|
|
#1
09-29-2012, 11:55 AM
|
||||
|
||||
Build Thread: Indian Hill 12-fret Grand Concert
Hi everyone,
This build is already a good bit underway, but thought I'd still jump in now and take you all the rest of the way. It is a 12-fret Grand Concert model with East Indian Rosewood back/sides and a Sitka spruce top. I'm doing a bit of an experiment with a lattice braced top and an elevated neck. I've been really pleased with how my elevated necks have turned out in the past but have never done one with this size so thought I should give it a go! Here are the back and sides almost ready to go...  Since this guitar will have an elevated neck, I attached a "foot" to the heel block to support and bolt with the neck extension. Here is the top in the midst of being braced...  And all tuned up and ready to glue....  I generally find latticed braced tops too tight for steel strings, but since this is a fairly big guitar (16" lower bout) and has an elevated neck (increased string angle equals more pull on the top) I think it should balance everything out nicely. Thanks for looking and I'll post more soon! Mike 
|
|
#2
09-29-2012, 07:20 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Looking good! Will this one get the French polish treatment as well?
JR
|
|
#3
09-30-2012, 09:22 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Thanks JR! Yup, this one will be french polished as well. I've sprayed a couple of guitars over the years but pretty much always french polish. Love the way it looks, it's pleasant work, easily repairable, and goes on super thin. All good things in my book!
The top is glued on and hopefully it will bound by the end of the day...  Here's a closeup of the rosette with radial canary wood purfling and soundhole binding...  (seeing that filter effect kind of makes me want to turn it into a sunburst!) Mike
|
|
#4
10-01-2012, 10:57 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Ready to be bound....
 Cutting miters...  All taped up!  Today I'll pull the teflon strips out of the top purfling and put in some radial canary wood. Then it's time to clean everything up and move on to the elevated neck! Mike
|
|
#5
10-02-2012, 10:02 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Yesterday I made some canary wood purfling strips...
 Then put them into the top...  Once I cut the mortise in the neck block the woodwork on the body is basically done! So, it's onto the neck. Since this will be an elevated neck, I set the neck angle and cut the tenon before attaching the extension. Here I am sanding the angle...  Today I'll glue the extension on, get the fingerboard and head veneers ready, and hopefully have everything glued up by the end of the day tomorrow so I can start carving the neck on Thursday! Thanks for looking, Mike Last edited by IndianHillMike; 10-04-2012 at 01:00 PM.
|
|
#6
10-03-2012, 07:59 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Looks great Mike! I like the canary wood purfling strips. I'm not familiar with canary wood but it looks great.
|
|
#7
10-04-2012, 01:13 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Thanks Dru! I really like the subtle glow and shimmer of the canary wood, especially against the dark browns of the rosewood.
Below the mortise is cut and the extension is fit and ready to be glued to the neck...  Routing the truss rod slot...  The back and sides have had their first filling and the top will get its first french polishing session later today. I should be able to get the head veneers and fingerboard glued on today and hopefully get carving soon!  Mike
|
|
#8
10-06-2012, 08:57 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Had a great first session of french polishing on the top; hopefully only need one or two more...
 Routing the fingerboard for the 12th fret inlay....  And installed...  The head veneers are on, fingerboard and truss rod ready to be glued, but I'm off to Ottawa and Toronto for the week (Canadian Thanksgiving!) so things will be on hold for a bit! Thanks again for looking! Mike
|
|
#9
10-06-2012, 02:29 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
It's coming along great Mike. I like the 12 fret inlay. I'm assuming it's an "I" and "H" for Indian Hill.
|
|
#10
10-07-2012, 03:50 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Lovely silky top... there's something thats always so stunning about french polish as well.
|
|
#12
10-08-2012, 08:54 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Very nice top, even after just one session.
__________________
Kī hōʻalu and 'ukulele soul
|
|
#13
10-14-2012, 10:27 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Excited to be back in the shop yesterday (even if only for a half-day) after being out of town for a little over a week. Finally finished up the neck prep and will get on to carving today.
Here are the head veneers all clamped up. I left it like this for the week so I imagine they should be dry by now!  Looking.... good?  Ready to route the top of the headstock and the scoops to the fingerboard. I do these cuts before the sides of the headstock to help prevent chipping and tear-out. For me this is one of the fastest and most satisfying jobs. Turning that mess above into a finished headstock and revealing all the clean and crisp veneer lines -- I love it!  Installing the side dots in the fingerboard. In this case aluminum tube filled with black epoxy...  Clamped up for the night and ready to carve today!  Thanks for all the nice comments on the top and Dru, yup, the logo is an overlayed "I" and "H". Bye for now, Mike
|
|
#14
10-15-2012, 09:14 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Had a nice full day in the shop yesterday carving the neck. Here's the neck after the profile has been cut on the bandsaw, edges trimmed flush with a router, and the heel roughly shaped on the belt sander...
 A lot of rasping, sanding, and a couple hours later...  Before and after of the volute...  The woodwork is almost done!  Thanks for looking, Mike
|
|
#15
10-15-2012, 10:06 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Looking good! I like the before/after pics of the volute.
What are the darker pieces on either side of the neck joint for?
|
