Walnut body build

[Rich Rice]

This thread is intended to give a little insight into the construction of a semi hollow electric guitar body. It is my hope that it will inspire some of you to try to build your own, and heighten awareness of the art of lutherie. There will be many detailed pictures, and I hope you enjoy it. This instrument is not for sale.

I found a rough walnut plank that I really liked, and bought a 3 foot section of it. After a bit of block sanding on the face, it looked like this:


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3731.jpg

It had really cool end grain, too.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3730.jpg

I cut it roughly in half, and squared up the edges on a jointer. I had not planned on doing this thread at that point, thus have no pictures of that operation.

Once I had determined the orientation of the two halves (for the prettiest grain pattern), I glued and clamped the two pieces together and left them to dry overnight.

The following day, I removed the clamps and inspected the new "blank". So far, so good...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3744.jpg




This is where it sits right now, I will post more as things move along.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3742.jpg

[gkoelling]

This is going to be very interesting!

I understand making it a semi-hollow. Isn't walnut fairly heavy?

Tele-style?

Have you decided on hardware, finish, neck, etc.?

Thanks for sharing. I'm sure it'll take longer having to stop for pics regularly.

[kizzt]

One of my all-time wishlist items is a walnut topped 335 - i bet this axe will sound sweet!
To echo gkoelling's sentiments, which shape?
Also, what is the mark on the bottom-most slab?

[Rich Rice]

I'll do my best to answer your questions, many of them will be answered as the build continues. Please bear in mind that these are my methods, and everything is done differently by different folks.

This will be a T style, more hollow than a Thinline. It is to be used mainly for jazz, a dark, lively, mellow sound is the goal.

Walnut is pretty heavy, but there won't be that much of it left by the time I'm finished with it.

The hardware has been chosen, along with neck specifications, pickups, electronics. The neck will be solid Pao Ferro, Top wood has not yet been selected.

The mark on the bottom slab is shadow from the rough lumber. This will disappear during my preliminary dimensioning of the blank, to follow immediately.

[Rich Rice]

First, I measure out from the center seam to both edges, at both ends of the seam, and draw pencil lines. This is not really necessary, but it helps me keep everything straight in my mind... ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3757.jpg

If you look closely, you will notice that the line is not parallel to the edge of the wood. That bugs me. So I shave it with a table saw, following the line by eye.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3759.jpg

It doesn't have to be perfect, but I like things to look straight when I'm working.. Helps my mindset to keep this stuff straight and square. The main thing is to trim both edges to keep the center seam in the center.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3760.jpg

[Rich Rice]

The next cut was easier, as the board was pretty close to the right width on this side. I left a little extra, as I can trim more off- but it's really hard to put some back...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3761.jpg

Then a trip over to the jointer, to true up my rough edges, and trim the slab back to square. This just takes a little bit off, and requires a few passes through the blades until everything looks good...

Here's the side that I did by hand, before the jointer.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3762.jpg

Here's the other side, after the jointer. See how flat the edge got? It's square to the smoother face, too.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3763.jpg

Once the edges were close to square, it was time for a trip over to the thickness planer. I put the smoother side down, and made several passes through this machine- lowering the blade slightly each time- until the rough surface had been planed flat and clean.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3764.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3765.jpg

Boy, I love this machine! I used to use a belt sander!

[Rich Rice]

I ran both sides of the wood through the planer until it was smooth, and a consistent thickness. Then to a better lit place to inspect what the wood really looks like, and determine which grain pattern I like best for the back of the body..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3766.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3767.jpg

Once I decided which side would be the back, I marked a center line on the seam (I can barely see where it is) and lined up my template on the blank, paying close attention to the center line.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3768.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3769.jpg

Then traced a pencil line around the perimeter of the template. I also marked the bridge pickup and neck pickup position, for a reference point later. Right now, I want the shape of the outside of the body, so I can cut it on the band saw.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3770.jpg

[r9player]

cool thread!

[Sam Evans]

I luvs me some walnuts. Nice planer too.

