n8rofwyo

I think frank is right. I've made the same mistake, I was so caught up in the wiring from switch to tone controls that I just wired the jack bass ackwards. Swap em, bet ya get lots of sound.

Where I live (Wyoming) you don't see too many people hauling around logs of any size, except for the lodgepole pine the local mill runs for lumber. And I really don't have any idea of the magnitude of species availalible (sp) in Washington, but wouldn't it be easier on law enforcement to just be in the state of mind of, "That is a big damn log to be hanging out of the back of that F150". My reasoning behind that being if a logging company has a employee who is looking for a little money under the table, he's going to mark the tree he wants, cut it and process it on company time. Why wouldn't he throw a high end figured log on the bottom of a "legal" stack and then unload it to their own personal vehicle after hours. Like I said we don't see crap for logging around here except for whats only decent for building homes, decks and fences. And maybe I'm way off, I don't cut my own firewood or anything like that. Anyway just my thoughts, though my mileage isn't due for its first oil change yet.

Nate Robinson

I signed up on this forum as an amatuer, on a amatuer forum. So I deserve to be called an idiot for assuming that the fret markers were filled in slots, not for a grainy picture. I think I would have reacted the same way if someone who didn't know better had said that all my hard work came from a factory. Past that maybe the best solution is to vote and leave it at that, leave the comments in the in progress threads. If I had followed Raga's in progress thread I wouldn't have said anything so senseless. So shame on me for not doing my homework. The only reason I gave any opinion at all in the vote was to show my appreciation of all the good work done on these instruments.

Nate Robinson

Raqa, I didn't mean any insult by asking why you didn't make your own neck. And it is obviously not against the rules, it's just that your craftsmanship apears to be superb on the body. It just struck me that seeing filled in frets on such a beautiful instrument was sad in a way.

Nate Robinson

I think Doc is exactly right, as usual. Beyond that - I have been doing a bit of research on shellac myself and have one more tidbit to add. The process of French Polishing is a very regimented and methodical one. The point of the process being to burn each additional layer of finish into the previous one. I think that using a spray shellac for anything other than sealer might be a mistake, especially if you expect a high gloss finish. My opinion is that you would probably end up with a really warm toned finish with a "nice" orange peel look.

Nate Robinson

Matt, an omnipotent silhoute no doubt, and beautifull workmanship from what I can see. I especially appreciate the natural finish accompanied by such a mathMATTical body contour - balances out real smooth. Raqa, that headstock is absolutely amazing, it reflects the body to perfection. But with your skill at woodworking, why not do your own neck too. The only turn off was not using a matching grain/finish on the control cavity. Rhoads, an absolutely gorgeous finish. I can't help but admire the classic tele with a pleasant - though unexpected - twist. Toddler, your interpretation of a classic design is fantastic. That coupled with your choice of cap and laminates, along with a seamingly flawless finish has gained my vote this month. All of you are among the elite of this forum , and I hope to gain more incites - both in design and technical use - from all of you this year.

Nate Robinson

IMHO, mounting the pup directly to the wood is a great idea - asthetically. But to adjust the height of the pup you still need either a spring or a piece of closed cell packing foam. Neither of these are condusive to transmitting wave forms, so I would say that it really wouldn't make a discernable difference in the sound of the instrument. Unless of course you TRULY BELIEVE it will, at which point you are only hearing what you want to.

Nate Robinson

Maybe "Aversion" (It's synonimus with horror - for those of you out there who need to look stuff like this up... just like me) I figured that is kinda in keeping with your theme anyway. Well, whatever you name it it looks good. Can't wait to see those laminates come together.

Nate Robinson

Damn fine question, I second the motion.

Looks like you're well on your way, let us know how the spraying goes - especially the pitfalls/successes. Keep up the good work.

Nate Robinson

Sleek, Stylish and continuous from one end to the other. If I don't bow in humbleness, then I will at least nod in admiration. Very nice work.

Nate Robinson

First off, I have never tried this, but... I was a watching a program not to long ago in which a luthier was soaking his sides in a tub of water for a half an hour and then laying it across his "homemade" bender. His bender was just an 18" long piece of aluminum electrical conduit ( he didn't give the conduites diameter, but it looked like maybe 3 or 4 inches to me) He used U bolts to secure the pipe to his bench with twelve inches or so hanging over the side of the bench. Then he got really technical and put a standard propane torch on the bench and positioned it so the flame went into the pipe. He let the pipe warm up for a few minutes and then went to bending the sides on his "bender" pipe. Anyway, like I said I haven't tried it myself but it looked like a sound idea. Good luck in any event.

