Stavromulabeta

Ok, so we're almost there! i thought I'd put up a few pics to celebrate the end of the finishing and first plug in!! The beeswax went on a treat and really quickly came up to a nice sheen. I'll be sure to hang on to my little jar from Dad's secret stash! It sounds great, really pleased with the tone of the through-neck and the pickups. It feels good too, just needs a little more work on fret finishing to get that action the final few fractions down. Whatever, I'm really pleased with how it's come out, so thanks for all the support and advice from you guys on here! (I went for the back placement of the strap button in the end.) Just got to get some covers finished and I'll chuck up the final shots. D

Thanks for the advice, I'll take it carefully! The polish I have on the way is one that my dad uses on his longbows (and people think making guitars is eccentric...) so I hope it works as well on this as it does on yew. I take it that he's been through a few to find his favourite, but I'll try some scrap pieces first for sure!

One more showing the neck a bit better.

OK, progress update. The Danish Oiling is well underway! I've not got anywhere to hang it really, so I've had to one side at a time. The back has now got 3 coats and has been wet sanded with 400 and 600 grit, it's really starting to feel nice and the grain is really popping out! I have some beeswax polish on the way, but I won't be needing that for a while. I really like the natural feel, so I think I'll stick to the wax. I also like the idea of this guitar ageing as I use it, so it seems the right route to go. Here she is, as of this morning!

Wow, those blue burst and spalted top builds are beautiful guitars! The blue is an incredible finish. Heartily looking forward to seeing how these three end up!

Today was an exciting post-day from Axesrus and Thorman. The Danish oil (or Aceite Danés) is also on the way! I can't believe how tricky it was to find Air-Zone stock in the UK and Europe! But glad I persevered. After a couple of days playing on the neck and picking out the trouble spots, I had a final go at it tonight and it plays great! Really fast, but without being too skinny and losing that "feel". I can't wait to get it finished and amped up! One final question on the finish: Is it worth getting some wax or even a wipe-on poly coat to buff up the shine and give a little more protection? I'm a big fan of satin-low gloss finishes, but will the oil need something over the top to maintain the lustre?

Ah, I see. great. Thanks for the clear explanation . I'll go with that then. I just have a few more bits to tidy up and I should be able to start getting the finish together. Cheers, Dan

OK, have done a little research and this looks like a good route to go down. The agreed process seems to be fairly consistent too. Just a couple of questions: * Is this stuff ok for fretboards as well, or should I avoid getting it on there and use lemon oil instead? * Is it worth seeking out tung-oil as opposed to Danish oil? i.e. is there a difference in colour and is the additional hardness worth mentioning given that they are both quite low-protection finishes?

Thanks for the heads-up on that! How do you get that natural finish on your explorers? The way the grain pops out is incredible!

Hi all, the neck is coming on nicely now. Really starting to feel like a good axe. I did my final shaping with some 80 grit and the strings on to test it between passes. I put some D'Addario 11-52's on and it is sounding chunky and loud! Is it possible that the weight-saving cavity could be contributing to the volume? (it was only 15mm deep or so.. I've also got my chosen p'ups on the way, a Dimarzio Air Norton / Air Zone combo - I can't wait to get those in! I was just wondering on finishing.. I was planning to stick to an oil finish and a clear-coat on top. Do you have any recommendations? I have some boiled linseed oil which brings up the Rosewood/bubinga a treat. The purpleheart is unbelievably purple after a bit of oil as well. Not sure if this is the best I can do for finish though. I have some lemon oil for the fretboard too. Also, on the clear-coat front I'm not all that sure what to go for. I normally use a satin household varnish, but for this one I'd like to see if there is something more appropriate easily available. Unfortunately, I don't have the facilities to spray coat, so it will be a brush and a lot of sanding back for me! Anyone got any advice on this front?

Hmmm, looks like I'll have to trial a few of these ideas. I like the look of the one behind the top shoulder - thanks for the suggestions. Here's a couple of shots to show the heel in more detail. I definitely don't want to mess around with strap pins on the nice smoothed area. (I still have a little work to do with shaping in the binding there as you can see).

Oops, all these years I had it wrong! I guess it's what you're used to as well, I don't normally go for guitars with the pin there to be honest.

Thanks very much for the positive comments guys! I really appreciate it, especially after so long lusting after the various other creations on this site with little to show myself, haha! I found the same when looking for inspiration, I could barely find anything with a through-neck, even less with some contouring. It seemed an obvious solution to the key drawbacks of an explorer shape.. Ripthorn, did you do a post about your exp? I'd be interested to see how another through-neck turned out! You must have good eyes to see that from the pic, haha! but thanks! The neck heel has turned out well. It's really pretty comfy at the moment, but it could slim down a touch on the bass-side. I think I'll have another adjust once it's all strung up and I get chance to see what's lacking. I'll post a close-up when I get home (in an airport at the moment..). I was planning on using the shoulder, yeah. I found some wide strap pins which look nice and vintage, I might have to go with strap locks though (which I find look pretty bulky unfortunately - but better than a snapped neck..). I certainly find those behind neck strap pins a little odd as well and wouldn't want to lose that smoothness on the heel!