[Rich Rice]

Well, thanks for the compliments. I'd like to thank Brian and Scott for allowing the thread. I hope everybody enjoys it. The Gear Page is a valuable resource to all of us, and I hope I'm giving something back by doing this thread. Back to work...

I cut relief cuts in the two cutaway areas first, as the blade will bind (possibly break) if I try to cut too tight of a curve. I did this with a sabre saw for many years, and it works fine. The band saw is easier, though, and more accurate.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3771.jpg

More relief cuts here. The cutaway is pretty easy, more care is required in the tight little return curve at the bass side of the pocket.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3772.jpg

Once those tight spots are cut, the rest is very straightforward, just stay a little outside the pencil lines. It goes pretty fast.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3773.jpg

Finished the rough cutting, and back into the light to make sure everything is still good. So far, s'ok!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3774.jpg

[Rich Rice]

Here's the side that will show. I like it. A little 3-D stuff going on in there, but it's subtle. Elegant. ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3775.jpg

I flipped it back over, and fitted the template back on top, again using the center lines and the pencil marks. Looks good.



http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3776.jpg

I want this to have a deeper tone, and wish to maximize the acoustic properties of the instrument. I'm going to leave the body as deep as I can, in order to get a broader mid/mellower acoustic tone from the body. Every little bit helps, and a whole bunch of small details add up to a better result. The body is currently a strong 1-7/8" thick, and I'll be adding a top to that.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3778.jpg

[Mike Dresch]

I think you'll like the combo of walnut body and rosewood neck (or in your case Pau Ferro). I built one almost identical to it about a month ago. I used Indian Rosewood instead of Pau Ferro and put a spalted maple top on it as it was a soft wood and I was looking for warmer tones. Turned out very stunning. I've got a 12' long board of walnut that just rings like a bell when you tap it. I'm really surprised more builders don't use walnut more often. Great stuff.

[Rich Rice]

I like walnut too. I did another body out of it a couple of years ago, and it was very cool.

OK.. I attached the template to the body with a couple of drywall screws

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3779.jpg

I always recess the screw heads in the templates, so the router base can float over them unencumbered.

A template following router bit allows the bit to cut the body wood flush with the template. This is the first pass, with a hand held router. I like to load up the shaft of the bit with a few bearings when I can, to add to the stability of the cut and in case a bearing fails. They do fail.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3781.jpg

Just easing the router around the body.. Don't want to take too big of a bite. Always paying attention to the direction of rotation, and the feel of how it is biting into the work. If it gets forced, the body can be ruined- if it jumps, maybe a trip to the hospital. If you do this, wear eye protection and be careful.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3782.jpg

The first pass is pretty critical, as I use the body itself as a template for the second pass.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3783.jpg

I switched over to the router table, as it gives me a better grip on the body. Gotta mentally switch gears here, as the direction of rotation is different. I'd hate to tear out any wood at this stage.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3784.jpg

[paintguy]

This is a great thread and lots of fun to watch.:AOK

Looking forward to the next installment!

Btw, beautiful piece of Walnut. Very subtle and classy...

[Rich Rice]

That router generates plenty of shavings and dust.. sheesh...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3785.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3786.jpg

But once the piece is dusted off, it's a thing of beauty.. ;)

I figured I'd rout the bridge pickup as long as the template was attached

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3787.jpg

And then followed with the neck pickup, even though this build will get a humbucker in the neck. The neck rout will give me a point of reference when I am designing the insides of the guitar, and also will act as a guide for neck pickup placement.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3788.jpg

[Rich Rice]

Almost seems like a shame to carve up such a beautiful hunk of wood, eh!?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3790.jpg

Well, this is the back, and this will still show, so I guess I'll press on... ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3791.jpg

Remember way in the beginning I was talking about paying attention to the end grain? This is why...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3794.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3793.jpg

OK.. I had better get back to work.. More to come. :)

[Old Tele man]

...nice to see a "pro" sharing some his secrets, ie: the copius use of relief cuts adjacent tight curves to ensure clean cutting.

