NotYou

Truth. I've done it countless times. Every time was because I did something stupid and dented the wood.

Yes. Use a soldering iron over a damp/wet cloth to make steam. It works for most wood indentations and dries quickly because of the heat.

I just saw this in the GOTM thread. That is some nice work! The back of that guitar is stunning! I don't know if it was intentional or not (I'll give the benefit of the doubt), but the colors come together perfectly. Very, very nice.

How does that sound?

Just my two cents, but black walnut is my favorite neckwood, especially on acoustics. It can also make great side and back wood. I'm not too familiar with most of those, so I'll shut up.

This.

I voted for verhoevenc. Your work gets better and better all the time! Also, I have a thing for small acoustics. I like all of the other guitars as well. Everybody did great work, really. The acoustic just really stood out this time, I thought. BTW, did anybody not know the blue maple was going to win. I want to see a month where there are two blue flame/curly/tiger maple guitars. It'll create chaos!

I'm switching a bridge out for somebody and the new bushings are too small. The obvious solution is dowel then re-drill, but I'd like to avoid any permanent or invasive work on this guitar as it is very nice. I asked around a bit and some people suggested wrapping the bushing in veneer (it'd be a good fit), or aluminum, etc.. There were other suggestions, but I didn't like them. There are potential issues, mostly with it being sturdy enough to resonate properly, but it also seems like it might work. If I do something like that (given that it works), he can switch out the bridge later with no issues from an added dowel. Has anybody tried anything like that? I'm just looking for some experience on the issue. Any opinions are welcome too, of course. I'm just going over options a bit before I do anything.

I used to use a computer, but I found I'm more productive doing it by hand with French curves. I still use software to make things more precise and symetrical after I'm done, but that's normally all I use it for. I know that doesn't answer the "what software" question. I just wanted to throw "doing it by hand" into the mix.

It there a different texture to the hazy area? Even just a little bit?

Tough one this month. I liked all of them and they were all very well done. I ultimately went with decadentjon. The shape had to grow on me, but the more I saw it, the more I liked it. Not a big fan fan of high gloss, which seems to be the thing this month, but it's just a personal preference and doesn't take anything away from the guitar. Great job, everybody!

Thanks! I actually don't like metal much either. They would certainly be fitting, though. I think a polarized filter would work. The problem is with the light hitting the sensor and causing it to do funny things. A polarized filter would would probably eliminate that. One of these days I'll actually get one and find out.

I always try for overcast days. We don't get a lot of those around here, so I have to make due sometimes. Direct sun on those metallic finishes is blinding and won't come out in photos at all. Same with studio lights. I've actually done quite a bit of professional photography (mostly for archeologists) and I have a degree in film, but shooting metallic guitars is its own challenge. The more I shoot them, the more little tricks I figure out, though.

Are you talkin about the coppery one? I have no idea what's going on there. The finish and woodwork were both perfect. I can only assume it's from the photos with the metallic finish. I had weird dark spots showing in some photos and all kinds of crap. The glare would have the camera sensor do funny things with contrast and and white correction and all kinds of stuff. It would even look totally differet in the view finder than in the actual shot. They were really hard to shoot. I have other shots of the heels that look great. That's the only one I got at that angle, so I keep using it. I might just start using the others though. People will jump to all kinds of conclusions when see photos like that. We're supposed to be doing a video shoot for DAG soon. I'm hoping they'll look more natural on video.

I made them all. It took forever to get it right. The "ghost" finishes get spotty if they're not applied just right because they're somewhat translucent (i.e. if it's not totally even, the opacity will be all over the place). I'll probably explain how I did at some point, but not yet. These guitars are meant to be the bulk of the business. Until now, I approached it like I approached being an artist... and that makes for a horrible business. The finishes are a big part of these and took me a long, long time to get right, so I'm not spilling the beans yet. The clear is polyacrylic. I can say that much.

Thanks. The ghost blue is definitely most people's favorite so far. I did a ghost red, but I made the mistake of putting it over a black that had blue pigment in it. That's where the purple one came from /facepalm. I think it should work over lampblack, though. Next time. In person, the purple fades to black, which is pretty badass, but it doesn't show in the photos. Metallic finishes are extremely hard to shoot, especially the ghost finishes. I took 200-300 shots of each guitar and only had a few show the metallic qualities, pearlescence, or iridescence I wanted. I'm glad a few shots turned out, though.

