ScottR

I just realized this afternoon, after roughly a year of working on this thing that the top surface of many of the branches, are going to be so hidden as to be invisible when the top is glued on. Doh! I wonder how may hours I have spent working on that area?

SR

So last weekend I'm in the garage as usual and sanding on this thing as usual and a young man comes a round looking like he is canvassing the neighborhood. This is normally when I like to be invisible, so as to avoid a sales pitch. But with my garage door open and me sitting in the opening working on this tree, and blues sweetly filling my garage and driveway, it's hard to pull off invisible. I've got my best don't fuck with me face on and it's working mostly, then the dude executes a double take and asks permission to comne take a look. How can I resist.....even knowing it is a perfect opening to launch the sales pitch. He asked If I was carving a tree and said it made him think of the tree in The Karate Kid. I said YES, the bonsai, that's exactly the looking I'm working for! Then he tried to sell me a solar energy plan and I sent him on his way. Still confirmation from an unexpected source is great. Say your seven year daughter brings home a picture she did in art class and tells you to guess what it is. You think it vaguely looks like a mama cow suckling her calf. She says it's you changing the flat tire on your bicycle last week. If you'd have guessed the cow thing, she'd have felt like I did.

Work continues.

SR

The cavity looks like a peanut....where is Mr. Peanut when you need him?

Don't get me wrong. That is as efficient a cavity as I've ever seen.

SR

You have gotten good enough that you don't need my encouragement....but you certainly deserve my appreciation!

SR

I'm with Mike, BC Rich's don't make me salivate either, but that one is really looking nice. Very clean and classy--something I'd never thought I'd say about the style. Perfect finish for it.

Super well done!

SR

19 hours ago, ADFinlayson said:

Now the question is... Is it a double cut, a single cut or a no-cut? 

How about a barely cut?

It's certainly unorthodox, but not exactly unsettling shape, kind of organic. And the way the F-hole reflects the curves enhances it a lot. It'll create some aesthetic challenges for you, but with your skills I know it's going to end up looking hot!

SR

That's coming through my monitor as a highly purple purple to me.

SR

Glue should be sufficient. It's not a structural joint.

SR

I'm running behind, but I just love the way this is going. Don't scrimp on it, it's gonna be decadent!

SR

I'm trying to think of new ways to say WOW.

SR

I have never purchased a guitar. I have played all my builds .... but I honestly don't play that much and half of them are still mine and hanging around looking pretty. My wife claims one, but she doesn't play at all and I'm not sure she's ever actually touched it. I learned it was hers when I loaned it out for a week or so.

On the other hand, I'm always going to be building something, so why not something special and cool like a guitar?

SR

Oh damn!

SR

20 hours ago, mistermikev said:

doh, thought I was looking at a top... but for the record the 'lovely' part was still accurate.

Thanks, Mike. I do believe that was the first guitar oriented piece of wood I ever purchaser. The majority of it went into a prototype....before any build.. Good thing too, that stuff is seriously heavy.

SR

After over a decade of being in here nearly every day, I feel guilty only showing up long enough to post some pictures.

The fact is I used to leave this up in the background all day at work and keep up and comment during slack times. The past 18 months or so have been so busy, that I can go weeks without ever opening up a browser,

It's making me tired.

On the weekends I still work on my wife's table. The carving is essentially done. I've decided to semi-sand to show off the wood and carving marks as well. The plan is to sand and shape and add back some carving marks as needed. I don't like leaving chipped areas and splintered cuts. We'll see if I can stand it....

The branches look like drift wood in this stage.

On nearly all of my guitar builds someone says that top is really nice but I think I like the back even better.

The same could happen here, I suppose.

Baby's got a bubinga butt.

And then to show off her butt, a little wipe of mineral spirits.

Sometimes they sit on the best part.

SR

On 3/4/2023 at 8:46 AM, Bizman62 said:

Thanks for @ScottR for coining the phrase "convenient handles":

LOL.

If I remember the moment correctly, those are somewhat differently formed, albeit equally useful.

On 2/19/2023 at 3:20 PM, curtisa said:

As builders all we really need to be aware of is that moving the pickup further away from the bridge makes the resulting tone warmer, and whatever aesthetic decisions about the look of the guitar are satisfied.

This is about as true as it gets.

I typically place my bridge pickup a little further away than most because I like a warmer tone. If I were going with one only, I'd likely move it a little further away still.....based on my tastes.

SR

I'd say so!

SR

On 2/16/2023 at 12:10 PM, ShatnersBassoon said:

what do you think of the idea of some faux ‘F’ holes which may go all the way through the wood?

I've done that a couple of times, and been very pleased with the result.

SR

I'm running a bit late these days, but bravo Matt!

That's a well deserved win.

SR

Wood porn and eye candy!

SR

I've been spending time tapering roots, reshaping rocks and cleaning up the edges where shapes meet. Kind of like adjusting the focus, and making the image more visible.

Like the last post, the differences are subtle, but represent a lot of work.

SR

I'm looking forward to getting jealous of this.

SR

5 hours ago, Stu. said:

The way this is evolving from blocks of wood is just nuts, especially the negative space between branches. Just like stone carving, I find it scary that you remove all reference surfaces where you could have a line to follow! I bet you can get lost in the process

That is true. You do remove any guides almost right off the bat. I did do some sketches from different angles before I started cutting, so I do have something to refer back to. At the same time the very act of cutting can spur modifications as it comes together. The three branches sprouting from the main trunk have changed the way they are joined almost constantly. It does indeed tell me what it wants to be as it develops.

SR

There is actually a lot of work represented here....and it's mostly invisible. Quoting @Stu. from a recently renewed old thread....it's time to just see if anyone can spot the changes....or something like that. Mostly what you're looking for is limbs being thinned at the ends and gradually growing larger towards the main trunk.

SR

And your work is still killer!

SR