[Rich Rice]

LOL.. Yeah, I got a big mouth.. :rolleyes:

Well, I have the plan now.. I marked up the body where it needs to be hollow with cross marks. Won't be much wood left after I get done with it. Of course, that's not all bad. Right now this body weighs in at 7lb., 11oz. :eek:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3800.jpg

Reverse engineering the final design here, I know what I want to end up with.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3799.jpg

Bridge and pickup locations- need to know where those darn things go ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3798.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3795.jpg

Now you know why I did the pickup routing when I did. Hard to go wrong when you have something physical in your hands. Cuts down on the mathematics..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3796.jpg

[paintguy]

Damn!

Why go through all that work?

Much easier to just push the button on the CNC machine.;):D

Awesome progress reports. Dig em'.:AOK

[Rich Rice]

Damn!

Why go through all that work?

Much easier to just push the button on the CNC machine.;):D

Awesome progress reports. Dig em'.:AOK



Thanks! I'm CNC challenged. Never used one, wouldn't know where to start. This is freedom, man! :BEER Dream it, build it.

I need to go clean up the shop, quite a mess out there. I'll post more as I can. Thanks for coming along!

[Old Tele man]

...do you REALLY trust a computer to be "right" everytime? Certainly NOT the very first time!

[Denyle_Guitars]

CNC for a flat top? Nah. But, you could retire that router table for one of these. I can crank out a tele body in about 20 seconds with it (after a few minutes at the band saw).

http://www.denyleguitars.com/images/shop/shaper01

[Rich Rice]

That's a nice looking machine you have there. Again, I'm not in a hurry, I need to do things the way I do. Gives me time to think about the project.

[John LeQuire]

Awesome thread! Looking forward to watching this progress...

[JPF]

Beautiful material and work! I've got a walnut-capped guitar with P90s - it rings like a bell. Can't wait to read your thoughts once you've played your new creation.

[Rich Rice]

Good morning everybody! ;)

I got busy this morning, and started hogging out some material with my drill press and a forstner bit.. First holes were 1" diameter to make the tighter curves...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3802.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3803.jpg

Then to a larger bit for the softer curves.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3801.jpg

This is a real messy job, with chips and shavings flying everywhere.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3804.jpg

I guess if I was smarter I would hook up my dust collector to catch some of this stuff, but I want to make some strides this morning, and I'll sweep up later...

Anyhow, I followed my line pretty closely, and made a row of interconnected holes, all to the same depth. I'll continue in this fashion until the bulk of the unwanted material has been removed, then start trimming and refining with a hand held router.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3805.jpg

I'll try to shoot a few more pics as I go, but time is limited today- so I'll try to keep my nose to the grindstone.. (ouch!)

[Rich Rice]

Progress..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3806.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3807.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3808.jpg

I still have quite a bit of material to remove, but I stopped to post and have a bite of oatmeal.. Figured I'd throw it on the scale for kicks..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3809.jpg
:AOK
Better!

[JPF]

Are you going to scallop the fretboard as well?:D

[Florida Joe]

Very cool thread! Thanks!!

This is an amazing project. I hope you don't mind me asking a question, but I was wondering how much wood (the thickness) will be left on the backside of the guitar?

Again thanks for a great thread.

Joe

[Old Tele man]

...the Swiss-Cheese-O'Caster (ha,ha)?

...leaving the 'tight' internal corners "rounded" should help eliminate stress cracking in those areas, right?

[r9player]

Although a shame to 'waste' all that wood .. necessary evil .. looking good!

[Sam Evans]

CNC for a flat top? Nah. But, you could retire that router table for one of these. I can crank out a tele body in about 20 seconds with it (after a few minutes at the band saw).

http://www.denyleguitars.com/images/shop/shaper01

Sweet. Where did you get it?

