Flamed Wine Red Les Paul Build

[73Custom]

ok, first off, mark thanks for this forum and giving us HC refugees some place to hang out and feel some familiarity...

second, mark asked me if i could post this thread here at MWGL.... if you have already followed this at HC or MLP just go with it

anyway, let's get on with it...

here's the carved top i bought for this build. if you would like to know how to carve you own top, check out the Cedar/Aspen Build link in my sig...

here's my stewmac ebony fretboard and mop inlays...

this is what i am thinking about doing with the colors...

The Plan:
Mahogany Body (one piece blank, purchased from HC member)
Mahogany Neck 24.75" (blank purchased from Grizzly)
Maple Top (pre-carved flame top purchased from Eastern Maple Carved Tops, Thanks Tom !!! )
Ebony Fretboard (Stewmac)
Custom Style Inlays (Stewmac)
Holly Headstock Veneer (Eastern Maple Carved Tops)
Bone Nut

Not sure on hardware or pickups yet...



here's the neck blank from Grizzly... enough for two necks...

inlays numbered and laid out on the ebony board

shaved the back of the board down until it was about 3/16" thick. i collected the sawdust to use to make filler later.

taped up and ready to go

i centered the inlay and drew an outline of it.

next i used a razor blade to score the board and cut away the tape.

aligned a straight edge to help the dremel cut clean and straight...

1st inlay slot cut...

inlay work...

in the meantime, i did a very rough cut on the neck...

inlays cut, fret slots covered, ready for ebony filler...

the magic goop: testers model cement and left over ebony sawdust...

all the gaps filled and drying...

ready to trim to size and sand the filler and inlays down to the 12" radius...

trimming the fretboard using my table saw. i use double sided rug carpet tape to hold the board in place.

then i created a jig to keep the radius block on center while sanding the inlays down to meet the board. again, double sided rug carpet tape to hold the board in place.

i went from 100 grit up to 800 grit. you can see at first it's a lot of inlay coming off. sand paper is held to the radius board with double sided carpet tape, deja vu... (just wait, all the templates for routing are held with the stuff too, lol)

after a while with the 100 grit i start to get the inlays leveled down to the board... i have as much ebony coming off as MOP...

here's the trimmed and sanded ebony with a little lemon oil rubbed on it...

next i bent some fret wire to a 12" radius using my handy, dandy homemade fret bender...

finished fret wire...

btw, if you are interested in how to build the fret wire bender following this link. i wasn't gonna pay $100 from stewmac and an HC member pointed me to these plans... i used sander paper and double sided tape instead of the outdoor tread tape and the whole thing cost me about $18.....

Make Your Own Inexpensive Fret Bender



chamfering(beveling) the slots prior to fretting... just one or two drags of the file does it...

fretting has begun. use the fret cutters to cut the fret wire...

i use a fret hammer to seat the fret wire...

and then some fret pullers to remove the fret, add superglue and press back in place.

board is prepared for glue and the press...

i use gel superglue, much cleaner and less runs....

here is the three drops of gel superglue...

tapped back in with the hammer and then pressed...

quickly wipe the glue off the fretboard before it dries...

once they are all glued, reset and pressed, it's time to trim the edges.

finished

next up, glue on a white binding to the ebony board...

the binding glued up... next is knocking it down between the frets to form the nibs...

btw, i just used the superglue gel for the binding...

here's the technique i use to cut down the binding and create the nibs... thanks Ex-Nihilo

first i stick a dremel bit in backwards into the dremel...

then i wrap the end of the exposed bit with tape to protect the fretboard. leave just about 1/8" of the bit exposed...

i stole this picture from ex-nihilo (giving creadit where it is due), but this is the final step in bringing the binding down even with the fretboard...

and now my mahogony...

my 1 piece mahogany body...

some sexy wood !!! and heavy...

and one more pic from the side after the razor scraping...

this is all followed up with a fret file to help shape the nibs and then some 220 grit sandpaper and then 400 grit to finish everything off...

be careful with the sandpaper. if you stay in one place too long you will melt the binding...

first i angle the binding over the frets with a flat file...

next, i use a fret file bring the binding down to fret level....

after a little sanding with the 220 grit...

still have to go back and clean up the fretboard and do a little more sanding...

