through but not touching the top and bottom except around the edges and at the bridge. Headstock angle cut, glueing the ebony headplate: I cut the control plates out with a knife so I can have matching grain all over the back: This is how it turned out: Well then, how do I attach the plates? I had some leftover walnut, cut oval pieces out and glued those to the inside of the back. I sawed holes and left ears to screw the plates into: Soundholes are of the same design as on my last build: Routing for binding on the headstock (and everywhere else too) and then attaching the binding with acetone and loooooots of tape: Neck is looking ok: Truss rod cover made of walnut and binding: The neck heel gets some walnut and binding too: I'm putting P90:s on it, I made some bobbin tops out of walnut and binding. Later on I decided that the guitar would look better with ordinary black covers so this work was unnecessary...: Cutting the pearl inlays. I glue the pearl blanks to a thin piece of wood, easier to saw it that way: Testing: Made a 65 inlay for the 12th fret: Fretting and carving the neck: Starting to look like something... Pickup holes being made: Pickup holes done, made an ebony pickguard that will be bound as well: Jack plate made of flame maple: I dyed the spruce to match the walnut back: Oiling everything with Danish oil: Hipshot locking tuners mounted, they will get ebony buttons later: Fixing frets and electronics: Hey, it's done! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Cheers Pukko! I always love watching your builds......this one went by way too fast! Excellent reason for that, I presume your father had a wonderful 65th? The one thing that always impresses me about your builds Pukko, is the attention to even the smallest details. All the lining up of grain and the multiple inlays, and the binding of the small parts is so very well executed. And yet, when you see the finished product the effect is so clean and tasteful you almost wonder where all the decorations went. I love the glamour shots too. Very well done! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Well, this is just awesome... the father must be proud of his son. Love the care on details, as well the overall look. And the heart in the back side of the headstock is really cool... ^^ Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I love the way you bind EVERYTHING. When some companies do it it comes out bleh, but with your stuff it is always so classy.What's the glue you're using to stick the binding in that one picture? I'm always curious what others use for the various plastics.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I have some serious issues with this one. First we need pictures with the walnut pickup topps installed. Secondly I cannot believe you didn't inlay a 3D-carved walnut heart on the back of the head, you are slipping my friend... Seriously a stunning guitar. As usual. Bravo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukko Posted July 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Cheers Pukko! I always love watching your builds......this one went by way too fast! Excellent reason for that, I presume your father had a wonderful 65th? The one thing that always impresses me about your builds Pukko, is the attention to even the smallest details. All the lining up of grain and the multiple inlays, and the binding of the small parts is so very well executed. And yet, when you see the finished product the effect is so clean and tasteful you almost wonder where all the decorations went. I love the glamour shots too. Very well done! SR Thanks a lot, Scott! It does feel kind of strange to post it all at once and it felt strange building without getting feedback from people watching. I missed that, the sharing of thoughts while actually creating something. Dad seemed pleased with his birthday though... Well, this is just awesome... the father must be proud of his son. Love the care on details, as well the overall look. And the heart in the back side of the headstock is really cool... ^^ Congratulations! Thanks a lot! I'm digging your current build too, let's see some more! I love the way you bind EVERYTHING. When some companies do it it comes out bleh, but with your stuff it is always so classy.What's the glue you're using to stick the binding in that one picture? I'm always curious what others use for the various plastics.Chris Thanks Chris! How's everything going with your building and company? If you mean the white bottle with the red label that's just pure acetone, the small bottles available at supermarkets. Nail polish remover I guess... If it's the black and gold tube in the fretwork pic you mean, that is a metal polish called Autosol. Shiny frets... I have some serious issues with this one. First we need pictures with the walnut pickup topps installed. Secondly I cannot believe you didn't inlay a 3D-carved walnut heart on the back of the head, you are slipping my friend... Seriously a stunning guitar. As usual. Bravo!Aj då, får skärpa mig då... Well, I only have one pic with the pickup tops: Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Riddler Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Love the detail work on this one, riktigt bra jobbat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Ah, so you're just doing the acetone/titebond plastic binding trick too?Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukko Posted July 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Love the detail work on this one, riktigt bra jobbat! Thanks/tackar! Ah, so you're just doing the acetone/titebond plastic binding trick too?Chris No Titebond for the binding, just acetone brushed on with an ordinary artists brush. What's the trick you're referring to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Riddler Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Vart köper ni svenskar ert virke? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukko Posted July 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 Vart köper ni svenskar ert virke? The question in Swedish is where do we Swedes buy our wood. The answer might be of interest to other Europeans as well so I'll answer in English: www.holmtravaror.se Swedish lumber seller. Only open for the public on Fridays which makes it pretty hard to go there and select wood. www.madinter.com Bought stuff there a couple of times, last time I bought a flame maple neck through blank and got an ordinary blank instead. After contacting them I got the neck through blank sent to me for free and got to keep the other blank as well. Good of them to correct their mistake that way. www.stewmac.com Only bought smaller wood items there, fingerboards and headstock veneers. Nothing to complain about, shipping to Sweden is expensive of course and you'll likely have to pay the customs fee. Only bought there because I needed other stuff as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Similar to that, but after brushing with acetone, also throw some titebond in there.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukko Posted July 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Similar to that, but after brushing with acetone, also throw some titebond in there.Chris Never thought of that. Does the Titebond stick to the plastic enough like that? There is no problem with the Titebond being yellowish in color, no reaction with the bright white binding? In that case I can see an advantage of using that combination. Maybe even brushing the binding channels with glue first. When using porous woods like the spruce body core in this build I've noticed that if you use too much acetone it will draw some plastic into the wood pores which is bad if you want to dye the wood darker later. Or vice versa if you're using dark binding I guess... Applying a thin coat of glue might stop that from happening. Would shellac do the same? Never worked with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 I have an Amazonian Rosewood fretboard on a neck with white binding in the works and it seemed to work just fine. From what I understand the logic is that the acetone roughs up the plastic's surface giving the titebond a little bit to mechanically bond to. Meanwhile, the acetone and titebond also work fine together for a chemical bond as well.I did test pieces before doing my first plastic bound guitar and found it held a little better than acetone alone.Just tried Duco for the first time yesterday though and am thinking that might be even better.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 www.madinter.com Bought stuff there a couple of times, last time I bought a flame maple neck through blank and got an ordinary blank instead. After contacting them I got the neck through blank sent to me for free and got to keep the other blank as well. Good of them to correct their mistake that way. I had exactly the same problem with them in my last order. They sent a guitar sized maple neck instead the bass size neck I've ordered. After a week or so, the call me and sent the neck blank and no need to return the wrong one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukko Posted July 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 I have an Amazonian Rosewood fretboard on a neck with white binding in the works and it seemed to work just fine. From what I understand the logic is that the acetone roughs up the plastic's surface giving the titebond a little bit to mechanically bond to. Meanwhile, the acetone and titebond also work fine together for a chemical bond as well.I did test pieces before doing my first plastic bound guitar and found it held a little better than acetone alone.Just tried Duco for the first time yesterday though and am thinking that might be even better.Chris Ok, I understand. Have to try that method, although I have to say I've never had problems with adhesion with just acetone and white plastic binding. On my last build I used ivoroid binding which in itself seemed a little harder in feel and it was also a little harder to attach using acetone but it worked. I don't think Duco is available in Sweden, what is it? www.madinter.com Bought stuff there a couple of times, last time I bought a flame maple neck through blank and got an ordinary blank instead. After contacting them I got the neck through blank sent to me for free and got to keep the other blank as well. Good of them to correct their mistake that way. I had exactly the same problem with them in my last order. They sent a guitar sized maple neck instead the bass size neck I've ordered. After a week or so, the call me and sent the neck blank and no need to return the wrong one. I see an opportunity here... We have to plan our builds well in advance. Then we can order stuff from them, get the wrong wood, contact them and get the right wood/keep the wrong one and still be on time. In a while we'll have wood for two builds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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