freekhed

Great work and looks like an awesome, meaningful project!

A few coats of Danish....

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/dmt...se/IMG_0400.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/dmt...se/IMG_0406.jpg

Cool. Nice clean work there. I like how the 2 pieces of ash are a bit 'different' .....

Agreed! Very engaging build. I vote tiger eye, but can you post a better (clear coat) pic of the blue just for kicks?

I really want a tele template too! I'd be willing to split the cost of the Ron Kirn template with you if you decide to go that route (I'm serious, PM me). Too bad it doesn't come with a neck template...I actually have a tele neck template, but the headstock profile is SO NOT accurate.

This guy gives you a neck template:

http://www.guitarbuildingtemplates.com/teletemplates.htm

I'm sick of making my own templates. ~

Oh WOW! that's a beautiful neck! Rosewood? What are the side dots there? Thks for sharing, as I was planning on doing something totally similar.

I've searched the forum and found little bits and pieces on trussrods, but thought it might be nice to see what ya'll prefer using and why?

All I've ever used are the 2-way truss rods, found at Stew Mac or LMII.

The last batch of rods I bought from LMII were my favorite so far....seemed like better quality steel, good and tight threads for turning, etc.

I've been debating using a 'traditional' 1-way rod for my next build, just to try it out. However, I'm not sure exactly how/if the rod needs to be 'bent' when you install it or not, plus add the filler strip and trimming and it just seems an overwhelming science and hassle.

I saw these recently:

http://www.alliedlutherie.com/truss_rods.htm

The Mark Blanchard improved ones seem very cool: Stainless Steel. Anybody ever used one?

I know some people here make their own and kudos to them!

If you were going to make a 1-piece maple neck, a la fender, and install the rod from the back, what rod would you use?? How would you do it?

That looks awesome man! Love the design and that paduak looks so cool......are you having troubles with the padauk BLEEDING into the maple when you sand it at all?

The last guitar I built has one giant chamber...no wood under the bridge or pickups. It feeds back WAY too much...so much so I don't even want to play the damn thing.

So this might work out wonderful!!

Hmmm...no stain it is then. Tru-oil does have a bit of 'amber' in it anyway. Hopefully I'll have some updated pics the end of this weekend.

That is a really nice looking guitar, you do beautiful work . I wonder if Jim has seen this thread, he is a member of this forum, and I bet he would be flattered that you liked his Swan enough to build with it in mind. Any chance you live in the Portland area? I haven't been in touch with him for a while, but he is in this neck of the woods. Maybe you could contact him and try out one of his Swans, and maybe even let him look over your handy work.

Peace,Rich

I did email Jim and inquire about using a 27" inch scale....didn't want to step on any toes, so to speak. I guess you can't patent/copyright scale lengths...as apparently there are several 27 scale baritone guitars out there, or so I have learned. I live in the Bay Area, Ca. now. I'd love to move to the Portland area after school

Hopefully I'll own a Swan one day....when I get a real job!

So how should I STAIN this sucker??? Maybe I shouldn't stain it, and just put Tru-oil all over it! I wish I had a spray booth....

I like how far you set that neck in. THat's gonna look hot! You're gonna contour the top, I take it? Filtertrons?? Powertrons?? Doesn't Malcolm only use a bridge pickup? Please post some pics of the contour evolution, I love those kinda pics!!

Interesting. Why so many chambers? Looks like swiss cheese.

... you never answered the question as to what is the balck accent line made out of.

Got her strung up for a test fit today: ALL the strings fit on the fretboard!

Plays really well with a borrowed nut and really rough frets. I'm diggin the cedar neck although it's huge right now at about 1" thick at the 12th. I think I'll trim her down a bit.

Also, the Z90's I was planning to use will not work: string spacing at the pickups over the magnets is off. I'll most likely contact Mr. Biltoft for some custom pickups or use his blade style pickups.

Here's some pics and please excuse the PINK towel.

Beautiful! Looks like a lot of hours have gone into this beauty. I love the finish on it.

What's with the birch overseas there? Might need to get me hands on some of this birch in the future.

Looks great! I'm sure with that arch, it will look totally killer once a finish is on it. Looks like you did a great job with the binding, too.

That thing looks like it's alive!!!!

Lovely! What did you use for the black veneer accent? I know's still WIP but I have to say it looks smarter before the roundover. Maybe it needs a good sanding out.

Please elaborate on the "looks smarter" part....I agree that the pic before the roundover looks nice. I'm not happy with the current roundover (3/8"?), so that's why I'm thinking 1/2". Maybe I should have done 1/8", like i did on the back, but the body is almost 2" thick and I thought it would look too bulky.

Looks really nice, and I like the shape of the curves on the horns. I'm only wondering why the long scale if you're not going to detune the strings? Just personal preference? I myself find it awkward to play on a standard strat scale length!

Well, I really am interested in the Soloway Swans that are 27" scale length, but haven't been able to play one or see one in person, for that matter. I've read so many great things about 'em. Plus, I just wanted to build something a little different. Apart from the nice mahogany, the rest of the wood is just stuff that has been accumulating/sitting around the workshop. I've had this Callaham bridge for years and it's just been sitting. I already have the 'typical' scale guitars to play. I may hate the scale too when I'm done, I really don't know. I also don't know how the cedar will work as a neck wood, but it's tight-grained and q-sawn, and I added I'm using graphite bars for the first time in hopes of reinforcing the soft neck wood.

Apparently, most people don't seem to notice the difference much after a few hours/days of playing the longer scale and seem to really like the tone/sound of the longer scale. And I just love Jim's guitars....super classy AND different.

Looks really nice! What tuning will it be in?

He said it will be Standard tuning in his first post.

Okay! Sorry!

Haha! no need to be sorry. Standard tuning, I suppose, but I also play some stuff in Drop D. I can't afford a Swan, so I thought I'd try and make one. I see we're using the same scale length on our builds!

Re: the burn marks...of course those will be sanded out. I really need a new bit, but those cost money. ~ I'm thinking of putting a 1/2" roundover on the front to try and accent the black veneer between the maple and mahogany a bit more.

I'll get a pic of the back up soon. It's got matching camatillo trem & cavity covers & back headtock veneers.

I really want to stain this one, but I'm not sure what color(s).

Getting along pretty well on this new build and thought i'd post some pics of the progress so far.

It's a 27" scale that will be tuned standard

flame maple top on hollow-ed mahogany body

yellow cedar neck with reinforcement bars

indian rosewood fb w/maple binding

callaham trem/vibrato

hipshot tuners

undecided on pickups (either Z90's or some WCR Crossroads)

Hi David,

Boy, I hope my binding looks half as good as yours in that pic. Thanks for the replies...looks like I need to invest in a bending iron. This marks the inevitable road into the foray of a real archtop....which I've been wanting to try for a long time. Time to get that Benedetto book back out.

Thx for the replies guys. I've begun setting up a 'jig' for prebending the binding. I'll keep ya updated on the progress. It was definitely a chore hollowing out the body....My last guitar I did fully hollow and it feeds back like a mother-fu*ker, so on this one I left some wood in the middle to hopefully cut back on the feedback factor. I also counter-arched the bottom of the top, as seen in it's rough stages in the pic.

I hope I do this binding justice!

So, back to my original question, has anyone done wood binding? Which glue is best? Just plain 'ol Titebond I or II?

I also just ran across this, and they look useful and intersting for those of us without any neck contour templates:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Luthier-Instrument-Nec...1QQcmdZViewItem

Click the PDF link for available templates.