then further down the line after applying the binding to the body of the guitar, i will create a acetone/binding glue dubbed "binding goop" by some HC member. not only is that good used to glue on the body binding, but it's great for filling in little spots on the binding that might need filling...

there a few where i hit the binding with the dremel chuck. later in the thread i will fill those and sand them to invisible


just a little more cleanup needed on the fretboard and then filling/sanding the dremel check marks, but she's looking pretty good

btw, the glass that has cut up pieces of white binding is the first ingredient for the "binding goop"

you can clearly see a little left over tape i didn't get in this pic. my camera macro can be better than my eyes by a long shot

when i started buying tools to build guitars i discovered a planer to handle a guitar width was going to be very expensive (around $500 for something that can plane 15" wide). however i found a solution right here on this great site

And here's a picture. It's basically a jig that allows me to use my router to plane each side of the body wood... this pic shows the wood held in place by scraps of wood and two 1x3 pieces of pine that also play the role of side rails...

there is also a router carriage that glides along the rails keeping everything level. here you can see several different sets of holes. they are used to locate the router is different locations depending on the width of the piece of wood being planed... the only requirement with this jig setup is you can only do half of each side and then you have to spin the router carriage around 180 degrees for the other side. no biggie...

base of the router mounted...

and the router in the base and mounted...

in the case of this piece of wood it was in good shape and did not need much wood removed. here is a shot underneath the router carriage at how i have the depth of the bit set...

here you can see the first couple of passes and where wood is being removed...

and here is a video clip of the action in progress...

planing with the homemade jig...



quick hit with the orbital sander to insure i got each square inch with the router bit...



and a final sanding with a sanding block to finish off side 1...




planed and sanded... that little jig is totally awesome. there was just the slightest of imperfection in the squareness of this blank, but now it's totally flat on both sides.

Side to go against the maple. this would be the exposed back except for that tiny little knot right in the middle

Side exposed on the back. the little mineral mark in the grain (or whatever that is on the right side, will almost be eliminated after the cut)...

here's the trio...

time to draw

ready for the bandsaw... woohoo !!!

i have rough cut the body. this is some tough mahogany !!!

my bandsaw is acting up badly... i cleaned it up and made adjustments to the tension and guides/bearings. the thing is still stalling out when i try to cut

so i went with my jigsaw which never cuts a vertical 90 degrees, but i made sure the flex in the blade was moving away from center...

here's the rough cut...

next i used my oscillating belt sander to ensure all sides were squared up.

and finally i start working on the final shape with the spindle sander...

i go back and forth between the belt sander and spindle sander. the spindle sander must be used for the inside of the horn, but a combination of the two will get the job done

 

[Elias Graves]

This thread needs more pics.

EG

 

[Mark Wein]

This is awesome! If you don't mind I might break it up into installments and post it as an article on the front page....

 

[73Custom]

This thread needs more pics.

EG

let me see what i can do

This is awesome! If you don't mind I might break it up into installments and post it as an article on the front page....

i would be honored Mark

 

[73Custom]

the rigid sander really does a nice job on the sides. they come out damn near perfect...

but not completely. so the final step will be sanding down the sides with a sanding block, going from 100 grit up to 220

this is a nice chunk of wood ...

top side to be covered by maple cap...

and check out the backside, SEXY !!! love the grain pattern

This is gonna be a sweet looking guitar...

here's the channel route...

first i put some double sided carpet tape on the back of the body and stick it down...

then some of the same tape on the bottom of the template and stick down to the body

ready to route... well almost. first i take a drill bit and drill a started hole 1/2" deep to get the router started. (sorry, forgot the picture)

wire channel routed

i routed the channel in 3 passes, taking about 1/6" on each pass. this allows the router to make smooth cuts without trying to remove too much wood at once...





time to route the electronics cavity and switch cavity...

ready to rock...

first hog out as much wood as you can with a forstner bit...

then route the remaining wood...



finished with the electronics cavity and switch cavity. i used the same method for the switch cavity... forstner bit and then router...

next i am ready to do the back plates route...

next i routed a 3/16" rounded edge on the back of the guitar using my router table.

here's some shots of what i have so far... the mark on the sides the body is a little oil from the bearing on the router bit. no biggie...