Nate Robinson

IMO, a highly contoured body is a must for this paint scheme. I put together a copy-caster and painted it with the green-purple coloring. It looked really nice in direct sunlight, but inside the house it just kinda looks charcoal grey. Some of that may have been due to over painting on the color coat, but all the same the only time it really comes alive is on the contours.

Personaly, I think that the way you figured the headstock really helps offset the unusually wide body. Beyond that I like the look of an instrument that isn't "cookie cutter". The only thing I wonder about is the choice of wood for the truss rod cover. But, hey, builders choice... right! All in all looks damn fine for a first shot. Hope to see more in the future, good luck.

Nate Robinson

Ok, here's the new cut on the head, it's only been roughed in but it should give you a general idea

So whats the consencise? I like it alot better than the last one. Thanks to Bluesprecence, Skibum5545, Mledbetter,Metal Matt, and Pibrocher (by the way Pibrocher, that bass with the full on sculpting is absolutely gorgeous!) for the great ideas and assistance.

About that "Clip On" bout. Given the premise that an electric guitar is essentially an accoustic with amplified sound through the pups - not going to argue about acoustics and electrics being different animals, but sound waves are sound waves and they are affected by mass and continuity. Aren't you concerned that having a break in the body will significantly alter the acoustic characteristics of the body that are then transferred to the pups? I have no reason to doubt your jointery or "fitting" skills, but it seems to me that in order to maintain the resonance I assume you are looking for... it would take a hammer to pull that bout off - regardless of what external hard drive clips you used. No personal experience here, just wondered if it had crossed your mind.

Nate Robinson

I agree with Sashimimi, in that the the upper horn being slightly more curved makes the headstock curve really grab your attention as an extension of the whole. (but what do I know, I recently had to have this pointed out to me on my own project by those in this forum).

Nate Robinson

Well I left most of the headstock outline alone, trimmed off the nubs of alder, and recessed the flame into the top with a bit of a recurved look. Too tired to head to the shop for pics tonight, tommorrow I'll show ya how it came out. Thanks for all the great ideas, personaly I like it a lot better this way.

The only thing I might add is to unstring it, which you probably already have, but it's strung in the picture so....

Bar clamps are a little different from sash clamps, but only the fact that the sash clamps use a rectangular rail instead of a bar. I wouldn't worry so much about which clamps to use as much as I would worry about getting my hands on as many as possible. I bet I have 18 clamps of different sizes and styles and I think to myself, "Geez - If I had a few more clamps this would be so much easier." Anyway my advice is to get all six if you can. Good luck on the new Axe.

Nate Robinson

Do you have a router table?

If so I would load either a 1 1/2' ogee (if you want to see a sharp edge at the lip of the top) or a 1 1/4" quarter round bit (if you are looking for the sweet roundover effect). Regardless, by putting a dowel into your table on the end side of the router you should be able to accomplish the "compound curve" that it looks like you are after. IE as you push the body into the router it will take a full cut until the point that is hits the dowl. From there the cut will become less and less aggressive as long as you act as the second pivot point. This means that you will have to move very slowely and accurately. I would recomend using a variable speed module to slow down the bit speed of the router, especially with bits that big - it will keep more digits on your hands if nothing else. I imagine you will still have to hand shape the contour by hand at the tail of the guitar, as the pretty curve you will have at the bottom of the "hourglass" of the body will turn into a sharp edge at the tail.

wwhheeww.

Anyway if you have any other question (and i imagine you will since its easier to "show" than "tell" and the fact that I am not Shakespeares reincarnation) just let em fly.

Take it easy, Nate Robinson

Truer words were never spoken, I only recently learned how to properly dress my scrapers. Worlds of difference doesn't begin to describe the experience of using one that you have been patient and attentive too. Good luck getting yours set up, it's well worth the time.

The only difference I have noticed in the fluted sole planes verses the solid sole planes is that it is so much easier to lap the soles of the fluted planes. But other than that, I just hit the sole of mine with wax paper to slick em up before I use em. So I dunno... I guess a sharp, well tuned plane is about as good as you can hope for regardless of the sole being fluted or not. Just my opinion, though.

you may need to bore out the mounting holes in the pups to accomodate the wood screws, but I would think that if you took the pup with you to the hardware store you could just check screws against the hole till you find one just the right size. Good Luck, Hope it turns out.

Southpa, you are the man!! This is excellent material, thanks so much for bringing this into the thread.