DFW

A good luthier always sees miles worth of improvement after each instrument.

Acoustic Progress:

Thickness sanded sides

Seamed top

Electric Progress:

Slotted fingerboard

Acquired Bolivian Rosewood Top

looks like the plan is to have a matching set.

GregP

Is that some kind of whammy bar you have going on there on the bridge?

It's a B bender, takes the B up a half step for a perfect fourth interval between the G and it. Really country-y down southy home style sound, though I've only heard it on the Unforgiven II by Metallica. Or maybe it drops it down... It's a B Bender nonetheless.

That's the plan. I wish school were open on weekends and we were allowed to get ahead, but this thing gonna take another 13 weeks, no questions asked. Body should be fully shaped by the end of next week though.

What exactly did you do to the Kahler?

Alright, so the first week of the Build session is over and here's the progress so far. I've got a full scale plan, template, body blank and tapered fingerboard for my electric. For the acoustic, it's an OM, and I have the back, sides, top and tapered fingerboard. The electric is as such:

5 String Singlecut Bass tuned CGDGC

35" scale

Bolt on maple and ebony neck with grain-centric inlay and 24 frets

Swamp Ash Body with black pore filler, likely a walnut top (we have yet to see our selection)

Hipshot tuners and a Kahler 7415 Tremolo

Bartolini MM52CBJD3 with volume, tone and mid control

ebony finger ramp

And the acoustic so far:

Bolivian Rosewood Back and sides

Mahogany neck, ebony board with grain-centric inlay

Spruce top

I'm pretty much currently building that exact same bass, what is it with single cut 5 strings these days? Faddelicious eh? Everyone and their mother's building one... Looks good though.

I like it, reminds me of Towely. ...you know, the South Park character. Paint bloodshot eyes on it and you'll have a guaranteed crowd pleaser, heheh.

They do basic repairs and setups for the first 3 weeks, then the build session, then 2 weeks of structural repairs. At least, that's the plan for now.

We've already started, now halfway through 3 weeks of the first repair session. And Nix the last sketch, that's too much for the first project, apparently.

I personally dig the more Monarch-y Imperial ala Richard Bona but I can't wait to see this one on it's way. Break a bandsaw blade.

This one goes out to wes

We're required to use an 1/8th inch veneer, no if's and's or but's, so thems the stipulations. I'll ask for thicker but not sure if that'll kosherfy.

Alright, so in preparation for this instrument I'm building a 5 string normal necked version ie: flatter radius, with frets and only 24 of them to fit the requirements of my student guitar. Contrary to erikbojerik I will be Kahlering this, as after seeing what Vic Wooten can do I have no choice but to have at it. It'll also be tuned CGDGC, or fifths (I call them 3rds) between the low three strings and fourths (coincidentally I call them fourths as well) between the high 3 strings, guages 130, 90, 65, 45, 30.

- Mahogany body with quilted maple center veneer and walnut wing veneer.

- Mahogany set neck with ebony fingerboard and walnut veneer on the headstock.

- Single Bartolini with 3 band eq.

- Black Hipshot ultralites with a slingshot on the high C to go up a whole step.

- Black Kahler 2415.

Building session starts in 2 weeks if I'm not mistaken, though they're experimenting with a new curriculum and that might change.

I built a bowable bass as my first instrument. Granted I had no clue what I was doing, but it came out all right. it's on this site somewhere...

Here:

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...mp;#entry269802

Don't have much advice though, but good luck.

You know I have stopped by this topic a couple times. I thought some things you were doing were kinda cool and others a bit desperate(in terms of trying to be original). Really that is probably the way it should be. If I liked all of them they probably wouldn't be very unique.

I think at times you come across as a bit of a ranting green builder when you make some of your statements. Remember when learning and building from a skill base that past masters spent LIFETIMES developing and now their knowledge makes it way to you. You should try to be a little grateful or at least not insult them. A lot of the time paying homage or trying to better understand the methods of past masters is the motivation in trying to re-create designs. There is nothing wrong with creativity and being unique. Just take it easy and build that skill and knowledge base before you figure the rest of the world is below you.

I do apologize if I disrespected anyone. Truthfully I was aiming to do the opposite, but lack the grasp of English tight enough to convey myself completely. This is more what I meant:\

I know that my natural abilities will not lend themselves to my being one of the "Great" Luthiers, and rather than label myself as someone lumbering down their path in a drug induced stupor, I could designate my own path where my blunderings would affect only my work and not the more popular instrument creation practices. But I love to hear y'alls ideas, feel free to throw anything too ridiculous to dedicate your time to into this thread and I'll likely try and implement it at some point on something.

And No One is below me, but we're all way different and I've got this way of looking at things.

whats the point of being a luthier if you cant do repairs? and if you refuse things as simple as dressings and other fret work, you'll starve;

i personnally like the design but am confused to why you would go to a school to learn and improve but make something that is all from your head; anything that is wrong with it, you can pass off as custom, whereas youve earned a diploma in b.s.

didnt want you to think i was raging on you design is all.

I'm not using frets more because I prefer the sound of skin and wood over metal. True, it also plays in that I don't want to do the fretjob, but mostly it's the fact that frets ruin the sound of the instrument, in my ears. And I meant no disrespect to other luthiers with my XTREME body designs, I just have no urge to replicate any previous body plans, I'd rather stretch my imagination where I can at this juncture. Once I know more about the other aspects I'll try innovating there.

it seems like too much; can we see some other stuff youve finished to get an idea of why your straying so much from an ordinary 'instrument'?

i love creating things that are different, but when your at school, you want as much 'practical-practical' experience as possible, before these frankenstein collaberations.

There are countless "ordinary" instrument builders. I'm confident enough in myself to know that I am never going to be one of them. If I built a standard strat or LP replica I would be ashamed of myself. Plus I'm not original enough to come up with something simple, tasteful and unique. My first guitars, the ones that have to be standardized, will be standardized, save for being unfretted (I respect music too much to ever allow frets into my creations). I'd say the only thing I'm straying with here is lengthening the fingerboard, everything else is just extensive carving, not avant-garde luthierie.

Plus why do something that's already been done a million times? or 100? or 10? The body of the electric instrument is how you show who you are. I'm a two toned curlycue in natural tones and an aversion to right angles.

What hand tools or other non-electric equipment would you stock your shop with? As in saws, hand drill, jigs aplenty, anything and everything you can think of as necessary and practical.

there is nothing more exciting than a pencil sketch...except maybe an actual progress pic or something

If I were here to excite I'd light me tits on fire fer ya.

I've got a new design, as I'm on vacation I'm ill equipped to digitize it in a clear fashion but here's a pic of the sketch I drew.

Good to hear, I'll keep doing that then. I might built a normal necked version beforehand just to get the neck joint and headstock construction practice under my belt before I do the main one at school

That's going to be one heck of a string neck/head glue joint. You sure you're not going to make the neck out of one piece maple, or do a scarf joint or so?

Well, the joint is pretty much like that on a double bass, and I'd like to keep the contrasting woods and make the carving job a bit easier. Here's the joint assembled and partially shaped:

good thinkin, they look awesome. I might yoink that idea. Actually, I will, if you don't mind.