DocFMF

Or I could do a re stringing, add a 24.5 hollow chromatic scale 22 fret board, and make every other string a drone string from the one that comes before... Kinda like a mandolin but instead on a very unique dulcimer. The possibilities are endless. LOL As for my project at hand..... It's starting to take shape. The first one that is.... Doc

To be honest I'm not sure. I have been playing with ideas to complete this project for almost 5 years. I could just cut it in half and add a flat end to each piece and make a pair of ukuleles. Or I could install a dulcimer fret board and head stock and make it a dulcimer. I could add a violin fret board, strings, and bridge and create a bowed dulcimer. or I could just turn it upside down and use it as a bongo Cajon drum or add a piezo pickup and make it a kick box drum. I know it's silly but it makes a great conversation starter just as it sits now for when someone comes into my work shop. LOL

Maybe nylon guitar strings.... Not sure yet.

Since I have nothing new to report on the project today. I figured I would give you a laugh. I started this project when I was still building dulcimers.... I had suddenly started Jonesing to add a tenor & concert ukulele to my collection . I saw a show on PBS and was hooked. But I was in the middle of a custom dulcimer build. Somehow I think I got confused. With that said, I give you the 4x4 string double neck Dulcelele or the Conjoined concert/tenor Ukumer..... Depends on which side you sit on. The top is white pine, the sides are cypress, bottom is yellow pine, the necks are mahogany, the fret boards are rosewood and maple (respectively) and the binding is walnut. You can say it's nothing more than a scrap lumber pile Frankenstein piece , but I can tell you that it has lovely tap tones that seem to echo on forever. I going to tune one neck to G and the other in D on nylon ukulele strings. They should give it a plinky bluesy sound. I never render wood to the BBQ without squeezing everything I can out of it first. LOL

I finally got all my parts in and it's time to start making sawdust. Start with some lovely cherry & walnut. Add both figured and spalted maple. A red oak fret board. then add the stuff.... I really like the buffalo nickels on the knobs. Next step.... I will stain and then remove the tape on the fret boards to reveal some good looking fret markers. I really wish the pictures would do the wood justice.

Bad news.... The inside of the trunk was pretty ugly. I will be able to salvage some of the wood but it looks like Dutch elm disease and ants seem to have rendered much of the heart wood to a semi sponge consistency. The burl seems to be intact and is going in trade to a guy near me with a small saw mill operation who is going to cut my 3 china berry trees and whatever he can salvage from the elm into boards for me.. It's not what I was hoping for but better than nothing. China berry trees have an interesting grain pattern but are very heavy wood. Maybe I'll make some tables and thin guitar tops out of them. Ah well..... Back to the project at hand. I just received my new router bits and it's time to make sawdust. Sorry for going off topic. Doc

I have an approximately 60 year old elm tree in the back of my rental house that is ready to fell. I cut one of the large branches from the crotch of the tree then quarter sawed the wood. The wood has an amazing amount of spalt (sort of like what's found in box elder but with around only half of the red hues). The spalt does not appear to be bad enough to destabilize the wood. So I am going to quarter saw as much of the tree as I can then let it age for a year or so. Elm has about the same hardness and ease of use as soft maple and makes pretty much the same tone. The base is a huge burl about 2 feet in length right down to the root ball. the trunk is approximately 2 1/2 feet in diameter. It looks as if I'll have enough guitar/project wood for years to come. Yay me..... Time to rent the portable saw mill from the lawnmower shop Hehehehe... Doc

Here is where I am so far. How's that for a preview?

