Wilborn Build: The Blackbird-now completed NOW video and pics added

[iim7V7IM7]

I suspect that there may be a density difference in that Baltic Birch plywood is in the 640-700 kg/m3 (heavier than even Honduran Mahogany which is also a common lining material). Spanish Cedar has an average dried weight of 470 kg/m3. The Norway Spruce Tentalones that some builders use are even lighter (adw 405 kg/m3).

I am uncertain whether or not that is a positive or negative thing acoustically. Trevor Gore and others is an advocate of side wall mass damping, but some of the best sunding guitars that I have played have light rims and linings (Poplar, Spanish Cedar, Spruce etc.). Why not buy your linings from “Kerfing Tom” like many luthiers do?

Originally Posted by WilbornGuitars

I've been using Kevin Ryan's A4 kerfing for a long time. It was very fragile, and had to be cut with care, but it worked really well and I loved the cool black racing stripe that was an artifact of the laser with which it was cut. But they stopped making it last year, and are promising to come out with a new A5 product soon. I got a sample recently, and it is structurally really great, and bends well in 3D. BUT, it is made out of plywood. High grade baltic birch, but plywood nonetheless. As a "recovered" cabinet maker, I looked at it and instantly recognized it as the same material that I once made countless drawer boxes out of. I don't know if I can bring myself to use plywood in my guitars. Maybe I am just being a snob. What does everyone think?

In the meantime, I am cutting my own kerfing from Cedro. I love the smell that it imparts to a guitar (for years to come!) and I also like the fact that I make it myself rather than purchase it- a silly point of pride perhaps. Reverse kerfing is also very stiff after it's glued to the sides, which I suspect is a good thing. Anyhow, Woody's guitar here has this new stuff I made in it, and I love the look. It is THE MOST TEDIOUS thing to cut, but what the hell, at least I'm not digging a hole in direct sunlight in a septic leach field. So I count my blessings.

[WilbornGuitars]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

I suspect that there may be a density difference in that Baltic Birch plywood is in the 640-700 kg/m3 (heavier than even Honduran Mahogany which is also a common lining material). Spanish Cedar has an average dried weight of 470 kg/m3. The Norway Spruce Tentalones that some builders use are even lighter (adw 405 kg/m3).

I am uncertain whether or not that is a positive or negative thing acoustically. Trevor Gore and others is an advocate of side wall mass damping, but some of the best sunding guitars that I have played have light rims and linings (Poplar, Spanish Cedar, Spruce etc.). Why not buy your linings from “Kerfing Tom” like many luthiers do?

That is a very strange name to give your child. But I don't know who K. Tom is.
I bought a bunch of sets from Koa Bob once.

The overall weight difference is slight between all these materials, just because there isn't much of them. Certainly not enough to approach the side wall massing idea, where Gore uses steel bolts to weight the sides. I object more to the look, and more tweakily, the very idea of using what is essentially a construction material in the guitar. But as I said, this is probably more snobbery than reason.

[nacluth]

It’s not snobbery to draw a line somewhere...I think. Your linings look good. After hand cutting every single kerf individually on a bandsaw for years - slowly hypnotizing ourselves into cutting fingers off, we finally broke down and rigged our fret cutting jig on the table saw to cut many lining sticks at once. Still takes about a day to make a year’s worth of lining, but it does smell good.

[invguy921]

One of Ben's trademarks is his use of a diamond at the bottom of the sound hole, and often also on the Headstock. Like just about everything else he does, he builds these little guys himself. In my view, I'd call it one of the harder things to do of gluing purfling around these things.

Ben said "I definitely need my spectacles to do this operation. Each diamond has 12 individual little purfling lines glued on and trimmed square..."

[j. Kinnaird]

Elegant design. Wish i had thought of it.

[invguy921]

One of the fun things about having something built but many builders is getting to see unique things done "up close". Ben is especially good about providing play by play photos. The photos which follow are only a sampling of the man photos he sends almost daily. This shows his process for creating 4mm Paua Diamonds. Looks like a heck of a lot of fun to me

[TomB'sox]

That is some super fine/delicate work right there. Was the picture of Ben holding the product to show the end results or to show that no fingers were harmed in the making of these fret markers?

[WilbornGuitars]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That is some super fine/delicate work right there. Was the picture of Ben holding the product to show the end results or to show that no fingers were harmed in the making of these fret markers?

You would have to try pretty hard to de-
finger yourself on this rig. But I shouldn't even say that....

[Guitars44me]

Please keep all your fingers!

Ben, it's a good thing you have lots of wood to knock! And such pretty wood, too!

That Indian mahogany you posted on Facebook is something special indeed!

Carry on, sir

Paul

[WilbornGuitars]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Please keep all your fingers!

Ben, it's a good thing you have lots of wood to knock! And such pretty wood, too!

That Indian mahogany you posted on Facebook is something special indeed!

Carry on, sir

Paul

Isn't that beautiful wood? I will knock on that- it's bound to be good luck.
Thanks1

[j. Kinnaird]

Nice work. Thats the same wheel i have been working the turquoise with.

[WilbornGuitars]

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird

Nice work. Thats the same wheel i have been working the turquoise with.

Cool! I just started using it- I hope it lasts awhile. How fast do you run it?

[j. Kinnaird]

Hard to say how fast. Its on the dremmel at about a 3 or 4 setting. Much faster and a nasty vibration sets in.

[invguy921]

Now for some of the "good stuff". Here's a few shots of the finer details of this guitar. The bevel is in process, but much of the Cocobolo purfling work is done. As with all of Ben's work, very clean and elegant. This guitar is starting to take shape!

[j. Kinnaird]

Very pretty. Mike you should post more of those detail shots. It is interesting.