Lockdown Tele

[mistermikev]

9 hours ago, Stu. said:

Thank you, chaps! I've actually been considering scrapping or reworking this one. The transition from beech to veneer to walnut isn't working at all, I'm falling out of love with the beech, and it is HEAVY. Like, I've never held a complete guitar that's packing as much weight as this. I kind of want to blast the beech and top fumed eucalyptus veneer off, chamber as much as possible, and then slap a new top on.

it'd be a shame to blow away that top... but I get it: can't stand heavy guitars myself.  seems like the outline could just use a little sanding/massage.  I think it may have been @Andyjr1515 who first impressed upon me the idea that removing thickness will remove more weight than thinline... could just chop 1/2" off the back... and if that aint enough then thinline it from the backside and put a pretty top on the backside... just some ideas... I know when I get in similar ruts a random comment will often put things in perspective and give me focus.  You know what's best for your build so... "just do it"!

[Andyjr1515]

10 hours ago, mistermikev said:

I think it may have been @Andyjr1515 who first impressed upon me the idea that removing thickness will remove more weight than thinline...

The old man, nudged by a *ping* and the now inevitable full bladder, stirs from his daytime slumber.... "What?       Who?      WHAT THE FLIP IS THAT BRIGHT LIGHT OVER THERE??  The Son??  The SON??   I don't HAVE A Son!!  Well,  I don't think I have a son??             Oh...the SUN.  Hmmm...well...hmmm maybe... 

 

 

OK, first of all I would join the others in being in awe (as also in your previous posts @Stu. ) of your precision, mix of skills and results.  A slow build admittedly  - but some great techniques, skills and results on show.

As to your concerns - well, I think we have all fallen in love and out of love - and often back in love - with our builds.  Personally, there is always a point in my own builds where I think, 'this just isn't working!' - every single one of them.

Clearly, it's your build and aimed at meeting your vision and no-one else's.

But, for what it's worth, it looks great to me - and there is nothing I personally see so far that isn't fixable.

Before I move onto options for removing weight, I'm not quite sure I understand yet what your concern about the walnut demarcation line is.  If you are wanting an even width, say 5mm, demarcation stripe all around the edge of the spalted top, then yes of course, you have a challenge.  The visible thickness of the demarcation depends on the angle of cut and the angle of cut depends on the carve shape so, unless the carve angle is the same all the way round, then that visible thickness will vary.  This is a 2.5mm veneer layer:

So yes, the visible width varies, but it is a continuous and smooth transition. 

Oh - and that smoothness of width curve, to be honest, only finally comes good at the final sanding stages, sanding around the periphery before the final 'remove the sanding lines' sanding along the main grain direction.

 

The above picture also shows one way of getting a HUGE amount of weight out - as @mistermikev says - removing thickness where thickness is not necessary.  This is MUCH more effective than chambering.  

I did a whole series of builds exploring weight reduction and trying to answer the often asked question 'why are electric guitars and basses SO heavy?'

- the body has to be thick enough to accommodate the electrics, the pickup depth and the neck pocket.  Every other bit of thickness is optional!

So all of my builds nowadays have, as a minimum, an immense amount of material taken out out the centre-back.  This is the above build end on:

The thickening at either side is for two reasons:

- to be able to accommodate the pot depth at the control panel area

- so that it looks and feels 'conventional' to a guitar player.  Ultra thin guitars, to many players, 'don't quite feel right'

In that particular build, my lightest yet at 5 1/4lbs playing weight (and the body wood is English Oak!!), there is a little bit of chambering but basically just to create the faux thinline look - the chambering does very little for the weight reduction.  The bulk of that (forgive the pun) is the reduction in back thickness.

It looks like a standard full-scale electric, it plays like a full scale electric, it's made of oak and maple with a pretty heavy top wood too, it weighs 5 1/4lbs:

 

You could take an enormous amount of weight out of the back of yours without affecting the front at all and without needing to cover up any chambers.

 

  

 

[mistermikev]

i just came in here to accomplish two things...

#1 wanted to suggest to @Andyjr1515 that it might be time to take your medication based on your first sentence lol.  (jk, love seeing that gtr again btw)

#2 welfare check on(harrassment) @stu chop chop brutha!  them geetars ain't gonna make themselves!  looking over the thread... it's a really nice carve and a sharp guitar.

somewhere I saw this guy from brazil that makes these really cool one piece guitars and they are  all scuplted and hollow... very unorthadox approach but he apparently takes a thin bandsaw blade, cuts the body in half, hollows it out... and glues them back together.  He somehow does this with little to no seam.  not sure I'd have the skill to pull that off but I'd like to see someone else do it so... just thought I'd mention lol.

[Stu.]

@mistermikev I’m still alive! Progress stopped for a while, whilst I submitted an assignment and started a new job. I made some orange dust at the weekend though!

 

[mistermikev]

right on, the older I get... the more relevant the statement "I'm still alive" is!  Have taken a bit of diversion lately... but it's just about time to get back to it.  

that paudauk? looking pretty sweet.  some tidy work there.

[ADFinlayson]

Looks great, love the little Wenge embellishment 

[ScottR]

On 9/6/2023 at 5:50 AM, mistermikev said:

right on, the older I get... the more relevant the statement "I'm still alive" is! 

Amen Brother!

SR