This is the first guitar I am posting in this section. I just strung it up.
It is still a bit rough, and the action is a bit high, but I think I learned from the first two guitars I built that I should not try to dial in the action 5 minutes after I put strings on it because it will change a bit over the first few days or so. I also need to polish it up a bit, but I am pretty pleased with how it sounds. Not incredibly different than a spruce topped guitar honestly.
I would like to thank Steven Kinnaird who I emailed with about the thickness the top should be. He helped me to not make a big mistake. So thanks Steven!
The specs are:
000-14 fret wedge body
Curly Koa top, back and sides
Bloodwood binding
Bloodwood fretboard with custom side position markers and 12th fret marker
mahogany neck with .25" bloodwood strip
Abalone rosette
b/w/b purfling all around with mitered tail wedge.
Bloodwood tail wedge and heel cap
Koa head plate veneer made from the cutoffs of the top, or back, I forget.
I pore filled with Z-Poxy (thanks Todd Stock for the videos on Youtube!) the brushed Deft Gloss Lacquer. It took a lot of sanding to get it smooth, but it was worth it!
Here are some pics:
I didnt even get the bridge pins fully seated! I was too excited about stringing it up! Note my cat is checking out the goods.
Heel cap with purfling and binding to match the rest of the body. There is still some compound on the neck in this shot. I will fix that soon.
The inlay on the headstock looks much, much better in person. Really. Those are my cousin's initials. It is tough to fill the gaps on lighter colored wood. My cousin is going to flip when he sees it. I am supposed to deliver this on May 7th so I have a little time to dial things in. I also need a pick guard. I think I will go with a clear one.
Thanks for looking!
Tony