Guitar Logistics Build Thread - 2014

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Time for the nut.

 

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Trim and reinstall





Electronics cavity is tight. Good thing I have moved on to laminate control covers this one will be a bit thin over the push/pull.

 

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Single string bridges from Hipshot.





Finished up the pickguard for a friend. Vintage tortoise. Diablo HB, 2 Diablo Single Coils (P90 style). Volume and Tone are moved to give a bit more room.


I love the smell of nitrocellulose celluloid in the morning.

 

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Recessed the input jack for the headless. I really like these electrocups.

 

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Brass inserts for the pickup mounts.

 

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Getting everything ready for a test run.

 

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Looking good. I'll be watching that 8'er.

 

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Why did I not make the headstock wide enough to begin with?



The other zebrawood neck gets a fretboard. I used epoxy on this one for the fretboard, and the top, headplate, and the neck joint. Other one is using titebond for all the joints. Since the two guitars are twins I can give a report on the differences between the glues when they are done. I hope it is impossible to tell.

 

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Do to recent tone "voodoo" findings I have decided that mojo is as important as materials. So I am attempting to channel the mojo. I am starting with a one piece flat sawn 2A figured piece of maple. I am going to add a 2A piece of birdseye for the fretbaord and head plate. I know what you are thinking why? I have all this 4A and 5A wood laying around on the shelves. Well the reasoning is that the wood will try harder knowing it is not as pretty as the others. It will have a better personality... I call it the "Wing Man Theory".





I use some small 1/16" pins from McMaster-Carr to hold the scarf while it is glued. It is always best to place these pins outside the actual neck Of course not too far outside the neck. See where I put these? They pulled through and split when I clamped the neck. Forced me to add 2 more down farther into the scarf.

 

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Lots of clamps. Maple loves to leave glue lines so the joint has to fit perfect before gluing and the pressure has to be even and firm. Since maple is harder than say mahogany it requires more pressure to get a seamless joint.

 

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Joining a top for the 8 string. Another prototype another 3A top. "Wing Man Theory". You really should never use a blade on figured maple so I am preparing the edge sans jointer.

 

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No line visible.

 

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Carving up the wookiee. Tigerwood is strange. It acts like figured maple when you hit it with a blade sometimes and others it is like rosewood. After roughing in with the sanding disk in the 3/8" drill I ended up doing a combination of hand scrapers and hand sanding to finish.

 

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Tigerwood holds a very nice edge. I removed some of the edge as it would be susceptible to damage.

 

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In the sun.

 

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Huge belly carve to trim some weight.





Time to set he neck

 

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My new finish option. Blue tape.

 

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Ready for the CNC

 

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Time to fix the punky boards. The one on the left needs some help. I did place the board so as I cut the radius I will reveal more solid ebony sanding away the punky pith. But what I need now is System Three Clear Coat and a heat gun. I heat the epoxy mixture on top of the board to get it to soak in better careful not to burn anything. When I am done and it starts to gel I wipe all the excess off because sanding it is a PITA.

 

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