[


my red dye came in so i thought i would do just a little more testing before gluing the carved top on...

based on the pic i designed i think i gotta go a little darker...

 

[73Custom]

a little more progress tonight...

first off i did not use the bartlett template for this one because it called for 3/4 router bushing which i did not have.

so first i grabbed my template from my first build, lined it up, nailed it down and checked the angle. all was good so i pulled it off to put some double sided tape on it. when i pulled it up the little finishing nails had a much better grip in this guitar than my first practice build. well the nails pulled through the template and ended up hurting it.

so i created another one and checked my angle again, this time with no nails...

happy with what i saw, i turned the body over and applied double stick tape...

next i found the location needed on the body to support the template on the correct 4.4 degree angle and taped a little piece of support wood down...

next i added the double sided carpet tape to the back of the template and stuck it down to the body lining up my center lines.

a shot from the side...

next i put some tape on my forstner bit as an indicator of where i wanted to stop in depth.

next i hogged out as much wood as possible before routing...



and the results...

checking my angle one more time...

the route !!!



and the results...

to be continued....



]how'd i do...? WOOHOO !!! on the money....

this is gonna be such a SEXY guitar !!!

ok, so i used the same double stick tape to tape the body to my workbench and the template to the body in preparation for routing the pickup cavities.

then i hogged out as much wood as possible, just like on the neck tenon, using a large forstner bit. i forgot to take a picture after the drilling, but it was basically two big holes per pickup.

then i routed out the pickup cavities, taking about 1/4 to 1/5 of an inch at a time. you get nice clean cuts that way...

next up is the pickup legs and binding channel


next up is the pickup legs...

of course, i used the double sided carpet tape everywhere again to hold it all in place...

i laid the template down and marked the leg routes with a pencil

First I used a dremel and drill to give the router bit room to fit through the template without making contact with the guitar body.


Then I use the template to route the legs. Again I routed a little bit at a time. 1/5" to 1/4" until the desired depth was reached...



with the dremel and drill work done, i could fit the bit where it needed to go...

And TA-DA !!!!

update time...

binding channel routing...

the homemade overhead router jig...

the cutaway must be routed first setting the router depth to your binding depth at the higest point on the cutaway. my binding is 1/4" wide, so my routed depth is set for 1/4"...

route only the cutaway at this depth... and the results...

next i had to re-adjust the depth for the remainder of the guitar. notice the maple cap is not quite a 1/4" here so i am routing into the mahogany just a bit...

Video clip of the jig in action...




once the binding has been routed the binding channel in cutaway has to be 1/4" from the top of the guitar all the way through... i use a razor to slowly cutaway the wood...

And now the finished product...

While the binding sits taped up and getting used to it's new shape, the MAGIC binding goop is being manufactured

the binding goop is really a great tool. not only is it a perfect binding glue that dries pretty fast, but it also fills in any little cracks and dries to the same color thus making everything look perfect

to make the binding goop i cut up some of my extra binding and added just a little bit of acetone... take several hours to completely melt down and get ready. more pics later when it's good to go...

the binding goop is real close to ready, still have a little chunkiness...

hopefully i will get the binding on tonight.

next will be the output jack hole, potentiometer holes and switch hole



ok, binding application time !!!

first off, i prepare about 30-36 pieces of tape. this magic binding goop dries fast and your hands get messy. it's no time to be trying to get your tape ready...

the necessary tools besides the tape. a hobby brush and the GOOP !!!

and the video demo...




the complete body binding...

as stated b4, the magic goop leaks out when the binding is pushed in place and pressure applied. the goop fills in all gaps and dries to the same color/texture. MAGIC !!!

i try to wipe of the excess while its still liquid, but sometimes i miss a little bit...

in the time it took me to edit and upload the video and pics the magic goop is dried...

now i have some cleanup, by lightly sanding and scraping... it's a messy job adding the binding...

i had two little spots on the inside curves that pulled away ever so slightly...

magic good to the rescue

oh my, this is gonna be a SEXY guitar

all cleaned up after the binding application... wiped some naptha and her she is...