Well all I am ready to start on my next two project lap steel guitars. I am going to build two concert ukulele size Les Paul style body's. cherry square necks (ala dobro), book matched walnut bottoms, cherry mid body's, one will have a book matched spalted maple top and the other a book matched flamed maple top. One will have an 18 fret 23" rosewood fret board and the other maple. The nut and bridge will be of the roller style, Grover tuners, and the pickups will be P 90 style connected to a Les Paul style wiring harness. But even though they will have Les Paul style body's. They will also be semi hollow body with carved walnut inlayed F holes. I am going to call them buffalo nickel guitars and true to the name, they will have an actual 1910 to 1930 buffalo nickel mounted in each head stock. Oh yes.... a two piece 1/8" binding of cream and black. I have started receiving parts and I am ready to get started. I can't wait. I'm open to ideas, comments, & opinions.... Pictures to come..... Doc FMF

That's how I found my walking stick (the one with the snake on it). It was a small pin oak tree that was strangled to death by a grape vine.

Ahhhhh I see said the blind man. I have never carved anything that large.... I do have to shed a tear for that lovely spalted maple. But it is a very nice carving..... Well done my friend. I do mostly figurines, busts, & Christmas tree ornaments. My favorite carving subjects are my tree spirits. But give me a good looking piece of wood and I'll do something with it. I carry my carving box everywhere. Some days I go to the lake and wander around looking for just the right piece. Then I find a nice shady tree, plop down, & whittle & carve.... It's so nice being retired Doc

I'm not sure what you mean by carve thread.... But I am considering attempting to build a 2 neck electric acoustic console lap steel next, I already have the components on order. I'm going to use dual P 90's for the pickups for each neck with a Les Paul style harness. One will be tuned to open D and the other to open G, This one will be a cross between a pedal steel and a lap steel. I'm considering going rectangular box mode with F holes on each side of the top for the body. Rather than using actual pedal steel actuators (which are too cumbersome, heavy, and expensive for my use). I will use volume and wah pedals with my Marshall amp to get as close to the true 12 string pedal steel sound as I can get. Any opinions on this idea? Doc

It was not actually a carve. I started with a small (very very sharp) hatchet then shaped it further with a spoke shave. I then pulled out my two hand plane and so on and so on........ OH!?!? WAIT!!! You meant carve for shape...... DUH!!! LOL!!!! I also carve holiday figurines....... Thus my confusion.... Thank you Andy I appreciate your reply

Well as I mentioned earlier... This was my first foray into all electric guitars.... But not my first build. I have built many dulcimers of many styles, two arch top mandolins, a banjo, a ukulele, an electric/acoustic 3 string cedar wine box slide guitar, and even a bowed psalmodicon. I think my favorite instrument in my collection is a Russian balalaika my cousin in Germany sent me after I sent her one of the mandolins I built. I'm considering building a double neck console lap steel next. Doc

I used a roll of black automotive pin stripe from Autozone. Then I covered the whole fretboard with 8 coats of clear enamel paint. Then wet sanding to 1000 grit between each coat. It makes the maple look like aged ivory like you would find on a very old piano. It also makes the MOP dots look like they are floating above the surface of the fretboard. On my next one I will use walnut shims if I use a light color fretboard or maple if I go dark. I do have a sweet piece of purple heart that would make a nice fretboard or shims... Thanks now you have me thinking of a next project... LOL!!! Doc.

Thanks I appreciate your response. Actually I designed it to play both in the lap or conventionally with a strap. Being a lap steel.... It has no actual frets. So either way it is played, I'll still need to use a slide.

Oh yeah.... Inlayed mother of pearl dots and a square neck ala dobro.

I have just completed my first electric. It's a Lap Steel Guitar loosely based on a Fender Telecaster. Thus the name Fenderesque Tele Lapster. The neck/body are made from a cherry board that I have saved since the early 1980's for a special project and the fret board is flame maple. The components are aftermarket tele parts and a roller bridge & string guides. I decided to go "strings through body" for longer sustain. The cherry lends itself to a very bright yet rich tone. I have her tuned to C 6th tuning at this time but I am considering changing the strings for an open D tuning for blues and country music. Besides I already have a C 6th lap steel for Hawaiian and rock use. I would welcome any comments on my latest project. DocFMF