Thanks Scott! Haha! Yes, blisters were certainly involved.. Saying that, stupidity would probably be more apt than fortitude as it turned out that there was a guy down the road who would have lent me use of a bandsaw.. oh well. That's encouraging to hear! Well, it's getting there now. I decided to do a couple of uploads, so there's actually more to report, as i went back to get some pics. i've pretty much finished all the wood working now (just in time to head back to Spain!). I used the template and a router with a bearing to quickly thrash out the shape without further blistering! I also drilled through my control holes from the template and then worked from the back with some flat drill bits and a router. Pick-up cavities routed out and bridge pegs drilled for. i did a quick string-up and every has come out really nicely aligned. As expected, with the pegs recessed a mm I got a decent range of adjustment for bridge height. Game on for a low-profile bridge! With everything still square, I put in the channel for the binding. I then put in some radiusing on the back edges and set about some contours. I'd always felt that the original explorer was a bit too slab-like to be really comfortable. I put in a contour on the top edge and one around the neck-joint which really helped to make it feel more friendly, especially sat down. Another way to reduce the overall weight and slab-ness, I went for a 40mm thick core over the normal 45mm and decided to sculpt the top a little. With 4mm off the top edges, I could have a subtle shaping but still keep a 7mm binding. Helps to make it feel a bit thinner and more manageable. So here it is, pretty much finished now, just needing some oil and a varnish! I'm really pleased with how it has turned out. I think it has just enough of a twist to look modern without losing the vintage feel - just what I was after! Once my p'ups arrive and I have it set up I'll post the final results!

Right, this thread is long overdue for an update! To cut a long-story short, I moved over to Spain with work and haven't been able to crack on with the explorer! Anyway, the festive period gave me a great excuse to head back to my parents and sponge a bit of workshop space off my Dad and it's almost done! Here's a few photos to get up to date. Body-wise, I made myself a template from some 6mm MDF and recreated my paper plans on it as a drilling guide. I managed to get the bubinga/african rosewood down to a sensible depth (no band-saw.. you can probably imagine that hand-sawing it almost killed me...) and planed. I also hand-sawed off the larger excess. Same story with my cherry top. It took a bit of playing with the template to get the best bits of grain in on both sides. Taking advantage of the two-part body, I routed out the wiring channels and took a chunk of weight out of the top-wing (that African Rosewood is beautiful, but I didn't want a back-breaker on my hands!) Neck radiusing, I squared off, planed and stuck on the purpleheart sides (do they count as "stringers"?). I ended up shaping a slighty asymmetric neck profile (similar to the Ibanez Ergodyne's). I play quite a lot of SRV-style leads, and a bit more shoulder on the top is really nice to wrap your thumb around for those big bends - but lets me keep a slender, quick profile for the twiddly bits! I left the final bits to take out once i'd got some stings on to judge the feel better. Wings go together separately, squared-off and planed then sash-clamped onto the core. Starting to take shape!

Thanks! It was tricky, but all the effort was worth it in the end!

So... Success! Thanks Stu for your advice. I managed to get hold of both acetone (from the pharmacy) and Weld-On 16 (from a friendly luthier who it turns out operates right next to my house! [i take it I'm not meant to namedrop here?]). Anyway, more fiddling later and the joins are good with no gaps - I even got the mitred corners to work! I think the pinstripe looks pretty cool as well. I'm on to fretting now, which is taking a fair while but looking great and getting faster as I go. Really chuffed with how it's looking .

Thanks, that sounds like good advice. I thought that I probably should stick it together first. I'll have another bash tomorrow after work (and see what other tips come in as well). I've looked around for acetone, but I can't seem to find it... Do you know where the best place to look in the UK is? I actually have my binding channels routed already, they turned out really nicely . I made a point of keeping everything square up to this point for it. Since the fretboard is well joined to the neck-core, I thought I could probably cut reasonably confidently with the slots ahead of binding and radiusing. (From tonight, I think anything to help the taping is worth it!) Sounds like I might have been a little to hasty in abandoning attempt one, I wasn't sure how fixable any gaps would be. Clearly I need to bag some acetone! Cheers.

Hi all, I'm having a little trouble with applying binding. I started with the headstock, but after a couple of unsuccessful attempts I thought I ask for some pointers.. (meanwhile, I'll clean this glue off...) I have black 0.02" and cream 0.04" strip which I plan to use together for a little accent stripe. The testers I made up looked great, but getting around the tighter corners on the headstock without gaps appearing is proving difficult. * Should I apply each layer independently, or put the two together first? (I tried both without getting it right..) * Am I using the right glue? I have a UHU style, acetone based glue which is applied as contact adhesive * The tape an bands aren't working too well as the binding is a bit taller than the channel and it bends under the pressure.. * Should I mould with the heat gun and glue as I go round the shape or try to fit up the whole shape before gluing? * Also, fretboard binding before radiusing or after? Any help on any of the above would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Ok, well I'm fairly up for recessed thumbwheels anyways (chose my bridge with the screw tops for a reason). Let's see how close I got with the drawings! Thanks a lot! I just had a skim though your last thread, cracking work there. How is the zebrano one coming on?

