Looking sharp bruce.

Out of curiosity, would you mind explaining what advantages you see of building from the top vs. the back?

Hard to say what the advantage is as I don't do it the other way over. The Spanish tradition to which I subscribe does it this way. My peone construction method could not work back down. Since the sides are perpendicular to the top, and not to the back, it seem logical to me to work off the top. I do not charge for my body wedge as it is quite easy to put the back on at a jaunty angle. Not so true if it has to be done before the box is otherwise assembled, or so I imagine. On the other hand, bevels might be easier back down for similar reasons. I will probably never do a bevel though, as I believe they are incompatible with my traditional/vintage guitar construction concept.

Late Monday pics for you. I imagine I will close this box tomorrow morning.

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/liners.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/neckblock.jpg

Bruce, your tone bar configuration intrigues me. Could you enlighten me as to your theory behind it? Thanks...

Hi Bruce, could you confirm that with your technique you are relying on the radius of the top/sides to ensure there is no gap between the fingerboard extension and the top when the neck is set.
Many thanks for the informative build thread.

Kieran

I have read this several times and do not understand the question. I do not see what the radius of the top has to do with any potential gap between the fingerboard extension and the top. The fingerboard is quite flexible, and the top curvatures are nominal.

At a recent NCAL meeting someone was talking about how "of course" all Luthiers flatten their UTB to receive the fingerboard no matter what else they do with their top radii. This was a surprise to me as I actually use more radius in my UTB than any other top brace. I have good reasons for this, but nothing to do with the fingerboard, which seems like an incidental factor, and certainly not a problem.

If there is a problem I am not seeing, please describe it further.

2 inches less tone bar than Martin AND better free plate coverage at the same time; what's to understand?

Closed Tom's box today:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/closed1.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/closed2.jpg

I'm feeling bad not posting in Tom's Happy T-day thread today, but isn't that tomorrow? I gave the dog a longer than typical walk (what a good dog!), but still expect to put in a solid 8+ hours! Of course I AM calling writing this working.

There are a few people liable to be watching this thread who are in my build queue, and who have not previously commissioned one of my guitars directly from me. I'd like to point out, for sake of reference, that this guitar, as well as the last two, all all examples of my base line guitar with small upgrades on two, and a small down grade on the other.

The first is the Mahogany 000, and it has a little less purfling than my standard package, mostly in the interest af making it more Schoenberg/Martin-like which was the customer's preference.

The second, Bob's SJ, has three upgrades, the Australian Blackwood, The high grade Adi top, and the Cutaway. The trim package in my standard. The rosette is atypical, but about the same time and materials.

This Pernambuco OM is my standard guitar throughout, plus Pernambuco. I upgraded the top to suit the upgraded wood, which I often do. My point is, when you look at my base price, these are examples of what you'd get.

I have half the binding on the OM, by the way:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/boundtop.jpg

Today I started the neck on the P OM . . . but mainly I 1500 gritted the body on Vic's 000 and buffed it out:

There are those who discount a top with visible run out in it, but I am not among them. I am quite please with having located the most fiber aligned part of this top just below the bridge in the center of the belly. This is the last of the 50 Rivolta "E grade" tops (their best) Eric Schoenberg and I bought together in 2002, and therefore arguably the worst of the batch.

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Vic/buffedtop2.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Vic/buffedback.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Vic/buffedside.jpg

Trying to get the beautiful color of this Mahogany is challenging.

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Vic/buffedside2.jpg

stopped by Bruces shop on Sunday, caught him slotting a fretboard - he has a very cool self-designed system that offers a very simple way to quickly slot a fingerboard at almost any scale length in just a few minutes. He had the template machined, and was selling them ot one point - I'll let him respond if he still has any for sale.

but heres 4 minutes of your life you wont get back - cute dog, though -

https://youtu.be/6JM3D-MyEn0

Excellent Bruce, very fine slotting setup!

Tad, Thanks for the video, best 4 min. of my day so far

Very cool!

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

I have the first coat of oil varnish on the OM I am making for Tom:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/1stcoattop.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/1stcoatback.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/1stcoatneck.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/TS/1stcoatgraft.jpg