demonx

No - it's too heavy machine for Ballscrews (although the Z axis is ballscrew) so it's needs the industrial style rack pinion on the X & Y axis. In saying that, the engineer stood on the Z axis and it lifted him up and down, so it's pretty solid. The rack & pinion is a much better setup, less flex, can bear much more weight, but comes at a cost. All the framework etc is modelled off a $120k Multicam at a local factory that we spent an afternoon going over and then we upgraded all the specs so its better than the Multicam, took influence from Dougs latest machine, added a tool changer and the engineer also suggested a few other changes and upgrades and here we are. Rather than make the mistake everyone does and go cheap on a hobby machine, I'm investing in a industrial style straight from the beginning to avoid wasting money on upgrades down the track and in the hope **** doesn't break on me..

I always wanted a pin router. Great score, the price is an absolute steal.

Ok, so after a whole string of setbacks, mostly due to the spindle company, the majority of the machine is together.

I got to see it moving around yesterday via a wireless remote control.

The Z axis supports in this pic are only temporary ones so the guy building it could work out best positioning to achieve maximum travel etc. The final ones will be much wider at the base and taper up and have bracing to minimize flex.

The final unit is larger than the original specs which is also a bonus.

Another one I finished up this week.

This is Jon's All Aussie Timber SS7

27" scale
16" radius
24 frets
Recessed kahlerbridge

Tasmanian Blackwood 3 piece handcarved Neckthru
Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle top
Tasmanian Sassafras body
Queens Ebony fingerboard
Tiger Myrtle Binding
White side dots - Small

Kahler 7300 Hybrid
Floyd Rose Lock nut
Grover Straplock system
Grover Tuners

CTS volume pot 500k
CTS Push pull Tone 500k
Bareknuckle Juggernaut Calibrated Soapbar pickups









More pics here: http://searlsguitars.com.au/Gallery/043/043.html

Awesome. I would have guessed that but it is darker than most of the examples I have seen. I'd love to find some of that over here.

SR

There is huge color variety in Tassy Blackwood. It can sometimes look very light and can also get darker than this.

These boards are exceptionally nice. It isn't always this nice and at times it can get highly figured as well. To get these boards (I bought about fifteen meters in this batch) I picked through what may have been about thousand meters of the same looking for color, grain and other things. That place is now out of business so I'll have to find a new supplier once my current stocks are depleted which isn't far away..

I actually sent one from this batch to a fellow forum member a while back in part of a timber trade, so if he's reading this, he will now know what it'll look like once cleared!

Impressive timbers. What's that neck wood?

SR

Tasmanian Blackwood. One of my favorite Australian Timbers.

A couple teaser pics from a build I string up today.

I'm still yet to do a photoshoot, I hope the weather is good enough tomorrow to get some decent snaps of this beauty!

Wanna run... moite?

Had a Magnuson S/C and new engine fitted to the work truck (Monaro) in Feb. $24k, OMG! 120kmph, and it will STILL spin the wheels. Panty shitting stuff.

$3000 for a new clutch since then

Just need to work out how to make it tax deductable

I'd love a Corvette too. Hired one in Vegas a few years ago. But, Ferrari... come to me my exotic little Italian... and make sweet sweet love to my wallet.

Its quite gutless compared to the 57 chev I sold recently. I had lit them up in the chev on the freeway. That's scary power in a car that doesn't turn corners.

I kind of regret buying this ute as now I've had the VY for a while the HQ was a MUCH better work ute.

I've had a couple vettes, great cars not modern ones though, both C3's.

A Holden Ute would be pretty sweet too!

Chris

Something like my sh1tbox "workute" ?

It's funny seeing you overseas guys talking about Aussie cars when us Aussies are busy drewling over American cars. I wish we had Aussie delivered Corvettes instead of them import and convert jobs and then costing something like $250,000 for a brand new ZR6 Corvette.

I skim ready and it sounds like you're using acuto 2k and then a 2k clear?

Anyway, a few comments. If it's all maple you won't get much sink back, but i tend to use epoxy sealers to both seal and grain fill before I do any priming and this is on all timbers. It'll help you level the surface anyway as it's never perfect even after a fussy sand.

