My archtop build

[Uncle Fester]

Given that you know my name, I figgured it was one of you two.
Both of you kinda mentored me through some spots in this build with good advice based on your extensive experience, & I've chatted via email with both of you since then.
How are you doing, my friend? It's been a while.

Yes, it has been awhile. Both Gary and I were glad we could help, and helping someone who really wants to learn luthiery, and soaks it up like a sponge, is a pure delight.

My health has been failing, hence the "retirement". This trade eats people up, and spits them out. Notice there are no "old" luthiers.

p.s. How is the pedestal neck project coming?

 

[newbuilder]

I was just thinking about you today...reading this like it's the first time again. I am thinking of doing a laminate neck through with that fretboard.

Very good to see youwave0

 

[Elias Graves]

This is good, even in reruns.

EG

 

[meandi]

Yes, it has been awhile. Both Gary and I were glad we could help, and helping someone who really wants to learn luthiery, and soaks it up like a sponge, is a pure delight.

My health has been failing, hence the "retirement". This trade eats people up, and spits them out. Notice there are no "old" luthiers.

p.s. How is the pedestal neck project coming?

It saddens me to hear of your health problems causing your retirement!
I always felt that you had a real passion for your work...I recall the last time we chatted via email, you were sharing some ideas for a new project & seemed quite excited about it.

The pedestal project has been on hold while I've been doing a couple of other projects...one of which is building a spray booth for my shop for putting down some nice nitro.
That's ok though, a couple of areas conceptually where there were grey areas in my mind as to the most logical way to proceed...I like to have sharp clear pictures in my mind when I'm doing something new...this has given me time to look at it & think through several different ways of doing it.

I was just thinking about you today...reading this like it's the first time again. I am thinking of doing a laminate neck through with that fretboard.

Very good to see youwave0

Good to see you too.
Interested in seeing what you've got in mind for the neck through.

This is good, even in reruns.

EG

Reruns can be cool at times.

 

[meandi]

Components for the neck build: double action truss rod & carbon fiber rods.

a simple fixture that I've come up with for cutting the channels for tr & cf.
Hangs on the beam of my neck jig.

1x4 runners are set on the uprights to support the router.
Angle steel when clamped in place assure that the 1x4s are straight for uniform depth of cut & also act as the cutting guide so that the router makes a nice straight cut.

everything fits nicely.

 

[meandi]

Following the book step by step, the next procedure was to cut the taper on the back of the neck.
Taper is 3/32" between the 1st fret & the 10th.
A tapering jig was built which was thinned on one end on the belt sander to incorporate this 3/32" dimension.
It had a set of tabs down the centerline which locked snugly into the previously cut truss rod channel, & a block which the neck heel was butted up against.

Layout dimensions were marked on the side of the neck blank, & it was put under the safety planer & brought down to the layout marks.
This gave me an accurately tapered neck back along the center line, from which the neck back profile could later be shaped.

 

[meandi]

After making sure that the heel of the neck was cut to the required 2 degrees...

...and that it is square to the sides of the neck blank...

...work was begun on the jig for cutting the dovetail on the neck.
It also has a spine tab that fits snugly into the truss rod channel in the neck to keep everything aligned with the centerline...which is the essential reference point in this build.
It also is built with 2 degrees between the top & back of the fixture so the neck fits precisely into place for the cutting operation.

The dovetail bit in the router will have a follower bearing which will ride on the fixture, thus shaping the cut as it is made in the end of the neck.
This was a tricky piece to build, in that the dovetail must be precisely located on the neck centerline...otherwise the neck will set off center when installed in the body.
I re-built this piece several times before I was happy with the results...I tested it by building dummy neck ends out of construction pine...all in all, I worked on this fixture for almost a week before feeling comfortable with making the actual cut on the neck...

...and my determination & persistance paid off with a most satisfactory result!

 

[Uncle Fester]

It saddens me to hear of your health problems causing your retirement!
I always felt that you had a real passion for your work...I recall the last time we chatted via email, you were sharing some ideas for a new project & seemed quite excited about it.

The pedestal project has been on hold while I've been doing a couple of other projects...one of which is building a spray booth for my shop for putting down some nice nitro.
That's ok though, a couple of areas conceptually where there were grey areas in my mind as to the most logical way to proceed...I like to have sharp clear pictures in my mind when I'm doing something new...this has given me time to look at it & think through several different ways of doing it.QUOTE]

Thanks, meandi, but i still keep my hand in, i just cut way back on any building. I'll always be a luthier, even if my body doesn't agree with me.

