mistermikev

noice.  there are a couple of similar type spots near me where you can get tips and use industrial machinery... plus if you cut your hand off there will be someone right there to slap a bandaid on!!  awesome sauce!  

i somehow missed earlier post of bass with three fricking humbuckers?  "I like the cut of your jig sir".  that is going to have a LOT of options... v nice work.

so... was looking for fretboard maple... and I have some that will match this one... so revision 12321312355532.fgggabade.3329.  would love your thoughts.

went looking for a fretboard for my friend's tele... and just got this 12" wide flamed maple... wasn't sure how it would really look because it is so white... well, this is how it looks.  

39 minutes ago, ScottR said:

Yeah, I've always felt that way, too. When you've gone out of the way to make the components and materials high end, to go with the high end skills and craftsmanship being employed in the build, it makes little sense to cheap out on one part. Unless that one inexpensive part is exactly what you want and need. Then it's just a bargain.

SR

right on.  I might be able to give myself a pass on using the black wilkinson on my prototype... but then chrome looks really nice with turquoise too!  could go right back to gotoh!

34 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Ummm... what's wrong with Wilkinson? It can't be worse than this no-name: https://www.guitarfetish.com/Vintage-Style-bridge-3-Brass-Saddles-Black--Fits-Telereg_p_849.html

nothing wrong with wilkinson.  They are just the korea/china faction of gotoh (if I'm not mistaken).  The gotoh compensated saddles are better and gotoh in general is a hair nicer quality.  Also, perhaps it's just me, but when slapping together $1000+ in parts/materials for a guitar... putting wilkinson on it kind of seems a bit... well... out of place?

34 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

You could always get a black one and fit brass saddles?

well, again the only black one gotoh makes is a modern version... (with no side walls) and I'm not sure that would look great.  I have found a wilkinson version in black... but we've already purchased a gold gotoh one so... and gold sd510 tuners.  Perhaps I'll do black for my prototype... just to be a jackwagon.

44 minutes ago, ScottR said:

Gotoh doesn't make a black one?

SR

well, they do it's just the 'modern'.  afa I could find they don't make a traditional tele bridge in black.  his initial request was that it be a very 'twangy' guitar... and with that in mind - you gotta have the brass barrel saddles!

37 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

That mole won't get whacked, I suppose...

 

mmmmmmmm..... make some guacamole!

22 minutes ago, ScottR said:

I'd be tempted to go with black hardware with the turquoise. Black binding would look cool to.

SR

funny, originally he wanted black hardware... but the only black tele bridge we could find was wilkinson... perhaps maybe I should buy black for my prototype but then he'll likely want to steal it from me at the end!!

27 minutes ago, ScottR said:

Beauty marks.....

SR

i consider it the equivalent of cindy crawfords mole...

lovely body blank.  truss channel looks nice.  good work.

"I was all set on the blue/purple until you showed me the turquoise" - his words.  hehe.  So... need to find some wood that I can use for a headstock/fretboard for that one as I want to keep the matching wood with one of the tops it came from.  Will use that wood for my prototype so... joined it up last night:

extra points for capturing belly + shoes in the shot!!

side note: tablesaw - such a nice tablesaw but the fence is crap.  I adjusted the tension for locking it down... but it only locks on the one side... other side has a wheel that just rides along... and with enough pressure the fence moves in micro amounts.  for this reason... I couldn't get a joint out of it that I was happy with.  Tried several times to cut a very small amount and keep even pressure throughout the cut... but no luck.  my only reference point is industrial delta saws - but I can tell you they were effortless by compare.  As expensive as this thing was - and as many nice features as it has - not impressed SAWSTOP.  u suck.  sent an email to their support and got crickets.  

Ended up using my router to make two long straight edges and utilizing the "cut both sides at once" trick.  that resulted in an invisible join.  The setup time was brutal.  Long story long... need to buy a decent aftermarket fence for this tablesaw.  I've been using it a lot tho - wondering how I ever got along w/o it!!

3 hours ago, Gogzs said:

Well, considering my first build ever, and first proper project working with wood, involved wenge... I don't see things going any worse than that haha. From the wood db for wenge:

Very splintery—care must be used when handling unfinished wood with bare hands, as splinters have an increased risk of infection.
Also, Wenge splinters tend to take longer to heal and  are more likely to go septic (get infected) than splinters from other woods.

