Casper Build - Indonesian RW Huron for Beth - Page 3

lizzard · #31 02-29-2016, 09:48 PM

nice looking axe. Some of the most unique B/S sets I've ever seen.

Good luck and enjoy.

mountainguitar · #32 02-29-2016, 11:09 PM

Thank you Chris. I picked this wood out over a year ago when I visited Ken. He'd had it for several years. It's Indonesian Rosewood. I like that it's unique and still has some of the general Rosewood characteristics.

You've got great guitars going on! I'm greatly enjoying your build threads.

mountainguitar · #33 03-12-2016, 10:55 PM

Ken's back playing luthier (that's what he calls it) after weeks of travel. He sent some pictures and an update. He routed the neck tenon tonight.

Here is Ken's commentary followed by his pictures:

"This is a trickier process that one may imagine. The angle of the neck where it attaches to the body is what determines the action. I have a jig I made to route both the mortise and tenon. To cut the tenon, the neck is mounted to a vertical table that swings a few degrees outward. I put the body of your guitar on the surface then set a determined gap between the saddle location and the plane of the surface the neck is mounted to, by tilting the neck surface a few degrees. Once I have the gap I want, I lock the surface down tight and use a template to route the neck tenon.

To minimize tearout along the shoulders, I run a strip of tape along each side."

Thanks for looking-

Beth (for Ken)

jaymarsch · #34 03-16-2016, 02:08 PM

What a beauty! This will be a fun one to follow through to Beth taking delivery and discovering the lovely tones lurking in this box!

Best,
Jayne

mountainguitar · #35 03-17-2016, 08:43 AM

Thanks so much, Jayne! I know that tap tone isn't everything, but I was captivated by it when I chose these woods. i've played a number of Ken's guitars, and they have a lush, full tone. The guitar will be finished by the end of April (maybe before). Instead of having Ken ship it, I'm going to go get it and I won't be able to pick it up until mid June. I'm in CA and Ken is in Michigan about two hours from my parents' home. When they found out I was interested in a custom guitar, they offered to pay for it. So I'm wanting them to be able to see it in person- my dad can strum a few chords on it and sing Red River Valley or Amazing Grace.... In the meantime, Ken will help it learn to be a guitar. I have a light touch and I'm a finger style player, so I think that Adi top will appreciate spending some time with Ken who is a great flat picker and can help it open up some. And he's kindly offered to do that. Maybe we can get some initial sound clips from Ken for you (and for me!)

TomB'sox · #36 03-17-2016, 02:41 PM

I give you 1000 points for patience and self control. I don't know how you could wait so long to pick it up, but I get the whole thing. It is coming together just fantastically.

mountainguitar · #37 03-17-2016, 02:52 PM

The closer this gets (posting new pictures and commentary momentarily), the more challenging I'm realizing it will be to hold off for more than a month, knowing it's complete. But it does feel right for my parents to be able to hold this instrument and admire Ken's craftsmanship up close before she resides in California. We'll probably have a caravan from West Michigan go to Ken's house to pick this guitar up- my parents, my golden retriever, their golden doodle... It's going to be something !

mountainguitar · #38 03-17-2016, 03:14 PM

Now that he's back from his world travels, Ken has been busy in his workshop. He sent detailed pictures of cutting the mortise in the body, installing all the neck mounting hardware, and bolting on the neck. I'm posting Ken's pictures and commentary here, so you can see in detail all you might ever want to know about how Ken does this guitar neck installation. For anyone who doesn't need the details, the "money" picture is at the end

Drilling holes for the barrel nuts:

Neck hardware installed:

Preparing to route the mortise in the body:

Testing the mortise cut with a shallow pass:

Mortise is cut:

Drilling holds in the mortise for the neck bolts to pass through:

Neck mortise and holes drilled. The body is ready for the neck:

The neck is attached to the body but still needs to be fitted to remove the gap: (I really love the way Ken does these 5 piece laminate necks with the cocobolo fanning out to meet the cocobolo binding)

Ken says: "It's looking like a guitar" and indeed it is!

Thanks so much for following along!

Beth (for Ken)

Nemoman · #39 03-17-2016, 03:17 PM

That wood is just way too cool--love it!

lizzard · #40 03-17-2016, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemoman

That wood is just way too cool--love it!

What HE said!

mountainguitar · #41 03-17-2016, 05:55 PM

Thanks Nemoman and Lizzard! I also am really loving the beauty of this wood that seems to grow through this building process. Ken said he'd had it for several years and he also is really enjoying working with it.

OddManOut · #42 03-17-2016, 07:37 PM

Interesting. I'd love to see more details of the hardware in the neck joint. Is the barrel nut similar to this one? Is it glued in place?

I have to say the purples in that IRW are fairly spectacular!

Claretman · #43 03-18-2016, 07:47 AM

Hi all I'm pretty new around here but I love reading and seeing all these "show and tell" articles on the site. As a frustrated want to be builder/ tech I'm amazed with the dexterity, skill, and pure artistic talent that is producing instruments of such fine quality around the world. Thank you to one and all who take the time and trouble to share there adventures with the rest of use to drool over.

mountainguitar · #44 03-18-2016, 09:14 AM

Welcome to the forum Claretman! And thank you (on Ken's behalf) for the kind words. These luthiers really do create playable art. Not only do each of these craftspeople make beautiful instruments, they make such uniquely wonderful sounding instruments. We're blessed to be able to see these guitars being built here, to play them when we come across one of them, and even more blessed when we can have one of our own! And the other thing- I've been so impressed with the warmth and kindness of the many luthiers I have met. It's such a wonderful thing to be able to participate in this kind of community.

OddManOut- Ken says he plans to "hop on the forum" by the end of the weekend and he can answer questions about bolts and hardware. Thank you for the kind of words about the IRW. I do think it's a beautiful wood, but it's not a traditional wood. It's nice to know that others also really like it!

And Ken sent pictures of the fingerboard mockup. I'm quite jazzed about this, as this is Ken's original design based upon a well cover in England that I really like. I think it's beautiful, but it's also very meaningful for me. This custom thing is so cool!

Claretman · #45 03-18-2016, 09:55 AM

Thanks for the warm welcome Beth.
As I said there is some beautiful work being done by Luithiers world wide but with me being in UK I must admit a soft spot for our own grown builders. Having said that my favourite NK Forster has recently departed to Liepzig to continue his art. I have made a promise to myself when retirement comes along (shortly ��) I will dedicate part of my pension pot to place a commission for myself.