ZekeB

Ok.  Will be approaching the painting process soon.  I've been playing around with a few ideas.  Just focus on the body. I'll match the headstock with something.  I'm still leaning on one but wanted to see what you guys think?

1.  Original Black

2. Fancy White

3. Ivory

decided to add an F-hole.  semi hollow.  not sure on the body or neck wood.  feel like i default to mahogany.  its really nice to work with from what I've experienced.  I'm aiming to have wenge and purpleheart for the neck laminations so far as well. We'll see how that meshes togethertoo

Lol, actually it wasn't that bad.  I live in Texas and ziricote is sourced just to south of me.  got it from savagewoods.com

All the ornaments, boards and templates are done.  Start cutting the headstock angle and and neck channels next.  Some foreshadowing 

what glue were you using ?

playing around with the idea a little more.  So my side profile for say the osprey would look like this.  I'm definitely going to try something similar on the next one.  I want to do it on my build now but it would be too busy and wouldn't match.  The only drawback I can think of is how to finish it?  I don't put a finish on ebony so would you only do it with freboards that take a finish?  

So I just watched a video Mike posted.  Has anyone ever made a cavity for the actual fingerboard?  What is this called?  I may just have to try this on my next one.

Forgive my lighting:

18 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

Taking another look at her, I just noticed that the very tip of the headstock is different in #2 than in # 1 and 1.5. To me the little notch in #1 is the most appealing detail. And yet, the more I look at them the more I start to see a funny caricature nose in each one! That will most likely change with colours, though. Plain lines can

Another thing that caught my eye is that most elements in your design give me an impression of zooming or vaulting towards something in front of the headstock - the inlay has a wave rolling that direction, the headstock and horn feature an arc like the leap of an attacking feline and even your signature logo is speedy. The bottom of the body seems like holding the leap back. Have you ever thought about slanting the bottom, either because of ergonomics or just looks? All that said, I very much like the tranquil feeling the symmetry creates at the bottom. Slanting would require redesigning even the placing of the string ferrules.

Designing a good looking guitar is a very delicate art, thank you for feeding our imagination with your ideas!

Thanks Bizman. Your really observant.  That slight angle in one direction or another is a design element I read from books.  Its all subjective but supposedly most people are drawn to subtle shapes in between acute and parabolic shapes.  The body points of the horns and back define that "direction" feel.  I typically always start my designs with something like the below image and choose one I'm going to start with.  Otherwise I subconsciously corn hole myself with one.  This design was really difficult for me to stick with because I tend to go for the angled ones.  I think what you identified was that subconscious wanting to break out  there.   Thank you guys for your opinions.  

I'm settling on 1 or 2.  You don't know how long I played with that little are your talking about, lol.  

  I do t know about the video stuff but I do really enjoy seeing your workflow and insight.  It really helps to see different perspective.  Thank you so much for sharing.  You've got one more subscriber!

A few ideas for the headstock.  Trying to keep that elegant feel.  Feel like Ive been staring at it too long.  what you guys think?

1. Kinda going with the body circular shape and the lower horn end.

1.5.  Added a bigger "bulb" like area maybe for an inlay or something?  

2. More sleek.  Using the lower horn as the direction there.

3.  A softer concept of the above two

Just continuing to play around with the shape

Congrats!

Ah there's no bad opinions.  I appreciate the perspective.   I do need to change the headstock anyway for hand ergonomics like Bizman was talking about.  I'd like it to match the body better as well.

Next top profile

And were moving again.  

Haha.  That sounds terrible.  I was hoping there would be some type of consistency regardless of the direction since it is so dense.   That doesnt sound like the case.  

4 minutes ago, ADFinlayson said:

Looks awesome, reminds me of the single-cut parker fly. Are you carving the ziricote? I'm looking forward to watching someone else suffer with it

Yes I am.  Couldn't help but try after your last one.  I guess carved ziricote is contagious 

7 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

That looks like an interesting project, thru neck and all that jazz! The body looks both traditional and original at the same time, and comfortable as well.

What caught my eye is the high e side of the headstock. Are you sure the bulge doesn't get in the way in some open chords like D7, even more so if you use a movable fingering omitting your index finger?

 

 

I didn't think about that.  That's a really good point.  This is why I post things on here   I'm definitely going for the "classically trained to rock" theme, lol.  When I first designed the body I was thinking something elegant but it turned into this monster.  I was reading a book on making a cellos and also saw a guitar with a real long lower horn on google.  I just kind of merged both those ideas and added some aggressive curves.

  Any more ideas or conflicts you guys see please let me know!  Thanks Bizman62

So I couldn't pass up a deal on some ziricote.  I'll post pictures when it comes in.  The pickup setup will be based on Pete Townshends customized Gibson Les Paul Deluxe setup.  I think I'm going to make this guy 25" scale as well. 

It won't have an accent binding.  Maybe no binding.  Instead I'm going to put some gold purfling further in the body to stand out against the wood.

Pretty sure I'm going to do a neck-through and I'm not sure for the body wings or the fretboard. Going to go with the same pickguard from the Osprey too.   Not sure on the wood combo there either.  Guess I'm pretty fresh into this one.  I'll be startng this as I finish up the Osprey.

Mike that looks great.  Its going to have some great stage presence.

This thing is going to be gorgeous

you might try putting your inspiration picture besides your design to tie those elements together too.  I like to work simple and build from there.  I just can't keep up with all the other variables otherwise.  

Not sure how I missed this thread.  I love design   To me the first picture was right in terms of the curve of the f-hole.  I like when the shapes parallel the curvature of the body like the examples urumiko posted..  You might try to put put the outline on a piece of paper and tie the shapes together first.  I find the off colors like two tones of whites and textures will trick your eyes before you establish a good balance of shapes.  I just overlapped some vector lines and started playing with the shapes.  Try and use inkscape (free) to play with the shape.  You just grab the little nodes and start bending.  I made a svg with the below model if your interested.  I'll send it to your email if you'd like.

Bound the pickguard and did a little spot checking.  I'll cut and sand everything flush.

And finished.  Best inlay so far.

Inlaid.  Going to bind this with black andput a few coats of tru oil on.  I figure it'll be easy to touch up if I'm banging on it with a pick.  The pick guard cavity will be routed into the body on a slight angle.  Really looking forward to the next part.