HOWARD KLEPPER: Oval Hole, 000/OM (African Blackwood / Italian Spruce)

[tekaitora]

Those A-frame braces flowing under the UTB are like totally lit! (Yes I have a teenaged son)

[iim7V7IM7]

Being a child of the 1960's, I know exactly how you must feel...

Originally Posted by tekaitora

Those A-frame braces flowing under the UTB are like totally lit! (Yes I have a teenaged son)

[iim7V7IM7]

Howard has been working on the headstock and the fingerboard.

He put a chamfer on the Brazilian Rosewood Headplate veneer exposing the thicker maple veneer beneath it to accent the edge (left). The sound hole terminus of the African Blackwood fingerboard is seen (right). Howard matched the oval rosette curvature and bound the fingerboard in Ceylon Satinwood. The position markers are Aluminum with Black MOP centers.



You can see the side position markers also Aluminum but with black centers to contrast against the Ceylon Satinwood binding.



Howard has slotted the board for the frets and put a 12" to 20" compound radius on the fingerboard.



You can begin to see how the Celyon Satinwood binding and the Brazilian Rosewood sapwood in the veneer will visually tie together. The Black MOP position markers will tie into the tuner buttons and rosette.

[Steve Kinnaird]

I love that headplate. So much movement!

[justonwo]

Gorgeous neck. Coming along nicely.

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

I love that headplate. So much movement!

Yeah Steve, it's a cool book-matched BRW veneer full of landscaping and sapwood. I will be intersted to see how a logo inlays over the point of the sapwood. It should create "visual tension".

Originally Posted by justonwo

Gorgeous neck. Coming along nicely.

Thanks Juston. I am pleased as well.

[John Osthoff]

The headstock overlay is a great piece. Nice job in tying all the materials together, and I love the fretboard marker layout. Great Job Howard and Bob.

[iim7V7IM7]

Thanks John, but the credit goes squarely to Howard in regard to these choices. My involvement went as far as "yes" and "cool"...

Originally Posted by John Osthoff

The headstock overlay is a great piece. Nice job in tying all the materials together, and I love the fretboard marker layout. Great Job Howard and Bob.

[iim7V7IM7]

Here a shot of the Brazilian Rosewood headplate veneer now bound with Ceylon Satinwood to match the fingerboard binding and purfled with Black/Maple to match the Maple in the backstrap laminate.

[Jobe]

Oh, my goodness. That looks nice.

[iim7V7IM7]

After taking a day or two to work on aspects of the guitar, Howard returned with a fresh set of ears to refine the top bracing. Since it is is a stiff set of Italian Alpine Spruce, he carved the braces down a bit beyond his typical target dimensionally to achieve the tap tones that he wanted. The gentle 30' dish of the top can be seen where the Upper Transverse Brace meets the top. All that is left is to add some cleats to the center seam.

[iim7V7IM7]

I received an update from Howard's bench today....

He has thinned (0.070"-0.075") and bent the African Blackwood rims with a Venetian cutaway (seen left). It is difficult to see the figure in the dark hued rims against the light hued workbench. The back plate's have been thinned to about 0.085" and the Engelmann Spruce ladder braces have now been refined in their shape and sanded (seen right). Howard's back dish radius is a fairly flat at 30'.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Impressive bend there in the cutaway.
Pics like this should come with the disclaimer: "Don't try this at home, folks."

Steve

[Howard Klepper]

Thanks, Steve. African Blackwood is very stiff, but fortunately it is also very strong. It wants to be bent quite hot, and can be leaned on more than most woods without sudden failures--at least when it is quartersawn.

[invguy921]

This is a beautiful piece of work. Love the headstock veneer. I'll love to see the progress on this one.