komodo

THAT is a first-class build. Holy Cow. Really really nice. Super design and balance overall. (talking abou the 4th one, esp., but they are all nice)

+1 If that fine dust is in the air, you're already breathing it. Collect as much as you can from the source, and do it as efficiently as possible. Cyclonic collector, large main trunks.

OK this seems like a good thread to add this to. Does anyone have any experience with the inlay tool seen on Ebay that is air powered and comes with a base? It looks like it's probably a dental air drill . . . Anyone? http://cgi.ebay.com/Luthier-precision-pear...1QQcmdZViewItem

sWEEt!

BTW guys, I make all of my prototypes out of 2x4's and they sound pretty excellent, pine is decent tonewood. That's with a regular neck though . . .a 2x4 neck would warp all over the place unless you glue up a bunch of laminates.

Oh yeah don't get me wrong, I could care less what anyone else does. But you hit it on the head, it's more of the "are you REALLY feeling that or are you trying to act like that because that's what you're supposed to do?" That's all I was saying . . personally i think it looks cheeseball most of the time and I do a big eyeroll. Steve Harris certainly wasn't (isn't?) faking it . . .swinging his head in a huge circle like a propeller. He's giving birth to each note with his head and shooting it at you. But I tell ya, it's better than what a bunch of the 80's hair metal bands were doing . . . Prostheta-your icon creeps me out, and i dig the tracks on your page! Cool guitar sound, kinda old skool.

Don't play so much anymore. Back in the day it was Maiden, Priest and Sabbath, etc. Nowadays I am mostly building and listening to a lot of Opeth.

IMHO, I think headbanging looks ridiculous. Usually it looks like they are trying to look cool, but they don't. Just do your own thing instead of worrying about what people think. The coolest thing you can see at a live show is somebody being themselves 100% and looking completely effortless at what they are doing. I always liked Petruccis deer in the headlight look like he's looking through you. Then he gets a little mad face when he does a wicked bit, then back to the computer processing or whatever the hell he's doing in there.

OK, Friday after 5 . . .my brain is gone, someone shoot me. I have been so used to looking for tops or billets to bookmatch.

Drak that's incredible, I have never really thought about it that way but it makes total sense since it's bookmatched. I work as an art director and we have a similar problem using spot varnishes in print jobs. You want that POP but you have to kind of dumb it down sometimes otherwise when you hit it just right with the light, everything disappears in a glare. I guess ideal would be to get a billet that has very similar figure on both sides, cut your tops but use one inside face and one outside to match the grain orientation. So a faked bookmatch, but ideal figure poppage. Wouldn't be easy, but what worthwhile is (except for eating ice cream)? KOMODO I owe you a beer buddy.

Thanks Rich, this just confirms what I know about wood from other woodworking, and my insticts about what would look best. I guess I was poking around to see if the sandback would add any depth or accent really to the curls, as I've never done dyes. One thing I know is that if you get your final finish by a cut rather than sanding, it keeps the grain opened up and can add depth. If the top is flat then you could get a finish with a planer or with a hand plane (or scraper more likely, although my Delta two speed does a wicked job using the finishing cut setting). A carved top would be a bit trickier I suppose, maybe not if you do the final finish with a scraper once again. DRAK: I do have a question about the burnish you were talking about. Never heard of burnishing wood befoire finishing, and seems like it would close the grain pores up? I guess it would also make it rather smooth instead of sanding. Also, the last technique you were talking about I have done. It's actually an ebonizing process, using the tannins in wood along with plain old rust in a solution. I used steel wool and vinegar, you can throw in old nails whatever. When you build up a decent ammount of solution, you just paint it on. It works on most woods, but woods with high tannin content work the best. Oak is wonderful. You can do several coats, and you can do light sanding in between, but very very light. It is an extremely thin finish, and not really a finish ON the wood, but IN or TO the actual wood itself in a thin layer by chemical reaction. I did a bathroom cabinet recently using white oak ply, and solid white oak for the stretchers and legs. There were several coats of this solution and then just a simple brush on poly and it came out beautiful. Because it's not a stain, you don't cloud up the woods look, and it retains depth. Hard to describe really. It has a deep espresso color, and literally looks like a different wood, more like an exotic. I have a friend who is an accomplished WW and he was over and couldn't tell what wood it was. The grain was right for oak, but the color literally looks like the wood and not a finish so he was thrown. (hmm so i posted this and then was thinking, I guess you could try this process and sand IT back like the dyes? I will experiment with that although I don't have too much nice wood to test with! Not sure of the tannic content of maple, and this process is for getting REALLY dark, almost black.) Thanks guys, KOMODO

