komodo

Indeed . .but your point is well taken. For every internal cavity there will be an initial plunge regardless of the depth of the cut. Maybe some simple foot operated clamp could be the third hand for the initial plunge . . .not unlike a shaving horse has.

Ya, that wood in the second pic is indeed Mappa burl. I tried to get some interest around here to buy some actual mappa burl lumber (billets) , but nobody was interested. It is very expensive and usually used for veneer. You can get chunks of it, but have to have it shipped in larger quantities from Italy/Croatia/Germany . .

I can see that an initial plunge cut could get tricky, but then again you shouldn't be cutting more than a small amount at a time. i have mine built with 1/2 or 3/8" rod going into bushings on either end. I really don't think it'll move, but if it does I can add weights on top, or just make it clamp or screw down on each end. My router has a plunge lock, so once I get to depth, it's locked easily and I can route away. Can't wait to try it, I just finished it last week.

Guys, check this out: http://www.doolinguitars.com/articles/pinrouter/ I had looked at every pin router option out there, and was contemplating the Shop Foxx. Most options are $$$ and most have some kind of compromise. I thought this one was SO simple, SO elegant and actually has very little in the way of negatives. With this design I can use my plunge router I have now, without buying anything dedicated. It just pops on and off with three screws. You don't need to worry about a bit jack, or pneumatics are whatever, just utilize the plunge of your router. You can SEE the routing, dust collection can easily be added (I already built mine and used a small 'Y'), it's light and easily stowed, takes little shop space. I altered the design on mine a small bit by making different inserts to match different diameter bits. When I first found that link I had been on an exhaustive search for every pin router known to man, and when i saw it there in all it's elegant simplicity I just about dropped a load. I emailed Mike Doolin immediately and thanked him for saving me hundreds.

Perry, can you post a simple drawing of what you've done? I am trying to picture this, and will build something like this with my next shop. Thanks! Or maybe just a clarification . . .are you saying that you have holes all over the whole floor area? And that the WHOLE floor is raised 3"? If so, how big are the holes and how far spaced are they? How did you determine the correct amount of holes and size? Also, is this a steel shed or what did you use for the walls and general construction?

I have a new shipment coming in including buckers with gold covers and the new Rebel bucker size P-90's and as always free shipping ConUS. Gold Rocksong set? Finally? Yay! Now if I can just find my SICK tubular quilt maple top I'll be set.

I'm the same way Matt. My wife doesn't let me get two words out anymore without saying " . . until at least one of those guitars is finished . . ". TOO MANY IDEAS, too little time to do them. Focus, focus, focus . . .

Howdy, I was thinking about getting a resonator at some point and while I normally don't think about relicing too much . .. a dobro would be really cool relic'd. Anyone have any ideas on how you would go about that? Looks like they are chrome or nickel plated bell brass. Curious.

IMHO, when a business DOES make a mistake and acknowledges it, they should fix it IMMEDIATELY if they want to keep a good name. If they don't rectify it right away then I think the experience should be relayed to others so that they may avoid the same problems. This is not an excuse to slander, or start a smear campaign, but relaying your experience, if it was a particularly bad one is not out of line. This is all of course opinion and everyone may have a different one.

Yup. I also have some soft that is bone white and is noticeably lighter than my other maples. EXCELLENT tap tone. I have some slammin' curly hard maple, which is dense and heavy and not the greatest tap tone. In my experience, hard maple tends to have tighter and straighter curl than other maples.

I wonder what the minimum body depth can be? From their routing templates, they are asking for more than 1.75".

Isn't that enough reason to take her out back and burn her? Heh.

Let me know when you get some gold Rocksongs in . . . Thanks! Jeff

Whelp . . .Router on an angled jig would give you a clean cut but would probably still need a tiny bit of handwork. Planes or chisels and lots of handwork would look rougher at first but still get you there and look as good as anything if you are good enough. BUT, chisels and planes would make you feel more satisfaction in the end, plus if you farged it up somehow, the router would look like a screwup or trash the body. A handwork screwupwould just be "character". (I say this after spending much of the day finishing my shop built pin router jig) komodo

Not only are necks easier than you think, they are the best part. Really fun.

IMHO, great flooring material. For guitars, i'd stick to using it for strips in laminations, although I like Pau Ferro better.

I'm trying really hard to not respond to this post.

Eck. Attributing the design to Metallica now? The "hetfield type shape" is the Gibson Explorer that started it's long and illustrious life in 1958.

I hear ya Rich. I am taking into consideration the yeild, and will be able to check pics of everything before shipping. IF I can arrange this it is with a veneer manufacturer so the quality of the burl should be consistent and high. Also, the wood is dried already, and I actually have a choice of air or kiln! That was a bit of a shocker.

Howdy, Does anyone have any interest in mappa burl for tops? I have seen Parker use it and Jerzy Drozd the bass maker. It can be a STUNNING wood, used usually as veneers for private jets, sports cars, yachts, etc etc. It is virtually impossible to find it in anything but veneer, and usually it has to be shipped right from the Mediterranean (Italy, Croatia, etc). Soon, I may purchase a larger quantity with the idea of resawing some for tops to help cover the costs, and wonder if there is interest? It is possible that i could supply 1" solid tops, around 14" x 24", 1" bookmatched, or 1/2" bookmatched. I imagine that I could sell a decent amount on Ebay as well if need be. Just putting out a feeler here first before I make a leap. Thanks! Komodo

Anyone reading this thread who has thought about making a business out of this should read "Art and Fear". Even if you don't want to start a business. I went to a liberal arts school and majored in graphic design. The only difference between the designers and the oil painters in school was that they thought we were sellouts and we thought they were not looking out for their best interests in the future. ;-P Keep your day job, work hard, develop a marketing plan, take some business courses and keep making guitars. Running a business really doesn't have much to do with the subject of your business, but in being a great business person. From your last post, it sounds like you are doing most things right!

Totally, I love the spokeshave. I have a larger flat one and a smaller curved bottom. I also tend to grab the microplane a lot. Those were cool vids, but man o man they are just riddled with unsafe shop practices and I am certainly not a prude. Holding the fretboard with his bare hands across the jointer almost made me puke. . . I watched someone loose three fingers doing that exact same thing after the thin piece took a dive into the cutter head.

I went though this search not all that long ago. My main criteria was a GOOD organic distortion. There are lots of high gain out there that sound like crap. The little Orange Tiny Terror was on my short list, as were a couple custom builders. In the end, I found a used Laney TT20 head and some NOS tubes. Check them out . . .the gain quality is awesome (without a box), pentode/tritode switch, 20 watt. I use a 1x12" cab with a Weber Blue Dog and it sounds great. It will cost you more, but Fab amps (custom builder) sound great and you can pretty much custom order anything you want. Of all the builders I looked at, he seemed to more most attuned to the quality of the gain.

Nobody? Offers? I can't believe that there isn't one person here who could use this?

Thought I'd start a new topic to clarify this. Near new, 20 minutes of play time bought from a PG member. I have not installed it and it comes with everything. Comes in the original box, with all of the hardware (pots, hookup wires, etc). $65 + ship to you. Jeff