[Rich Rice]

You can buy those shapers at Woodcraft, if you want one... Personally, I prefer to build more by hand. YMMV ;)

[Rich Rice]

OK.. Just got some pics together.. I took a laminate trimmer (small router) with a straight cut bit, and *carefully* followed my lines..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3813.jpg

This went just deep enough to create the actual shape of the cavity, and accommodate a bearing for the next step.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3812.jpg

Couple more shots, since I took 'em..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3811.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3810-1.jpg

Then I used a bigger hand held router with a longer cutter and a top bearing bit to clear out most of the big stuff, and rough cut the inside of the rim.





http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3815.jpg

The bearing followed the ledge I made with the smaller bit, and cleaned up the sides and middle sections.

[Rich Rice]

The bigger bit had passed on the right hand side, below..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3814.jpg

Here is what the second pass looked like, ready for the next step..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3817.jpg

Then I set the table router up with an even longer bit, and a following bearing. This step helped clean it up even more, and thicknessed the back. I'm just under 1'4" thick now.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3816.jpg

I flipped the body over, started up the router, and started making passes (blind, but I know where I set the depth of cat)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3826.jpg

A first peek at the internal damage ..er, progress

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3818.jpg

Anyway, I just kept the work moving, checking, and taking off the extra material until it was nice and clean.

Then I set up a sanding drum on the drill press, and did final shaping of the interior.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3819.jpg

[Structo]

Does the drum sander sand on the bottom of it too?

Wouldn't it be simpler and less stressful to just order a guitar from Rice Custom Guitars?:rotflmao
Awesome build pictorial !
Can't wait to see more!

[Rich Rice]

Once I had the majority of the sanding done, I hand sanded the interior with some 60 grit and a fancy little block I made...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3820.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3821.jpg

One end is flat, for the inside flat areas, the other is curved, for the sides. It works very well.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3822.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3824.jpg

and here's where she sits right now...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3827.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3828.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3829.jpg

There is still a little more weight to come off, and a top to be added, but it's feeling very nicely balanced, and really rings when rapped with knuckles. Looks very promising to me... :D

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3830.jpg

Now it's out to the wood store, in search of nice top wood. :D

[guitarist58]

Just discovered this great thread. Thanks!! :)

[atquinn]

This is a very cool thread! If you don't mind me asking, what size space is all this work being done in? Seems like it would take alot of space to house all the equipment you're showing and referencing in your descriptions (but then, I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to this stuff, so I could be wrong :D).

-Austin

[pickaguitar]

Great thread...I keep checking back for updates.

[pedalfreek]

Yes, very cool thread...thanks for 'letting us in' your shop!!

[Rich Rice]

Thanks for all the nice words. It is my pleasure to do this. I enjoy the builds, the photography, and meeting fellow players.

As for the space, well.. I'm really cramped for space. Figure you could do it in a one car garage if you are really, really organized. Much of my equipment is portable, and I move it around constantly. 'Nuff about me, though.

I found a beautiful piece of walnut, and it will make a cool top for this build. The grain is interesting, some subtle little figuring that lights up at the right angle, and I think it will be a nice match colorwise with the body wood.

I bought triple what I needed, but I liked a certain area of the board best for this one. Here's the board

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3835.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3836.jpg

It's about an inch thick, so I'll need to resaw it, thickness plane it, join it in the center (I'll bookmatch it) and then I can use it. ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3837.jpg

And here's the piece I plan to use

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3838.jpg

Obviously, it will "pop" more when it has been sanded and finished. This is a rough sawn board right now. I figure if it's that pretty in the rough.... :cool:

[Realfi]

This is probably my favourite show at the moment-can't wait for the next episode!

[pickaguitar]

I wish I were in a shop cutting wood/making my next guitar!
It sounds much better than being here in a cubicle...

