RonMay

@mistermikev, it fits that you should mention "jumbo western". I was there when my brother bought it and the sales man at Melheart Music here called it a "jumbo western". I think that that music instrument store is still in business .

I mostly wanted to know because I want to buy a nice case for it and needed some kind of body classification to help narrow down the choices. I "searched" for jumbo western and jumbo kept coming up along with a hole lot of dreadnought classifications as well. I'm going to use the measurements for sure because hardly any of the jumbos or dreadnoughts were using the same measurements and the body style alpha numerical classifications were just as many as there were manufacturers.  Which was totally confusing to my poor ignorant brain.

I think I'm settling on a "Gator" case that will fit the dimensions of the body and length. Which are: bottom bout 16 1/4", top bout 12 1/16", depth of 4 3/8" with an approximate length of 41", unless a better brand in that price range, can be recommended.  The case it came with sort of fits it and it's made out of something like thick cardboard stuff with a faux leather like looking exterior. It's flimsy as hell.

I'm extremely lucky that the guitar arrived in one piece because my niece sent it to me in just the case with shipping tape wrapped around it in about 3 places. The Alvarez was shipped like that as well but that case was way superior and fits the guitar like a glove.

Thanks for your input. It's greatly appreciated.

Ron

@komodo  Two words........ " BE PROUD".

Ron

Things are progressing fairly well with the cleaning of the sound board binding. I'm abou5t 3/4 the way around.

Thank you @ScottR . I'm just guessing but the bow might change once it has strings on it and tuned. I'm a long way from that though.

Thanks again.

Ron

@Bizman62, I'll give that a try. It came from Amazon, so there's about a 99.999% chance it came from China too.

I just checked it out and you're absolutely right. Starting at the second fret it works like it should.  This would have been good to know this morning before a couple of hours of filing.  Fortunately the side I filed was not the side that works on the 2nd fret.

Ron

I'm also humidifying the guitar.

I'm using a sandwich bag with slits cut into it and a wash rag which I dampen.
I put a plastic sheet inside the sound hole and then the slit bag on top. I close the sound hole off with a cut down cottage cheese container to help keep the moisture in.

It's already helping a lot.
What was a "Cyclone" roller coaster profile is now a toddler's kiddy coaster on the back.

I also took off the pick guard and you can see sort of what the guitar originally looked like pertaining to color.

Ron

I ordered a slotted straight edge which is used to show if the fret board is straight or bowed one way or the other. It has slots cut into it that the fret sits under it so the edge can sit flat and be able to gauge the flatness of the board and not the frets.

I ordered it and it said on the sight that it worked well with Fender and Martin brand guitars. I had no idea that all fret boards and the distance between frets were different. I thought they were pretty standard so everyone could play with out difficulty.
I was wrong.

So, as it was it was useless to me. I had to make it work.

Using a bastard file I filed the places where the slots didn't line up with the frets.
It's not pretty or pristine anymore but it is very functional. Function over form.

You can see the slots I filed so that it would conform to my frets.
I now have a "custom" fret board straight edge.

It works and I discovered that as it is, the fret board has a slight forward bow to it, which, as every one here knows, can be easily fixed by adjusting the truss rod inside the neck.
But that comes much later.

Ron

@Prostheta , wow this looks really good.

Ron

@Andyjr1515 , thanks.

I have never done this before but I'm learning by mistakes and by listening to you guys who have been there done that... have the T-shirt.

Ron

Today I'm still working on cleaning the sound board binding. It's pretty slow going but progress is being made.

Ron

On 2/5/2020 at 9:53 PM, mattharris75 said:

A quick sound file for those interested. It will sound a little different, a little more bass and volume, with the doubled C string and a little more pressure on the top. But this gives you a good idea of the sound.

 

    @mattharris75    This is an amazing piece of sonic art. I have never seen anything like it. Great playing as well.

@Lumberjack , this is beautiful. It almost looks like silk or satin. I don't know how you acquired  that look, but it's definitely very unique.

Ron

@Andyjr1515

I really like that sound. I have nothing but a 12 string to compare it to, but it's really nice to listen to.

Great job on one beautiful guizouki.

Ron

I loved your attention to detail. You're going to do well with guitar making, no doubt about that.

Ron

Very nicely done. Your attention to detail is going to make you a great guitar maker.

Have you ever given some thought to beveling the head stock to match the look of the beveled body? I think that would look super custom and cool. Just a thought.

Well done @M3521 .

@MiKro , thanks for that Idea. I have watched dozens of RSW videos and he is one who definitely knows how to problem solve with simple, but very effective and innovative methodology.

Ron

@MiKro , thanks for the further explanation.

Ron

@MiKro , that would be awesome if I had a arch top guitar. I think I'll measure from the end of the fret board to where it is now and keep that reference for a new one. It has a pass through bridge but I'm thinking of using a pined bridge in stead, for no real reason but that I like the look of a pinned bridge vs. a pass through. I would have to drill some pin holes through the sound board and bridge support. Which I'm not crazy about doing.

Thanks for the diagram and the explanation.  I appreciate it.

Ron

@curtisa the current me thanks the once future you, which is now the past you................ *didn't even go 88 mph, eat your heart out Marty*

Ron

@argytar It sounds good. The man has skills.

Ron

@ScottR. I think you're right. My bad.  

Thank you @curtisa .

Ron

38 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

 

 

You simply burnish masking tape on both surfaces and glue them back to back with super glue.

I'm not sure what you mean by "burnish".

Ron

@ScottR , thanks for moving my project to the right forum category for this project.

Ron

@Bizman62 I had seen that method to stick sandpaper to stuff, but it didn't come to mind. Thanks for the tip. I'm definitely going to try that out. I won't have to find a small screw for the back. I like simple.

Ron

@Prostheta, This is looking great.

Ron