GenerativeGuitars

Bonus today, I designed a jig to drill the cable channels... Only the diagonal channel made but got the concept down. The right part of the code is the block builder. The left creates the right lines to create the drill tube and then extend it drill tool side.... I will cnc the jig as a 2 parts flat vice that fits in the cavity with the hole predilled (ball mill). This way I dont need a jig to do the jig...

Here's my 3rd carved body. Finally up to speck.

The next issue in this design is the fillets around the body's top and bottom edges. The fillet module in GH is limited! The limitation comes from the guitar shape I feed it but after months of trying and testing other ways... (like sub-d conversions)... Which yielded nice but uncontrolable mesh shapes - not the kind of 3D object my cam likes... I started from scratch (at least 5-7 times, and today... I found an amazing way to do this! Note that Im not 'drawing' any lines in the 3D design part of Rhino to achieve this. It's all logical script like operations on points, lines in space with parameters I can dial randomly or at will or based on any formula, script etc. The three versions are based on a model where the line point/divisions went un-aligned to each other and yielded some really interesting results. Behind is the new version with "variable generative aligned divisions". I hope to do a lot more later. First I have to resolve some non-aligned points giving me messy lofts/skinning... But it does look like a good start!

All strategies are ready. This is 2 weeks before I started... Note the center pins to flip perfectly - the result didn't disapoint. In the end all that matered was that the block was straight along the bottom line. This wood was irregular trapezoid in shape - but at least I had a straight edge from the bottom. Once the center holes were done, it was easy to flip and the holes, cut line matched perfectly. Well, almost... I changed the direction of the cuts for the flip since I saw the result.

So a month has passed since last update, Apologies as things evolved a lot... Got more wood and a pickguard blank... Remodeled a lot of the scripts to improve speed and overall easy the setups. Finally figured out how to center, flip the board also.

So here is the result off the downcut (compression) end mill compared to the up-cut mill Check out those sharp edges!!!

Downcut end mills are awesome, no more edge chips!!! Highly recommend. No issues on the bottom side either! So came finally the time to carve the big block and hmmm, I forgot something… Screw positions and centering/fixing the guitar block setup on the cnc for facing... How to set up the block right in reference to the table. 1 problem is that no 2 blocks are the same size (xy)… The first problem comes when you want to “face” the block. I can’t fix the block just any how… I wont screw it in the wasteboard because center is off, glue it = unprecise... I would like to reference the screws on the block to the waste board/cnc table xyz = center of the board on the neck end. I can’t screw it because the cnc will do that with reference to both sides of the block to flip it dead on center. SO I have to center the piece to the table center. I know of different jigs used for dovetails but these just wont work with this kind of surface (although there might be a way)… So I devised this kind of contraption to hold on the board and center it. Once set, I can devise the center - but not to the table. And the holes to hold on the jig are never the same given any board size! Connandrum! Any suggestions? I thought of this jig

we also call them zero flutes or one flutes. Best result in ALU or plexi. I got my compression end-mills via the mail today but still resolving this pesky BSOD issue on my workstation.

Sorry, Im in mm land... I started doing woodwork in 7/16's measures so I totally understand! I use mostly 2 flutes - 1 flute if plexiglass (lessons learned)... For feeds and RPM speeds, I listen to the sound of it believe it or not! Get's tricky in wood knots (for the pun!)

So coils - my friend changed his mind about humbuckers and switched to something texas single coils - he knows his guitars He's providing the bridge and neck - So i made my model adapatable to screw positions, neck size... And the last 3 weeks were spent doing test for those (including distance from nut to bridge. I had to re-measure everything (measure twice and cut once) and gladly except for the screws, it's all aligned! The control box is too thin, some depth tests to come later before i carve the big block and flip it to carve the other side (no cavities - telecaster) but totally possible for Lespaul styles etc. I didn't go light on this model - for me it's an industrial design attempt(in Grasshopper strictly) with strict measures which I barely did before - I did some electronic panels and boxes but not this precise. 1=2 weels before i carve it! yeah!!!! By then i get my first "to be measured against" guitar...

Please excuse my enthusiasm but all those options are already implemented! I want to implement 12, 8, 9?, 6, 4 strings, all fret boards and insets possible, do the whole 9 yards! But making the right sounding guitar first is the priority. Getting this far working weekends and nights since last 12 months and finally with just 2-3 more cnc carves to figure out where the right screw positions are and make sure the controls of the guitar fit in the cavity has me stoked to start carving the whole thing out! Tomorrow im getting some cheap downcut end-mills (6 mm shanks) to start and hopefully improve chipping on the top surface of the wood. Hopefully I can source some Amana end millls. Europe is not well furnished for end mill varieties I have to say.

The whole guitar is made based on 2 CAD curves from an old plan (I can add, change these at will). I used the plan's shapes to make the body and head-stock shape and set all the dimensions. Doing this as a total guitar idiot, I learned a lot about build techniques, guitar types, scales, scarf joint shaping with GH. And between the time I started encoding all the plan's measures - and today (about a year after) - I'm adapting the model using planes for references, automating the CAM job as much as possible. Created a nice system to test cavities to avoid wasting valuable wood. This model is based on that 1950's plan's dimensions and some are completely off like the control box is wrong size, screw holes dont work with this Fender pro neck, different bridge. Thanks to GH, I just change a number in a dial and fixed. Sometimes, I have to rethink how a part is supposed to fit offset to this or that point (nut, bridge, neck pocket etc. Adding one or two more pickups is easy. Will it sound right, I dont know yet... Im 2 features away to be cnc tested for tolerance - will the HW fit? Bridge cavities and positions already had to be edited which was just 10 minutes to prep for next cnc test. Now it's 2 minutes to test... I still dont have a pretention to become a luthier or a CNC god - but I love the details of the craft! I just love design My guitar playing ability = Im still learning the James Bond theme. Im getting the sound at least!

Hello Mike, That's very kind of you. Thanks. Alas Im not looking forward to do support for the code yet as I enter the CNC testing phase. I dont have issues "coding" in Grasshopper although I have to admit that making the neck joints (between body interface and headstock) was a real pain - luckily a friend gave me some valuable tips and now I have 3 versions with varying results. Im re-writting the code as I go back to adjust tolerances for the CNC'ed body right now. Actually, where I could use help is whether making cavities in the body could help and the trussrod design...

During this morning's 2 cups coffee ritual, I redid the Neck-Body interface. It was too simple (although it's already a second evolution of the 'basic part' based on the original plan...) The original plan is just a top down curve. I saw some guitars have a neck taper - seems logical - and there is the (possible) taper across the length of the neck... This is my biggest worry still but the top to bottom taper of the walls of the neck was the most immediate worry. Maybe there is no tapper but i included it also into the model. So now you can dial top and bottom taper and with any precision. The top to bottom of the neck (whole part as opposed to just the body-neck interface) will react automatically if you change the neck in a future version. This model is body centric vs Nut centric. If any Luthier can confirm this? Do you build the guitar starting around the nut or the bridge? Or what would determine which? Guitar weight distribution? My first guess... Anyway, I fixed this taper - x-y-z taper on tap! I did the CAM jobs after 'baking' a small test model to see how it fits... and 30 minutes later, I had the full result - fits PERFECTLY!!!