Hello PG friends! I've spent the last several days reading through various build threads and I'm super inspired to get my tools and make some sawdust. Unfortunately, the wife and I have just moved across the country and we're still settling in, so that'll have to wait.
In the meantime, I'd like to go ahead and post pics from my first complete scratch build. A lot of this build was done in my apartment, but a few larger processes were done at a wood shop I rented time at. Most of this design is based on old Gibson DC JRs, but with my own modern touches here and there.
Specs:
One piece African mahogany body
One piece maple neck (with scarfed headstock)
East Indian rosewood fretboard
24.5" scale
24 frets
single P90 (bridge)
Here we go!
This is the beginning. I ended up getting three bodies out of that chunk of mahogany!
After I worked out the design with a few prototypes, I had these acrylic templates lasered for me.
1/2" acrylic
First rough body, from bandsaw to sander to prep for routing.
Routed! The template worked very well.
I made this quick jig so I could easily cut the scarf on a common chop saw.
Home at the end of day 1- neck pocket started, pickup cavity done, control holes drilled. I realize now that I should have waited to do the cavities, but hey, I'm still learning.