New Singelcut Walnut/Mahogonie 7-String Build

[Alucard0811]

Hi all,

 

I am back in the workshop for a new Build. After my 2 Weeks Course at Crimson Guitars I came home with loads and loads of Ideas.

Now new plans are drawn, new tools bougth and all the hardware and wood has arrived.

 

Time for the workshop:

This is what I came up with as a new single Cut design based on my double cut I build last year twice.

Also made some templates for the neck, since I now settled on a scale length and width I like

Its a 673mm / 26.5" Scale 7 String. 48mm at the Nut.

 

And here the wood selection of the day flamed European Walnut, African Mahagoni, Ebony for the fret board and more Mahagonie, Walnut and Purple heart for the Neck

 

First job was to get it all rough cut and the Walnut book matched to get a look on how its going to look like.

 

oh yeah, did I mentioned its going to be a carved top? So i spend some time with my new ( about 100 years old ) Stanley Nr. 7 to get a nice join.

 

Now all the parts are rough cut, planed and burried under a pile of clamps waiting to dry.

Also I bought a dremel and waiting for the router base, this one is getting wood binding and some Inlay work, not yet designed yet, but there is time.

 

For the Hardware, this one is getting Sperzel Trim-Lock 3+4 Tuners and a ToneProse TOM with Through Body Stringing.

For Pick-Ups I have a Seymore Duncan Invader for the Bridge and a Lace Aluma X-Bar for the Neck.

 

Hopefully I can get some workshop time once or twice a week. So Updates to come.

 

Cheers

 

Alucard

[nakedzen]

That's a pretty neat shape! Been wanting to build a 7-string after I sold all my ESP's. What's the width at 12th fret?

[Alucard0811]

The taper is 48mm at the nut to 70mm at the end of the tennon, 4cm after the 25 fret.
I can check later what the excate meassurements are.

[Gogzs]

Love the body shape, love the wood selection, definitely keeping an eye on this.  

[Alucard0811]

Update Time.

 

@nakedzen I checked the Template, its 48 mm at the nut, 58.35 mm at the 12 fret, 64,5mm at the 24.

 

Had time this weekend to get some work done.

First mistake:

Was not carefull enough to get a good glueup and endet up with a off-squar edge. Had to split and redo.

While the glue dried I routed for the truss rod and cut the headstock angle

 

Next step was slotting and gluing the fretboard.

 

Day 2 in the workshop:

Routed the fretboard and the ledge for the binding

added the headstock plate and purple heart veneer to the top

Since the workshop router broke I have to wait for repairs. Meanwhile I can work on the inlay cutouts.

 

2 Problems I have. the top cupped a little, now i have to finde a way to get it flat, since its allready to thickness.

The body is 48mm I would like to get it down to 42, but the thicknesser and the bandsaw both are just to narrow, so need to build a Router Jig -> more waiting for the router repairs.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Alucard

[nakedzen]

Thanks for the info! Like they say, man who makes no mistakes produces nothing!

[Bizman62]

4 hours ago, Alucard0811 said:

the top cupped a little, now i have to finde a way to get it flat, since its allready to thickness.

Put it on a table cup side down. That - in theory! - should allow the wider side to dry similar to the other side. When/if it levels, raise it above the table allowing air flow on both sides. The main reason usually is that the top wood isn't dry enough. So if you lay it on a non-breathing surface the bottom side won't acclimatize in a similar way as the top side.

Good thing with warpy tops is that they most often aren't strong enough to reshape the actual body. A rule of thumb is that if you can pinch the gap close with just your thumb and one finger, it's perfectly glueable.

[Alucard0811]

The top is 16 mm thick at the moment.

I think the main problem was that i glued the veneer on and that and didnt wait till i sandwitched everything together.

I have it now under a heavy piece on a flat surface in the temp controlled storage. Lets see how it looks next week.

 

Also additional question, how thick do you keep your fret boards? Mine is now 7,5 mm and it looks and feels a little thick. and the Binding i have left from my build at crimson does not quiet reach to top.

[Bizman62]

9 minutes ago, Alucard0811 said:

how thick do you keep your fret boards?

7.5 mm sounds thick to me. Fender probably uses the thinnest ones, barely 5 mm. Something around 6 mm at the highest point should be thick enough for cutting fret slots, yet thin enough to leave enough material under the truss rod channel.

[Alucard0811]

So I got some hours in over the weekend and the last days.

First of the Warping got better after fully drying. Then I found out, that the maker space has a "small" router sled

Its enourmous, but it works

Then I went to the router table and refined the outline AND gota hugh blow out

looks like the bit also is done for

Finaly i routed the caveties and glued to top.

[Alucard0811]

The next day was mostly working on the neck:

Getting the binding ready and glued

off to the bandsaw and gone with most of the wood and then refined on the sander

The last day I spend routing the top, fitting the neck pocket and Pickup caveties

Drilling to all the holes and first test fit off all components.

Next on the list is Inlay work, body carving and through body strining ferruels, here is the layout for the body carving

Unfortunally I will be gone this weekend and most of the week so no time for the workshop

 

Thanks for reading

 

[Alucard0811]

Got some hours in today:

Carved and radiused the neck

So the Neck is ready for Inlay, unfortunally I broke the first set I spend about an hour cutting and getting finished.

Next step to get of some frustration was body carving, So out the loud maschines and dangerous disks.

rather happy with that, Now sanding sanding and some more sanding. But the randome Orbital Sander needs a new pad so I have to wait for that.

So I returned to Inlay work and did my headstock Inlay

Now I need to fined some time for Inlays, Sanding and then off to finsih

[Alucard0811]

After some setbacks I am back on this build.

Cut the inlays and could test my new dremel tool

2 cats at the 12 and a paw print at the first

 

Then traced and dremelt the caveties

3 hours later everything was in and gaps filled with dust and glue

after some sanding everything looks really nice

 

and thats how she looks now.

Now I only need to find the headstock inlay 1 cut two month ago

Body is sanded to 240. As soon as I have finied the neck its sanding sanding sanding and then I can start the oiling.

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by Alucard0811

[Bizman62]

Here kitty kitty kitty! Looks nice!

 

[Alucard0811]

Got some hours in this weekend not much progress, lots of sanding and finished the neck

While cleaning the workshop we found the headstock inlay it went down one of those clamping holes. Will be added to the headstock next time.

While there I also finish sanded and applied the first coat of oil

Need to sand two parts where the oil showed some scratches.

Starting Thurstday I am on holidays and will spend those days in the workshop finishing this one and a nother I have ordered some parts from Sweden.

[Nicco]

That back looks fantastic with oil on it. Very nicely done

[Alucard0811]

Its almost done. Waiting for the finish to cure and for the Outputjack plate to arrive.... I knew I forgot smth.

 

 

 

Things to do:

Nut and strings.

Output Jack

Strap Buttons.

Fretboard needs scraping to remove the last ca glue and polishing residuals.

 

Things I learned:

I am not really happy with the finish. It Crimson wipe on Lacquer. Looked good first but dried to be less rich in color. I am tempted to sand back and use oil.

Also the bridge Pickup is a little close to the bridge, and the lace is not centred correctly.

The Headstock Inlay is of centre, i eyeballed it and didnt meassure.

The binding on the neck is a little thin needs to be thicker.

[Alucard0811]

Its finished:

 

 

[mistermikev]

wow, that is really sharp looking.  nice work.  

[nakedzen]

Great work, the grain on the back looks lovely.