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Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10130&t=43435		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  PeterF [ Mon May 12, 2014 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
I've been working on this one for a while, and its got a few interesting features, so I thought I'd share it on here in case anyone's interested. It's a quilted maple/alpine spruce guitar with my own body shape - slightly wider than an OM with the waist shifted up to give more vibrating room in the lower bout. It's also got an adjustable neck, floating fingerboard extension, carbon buttress braces and carbon reinforced neck and heel. Its been challenging to say the least... :mrgreen:
Thanks to Todd Rose for the inspiration and advice [:Y:] (If he uses this forum?)
Anyway here's where I am so far...

Joining the top
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Rosette beginnings...
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Success! :D
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Author:  PeterF [ Mon May 12, 2014 4:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Starting the neck. You can just see the ends of the 2 carbon tubes going down into the heel to stiffen it
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The neck side of the adjustable neck system
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Carbon rods and truss rod
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Neck carving
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A bit of a different heel... :mrgreen:
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Author:  PeterF [ Mon May 12, 2014 5:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Side bending... I bend by hand on a hot pipe. I used supersoft 2 and it went ok - there was a bit of rippling here and there, but it should scrape out afterwards
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Installing the carbon butress braces
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A shot with an identical rosewood guitar I'm working on at the same time. You can get an idea of the headblock here... Basically, the heel is inset into a pocket in the guitar, so it can be adjusted without leaving a gap on the outside. There are 3 set screw in the block which correspond to the 3 metal inserts in the heel that adjust the angle of the neck up and down and side to side. The neck gets bolted on as normal.
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Fretboard routed for inlays
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And they're in...
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A mockup with the neck and body
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Looking like a guitar :D
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Author:  Jim Watts [ Mon May 12, 2014 11:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
That's looking great Peter!
Author:  Michiyuki Kubo [ Tue May 13, 2014 7:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Lovely
Author:  PeterF [ Mon May 19, 2014 5:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Made a bit of progress on this. I've finished the headstock overlay - I inlayed my name on it which was the first really intricate inlay I've done and it went fairly well. Thankfully it was in ebony, so it was easy to fill the gaps! I've also got all the linings on and started bracing the top. I'm using the same bracing pattern I used on my first that I copied from a picture of one of Somogyi's guitars. It's a very light X brace with lattice bracing on the lower bout and A frame upper bout bracing. The top is wonderful - master grade alpine spruce and rings like a bell :) I took it down to about 2.8mm and a bit thinner on the edges and lower bout and it still feels really stiff!

My logo before inlaying
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Headplate being glued up
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X brace getting glued up in the go bar deck
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Random curly shaving! :mrgreen:
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Bridge plate gluing and a few other braces laid in place
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More to come soon...
Author:  PeterF [ Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
So the top is braced and glued to the rims, and I'm just waiting for the LR Baggs Lyric pickup to arrive before I glue the back on. I want to test fit it beforehand so its easier to install.
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My ramshackle homemade spool clamps!
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Test fitting the neck...
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The back inlay - spalted maple and rosewood. I haven't finished the twisty lines yet.
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Author:  PeterF [ Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Please ignore the mess by the way - I'm not the tidiest of workers! :mrgreen:
Author:  Haans [ Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Hey, you are not the only "messy" builder. Much prefer these kinds of photos to the "Guitar on Velvet with organized shavings" kind of photo...
There are times when building is messy, and times when it's time to clean the bench and get out the nice soft, clean rug.
Not my style, but looks like you are doing a fine job!
Author:  PeterF [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 5:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Thanks Haans! :)
Author:  Beth Mayer [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 7:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Petr, I love your aesthetic!!! I think your guitars rock :)
Author:  cphanna [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 9:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Some real nice design elements there. Keep the progress pictures coming!
Author:  Nick Royle [ Wed Jun 11, 2014 6:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Can't believe I missed this! Looking great, Peter!
I always get a bit jealous when I see your work! :lol:

