birch Posted June 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2016 Took another shot at grain filling with shellac. It worked much better this time. Also got the neck glued in and the heel shaped. Next step is to clean up the neck and start on the burst colours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 16, 2016 Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 Happy with the shellac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 I am happy with it. I still need more practice with it though, so I'll continue working with it on the next one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 Lots of progress on the guitar this week. Made and fretted a new maple fretboard. Clearcoated with poly varnish and sanded the whole guitar smooth. Now I have to wait for the glue to dry on the fretboard... I hate waiting... Lots of clamps on this one. Also, cherry picking day  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 20, 2016 Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 Fantastic...I love cherries! Not really chancing it with the squeezeout and masking tape eh? haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 6 minutes ago, Prostheta said: Fantastic...I love cherries! Not really chancing it with the squeezeout and masking tape eh? haha Haha, nope. Don't want any extra clean up at this point.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 20, 2016 Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 I couldn't agree more. A bit of preventative planning goes a long way. I hate finding glue contaminated surfaces when it comes to finishing. Sometimes they hide in plain sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2016 I'm pretty happy with the way this is turning out. It's far from blemish free and I've made a lot of mistakes but I feel like I learned more from this one build than I could have in a formal class. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 21, 2016 Report Share Posted June 21, 2016 That's a good observation. When you're working under guidance, you never have the pressures to solve problems yourself or to gain knowledge off your own back. You never learn at this speed when you're in a class. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 21, 2016 Report Share Posted June 21, 2016 Or at the very least, any mistakes or false turns you make are far more positive than being told the answers. It's kind of like cheating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 21, 2016 Report Share Posted June 21, 2016 Oh, that's nice! SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 That's simply beautiful.  Once of those 'I'd love to own that...' moments 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Here is the mostly finished product. I haven't set it up or tested the electronics yet and it has some wicked string buzz. I'm also going to change the pickup ring to a simpler design and maybe out of maple instead of Ebony. The knobs are just temporary as well, still not sure what to go with there. Overall I'm pretty happy with my first guitar. A big thank you to everyone on this site for the direct help as well as the inspiration and problem solving on so many threads for answering questions I didn't know I had yet. Now for #2. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 GOTM her! Couple of days left I think. This is where the sickness really takes a hold. If you need help with banishing that buzz.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 I tell you - that's top drawer stuff.  If you keep up like this, you're going to be one to watch for the future!  Please do tell me ahead of any months you enter the Build of the Month compo and I'll make sure that mine 'just isn't quite ready yet...' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Yeah, getting any first build past the finishing line is an achievement. I know that I didn't. That and Mike picked up a whole lot from the process of this one too. All that remains is to see what he does with that newfound ability. Good or evil? Right or wrong? Let's see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 1 minute ago, Prostheta said: Yeah, getting any first build past the finishing line is an achievement. I know that I didn't. That and Mike picked up a whole lot from the process of this one too. All that remains is to see what he does with that newfound ability. Good or evil? Right or wrong? Let's see. No, definitely the work of the dark side... Â Â Â Â Damn, I'm bewitched! Â I want that guitar......I NEED that guitar!!! Â It's calling to me. Â QUICK - SOMEONE TIE ME TO A MAST!!!!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Chill out now Odysseus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Just now, Prostheta said: Chill out now Odysseus. You can't fool me.....that's what ALL the sirens say! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Seriously, though @birch, Â I keep looking at those photos. Â It is so organic. Â The carve is a delight. Â The texture and colours are perfect. Â Bravo! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Wow, high praise from accomplished builders. I'm truly grateful for the compliments. Thank you.  I'm sorry @Andyjr1515 but this one is never leaving my possession  I have the next one simmering in my grey matter already. I love this stuff. And to paraphrase the classic movie "Spaceballs", "Evil will always triumph over good because good is dumb" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: GOTM her! Couple of days left I think. This is where the sickness really takes a hold. If you need help with banishing that buzz.... It appears to be closed for the month. I'll try next month maybe, after I change a couple minor details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2016 One problem solved, the fret buzz was because I didn't cut the nut slots deep enough and the strings were buzzing off the zero fret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 23, 2016 Report Share Posted June 23, 2016 I've done more or less the same thing before when the headstock has too little angling to pull the strings over that point too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birch Posted June 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 (edited) This is not me playing, this is my good friend James making my guitar sound like a million dollars. He did it with a defective volume pot that caused the signal to cut in and out randomly. It was also recorded on my iPhone mic. Edited June 26, 2016 by birch 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.