[Rich Rice]

All right- I had to change over the blade on the band saw, and set it up to resaw the wood for the top. Here's the saw, ready to slice the top wood

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3840.jpg

Unfortunately, I needed both hands on the work while cutting the wood, so I couldn't get any shots of that step. Anyway, I split it into two halves, the skinny way. Then I started with the thickness planer.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3843.jpg

After about 50 passes through the planer (just a tiny bit off at a time, or it will grab and shred this wood) I had a mountain of walnut shavings

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3845.jpg

and two very nice halves for the top.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3841.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3842.jpg

I ran the edges to be joined across the jointer a few times, to true them up,

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3844.jpg

Then the batteries for my camera died.. I prepared the two halves for the top the same way as the body blanks were done, and glued them together under high pressure (lots of clamps, tightened) then wiped off the excess glue.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3846.jpg

The cam clamps keep the pieces flat

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3847.jpg

and the bar clamps squeeze the center joint tight.

Now we wait.. Guess I'll go have dinner, and start sweeping up. What a mess! :messedup

[Denyle_Guitars]

Sweet. Where did you get it?

The cutterhead is made by Amana. The shaper is a 5 hp Delta.

[Chris Rice]

Although a shame to 'waste' all that wood .. necessary evil .. looking good!


I was looking at Rich's mess and the bottle of glue and thinking I should make some walnut particle board...6 lbs of walnut gets everywhere!

[photoguy]

Rich- This is facinating. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to document the project.

[Rich Rice]

Really is my pleasure. Thank you for following the thread! More pics coming this morning, I started sanding it out. :BEER

[Rich Rice]

I've tried lots of different sanding tools over the years, this is my favorite for hand sanding. 1/4" plexiglas with rounded over edges.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3853.jpg

It is just a little smaller than a 1/2 sheet, and is firm, but forgiving.

It works great on flat surfaces

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3854.jpg

and on outside curves. The rounded edges keep me from buggering up the inside curves, and help blend the different planes together

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3855.jpg

For the inside curves, I cut up my wife's broomstick. (No, it never flew...)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3857.jpg

Wrap a piece of sandpaper tightly around it, and it handles all but the tightest inside curves

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3856.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3858.jpg

Keep in mind that this is a preliminary sanding, to correct small variations from the router passes and to reshape/refine the contours. I'll do some more minor damage is successive steps, but this is the main sanding to refine the body. This way I will have a smooth finished line to guide the router when I round over the edges of the finished body.

[Zhurh]

Enjoying the heck outta this post, but got to get out and make attempt to kill some caribou today if they're out on the road. Look forward to more picts tonight; got me pondering all that chestnut out in the shed. Thanks for posting all the picts.

[Rich Rice]

I brought the body in where I'd be comfortable, and did what I love to do.. watch a movie and sand until my hands fall off.. ;) My most essential tool is the Lazyboy and the remote controller for the TV. Drives my family nuts. After about 3 hours (two movies), this is where is sits.




http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3859.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3851.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3850.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3849.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3848.jpg

I still have two ticklish areas to deal with, the inside of the horn and the tight little recurve on the bass side of the pocket. I'll probably do these on my spindle sander later today. Being Saturday, I have quite the "Honeydo" list- progress will be slow.. :FM

Here's a closeup of the last trouble spot on the body

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3852.jpg

It will all surrender to sandpaper and time, though. :D

[GuitarGuy510]

This is very cool stuff, thanks for posting it man! :) I have a walnut guitar myself and I love it! :D The guitar should look and sound awesome when it's done! ;)

[Rich Rice]

I'll try to sneak in a post here.. the boss is looking the other way...

I pulled the clamps off the top wood, and block sanded agressively, to get it really flat and even. I use a little smaller block for this, but it's heavier and thicker. This lets me get my back into it, so to speak

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3860.jpg

I use 80 grit for this step, as I can get a good cut with it, and it moves along pretty quickly. I set the top on a large, flat, solid surface for support, and really lean into the block. Here's the front, about halfway done

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3861.jpg

and the back. I do both sides to ensure there are no gaps when I glue it in place. I also sand the rim of the body, and anyplace where there will be contact. Right before I do glue joints, I always wet both surfaces with a damp rag to help raise the grain, and strengthen the glue joint. It not only raises the grain, it helps remove any fine dust that has settled into the pores of the wood.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3862.jpg

[Rich Rice]

It's really hard to convey the beauty of this walnut with flash pictures, inside. I wet the surface of the top with some mineral spirits to get a sneak peek at what it will look like with a finish, and dragged it out in the sunlight

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3872.jpg

I'm excited. It will be a very close match to the body, and I placed a light streak in the center, similar to the light streak in the back wood. Here's another view, from head-on. Nice figuring, and an interesting grain pattern.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3873.jpg

[JPF]

That is beautiful - I wish I had 1/10th of your talent. Is it destined to get an oil and wax finish?

