komodo

This is what my experience was like with the curly ebony. I've got small carbide end mill bits (1/16", 1/8") which cut well, but anytime there was a little corner or small freestanding area (think center of an 'O'), there was great danger of a chunks just flying off.

Back switch adjusts the phase shift of the polarized vortex beams that allow you to see Cthulhu without going insane. The knob lets you dial that in with precision like a focus knob. Front switch chooses which pickup you want. front = pickups, knob = volume, back = three voices built into the pups. Modern, vintage, and single coil which uses the south coil on each pup (closest to neck coil).

They are Stringjoy 10,13, 16, 26w, 34, 46, 64, 85 Boy, I just did sound test #1 and I’m not sure I could be any happier. Just tuning up the strings unplugged, you could hear how resonant it is. The coco / swamp ash combo is magic. Also, the pickups are just great with three voices and so much tonal range. String spacing is perfect. Action is super low and clean all the way to the F# 24th fret (cool sound that). Needs intonation, and the G string is a bitch as usual. I’ll never be able to play it like it should be played, but I don’t care. lol

Trial run with the rough nut to make sure electrics are working as intended. Still need to finish nut, slight heel refinement, screws for pups (originals are too long), then disassemble and oil finish neck. Hella strings!

Those comments remind me of the summer I spent helping someone redo a Victorian house. For months, all I did was strip milk paint from woodwork. Windows, stair railings, fireplace, doorways. It gets really deep into the pores.

I have no idea what I'm looking at, but I love it and I'm thinking of getting it as a tattoo.

I’m thrilled with it. It’s a kickass satin finish that the hardwax oil did not produce. I’ve already managed a ding in it though.

@Prostheta That finish was a failure, look for my update from last Monday. While I think there is potential in that, especially the hardwax oil, this is straight up black paint from a can. Since I was shifting midstream, I didn't want to try a second attempt with this body and was intending just to do a layer to black it out, but it ended up exactly what I was looking for.

Spent the day cleaning up details, filling fret slot ends, minor this and that. Totally worth the time. Did a full bolt on test, tuners on and rough nut for final bridge placement. The neck joint is probably stronger than any glue joint, it’s ridiculous. Without the pups, or bridge there is ever so slight neck dive, I hope it balances good. Final weight should be around 7 pounds 10 ounces. - final bridge place and screws - finish nut - electrics and pup mounting - neck oiling - learn how to communicate with R’yleh using high saturation polymeter djent

I know I'm super late to this party. I've got a 14" bandsaw with an extension riser. The things that helped my resawing were: - SLOW FEED. Most important to not let the wood drift the blade. - set up the guides really well, I use Cool Blocks in mine also. - skip tooth blade 3-4 tpi - single point fence seems to help For blades, I've gone with good quality but not boutique. Powertec or Olsen. As long as the other stuff mentioned is addressed, then the blade wasn't as big of deal. That said, I'm sure that the resaw blades cut nice. The last time I bought a resaw blade, I ran into some blades made for butchers cutting frozen meats. I don;t remember what it was about them, but people said they worked great for resawing wood. Didn't get any at the time, but I'm still tempted to try them. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/precision_band_saw/

There's a happy balance, I know it. I'm slowly getting there with some stages, and it all revolves around patience. For me, it's mostly it's a persistent dominance thing where I will bend this material to my will, and pull this thing into the world from the raw materials no matter what.

My wife said "it looks like your octopus is in jail" First of all, not an octopus. It's an unknowable cosmic god. Second, Cthulhu doesn't do jail, those are polarized vortex phase beams and they allow us to see it without going insane.

I hate this part, but it is the single greatest thing you can do for your guitar.

Well, I’ll say one thing. I seem to build by having a plan but then making lots of decisions and course corrections as I go. Like the way a carver pulls the subject out of the wood. It has resulted in a very handmade guitar, with some rough edges or unique details. But, I love it’s organic nature and think of it as a prototype. Unfortunately the finish on this one is giving me fits. Even after I stopped wet sanding, it’s still sprouting crazing. Not as bad but I’m done fighting it. It’ll probably get a refinish someday, but right now it’s too good to strip. Weird place.

Care to do a mini writeup on your technique for dead perfect back ferrule holes?

My hat is off to you sir. Wow.

LOL, that was 32 THOUSAND - and maybe an exaggeration. I'm not sure how much for real, I just pull it off the coil. Best guess is about 1.5x the normal amount. 2 extra strings, and then the longer spans with the angled frets. It didn't really take a bunch longer. I had to take extra care with the pearl, I spent a bunch of time yesterday making sure the ends were down solid with a touch of CA wicked in the ends, and the rough end filing took longer with the angles. Thanks for the Sunn O))) reference. I'll admit I wasn't familiar with them, and that sounds like my kind of noise making.

I’d do the veneer. If it bugs you now it always will, plus it won’t be much work.

No no, I wasn't kidding. Slightly cleaner, just top get a little clarity and the touch sensitivity, more of an edge of breakup like an OD vs fuzz. Or, MORE GAIN. That would sound pretty cool with a lot of heat on it. outraged, lol. You should shred on it and bring it back to them and make them cry.

Thanks for the kind words gents. Work is getting crazy, but I'll try to get these across the finish line soon. Then a long break of playing!

Boy it really blows open at the 1:48 mark. Love that. I’m no country listener of any type except maybe Skynyrd but always am jealous of the playing. Johnny Hiland, holy crap. Might sound nice if you had less overall gain, or maybe a ton more!

Love to see how you whisper this stuff out of the wood. Sorry to hear of all the physical BS, hope it goes OK.

Yes sir. That’s the 8th string. I couldn’t do it before cause I didn’t have that one. With the 7th string I’ll have options. Djentway to Heaven.

32,483 feet. One blister and one slice (4th time it’s drawn blood) when I let the freshly trimmed frets (but undressed) slide down my hand while holding it. I don’t deserve this weapon. I’ll be playing Stairway to Heaven on it, angering every rock god in the known and unknown worlds. Hopefully it expands my playing into a more modern djenty and polyrhythmic world.

@ScottR Thanks for the kind words. On the finish - well kinda. After seeing the splotchier areas that weren’t solid black - which were easy to see in photos but hard right in front of your face - I decided to sandback. The hardwax was quite hard but thin. After that there was an extremely dense tannic ebonized layer that was ashlike and so fine it was actually filling the pores quite well which I did mot want! I went as far as a typical sandback, and made sure to sand along the grain to retain the pattern if possible. Then it was how to make it solid black again? It was either the same process, dye (leather), or pigment. I decided to do a covering layer of black satin from a rattlecan to get full black and see if the ash grain was still there. It was so perfect there I just left it. Fretted. I thought about this quite a bit. With the amount of pearl crossing slots, I was worried about seating, chipping, etc. Careful slot prep, chamfered edges, and my press made it no issue at all.