Kwasnycia Jumbo Figured Padauk/sitka build

[Dru Edwards]

Dennis - another one of your great build threads!!! I've never seen a pic of "braces being glued in on the vacuum press" before. Is this the way it is usually done?

I really like the look of the scalloped bracing.

[dchristo]

looking good, cant wait to see the finished product

[D.Kwasnycia]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Dennis - another one of your great build threads!!! I've never seen a pic of "braces being glued in on the vacuum press" before. Is this the way it is usually done?

I really like the look of the scalloped bracing.

Thanks for the complements Dru and Dave!
In regards to the gluing in the bracing, It can be done in a few different ways. Some just clamp them with clams, others use a Go Deck like the picture I have with the body being glued together. This is the picture with the yellow fiberglass rods that hold pressure down on the part being glued. the one thing with the Go Deck, is if you want constant or the same pressure across all the braces, they can't be scalloped in advance. I rough shape my braces in advance on other fixtures that help make the job a little faster. With shaping them in advance I can use the vacuum press that gives even pressure all through the brace, no mater what the shape. Most company's like Taylor, Marten, Gibson and so on use vacuum presses for this part of the build.

[Luca Canteri]

Hey Dennis,
Great work as usual. How do you like working with padauk?
Like it a lot.

[D.Kwasnycia]

Originally Posted by asp

Hey Dennis,
Great work as usual. How do you like working with padauk?
Like it a lot.

Thanks ASP, I like working with Padauk, It doesn't plug up my thickness sander like Rosewood does and it bends nice as well. Best of all, It sounds great!

[D.Kwasnycia]

Body is almost finished. Just got to level out the binding and finish up the end graph. Next to finish up the neck and off to finishing!



cutting binding channels.


Rosewood binding installed.

[dchristo]

looking good, its getting close
I cant wait to see it finished

[RiloKiley]

Originally Posted by D.Kwasnycia

Thanks ASP, I like working with Padauk, It doesn't plug up my thickness sander like Rosewood does and it bends nice as well. Best of all, It sounds great!

I've also heard that Padauk smells like Paprika Not sure if that's true, but I cook with it all the time, so I'm OK with that. Dennis really sold me on padauk for the back and sides. All I knew was that I wanted something a bit more similar to rosewood then mahogany. I know mahogany well as I've owned an all mahogany Santa Cruz 1929 and a Sitka Mahogany Dread. Both great guitars, but I preferred my adirondack/East Indian Rosewood dread more, specifically the overtone content.

The problem is that everytime I come on this forum I read about another interesting tonewood and I wondered how that might sound. A guitar player's affliction I suppose. I like playing more, but talking about guitars is a close second.

[D.Kwasnycia]

Originally Posted by dchristo

looking good, its getting close
I cant wait to see it finished

Thanks Dave, the suspense grows for me as well.

[D.Kwasnycia]

Originally Posted by RiloKiley

I've also heard that Padauk smells like Paprika Not sure if that's true, but I cook with it all the time, so I'm OK with that. Dennis really sold me on padauk for the back and sides. All I knew was that I wanted something a bit more similar to rosewood then mahogany. I know mahogany well as I've owned an all mahogany Santa Cruz 1929 and a Sitka Mahogany Dread. Both great guitars, but I preferred my adirondack/East Indian Rosewood dread more, specifically the overtone content.

The problem is that everytime I come on this forum I read about another interesting tonewood and I wondered how that might sound. A guitar player's affliction I suppose. I like playing more, but talking about guitars is a close second.

Hmmmm, looks like Im going to have to get some paprika to see if it does.

[D.Kwasnycia]

The body on this Padauk Jumbo is now complete, just finishing up the grain raising. I have the body wet down for these pictures to help show what the color will be like under finish.


This end graph is in some ways inspired by some of Jason Kostal work.



You can see some of the figure in the wood in this shot.


A little too much light reflecting off the wet wood but you can still get a good Idea of the final product.

[Masao]

Verry nice! Eye candy indeed!

Ken

[Kent Chasson]

Love the end graft!

[D.Kwasnycia]

Thanks Ken and Kent, I appreciate that. It is possible that this theme may be carried over to the finger board and head stock.

[D.Kwasnycia]

Guitar is taking shape and the only thing left to do is finish the shaping of the neck before the lacquering.

binding being glued on.












Finger board markers to work with the same theme of the end graph.