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I've just completed the woodworking on the sister guitar to the Blackwood one posted above, this time in spruce and Madagascan rosewood (635mm scale also). I built this with a different strutting system based on the playing styles of the respective clients and comparing the tap tone of the two is quite interesting.

Working on the neck for the ziricote 00. If you’re into podcasts, the latest episode of Guitar for Introverts is a good one where Jamie interviews Grant Gordy.

https://youtu.be/syTLWxlytqA?si=iVlFsrIp7gGXWAlP

Brad


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Sheesh! As a comedian once said: "But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"

I find the smell of African blackwood quite pleasant, though it may just be nostalgia. It reminds me of new tires at Western Auto as a child.

It does indeed dull most tools instantly, but I have one old block plane that can stand up to it. I wish I knew what alloy its blade is. Scrapers also work well (mine is from Lee Valley). And humidity expansion is far less than ebony, so if properly aged it is very stable. Brace in low humidity and it won't crack, and won't expand excessively in summer either. It bends easily too, although it does exude a lot of resin that has to be scraped off afterward.

Working on an arm bevel on a Maple SJ w/ euro spruce top.

Also finished binding and installing radial purf on this new Sapele OM /w torrified spruce top. Ready to fill some pores!

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New tires, that's the smell! I hate it

Having to resharpen my No 8 twice while jointing the back was incredibly frustrating, especially as the LN iron normaly tends to maintain its edge for quite some time. Even my toothed iron plane needed frequent honing while thicknessing the sides, at 5mm thick I quickly gave up on the drum sander after massive clogging each pass. I have a 19th century Spiers infill plane with a rather high angle Mathieson iron that handled the Blackwood well but that's the only plane in my collection that seemed to be able to take more than 5 consecutive passes. As it's the wood of choice for most woodwinds I'm not surprised at its stability but it took many months of being stickered before I felt comfortable using it. It did bend easily, likely because of the vast amount of resin in the material, it reminded me of Bois de rose in that regard.

Many years ago, LeeValley had a bin with miscellaneous chunks of African Blackwood. I bought a bunch of pieces for dirt cheap every time I went there and ended up with a cubic foot or so. I've made many bridges for both flat top and archtops, a couple of fretboards with the few pieces long enough, archtop end pins, headplates, heel caps, tool handles etc. and still probably have about 20 lbs of it. It turns like nothing else I've worked with on a lathe. Almost like plastic and polishes and buffs up incredibly. I've used 60 grit on my drumsander with very, very light passes for thicknessing but it's definitely a challenge with gumming up things. The smell to me is kind of like rubber and roses. I first saw it in Charles Shifflett's shop when he was still building. The classical commission he was doing at the time was 15k and that was over 20 years ago. It's a beautiful wood in the same class (to me) as Brazilian, both being Dalbergia, although much more difficult to work with pretty much any hand tool other than files and scrapers IME. Here's a D'Aquisto inspired bridge using it.

That's a nice looking bridge! Quite the score at Lee Valley too, Blackwood for pins and pegs sounds like a great idea. I bought a small board from Gilmer a while ago and have used it for head plates and miscellaneous bits and quite like the results. There seems to be a bit of variation in color in the species and the stuff I used appears visually somewhere between ebony and a more typical rosewood like Brazilian. Still a pain to work with but what's art without suffering

I dig the Osmo oil.







Brad


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Ever have one of those days where things just get done?

Yesterday I finished up a mold for a larger viola to use the birds eye back I have. I don't know why the outline is wrong on the right side! It fits the template. Good thing I didn't file to that.

I got the form for the archtop smoothed out. The inside to use as the base for carving, and to mark stock for cutting out backs and bellies. The outside to hold the plates for carving, and to use to bend and glue up the sides.

I marked where the back needs to be cut, so it will fit in the form as a carving holder.

I got the belly cut to the form, and it sits both ways.

I got the outline of the cedar/mahogany viola carved about 2.5mm from the ribs, or less. It was just roughed out.

I started a tailpiece.

Every time I'd finish something, I'd say. "Wow, it's only 2,3,4, o'clock!"

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Why be normal?

Pretty much the story of my life (it feels like).

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

I had just watched your Osmo video, EDIT: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6xRU0bm_ ... ture=share

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Measure Twice,

Karl Borum

Picked up some of the good stuff from Brad Goodman via the classified. Future me thanks current me.



Brad


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Okay - it's not a build, but it's an assembly for a client. He wanted something new, so I put together a Warmoth body and neck, along with some random parts. Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge, and a Guitar Madness Firebird unit in the neck. Plays great. Al Bacon (fumblefinger) wired it up for me, and now it sounds killer. Client is picking it up in the morning. I did some fretwork on one of his Taylors, too. Glad to be at the bench again.

https://i.imgur.com/VQIN3q2.jpg

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

Thanks to the fine folks here at the OLF, tuners are in! Love those custom ziricote buttons!!





Brad


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First one through the three wet stack schedule. Let’s see how it goes.


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It's time to glue the bridge on.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Beautiful instruments, both of them! Tastefully appointed and a very clean look. I especially like how you've treated intersection of the purflings and heel cap, as well as the rosettes. It's too bad the Blackwood is so difficult on tools, but you make the effort look well worth the pain.

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Can’t wait to hear it, Jay!

I upgraded the story stick with a vacuum drill jig for bridge placement. The story stick is 24.75” + compensation and was supposed to be a prototype. It has worked so well I’m just going with it!







Here is the gasket on the bottom. It’s a sheet that comes from all star CNC. I covered the entire thing with gasket and made a little template to mark and cut away what isn’t needed.




Brad


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That's some fancy and cool stuff Brad. I don't build enough to warrant changes from traditional clamping at this time but great to see how others are doing things.

I’ve been working on an Acoustasonic style offset acoustic electric. Got the top cut out and the sound hole and rosette done.

I also did my first try at laser cutting braces. Obviously a lot of cleanup and shaping to go, but it took less than a minute and I’m pleased with the results. I’ll be doing that again.





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Nice Dave! I had to look up Acoustasonic, that’s a cool shape and the elongated soundhole compliments it nicely!

I made it to the buffer with the Khaya 00 I showed in the zoom meeting yesterday. I still have some more time at the buffer needed but I think the new spray technique is going to work out.







Brad


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Flew out to Copenhagen this weekend to help a friend resew some old rosewood he bought at an estate auction. As his shared workshop was quite busy on Friday we only had Saturday to get to work, hardly a bad thing as I greatly enjoyed a day of cycling, eating, and drinking my way around the city. We only managed 5 sets and likely have another few dozen to go; a good excuse to visit Denmark again this Autumn!

That's some beautiful looking rosewood!

I love carving necks. Left enough meat to carve a Martin dart/diamond. John Hall's video was very helpful especially the long sanding stick as I progress to the carving, along with some good pics from online and the Stewmac plan.