[Rich Rice]

I think the oil finish would be the coolest for this guitar, but need to discuss it with my customer. It will be either a polymerized oil finish or clear nitro. I like the oil, especially with the solid pao ferro neck. If it were for me, that's the combination I would use. The hardware will be all black, Gotoh six saddle bridge, Gotoh locking tuners (minis), Jason Lollar is winding an Imperial humbucker for the neck, and a Duncan Hot Rails will go in the bridge. Bone nut, CTS pots, CRL switch, Orange Drop cap(s), cloth pull back wire, Switchcraft jack. Should be smokin', all the way around.

I got a full scale drawing of the Fender F holes, and traced it onto a piece of scrap hardwood with carbon paper

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3875.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3876.jpg

Once I liked the look of the outline on the wood, I sawed the rough shape with a scroll saw, then finished up the hole with various rasps, files, and X-Acto knives. This is in oak.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3877.jpg

I can use the oak piece as a template for the walnut top, then flip it over and use it for a second F hole. This was time consuming, and I did most of this work before I decided to run the thread. Anyhow, I cleaned up the remaining edges of the new template this morning with a Dremel and sandpaper. Here's the reverse side...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3878.jpg

I'll document the actual F hole carving on the thread, when I get there.

[theviking]

Geez man,that is awesome work. Thanx for sharing.

[John LeQuire]

Still enjoying this thread! Awesome stuff...

[mouldynudger]

I brought the body in where I'd be comfortable, and did what I love to do.. watch a movie and sand until my hands fall off.. ;) My most essential tool is the Lazyboy and the remote controller for the TV. Drives my family nuts.


Without wishing to come over all "health and safety". Wood dust is not good stuff to inhale, for you or your family.
I wouldn`t allow my family in a woodwork shop without a mask and would stongly advise against anyone doing this.

Quite apart from the fact that it will fill your house with dust.

Damian.

[pickaguitar]

IMO this depends on the wood being sanded.
Maybe walnut is not so bad when compared to Cocobolo...

[Old Tele man]

IMO this depends on the wood being sanded.
Maybe walnut is not so bad when compared to Cocobolo......or REDWOOD!

[Rich Rice]

Walnut isn't too bad, not as bad as the other two mentioned anyway. I just did a couple of projects from padauk, which was worse than all of them.

Sanding is pretty tame, compared to when I used to shoot nitro in the living room, during winter... :eek::eek: now that was a real hazard.. :nono

[Rich Rice]

Looks like we're going with an oil finish. Should be great. I really like the feel and look of oiled walnut. I just got back from a day trip (fishing), so the project will continue tomorrow. Boy, was it cold and windy. Need a little break.

[theviking]

Padauk? hmm now who would like a guitar made from padauk? hehe:RoCkIn

[Rich Rice]

Padauk? hmm now who would like a guitar made from padauk? hehe:RoCkIn

I can think of three, right off the top of my head.. :BEER

[Rich Rice]

Well, insomnia is the luthier's best friend.. I started to lay out the top late last night, and now it's 5:00 in the morning. Oh, well....

I marked the center and drew a line for reference, also traced the body onto the top.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3880.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3879.jpg

Once I knew where the body falls on the piece, I marked the trim from the sides. I hate to work on something that big, and I may use those side pieces on another build. Best to cut them off while they are still nice.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3881.jpg

Unfortunately, it was around 3 AM, so I'll have to wait until morning to do any cutting.

