Official Luthiers Forum!

JJ, that is a killer. Great choices all around. I love the bookmatched top and head plate and the flames...Wow.

Beautiful JJ, a classic! Well done. (you too Anthony - I'd love to be able to coax curly to bend that tight......have to dig out your article again.)

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Dave
Milton, ON

Sweet. Great job, JJ!

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

I'm with everyone else JJ, it's a very classy little ax. I love it.
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Wow, the dark side is getting brighter all the time.

Very cool JJ. Love the sunburst.

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Horton, MI

Thanks for the chambering pic, JJ.
Will you be building him an amp next?
A Donohue stack?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thanks for the kind remarks.

Stan...The "Semper Fi" goes way beyond guitar building and means more to me than you'll ever know. Thanks...I salute you, Sarge!

Steve...I'm hoping that the lads will get interested in building their own amps...and with their own money!

Colin...I was honored just to know that you even read the thread! I did try to build it in the British tradition, however.

So my ultimate goal is to build a high quality Archtop someday. The carved top served to help me to learn a few new skills. Next time, I'd like to move further along that path by building a modified Gibson 335 with arched top and back...and then it's on to the world of a true archtop acoustic.

I've included a few more detailed sunlighted shots I took this morning. The original few were taken with flash since it was raining most of the weekend in Toronto.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Wow, I didn't even think about the binding before. Look at that cutaway! JJ, have you had a chance to weigh the guitar at all?

Wow, I didn't even think about the binding before. Look at that cutaway! JJ, have you weighed the guitar at all?

That's very pretty...any particular reason for pointing the flames of the body and headstock in opposite directions?

Looks way better than most Gibson's I've seen...including my '59 reissue!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Don...I did it just to piss off the OCD folks amongst us. I laid it out such that when the legs of the chevron on the headplate intersect with the legs of the chevrons on the body, they form a series of squares. The exact center of those squares is positioned in the center directly between the 2 pickups and it produces a massive force field that helps to provide extra-terrestrial tone and extend the sustain. Hence...the dark side of guitar-building.

Actually, when I fell in love with the bookmatched maple, I fully anticipated that it would be finished in natural...without stain. There was a section of sapwood about which I had great interest. Once I decided to stain it, I knew it would not so dramatically reveal itself. (see below) On the headplate, I just liked the direction of the flame as a single element... in spite of the directional change from the body.



James...I haven't weighed it yet...but I will. In spite of the fact that I removed a lot of material when chambering it is still quite heavy.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

You know, B.B. King's guitars have solid bodies even though they're the size of a 335. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that your guitar has similar tone. I wish I could play it I love the look of classic guitars like this. This one is so nicely done!

OCD? Hey! I resemble that remark!
The explanation for the force field sounds perfectly plausible. I'll buy that.


Great looking axe...that's for sure. The upward flame on the body works for me, and I didn't think that ever would, but it does on this. Very sharp.

Now Hesh OTOH, would have painted that top black, I just know it.

Can you tell us about how you went about the carving process, or was this John W's handywork ? Sure came out nice, and the color is fantastic.

Great burst.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Don...I happen to really enjoy carving, so I would no more have a CNC shape the top nor a neck. I used an Ibex finger plane with a very, very sharp blade and a Wagner Safety Planer. Here's basically how I did it.

1) Using the Wagner Safety Planer, I reduced a 1/2" width around the perimeter of the maple to approximately 1/8" thick.
2) On the table saw set at an angle of 4.5*, I made a cut across the upper bout that defined how the neck pocket was eventually to be made.
3) I continued the cut surface with a hand plane to define a flat for the neck tenon and fingerboard.
4) Rout out the neck mortise and mark out areas that remain flat.
5) Using the bridge location as the high spot, I drew contour lines around the perimeter 1/2" apart.
6) Drill holes on a drill press at each level to an exact depth, going deeper for each lower contour line
7) Using a curved bottom Ibex finger plane, I planed little chips off for 2-3 days until it was smooth and evenly contoured.
8) Clean up surface with scraper and sandpaper for another day or so. I work slowly!

It was a fun process and I look forward to eventually doing it again for an archtop on both sides. Of course John Watkins can do this in minutes compared to the days that it takes for me by using the finger plane. The journey for me continues to be the bigger thrill and often times, reaching the destination while it is satisfying, is a somewhat melancholy event.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Groovy....

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

JJ GREAT photos!!!! See what natural daylight can do for a photo?

It's even more beautiful in these photos and I think that it's time that I throw my vote behind having a "dark side", errrr I mean electric forum here on the OLF.

JJ I have a book called something like the "Beauty of the Burst" and it has pics of about 150 of the rarest 58 - 60 highly prized LPs. Your is prettier and that is saying a great deal!!!

Whoa. I'm impressed. You've definately stepped it up.

Gotta tell you, those blocks of curly wood really don't look like much until people like yourself get ahold of them

You son is a lucky guy, he definitely looks happy.

Some of these photos are going to be on the new website if that is alright with you.

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CVT Inc.
A tour of our shop (Somewhat outdated)
My Personal eBay profile. BCWoodBug

Jason...I can't tell you how happy I am to hear from you! We all got to know you years ago when you were a college student/athlete selling wood in your spare time.

The maple and cedar I bought from you way back is still the best I have ever seen. Then you go off to the oil fields to make some real money and we don't hear from you for all this time! I sure hope this means you're back in business.

I was with your friend and neighbor, Rod True, last weekend. I asked him to look you up and get your email address so I could send the pics I promised over 3 years ago when we communicated about the wood. Well, either this is an incredible coincidence of you dropping by or Rod didn't waste time upon his return. In either case, I hope you will make the OLF a regular stop on your routine. Feel free to use any pics you like.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Great job on the guitar and the making it for your son.

Also, great job on making the son who you would want to make this for and who would appreciate it as he so obviously does.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

JJ,

Let me add my praise to the multitude's. Gorgeous guitar! Your boy must feel like he's in heaven.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Funny story about my 2 guitar playing sons. When Joe (the younger) started taking lessons, I bought him a used Mexican made Strat on Ebay. For 3 years he played the snot out of this guitar as did Frank who started playing 2 years after Joe. They each also have acoustics that I built for them which are both heavily played. I made a kit-type Tele for Frank but he still favored the Mex-Strat. It was played so much that I even had to do a re-fret while the Tele was relegated to a backup.

Since I made "Shredder" (a Strat-type), the Mex-Strat is getting less play. If "Emily" gets played more than the Mex-Strat, I'll consider my efforts a success. So Joe takes full possession next week and I'll be watching nervously to get the real skinny as to whether this guitar is a hit or just an adornment.

And while I really appreciate all the kind comments from my OLF brothers, I'll breathe a true sigh of relief once the Mex-Strat starts collecting dust!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

What a struggle that's going to be. The desire to hold and play something that beautiful made just for you and the fear and loathing of ever getting a scratch on it.

JJ, you are a wonderful father for causing your son such grief.

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Aoibeann

Super nice JJ.I wish I could do that.
james

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

groovy Baby!

nice job JJ

Matt

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Having fun building guitars

Thats a hot LP JJ!!!
I especially love sticking to the Gibby lettering for the name - and the maple binding - a nice touch!
Looking at this its no wonder that there are so many copies of classicpauls floating in the mix! With the messed up serials back then and in the hands of a master forger its prolly easier than faking a expensive painting,,,, and substantial money to be made in 50's era pauls these days!!
Cheers
Charlie