sMg Guitars

February 26, 2009

Tom delivered the new batch of photos for me for the 12 string dreadnought.

You can see a full set of photos in the Gallery.

February 19, 2009

The Koa back and sides arrived today from Notable Woods.  Very nice stuff.  The sides are already down to .088″, ready for bending.  Bruce Creps, the proprieter at Notable Woods shipped immediately after my order and was kind enough to drop in a headplate piece as a bonus.

The sides are narrow, but just right for my parlor width.  I may have to reduce the depth of the guitar, but just a skosh.

The back will need to be thickness sanded before joining.  I’m still waffling on the appropriateness of a back strip.  This wood probably doesn’t need a backstrip, and depending on how well I can match up the plates, it may go naked.

February 18, 2009

Did a bit of work on the rosette.  This guy will have a mahogany top, quite a different look than my other spruce top guitars.

I’m prepping the curly maple binding by gluing a BWB strip before putting in the bender.  This jig was constructed over a weekend with materials found in the street.

February 18, 2009

Began the application of the lacquer today.  I should be able to get three coats on before Friday, then let it sit for a week to cure.

February 17, 2009

I have concluded that my next guitar will be a parlor for myself.  This guitar will incorporate all the lessons learned from the last 6 guitars and will be a jewel.  Slimmer neck, thinner back, sides and top, leaner bracing, all toward a better sound and playability.

It will be a mahogany top, koa back and sides, and very fancy purfling and curly maple binding.  I will not proceed until each step is executed to perfection.  I will NOT use any dolphin inlays or ergo shaping or new age soundhole placement.  This will be a “pre war” parlor which references tradition and will hopefully sound like an angel sighing in the wind…or not.

I have most of the components already assembled.  I ordered a koa back and sides from a local supplier, Notable Woods, and the rest of the necessities from LMI (see links).  I had a mahogany top which was not used for my last parlor, which I will use now.

I have a large stock of mahogony neck blanks which I have assembled to craft the neck.

This started as a large hunk ‘o mahogany, and I milled down to 3/4″ slats and attached the headstock at a 13 degree angle and built a laminate stack for the heel.

All this is a reward step for completing my last guitar and keeping the momentum going.  No rest for the bleary.

February 15, 2009

I declare Guitar 805, the 12 string walnut dreadnought complete.  Sure there’s minute things I could go back and clean up, use tweezers and electron microscopes, etc., but I’m going to leave a few warts behind just to maintain my status as a flawed human.  Like my previous guitars, I see these things, but others may not.  I’ve been working so hard on this one to get it done on a deadline, that I’m ready to put it down.

The headstock turned out as hoped.  Once I first put the strings on, I recognized the need for a wee taller saddle.

I built a new saddle, dressed the frets, notched the bridge pin holes, sanded down the bridge, glued in the reshaped nut, reattached the strings and….it’s sweet.  It’s a heavy guitar, and next generations will be much lighter.  I will certainly profile my next necks to a much thinner depth.  This guitar will be fine for big hands, but not appropriate for the small boned.

Final step, put on the pickguard and nestle it in its case (after a throrough playing).

February the Friday the 13th, 2009

Not superstitious.  I’ve been wrangling with Tom, not knowing if I would be ready to have him take some shots of the guitar before he moseyed on down to Florida, but I think I made it.  I will have a semblance of a guitar tomorrow ready for a photo shoot regardless of the fact that:  the finish still needs much more work, the setup still needs to go through the rigors of perfection, and all the detail work needs to be attended to.

Hopefully, Tom will take gentle photos which don’t reveal the imperfections and I can come back with an excellent document of my efforts and still leave myself with time to get it in shape for the new owner (mystery to be revealed on Monday).

I sanded and buffed all day today and got it in shape (enough) to glue on the neck.

I also put on the tuners (without the set screws), the end pink, the truss rod cover, and dry fit the nut.

After the glue was left to dry sufficiently, I proceeded to carefully locate the bridge.  This is an important measuring excercise, and it can’t be reversed once you commit.  I also had to rout (route ?) the bridge for the saddle, and as this is the first time I have made a saddle from scratch, I made a few errors in the channelling excercise and left the slot a little ragged.  But, black epoxy will save my ass.  That’s to do after the shoot.

Once the bridge was properly located, I had to remove the lacquer from the top with paint stipper.

Then, after countersinking the holes for the bridge pins, I set the bridge on the opening and drilled two holes for the special bridge clamp, glued, then screwed down.

It should sit overnight (this is the most critical of all glued parts on the guitar).  Tomorrow, I’ll drill out the bridge pin holes, string it up, then give Tom a call and make an appointment for a shoot.

February 12, 2009

The 12string sat for 5 – 6 days after final application of lacquer  to “cure”.  I’m still learning to be a good applicator, and the downside on this one is that the finish is a bit rough.  Not too rough to sand through down to smooth, but, I have to sand down through to smooth.  It is the most unsatisfying block of hours one can imagine.  Mr. Instant Gratification is very sad.

I have some ideas on how to make it better on the next guitar, and if I’m right, I’ll have a properly applied lacquer finish that needs minimal sanding and buffing.

I’ve done 4 hours of 600 grit and 800 grit sanding, and still need to do some more before I go to the 1200 wet sanding then buffing.  I’m trying to get to a point where Tom can do a shoot, but he leaves for vacation Saturday night, and I’m wondering if I can make it.

February 8, 2009

Much progress, and many photos to share.  I realized that you don’t know me very well.  In fact, your image of me as a person is completely fabricated.  So here are some pictures of my face.  I try to recreate my face in all my guitars, but haven’t been doing a very good job lately.

1.  My eyesight needs some improvement.

2.  Some say I look like my sister.

3.  I’m actually a serious craftsperson.

Updates on guitars in progress:  The 12 string is in the curing stage.  On Wednesday I will get it ready for a Friday photo shoot.

The Koa Parlor will get lacquer this week.

And the Zebrez has a neck.

February 6, 2009

My spray equipment was not adequate for the nitrocellulose.  I went out and procured an HVLP spray gun which was more appropriate.  I still am not getting the perfect spray, but this new gun is much better than the touch up gun I was using.  I have 9 coats on, a bit mottled, but I think it’s enough and will sand out fine.  I’ll give it a good scotch brite rubbing in the morning and if the coverage looks good, I’ll let it settle until Wednesday.

I took a template of the bridge on my Taylor 12 string and mapped out the shape for the bridge and got it down to nearly perfect.  I’ll wait to get the neck on to see if the thickness needs reducing or if it’s fine as is.