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Pics of My Second
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Author:  BruceH [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:18 am ]
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Hi Guys,

I just finished my second guitar and here are a few pics. They're rough pics, but at least they give you some idea what I've been up to. I guess that I'll have to invest in a good photo setup like some of you guys.

Anyway:

RW back and sides.

Flamed maple binding (I wish I would have used this on my first. Why didn't you guys tell me that real wood looks so much better than plastic ?

Eastern walnut neck. Bolt on with a Tru-Oil finish.

Sitka top. (I paid for a "Master" grade top, but look at the runout.)

Target 9000 finish. (I'm finished with this stuff. Too many problems buffing and looks milky out in the sun.)

So far I'm pleased with the sound. It has that bluegrass dread sound. I still need to fiddle with the action height some.

On to the next...
BruceH




Author:  LanceK [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:55 am ]
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Bruce, she looks fantastic! I really like the finish on the neck, how does it feel? Looks like you have plenty of saddle, so lowering your action should be no problem,

Excellent job!
Author:  RussellR [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:04 am ]
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Very nice Bruce

Lovely Finish looks very clean, Did you not put a heel cap on ?
Author:  JJ Donohue [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:05 am ]
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Nice, Bruce. The classic Dred can be a real cannon. So what's next?

When you do a Tru Oil finish on a neck, does that also include the headstock, or just the playing part? If the latter, then what compatibility issues are there with the 2 different finishes?

I also was disappointed in the 9000 and have happily moved on to KTM-9.
Author:  Dave Rector [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:33 am ]
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Nice job Bruce! The finish looks fine to me. I really like the maple binding with the rosewood too. Gives it a real nice look.

Can't wait to see your 3rd one!
Author:  Dave Anderson [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 6:45 am ]
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Very nice Drednaught Bruce, I really like that walnut neck. Nice finish too.
Author:  BruceH [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:38 am ]
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Thanks for the compliments, guys!

Lance - The Tru-Oil feels smooth and fast. That is why I used it. Super simple to use if you like the open-pore, satin look. I used 5 coats and applied them all in one day. In a perfect world we would all just wipe down our entire guitars with the stuff and call it done

RussellR - No heel cap. I'm keeping it simple to start.

JJ - I'm working on a redwood/south american laurel parlor guitar with my version of an adjustable neck. I should be closing the box this weekend.

The front of the head stock is finished with 9000. I just masked off the sides of the head, applied and buffed the 9000, and then wiped on the Tru-oil carefully.   Let me know how you like the KTM-9. I'm debating on using it or nitro. I'd like to stay with waterbourne, but I've read of some durability issues with the KTM-9.

BruceH
Author:  WalterK [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:55 am ]
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Hey Bruce...Very nice Dred. Looks like a real good "Picker"
Congrat's.
Make another one!!
Walter
Author:  John Kinnaird [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:14 am ]
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I like it. It does look like a real cannon of a dread and the finish looks flawless. I do know what you mean about the milky in the sun thing. That is an irritation that has turned me off of waterborn.
Author:  Tim McKnight [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:23 am ]
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Hey Bruce: Nice job. Is this the one for your son? If so, I know he will be very pleased with it. The finish looks good in the pictures but I can see the milkiness that you are talking about. I had the same problem with McFaddens 2 part urethane lacquer until I added amber tint to it.
Author:  BruceH [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 12:35 pm ]
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John - The finish is far from flawless, you'd have no trouble picking it apart in person. That 9000 is tough to buff. I also noticed that buffing caused some milkyness that went away after a day. Drove me nuts...


Tim - Yes, this is my son's guitar. It's one of the two that I brought to show you last summer. Thanks for your advice with this build.

BruceH
Author:  Roy O [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 1:11 pm ]
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Nice Guit, Bruce. I hear walnut works well for neck wood. What do you think of it?
Author:  BruceH [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 2:36 pm ]
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Hi Roy,

I really like walnut. It's stable, strong, and easy to work. This walnut is from my father's stash that we logged and milled 25+ years ago.

BruceH
Author:  Kelby [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 3:03 pm ]
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Bruce,
Very nice job!
That's a beautiful piece of walnut for the neck, and flamed maple looks great on just about anything.
You certainly look ready to go for a heel cap on the next one!
Kelby.
Author:  RCoates [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 3:28 pm ]
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Wow. Very nice.
Author:  Dickey [ Thu Aug 04, 2005 4:51 pm ]
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Bruce, Nice guitar dude. I like the nice bindings, wow. And the top looks good. I bought my wife a Taylor years ago, before I knew what that was all about, it has horrible runout in one spot. No one cares, or even really knows what is up.

