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#16
08-21-2020, 02:17 PM
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I love this thread!
__________________
Taylor 815C '59 Gibson LG2 Washburn J4 jazz box, ebony tailpiece Gold Tone open back banjo Anon. mountain dulcimer Creaky old Framus 5/1 50 About 1/2 of Guitar One completed; currently intimidating me on account of the neck geometry. Stacks of mahogany, spruce, maritime rosewood, western red cedar Expensive sawdust 
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#17
08-24-2020, 05:28 PM
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#18
08-24-2020, 05:44 PM
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Finishing up the neck is next, first I installed MOP side inlays.
 And then installed the frets. The ask was for fat and low Gibson-style frets, which is a size I really like on a steel string.  Then I glued on the headplate and the backstrap veneers. For the headplate I'm using some more of the Macassar ebony I used on the arm bevel and rosette. For the backstrap I used some black and white fiber, and a Mahogany veneer. The Mahogany should match the neck once the neck darkens up some, and also compliments the light brown in the pale moon ebony back.  Here it is carved and cleaned up:  Everyone loves a good fretboard glue up!  Then I carved the neck, I do most of it with this little spokeshave which when sharp and set up properly is a dream to use and pulls off nice long even curls.  After much detailing and cleanup on the neck, the major woodworking for this build is complete! I really like how the curve of the fretboard bottom flows into the cutaway.    Lots of sanding to do now as I move into the finishing stage. Lastly, here is a video I found on my phone from over the winter. This isn't a guitar I built, it is my 2002 Rafael Moreno Rodriguez, with spruce top and brazilian rosewood back and sides. Here is my attempt at part of a Paco de Lucia tarantas:
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#19
08-27-2020, 11:12 AM
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Meanwhile, in another universe
Between sanding and pore filling I'm also moving another guitar along in its build. I've been working on the headplate and fingerboard.
Both of these designs are based on elements from Jean Berain drawings, who was alive in the late 1600s and drew some pretty weird stuff. Here is the headplate:  I think this is a rabbit and a dog, but I admit I'm not really sure. Especially since they both have hooves. Here is the fingerboard:    I'm really not sure at all what some of these creatures are, especially around frets 3 and 4. I hand cut these from mother of pearl and abalone, and there is some non tarnishing wire in there as well.
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#20
08-28-2020, 05:53 PM
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The body that fingerboard and headplate are going on is almost complete. Here are some detail pics.
The rosette:  The back and sides are from a gorgeous billet of Sapele. Here is how the cutaway looks from the back, with some naptha on it to bring out the figure:  The endgraft gets cut out and then added, I tried to make it look continuous with the sides:  One of the great things about working with a billet is you have a lot of extra wood to play with. I decided to make a 3 (or five if you count the thin black laminate layers) piece neck. it is Honduran mahogany down the center with Sapele on the sides. The black lines are actually very thin, they are standing proud of the neck here so they look thicker than they are. 
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#21
08-28-2020, 06:18 PM
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Love that rosette and the neck is going to be stunning.
__________________
- john If anyone has ideas for case storage once your kids' closets and under their beds are full I'm all ears.
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#22
08-31-2020, 04:32 PM
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#23
08-31-2020, 04:35 PM
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Back to the pale moon ebony guitar....the pores are filled, the sanding is complete, the bridge is made and masked off:
 It's going to be a big week of french polishing, one of my favorite kinds of weeks!  I love how Graves says "Extra XXX Fine" on the label.
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#24
08-31-2020, 08:22 PM
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Beautiful builds.
__________________
Current: Lowden F35, Sitka / Cocobolo. Maestro Victoria, Sitka / EIR. Maestro Singa, Adirondak / EIR. Maestro Singa, Sinker Redwood / Wenge (incoming) Gone but not forgotten: Martins, Gibsons, Taylors, sundry others.
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#25
09-01-2020, 09:28 AM
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Really enjoying watching these builds come to life!
And the fretboard on that Sapele guitar--WOW!
__________________
2013 Stehr Auditorium (Carpathian/Myrtle) 2015 Stehr Auditorium (Adi/BRW) 2020 Baranik Meridian (Blue Spruce/Manchinga) 2020 Wilborn Arum (Tunnel 14/Coco) 2021 Kinnaird Graybeard (BC Cedar/Bog Oak) 2022 Kinnaird CS Student Build (Adi/Padauk) 2023 Kinnaird FS (Italian/Koa)
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#27
09-02-2020, 03:24 PM
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I'm a few sessions into the french polishing on this guy. It's already starting to get a nice shine, but there's a long way to go still: 
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#29
09-04-2020, 03:14 PM
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#30
09-04-2020, 03:19 PM
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French polish friday
The French polishing on this guitar is nearing completion, then I will let it cure for a couple of weeks. For the body I did a few base coats of a dark button lac as the pale sections of the wood were looking pretty orange under a blonde. Then I followed with super blond on both the body and the top. The neck is super blond only.
    The silking on this top is really beautiful: 
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