Hello AGF,
It will be a year in November when I started this project.
After my last post I relocated my make-shift work area into the second bedroom. Shelves hold my guitars, mostly electric, and a modest "L" shape work area has served my needs for mods, repairs, and the back yard window provides fodder for daydreams as needed.
The top is wonderfully straight and flat, well within government spec. Is it real world ready? I think so and certainly hope so.
I'm ready to put the back on. I installed the pre-amp system, soldered the end-pin leads, cleaned the battery contacts and tested it in a wee little Fender Champ. Without strings, the bridge picked up my vibration and tapping.
On it's own the body, face down, does not conform perfectly to the contour profile of the back. When I fit the back the lower bout needed a bit of a spread, as well as the narrower upper bout, plus the overall length.
I should have made a template prior to removing the back so I could duplicate the profile shape as close as possible. As it stands with the internal spreaders shown below, the back lines up very, very close to the binding rout. Enough that I'm going to move on to gluing very soon. Any slight un-evenness in the final result will be dealt with via small files or the thinnest Dremel sanding drum of the 3 sizes I have, maybe even the middle size. Whatever.
I'll be tying string to the furthest support dowel to pull them off. Maybe I'll get them out in one piece. Maybe not.
