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PRS Hollowbody self build


Dan0steck

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Hi, I'm new to this thread, but my brother BSS(member) has been on here for a while. He too is doing a self build of a Les Paul Singlecut ESP/LP style.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=2549352

He encouraged me to also do a thread on my build, so here I am!

 

A few years after my first build(Les Paul-I'll post pictures of the final project), I decided I wanted to tackle a hollowbody. My goal originally was to replicate the McCarty I. This is the guitar I got most of my measurements for the body from.

 

But I decided that I am not going to go with the Piezo system, so the end result will be more like the Hollowbody II.

http://www.prsguitars.com/hollowbody2/index.html

 

The wood being used in the build is mahogany for the body and neck and Lacewood for the carved top. The block of lacewood I started with was not thick enough to saw and book-match, so the top of the guitar is not symmetrical.

 

So far on the project, I have rough cut the body shape out of each of the sections, top middle, and bottom. I carved the inside and outside of the top section out and simply cut out everything from the middle section. I also carved out the inside of the bottom section. I left the outside of the bottom section flat so I have a flat plane to work on. To carve all of this, I used a grinding wheel with a sanding disk. (Patients is key) Once a good amount of the carving was done, I took a finishing sander and smoothed it out.

 

The next step was cutting out the f holes on the face of the guitar. I drilled out the round ends of the holes and used a jig saw to cut the rest out. Once the holes were cut, I sanded them till they both looked like they matched.

 

Gluing the three pieces together didn't take much. First I glued the middle section onto the bottom and then the top onto that after it had dried.

 

The latest step I have completed is creating the motrise and tenon joint. I have seen recently that this may not be how PRS joints are actually done, but I believe it will suffice.

 

A lot of the previous steps are done very similar to my brothers build. So if your curious, you can look at his pictures for a reference. I plan on getting my pictures up by the end of the day. I don't have as many as my brother yet, but if you guys take interest in this, I will definitely show as much as I can along the way. As I said I will try to get pictures up soon for all to see.

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Ok so here are some pictures of my first build, Les Paul.

 

DSC07100.jpg

 

DSC07098.jpg

 

DSC07097.jpg

 

I am waiting to receive the pictures of my PRS via email, so I apologize for starting a thread with no pictures, I guess I jumped the gun a bit. Look back later tonight and hopefully I'll have them up!

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So it took me a little longer than expected but I have the pictures.

This is the earliest picture I have of the project. The three sections bottom middle and top, respectively, were rough cut to shape and top an bottom are carved, and the middle is cut out.

DSC00801.jpg

 

Close ups of each of the sections

the bottom

DSC00802.jpg

 

middle,

DSC00803.jpg

 

and the top

DSC00804.jpg

 

The neck (tenon cut to 3 degree angle)

DSC00805.jpg

 

And some pictures of the pieces together, and a look at the early shaping of the top

DSC00806.jpg

 

DSC00808.jpg

 

DSC00808.jpg

 

DSC00809.jpg

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Pictures of gluing the sections together

122809_124700.jpg

 

DSC00819.jpg

 

DSC00821.jpg

 

After sections were glued, and some more sanding around the outside was done.

123009_125801.jpg

 

DSC00800.jpg

 

123009_125800.jpg

 

Hopefully after the weekend I'll have pictures of my mortise and tenon joint. That puts this thread to where I am, ready to work on the neck.

 

So my latest step has been searching for the PRS bird inlay templates. I have the abalone, but I cannot find anything for templates to cut them out. Does anyone know where I can get the templates? I'm sure they're probably copyrighted, not making it any easier, but any help would be appreciated.

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outstanding work!! is this your work shop?

 

 

It's our dad's work shop (I'm dan0steck's older brother). Our dad's been doing woodwork almost his entire life, and he's built some really cool stuff. I'm going to be working on my guitar this weekend, I'll take some pictures of some of the things he's built.

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Ok so here are some pictures of my first build, Les Paul.


DSC07100.jpg

DSC07098.jpg

DSC07097.jpg

I am waiting to receive the pictures of my PRS via email, so I apologize for starting a thread with no pictures, I guess I jumped the gun a bit. Look back later tonight and hopefully I'll have them up!

 

:love: what pickups are those!! or atleast the covers?

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Lookin great so far, but I gotta ask, why try to clone a PRS? Why not do your own take on it, and make your own original inlay design? Like flying monkeys or something..

 

 

Well being a student in engineering, I like the challenge. I feel like trying to clone one is more of a challenge for me than to do it my own way. Don't get me wrong I think custom guitars take just as much, if not more skill, but I really like PRS's style. Some day, I will probably begin creating my own styles, but for now I enjoy trying to replicate the guitar as closely as possible.

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