New Howard Klepper Advanced Jumbo in black walnut build project - Page 7

Howard Klepper · #91 01-27-2011, 04:18 PM

The guitar is bound. I kept it simple and consistent with the look of a Gibson AJ. Ivoroid with black and white purfling lines; bold lines on the top such as Gibson used, finer lines on back.

Gluing the binding:

The bindings then get scraped and sanded flush with the wood. Here's some detail of the top and back:

This is something I'm proud of. When you go without an end wedge or back inlay strip the bookmatches where the sides butt together and the back seam have to align just right. It's not very hard to do this with the back seam, but can be with the butt joint. The back and side joints also are right in line with each other.

Now I have to mount the neck and it will be ready for finishing.

bubbaprime · #92 01-27-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

This is something I'm proud of. When you go without an end wedge or back inlay strip the bookmatches where the sides butt together and the back seam have to align just right. It's not very hard to do this with the back seam, but can be with the butt joint. The back and side joints also are right in line with each other.

Indeed; that is something to be proud of. Beautiful detail and supremely understated perfection.

murrmac123 · #93 01-27-2011, 04:26 PM

That is impressive, Howard.

Anybody who isn't a woodworker may not be able to grasp how difficult that is to do (aligning the end grain on the butt joint to match perfectly )

Is that how the original AJs were built ? Or did Gibson put in a graft ?

Howard Klepper · #94 01-27-2011, 04:33 PM

Thanks guys. Gibson never used a graft on their AJs.

Glennwillow · #95 01-27-2011, 05:09 PM

Once again, this is really educational and fascinating. I will look forward to seeing the finished guitar. Beautiful work!

- Glenn

longdrive55 · #96 01-27-2011, 05:29 PM

Howard,

The sides and back look REALLy good. Nice job getting all that grain to line up.

Can you tell me about your process and glue type for bindings? Do you prebend the binding? Use acetone and glue? Just glue?

Thanks,

Erik

RogerC · #97 01-27-2011, 08:40 PM

That's looking incredible, Howard. You are indeed a skilled artist

Wade Hampton · #98 01-27-2011, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerC

That's looking incredible, Howard. You are indeed a skilled artist

Now you see why I ordered this guitar from him...

I will admit to getting restless, seeing all this eye candy and wanting to get the guitar in my hands and start playing hell out of it in order to commit some unlicensed and unauthorized folk music on it...come what may, I guarantee to to one and all that this is not going to be some closet queen taken out once in a blue moon to stumble through some ineptly played tablature arrangements.

No, it's going to get played on, sung over, picked and strummed and slapped silly, and there's a remote chance that some fermented adult beverages will get consumed within its general vicinity once and awhile. (Within reason - I'm much more interested in the music than in the beer drinking.)

It'll also see some stages and the inside of my church, though I suspect I'll be too protective of it to take it along to any bar gigs. But songs will be written on it, that's a promise, as well, and I suspect that some of the songs will be boisterous and rude and not appropriate for preschools, vegetarian gatherings or gospel workshops.

I'm not one of these guys who's full of opinions about guitars yet who can't play a clean B minor chord - this guitar is going to earn its keep.

Wade Hampton "Naturally, I'm Nonchalant About The Whole Thing" Miller

murrmac123 · #99 01-28-2011, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Now you see why I ordered this guitar from him...

I will admit to getting restless, seeing all this eye candy and wanting to get the guitar in my hands and start playing hell out of it in order to commit some unlicensed and unauthorized folk music on it...come what may, I guarantee to to one and all that this is not going to be some closet queen taken out once in a blue moon to stumble through some ineptly played tablature arrangements.

No, it's going to get played on, sung over, picked and strummed and slapped silly, and there's a remote chance that some fermented adult beverages will get consumed within its general vicinity once and awhile. (Within reason - I'm much more interested in the music than in the beer drinking.)

It'll also see some stages and the inside of my church, though I suspect I'll be too protective of it to take it along to any bar gigs. But songs will be written on it, that's a promise, as well, and I suspect that some of the songs will be boisterous and rude and not appropriate for preschools, vegetarian gatherings or gospel workshops.

I'm not one of these guys who's full of opinions about guitars yet who can't play a clean B minor chord - this guitar is going to earn its keep.

Wade Hampton "Naturally, I'm Nonchalant About The Whole Thing" Miller

Wade, you missed out the paragraph where you say "I'm also going to record a video with this guitar and put it up on Youtube so's you can all hear what it sounds like ..."

Wade Hampton · #**100** 01-28-2011, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murrmac123

Wade, you missed out the paragraph where you say "I'm also going to record a video with this guitar and put it up on Youtube so's you can all hear what it sounds like ..."

Well, we'll see. When it comes to recording, my perfectionist tendencies move right up to the front, and it's quite literally painful for me to put out anything that I consider second rate and make it public.

So no promises there. Maybe Howard has a good local player or two in the Santa Rosa area who can play a demo or two for the camera before he ships the guitar up to me here.

whm

lclyman · #**101** 01-28-2011, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Well, we'll see. When it comes to recording, my perfectionist tendencies move right up to the front, and it's quite literally painful for me to put out anything that I consider second rate and make it public.

So no promises there. Maybe Howard has a good local player or two in the Santa Rosa area who can play a demo or two for the camera before he ships the guitar up to me here.

whm

Hi Wade..

PM sent..

Thanks,
LC

Wade Hampton · #**102** 01-28-2011, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lclyman

Hi Wade..

PM sent..

Thanks,
LC

Sent, received and answered. Thanks, Larry.

whm

Howard Klepper · #**103** 01-29-2011, 04:44 PM

I need to fit the neck, setting its back angle (pitch) and its alignment to guitar's centerline (yaw). Then I install its mounting bolts and put it together for a look. It will come apart again for finishing. Gibson finished neck and body together, which leads to problems if the neck needs to be reset.

We now have a guitar-shaped object:

But there are a few more odds and ends. The heelcap is the last piece I put on before finishing. Original Gibson AJ's, like J-45's, had no heelcap and the heel came down all the way across the binding. I like a cap, with a little setback from the edge. I made it from ivoroid to match the binding. The neck is sitting unbolted on the body here to check the fit of the heelcap:

More details before finishing. I hadn't opened up the truss rod access or drilled the tuner holes. Here they are.

Careful drilling with a good bit gives me clean exit holes.

Ready for final finish prep and lacquering. This thread will drop down for the next month or so, but I'll probably post after I spray the sunburst.

BTW, the box taps great; you can't really tell until the binding is on. The ring is deep, musical, and long. The air resonance is around F. My expectations for the sound are running high.

Spieler · #**104** 01-29-2011, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

BTW, the box taps great; you can't really tell until the binding is on. The ring is deep, musical, and long. The air resonance is around F. My expectations for the sound are running high.

Howard,

As I was reading through all your detailed descriptions in this last post of yours, and enjoying the pictures, I was already formulating a question in my mind: "But, how does it sound?"

I'm so glad to see your last BTW, above. This is great news, for both you and Wade.

~ S.

Howard Klepper · #**105** 01-30-2011, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spieler

Howard,

As I was reading through all your detailed descriptions in this last post of yours, and enjoying the pictures, I was already formulating a question in my mind: "But, how does it sound?"

I'm so glad to see your last BTW, above. This is great news, for both you and Wade.

~ S.

Well, Spieler, it isn't a guitar yet. So there isn't a way it sounds. I'm pretty confident that the tap sounds of the box at this stage correlate well with the finished guitar sound, but that sound won't be heard for a while.