New Howard Klepper Advanced Jumbo in black walnut build project

[Taylorplayer]

The wood for that build looks fantastic! Can't wait to see more pics.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Taylorplayer

The wood for that build looks fantastic! Can't wait to see more pics.

Your wish is our command, oh Mighty Taylorplayer!

As it happens, Howard just sent me some more photos showing where he is on the guitar right now.

First, here's his bracing plan:



Along with this photo, Howard wrote:

I've drawn up a set of bracing plans for the top. I've taken into account the bracing specs of a vintage AJ, but I am not copying an AJ. Maybe this should be called a "KJ."

Well, calling it the "KJ" works for me! It's not a Gibson, and while it's obviously hugely influenced by the Advanced Jumbo, it's not quite an AJ in the strictest sense. So the "KJ" it is.....

Howard wrote:

Here's the top being joined.

And here we have the joined back.

Next I'll put in the rosette.

Howard

Looking forward to it, Howard.


Wade

[Kindness]

Wade,

Congrats! This looks like it will be a wonderful guitar, and of course, I am a HUGE fan of Walnut. I am surprised that you did not go for a Cedar top, but clearly you are looking for a louder guitar.

Keep the pictures coming!!!

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by itself

Wade,

Congrats! This looks like it will be a wonderful guitar, and of course, I am a HUGE fan of Walnut.

Yeah, I love it, too. I like the way it looks, like the way it smells, but most of all I like the way it sounds...

Originally Posted by itself

I am surprised that you did not go for a Cedar top, but clearly you are looking for a louder guitar.

It's funny, but I never even considered having a cedar top on this guitar.

I know cedar and redwood tops are popular on handbuilt walnut guitars, at least among fingerstyle players. But I've already got three cedar-topped guitars, and they're among the least-played of all the instruments I own.

I find that I, personally, can just pull a lot more sounds and tone colors out of a spruce top than I can out of cedar. What's more, on this particular guitar Howard and I are going for more of a vintage feel and sound, and it takes spruce to get that.

So on this guitar, it's just a combination of personal preference and that nod towards tradition, I guess....

Originally Posted by itself

Keep the pictures coming!!!

Will do. Howard told me last night that the guitar is proceeding nicely, and that he's having a lot of fun working within the concept and basic design of a vintage instrument without having to copy every element of the originals down to the last millimeter.

So it's fun for me, as well.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Wade Hampton]

Wow - Howard's really getting into it! I got those previous photos from him just yesterday, and here he's sent some more:

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Here are photos of the rosette being installed.

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Here I'm ready to rout for the rosette with my old Overholzer circle routing jig. I think "Old Overholzer" is also the name of a bourbon whickey. Art Overholzer was a self-taught guitar maker from Chico, California who wrote a book on guitar making in the 70's. He also had some of his jigs and fixtures manufactured. His guitar making methods were a little quirky, but his jigs are first-rate. I was lucky to pick this very lightly used one up several years ago.

For what it's worth, Howard, Overholzer is a rye whiskey, not bourbon. I've got a bottle of it in my liquor cabinet!

Rye whiskey is kind of like bourbon with a bit of a bite....

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Here's the channel, cut with a 3/16" downward spiral bit. The Gibson AJ has a very simple three line rosette, and I'm going with that design. I'll use two strips of ivoroid and one of black, all celluloid plastic like the originals.

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Cyanoacrylic glue works very well for gluing celluloid to wood. The rosette now stands proud of the channel.

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

So I scrape it down to the level of the wood, using a rectangular card scraper. A sharp scraper is like a miniature plane, and will cut ribbon-like shavings.

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Done! With a natural finish on a spruce top, one usually wants to have a dark line bordering the spruce to set off the rosette. But the AJ always came sunburst, so the outer lines of its rosette look good in white or ivory. When I burst it, I'll extend the color down around the soundhole so the rosette stands out.

Looking forward to it...


whm

[Wade Hampton]

Okay, another progress report from Howard Klepper:

Hi Wade:

Things move quickly at this stage, but don't worry; inevitably at some point they will move slowly. This keeps the universe from spinning out of control, I think.