 

[73Custom]

here's a little update...

body with all holes drilled and fretboard...

rough cut neck

a little preview of what's to come...

and finally, if you remember the marks left on the neck binding by the dremel chuck, this is the magic binding goop filling those marks. a little 200 grit sander after it dries and they will not be visible at all...

and another update

back of the neck, back of the tenon and front/back of the headstock are sanded to size.

so here is how i figure out the angle to cut the at the start of the tenon...

first i used my template to draw the tenon on the top of the neck.

then i measure the angle on the guitar...

then i apply that angle to the neck on both sides...

then on the back the cut lines for the angle should be a horizontal line between sides if things have been built and measured correctly. i also finished drawing out the tenon on the back...

and finally the rest of the neck, including the headstock before making more cuts...

but before making those cuts i need to route out the truss rod channel.

i decided to go with the double action stewmac hot rod truss rod on this guitar... the red truss rod can be seen in the last pic above



ok, so here we got with the truss rod channel route...

first i set up the guide 1.5" from the center of the bit. my neck blank was 3" wide so this will center it...

a practice run or two until i got it where i wanted...

i drew center marks and side marks for the bit so i would know when to stop. it looks off center but it's the yellow cover that has shifted. the marks are true...

next i lay the truss rod out and mark each end...

when the end marks are made that can be carried over to the back side so that i will know where to stop. this line will match up with the closest side line when cutting. that's where i stop and lift the neck away from the router bit. (i started to cut the tenon and realized i needed to do this first)

a little clip showing the routing... when routing i did it in three passes starting at 1/4" and working down to 9/16"...



And, the final result...

next i routed the truss rod nut cavity... i use a 3/4" cove bit... the routing is done on the table exactly the same way i just stop just short of where the nut will be.

and the results. i had to go deep enough to make sure i can get a socket on the truss rod nut.

so after rough cutting the neck tenon on the bandsaw i use a backsaw to cut the angles of the neck that will fit up against the body. i also use that saw to cut on the tenon itself moving into that corner. this saw gets very close, but i will use a file and sandpaper to get it perfect...

and the results...

i use my oscillating spindle sander to trim down the rest of the tenon...

still a little bit wide. just like i want it. that way i can't work it down by hand from here and get a real tight fit in the neck mortise...

so then i finished the final cuts to the sides of the neck and headstock.

final cuts complete...

and after some more time on the spindle sander we are very, very close...

that's all for tonight



a little update...

i used a chisel to square of the corners on the tenon (sorry no pics...)

i sanded the sides of the tenon down and keep trying to fit it into the mortise. a little bit at a time until it went...

and for anyone that followed my first build thread and saw me have to remove the neck and fret board to fix the neck angle, that is NOT hapening this time

off by 1/10th of a degree, i'll take it

and here's a little preview of the neck shaping.. i will post a video of this process once complete...

ok, the neck is pretty much there. i may do a little more shaping but i am fairly pleased with what i have now...

first here is the clip. oscillating spindle sander taking it to the mahogany neck...



next i used a contour guage to check my progress against a real gibson with a 60's profile neck... gibson on the right, my work on the left... the gibson neck has frets, thus the deeper look and flat sides...

i didn't depend on the contour guage as much this time as i did on my first build. i just sort of free handed it and formed it the way it felt right...

next to my '04 Goldtop...

i'm diggin it

that's it for tonight...



truss rod and channel strip installed...

ready to go...

silicone to hold in place and help prevent rattle... melted wax onto the threads also, to prevent any glue from the channel strip from causing issues later...

in place...

channel strip glued in place...

Quality Control on the job and backup in the background if needed

after removing the clamps i used my spindle sander to get the strip down close to the neck, then i finished leveling it off with a small hand plane and sand paper...

all done...

ready to glue the fretboard...

i use hide glue that will release with water and heat later if need be... my hide glue is mixed 1 part pellets to 2 parts water and is heated to 145° F. The glue is supposed to be heated indirectly. this is the method i use and it works fine. no need for an expensive glue pot...

here is the glue all heated up and ready... the glues viscosity is fairly low, meaning it is sort of runny and easy flowing...

once the glue is ready i apply a thin coat to the neck and a thin coat to the back of the fretboard.

and finally, all clamped up...

