Thank you all for the encouraging words. This is an exciting time for me, with lots of music in my life and some ridiculously good guitars to inspire me. And another on the way! Check out my first view of the top with the cutaway:

https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net...a9&oe=5BCC1B30

Perhaps you'd like a neck with this body Stan?
Here are the loose parts awaiting glue/clamps.
Dark center stringer to match back inlay, b/w lines either side, and then the main sections of Honduran mahogany.

Attachment 11807

Then comes the glue and clamps:

Attachment 11808

And a shot to further illustrate the over/under clamping pattern, to distribute clamping forces more evenly:

Attachment 11809

It all looks pretty rough at the moment, but will clean up nicely.
We'll leave this in clamps for at least 48 hours.

Steve

Fretboard making. A 12 fret Texas Ebony fretboard with a curved end.

I cut out the blank (pictured last page) to shape. Then I rout a channel for purfling.

https://s19.postimg.cc/clwwyf49v/584...0738749_CD.jpg


After the purfling is glued in, then we have to bind the fretboard. Once bound we radius the board with sandpaper to a 16” radius.

https://s19.postimg.cc/s3vwiymwz/0_B..._EBC5672_A.jpg


Then we clean the slots, sand the binding to correct width, and check it out.

https://s19.postimg.cc/bsvsmni4z/2_D..._FEF5695_A.jpg


Thanks for watching.

That is a beautiful color on that fretboard, will go so well with the top once finish is applied!

Oh, man. This makes me think of a certain Beatle song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6yYxyxx4aE

Steve cutting the binding channel .

https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...a6&oe=5BF26E6F

Bending the bindings for the cutaway.

https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...a2&oe=5BFF5467

Coming right along now Stan, pretty soon she'll be off for a few week spa trip, that is the hardest part!!!

I know, Tom - no pics for weeks!

Another beautiful build.!!. Can't wait to see the finished guitar and hear how it sounds. Russ

The coloring is great, just exuding warmth! Love how this is looking. Should be gorgeous under finish.

I was lucky enough to see this guitar in person this weekend and boy is it beautiful! I made a trip down to see Steve and pick the wood for my upcoming 00. Spending the afternoon with Steve was great and seeing the guitars they are currently building always makes for a great day. This guitar is going to be amazing and I cant wait to see it completed. Congrats!!!!!

End wedge installation:

Here’s our jig for the router to sit on that cuts the exact shape of the wedge.

https://s19.postimg.cc/ahikl3tqb/7_F...569_BF2027.jpg


After the channel is cut, we test fit the piece.

https://s19.postimg.cc/v1nejlwmr/792...AABB13_BF3.jpg


Gluing the wedge in with band clamps.

https://s19.postimg.cc/w3xl2500j/D87...9841_F1182.jpg


We didn’t have a piece of Amazon Rosewood that we thought was pretty enough, so we actually had to settle with a piece of Brazilian.

https://s19.postimg.cc/n8wqrmixv/10_...AAEFC0_EF1.jpg

Oh man! Does that mean I can't take this to my gigs overseas? ;)

Stan, one look at the sides and back and those officials will be hauling you off.

Good luck! ;)

Steve

Aw man, if I had known that . . . I still would have chosen that Guatemalan rosewood. You'll just have to make me another guitar for my gigs in Afstanagain.

Here’s more progress:

Faceplate for the peghead.

https://s19.postimg.cc/cd5tflwxf/ABC...67_DBEB1_F.jpg


Cutting the rough shape out on the bandsaw.

https://s19.postimg.cc/6c84ijpqr/908...F38_C47653.jpg


Getting the exact shape with the chisel.

https://s19.postimg.cc/d2olrz56r/52_...A39_BD7_DE.jpg


Purfling the peghead.

https://s19.postimg.cc/magu8nwtf/B7_...25_DB2_D23.jpg


More tomorrow.

If I may be so bold to ask a question, when refining the shape of the peghead and using the chisel which I would be afraid might find a piece of grain it would like to follow and end up taking out a chunk that was not meant to come it, would it be appropriate to take that to a disc sander or something of the like and lay it flat on the table and sand it to the line?

I hope the fingers under those bandages are intact! (4th Photo.)

Getting the top purfling with a Teflon spacer installed. Afterwards we will pull the Teflon and slide in some curly mahogany to match the rosette.

https://s19.postimg.cc/vwtpabzur/A6_...5_C5_FEA32.jpg

Looking pretty as the guitar comes together!

And with my third hand...
 

Putting a little Amazon binding on...

https://s19.postimg.cc/ab249ve4z/3_B...C8_B16_FF7.jpg

Holy Moly! It works! I am having second thoughts about the teflon purfling though. Is it too late to change that out? ;)

Is today just Sunday? Seems like it's been a month since the binding went on. I hope you post pics of the curly mahogany purfling going in - I'm curious how you go about that. I don't imagine it comes in 4 ft. lengths like the binding, does it?

We will post pics of that happening. Unfortunately, we had some shop work to take care of today, so all I have is this sloppy picture of glue smeared around the joint we’re fitting. More soon.

https://s19.postimg.cc/j7ofho64j/230...15967_D961.jpg

Wolf whistle here...
 

Looking MIGHTY FINE indeed.

I Second all the comments on how pretty this is!

Way to go

Paul

Sorry to be late with your answer, Tom. This shot was taken after the belt sander got the shape close. I switched to a chisel here for the final slivers because of the sense of control. I'm not worried about taking out a chunk here due to the angle of attack--I'm slicing across fibers, not into them. I'm sure as a surgeon you can appreciate what a sharp tool can accomplish!

Thanks for your concern Stan. Those "bandages" are actually masking tape protectors, which give me a reckless confidence working around CA glue.

Thank you Mike, much appreciated.

Almost, but not quite. Pics of that step soon.

Thanks for your enthusiasm Paul, and your continued support.

Steve

Here’s more pictures of...binding!

It’s a lot of work. So sorry Stan.

Measuring straight lines and making them square.

https://s19.postimg.cc/eks0qs1mb/89_...FE37_F9017.jpg


All bound up.

https://s19.postimg.cc/6f9yslxxv/312..._D39_F29_B.jpg


Pointing up.

https://s19.postimg.cc/dv98ef8sj/2_B..._BC4004_D8.jpg


Trimmed peghead.

https://s19.postimg.cc/mdioiqzvn/DE0...9116_EEF37.jpg


Thanks for looking.

Square is good.
 

In places. No Bo Diddley guitars for me! It's looking great - the peghead is squared away nicely! I'm still puzzling over what would work best for the logo. Would the bubinga from the rosette work? Probably not enough contrast. Curly mahogany? Gold pearl?

Gold is good...
 

We went with Gold MOP on my most recent. It really is stunning! I think that every time I open the case. Not a bad default in your decision making process.

Here’s the obligatory leveling shot:

https://s19.postimg.cc/lnhz6jmo3/472...78_BE62_D1.jpg


I like the Gold pearl idea, but we need the fretboard inlay to fit the scheme too. So let’s make sure it all works together. Once the mahogany gets inlaid, I bet we’ll have a better grasp of the whole.