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Ken

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Ken

Wow Ken!
That is amazing!
Is that a satin finish bridge? The guitar looks like it has some age to it.
I still have your PDF plans. if I ever get my chops up to speed, I'd love to try a Build.
Beautiful work!

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Thanks the bridge is aged. I use Acid.


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Ken

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Ken

Dang! That's NICE!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Just Great

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EddieLee

That is a great execution of a great design. Are the top and back pressed or carved? If pressed, how do you do it?

Hey, Ken, that's a mighty fine looking guitar!
Patrick

Thanks.
Pressed laminated like a 335.
I press them myself using a mold i made and a vacuum.



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Ken

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Ken

Thanks Pat.


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Ken

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Ken

Wow! Incredible work!

Very nice work, Ken. Nice photos too!

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Sweet! I would love to hear more about you "aging" process

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

That is super nice Ken!

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Ken, that's a beauty. Is it my eyes or are the ears (horns) non-symmetrical? I love the vintage vibe!

James, you were asking about how the laminated plates are made. There is a fairly in depth thread here: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-de ... build.html that explains the process. I have been searching high and low for info on plate lamination and this is about the best info I have been able to find on the process.

Thanks... that's a very enlightening thread

That build thread on the telecaster forum is Gil yaron and me. We built a ES 335 together. I'm doing another build thread on the gear page but don't think it would be kosher to post it here.



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Ken

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Ken

The horns are in fact asymmetrical. The legal term for that that will get anybody out of trouble is non-equidistant.


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Ken

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Ken

Its super secret.

Just kidding

I like to take all my hardware and aged at the same time that way everything matches. After having said that I have come to realize that some nickel plated hardware does not age very well. The stuff I have on here is Gibson historic which ages very well and the tuners are Kluson.

My method is to take all the hardware including the screws and first put a drop of oil on the threads and inside the tuners. After that I pour a little cup full of meriatic acid. And put the cup into a closed plastic container tighten the lid and leave overnight.

The next day have a look to see how much it has aged it very much depends on how much of the acid volatilizes into the air in the container. Usually that's it I just wipe it off with a soft cloth sometimes I use distilled water to stop the process. That's how I get the gray dull age look.


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Ken

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Ken

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showth ... ?t=1404474
This will answer a lot of questions.


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Ken

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Ken

Purty!

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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."

Ken,
Non-equidistant...I love it . Deep down a lawyer lurks within you.

That's a great thread on the "thegearpage" and a good amount of enthusiastic folks following the thread. (I need to read it more carefully when I'm not as blurry eyed coming off of a long day). You've modified a lot of your jigs and process from the telecaster forum thread cited above. I like the non-equidistant shape, very unique and I get ergonomics of the design...quite clever. No doubt if the equidistant manufacturer saw your design they would be no doubt be gnashing their teeth for not thinking of it.

Thanks i think i will leave the lawyering to those more capable than I.
After reading up I will answer any questions. Here or there. Luthier questions are best here though for obvious reasons.


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Ken

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Ken

Ken, what kind of pick-ups did you install in the guitar above. I know from the telecaster thread that you and Gil did a ton of research on vintage 335's -- did you find a pick-up that replicated the sound well?

(I hear you about the lawyering. I am surrounding by them on pretty much a daily basis).

Pickups.
I have played the PAF and have an opinion about them. I do like that sound and my opinion is really just a starting point.
In my guitars i install Seymour Duncan Antiquity and Throbak. But i have also installed just about any other kind of PAF style that you can think of. Sheptones are nice, Holmes makes great PAF style. There are many other great PAF style pick up winders. Gill makes a really nice PAF.

Here's my requirement for a great set of pickups. They work together with the switch and the pots. I like a nice transition between the neck pick up in the bridge. There can't be a lot of volume difference between the two. That can be dialed in with adjustment but it's impossible to get the correct amount of brightness from some pickups. You can always turn down the tone knob but once it's at Max you won't be able to get any extra brightness that's why like bright pick ups, crisp bridge pick up and a Neck pick up that is not muddy. Playing rhythm on the neck pick up has to sound articulate and a quick switch to the bridge pick up should reveal punchy and clear notes. The middle Switch an interesting one too adding a little extra fullness to the sound.

And one more thing about pick ups. I don't require that they are very hot. The hotter the pick up the more muddy they get. You can play my guitar through hundred watt Marshall doublestack and you won't get to dostortion and they'll be plenty loud.





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Ken

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Ken

Ken, when I build hand carved archtop guitars I sometimes use the Curtate Cycloid method and draw a contour map then rough the plate down with a Safety Planer (and the rest with violin planers, scrapers, sandpaper etc). For the 335’ish or a 335 guitar I want to build, I plan on carving a male mould (compensating for plate thickness and a guess at springback for the centre apex and particular the arching of the “ears” or “horns”).

I have a couple of questions.
1. Are the 335 plans that Pat Sharky developed accurate in terms of the arching height and shape (looking at the profile view)? (The contour map on the plans doesn’t look right to me).
2. Where is the apex of the arch located longitudinally and what is maximum height of the arch at the apex? Also what is the apex of the arch in the horn area?
3. Can you provide a sense for the amount of springback to compensate for?

I would really appreciate your help. (I have uploaded Pat Sharky's plans if that would help with my questions).