I'd love to know how you put that neck blank together!
Author:  PeterF [ Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Thanks guys!
Nick, the neck blank is made up as normal, but I left it as long as the whole fretboard and glued the heel block on where the 14th fret was going. I cut the tenon on the heel block before gluing it on. I then bandsawed out the taper in the end and chiselled out the corner bits next to the tenon. Then rout the truss rod channel till it pokes out the bottom and continue the channel on the other side with chisels... Simple :mrgreen:
I adapted the idea from Todd Rose's guitars - he's got a thread on the AGF somewhere showing the whole process, only I used 2 smaller carbon tubes rather than one massive one to support the heel.
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/foru ... 710&page=5
Author:  JimS [ Fri Jul 11, 2014 6:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
I absolutely love the looks of the rosette and fret board together. How do you cut out sections of the sound board for the rosette?
Author:  PeterF [ Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Thanks Jim! I use a dremel in a homemade router base/circle cutter and cut the ends of each section with a knife and chisels.

So its been a while since I updated this. The back is on and end graft inlayed. I had a few delays trying to find a method of binding that would work for me. I tried all sorts of different types of tape and roping before finding out about fibre reinforced strapping tape - works amazingly well! So far I think its the best binding job I've done - not a single gap :D
On a bad note though, I have to re-do the fingerboard. I slotted it myself with a japanese pull saw and mitre box and I think the saw was too flexible or something because the slots aren't perfectly vertical and the frets are tipping slightly leaving gaps underneath. I can't think of any other reason for the gaps anyway - they're definitely deep enough.
I bought a pre-slotted board in the end in frustration and will be starting on that soon...
Oh and I've also roughed out the bridge.

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My simple binding router jig. It works pretty well...
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Author:  PeterF [ Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Oh I forgot to show a picture of the back bracing. Its something a little different I got from looking at Tom Doerr's guitars. It seemed like it would help against the neck pulling upwards and flattening the back.

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Author:  PeterF [ Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
So its been rather a while since I updated this. I've been away and having a lot of trouble with the frets, but I've managed to get past it thankfully and its on to a new stage. I've got all the frets in, the fingerboard glued on and have been sanding the body for hours.
Those who look carefully will probably notice the fingerboard looks different and thats because I made a new one [xx(] There was a problem with the fret slots on the old one, so I bought a preslotted board and did it all again.

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Author:  Beth Mayer [ Mon Sep 08, 2014 7:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Still watching and enjoying, Peter. Bit jealous of those Florentine binding chops!!!
Author:  PeterF [ Tue Sep 16, 2014 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Finishing time!! The first zpoxy pore fill coat has just gone on and it looked so good I had to put some pictures up! :D

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Author:  Beth Mayer [ Tue Sep 16, 2014 10:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Wow....chatoyance!!!!
Author:  Alex Kleon [ Thu Sep 18, 2014 4:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
I'll keep the verbage to a minimum. WOW!

Alex
Author:  dzsmith [ Thu Sep 18, 2014 9:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Super-Duper!
Author:  Jfurry [ Thu Sep 18, 2014 9:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Really like it,totally beautiful!!!
Author:  PeterF [ Fri Sep 19, 2014 2:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Quilted maple/alpine spruce OM(ish) guitar
Thanks very much :) I was a little hesitant using such expensive wood at first, but the results are totally worth it!
A couple of coats of zpoxy later and the lacquering can begin...
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In my ultra high-tec spray booth... :D I'm spraying Bolgers nitro lacquer using a preval sprayer. So far (2 coats in on the neck) its going ok, although I don't have any other spraying experience, so I don't really know what ok is! Its leaves a fairly rough surface finish because it doesn't atomise the lacquer as well as a proper spray gun, but for the price, a little extra level sanding is well worth it. A unit costs around £15 here in Wales and you need about 2 refils (£8 each) to finish a guitar. You can also fill it with whatever finish you like and thin it to just the way you want it which makes it a lot better and cheaper than rattle cans.

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