Big Hollow goes to France -
 

Bonjour! this thread is a log of my 3rd build for a dedicated client who lives in France. For this guitar we decided a bit of a new twist was in order, so I tossed some ideas around and we got a little creative.

The client, JF, has these specifics:

24.9" scale
00 (14.5" LB)
1-3/4" nut

Top - Sitka Spruce - this piece was a gift from Michael Bashkin's personal stash of wood. It is old and stiff.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...1rhTaIuinw1PQ7

Back & sides - Honduran Rosewood - sourced from Hibdon Hardwoods, this set of wood is just exquisite. Quartersawn, straight and clear. A rare find.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...UExM_4xnNukOly

Bashkin Sitka
 

Attachment 5033

Bracing glued and ready for carving

Trim scheme
 

I have kept my style to the straight and narrow over the years, pretty much sticking with herringbone top purfling. This guitar gets a different treatment. The green came about due to a wise suggestion from a friend, whose taste in guitars is for the finest. Once I saw it against the rosewood, I had to do it.

I understand this color combo is not for everybody, but it works for me and my client.
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Logo Inlay
 

I have had this label from the very beginning :
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It was drawn by Meghan Meier, of Rolling Tattoo in Laramie, WY.
For this guitar I had DePaule inlay make up the head of the girl from my label from black, gold, and white MOP and then I set it in the headstock and engraved the facial details.

There is some kind of magic in a face that is proportioned right. It takes on a personality, as if there is at least the sense of an other there, looking back. it is quite fun.

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Birds beak neck joint
 

Until this batch of guitars i had done bird's beak joints only as one-offs, but with this and many other orders, it was time to jig up. John Greven's website provides an excellent sequence that showed me the steps, but the more I got into it the more I saw the need for a new jig. The mortise in the headstock piece is angled in 3 axes, and if I could cut it all in one cut then it would be right and true right off the bat no hand adjusting needed.
So I started making a sled to hold the headstock at 15 degrees to the table, with a tapered router pattern and a slot to slide the headstock forward and back in.
A 10 degree tapered cutter cuts the angled wall of the mortise.

Attachment 5041

A bit of fine tuning and the thing produces uniform mortises.

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Birds beak neck joint
 

The neck tenon is cut on an angled sled on the bandsaw. The blank needs to be a certain dimension thick and gets a triangle pattern scribed on it.
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WOW! Stunting so far. Beautiful work. I'm heading to your website right now!

Bending the sides
 

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alternating sides gives me a chance to let each section cool and set

birds beak
 

here is the final birds beak detail
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Great work so far!!!

I think the green works very well. Nice!

ALL of this is right up my alley...

Modern vintage and classy.


D

sub-assemblies
 

The separate parts arranged to present a picture of the guitar to come
Attachment 5065

Sides bent, box closed, loud reverberations bouncing around
 

When the box comes out of the mold you can hear it for the first time. If it likes to talk loudly and sing harmony you're doing well. Ideally I like to be surprised at the volume and responsiveness when I tap it.

Then it is time to scrape/level the sides before routing the binding channels
Attachment 5314


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Marking and trimming wood binding with purfling and miters can be a time consuming task.
Attachment 5316

Dry fit, Mark, Trim, check, next piece.
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[ATTACH]Attachment 5319[/ATTACH]

Getting a sense for how this is all coming together now and I like it a lot.

The green works for me as well. Although, it causes me to ask, "What is the material? Dyed wood?"