ZekeB

Lol, I honestly didnt think the wood would look so good on this one.  I was going to put a cap on top!  

I've been thinking about that as well, Scott.  Ultimately, I'll be selling this guy and black seems to be the demand.  

After my first build I told myself I'd keep things cleaner.   I feel like I cut corners and wasted time finding things multiple times.  After this one, I have to say it makes a big impact in my results.  

Thank you Andy and Bizman.  

Some binding.  Brought the carve back some more as well.  Will fill in the few gaps tomorrow.  Feeling a whole lot better about the binding this time.  More comfortable of what chances I should take and stay away from.

Scott, that looks fantastic.  

Used the stewmac laminate jig to make my binding thicker than normal to match the design.   Only like 30 bucs.  Oh also got a buffer wheel, and a bunch of wood cam clamps at an estate sale for 125 bucs.  Really great deals out there if you look

Update.  Really soft carve.  I did bring it in all the way to the side of the pickups but I want to keep the carve simple and rounded.  I'll finish it when I get the binding in.  I'll do the fine sanding phase after the filler & before the primer.  Start hanging him next to his brother.

So about 30 min into it I nicked myself and my 6 yr old son brought me a bandaid.  Then he said I needed a cofee break and got me a cup.  Then he said i should take a break and watch a show with him.  Guess what it is. I'll be back in about an hour lol

Time to carve.  Love carving with just the lamp.  Really helps with seeing the angles.  Use to be an apprentice for a sculptor and always loved turning on some tunes with that single lamp and a slab of stone.

Sharp looking guitar.

Yeah I know.  Just a squirrel moment

That makes sense.  Sometimes you just need someone to pull you back to ground level thanks bizman

This is kind of an out there idea.  What do you guys think of having a multi spieces control cover?  I for sure don't want it the same.   It's either that or just wenge.  Wenge would match but would the multi piece still be in the same realm of the design?  You'll see the laminated neck as well.

I may just make both.  If it doesnt work on this one I know itll work on a white version later.

Welcome aboard! Any plans for your finish yet?

Thanks guys

Routed the pickguard  cavity.  Put it on a 2 degree pitch to give it a little more life.  Really happy with it.  Oh and finished up the control cavity 

Scott what do you use to dress your frets?  They come out great.  

Thanks guys

Cut the fretboard to size and ended binding it since the inlay was hitting side.   Had a little tearout on headstock plate and will finish that tomorrow.   Control cavity is routed and pilot holes for controls are made.  Here's my test fit to make sure my centers are still good and see the progress.  Going to route the inlay the pickguard next.  

Sorry haven't updated in a while.  Lots of really helpful things on this one.  By far the biggest improvement was making a fretboard template and centering everything off of that.  

Put tape around the template to make sure the fretboard will fit nicely and snug

On 5/9/2019 at 7:15 AM, ADFinlayson said:

Building on from Andy's good advice, if you've only got access to a jig saw or cheapy bandsaw, I recommend cutting the rough shape of the mahogany after you've got it down to final thickness and rouge cutting the rough shape of the maple cap separately, that way you're cutting two thinner pieces which will be a lot less work for the saw. Then you can glue the body and the cap together before routing to final shape, or you can even route the final shape of the cap then stick it to the rough shape of the body so you're routing less wood in each pass which is much safer for you, and the wood

If you're new to bandsaws, jigsaws - don't worry about cutting too close to the line, it's better to leave too much than risk cutting into the final work piece, and there is no issue with spending a bit longer with the router or sander getting it to final shape. 

Once you've done it a couple of times, you will realise that it's a doddle as long as you take your time and take care.

 

I plus one this.  I actually prefer a jig saw on a few things.  You can slow it down greatly around horns to get real close and minimize tearout.  At least that's my experience

Cut the horizontal profile.  The fretboard is going to sit in a slight cavity in the body.  Most of the sides will be gone when the vertical profile is cut but right now they're acting as buffers in case something slips .  Here's how it went down.

Put the fretboard template where it will go, outlined and carved it out with a chisel, square ruler and a razor.  Didn't have a scraper small enough so I actually used the ruler edge.  I used the ruler to plunge into the carve to be my gauge for the depth and carved to that point to make sure i didn't go too far.  

When I got the right angle I just took my time to get the edges right for the fit and used the ruler edge to clean and level what was left.  

It's a neckthrough that goes to the top so its the laminate wood and mahogany 

I actually got a solution for that.  on the last guitar I went and got a tent at academy where I can isolate everything from the garage.  I put a fan on the inside so it pulls everything out the a screen.  The inlet has a screen to so its pretty clean environment.