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-   -   Hatcher's Studio '19 (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533372)

Mark Hatcher 02-24-2019 09:43 AM

Back to the Fiddleback
 
OK, back to the "Fiddleback Tree" Greta model. Here are a couple pictures of the sound port being bound and set up:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7831/...84fdea02_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7873/...f7844d37_c.jpg

Then the top getting glued on:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7842/...db1eb8e1_c.jpg

As you may have noticed the sound port is bound in Cocobolo which is what the rest of the guitar binding will be. Here I am setting up to start the body binding:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7902/...d8fe633c_c.jpg

Thanks for following along!
Mark

DamianL 02-24-2019 10:10 AM

Every time I open a new Hatcher build thread I think ‘well that’s my favourite’ ....then it’s ‘no THATS my favourite’...ad infinitum!

This fiddleback hog is everything I want in a guitar...

Mark Hatcher 02-24-2019 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DamianL (Post 5989049)
Every time I open a new Hatcher build thread I think ‘well that’s my favourite’ ....then it’s ‘no THATS my favourite’...ad infinitum!

This fiddleback hog is everything I want in a guitar...

Thanks DamianL, This Fiddleback Tree wood is something special and it's not just the figure. The wood is unusually light and hard for Mahogany and its a pleasure to work with.

Mark

Mark Hatcher 02-28-2019 03:29 PM

Fret Board
 
Isn't this a pretty piece of Cocobolo for a fretboard?

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7883/...8e996c7c_b.jpg

It is the last one of four like this that I cut from a board I found years ago. It was just sanded and will redden up pretty quickly. I love that spiderweb grain.
This guitar has that wonderful Mahogany fiddleback figured back and sides and the Cocobolo is just the trim but, I'm picking special pieces. A little Cocobolo can go a long way!

Nemoman 02-28-2019 03:52 PM

Yes, indeed--that will make a stunning fretboard!

Leftyprs 03-01-2019 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher (Post 5982125)
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7822/...ff482c04_c.jpg

The back is on and isn't that figure nuts?

Beautiful figuring on this one! Excellent work as usual Mark! Please keep them coming!

Erithon 03-01-2019 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher (Post 5993024)
Isn't this a pretty piece of Cocobolo for a fretboard?

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7883/...8e996c7c_b.jpg

It is the last one of four like this that I cut from a board I found years ago. It was just sanded and will redden up pretty quickly. I love that spiderweb grain.
This guitar has that wonderful Mahogany fiddleback figured back and sides and the Cocobolo is just the trim but, I'm picking special pieces. A little Cocobolo can go a long way!

Meh, it's okay I guess... :)
https://i.imgur.com/A72gXm7l.jpg

Mark Hatcher 03-01-2019 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemoman (Post 5993053)
Yes, indeed--that will make a stunning fretboard!

Thanks Nemoman!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erithon (Post 5993649)
Meh, it's okay I guess... :)
https://i.imgur.com/A72gXm7l.jpg

Has a familiar look doesn't it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leftyprs (Post 5993611)
Beautiful figuring on this one! Excellent work as usual Mark! Please keep them coming!

OK, more is on the way! Thanks

Here is a picture of the Cocobolo back strap and neck support insert being glued up:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7885/...90cab1a5_c.jpg

And on to the headstock overlay being put together:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7879/...000db2e8_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7902/...1b41899d_c.jpg

And a nice little Cocobolo truss rod cover:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7844/...1963bf0a_c.jpg

Thanks for the comments and following along!
Mark

runamuck 03-01-2019 03:08 PM

Gorgeous craftsmanship

ukejon 03-01-2019 10:07 PM

Looks great. Surprising to hear that this highly figured mahogany is a pleasure to work with....I would make a mess of that grain!

Mark Hatcher 03-02-2019 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runamuck (Post 5994029)
Gorgeous craftsmanship

Thanks runamuck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukejon (Post 5994429)
Looks great. Surprising to hear that this highly figured mahogany is a pleasure to work with....I would make a mess of that grain!

Yeah, I was surprised too. I expected it to be a nightmare to bend but, that just wasn’t the case. I believe there are two reasons why: one is that it is pretty hard for Mahogany. The problem bending Mahogany isn’t normally caused by the wood cracking or splitting out it is that Mahogany is prone to crushing at the inside of the bend and then it all goes bad from there. Having it as hard as it is is a big help there.
The second reason it was easier than expected to bend was the curl is just so tight and uniform that it just doesn’t get itself in trouble so easily. When you have larger curls you’ll get larger swaths of grain running almost perpendicular to the plane of the flat wood so there are large sections that just aren’t strong.
Also, the wood bends at different rates when the grain orientation varies. With larger curl that wants to give you a noticeably knuckley bend which needs to be controlled. Again, with the fine uniform curl, it just wasn’t a concern.
So there you have it, maybe a little more than you were asking for but, thanks for bringing that up!

Bottom line, if I had a luthier building me a custom guitar I would be welcoming any time they said something went easier than expected!

Mark

ukejon 03-02-2019 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher (Post 5994585)
Bottom line, if I had a luthier building me a custom guitar I would be welcoming any time they said something went easier than expected!

That’s a great point!

Mark Hatcher 03-02-2019 02:07 PM

I got the neck carved and cleaned up, the MOP side markers are in and the heel cap is on. So I just have to spend some more time cleaning up the body and the guitar will be ready for finish.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7838/...181b903e_b.jpg

I'll take a round of general photos before it I send it off for finish so we have some nice before and after photos.

Thanks for viewing!
Mark

runamuck 03-02-2019 04:44 PM

Hi Mark,

Is the neck fully laminated or is the cocobolo down the middle a veneer?
It sure is a beautiful effect.

Mark Hatcher 03-02-2019 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runamuck (Post 5995183)
Hi Mark,

Is the neck fully laminated or is the Cocobolo down the middle a veneer?
It sure is a beautiful effect.

Yes, the neck is fully laminated but, it isn't all Cocobolo. The cross grained Cocobolo sticks go into the neck blank about 3/16ths deep and the rest is usually Cherry or some other wood. The Black-Maple-Black purfling goes all the way through too. I make sheets of that and cut out the blanks.
I am not comfortable doing an entire cross grained center laminate because end grain glue joints aren't particularly strong.
It is a good look that is worth the extra work. I believe it is one of my little details that I was the first to do.

M


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