Build Thread: LeGeyt CLM Brazilian/Red Spruce

[jackaroo]

edited for clarity

[Burton LeGeyt]

Thanks for all the comments, guys. And, Ken, nice to see you here!

I'll add a little context for the last picture Jack posted showing the fret saw blades- Jack wanted nickel frets and when I ordered the stock and got it in I realized the tang was slightly thinner than the EVO I usually use. With the non adjustable neck I knew I didn't want to have the slot larger than the tang so I had some slotting saws custom ground and made a stiffener set so I could use them on my table saw. .021 was the magic number and a few tests show that the frets go in with a very little bit of compression built in which should help keep the neck nice and stiff.

This really has been a fun guitar to work on and I am very pleased with how it is coming along. Sometimes I catch myself just staring at the sides! The BRW is amazing, I feel privileged to build with it.

[jackaroo]

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[T1mothy]

joy to follow this thread. Thank you for sharing

[Burton LeGeyt]

Thanks Timothy! I'm glad you are following along.

I've been working away on the neck and fingerboard. I am making the Carbon fiber insert and have been planning it out. It will be a straightforward marriage of the U and T shape, I'm just about ready to do the largest lamination in the morning.

It is amazing to me how slow things get after the beginning, which seems to go so fast. I always find myself getting more and more careful as it gets closer to the end. This guitar is no exception.

[jackaroo]

edited for clarity

[Tom West]

Burton: Your builds are always a pleasure to view. Some of the best workmanship and craftsmanship I've ever seen. I've been building myself since the 70's and have seen a fair amount of work. If not at the top of the heap, your tied for first. Congrats. I'm sure your client is going to be over the top. Take care.
Tom

[CoolerKing]

Absolutely precise work, I really enjoy these photos. Thanks!

[SJ VanSandt]

Originally Posted by Burton LeGeyt

It is amazing to me how slow things get after the beginning, which seems to go so fast. I always find myself getting more and more careful as it gets closer to the end. This guitar is no exception.

Thank you, Burton, for posting that. As someone waiting impatiently for the last steps of a custom build, I needed to hear that.

Take all the time you need to do the job right (but no more, please!).

Gorgeous guitar by the way, as yours always are. I love that neck reinforcement approach.

[jackaroo]

I've got to say, as fast as the build process has been...it's absolutely maddening to have to sit and wait....and wait some more. Burton has been managing the flow of the build very well, and we are basically on time. All the wood selection and design stuff being in place at the onset helped a lot, we've only had to tackle a few things along the way. The whole process has been fun, informal and very easygoing.

Funny thing, I'm so traditional when it comes to my guitar choices, but I'm really quite smitten with some of the design concepts at play here. I see them as creative solutions to some of the design "flaws" that have popped up since CFM went and got busy with the X brace. Small subtle refinements, and a eye for precision and design are the things I'm appreciating the most about Burton's work.

I'll be hoping that it's here for Xmas...but that's asking for quite a bit considering all that's going on around this time of year, expectations soar, but time shrinks...


Best, and thanks for tuning in.

Jack

[Burton LeGeyt]

Thanks very much everyone.

Tom, I really appreciate your words. I certainly work towards maintaining as high a level as I can and to have someone appreciate what I am doing is very gratifying. Thank you!

Stan, the end is picky work. All of the earlier stuff is in place and staring at you and you have to be in the right frame of mind to do the really exacting detail work. I have a feeling the builders who work at guitar making full time may not deal with that quite as much as the rest of us who are in the shop half time. I "know" when I am not going to do my best work and it really is best to not even try at that point. It is most frustrating when you know you aren't quite there when you have that rare full day in the shop.

Jack has been very supportive and I have really enjoyed working with him. He has challenged me on a few details I don't always pay as much attention to and it has been very good, the give and take I feel has been very productive. I am really looking forward to getting this in his hands, and finally getting to meet face to face! At this point we might be approaching the thousands of emails back and forth.

[jackaroo]

I agree it'll be fun to meet up...is the email count in the thousands though?

Eek! I'm sorry about that...

[jackaroo]

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[Dion James]

Hey Burton, I'm a guitar maker from Edmonton Alberta Canada. I really like your take on the Dragon Plate tube, I came across the Dragon Plate recently and really liked the idea of it, however I found the price prohibitive. Would you mind if I use your idea?

[justonwo]

Could the woodworking be any more precise? Wow, this is looking great!