Build thread: Gerber SJ wenge/redwood

gerberguitars · #1 07-30-2013, 08:58 PM

I've been a member for a few years now, but have yet to post a live build thread. I'm currently working on three guitars, all three are SJ's with florentine cutaways. The first, which I will be using for this thread, has wenge back and sides, and a redwood top. The neck is Puruvian walnut, wenge, maple, and bloodwood, the binding will be bloodwood, and the rosette will be a variation of the tile rosette with spalted maple, bloodwood, crotch walnut, and wenge. I wouldn't put this guitar in the "fancy" category, but I'm trying to achieve a lot of semblance and coherence in the overall design. I have built two other guitars with the wenge / redwood combination, and I was very pleased.

So here are a few pics of the last couple of days in the shop.

The sides are three piece laminates with wenge, bubinga, and anigre.

Here is the rosette concept.

The redwood top ready to be glued.

And a shot of routing for the bloodwood inlay strip in the back. I've really enjoyed using the cnc more lately, for operations like this. I've also been making all new body forms with the cnc and it has been a real joy to watch precision at work.

The other two builds that are in process are as follows: African blackwood / german spruce , with some fancy inlay work, and bubinga / engleman that will be a prototype design that might really weird some of you out. It will also have extensive inlay work on the headstock.

One of the last guitars that I built was a prototype design that had what I call "free vibrating planes" in the lower bout and sound hole area, with a full size side sound port instead of the traditional sound hole. (the bubinga / engleman prototype mentioned above will be a revision of this design). I've been meaning to make a post about this guitar, as it was a very pleasant surprise, but I have been able to get around to it. Anyone interested?

SJ VanSandt · #2 07-31-2013, 06:25 AM

Oooh, show them all to us, Ryan! Take lots of pics! Interesting rosette concept - looking forward to seeing it develop. Thanks for sharing your work!

gerberguitars · #3 07-31-2013, 06:46 PM

Today was rosette day, and I think it went pretty well. Any time that I can finish a rosette and have it in the top in day I can feel pretty good about it. I also worked on a few odds and ends like getting the cutaway laminates glued up, and.....I cut a LOT of purfling strips out of bloodwood and anigre. I got going and I just couldn't stop. Hope this isn't too many pics (:

My experience so far with a three piece laminate is that is holds it's form almost perfectly. The two glue lines create a torsion box that really holds. Anyone have any other thoughts on this matter? Double wall, which is common, versus triple wall?

Maks Lavrov · #4 07-31-2013, 08:17 PM

How thin so you go with the 3 layer laminate?

mikealpine · #5 07-31-2013, 08:37 PM

Awesome rosette!!

printer2 · #6 07-31-2013, 10:11 PM

I am going to enjoy watching this one.

gerberguitars · #7 08-01-2013, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maks Lavrov

How thin so you go with the 3 layer laminate?

The total thickness is after gluing them up is .110". I feel that this is an added benefit, that you are able to having a little thicker, more stable side that will be very resistant to ever cracking. Also, when routing for the binding, the kerf liner is not exposed, as is normally the case on a single wall guitar.

gerberguitars · #8 08-01-2013, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Awesome rosette!!

Thanks mikealpine! I have a few ideas for the tail graft and headstock to carry the theme that I think should work really well.

dk63 · #9 08-01-2013, 04:13 PM

Man, that rosette is fantastic!

gerberguitars · #10 08-06-2013, 09:14 PM

Seven Days have passed since I started this build, and I'm not quite as far along as I would like to be, but that's mostly because I've been working on a new powered radius dish sander, and few other process issues.

Nonetheless, here a few pics that I took today of my progress. Enjoy!

In case anyone is wondering, the bridgeplate is two pieces of wenge, cross laminated, which is why the grain is running vertical as shown.

Below is the design concept for the endgraft. Simple, but I think that it will work well with the rest of the aesthetic elements of the guitar.

gerberguitars · #11 08-08-2013, 07:32 PM

Day 9 is in the books. The box is together and I've begun the process of binding, purfling, and other decorations. Once that is finished it's on to the neck.

This is piece will be inlayed over a slightly wider end graft of bloodwood, with bloodwood binding.

Ian John · #12 08-08-2013, 07:47 PM

Awesome! Love it so far!!!

reholli · #13 08-09-2013, 12:10 AM

Great wood choices! Wenge is generally pretty subdued, but this back really pops...

Love the rosette and end inlay!

Thanks and keep posting!

gerberguitars · #14 08-15-2013, 07:54 PM

I'm starting to see things take shape and it's getting exciting! Tomorrow I should be more or less finished with the neck, and then next week it's to the finish room we go!

Here are few pics that I took today of my progress.

Binding is scraped flush and looks pretty good.

Here is the twelve fret inlay which takes from the rosette theme.

mikealpine · #15 08-15-2013, 08:16 PM

Ryan, this guitar is coming out very nicely. It's got complex elements in an understated package. Just beautiful.