I even had an Olson owner call me months later trying to buy my wife's Taylor, of course it's not for sale. Just goes to show you, things we sometimes stress out over, don't matter to some buyers. My wife loves her little grand concert Taylor.

Who's guitar is this gonna be? All the way from Tulsa, Bruce
Author:  CarltonM [ Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:47 am ]
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Bruce...It looks like you made your neck with the wood in a flatsawn configuration. With walnut not being as strong as maple, for instance, I'm wondering if you'll have warping problems in the future....
Author:  harry [ Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:21 am ]
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A beautiful guitar - nice selection of woods, and it looks like you are off to a good start....



[Quote=Username]Nice Guit, Bruce. I hear walnut works well for neck wood. What do you think of it?
Roy Ott[/QUOTE]

I also really like walnut - here is a link to some photos of my second guitar - walnut back, sides, neck, bridgeplate, fingerboard binding, neck block, and end block......
My second guitar - and here's a picture of the neck before I shaped it Raw neckharry38569.7289814815
Author:  BruceH [ Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:34 am ]
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Carlton - The neck is quartersawn but not perfectly. It's pretty straight on the neck itself, but runs off quarter towards the heel. The bottom third of the heel is a separate piece and runs about 30 degrees off quarter.

Harry - Nice walnut guitar. I really like that sycamore binding.
Author:  EricKeller [ Fri Aug 05, 2005 1:01 pm ]
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I think you guys that don't like the looks of waterbourne finishes outdoors should consider not taking them outdoors.   

In 20 years of playing, the number of times I've taken a guitar outdoors to look at the finish is vanishingly small.
Author:  Brazilwood [ Fri Aug 05, 2005 1:22 pm ]
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Very nice 2nd guitar Bruce!! I am not an expert on finish work by any means but, I have probably finished 300 to 350 guitars in my 10 years as a guitar builder. I'm wondering did you use a filler for the pores of the body? Did you shoot a sealer...and usually when I see a cloudy or milky look in the finished product it could be due to several things. I am not familiar with the laquer you are using but, some (more than others) are very susceptible to moisture. Whether it be a humid day, or maybe moisture build up in your compressor. First thing is always use a moisture separator between your tank and gun. Drain your compressor DAILY...before leaving the shop, shut her down and open the drain valve. Is your spraying environment controlled ? Where do you live. From what I've heard it's been very hot in the US especially in the mid west. July, August and September are usually very humid. That's where cloudy finishes come from more times than not. If it's humid and you are using Nitro...DON'T SPRAY. You can buy additives to reduce this problem but, even it isn't always a 100%. I've been told by a friend of mine (Ernie King..plant manager for the Custom Shop)that finish problems are one of the main reasons Gibson moved their acoustic division to Montana. Less Humidity. Some of my best finishes were actually done in the late fall and winter months. Less humidity !! Of course you can't wait until fall or winter to finish your guitars but, you can control these elements in the finish process as much as possible. Not trying to be a know it all...just trying to give you some reasons for this problem from my experience. Good luck on all your future guitars...you're doing great.
Author:  BruceH [ Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:20 pm ]
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Jeff - Thanks for the compliments and the advice. I used a foam brush and applied it indoors in an airconditioned house. I filled the pores and sealed with Z-Poxy finishing resin.

Eric - You make a good point. Sort of like going to the doctor and telling him, “My shoulder hurts when I do this.” To which he replies, “Don’t do that.”

But seriously, the cloudiness outside is where clarity is the worst, but inside, especially at oblique angles, the clarity just doesn’t seem quite right. It just depends on what a person deems as acceptable. On a realistic level, I think that we do a lot of unnecessary stuff to make our guitars look good and set ourselves apart from the factory guys.

BTW, I was asked to bring my guitar outside at a family cookout this summer. I took my walnut guitar which doesn’t show the cloudiness nearly as bad as the dark-colored RW. I didn’t have the RW guitar buffed yet and didn’t take it. I never know when I’ll get a chance to make an impression, and I don’t want to have to make excuses. “Let’s take it inside; it looks great there…”
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