gpcustomguitars Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 With a lot of shop time on my hands these days, since we are working from home, I have a chance to actually finish some of the stuff left on the back burner over the years. This is my starting point - a LP body and a rough cut neck with a fretboard Someone made a mistake here -cough - but nothing a few bits of veneer won't solve and then, found another neck, a reverse tele, so it got a fretboard, a piece of the Canadian walnut. some thicknessing of the LP neck headstock thinned to 15mm, and transition sanded in then glued the tele neck last night and shaped the LP headstock, sanded the back roughly flat and marked out the shaping lines prepared the fretboard for glueing and the tele neck is out of the clamps sanded in the slope marked out the frets, 25.5" and hand cut the fret slots - two small voids, filled with wood dust and CA and drilled and glued the dots Tomorrow I'll thickness the headstock, thickness the neck and sand the radius (9.5")... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2020 Had a good day yesterday, LP neck unclamped, made the template for shaping thicknessed the tele neck, and sanded the transition smooth tele radiused, the little black ring is where a little knot void used to be, the yellow side of the fretboard is a bit softer, so I'll probably soak it with CA to be on the safe side. then I sanded in the min and max thickness on the tele neck 21mm at 1st and 23mm on the 14th, with some initial transition lines LP neck tenon was still wrong, cca 2mm to the treble side, so sawing off the excess on the one side, and some more veneer on the other ad the centerline is dead-on, and it's a snug fit. I'll actually sand it down a bit before actual glue-up, so that the glue doesn't get squeezed out. Also, fretted the tele neck, added the dots (not in the pic) and flooded the board partially with CA and started shaping the tele neck, about halfway there I hope to fret the LP neck today and at least rough in the transitions and finish shaping the tele neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2020 Good morning! Started the day yesterday by finishing the rough carve of the neck, and then sanded it to shape. I've made a habit of using the longer radius blocks for that job, as they reveal any dips and bumps, and also leave curved facets. Finalized transitions with a fine half-round rasp and hand sanding. This is the body I'm planing on using, one piece cherry. Cut it a long time ago as a mix of strat and tele lines, and drawn this inlay idea in. The black bits will be 3mm acrylic. I'll probably cut a bagful of triangles first, and some stripes on the scroll saw. and 2 coats of tung oil later Then, drawn the guidelines on the LP neck (btw, 3-piece, cherry) and started the transitions on the spindle sander and fretted it too. 2.5mm Sintoms wire. I've beveled the ends, but the actual leveling and dressing will be on the guitar. I did carve the neck half way, but didn't take the pic. So, for today, I hope to finish the neck carve, and glue it in. I will fine tune it some more on the guitar later. The body for the tele had unfinished horn shapes, so that is also done, now I can set up the neck pocket routing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 13, 2020 Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 You are moving right along. I love the inlay design. It must be the time of year for many pieced inlays. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2020 Thanks! This will be the most ambitious inlay I have attempted, but with a cheap and forgiving material, we'll see how it goes. I finished the shaping of the LP neck, and glued it in. I might do a final revision before finishing. Color scheme is (for now at least) faded blue top and natural brown oiled and waxed back, sides and the neck. Here it is: I must make a new template for 2 hums first though. Also yesterday, I routed the neck pocket on the....???caster thing (it had to have at least a small blemish ) and of course, the test fit 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 Hi! After the holiday break, started with cutting the previously glued templates on the scroll saw. Left one is for last years project that I would also like to finish this spring. Fixed to the LP with 2 layers of tape - holds better that way as I can brandish both sides. I followed Andyjr1515's good advice to drill all eight corners with a proper radius bit, and it worked great! Thanks! I was able to route it all with just my favorite short bit without switching to smaller radiused one just for the corners. Removed some material with a 25mm forstner before, to just about final depth. I'm really glad that my true center line is actually on the seam. and after adding a heel cap and refining the heel profile some more, here's where it's at now: So, just one final round of ...sanding... and I can start the finishing. I'd like to stain the top blue, then sand back for a denim effect. Back, sides and the neck tru oil with a drop of tobacco brown, have to read if it's compatible. For the electronics, I've previously planned to drop in a treble booster, but decided to leave it passive, but I will wire it with 2 volume, master tone and master bass roll of pot. It's still 4 pots, so if I don't like it, can revert to standard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 23, 2020 Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 Okay, that first template is throwing me. Is that just a cavity template, or are making a guitar body in that shape? It would be pretty rad. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 23, 2020 Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 I like the LP. Nice wood combinations. What are you planning to use as a finish on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 Scott, it's for this project - http://www.projectguitar.com/forums/topic/49451-couldnt-resist-a-new-design-project/ I've routed the cavity already, pics to follow, still need to route for floyd. It's a cavity template in the shape of future cover plate. I did it that way to avoid any fitting mistakes. Andy, I hope to stain the top blue and sand back to sort of worn denim effect, if I manage that with what I have available at home. Overall finish should be true oil, but I'm still not 100% sure. I might use waterbased acrylic primer and gloss coating, I did that before and the results are nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 23, 2020 Report Share Posted April 23, 2020 24 minutes ago, gpcustomguitars said: Scott, it's for this project - http://www.projectguitar.com/forums/topic/49451-couldnt-resist-a-new-design-project/ Ah yes, Now I remember. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted April 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2020 Well, I've spent the weekend trying to dye the top, and this is the result - originally, I wanted a faded blueburst. Actually found the dye in the form of the toner for the wall paint, waterbased, worked just fine. But, my top, although bookmatched, is plain maple, and quite uneven in terms of both pores and the texture. So, after qute a few applications and sandbacks I got the central part pretty much done, but for the life of me couldn't get the re-curve area to stay the same dark blue all around with the same intensity. So, I went into the shop searching for the flat black, and find an unopened can of copper...4 light coats later, it was all coppery, but still not it, so remembering that copper oxidizes blue/green, decided to sand and polish trough with a dry cloth, sort of in areas usually distressed with constant use. I'm not 100% OK with this, but between wall toner, dead t-shirt, 2 brushes from IKEA and a forgotten can of copper spray, this is what I got. 1 coat of waterbased primer on the top, sanded the back and sides some more and applied 2 coats of true oil. The headstock was more straightforward - 2 applications of iron-oxyde based dye, 1 coat of primer brushed on. I want to inspect the neck again prior to applying the oil, It's 20.5mm on the 1st and 23.5 on the 12th fret. 20.5 is OK. but I could perhaps scrape of 1mm off the 12th? Back with oil applied - the funny swipe-looking area isn't oil, it's actually the grain. and the top with primer brushed on - I added a touch of yellow to the blue areas with a finger, just rubbing in a bit of watercolor from my daughter's school kit. The top will be finished with watebased lacquer, also brushed. This primer is supposed to be compatible with all well dried finishes, so I'm thinking about perhaps lacquering the whole guitar with waterbased, once I've highlighted the cherry grain with true oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted June 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 After reconsidering this, I've sanded the top to bare wood, and redid it as a somber blacktop. Due to corona, had to use a brush for lacquering over the dye, but it turned reasonably well. Hand polished, and waiting on the parts to arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted June 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 a bad pic, but it shows where it's at now...hopefully I'll get some pickup rings for the hums I've got, I did the electronics (not in the pic, 2 vol, 1 master tone, 1 master bass cut), and have to get a tune-o-matic and a stop bar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted June 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2020 Also, finally got around to start finishing this: I've started using locally produced oil-based boat lacquer, both straight and mixed with oil varnish and oil thinner as a home made wipe-on solution. This body has a neck too, need to do the frets and add a MOP logo to headstock. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted July 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2020 Some more progress on the old projects - one coat of homemade oil mix on the back of the bass neck. Masked the edges of the fboard to stop the seeping trough as I want to dye the fb black in the next steps. Also, final coat of lacquer on the body, this one a bit more diluted for better flow. Also, another LP body out of the storage - this one had quite a few cracks, so I changed the back to get rid of most of them. The rest I have filled with CA, and started the carve. The neck for this is almost done, so shouldn't be a too long build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted July 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2020 Well roughed in the back carve last night, waiting on the bass body to cure. Added a bit more scoop to the back side of the cutout, pics later. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 16, 2020 Report Share Posted July 16, 2020 Nicely done! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted July 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2020 Thanks! Did some more sanding and planed out the tenon, pup cavities etc... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 17, 2020 Report Share Posted July 17, 2020 I just love the continuity of the back bevel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted July 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2020 Thanks! I started out trying to remove the problematic parts of the body, but it kinda morphed to more carving than I had planned. For this guitar, I'm planing a aluminium top, 1mm thick, engraved with acid and current if I manage that. I have limited experience with that, I just engraved my signature on a knife I made a few years ago, but this would be significantly larger. The oval shape in the bridge area could be a raised portion of the top, perhaps shaped quite differently, still toying with that idea, alternative being just plain flat top. Neck will have the usual 4.5 deg in any case. Please chime in with any ideas for making a slight curve of the top other that an english wheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted July 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2020 A small update - drilled the pocket for the neck screws, and preparing to mark and cut the fret slots. It's a wrong way to do it, but this was originally supposed to be a fretless. Also, reduced the pick guard to cover less of the surface. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted July 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 Another small update - made the pick guard. Rough sawn by hand, shaped to the line on the spindle, hand beweled by rotary tool and sanded a bit. I'll polish it before assembly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 20, 2020 Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 I totally forgot how much character the front of this has! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted July 20, 2020 Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 4 hours ago, gpcustomguitars said: Another small update - made the pick guard. Ooh, a bat wing! Du-du du-du du-du du-du Batmaaan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpcustomguitars Posted July 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2020 Yes, it's a really nice piece of walnut. I started that body a long time ago, I think I could have made a better ot more interesting shape, but that seemed OK then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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