ok, the other day i laid my holly veneer down on my headstock and traced the down side with the headstock. i also rough cut that on my band saw leaving about 1/16 to 1/8" for final trimming... sorry i guess i forgot to take pics of that..

then today, i took a blank piece of paper and found on my cut lines using a pencil and then scissors to reveal everything...

once it's cut out i flip it 180 degrees to match my headstock lines on the holly...

so i draw out the truss rod nut cavity on the holly and proceed to cut it out using a coping saw and the base i made for cutting my MOP inlay material. i had to take the blade off the coping saw and put it through a hole i drilled in the holly b4 beginning the cut...

once the cut is complete i check for accuracy and to insure there is clearance to adjust the truss rod.

and as a final step, i sand and file the edges to clean everything up...



i was a little worried about gluing on the holly and routing for a headstock binding because the holly seems quite brittle to me. however i glued some spare holly to some spare mahogany and it routed just fine...

no problems with the holly going with the grain or against it...

so... i went ahead and glued up the holly...

well i did the headstock routing and all i can say is i am more than pleased with how it tuned out. it took just a tiny bit of chisel work in the middle of the open book (mustache) and it was there

now for the binding. i am thinking about doing it in sections and using the magic goop to hide the seams... these corners are much more severe than the body thus i am thinking of piecing it together...

any opinions? i can definitely hide the seams and i am thinking that is the way to go...


here's what i have so far...

didn't take any pics at the beginning because i was shooting video... don't have that ready yet...

anyhoo, i am applying the binding in four pieces. two side pieces and two top pieces... second piece all tapped up...

the sides

starting on the top edge, piece 1...

headstock binding almost ready for final trimming and sanding...

still have to use a little more MAGIC binding goop to finish touching up a few spots...

i used my fret cutters to trim the extra binding from above the headstock...

a little look at my new axe hanging around with her older siblings

after a little trimming and sanding... still have more to go, but it's getting there. i am glad i decided to binding the headstock...

i think it's really gonna add to the overall look

here is the video.

this shows both sides. i did not document the very top of the headstock and wish I had done so now. That portion required the use of my heat gun to get the binding to curve into the open book crevice in the middle...

 

[73Custom]

headstock binding is ready...

ok, i have upgraded in the intricate inlay area...

as some of you who followed my practice build thread may recall this was my headstock route for the inlay...

it required a lot of filler...

it came out good, but....

i purchased this tool from Stewmac along with a 1/16" inch dremel bit.... the height adjustment and stability is much more precise than the cheapo plastic version i was using...

here is what i did. traced a small inlay i did not use previously.

after the route...

and the fit...

i am pretty happy with the more precise results i will be able to get and the visibility using this stewmac part is so much greater than what i was using...

ok, so tonight i decided to get back to this build. here i am cutting out some mother of pearl for the headstock inlay...

Before I cut I use my template to mark the MOP with a pencil...

a quick video of the cutting with a jewelers saw...



next i use the template to mark the headstock...

and a look at the headstock with MOP already cut...

time to route



and the end results, so much better than my first build...

still need to smooth out the edges of the MOP in a few places then it's time to glue it in and add filler...



here are the two ingredients i use for my headstock inlay filler...

inlay's are smeared in filler on the backside and placed in the routes...

filler completely covering everything...

i put a layer of wax paper down prior to clamping. this will prevent the wood block from getting glued to the inlays

and all clamped up...

 

[73Custom]

got some parts in...

white pup rings, knobs, pickguard and switch washer...

also go my pearloid button tuners...

not sure if I am going to attach the pickguard or not. but i bought it just in case... [/QUOTE]

i need to work on my mother of pearl inlay cutting. a macro shot with the camera shows some imperfection that my naked eye has trouble seeing...

for the side dots i am using 2.5 mm tortoise shell

side dots drilled and glued...

[



tuner holes drilled...

a look at the tuners...

pickups have arrived....

