SerpentineGtars

One of our current builds, custom Black Walnut 7-string DC, on a 6-months payment plan. All "construction" work now complete, waiting for radius, dot inlays, neck profile/carve and body routs/mounts (for neck, BKP Juggernauts and Hipshot fixed bridge)... Our DC headstock, reversed, with Black Walnut veneer and binding...

Thank you. I designed that headstock over a year ago for a custom build, only used it the once before withdrawing. It's now back as one of the standard headstock shapes I offer on my guitars.

Necks in various stages of progress; one-piece Wenge (scarf joint planed), three-piece Wenge/Maple/Wenge (now with binding, ready for fretboard), three-piece Mahogany (ready for truss rod channel) and one-piece Maple (scarf joint glued)...

Don't forget that the neck thickness at any point along its length is [neck blank] + [fretboard]. In my case the total thickness at the pocket was 17mm + 7mm = 24mm, just shy of an inch. If you were using a thinner fretboard you'd want to increase the thickness of the blank to maintain the overall thickness. A 3/4" blank (19mm) should be good for 95% of builds. The only situation I can forsee you'd want a thicker blank on a bolt-on guitar to start with is if you were building a neck with a particularly beefy profile or a one piece neck ( eg, Fender Strat all-maple neck with skunk stripe on the back). My only real issue with using the 17mm blank at the time was that it made for a fairly shallow volute once carved, which doesn't look particularly nice. The extra 2mm would have helped here. Single truss rod on my build. Pretty sure it was the standard Allparts 18" double action one. It was just before I switched to the Allied Lutherie rods, but they're all fairly similar. That was on a neck for 26.5" scale length, but I'm fairly sure RestorationAD made an 8 string a few years back using the same single trussrod over a 28" scale length neck without any issues. Build thread is located Standard truss rod and perhaps a couple of carbon fibre rods for extra strength... But don't buy CF rods specifically manufactured for guitar necks, they can cost a fortune. Instead something like this will work; http://www.easycomposites.co.uk/products/carbon-fiber-section/carbon-fibre-box-section-6mm-4mm.aspx and costs a fraction of the price.

Bubinga "SG" and Black Walnut "DC" headstocks taking shape - we recently (re)introduced the SG headstock shape to compliment our new DC-II and Hydra body shapes

The perfect 12° headstock/scarf joint angle planed on this three-piece Mahogany neck with Flame Maple pinstripes (to be used on the current Limba/Quilted Bubinga DC-II stock build)...

This one was recently started, another 7-string, will be a custom DC - Black Walnut body, Wenge/Maple/Wenge neck, Birdseye Maple fretboard, Hipshot hardware and BKP Juggernauts...

Thanks ScottR... And fair comment about the headstock. It has been a talking point during the build but the customer is happy with it and that's what counts

Setup and packed the Kingravi 7-string ready for delivery, here are a few shots of the finished guitar...

A quick update on the new DC-II and Hydra bodies (both with 45 degree chamfered edges)...

This... It's not an effect I created, it's a Buckeye Burl top (Google it)

Latest from the Serpentine Guitars workshop is; Kingravi custom 7-string is finished... as soon as I receive the 32mm Floyd Rose sustain block that's on order from the USA (should've ordered it sooner really)... Three new builds underway - Limba/Bubinga 6-string DC-II and Mahogany/Eucalyptus 7-string Hydra and Black Walnut custom 7-string DC...

Sorry, original image deleted. Here's with the new URL...

Selected the veneer for the first DC-II (6-string) and Hydra (7-string) stock builds; Quilted Bubinga... Flame Eucalyptus...

Nearly completed, just had some personal issues at home that put a short delay on this. We've also been working on issues relating to the headstock logo and custom text, but that appears to be sorted now and the finished Kingravi 7-string custom build will appear asap on our new 2014 Build Thread here...

I have decided that it's about time I kept on top of my threads on GB&C. I have a habit of starting one, updating for a while and then abandoning (or deleting) it because I don't have the time. Well, now I am going to make the time. Some of you may have seen one or two of my previous builds here or elsewhere, including these... The latter (Kingravi 7-string) is not quite finished yet, having spent some time recently working on the headstock logo and custom text. This one will be complete within the next couple of weeks, so look out for that one here. I also have some new projects on the go which include the new Serpentine Guitars "DC-II" and "Hydra" that I've recently started working on... Templates have been made and the first stock build of each of those is about to start very soon so I'll be posting photos here as that gets underway. In the meantime, any feedback on the DC-II and Hydra designs is appreciated

As a guide, one full can will do a body. I would aim for three coats, allowing 15 minutes between coats.

I would recommend this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2K-aerosol-Spraymax-Gloss-Lacquer-Clear-Coat-Spray-400ml-art-no-2680061-German-/251373981458?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item3a870e8f12 It is in a spray can, but it sprays like a spray gun... And it is genuine 2k, unlike the stuff above. There's a button on the underside of the can which pops open a small canister of hardener inside the can. Shake it up and mix everything together and this stuff will be ready to sand in 24 hours (although I would allow longer unless you have an Infra Red heat lamp lying around that you could to speed up the process). PS. It is PU based, so decent mask, eye protection and one of those disposable coveralls, working in a well ventilated area (garage with door open) is highly recommended. Leave the garage between coats for additional safety.

Thanks guys for all your comments. My chosen method for carve-tops is routing several steps to create the initial contours then smoothing it all out with sanding drums (harder woods, eg. Maple) or a surforms (softer woods, eg. Mahogany), finishing off with the random orbital sander. It works best for me, never had any problems... Can't bring myself round to investing in an angle grinder!

Ok, some time has passed and due to lack of camera for the past week, I've been unable to update my online threads with any progress shots. Therefore, we jump straight on to the current state of this particular build. Nearing completion, all routing work is now complete and I just have to finish off the neck/join carve which is at a rough stage at the moment. All bar some inlay work on the headstock, this build is almost ready for final sanding and some oil. Front hardware cavities routed... Rear cavities... With covers... Original Floyd 7-string and EMG 81-7 test fitting the routs...

What a week! Serpentine Guitars will be relocating in the very near future and that's been keeping me busy, along with the start of a couple of new builds... and this one, of course! The carve-top is complete... Dry-fit and checking heel depth... Set-neck glued and clamped...

A new week in the workshop and some new progress photos for the Kingravi build; Frets hammered in... Marking carve-top and drilling out recess for volume and tone knobs... Work to begin on the body (carve-top, etc) this week.

"Metric scale of the beast" There we are, I get it now. I didn't convert it myself. Nice one!

26.25", that's a new one. I did suggest using a longer scale length, up to 27". The customer initially requested 26" before taking it back down to 25.5".

I got ya, no problem. My client wanted a neck that closely resembles an Ibanez Wizard (430mm radius). This is the closest I have, just 0.1" out. I sanded the radius in using off-the-shelf blocks.