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  #151  
Old 01-07-2019, 07:22 PM
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Creating the profile of the Brazilian Rosewood peghead veneer with simple MOP “F” logo inlayed.


In this sequence, we see the the headstock access bore from the truss rod being created.


The peghead veneer being adhered to the headstock.


The neck being cut to size to the fretboard (left). A curly Sycamore Maple heelplate being fitted to the neck (top right). The Honduran Mahogany neck beginning to be carved (lower right).


Nick’s neck carving fixture (left). In the rough (top right) and refined (lower right).


Beginning to look like a guitar... It should be ready for finishing soon...
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Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 01-07-2019 at 07:39 PM.
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  #152  
Old 01-07-2019, 08:11 PM
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Looks like someone is quietly Snickering in the workshop.
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  #153  
Old 01-07-2019, 08:13 PM
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Breakfast of champions...

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Looks like someone is quietly Snickering in the workshop.
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  #154  
Old 01-08-2019, 10:50 AM
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Looks like someone is quietly Snickering in the workshop.
You can tell exactly how long it takes to glue down the face plate...one Snickers bar.

I’m fascinated by the way he does the truss rod. It so much more elegant from the visual aspect to not have a screwed on cover plate ala Gibson or Taylor. I always thought there was a complicated gear or something but it’s just done the normal way worth a simple drill hole and a long Allen wrench.

Since there are a few luthiers here, are there any advantages to placing the trussrod nut at the nut end as so many do like Nick, Gibson, Taylor, L. Brondel or reversing it and putting it inside the sound hole as Martin does? It seems like a lot of work to make a cover or have the entire plate cover it rather than just reversing it and accessing it inside the guitar.

@Robert, I can’t wait for this guitar to get in your hands...plus the fact that my guitar is next!
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  #155  
Old 01-08-2019, 02:29 PM
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@blindboyjimi I talked to Nick about this when I was buying my guitar from him. He explained that his truss rod set up allows adjustment of the neck with strings at full tension. If you have to adjust it through the sound hole ŕ la Martin or Collings, you have to detune the guitar -- which will change the bow of the neck, making it difficult to adjust the neck accurately with the truss rod. I am not a luthier but a customer, so I would also be interested to hear the thinking from some builders.

Last edited by mhw48; 01-08-2019 at 02:38 PM.
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  #156  
Old 01-08-2019, 03:09 PM
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Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this with us.
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  #157  
Old 01-08-2019, 04:56 PM
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Beautimus!!! Just Beautimus!!!
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  #158  
Old 01-08-2019, 06:23 PM
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Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this with us.
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Beautimus!!! Just Beautimus!!!
Thanks Gents.... It should be moving into the finish room shortly...
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  #159  
Old 01-08-2019, 10:23 PM
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Oh man, you can almost hear it! Looking great, Bob.

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  #160  
Old 01-09-2019, 08:21 AM
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Thanks Steve...

The part of the process where the guitar begins to come off the bench and come together in "white" is always exciting. I will be curious to see what the curl and ribbon figure in the Hawaiian Cuban Mahogany looks like once it is into finishing later this week.

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Oh man, you can almost hear it! Looking great, Bob.

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  #161  
Old 01-09-2019, 04:11 PM
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Nick uses small brass tubing to create his side position markers. They will subsequently be fitted with white centers (not yet shown). Nick told me the Honduran Mahogany neck blank that he used was from wood that he purchased 40+ years ago in 1970s. The older mahogany, is denser and darker (reddish all the way through) than most of the the mahogany available today.

The guitar has moved into the finish room and epoxy filler/sealer has been applied. This Cuban Mahogany is nearly poreless. Shots from the spray booth should come shortly...

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  #162  
Old 01-09-2019, 10:25 PM
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Looking good, thanks for posting the pics for all of us to enjoy,

I've admired Nicks Franklin guitars for many years, and admittedly I'm not real familiar with his build process, so I have a question,

On post #144 in the photo's you point out the truss rod and spline being installed in the neck blank, what function or purpose does the spline perform?

Thanks,
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  #163  
Old 01-10-2019, 05:42 AM
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I believe that Nick is altering the grain orientation of to increase strength. With one piece necks, the portion that runs down to the heel is weaker due to grain direction. The spline has the longitudinal grain oriented vertically to add strength to the heel.



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Originally Posted by Nort View Post
Looking good, thanks for posting the pics for all of us to enjoy,

I've admired Nicks Franklin guitars for many years, and admittedly I'm not real familiar with his build process, so I have a question,

On post #144 in the photo's you point out the truss rod and spline being installed in the neck blank, what function or purpose does the spline perform?

Thanks,
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Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 01-10-2019 at 04:21 PM.
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  #164  
Old 01-10-2019, 08:03 PM
mhw48 mhw48 is offline
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That makes sense, and I would imagine that it's also because the bolts that attach the neck won't grip as well in end grain, so the spline, changing the direction of the grain, as you say, offers a more secure hold.
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  #165  
Old 01-10-2019, 08:58 PM
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Bob - if you back at Artisan this year perhaps you can bring this one along. Congratulations!
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