Most of my guitars get a decorative backstrip which leaves the back weakened at the center joint, so I'm in the habit of putting in the crossgrain reinforcement on the inside right away. This guitar doesn't really need the reinforcement, but it's traditional. This one is made from mahogany.



Gluing in the back braces here after arcing them to the curve of the back.



Back braces are in.



Not a very exciting photo. It's of the X joint being glued. Some people do this on the top, one leg of the X at a time. I find I can get a tighter joint by joining first, and this is a critical joint. I'm also revealing one of my secret weapons here, which I call "Der Kerfmeister." It comes from Bridge City tools and helps me to get perfect half-lap joints.



And in goes the X bracing. Builder vary in their brace gluing sequence. Next up for me is the bridge plate.

Howard

[Glennwillow]

Hi Wade,

What an interesting, fascinating build thread! Being a Gibson AJ owner myself, and knowing the story behind your current Gibson AJ, I find this KJ build thread to be quite intriguing. The photos so far are great.

What a treat! I will be interested to see what this sunburst is going to look like and the binding will be an interesting touch, whatever it becomes.

I also like your approach of going for the best tonal quality in the wood regardless of the visual issues. First, I think the black walnut you have chosen is going to be very good looking, but even if it were more bland (and how can black walnut ever look bland?), I'd still go for tone over looks.

I wonder what this is going to sound like? I might have to plan a trip up to see my younger sister in Eagle River one of these days and run over to meet you and hear this guitar for myself. Boy, that would be a trip to remember!

Regards, Glenn

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I wonder what this is going to sound like? I might have to plan a trip up to see my younger sister in Eagle River one of these days and run over to meet you and hear this guitar for myself. Boy, that would be a trip to remember!

Regards, Glenn

Well, that would be fun, Glenn. Plan it for the warm months...

September is a nice time to visit Alaska, actually, especially during the first two weeks. All the tourist activities are still up and running, but the crowds of visitors have thinned out considerably by then. The trips and hotels are still available, but the prices on those have dropped by then, as have the airfares.

Give it some thought, and if you you decide to come up we'll feed you and throw a music party in your honor.

Oh, and tell your sister to come to the Anchorage Folk Festival the last two weekends of this month, at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium on the UAA campus. It's free, and I'll be emceeing on the opening night, January 21.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Rollie]

Howard ...cool build....cool tools...and cool luthier tips.... will = 1 cool guitar ....
thanks for the inside scoop ....

[murrmac123]

Methinks Howard is being coy about revealing his brace shaping procedure...

After the X-braces are glued together, they are shaped to suit the curve of the top, are they not ?

Is there perchance a motorised sanding dish somewhere which we are not allowed to see ???

[Taylorplayer]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Your wish is our command, oh Mighty Taylorplayer!

As it happens, Howard just sent me some more photos showing where he is on the guitar right now.

Wade

Hi Wade:

Looking at the pics, all I could say was: WOW. Running through my head at the same time were thoughts of how cool that guitar will be when it's finished... Thanks for sharing!

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

Methinks Howard is being coy about revealing his brace shaping procedure...

After the X-braces are glued together, they are shaped to suit the curve of the top, are they not ?

Is there perchance a motorised sanding dish somewhere which we are not allowed to see ???

No motorized dish, Murray. Since I arch the top and back laterally only (to a spline curve), I do not use a spherical dish. I get them close with a small hand plane, and then finish by hand sanding on my arched workboard. It's the same workboard you see me gluing to with go bars. My methods are not a secret.

[murrmac123]

Thanks Howard, that makes sense.

If I could ask a question about the Kerfmaker, IYO would it be possible to set it to obtain a joint angle of other than 90 degrees, possibly in combination with a tapered block against the sled fence ?

Just in case you wanted to open up the angle of the braces ...

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

Thanks Howard, that makes sense.

If I could ask a question about the Kerfmaker, IYO would it be possible to set it to obtain a joint angle of other than 90 degrees, possibly in combination with a tapered block against the sled fence ?

Just in case you wanted to open up the angle of the braces ...

You set the angle with the miter fence on your tablesaw. This guitar, for example, has an X angle of 101.5º.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I have never see a more beautiful piece of Walnut!