For the first time, I'm making a model of guitar, instead of only one-offs. These are the first ones. It took months to come up with a fast process, find the right clear coat, and experiment with countless pigments and new finish applications. We're calling this the "Siren" series. The finishes are my favorite part about these. It took tons of experimenting, but I found a way to make metallic finishes that only show at certain angles, giving a sort of iridescent effect. We're calling them ghost finishes. They can be very dynamic, or just give a soft glow. I really like how they look. There is a ton more info on my site.

It's definitely possible. 7" of purpleheart isn't going to be easy to cut through, though.

Dangerous, yes. This has been argued like you wouldn't believe on here. I say it makes a difference. Any material will have it's own distinct harmonic properties. The pickups literally "pick up" sound that has been transferred through the strings. Everything vibrates sympathetically to a certain extent and makes at least a small change. I've played guitars with great pickups that sounded dull due to the wood and a heavy plastic finish. I could go on and on about how it works, but I'll refrain being the "PhD" sounding guy. A lot of guys will say it makes no difference once the sound goes through all their distortion and whatever else. That's mostly true, but not everybody plays like that. For everybody else, there is a distinct and noticeable impact intone. The arguments about words used to describe tone are just semantic arguments. We have no better simple terms than dark, warm, etc., so that's what we use. They make sense to most people, so they get used. If I wrote every description for tone that goes through my head, I'd sound like one of those weirdo sommeliers everybody hates. Arguments about those terms come up a lot and always include a good dose of sarcasm (like the quote from the book). That's my two cents. These topics are usually a can of worms, so I might end up added more than my two cents later.

I'm working on a custom order right now with knots for "f-holes". I asked around a lot, mostly with woodworkers who don't build guitars, and did a lot of experimenting. I ended up using thin CA. It hardens quickly, but slow enough to soak into the cracks and the wood. I used a Ton of it to make sure it was full saturated. Then I drilled small holes into the back where the cracks are and glued dowels in there to further stabalise it and prevent the cracks from spreading. It been holding steady for a couple months. The guitar is semi hollow, but I'm going to make it solid around most of the knots, just in case. I'll post a photo later. I'm on my iPhone right now.

I have a very short beard, but I only used water based finishes. As long as I pull the mask tight, there isn't a problem. My new favorite finish is water based, but still puts out some fumes. I have to be extra careful with that one, but it's been okay so far. It's a horrible skin irritant and I think it's mummifying my hands, but that's another issue.

Cool stuff this month. There's nothing blue and shiny this time, though. I'll try to keep these short. SwedishLuthier: Your craftsmanship is amazing! There wasn't anything about the design that stood out to me. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. It still looks unique and well thought out. Ironically, its subtlety stands out. Great work!! RestorationAD: Great looking wood! it looks like a very solid design all around and well executed. 3DogNate: I love this one. I like that you installed the Rolland, but it's all I can see when I look at the guitar. I love the finish too. I'm not much for glossy, but this one has just the right amount of gloss. Very Nice. avengers63: Got my vote. I love everything about this one. It's actually not to my tastes at all, but I still love it. That's probably the biggest reason why I voted for it. jessejames: I love visually simple designs. This one really nails that. The top looks like some type of polished stone, which is pretty awesome too. crow: Nicely done. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I like how the grain isn't too flashy. Personally, I'm terrible at faux binding, so I really respect the clean lines in that finish! orgmorg: ***? I had no idea you were behind Dismal Axe. I guess I should have paid more attention. Cliff and I were actually talking about your work a couple weeks ago. Anyhow, I love this guitar. The thing that kept me from voting for it over avenger's was the bridge. I absolutely love Baby Grands, but I think it's a bit out of place on that rugged looking guitar. That's just me being overly picky, though. I absolutely love the wood on this, especially the back. Very, very cool guitar. madhattr88: Nicely executed all around. I love how it keeps the simplicity of the design even with these lam stripes. Very elegant.

I sent you a PM.

Cherry and maple together is going to sound BRIGHT!