piedpiperX2000

super hot lookin guitar =] =] i love that body design and wood selection/use choices are top notch! Can't wait to see it done

got the Truss Rod cover done

yup, 23rd fret it meets the body and the heel should be about flush to the body so it'll be about as effortless as they come for playing in the high quarters

ummm, i'm slightly intoxicated but im'a post some pics. errrrrrrrrrrrr I think it's about the 22 or 23rd fret it meets the body I'll have to go downstairs to double check, if I'm wrong I'll come correct myself.

Neck Heel carved! I did this with just a belt sander and a scraper! Who needs files, seriously needs sanded but

Beginning of truss rod cover; Keep in mind I've never really inlayed anything before and it was all done with an exacto knife/6 hours of time ha.. lots of time to kill at work so I work on guitars =]

I gotta sand some of the bottoms and tops to make it more symmetrical but other than that its coming along perty good =]

Night!

lol. whats cheap haha? The cheapest I could sell it for would be cost I'm in no financial situation to be loosing money right now hehe

take care guys, I got the neck heel all carved up it looks peeerty I'll post some pics tonight at work =] peace

awesome build! I gotta make my neck next time You've inspired me. Hey im'a carve the top and back by hand what spokeshave would ya recommend? I have a scraper but I've never used a spokeshave before help

What kind of wood is the fingerboard it looks amazing, you probably said what it was but I'm lazy ha...

Got an hour today to work on it, headstock cut, 1/16 veneer cut and glued!

I dunno if I'll sell this first one =]=] i like it too much already!

Neck pocket routed this morning

wish i had more time i'd have so many more updates than this =[

seeya take care - Josh

haha =] well I always just get impatient on replying on other people that have equipment that I need to use, it was it was hehe, thanks tho!

I got impatient again and bought a beltsander/disksander combo..

neck sanded and ready to be traced routed and fitted into Center Honduras Mohogany insert

Take Care - Josh

Couple updates for today

New TailPiece idea that I came up with last night doodling around

Beginning of the truss rod cover where AVIA will most likely be inlayed

New band saw

Neck angle cut

I'm taking the neck to work tonight they gots a belt sander =] =] =]

Tis all for now

Happy Building! - Josh

a 10" Hitachi tilt head from lowes hehe it was only $180 but I tested it last night and I could thickness saw a 7X5X.5 piece of maple, cutting a 1/16 layer off the top and it worked absolutely beautiful so it should be fine for cutting most things! Only thing I can't do is like guitar tops and billets. I dont have the money to buy a bandsaw that can cut something that high I think you're looking at $1000 + for ones of that stature. =]

alright i splurged and bought a bandsaw, i got tired of trying to find someone that has one hehe, progress should be coming daily or bi-daily from now until completion hopefully. I have to start working 7 days a week at my job but Im'a try to do at least a little per day!

Happy Building! - Josh

and in response to your "dont sell at $2000" comment, i gotta start somewhere and if the guitar is worthy of it then eff it, =] I'd offer a 100% return and trial period

Yeaup I totally agree, and I'm trying to find someone that has a bandsaw because I have nothing that can cut the neck angle out, so my project is on hold until then, wish me luck! heh

that is a phenomenal build! Amazing work

awesome! The top carving is wonderful and classy *thumbs up*

It'd be cool to buy all the ply for it and laminate and make your own =] Maybe just slightly customized to stick out plus you'll probably have a wider options of colors I'd check eBay as well as the normals

nice job! I'm liking that inlay as well it reminds me of my old transam ws6 RIP *moment of silence*. Good Job!

I just looked over your website, nice instruments! I'm really impressed. Ya know it makes alot of sense the way you said it, I should probably charge cost until i have a foundation laid. At this point even though it's my first build I'm doing it just because I think it's awesome and fun to do! Could I ask what you charge for some different models and how many instruments you build per year roughly? To be honest at this point I don't have near the time to make anything even close to fulltime building; a couple per year would be adequate initially.

Thanks for your comments as well! I appreciate them

WezV, I totally agree! I wouldn't think of starting to take orders until a better foundation is built, but it has to be built somehow and I obviously can't afford to build and give away guitars there has to be at least breaking flat in profit, invovled.

I mean I've played for a long time, and I've played every popular brand out there including some custom guitars. I know fairly accurate the difference between a custom shop guitar and an inexperienced woodworking project. If I felt that anything I made wasn't up to the standards of some of the best guitars made I wouldn't feel comfortable selling it ya know?

And it is the first concept that I've created and made myself minus the initial neck, but again you have to remember I've been stripping/refinishing guitars for years and I've done alot of work repairing just as a side/hobby job over my playing lifetime.

I guess my question to you is how would one start out a guitar building business if he didn't start out by making and selling guitars? I would obviously offer a 100% return as well to make sure whoever might be skeptical would have a chance to have it in their hands. I'm not taking offence to anything you've said don't get me wrong i'm just wondering what you're view point is on how one should approach this business if not by making and selling guitars.

Vinny, i have no clue what yer talking about =] I had to remake the neck angle because of the underbridge ebony base I made even tho it was only 1/8" thick I like things being mathematically pleasing, it'd bother me to no end if it wasn't.

Yup it's to gauge exact depth, might sound ghetto but I wrap a piece of bright clean tape around the exact depth that I want and carefully drill each hole in an exact distance from the CENTER not the sides since there will still be final side width sanding. I just got back from camp so I haven't had a chance to work on it but I PROMISE you I will have updates within the couple hours to couple days depending on how much time I can find.

PS: Theres a decent amount of people asking me to build/prices for models like this current build, and for reference the price will START at around $2000 up to about $2700 (depending on hardware/wood choice) just for the first 10 builds, after that the prices should float around $3500. Take Care Guys, - Josh

The cover is going to be stained exactly the same, plus follow the contours of the guitar so it should look really clean...

Another pic of the top after a little more work, gonna route soon!

Nice headstock rick XD

Here's the blue with a coat of clear, it's not buffed or anything but it shows the pop better

Made ebony bridge support, drilled depth holes for top and back contour in the background you can see, drew on pickup locations, neck cut out and bridge points on top.

Now I made the choice to put a cavity plate on this guitar just because of huge thick neck joint it'd be impossible to install electronics the "typical" hollowbody way through f-holes or pickup cavities.

I decided on a matching same piece cavity cover, meaning I cut it from the actual back wood. This is done by drilling a series of very very small holes, inserting the scrollsaw blade, reattaching the blade and LETTIN HER RIP. The problem is you CAN'T mess up anything or else the piece is scrapped.

I did this free hand luckily it turned out pretty much perfect, with a little sanding the distance all around should be uniform!

that's it for tonight =] take care - Josh

dude, you can't say that and not post photos =]