Bamboo will be an upgrade in regards of not getting septic wounds  all jokes aside tho, I do use protection when handling it, should be ok.  

yeah, wenge is not fun - I love it but dang it can hurt!  So can oak!!  when I was young I was sanding a big cabinet by hand with a piece of loose sandpaper... unknown to me that was a big hidden split on one of the edges... slid my hand right into it... got a big splinter that went through 3 fingers.  this was oak... got most of the splinter out... but the numerous little splinters festered and I can tell you it was very painful!  

I imagine bamboo can be very sharp.  also very beautiful.  should be some cool colors in that.

Fascinating stuff.  no intention of using bamboo anytime soon (I imagine the splinters are deadly) but good to know and fascinating in general.  thanks for sharing.

seems to me that if you slot first... then radius... unless you cut your slots with a lot of extra depth you are going to have to likely re-slot them after radius... or at least check them good - but that's not uncommon.  freq use pre slotted and radius boards... and the issue there becomes ensuring you have the accurate centerline (everyone seems to draw a big fat line and finding the center of that always makes me nervous).  I think it's safe to say that any way you do it there is going to be benefits and pitfalls... and no matter what way you do it you just have to be aware of those benefits and pitfalls and use them to your advantage and avoid them - hehe!

man... lotta parts!  looks like an insane amount of work!!  really liking where this is going.  "offroad" - I admire your bravery!!

6 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

To me the middle one appeals the most. The figuration on the lower bout fills the entire area nicely. Then again, there's an idea on the top one as well as the longitudinal stripe matches with the neck and string lines. The royal blue with gold hardware has echoes from uniforms from the past, forceful, controlled and arrogant like the Royal Naval Officers from the sailship era!

The turquoise doesn't seem to match with the gold hardware but it may be my monitor as well.

right on, I love your detailed feedback.  I was actually thinking I'd do chrome hardware if I went turquoise... as it just looks great together... but I think gold would end up looking good too.  Honestly... I think all 3 of them have something going for them and any one could be a good guitar... but the turquoise really resonates w me... I just have a thing for turquoise!  (don't tell my wife)

so... did some revised mock ups to help my friend decide... would love some feedback if y'all would be so kind altho ultimately it's his choice.  That said... I think I'm going to make this turqoise one my secondary...

so... my buddy having a hard time choosing between these tops... but is leaning towards the 2nd one above.  Since I'm doing a prototype and assuming I don't render it kaputs along the way... I'll choose a top from whatever he doesn't pick and slap it on that.

this will be the fretboard and headstock overlay bookmatched from matching wood...

21 minutes ago, ScottR said:

To me that is probably a 4A board, a fine job of bookmatching and the best board in the series of pictures...IMHO.

SR

very much appreciate that scott.  it's very white in color... and initially I thought maybe a mid 4... but now I'm seeing a little 'color stain' in the center there that is making me think more like low 4... and then the little flaw there at the bottom just to the right of the centerline.  unfortunately the 'flash side' of this board is that view... so that little flaw would be hard to avoid... but perhaps long enough to get it out of the cut zone altogether. thank you again!!

and the result from bookmatching kevin's piece... 

two very dif pieces of maple... first one is very light color and lower contrast... would prob benefit from a lot of sand back... second has a lot of chatoyance and high contrast... darker wood and def made the planer work more.  

I'd be curious of your thoughts afa "which one is better".  

also... full confession... i done a bad bad thing... I bought this today...

17 minutes ago, David Ivy said:

@mistermikev yes it does sound like a lot of work but I am more so wanting to build one guitar at a time for the person who wants a hand crafted instrument and not an assembly line guitar. I in no way want to try to compete with the big manufacturing brands. Just one here and one There with my name on it.

sorry, wasn't trying to discourage at all... those are just the thoughts I have in MY head on the matter (probably would have been best left in my head!!).  I wish you nothing but your absolute dream fulfilled!!  

5 minutes ago, David Ivy said:

@mistermikev I most certainly will share pictures as I get jobs done.

Because I have a 9 to 5 job guitar building at this point is a hobby but really wanting to get good enough to sell boutique guitar builds someday. Maybe even come up with my own guitar design.

I think if we are all honest with ourselves... we all want to be the next leo on some level or another.  I totally want to build guitars all day... but all the crap that comes along with marketing/selling/meeting deadlines... sounds a lot like work!!