Build Thread - Kramer Prairie Grass

[El Conquistador]

Very Nice!
Steve

[colins]

That fretboard looks fantastic Jayne - nice choice!

[Joel Teel]

I’m late to the party...but just caught up with this build thread. What a beautiful guitar this one is going to be, Jayne and Sparky. Thanks for sharing the process.

Joel

[jaymarsch]

Thanks, Steve, Col and Joel for checking in with the progress so far. Here are the next set of photos that show the fret board inlay process.

These are the 2 Dremel tool routers that I use for the inlay cutting. The one on the left has a larger cutter, which I use to remove most of the material; the one on the right has a finer cutter for getting in close to the line. It cuts pretty slow, and would break if I forced it, so that’s why the larger cutter 1st. A few shots of the material removed to fit, and then the inlays epoxied in, with epoxy tinted to match the rosewood fingerboard's color. Once this cures, the epoxy and abalone will be sanded level. Any voids will be re-filled.

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Best,
Jayne

[jaymarsch]

I decided on a traditional snowflake inlay for this guitar after I saw Sparky's inlay on the fret board of the Kramer Bois de Rose that I purchased a year or so ago. I am excited about how this is going to turn out. Really meticulous work involved here and makes me appreciate the guitar even more.

The inlays, once the positions are laid out on the fingerboard, are glued in place. An Xacto knife is then used to scribe around each piece. The inlays are removed, and the scribe lines filled with chalk. This is the line I cut to as each inlay is fitted as tight as possible.

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Best,
Jayne

[mountainguitar]

Wow!! The level of detail and how Sparky is achieving it is amazing.... That is a gorgeous fretboard!

beth

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by bmh1

Wow!! The level of detail and how Sparky is achieving it is amazing.... That is a gorgeous fretboard!

beth

Thanks, Beth. The fact that he is taking the time to send so many great pictures of it is a bonus. I am a very process-oriented person so I am thrilled to get a more insider's view on how all these parts come together.

Best,
Jayne

[BrunoBlack]

Looking great Jayne!

[jaymarsch]

I got an email from Sparky last night with the last photos that I will receive for a while since we are on the home stretch with the lacquering process and final assembly left to go. I am beyond excited at this point. I put in this order in February of 2018 so now it is down to the last two months or so. I am really loving the rich color of the mahogany and do know that it will deepen over time.

From Sparky's email:

3 pictures of the body and neck assembled and prepped for a final epoxy pore fill wash coat. The 1st coat of lacquer is sprayed over this while the epoxy still has a little tack, so that the lacquer will bite into it and bond better. The final shot shows the back with the wash coat applied, and shows the beautiful color of the ribbon grained mahogany with a little bit of curl in it. After 5 coats of lacquer over 3 days, it will be allowed to cure for another 3-4 days, then sanded and leveled and the process repeated 2 more times. The final session will cure for 2-3 weeks before the final rub out and buffing, after which final assembly can begin.

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So enjoy for now and I will probably not post anything else until June. Thanks again for letting me share this great process.

Best,
Jayne

[iim7V7IM7]

Looks like a winner Jayne...

[colins]

That is such an elegant guitar Jayne!

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Looks like a winner Jayne...

Originally Posted by colins

That is such an elegant guitar Jayne!

Thanks. I love how it is coming together.

This guitar is a bit of a departure from my two other main guitars which have cutaways, more bling, and clear pick guards. Since I like the slope shoulder shape, I wanted this to have a more traditional vibe. That's why I chose the snowflake inlays and it will have one of Spark's unique-shaped faux Tortoise pick guards. So, a traditional kind of elegance was what I was after. I also nabbed some Schaller-style tuner buttons in both ebony and in faux tortoise to replace the more modern buttons that come with the Gotoh 510s. I'll see which ones look the best. Again, adding to the more traditional feel.

Best,
Jayne

[mountainguitar]

This is turning out so nice! And the extra attention to the traditional details is very cool... I've been so enjoying checking in on this build with my morning coffee! And now it's off to finishing..... And no pictures until June.... Always a challenging time in the custom build process! .

beth

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by bmh1

This is turning out so nice! And the extra attention to the traditional details is very cool... I've been so enjoying checking in on this build with my morning coffee! And now it's off to finishing..... And no pictures until June.... Always a challenging time in the custom build process! .

beth

I have been rather spoiled by Sparky sending me such great photos, so yes, we now enter the "silent phase". I am fortunate to be able to keep myself busy practicing and playing my other guitars.

Best,
Jayne

[Steve Kinnaird]

Fabulous, Jayne! The mahogany looks a perfect color.

Steve