Hatcher Guitars Getting Ready to go B.I.G.

[Erithon]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I think where my approach shows results most obviously is in the amount of top end I get, particularly from softer tonewoods like Western Red Cedar and Redwood.

I can testify to that!

[ukejon]

Originally Posted by Erithon

I can testify to that!

Yep, me too….especially when that cedar has a thin French Polish finish.

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Erithon

I can testify to that!

Originally Posted by ukejon

Yep, me too….especially when that cedar has a thin French Polish finish.

Thanks for chipping in! It's no coincidence you both have cedar with French polish tops!

Mark

[Mark Hatcher]

Here the top is being glued on closing up the body:

[Mark Hatcher]

I'm going to do the fretboard is 5000yr old Bog Oak



Although it is almost black you can easily see the distinct Oak grain patterns



It does come up to a nice shine when buffed:



Thanks for viewing!
Mark

[Lonzo]

.. is the title of a poster showing many of the nice entrance doors the have in their houses....

As this is yet another beauty of yours and since you also are a photographer

..did you ever consider to do a poster with guitar glamour shots or respective fronts and backs... or selected detail

The guitars of 20xy

I bet that would look great.

..no intention to derail from the topic of the thread

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Lonzo

.. is the title of a poster showing many of the nice entrance doors the have in their houses....

As this is yet another beauty of yours and since you also are a photographer

..did you ever consider to do a poster with guitar glamour shots or respective fronts and backs... or selected detail

The guitars of 20xy

I bet that would look great.

..no intention to derail from the topic of the thread

That is a good idea Lonzo. I could see doing a poster like that for headstocks or like you say the guitars of a given year or model.

[Mark Hatcher]

On this Bog Oak fretboard I decided to go with gold mother of pearl side markers. To get the exact size I want I cut them myself:







See you at the BIG show!
Mark

[Lonzo]

Nice!
Is that a natural gold tone - as produced by the creature ?
Also: The layered traces one sees in the holes.. are those created by the drill or sign of a layered shell structure and/or its growth?

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Lonzo

Nice!
Is that a natural gold tone - as produced by the creature ?
Also: The layered traces one sees in the holes.. are those created by the drill or sign of a layered shell structure and/or its growth?

Yes, this is the natural color of this Mother of Pearl. Mother of Pearl comes in a variety of colors from iridescent greens and blues (like abalone) to the more muted golds and white. However, it is sometimes dyed, especially in the jewelry industry. Typically gold MOP in the guitar world is the natural color. The color varies with the mollusk it comes from as well as the mollusks diet and minerals in the water.
Sometimes you see a variegated MOP which comes from seasonal changes of diet.

I think those lines are from the abrasive plug cutter I used. However, MOP does grow in layers, like your fingernails and that may have an effect on the cut also.

Mark

[Lonzo]

Very interesting, thanks for the detailed answer !

[Mark Hatcher]

Here it is all starting to come together:





Thanks for viewing!
Mark

[Mark Hatcher]

I am going with gold Evo frets on this guitar. They are a bit harder than regular frets so they will wear much longer. They are a bit softer than stainless steel frets so they don't have the metallic ping you can get sometimes doing hammer ons:





Thanks for following along!
Mark

[TomB'sox]

Looking good!!! Is that little jig a guide to help get the fret ends all filed the same or simply to protect the fretboard?

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Looking good!!! Is that little jig a guide to help get the fret ends all filed the same or simply to protect the fretboard?

Thanks Tom. That little slotted plate is used just to protect the fretboard. The angle is set by the primate attached to the little file