I printed out a drawing of a tele thinline for placement of the F hole, and notched the edges in some key spots to locate the drawing on the top piece. It's slightly different from my shape, but will work perfectly for my purposes. Once it was oriented on the center line, and aligned with the body lines, I taped it down on two sides. Don't want it to move.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3882.jpg

I slipped a sheet of carbon paper underneath the drawing

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3883.jpg

and traced the F hole with a pencil

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3884.jpg

One down. Beautiful.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3885.jpg

Since this is more of a hollowbody than a thinline, we're going with no pickguard, and two F holes.

[Rich Rice]

I double checked the previously made template to the tracing, and it looks good.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3886.jpg

Then I needed to get the other one into position. I took a square, and set it right on the center line- directly at the top of the F hole- and made a line. This will determine the top of the F hole for the other side.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3887.jpg

Then extended the line all the way across the top. There's the first point of reference.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3888.jpg

Then I measured distance between the F hole and the edge of the body. 2" even. I transferred that measurement to the treble side.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3889.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3890.jpg

I repeated the process for the bottom of the F hole, and transferred that measurement, as well- 1-1/8" from the edge.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3891.jpg

Then lined up my template to all the marks, and scribed a clean line with a ball point pen. It's easier for these old eyes to see the pen lines..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3892.jpg

After I finished that step, I took a look to make sure that everything looked cool. Glad it worked out. Nice and symmetrical. I'll use the templates later this morning to get the rough shape of the holes, and finish up using hand tools and sandpaper. F holes are cool, but a bit tricky.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3893.jpg

[r9player]

that's giong to be one very awesome looking (and sounding most likely) guitar!

[Rich Rice]

that's giong to be one very awesome looking (and sounding most likely) guitar!

Thanks! That's the goal...

I sliced off the two ends, and set them aside. Don't think I'll need them, but one never knows. Then I drilled a couple of holes inside the F hole markings. These holes allow access for the scroll saw blade, to rough cut the shape of the F koles.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3894.jpg

Then I cut out the rough shape of the top

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3896.jpg

The idea here is to remove the blade, and reinstall it through the hole in the guitar top.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3895.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3897.jpg

Then carefully follow my lines. I try to stay inside, as I will finish the shaping by hand later. This gives a pretty good start, though.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3898.jpg

[Rich Rice]

Here's where it sat after the scrolling

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3899.jpg

The next couple of steps aren't really necessary, but I do it this way, it makes me feel better while working on the instrument. If my mind is clear, then I do a better job on things...

I ran around the inside curves with a spindle sander, bringing the edges within 1/8" of finish dimension

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3900.jpg

Then on to the disk sander, for further trimming and refinement

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3901.jpg

Finally to the belt sander. I modified this machine to work with guitars, and it is a lifesaver.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3902.jpg

I still need to trim the little recurved area on the bass side of the neck, but I'm not going to worry about it right now. Here's where it stands

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3903.jpg

I'll post more in a while, I need to work on the F holes now.

[Rich Rice]

OK.. The F holes will need a little more refinement, but for the most part I got 'em done. I'll do the rest when it's glued up, from the top. I start with a rat tail file to get the basic shape

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3904.jpg

Using the ink lines, I follow up with a jeweler's file, smoothing and shaping as I go

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3905.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3906.jpg

Stubborn areas get coaxed into submission with a new utility knife where necessary

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3907.jpg

followed by sandpaper..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3908.jpg

I clean off the little traces of the lines with some 220 grit

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3909.jpg

and have a good, long look at the top. If I don't like something, now is the easiest time to adjust. Looks great, I see a couple of minor things that I would like to fix, but they can all be adjusted from the outside now.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3910.jpg

[Rich Rice]

I figured I would drill the wiring channel before installing the top- sometime I do, sometimes I don't. It was convenient today

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3911.jpg

Went right through, I don't need a ground or a neck pickup channel. Simple. ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3912.jpg

Then I burned in the brand

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3913.jpg

Stamped the serial number

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3914.jpg

and stained the interior

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3915.jpg

Time to get going for the next step.

