sMg Guitars

June 20, 2011

Working on jigs and workboards today.  I’ve decided to create a neck shaping jig, simply a platform to clamp the neck to so I can stick it in the vise and have clearance to shape the backside of the neck and heel.

I’ve continued to fine tune the Hybrid workboard.  First step was to hollow out the surface to a 28′ radius to compensate for the bridge area bulge.  I marked a few elevation lines as guides.

I used a router with a rounded bit set to 4mm depth for the center, then dropping 1mm for each of the next elevation lines until the final shelf was routed to a depth of 1mm.

I used the table saw to complete the slots from the edges in toward the center where the dowel clamps go.

Finally, a tripod stand was mounted to the back for resting on the workbench or clamping into the vise.

June 12, 2011

I have begun the process of finger planing/shaping the back braces.  I’m also 75% complete on gluing/clamping all the top braces.  I’m heavily preshaping the top braces as my past experience has been that this is a more efficient method than planing/shaping after the braces have been installed.

The owner of 1001 dropped by to request a tweak.  His open A string had the dreaded wolf-tone which was really a small gap underneath the nut on the fretboard side.  A simple filing of the nut slot to release the gap fixed the problem.

I’m also continuing to apply lacquer filler to the headstock for the 12 string Ovation repair.  I’ve reattached the sheared headstock, repaired are relacquered the truss rod cover, and after the lacquer filler cures I’ll spray several coats of touch up lacquer then sand and buff.  It should be ready later next week.  I would like to get this back to the customer before we head out to Alaska for our RV adventure.

May 28, 2011

The neck clamp has been removed and the glue squeeze out sanded away.  The finish is wonky on the face of the headstock and will require extensive filling.

The crack is visible on the backside due to stress of the finish pulling away from the surface.

If the customer wants, I can stop here and restring.  To complete refinishing and buffing and polishing will take another two weeks due to curing time.

May 27, 2011

Happy Birthday Mom!

A colleague has requested a repair of his 12-string Ovation which has the sad malady of a severed head.

Fortunately, the break was clean, along grain, and in a location which will be easy to clamp.

A bit of cleanup on the center lamination, then a dry fit clamping to test crack closure before gluing up and clamping to set overnight.

The time consuming portion of this repair will be in cleaning up the finish and filling the gaps.  Still it should come in well under the estimate.

April 10, 2011

I’ve completed the bridge install for the “Fender” Uke.  The experiment with using beads as string ends worked well.  The strings are now fully stretched and stay in tune, and the intonation is quite fine, indicating I mounted the bridge properly.

I ordered three different mahogany neck blanks to see them side by side and hopefully arrive at a favorite.

From top to bottom:  Honduran, African and Sapele.

March 27, 2011

The Fender Uke, which has been getting some headstock lacquer, came without a bridge.  I have a couple of preshaped uke bridges which I’ve drilled out to take bridge pins (very “not uke”).

I stripped away the lacquer with Stryp-Eze after positioning the bridge with masking tape.

Scraping and chiseling left a glue-able surface.  Since this bridge will use bridge pins, I drilled two screw holes through each outside pin hole, glued up and screwed down.  These screws are for clamping only, and will be removed after the glue dries.

March 26, 2011

My guilt has taken command of me.  I’ve had Tom’s parlor guitar sitting waiting for me to do a neck reset since, oh I don’t know, 2008.

The neck is beginning to come away from the body down at the point where the heel meets the back, essentially pulling up, depressing the top and creating massive string height.

This photo shows a straightedge on the fretboard meeting the bridge at its’ base.  The straight edge should hover just above the bridge surface.

When the straightedge is placed on the lower bout area of the top, you can see the depression of the top surface around the soundhole.

Neck removal starts with releasing the fretboard glued to the top between the heel and the soundhole.  I tried several configurations of a heating blanket on the fretboard to warm it to allow the glue to be softened.

Multiple attempts to loosen the glue went naught.  Insertion of a spatula under the fretboard went nowhere.  I’m concerned the glue is of the ilk that won’t respond to heat to release.  I’m tempted to procure another tool, which is specific for heating the fretboard end for loosening.

Once the glue is released, I will be able to steam out the dovetail joint and remove the neck.  Only then will I be able to determine what needs to be done to remove the depression in the top, and what the new neck angle will be.

March 19, 2011

Rachel returned from China/India Tuesday and she brought me a present.

She’s not sure what it’s called, so what’s it called?  I need to restring, and I’m not sure what the bridge orientation should be.

Today I added more lacquer coats to the koa dreadnought (6 of 12) and the uke (9 of 12).  The uke is a disaster.  It became dislodged from the spray booth bracket and fell to the cement causing a reasonable amount of damage, including pebbles throughout the wet lacquer coat, a chip out of the headstock, and a segment of binding with road rash.  Oh well, file it down, keep going.  Thank god this is just a “test uke”.  I’m sure it will sound lovely, but it will look like shit.

I’m also refinishing a headstock on an eBay purchased Fender koa uke.

I have some aerosol nitrocellulose that I am using to refinish this headstock.  It’s got 4 coats now, and I’ll probably go as far as 10.

I devised a little jig for drilling holes in my uke bridges.  I’m going to use bridge pins with strings secured inside the body with bone beads.  I’ll get a picture up later of the string beads.

February 13, 2011

Finished the side bender for uke sides.  Awaiting the delivery of the cutaway ram, which will be used to clamp down the waist.

January 17, 2011

I am compelled to offer an apology to my customers.  I am developing the prevailing luthier ethic of taking a long time from inception to construction of my guitars.  It doesn’t help that I am a full time intern teaching high school math, or that I am enrolled in a program at CityU which has classes, homework, and assignments.  I like to read and watch old episodes of Lost, and the dog needs walking on a daily basis.

It also doesn’t help that I have 5 guitars/ukes in the pipeline, not to mention the several repairs/restorations which have been ignored in favor of building for way too long.  I have a koa dreadnought waiting for the spray booth (I want it to get warmer in the garage, as well as less leaky from the rain).  I have an apprentice who comes twice a week, and together we are completing a walnut OM.  My first uke, a spruce/bubinga tenor, is still in progress, and wants to be ready for the spray booth coincident with the koa dreadnought.  There’s the palo escrito hybrid cutaway that gets my attention every few days, and finally a koa tenor uke for my sister, which has some early attention.

I ramble here to make amends and assure all of you waiting for your special guitar/uke, that I’ll do my best to deliver as soon as it is possible.  The delivery date isn’t as important as the righteousness  of my attention.