Wow, you learn something every day! I can certainly see both of the figures which I have here. A very good point, and interesting about the LP. I quite like a nicely weighted axe, but this has the possibility to be a back-breaker! I'll definitely consider some cavities . Cheers Scott. Progress so far - installment 2! So, with the neck-core cut to the right angles, it was time to fit the headstock blank. I think I made a bit of an error here, in that I wasn't too keen on continuing the stripe out of the top of the headstock. I still think that with a bit of effort in neck shaping, I can bring the bubinga to a natural point whilst the maple matches, but it looks a little odd at present see pics. I made up a maple and cherry blank up and fitted it, planed it off to square and routed around an MDF template. Here's the truss-rod (double action) in, and ready for the fretboard! With the fretboard on, next was cutting down the neck-blank to thickness (again much more effort by hand!). I then cheated a bit with a router and guides to get the taper before finishing it by hand. Here it is, dots in, ready for radiusing and binding. I really love the way that the cherry has come up with sanding. Glad I chose it to top the body too! I've since taken out the binding channels (whilst it's all square). I'm hoping to get radiusing/binding/frets/ done this week as it'll let me properly lay everything up and check alignment before I get stuck into the body-building proper over the weekend .

Also known as Bubinga, which is gorgeous and sounds good, but is very tough stuff indeed. Also heavy. You should have a real beast when this is done. SR Ah, interesting.. I didn't realise that it was the same species as bubinga! I was sold two lumps, one as A.R and another as bubinga - they look pretty different in figuring, so I assumed different woods. They are both absolutely gorgeous bits of wood though, I'm really pleased (even if my tools are protesting!). I was actually considering hollowing out a bit of the top wing (like the control cavity) to negate some of the weight! Although it would probably negatively impact the sound...

An LP with a TOM uses a neck angle of approximately 4 degrees. I would suggest drawing out your neck and bridge and confirming before going to far. As I said, I drew everything out full scale and checked the parts against the drawing as well . I believe that the LP doesn't have anything under the fretboard at the neck heel which makes quite a difference(?).. Also, doesn't the body angle (lower than the neck angle) give a shallower effective angle at the bridge? Just checked it out again on the real thing when I got back from work and it looks fine for clearance, I know things will change a tiny bit with neck bow, but I'm pretty confident that especially with recessed thumbwheels I'll have plenty of room to play with! Glad people have got my back to make sure I check though!

I think that the bridge I have is quite low-profile anyway, and I put in the 3mm fillet under the fretboard heel too. I drew it all out full-size and it fitted with a conservatively low action and a bit of room for error under the bridge. I've seen some other posts on the web which put 1.5* as a lower bound without recessing, so I thought I must be in around the right ballpark for a partially recessed TOM(?). You've got me worried now! I guess I'll see this week once the frets are in and I can test it with a straightedge...

The build so far... Here's a quick run through of things so-far. I made hay while at my parent's place over Christmas to get on my dad's bandsaw and get the body-wings roughed out - that African Rosewood is so damn hard to work! Unfortunately though, they wouldn't go under side on, so a couple of hours hand-sawing was needed to get them to the required thickness! Still, getting in early on the xmas recovery and managed to get a 10mm top for another explorer out of it! I also did the longer bits of cutting e.g. neck lams and the purpleheart stringers. I layed it all out together for a sneak-peek of the design . First-stop, I actually made up an excel spreadsheet which would give me fret-distances (checked against Stew-mac!) and then help to work out the required neck widths and radii for the compound radius fretboard. This actually helped a lot with trying stuff out when ordering components. [The maths is spelled out pretty well on the Stew-Mac site, but if anyone is interested in the tool, let me know as I'm happy to share!] From here, I could make up the fretboard blank and slot/dot it. And get something real to see against the marking up! So, then it was on with the difficult bits! As I was saying above, I ended up choosing a 1.5deg angle for the neck with a partially recessed TOM. This did mean bonding a small fillet onto the neck-blank which would go under the fretboard's heel end. I then cracked out the saws and planes (back home now, so no bandsaw luxury!) and got to work. It was a scary few hours, but in the end I got out a really good, level result. A bit of marking up and I could also take off the 13deg angle for the headstock scarf. This is probably a good spot to take a break, I'll put up another installment to come up to the present when I get time. I'm hoping to finish of the last of the major neck-work this week so there's a little to catch up on. Hope you all enjoy the thread. Cheers for getting this far through my ramblings!