Chuck_Chill-Out

Thanks, Curtis and Scott. I hope to drill this week.

Wow, I feel like I dropped off the planet. My daughter was on the local swim team this summer. Well, there goes the past month of mornings for working on this thing. Obligatory clamp shot. Well, one half of the body. Knobs turned. My friend assisted in routing for the cover. Now to make the cover. Doing some thing bass ackwards. Next up is to drill out the majority of the wood for the pickups. Question, How deep should I go? I will use a forstener and the final epth will be 3/4". Should I go the whole depth, or to 1/2" and rout the rest to smooth the bottom of the cavity?

Oh, John, I just saw this. So sorry to hear.

The figure of the top reminds me of a spider body and my daughter thinks the neck is pretty. That's a good thing.

I love how it glows. My duck caring friend is impressed with your carving skills. He wants to know when I'm going to start doing that.

I worked in a Japanese company years ago where we processed luminescent materials. We had red and blue phosphor that was white...until you shone UV light on it, then it was a vibrant blue or red. I may need to call them for some samples...

That is such a subtle burst, I really like it. Really cool guitar, Drak!

Scott and Pros, I really appreciate your expertise on using oil as a finish. I was planning on using tung oil on my bass, and now I see that I have A LOT of sanding before I get to that stage. Mind. Blown.

Use a forstener bit to countersink the pots a little deeper inside the control cavity, or as a slightly more fancy option, countersink the top so that the knobs sit in a "crater" just below the surface of the top (kinda what PRS does with their control knobs). Thanks for the idea of the crater, and the correct spelling of forstener, Curtis. That would be much easier.

I thought I would have more time to get this done, but the interviews are happening and, oh yeah, the Honey-Do list just got longer. BUT, I have had time to get SOME things done. The issue is that the Dremel-esque tool my friend uses for sanding internal areas, like my headstock, busted and we are waiting on replacement parts, so I've been working on small items. Drilled the positions for the pots, but I found a small issue... The top is too thick. I'm thinking I need to use a forstner bit to thin it. Any other suggestions? While I'm working on the area of the pots, I thought I'd give making my own knobs (insert snarky comments here). This is leftover persimmon from the fretboard. Why not? I turned a scrap section down to 1" diameter, but they look a bit big. I'll take another section down to 3/4". I think that would look better. I'll end the day with my beverage of choice. Oh, one of the job prospects is with a local company that constructs stage sets and lighting rigs for concert tours, like Lady Gaga.

Instead of lava, it reminds me of old leather. Like the cover of the Necronomicom ex Mortis, the Book of the Dead in the Bruce Campbell Evil Dead movies. In other words, your guitar is KILLER!

I agree with Scott, That is a great acoustic build. I like the shape of it, something about the cutaway... Since I am a "Noob" with acoustics, would the sweeping cutaway affect the tone of the guitar? I was thinking it just depended on the cross bracing, but wasn't sure.

Well, I guess I'll have time to work on this. I was laid off this morning due to restructuring. I'm on paid leave for two months, thEn receive a severance. Looking for a job, but now may get to finish this.

I will say it again, your builds are simply amazing!

I thought I'd post this on here for some comic relief. I answered a freecycle offer of an acoustic hard shell case. The individual sent me their address and away I went. Taking the case off their porch, the door opened and a guy asked if I wanted some new guitar strings. OI told him sure and he went back inside and retrieved his guitar. handing it to me, I noticed the body was a bit odd-shaped. He explained, "My girlfriend is bi-polar and I came home from the bar 30 minutes late. She hit me with it and broke the guitar. You can have it if you want." The back was shattered and the sides are separated from the top. I am planning on practicing steaming the neck free and building a new body for it. Granted, this will be after I am finished my bass, so expect a thread to start in the proper forum in five years.

Curtis, I'm not using a scratchplate, so I'll just be extra careful with a wee bit of shielding. Thanks much!

Installing side markers - 12 GA copper wire. Filed down. Begun work on the headstock.

Scott, I may leave it visible as a "Remember though art mortal" reminder. I also wrote down a checklist of items I need to complete so my mind does not wander and another mistake like this happens again.

Hi everyone. Just a quick question on shielding cavities. I am building a PJ neck-through bass, and I am planning on routing out some of the wood in the wings to lighten the load, so to speak. I am planning on shielding the pickup cavities, but since the wings will be routed for part of the pickups, how far into the wings do I need to shield? Please let me know if this is incoherent, I've been up for close to 24 hours with a sick daughter. Cheers!

Well, this is what happens when you are ADD and not paying attention. Shaping the neck and filed it way off the mark. I had to walk away from this for about a week. Cut the section out, and glued in a piece from the cutoff I had (I learned to save everything until I am done). It's not perfect, but I will look at that as a learning experience. At least I don't have to rebuild the whole thing AGAIN!

Very nice build, for both of you. This will be something that she will treasure. Outstanding!

Nothing says mirror finish like reflection of clouds. I always look forward to seeing your builds.

I love the blue guitar. It looks like jeans at first glance. You make some astounding builds. Keep up the great work!

Matt, my daughter, the "expert" on pictures, loves this guitar. She says it reminds her of Pepperidge Farm goldfish. I'm liking the look of the wood and can't wait to see this one finished. Learning a lot about pore filling and finishing on this thread. Thanks for the information!

Very nice guitar. Set it up and let's hear some sound!