New Build

[mdwamp]

Originally Posted by missouri.picker

You will change your mind after you hear the warm balanced sonic delivery of the Ziricote. here is mine.

Great looking guitar...and great recording. I'm afraid I won't be able to deliver that level of playing....in fact I know I won't.

I love the sound of your guitar.

Originally Posted by missouri.picker

And since you are building it yourself, it will really be special, as far as the cracking, well it just needs to be constant RH it's long life, a small price to pay for such elegant sonic transfer. Just an FYI.

I'm pretty anal about keeping the RH correct.

Originally Posted by missouri.picker

If you feel I have hijacked yoru thread just tell me and I will remove the pics no problem at all.
regards
Donnell

No worries. I welcome the input, picture and recording.

[mdwamp]

Originally Posted by ricll

I can feel the tenseness of that man preparing to route the binding channel

Yep it was tense. There was a point while on the back, the router slipped up slightly and then came back down fully. There was a 1/8 inch wide cut lower than the channel. I thought I tooK a big chunk out of the side. Fortunately, the router was cutting uphill and when I went back over it, the depth was correct.

Today, I finished cutting the perfling channels and the tail wedge. More tense moments...

[OC1]

Originally Posted by mdwamp

Yep it was tense. There was a point while on the back, the router slipped up slightly and then came back down fully. There was a 1/8 inch wide cut lower than the channel. ...

Aaaaa stop posting such horror stories, now I wouldn't be able to sleep....

[mdwamp]

Hey folks, here are some more pictures. With the binding channels cut, the wedge block and bending the binding are next.

Here is the binding prior to going into the bending contraption.



The wedge blank is roughed in...



And the wedge glued in...



and then cut with miter cuts...





I started on the neck last week, but I don't have any pictures yet. Hopefully, I can glue in the binding at the next session.

Thanks for looking.

[mdwamp]

Time for another update.

Binding is cut and fitted in this pic.



Backside binding is being glued.



Binding is glued, taped and braced.





The binding is in and has been sanded.







I put some naphtha on just to see how the wood will look "wet." That stuff dries quick!





And the tail wedge. Miters still need a bit of touch-up.



We continued work on the neck today. I hope to post some pics of that process soon.

[Mary]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the updates and for sending me the link to watch your build.

I love the look of Ziricote. Since I'm not a luthier, I can't comment on the characteristics of the wood, but it seems to me you have handled working with it very well. Especially with this being your first time project.

BTW, your photography skills are looking up, too.

I'll keep watching!

[cpabolting]

How fun that must be.....I'm calling Jim Olson and tell him STOP working on #1301...I am taking a class instead!

That looks like a great project so far.

[mdwamp]

It's been a blast. I'm already planning my next build.

[Mary]

Originally Posted by cpabolting

How fun that must be.....I'm calling Jim Olson and tell him STOP working on #1301...I am taking a class instead!

That looks like a great project so far.

That's funny. By all means, take a class and try your hand at a build, but let Mr. Olson continue his build for you. Watching first build thread is great. I've enjoyed Mark's work.

[tpp]

Great job, indeed. This build is going very well! It looks like you're enjoying it!

[cpabolting]

Originally Posted by Mary

That's funny. By all means, take a class and try your hand at a build, but let Mr. Olson continue his build for you. Watching first build thread is great. I've enjoyed Mark's work.

I am going to add that to my list of things to do...well on the list that includes resuming banjo lessons

[leftync]

You're doing a great job and it's going to be a terrific instrument.

[mdwamp]

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. I have to fight the urge to say "yeah, but...." and point out my mistakes. Don't chastise me Mary, I'm not going to do it.

[Mary]

Originally Posted by mdwamp

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. I have to fight the urge to say "yeah, but...." and point out my mistakes. Don't chastise me Mary, I'm not going to do it.

I didn't say a word! (This time)

[mdwamp]

Hey folks, it's been a while since my last update. It doesn't seem that the guitar is moving fast enough. I guess I'm getting anxious about finishing it.

Here the neck has been fitted to the guitar. I've just started the carving. Peg head is not shaped yet.



Here is the guitar prepared for finishing. It's amazing to listen to the tone of the wood change as final thickness of the top is reached. Tapping sounds much richer and louder than it did two weeks ago. I can't wait for strings!



I couldn't decide what to put on the peghead overlay. I didn't want my name, and I couln't come up with a design I liked. There is a pretty cool story behind my decision. Back in the late 1980's, I ran a christian coffee house at my church. It was really small time, but we had a blast with the local christian bands. We couldn't come up with a name. One night, late into the AM hours, I woke from a sound sleep. I turned on a light and picked up my bible from my headboard. I immediately opened it to Isaiah 26:4. It is about trusting in the Lord our rock eternal. We named the coffee house Eternal Rock. That's what is on my peghead. Eternal Rock, or Rock Eternal in Hebrew.



And here is the ziricote bridge. That stuff is a bear to carve. I haven't polished it yet.



I hope to finish carving the neck this weekend along with another step in the finishing process.

Once again, thanks for taking the time to look.