Thanks so much Drak, this is extremely helpful. I was going to mention chatoyance, that is my ultimate goal. Maximum 3D depth, and still an nice even clean and clear maple. I know what you mean about 3A, 5A, etc etc. So many, (esp. on ebay) just don't have a clue or standard on grading. Now I certainly know that there is subjectivity in it, and I don't think I have a true 5A tops as they have some imperfections I'll try to work around, but for color and figure it's pretty dang sweet. maple top maple top 2 KOMODO

Howdy, I am wondering if anyone has any tips on doing a natural finish on a 5A quilt top with really deep waves? Is there a color that would look OK as a sandback and not kill the natural look, but add the depth to the quilt? Looking at Jeremy's finish options page (cool page) the light caramel over maple made me think that maybe something like that would give me the sandback options in the brown-amber spectrum, and still end up looking pretty natural overall. Natural maple can be pretty pale anyway. . . All your help is much appreciated. KOMODO

Oh yeah, I am not so sure about Meranti for a neck. Isn't that what they use for Luan? It isn't really a mahogany at all and doesn't have it's properties. Mahogany has interlocking grain that is very strong, whereas Meranti is brittle (that's why you had a bright tap tone). Mahogany has many coveted properties which is why it's been used for centuries, very stable, very strong, machines and works excellent, etc etc.

I think a wenge top on a V would be really cool. I guess a wenge FB is OK, but it has very open grain and is very coarse in texture. I think an ebony FB would be a better choice, but it's all subjective. With all black hardware, that would look excellent. How thick is the body on a Gibson V? You could get away with a thinner piece for the top (1/2" maybe?) or you could go to 3/4" or a little more and so some shaping/carving on the top. I think a V with a Les Paul like carve would be really cool. Many many options. Whatever you do, do a full scale drawing, have your bridge in hand, figure out your exact scale length, and go to town. Don't be afraid of a neck through, get some books and check it out. Hiscocks and Kochs books are both highly recommended. KOMODO

I'll take it. Jeff PS-sent PM

Love it Matt. The color is excellent. i have to say I like the new headstock design, but the bottom of the fretboard in the 3D model. it's more streamlined and looks more "natural". What are you using for rendering? komodo

Oh you found my source! I have bought from Tom Hoag many times and think he is the best for most exotics. And, as you said he is a solid source for white limba/korina. I can't even imaging seeing the actual lumberyard . . . . komodo

holy crap that design is so damn similar to my baby im workin on right now. The bottom half is identical. LOVE your work BTW.

Hello JJ, nice to have you here. Not deaf myself, but just got done taking 4 semesters of ASL so I have a rudimentary understanding of deaf culture. It's funny because I brainstormed a lot about how to make a guitar for someone profoundly deaf. I was trying to envision an acoustic guitar where the soundboard and soundhole would somehow radiate upwards or backwards to provide the acoustical vibrations to the player. I'm sorry i don't have any tips for learning. What amount of deafness do you have? Can you use an amplifier at higher volumes and hear it? KOMODO

This one perhaps? http://www.minarikguitars.com/products.gui...guitarcolorId=4

Ya hehehe. I'm not saying I swear by it, just something I noticed and as I said . . guess which one I'll work with first? All kinds of things could influence a tap tone, and you're right . .tapping a neck blank isn't going to tell you much really, but I'll take all I can get. It seems very fashionable to insert carbon strips inside your necks these days. Most claim that it eliminates dead spots, which should make the whole neck more resonant? So in theory, shouldn't a blank that rings lie a bell should be "better" to start with than one that doesn't? I don't really care one way or another, I'll use the "bell-like blank" and I'll put carbon it it as well!

All i know is, i just built up 3 neck blanks from clear hard maple. Three strips laminated vertically for each. When i got them out of the clamps, I tapped each of them in several ways, as mentioned above. One of them stood out with a belllike ringing, while the others weren't exactly dull, but not like the first. It was a night and day difference, and the dimensions of the blanks are identical. Now, I am not claiming anything, and i am sure that as soon as i start shaping, the "tone" may very well change and be deteremined by it's final dimensions. But which one do you think I'm going to grab first? KOMODO

huhh. OK thnx. I have seen plenty of the nigerian bank scam stuff, but hadn't seen the 419 reference.

Can you clue me/us in on the 419 type scammers? I've been around the net block quite a few times but can't say I've heard that one. I don't really do MO's though either. Thanks! Jeff