Guitar 1201, 1202 and 1203 – Necks, Tops, Sides

June 9, 2012

Miscellaneous work today on three guitars.  Located Engleman Spruce top for the Rosewood OM.

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Finished blocking in two necks; final step stacked heels.

120609stackedheel

After clamping and drying, the neck heel curve was cut using the bandsaw, then rounded with the spindle sander.

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The double cutaway parlor for Em has walnut back and sides.  The sides are prepped for thickness sanding.

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Guitars 1201 1202 1203

June 1, 2012

I’m madly working on 5 guitars at a time right now.  As I attend to finishing Guitar 1102 and the Girdis Parlor, I’m building necks and boxes for Guitar 1201 (Rachel’s Myrtle Parlor), Guitar 1202 (Susan’s Rosewood OM), and Guitar 1203 (Em’s Walnut Double Cutaway Parlor).  This appeals to my desire to make recognizable progress.  The sanding and prepping of an almost finished guitar is slow going and the progress seems snail-like.

The myrtle parlor wood is spectacular.  It’s in the mold, with butt block and neck block attached.

120601backandsides

The rosewood OM too is a fine hunk of wood, very red/purple, with excellent grain lines.

120601backandsides

The walnut double cutaway parlor is understated.  The sides will be thicknessed and bent once the myrtle comes out of the mold.

120601backjoined

Uke 1101 – Strings On

November 20, 2011

It was May when I added the label, which is why it’s dated May 2011.  Boy am I slow.  The strings are on.  It sounds lovely.  Monday and Tuesday I will:  Fill a few minor gaps with lacquer, remove the strings and tuning machines, lower the height of the nut and the saddle, clean up the fretboard, knockdown the sides and neck, wet sand the entire uke, buff it to a glorious sheen, glue in the nut, reinstall the tuning machines and strings, then play it until my fingers fall off.

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Guitar 903 and 1001 Lacquered

April 10, 2011

Guitar 903, the Walnut OM, and Guitar 1001, the Koa Dreadnought, have received their fair share of lacquer coats (12 to 20) and are resting for two weeks to cure.

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110410lacqueredbody

110410lacqueredtocure

The lacquer needs at least two weeks to develop a hardness which is appropriate for the final knockdown and buffing.  Neck install, bridge install and setup will finalize.

Guitar 903 – Art Institute Design Fair

February 24, 2011

Devin is a student at the Seattle Art Institute studying Industrial Design.  His apprenticeship with me is a graduation requirement.  He and I have brought his guitar nearly to completion.  It’s finished enough to take on the road and display at his department’s grand opening party.  Students in the Industrial Design program will be displaying work from their portfolio, Devin’s being this guitar.

We just completed doing the pore fill step which precedes the final lacquer application.  We used Zpoxy as the pore filler, and it is just now dry enough to allow the guitar out of the shop and to go on display.

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110224backporefilled

Devin was scheduled to come by last night and prep the guitar to bring to the design fair, yet we were hit by a snowstorm which slowed things down and actually closed my school today.  I prepped the guitar this morning and will take it down to the fair for display.

I removed all the masking (which will have to be replaced before lacquer spraying), installed the tuners and bolted on the neck, and taped on the bridge temporarily.  I slapped an sMg sticker on the case (for marketing purposes), and stuffed a polish rag and some scotchbrite into the case compartment to give Devin an opportunity to demonstrate his buffing skills during the fair.

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110224incase

Devin has accumulated enough hours to fulfill his apprenticeship, and we’ll work out remaining shop sessions to finish guitar 903, which coincidentally, has been transferred to Devin for his own.