SF 59 for the bridge and an SD Jazz for the neck...

picture time...

today i am setting the neck, sanding, shaping, gluing and filing the bone nut...

either later today or tomorrow i will also drill for the stop tail and bridge and mock the whole guitar up...

and tomorrow we will finally get to the finish work and see what this beauty is really gonna look like

And the family

[



the necessary tools and parts for setting the neck...

hobby brush, hide glue, heat gun, clamps, digital level, guitar, and neck

hide glue being heated to 145°F...

once the glue is ready, i heat both the tenon and mortise just a bit for better glue adhesion...

next i apply the glue to all surfaces with the hobby brush...

after placing the neck and body together and before doing the final tightening on the clamps i check the angle one last time...

she'll be ready for the nut, stop tail and bridge work in the morning

ok, so to start the nut shaping and gluing i measured each of my Les Pauls from the fretboard to the the top of the nut. They ranged from 1.80 mm to 2.20 mm...

so using 2.20 mm as my standard (i can always move more later if i want to) i measured and sanded until i reached the 2.20 mm height... i know some guys use some type of stones or granites to make sure the bottom of the nut stays level. i used the top of my bar with some flat ceramic tile. it worked just fine...

ready to glue and clamp...

clamped and drying. when it's ready i will file for the strings...

well i did not get the nut filed or the bridge and stop tail holes drilled today as i planned... i went to lowes and home depot in search of a brad point 7/16 bit. neither one of them had one :(

so i will have to go to my local woodcraft store this week to pick one up.

and even though it goes against the rules of starting finish work before complete assembly and testing i have decided to start applying dye.

the nut filing will in no way will mess with the top dye work. the drilling of the stop tail and bridge holes will drill through it, but it will not mess up anything like a clear coat, etc... it will be just drilling through the dye so i am think i am safe to start coloring the top...

here are the two water soluble dyes i am using. they are from re-ranch...

first i raise the grain of the maple by rubbing it down with water...

after the water dried up, i sanded the top down again with 220 grit before applying a heavy coat of black. the black dye will highlight the flame. once it dries it will be sanded back heavily so not much remains. the red will go on top of that. however the black will give it a 3D depth look


THIS FLAME IS SICK I love it !!!!!! Thanks again Tom !!!!

after it dried a bit, it was very light so i added a second coat of black...

this is exactly what i did when using this technique before. two coats of black before sanding it back...

if i didn't have my heart set on the red already i would just leave it black. it looks awesome

here she is dry....

and sanded down with 220 grit...

RED TIME



HOLY SH*T !!!!!

I'M IN LOVE !!!!!

with and without flash, 1 red coat !!!

I can't even imagine how freaking good this is gonna look with a bunch of clear nitro on it...



the nut is filed now...

first off, here is a good tutorial

FRETS.COM

here are my fret files...

first i file parallel with the fretboard...

next i roll that file over until i am filing parallel with the headstock. this transition insures proper angles for the string...

and finally the finished product. or least good enough for stringing it up for a mock up. i may make further adjustments later...

scraping the binding...

and a few pics of what we have so far. would be nicer if the sun was out :(

ok, the stop tail is and ground wire hole are complete.

first i mark the location of the stoptail...

then i put tape on my drill bit to the correct depth...

then i use a punch to give the drill bit the correct starting point...

and i do NOT recommend this, but it can be done. i recommend a drill press, but when i bought my little 9 inch bench top press i got in too much of a hurry and did not consider what they call throat depth (the distance between the bit and upright post of the press). well long story short, mine is not deep enough to reach these points on the guitar. so a used floor drill press is on my list of wanted tools... anyway, here is the hand drill i used. if you try this with a hand drill, take your time and ensure that you are drilling as close to vertical as possible. also, notice i use a brad point drill bit to keep it centered...

and it's done...

i drilled my ground hole starting at the anchor hole and drilling into the electronics cavity. this is the best and easiest way, trust me...

i used a hard piece of red oak to hammer each anchor in place...

ta da....

next step is to attach all hardware, find the sweet spot for the bridge (intonation) and mount it. once it's all mocked up and playable i can get back to the finish work...




mock up is underway... as you can see i decided to use the pickguard. the mahogany will be brown grain filler with clear nitro over that....


woohoo, the sun is finally out again

time to get the bridge mocked up...





so to mount the bridge and find the correct location for intonation i set it up with the LOW E/HIGH E strings and tuned them up. I set the saddles to mid position and moved the bridge every so slightly until the tuning matched for the open string and fretted at the 12th fret... once that sweet spot was found. i marked the bridge and drilled it exactly yhe same way i drilled the stop tail...

then i mocked up the rest of the guitar and sat down to play acoustically to make sure it's a working guitar...