As far as the pedestal neck, sometimes it's good to take a walk around the block, and give it some new thought. Good to see you're still playing with it.

 

[meandi]

Glad to hear that you're staying involved!
It's quality rather than quantity that really matters.

 

[newbuilder]

Morning

 

[meandi]

Morning

Happy weekend! What's up?

 

[meandi]

Another fixture: this one for cutting the "shelf" for the neck extension for supporting the fingerboard over the body.
This would have been easy to cut by hand, but I've got necks glued up for 3 more of these & I like the idea of consistisicy in my work from one to the next.

Dry fitting...

...etc.

Headstock ears glued in place...I extended the carbon fiber through for additional strength...the headstock is getting ebony veneers on both sides, so the rod ends will be hidden.

Also I chucked it back in the router jig & extended the carbon fiber into the extension for additional strength in that glue joint.

 

[newbuilder]

That is super cool...i was thinking of gluing the headstock on mine, but one piece seems alot stronger, you just have to have more wood when you cut...and where do you buy your wood?

 

[meandi]

Macassar ebony for fingerboard & other pieces.

Side view also shows the fingerboard stop which was added but not shown previously.

 

[meandi]

That is super cool...i was thinking of gluing the headstock on mine, but one piece seems alot stronger, you just have to have more wood when you cut...and where do you buy your wood?

I've used scarf joints on other necks & it is actually a more universally used method of building a laid back headstock.
But Benedetto is such a universally heralded builder of these things, I figgured I'd just do it his way.
Besides, having the ebony overlays glued on both sides of the headstock adds quite a bit of strength in the volute area.

Other than my sitka spruce for tops, which I get from a guy up in alsaka, I get all my other woods here in KC at a place called Metro Hardwoods...they have an incredable variety of exotics...no waiting for the brown truck...I just cruise up there, make my choice & take it home with me.
Besides, the aroma in the place is just WONDERFUL!!!

 

[newbuilder]

I've used scarf joints on other necks & it is actually a more universally used method of building a laid back headstock.
But Benedetto is such a universally heralded builder of these things, I figgured I'd just do it his way.
Besides, having the ebony overlays glued on both sides of the headstock adds quite a bit of strength in the volute area.

Other than my sitka spruce for tops, which I get from a guy up in alsaka, I get all my other woods here in KC at a place called Metro Hardwoods...they have an incredable variety of exotics...no waiting for the brown truck...I just cruise up there, make my choice & take it home with me.
Besides, the aroma in the place is just WONDERFUL!!!

I was talking to my buddy with the wood shop and he has been making prototype urns for dead peoples , he used purple heart, rosewood, mahog, and he gave me some places to check out locally. I am super excited! finding "not internet" wood supplies of highly figured or luthier type woods has been a task, but I think I finally asked the right person. I am going to check them out next week...I will let you know about the smell

 

[meandi]

Ya, it's nice to be able to make your own selection in person.
Another thing is that at the local store, I buy larger pieces & cut them down myself, which cuts down on overall cost.
I bought a beautiful piece of chocolate colored Brazilian ebony for my next archtop project, which will be maple bodied...enough material for at least 3 builds (fingerboard, tailpiece, finger rest, bridge, bindings etc) for about the same price as 2 pre-cut fingerboard blanks when buying online.
I don't know bout you, but I'm not rich, gotta make the $ go as far as possible.

 

[newbuilder]

Ya, it's nice to be able to make your own selection in person.
Another thing is that at the local store, I buy larger pieces & cut them down myself, which cuts down on overall cost.
I bought a beautiful piece of chocolate colored Brazilian ebony for my next archtop project, which will be maple bodied...enough material for at least 3 builds (fingerboard, tailpiece, finger rest, bridge, bindings etc) for about the same price as 2 pre-cut fingerboard blanks when buying online.
I don't know bout you, but I'm not rich, gotta make the $ go as far as possible.

Not yet...I have realy been looking for a place with less hobby size materials and more woww stuff, my buddy says this place is great!

 

[meandi]

May the farce, er, force be with you & guide you to the guitar wood store of your dreams!

 

[normH]

Love it! Wish I had the equipment you do. Picture a guy sitting on the floor holding a chunk of wood with his feet while cutting it with a coping saw or carving a neck with a spokeshave and chisel. That is me.