Build Thread: Baranik Meridian

[colins]

That's 100% about the honey and the bears. We all know Mike is a stickler for detail...on my last CX he first tried to bend the sides using kangaroos but their jumping was too hard to focus, so he settled on dosing the wood with eucalyptus oil and letting loose a couple of really hungry koalas

(OK I stretch the truth a little above, but he did use some great Aussie woods for the trims and an Australian-inspired headstock. Hey Mike, are you reading all this?!)

Col

[justonwo]

Mike is getting closer and closer . . .

In the first photo, we see my fretboard with a fresh coat of Tone Enhancement Varnish from an Ecuadoran shaman. Goes on blue and dries clear. Tough stuff to find and I got the last little bit.



This high speed fan uses CNC technology to deliver air at just the right speed and location for optimal varnish drying.




Applying Accupressure to the sides to keep the wood calm.





A tone bar?





More Accupressure

[kwang]

Beautiful. I played a Baranik at McCabes in Santa Monica and really liked it. Masterful crafted.

[justonwo]

I played that one, too. Pretty sweet guitar.

[riorider]

Looking great, Juston. That is going to be a great guitar!

Phil

[colins]

Good photos Juston, and they show the double wood for the sides really well. I wonder how it bends relative to a single thickness of wood. I guess Mike chooses woods that have similar bending characteristics.

Col

[jennconducts]

Great, Juston! I'll see it this week when I'm at the shop.

[justonwo]

Mike has moved to smaller sound ports which are more difficult to bind (because of the tighter bend radius), and I really liked the look of the bound sound port on previous Meridians I've seen. He also prefers to cut the sound port after finishing for a number of other reasons. So here's a (perhaps new) approach to combining both goals. Fill the sound port with a plug and then route it out afterward.

[guitarsanyone]

Originally Posted by justonwo

Mike has moved to smaller sound ports which are more difficult to bind (because of the tighter bend radius), and I really liked the look of the bound sound port on previous Meridians I've seen. He also prefers to cut the sound port after finishing for a number of other reasons. So here's a (perhaps new) approach to combining both goals. Fill the sound port with a plug and then route it out afterward.

That is thinking outside the box. Love the build so far!

[pgilmor]

Juston, that doesn't look like a plug to me, more like an egg implanted by aliens from Musictonia. Should make for a significant upgrade in tone, I'm thinking.

[riorider]

Looks simple, doesn't it? But on my visit Mike was showing me the complex curves, angles, templates, and jigs to make this both feasible and efficient.

These guys are good!

Phil

[justonwo]

Originally Posted by pgilmor

Juston, that doesn't look like a plug to me, more like an egg implanted by aliens from Musictonia. Should make for a significant upgrade in tone, I'm thinking.

Oh yeah, that's what I meant to see. I sort of assumed everyone would get that. MAJOR upgrades in tone.

Originally Posted by riorider

Looks simple, doesn't it? But on my visit Mike was showing me the complex curves, angles, templates, and jigs to make this both feasible and efficient.

These guys are good!

Phil

No doubt about it.

[jennconducts]

Originally Posted by justonwo

Oh yeah, that's what I meant to see. I sort of assumed everyone would get that. MAJOR upgrades in tone.
No doubt about it.

I'll get to see it on Friday Juston!

[justonwo]

The updates are just pouring in now. Of particular note is the photo of the top sealed in white carbonite. Unlike the form of carbonite used to seal Han Solo, this rare form of white carbonite imparts gorgeous musical tonality to the top.

[colins]

Juston, if I ever do a build thread I am going to get you to put captions to the photos!