KnightroExpress

Ah, you're all too kind! I'm simply a guy that loves to build guitars, and I know I've got more to learn than I can even think of right now. Thank you all so much for the encouragement, I'm really grateful for the community here. 

Ok, last batch of progress pics for this year!

Pore filling the surf green Pulsar:

A round of sealer and pearl purple for this Voyager 7:

And finally, got the carve started on the wenge/padauk multiscale 8:

I'd like to thank everyone here at PG for another year of excellent community and friendship, I'm happy to stick around for many more!

That's my reason for loving locking tuners as well, they just make string changing as dead simple as can be. The Planet Waves auto trim tuners are a great choice, I have them on my old Ibanez S Series mongrel (Floyd and all!).

@ScottR- Thanks Scott! The Odie's Oil doesn't really build at all, but they do offer an accompanying wax blend that is supposed to do that. I just haven't tried it yet. Maybe on the big red 8....

@curtisa- I actually really like these tuner buttons! Er...shafts, I guess. They have a very smooth feel in hand, I'll probably make them my standard choice for non-vintage style builds. 

@Skyjerk- I've been watching you build since you joined over at MLP, and this is yet another fine example of your work. Everything about this guitar is executed damn near flawlessly, but that's pretty much what I expect to see from you nowadays
 

@Viktor- Wow! Every time I look at this guitar, I notice another great little detail. I love the work and craftsmanship that goes into marquetry and engraving. I wish I could see this one in person and really take it all in. 

@KnightroExpress- Oh wait, that's me. Seriously though, I appreciate the kind words, Carl! You're right about it being a milestone, I'm hoping that it's the first in a long series. 

@Original- I'm a big fan of your aesthetic and design choices. As Carl said above, that pau ferro neck is just simply fantastic. This one just has a killer workhorse vibe that I really dig. 

Knightro Guitars- Voyager 6

Hey PG friends! I'm going to go ahead and throw my hat into the ring for December. This is the first guitar officially done in my new shop and I'm really happy with how it's turned out. My goal for the Voyager series is to combine effortless playability with modern style and big, versatile tone.  

Specs

Chambered swamp ash body w/walnut top and ivoroid binding

7pc maple/rosewood neck

Rosewood fretboard w/Jescar 58118SS fretwire

26" scale

Hipshot hardtail bridge and open gear locking tuners

Dimarzio Air Norton/Air Zone

Odie's Oil finish

Thanks for taking a look!

If the vermilion you're referring to is otherwise known as padauk, I've used a fair amount of it. I really love working with it, and I think it makes a great neck. Check out my 2015-2016 threads if you want to see it in the build process. 

Fair warning: if you put it next to maple, it will do its very best to bleed bright red-orange oil and make your maple look funny. 

It's almost a real guitar! Level/crown/polish, electronics, and final setup tomorrow:

....and better pictures too, I suppose

Thanks everyone, you're all too kind! I'll be able to figure out the set-screw thing as soon as I have the saddles in hand. I've got a few non-marring options in mind, just need to measure and pick the correct one. 

Back to work!

Glued in the V's neck and gave it a light heel carve:

Spent an afternoon doing some routing on this burly beast:

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz75/adknight88/Voyager MS8/Padauk-Wenge MS8/IMG_20161215_141335_zpssugsudtj.jpg

And finally, applied finish on the chambered 6 string:

This'll have to hang out and cure for a few days, so I'm hoping to get it all done and ready to play by the end of next week. 

Thanks for checking out this (excessively lengthy) post! 

Refining the V's neck and getting frets installed:

It's the week before finals/critiques, so I've been at the studios on campus more than my shop (art student probs). However! I did knock out a new design during my random break times. I was feeling inspired by Mary Kaye Teles and decided to give it a spin:

After this week, I'll be on Christmas break... it'll be nice to get some solid, uninterrupted shop time. 

This is gonna be a fun one! That bridge is really interesting, I hope it works well.

I usually radius and fret after carving as well, but this was a pre-radiused board so that went out the window. 

Thanks bud!

So today I did actually work on the ash/walnut guitar....I'm spraying clear and building up coats to cover my headstock decal, it's just taking forever to hide the paper's edge. Pics when it looks pretty

Here's a bit on the purple 7-

Installed stainless steel alignment pins, this makes the glue-up process so much simpler:

Trimmed the tenon tongue:

Glued up, clamped, unclamped, trimmed flush:

Dots dotted, frets fretted:

That's it for today, I'm hoping to get the neck carve started tomorrow. 

I'm not sure if it's the 100% correct term, but that's what I would call it. Make sure to post a thread when you build it!

So let me if I'm understanding your goal correctly: essentially, you're cutting the scarf angle, inserting an accent laminate, and regluing the short piece in its original orientation rather than flipping it to achieve an angled headstock.

You won't have any strength issues, but it seems to be a lot of work to end up with a straight headstock. Unless your original blank is too short...

You might be able to figure it out in Fusion's 'Simulation' workspace... I can't say I've spent too much time in there, however.

On 12/1/2016 at 10:21 AM, ScottR said:

Suuuuuure it is.

SR

There's a plan in place, I swear!

Tpday I had an unexpected visit from an Army buddy, so I just did a bit of light sanding while we hung out for a bit.

....then he left, and I got this beast unclamped and trimmed flush:

Aaaaaand I may have routed 2 other things:

Ok -for real this time- this will sit while I finish those other two. 

I told myself I wasn't going to jump into the padauk multi 8, but I just couldn't stay away. After this week though, the ash/walnut guitar is getting wrapped up.

Body blank clamped, cure time passed, then unclamped via internet magics:

Rough cut, sand, 2 stage rout:

Trying something new. Precut wiring channels with the help of one of my truss rod templates:

Appropriately doomy wenge top applied:

Once I pop this one out of the clamps and trim the top, that's it until I finish either the ash/walnut guitar or the surf green V. If you see me do anything else, please yell at me.

Thanks for looking!

Oh man, this is the most instantly gratifying thread ever. Beautiful work!

@ScottR  Yep, it's padauk with a bit of sapwood. My local yard stocks an oddly large amount of padauk and when I saw this board I had to grab a chunk of it.

@Skyjerk Hey Chris! There are a few longer ones on here, but not many! This one has turned into quite the burly beast...... Welcome to PG, by the way!

@Prostheta Aww, thanks Carl! Now that I've got the means to build a lot, I'm certainly going to do my damnedest to take advantage of it. I just need to rein in my ADD and actually finish one haha...

Whoa! Serious machinery there. 

Looks good to me! I'm really digging the wenge neck

Thanks Andy!

Here's a few things from today.

Cleaning up the tenon tongue:

Starting the neck carve:

Dots!

I also went to a local lumberyard and picked up this monster:

It just exudes this sort of volcanic aura (in my mind, anyway). I've already got a pretty good idea for this one...after I finish a couple of the others, of course. 

Back to the surf green Pulsar:

Wiring channels drilled (bridge ground was also done, not pictured):

Neck run through my homely thickness/taper jig:

Binding scraped and pickguard made:

Next time: neck carving (yay)!