Members Freeman Keller Posted August 27, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 27, 2014 Before we move on from the subject of wood binding I want to remind you guys that I can do wood when its the right effect - here is maple against koa. But my customer wants traditional Gibson cream binding and I totally agree, so that is what we are going to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted August 27, 2014 Members Share Posted August 27, 2014 That's beautiful! Your customer is in good hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 27, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 27, 2014 I've been gone for the past few days - went to Portland for a concert and family, then a leisurely trip up the Washington coast. Back now and time to get with it on the project. There are several steps in building the neck that need to be done in the proper sequence - most of the sawing needs to have square and straight sides to reference. That is why the dovetail was done first - the four degree angle is easy to cut and the jig is referenced to the square sides. Next I can cut the rough shape of the neck heel and the rough shape of the sides of the neck which taper from 2-1/8 at the 12th fret to 1-11/16 at the nut. Everything is cut close but slightly oversize. It is much easier to remove a little more wood to get things to fit than try to put it back on Draw a bunch of reference lines on the neck and get out the notes that I took from the Goldtop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 27, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 27, 2014 Now the fun begins. I frankly was terrified the first time I carved a neck (and made it way too chunky) but now I think this is one of the coolest parts of building. I sort of remove wood in what are called "facets" - flat planes that gradually form the curve of the neck. Tools include planes, chisels, rasps and my little spokeshave - its a plane that you draw towards you. At one time they were used to make wagon wheel spokes Important to keep checking the fit in the body and the width at the 14th fret Not to mention the general curve of the back against the templates Still a lot of wood to remove but its starting to look like a neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Old Fart Rocker Posted August 27, 2014 Members Share Posted August 27, 2014 This is like watching a good movie. Can't wait to see how it turns out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 28, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2014 Just a couple more of the neck progress as of tonight. When I built the Lester I made a simple headstock template based on the Gibson profile but slightly different. The Gibson one has a little dimple in the top - I just made mine curved and Gibbie's is 3-1/4 wide which wouldn't fit my 3 inch headstock so I narrowed it slightly. The ES-175 actually has a bigger headstock than the LP (the whole guitar is bigger) but I thought I'd use what I have. Stuck it on with double stick carpet tape and a couple of clamps (which kept getting in the way) and routed the headstock back to a nice faux-Gibson shape That's enough for now, more tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 29, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 29, 2014 I can only go so far with shaping the neck without having the fretboard glued on to it (some people do this in a different order) so lets start preparing the board. Slotting a fretboard is not something that makes sense for me to do - it is a very precision operation and I've just never bothered to tool myself up to do it. I make a lot of instruments with different scale lengths and it is just so convenient to order preslotted preradiused boards from LMI. I happened to already have this board - it is 24.9 inch scale which is a hair longer than Gibson's 24.75 but nobody will notice the difference. First step is to cut the sides to the proper width and bind it (with that cheap looking cream plastic). I clamp two pieces of scrap wood to my workbench at the proper width - 1-11/16 at the nut and 2-1/8 at the 14th fret, and trim the board to that width minus the thickness of the binding strips. Not great pictures, I'm sorry. I've got a cheap little camera that I keep in the shop and its totally foobar with the white balance under my fluorescent lights. I've got a good camera but I hate to subject it to my shop so you'll just have to put up with these. Clamp the board into that little jig to hold the binding against the sides Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 29, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 29, 2014 Before I post the next sequence I want to remind all of you of the profile that I did on Jesse. You all read that, of course - it was back on page one of this thread. I hope you also spent some time at his web site - I posted the link on purpose (I usually have a purpose for the things that I do) - if you failed to look at his site here it is again http://www.trickpaint.com I'll give you a little time to look at his gallery while I clean up the shop. Be back in a while..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 31, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 OK, its been long enough for anyone who is following this thread to take the little side trip to Jesse's page. I actually thought there would be more reaction to Jesse from you guys - you're making me think that you don't like motorcycles or pretty girls or fast cars. Oh well So, when I started researching this project to see just exactly what I needed to make it "look like and ES-175" I noticed that the Gibson fretboard inlays were rectangular with a diagonal dark strip. I hunted around a bit and found something that looked like the pictures - called Jesse and said "I can get inlays just like an ES-175". He said, "Ah, could you do skulls?". I said "Jesse, for you I do skulls" A quick call to Andy at DePaule pearl (my feeling about pearl is kind of like fretboards - I could do it if I had to (or wanted to) but it is so much easier to buy the pearl precut. Actually, with my 69 year old eyes I'm not sure I could cut it. Anyway, within a couple of days I had The F and K are for the headstock, there were a complete set of little skulls for all the fret positions. When I showed them to Jesse he said "that's cool, but just use the cranium - the jaw bones make them look like smilie faces". Sure, Jesse, no smilie face skulls allowed. Rout out little cavities for the inlay with a Dremel and a dental burr and glue them in with slow setting epoxy that has some ebony dust mixed into it So, hows' dem bones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Inlays look great! The suspense builds.