Time to start up a new build

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

I've been out of the game for a while, but no matter, gonna give it another swing. I loved the last build I did, almost a year ago. Gonna make a second one, just like it, line for line. Slightly different materials and color options though. Also, all North American sourced... American woods, hardware, electronics... just cause.

Swamp Ash, Maple, Walnut, Hipshot hardware all around, 22 frets, 25" scale length, 6 strings. Different colored hardware and binding though, I'm thinking black everything.


Here's the original:

And here's the beginnings of the second one:

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

I remember your last build. Enviously.

Can't wait to see this one's progress. Godspeed.

 

[Defyantly]

That is a beautiful shaving! Looking forward to seeing this built as well!

 

[Albake21]

Definitely watching this thread, that first one is beautiful!

 

[BlackMastodon]

I'm ready.

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

Neck has been glued into the body, top is bookmatched and dry fit onto the body. Still gotta make a few adjustments tomorrow and then glue it up. I made the top just a little thinner than the original kinda by mistake, the bookmatch cut got a little wobbly and I had to take off a tiny bit more to get it leveled afterward. I don't know if it'll affect the way the top cap lines up with the bevels on the original. May just have shallower bevels, maybe just a round over and make it more like a flat top? I'll look at it some more as things progress, either way it's gonna be beautiful.

 

[NickS]

Looks great! I love walnut, I literally just finished building a table with a walnut top before I saw this post.

 

[Defyantly]

Love the straight lined grain of your top! I might go with a similar approach with my next build!

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

Progress.

 

[MoonJelly]

That's gonna beautiful, just like the last ones.

 

[BlackMastodon]

Interesting way to do the neck joint. Any reason you decided to have a smaller area in the "heel" where the neck is set in the body?

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

Interesting way to do the neck joint. Any reason you decided to have a smaller area in the "heel" where the neck is set in the body?

My guess is so the body doesn't come to a sharp point at the edge of the neck pocket. I've run into that on my own builds and will probably switch to do it like this in the future.

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

Interesting way to do the neck joint. Any reason you decided to have a smaller area in the "heel" where the neck is set in the body?

I have the neck set a little deeper into the body, and it goes on before the top is glued in place. It’s just all sort of layered and stacked together. That smaller square you see at the heel only scratches the surface of a little bit bigger neck core that extends into the body. Just the way I like to do them.

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

More progress.

First things first... the stewmac binding bit kicks butt.

This one's getting dressed in all black from here on out.

Decided to go with a Richlite fretboard from LMII... just cause. I have never worked with the stuff. It machines really well, no tear out or anything like that because it's a composite and not a grain based material. It's a mix of wood fibers, resin and black pigment. So I did a few test glue up's on some offcuts before deciding to glue it on. I found the Richlite data sheet and saw how much they recommend epoxies, but that same data sheet I think also is referring to when gluing Richlite sections together as in to make long sections like in a counter top or something. Either way I also read of guys using Titebond, so I did my own tests too, gluing up some scrap maple. It held together REALLY well. In these pics you can see that it acted almost like wood in that the fibers of the maple actually tore off before separating at the actual joint, as in the joint was stronger than the wood itself.

So, I was really happy with that and dove right in to gluing it up. (this pic was actually before thickness sanding the fretboard and gluing it on so it looks pretty thick, but you get the idea of what it looks like now)

and one last thing. Just for piece of mind I made a sample block of maple and richlite sandwich. I sanded, prepped and glued these pieces together exactly the same way as the I did the neck, using maple and richlite scraps from the same pieces as used in the neck. One side is held on with epoxy, the other side with Titebond. I'm gonna keep it in she same room as the guitar and give it some stress tests a year from now to see how well the glue holds up.

 

[KR250]

Axe looks great with the binding. I haven't yet tried the richlite, but may do so soon. Cool to see the up close shots of it and tests.

 

[crackout]

Love the headstock shape.