I tend to do all my priming with clear coat these days, but I used to use PPG prima primer or other high solids grey primers. I haven't used "primer" on a guitar for a couple years now as I'm getting better results with the sealer and clear. It also helps achieve cleaner mask edges at tricky spots like fingerboard edges etc

3-4 coats of color sounds excessive, I usually spray 2, sometimes three if I have to. But I do spray a tack coat at the start, which is virtually just a mist over the guitar to help with adhesion and avoid runs

Same as above with clear, usually two clear coats is enough if you're using a 1.8 tip. If you're using a 1.4 tip you'll need three thick coats.

Sanding the clear I start at 2000 then 3000 and then buff, however sometimes I'll have done a crap job and have a couple spots I'll start off at 1000, but it's usually 2000.

I don't use microfibre cloths or any of that dirt of stuff. Just a good cut as described above (all wet sanding of course) and then a polish with a waffle pad on an air polisher (variable speed) with a quality 3M polish.

Thanks guys

In between all those above comments was a discussion about the only negative thing the customer was unhappy about.

I packed this guitar different to how I normally do, I filled every empty space in the case with packing beans. Some of those beans rubbed against the clear coat and left cloudy marks on the guitar. So a discussion on how to approach this, clean, polish etc was in between all the excited positive feedback.

Apparently packing beans are bad for guitars.

Here are a few comments some of which are about the fretwork on a recent guitar I sold, the guy is a collector of high end brand name guitars, so his comparison is not against shop bought, but against luthier built.

These are just cut and paste extracts from what I'll simply describe as a couple dozen seperate messages over a couple day period

(It was the Rimu guitar by the way)

****ing love the way it plays and sounds mate!!!! Holy ****!!! That neck profile!!!!

That binding in person is beautiful!!

Nicest neck heel I've ever played!! Fretboard and neck are simply beautiful!! Fret work is high end! 3 toggle switches and tone pot have opened up so many tone variations!! Body shape and weight are both spot on!! Workmanship on the construction is also high end!! Once I've unplugged it I will look over it as it came strait out of the case into the amp lol
Playability = 10/10!!

Was in tune straight outta the case!

Bro I can't put it down!!! Don't you ever under estimate your skills mate cos this is the best playing guitar I've owned!!
I wouldn't hesitate for one second to get you to build me another one!! I'm an even bigger fan of your work now!!! I WILL be back for ss7 when the time comes!!

Just the photo and light reflections - I definitely crown as part of the milling process.

Mathew's E7 - aka "Warhound" as he named it.
Distressed with red features and oil finish.

Mathew's E7 - aka "Warhound" as he named it.
Distressed with red features and oil finish.

One that I'm working on today.

A very very nice Tasmanian Blackwood three piece neck and the back of the wings is slightly Spalted Tasmanian Sassafras.

Yes, I'm aware of all that. I've used Wenge on maybe a dozen guitars

I was just making a comment in regards to it being a **** of a timber..

How much of a PITA is Wenge to work with!!??

Nice job so far

Wenge is splintery wood, as in it likes to spontaneously jump in little needle like shards straight from the board and into your skin

It can also be a little bit brittle, so you have to be careful routing...

Other than that it has giant pores so grain filling is fun if you're into that...

In the end all the hassle is well worth it though... it's beautiful wood when finished

Welcome to the forum.

The paint will have a tech data sheet with recommended tip sizes.

How much of a PITA is Wenge to work with!!??

Nice job so far

Looking good.

I know those drawings are only just scribbled notes, but they are worlds apart from anything I could do.

I only wish I could draw that good!

That top is spectacular... can't wait to see it glossy.

I was just thinking the same thing.

That quilt in that color with a good clear coat will look sensational

Coming along nicely.

Welcome to the forum!

I see you're building outdoors. Brings back memories. All my earliest guitars were built outdoors also.

Serpentine - nice clean work. Not sure of the "customer design" headstock myself, but I guess we've all done the odd "customer request" that was questionable!