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boy and Girls, we have a playable, working guitar. And pretty damn nice one if I don't say so myself... There is a little bit of fret buzz that I am certain will be cleaned up with a fret level and truss rod tweak...

But over all I am really pleased up to this point. the neck is big and chunky like a 50's profile and has a nice feel to it... i really prefer a 60's neck, but i am pleased with this one and have no plans to change it...

here she is...

And my most recent addition, a white truss rod cover. haven't decided if i am using it or not... if not i will add a black one. the headstock will be black so the white contrast may look good. this will be decided after the headstock is sprayed...

 

[Norcal_GIT_r]

Wow..Awesome guitar. great thread.
How's that video coming?

 

[73Custom]

not sure if this did any good on the holly (and i didn't do it on my first build) but i put some clear grain filler on the headstock veneer...

brown grain filler applied...

[



]sanding has commenced...

[/QUOTE]

a little update. still have to cleanup a couple tough spots on the binding and scrape the MOP inlay, but we're getting there...

thanks man...

here's a picture from my last build.

this is how i do it...

nitro is being laid down

look at this

a couple pics of the back and side...

sexy

this top is just SICK !!!!!



for those of you wanting one...

AAAAA

last pics for the night...

this guitar is teh seX !!!

thanks to HC member guitarzan1143 for the blank

and finally, the top again... thanks again to Tom and Magnus at Eastern Maple Carved Tops...

Eastern Maple Carved Tops

got about 7 coats of nitro on...

ran out tonight, but will pick up some more tomorrow and continue....

then begins the 30 day cure wait :( the saddest part of the build/refinish...



nitro application continuing today... by the time i am finished i will have about 3 cans of the deft applied.

btw, i used hot water to warm the lacquer up before spraying. it helps it flow even better without spatters, etc... this stuff is great...

curing underway....

 

[73Custom]

ok fella's, here is what we have been waiting on....

wet sanding !!!!

[

i am kinda digging the satin look on the mahogany that the 800 grit wet sand is providing

i'm believe i might not even buff it and only buff the maple top...

here's a look at the satin finish (after 800 grit wet sanding)...

wet sanding the maple top

a quick shot after the first round of buffing... the shine is friggin great and flame looks outstanding...

here's where i am at... gonna have to stop now and go mow my yard :(

but assembly will commence in about an hour or so...

latest pics... just need to solder and string

ok, got her finished up... well almost. the output from the neck pickup is extremely low. i'll fix it up tomorrow.

i did play her for about an hour however... pretty decent action without doing any kind of setup... i think i can get the action lower as it has absolutely no buzz where it's at... nice chunky neck and the SD '59 in the bridge roars !!!!

fits right in !!!!

not sure i am liking the white TRC...

it's overcast today, although the sun is trying to break thru...

took pics anyway...

 

[73Custom]

Wow..Awesome guitar. great thread.
How's that video coming?

thanks Bryan...

haven't spent much time on the video, but it's still in the works !!!

 

[Johny]

Really impressive work you've done there!
Did you purposely not scrape the binding on the sides?

 

[73Custom]

Really impressive work you've done there!
Did you purposely not scrape the binding on the sides?

thanks !!!

not sure what you are asking. i did either scrape or sand the sides of the binding...

 

[jrockbridge]

Wow! That's a fantastic build! The guitar is gorgeous!

I saw the early pics of this build thread on HC, but I never saw the entire set of pics. Thanks for sharing it here!

 

[stewiesguitar]

that is amazing. i hope to be able to build my own one day. next year i plan on starting a strat build. but i dont have the ability to do all this wood work. so ill be buying all the parts and doing my own assembly.

 

[73Custom]

Wow! That's a fantastic build! The guitar is gorgeous!

I saw the early pics of this build thread on HC, but I never saw the entire set of pics. Thanks for sharing it here!

thanks man....

that is amazing. i hope to be able to build my own one day. next year i plan on starting a strat build. but i dont have the ability to do all this wood work. so ill be buying all the parts and doing my own assembly.

thanks...

 

[charlesb]

thats gorgeous

 

[73Custom]

thanks charles ^^^