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Blackwood duet: finished! Vid added
I'm starting a new build to further explore the unique geometry I've developed. If anyone is interested they can look through my earlier thread to see how my first build using this geometry turned out.
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=423497 I start by carving a neck block that sets the stage for an incredibly rigid rim. You can see the start of the Blackwood duet in the African blackwood bevel on the the neck block. The sides and back are going to be an unusual set of Tasmanian blackwood, paired with the African blackwood bevel. One of the interesting aspects of my builds is the early appearance of the finished surface in what would be a bevel on most guitars, but for me, is a continuous, distinct structure. My guitars utilize a continuous bevel that causes the sides to act like an arc, increasing the stiffness of the rim by several magnitudes, with very little increase in weight. My father was an architectural engineer and impressed on me at a young age the incredible strength that could be achieved with simple geometry. One can see the fitting of the neck block into the laminated sides and imagine how rigid the construction must be, with the curving topline not only being aesthetically pleasing, but also giving upper fret access, while being intrinsically strong. Here's a picture of the Alaskan yellow cedar strips that form the base of my laminated bevels. I like Alaskan yellow cedar for its stability and its pleasant odor, in situ. (the smell of working it can get a bit astringent though!) More to follow. Last edited by Glenn23; 08-13-2017 at 05:14 AM. |
#2
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This is very cool. I remember following your last build using this geometric shape and it was phenomenal. I will be watching this all along the way. Thanks.
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#3
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Very cool. Looking forward to this.
Question about the African blackwood strips: Are those thin-ish strips (like wide binding strips) that you bend into the bevel, or do they start as thicker blocks that you then carve into the bevel shape? The 2nd picture suggests the former, but I figured I'd ask.
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Solo acoustic guitar videos: This Boy is Damaged - Little Watercolor Pictures of Locomotives - Ragamuffin Last edited by rogthefrog; 01-16-2017 at 11:43 PM. |
#4
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Another fun thread!
My goodness, your last thread was VERY interesting indeed. This will be fun to watch...
Cheers Paul
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3 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS: Big Maple/Cedar Dread Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro 96 422ce bought new! 96 LKSM 12 552ce 12x12 J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut More |
#5
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Quote:
Thanks for following! Last edited by Glenn23; 07-10-2017 at 07:29 AM. |
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Thanks so much for the detail!
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Solo acoustic guitar videos: This Boy is Damaged - Little Watercolor Pictures of Locomotives - Ragamuffin |
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Fascinating! I be following along.
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Life is like a box of chocolates .... |
#8
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Here's some pics of how I handled the Tasmanian blackwood back plate. The blackwood has some spalt and a sweep that I wanted to incorporate at the waist. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the cut didn't allow me to position the wood like I wanted to, so I made a couple of African blackwood wedges to extend the wood when angled. (the curve of the African blackwood more or less follows the original lumber edge)
It's a bit hard to see but the Taz is completely covered in that shimmery acacia curl. I'm mating the Taz with an interesting piece of bearclaw. The sitka is particularly lightweight and is interesting in that it's noticably stiffer through the bearclaw and more pliant at the edges. I'm thinking it will move easier in monopole mode with its stiff center and more relaxed edge. The Taz is from Hearne Hardwood and the sitka from Alaska Specialty Woods. Last edited by Glenn23; 07-10-2017 at 07:27 AM. |
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Two very nice pieces of wood. Love what you did with the ABW wedges.
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Life is like a box of chocolates .... |
#10
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Here's some more construction details.
The bevel laminations are built on forms that have the back's neck to heel angle, and the doming of the front and back plates, built in, so theoretically when I take the bevels off the forms they will fit in place perfectly. Of course they're never perfect and need a bit of sanding and adjusting. Then they're clamped and glued. You can see the neck to heel taper in this shot. It effects ever so slightly the plumb line on the bevels, and this slightly varying angle has to be maintained. There is not much flexibility so you can't fudge the fit like you can with kerfed linings. The fit has to be perfect, especially since it is going to be exposed. Here's how I handle the intersection of the neck block and the linings. The 2 pieces are lapped together and a gap is left in the African blackwood veneer. Later a patch is put ion and the sides are beveled down to match the angle of perimeter. Last edited by Glenn23; 07-10-2017 at 07:20 AM. |
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Here are some pictures of the rim. I have to say that the lightness and rigidity of this construction is astounding. Someday I'll have to stop construction at this point so I can have something to hand to people and say "Try to flex this!" It's basically a monocoque shell that distributes forces and vibrations so efficiently that the top plate and sympathetic back plate are allowed to vibrate much more freely than in standard construction. That translates into more volume, depth and sustain. All the good stuff. I'm still in the process of trying to figure out how to best realize all that potential when bracing and tuning of the plates, but I have some ideas that I think are really going to open up the possibilities.
Last edited by Glenn23; 07-10-2017 at 07:17 AM. |
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Quote:
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PS. I love guitars! |
#13
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GAS! It's looking brilliant.
Note to self: Must make way to get back into my carpentry hobbies..... not for a long time, though, methinks.
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#14
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Thanks! I'm really liking these wood combinations. 1st time I've used Tasmanian blackwood and Alaskan yellow cedar and they both have a lot going for them.
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#15
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Thanks! Nothing like folding wood until it looks like a guitar!
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