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 6down1togo Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 You had me right up to the skulls. To each his own I quess, Beautiful work though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 31, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 I've been working on the box at the same time as the neck. Three things need to get done before it gets closed. First the f-holes get bound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 31, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Then the K&K piezo pickup gets installed on the bridge patch In the last picture the end pin jack has a piece of fish line hooked to it and running out the hole. Since this thing doesn't have a sound hole there is no way to reach inside and push it into the hole - I have to pull it from the outside. Fortunately there is a way to hold it while tightening the nut. I've also put masking tape over the inside of the f-holes to keep finish from getting inside the guitar. The tape can be carefully removed thru the holes. Now that it has a pickup in it is it officially an electric guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 31, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Last thing is to make a label and install it on the back where it can be seen thru the f-hole The rim goes back into the mold and into the go-bar deck and the back gets glued on. The top is supported by the radius dish so it doesn't get crushed. I took the router table outside (it throws sawdust all over the place) and routed the back overhang off and bingo, we've got a box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Beautiful, and although I am NOT a fan of the skulls, I appreciate the artistry it takes putting them there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Then the K&K piezo pickup gets installed on the bridge patch . . . . . . In the last picture the end pin jack has a piece of fish line hooked to it and running out the hole. Since this thing doesn't have a sound hole there is no way to reach inside and push it into the hole - I have to pull it from the outside. Fortunately there is a way to hold it while tightening the nut. . . . . . . Now that it has a pickup in it is it officially an electric guitar? Actually, the instructions that came with my Fishman endpin preamp specifically said to pull it through so you're in good company. I can't see the pics because I'm at work but it'll be interesting to see how you're going to manage to hold the thing in place while you tighten it. And finally, there are a lot of "acoustic" guitars with K&K pickups installed but they're still acoustics. You'd need a mag pickup and some other mods before you'd have an "electric guitar." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knotty Posted August 31, 2014 Members Share Posted August 31, 2014 Actually, the instructions that came with my Fishman endpin preamp specifically said to pull it through so you're in good company. I can't see the pics because I'm at work but it'll be interesting to see how you're going to manage to hold the thing in place while you tighten it. And finally, there are a lot of "acoustic" guitars with K&K pickups installed but they're still acoustics. You'd need a mag pickup and some other mods before you'd have an "electric guitar." Hmmmm. Not sure I agree. Have slimline crafter wth an internal mic and eq. I class that as an elctric. Interesting defintion. I feel a thread coming on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted September 1, 2014 Author Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 Actually, the instructions that came with my Fishman endpin preamp specifically said to pull it through so you're in good company. I can't see the pics because I'm at work but it'll be interesting to see how you're going to manage to hold the thing in place while you tighten it. And finally, there are a lot of "acoustic" guitars with K&K pickups installed but they're still acoustics. You'd need a mag pickup and some other mods before you'd have an "electric guitar." First, there is a hole across the jack near the end - I can thread the nut on then insert a rod (an allen wrench works well) and hold it from turning while I tighten the nut, Then thread on the strap button which hides everything. Second, my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I called this an electric. Still trying to justify putting it here rather than HCAG. Lastly, I don't particularly care for skulls and don't understand people's fascination with them. The other day I saw a nice looking young lady with a rather large skull tattooed on her thigh. I wonder what she will think of that in 20 years or so. But my point is, that is what my customer wanted. The reason I sent you all to his site is that he paints skulls on many of the custom motorcycles - its part of the culture. And after all, he is the customer.... (Which actually brings up a philosophical question - what if he had asked me to inlay something that I find really offensive (use your imagination). In that case he would no longer be my customer and I guess I would have another guitar in my collection (I'd probably do a different fretboard....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 6down1togo Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 I get that the skulls are a big part of the biker culture but they just seem so out of place in a classic build like yours. Honestly, I thought this one might be built in "white" and your buddy would custom paint it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Buttcrust Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 I believe a skull with no jaw bone is called a "chapped" skull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 Beautiful' date=' and although I am NOT a fan of the skulls, I appreciate the artistry it takes putting them there.[/quote'] ^ Now that I can see the pics, this. I do like the jawless skulls better though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 I don't like the skulls either. Putting a single visual element in just because it "looks cool" doesn't really do it for me. In fact I find the whole bikers and skulls thing kinda, well ... Let's just say it doesn't fit the whole "traditional" ES-175 jazzy vibe. :-/ I have to ask: what kind of music does he play? I'm starting to feel a shift toward Brian Setzer kinda vibe. What color is this going to be? I'm also getting the feeling that this is going to have bright colors and a high gloss finish, not the understated bursts that I've seen you do in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted September 1, 2014 Members Share Posted September 1, 2014 i don't care for the skulls, what the customer wants will be done, i would be a different customer but hell i can't barely wait for the next pics, FK i can't tell you how much i adore your craftmanship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted September 3, 2014 Members Share Posted September 3, 2014 Yea it's sort of like a Ferrari with a Grateful Dead bumper sticker on the back. It just doesn't enhance the overall aesthetic of an acoustic jazz archtop for me...or reference the music that it's typically intended to play. One day I'll bet the owner figures it out looking at the guitar...like regretting that Insane Clown Posse tattoo or something. I love guitars with decals and inlays and stuff...but it has to fit the overall vibe. Nice work, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted September 4, 2014 Author Members Share Posted September 4, 2014 I don't hang around the electric forum very much but frankly I'm kind of disappointed. One of the reasons that I thought I would post this thread here instead of HGAG where it probably belongs is that I figured you guys (and girls) were a bunch of bad-asses. I figured that since Jesse is kind of bad-ass and this guitar is a bit bad-ass that HCEG regulars would really like it. I kind of expected the reaction to the skulls to be "whoa, dud, that's really bad-ass, I dig it" but instead I've got a bunch of my buddies from HGAG over here saying "gee, I don't like the skulls". Well, whatever you think of the skulls, Time to move on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.