Reverend Buck Nekkid

hey frenzy,,, you may be on to something about that neck angle on gibsons. I have experience with les pauls, sg's, and an es333 and I have never personally seen a neck angle of over 4 degrees on mine. They may be out there but I haven't seen one yet. 7 degrees is getting into headstock angle areas. I would like to see a neck angle of 7 degrees though. If you get your protractor out and see what 7 looks like at the neck, it is one jacked up sumbitch. Some waterhead must have designed that one.

Yup, those are good pics...thanks krazyd. I toldya you was tha man.

oh, ok Krazyd...it is by electric sander...I thought Wes mean't carving with bladed handtools..I got to check out that video tour....thanks man.

Wes , I hope they are paying him (them) well. I say thank God for Thomas Edison and electricity.

Hey, Frenzy....speaking of Driskill....Joe Driskill is undoubtedly the king of finishers. I have not seen anybody beat him at finishing a guitar. They are immaculate. When one thinks he is the big man at finishes, one needs to go check out Driskill's guitars. Humbling. The deepest finishes I have ever seen. Back to sanding the body contours....I have it figured out how to carve the lines with a sander without relying on a steady hand. Freehanding can get me into trouble. Got to get to a machine shop. If Hamer is doing it with a sander, then my idea has to be on the same principal. I know they aren't paying some tech to hand sand each blank..it's automated.

Thanks Rhoads, that's a killer job on that guitar. Very nice work. And I am with you on the relaxing and soothing. If I want to relax and soothe I get a six pack of beer and turn on the History Channel.

Yeah Wes, really it is a starting point. The first part of the book was informative. When he actually started building the guitars is when I got the "ripped off by the price" feeling. One thing about being an old fart is that over the years you learn patience. So if I had to , I could carve a top with bladed handtools. I just don't won't to. LOL. By the way , I saw the guitar you made... really nice my man. I would be proud of that sucker.

Thanks krazyd. I've done some shaping with sanders on gunstocks in the past, just really wanted to hear that someone has done it in the forum on guitar body blanks. I figured with all the talent in this forum that somebody had figured out a way to devise a template or jig of some sort to use with a sander that would consistently sand down to a set line or depth and contour. And could be reused for the same body style/design. Sittin' on a stool, humped over a blank, carving for endless hours....got to be a better way. Krazyd...I think you are the man to come up with the tool to accomplish this. I am starting on my body next week, don't let me down.

Besides carving with hand planes, has anybody done any serious body shaping with sanders? I figure the big boys use cnc routers for shaping and there has got to be a poor boys way using sanders. maybe. I bought Melvin's book and he talks of spokeshaves and surforms for carving tops. Then I saw where some dude said in the forum spokeshaves and surforms werent worth a crap for guitar making..By the way, Melvins book aint what its cracked up to be..all that crap about inspiring u to use your own imagination..bull ****. That book is passed off as an instructional book..he glosses over a lot of stuff.

muchas gracias.

Hello forum, I am a newbie and don't know **** from shinola about building a guitar but gonna try and I got a truckload of ignorant questions to ask..might as well start with the first one and that is what is the best way to carve a guitar top and the best tool(s) or technique to use. Thanks for your help guys and patience with a newbie.