[Rich Rice]

Once the body is to this stage, I don't want it kicking around in pieces. They tend to get beat up, or warp, or whatever bad stuff can happen to 'em...

So I dampened all the surfaces to be joined

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3916.jpg

Signed, dated, and dampened the inside of the top

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3917.jpg

and applied the glue. I spread the glue with a finger, just in case I feel some crud in there. I can kind of "massage" the glue into the pores, and it makes me feel better LOL




http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3918.jpg

Then I lined up the center seams and clamped it together- really together...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3919.jpg

I put extra pressure on the bridge area, the heel block, and the neck block (where the pocket will be carved). Don't want any weird rattles inside, so everything is immaculate, and every step I know to make a perfect joint is used.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3920.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3921.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3922.jpg

[Rich Rice]

After about 15 minutes of clamping pressure, I remove the clamps around the perimeter, one at a time, to clean off the squeezed out glue.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3923.jpg

After which I replace each clamp, and move to the next one

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3924.jpg

The glue is starting to get stiff, so I run around the edge with a pointed file and a damp rag. I don't want a bunch of glue soaking into the wood, or the finish will be affected.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3925.jpg

I want to make sure I see squeeze out all the way around, and then go after it to clean it off completely.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3927.jpg

Right before I replace each clamp I wash the joint with a damp rag. Any residue that gets left behind will sand off after the roundover of the edges.

[photoguy]

I could watch people work all day long...:)

[mbrown3]

This is such a cool thread! Thank you for doing this!

I'm assuming/insisting that there will be clips at the end? :RoCkIn

[r9player]

very awesome so far. kinda makes me want to buy more tools for my shop :D

[Rich Rice]

OK.. I need to wrap this bad boy up for today, so I wanted to hit a good stopping point. I block sanded most of the edges with some 80 grit paper, rather than using the flush trim router bit on it. I didn't want to chance breaking the set of the glue, so I did the shaping by hand. Once the outside curves were getting close, I used a rat tail file to start shaping some of the tighter spots

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3929.jpg


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3931.jpg


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3928.jpg

The body is well under control at this point, I just hate to leave too many loose ends.. So I sanded the whole thing once more, and then started finer sanding with 220 grit. Again, I'm just refining the shape, fit, and overall condition of the body at this point. Below are a few pics I took while hand sanding

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3930.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3932.jpg

[Rich Rice]

Here is the body as she sits right now...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3934.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3935.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3936.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3937.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3938.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3939.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3940.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3941.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3942.jpg

And with better light, outdoors, overcast conditions

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3943.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3944.jpg

I think that's all I can manage today, I need to go teach guitar lessons.. Thanks again to everybody for coming along, and I hope you enjoy the pictures. ;)

[JPF]

That's stunning - congratulations:dude

[Tinman]

I was suprised to see that you flushed the top to the body the same day that you glued it on. In my experience, the moisture from the glue makes the wood swell a bit for at least 24 hours. When the glue dries completely, won't you have some shrinkage along the glue line?

By the way, I'm enjoying the thread. I have made several chambered T-style guitars and I do it in a completely different way. Just like skinnin' a cat.:AOK

[Rich Rice]

I was suprised to see that you flushed the top to the body the same day that you glued it on. In my experience, the moisture from the glue makes the wood swell a bit for at least 24 hours. When the glue dries completely, won't you have some shrinkage along the glue line?

By the way, I'm enjoying the thread. I have made several chambered T-style guitars and I do it in a completely different way. Just like skinnin' a cat.:AOK


With more porous woods I would have waited, but this stuff is really hard, and very tight grained. Since I'll be resanding anyway, if there is any shrinkage at all it will be next to nothing, and will disappear in the finish sanding. I'm planning on rounding over the edges, and that operation generally mars the sides a little- so I'm not too concerned about it. I do semihollow guitars all the time, and don't really do them the same way twice. Each build has certain things that I'm looking for in the end result, so my techniques vary from instrument to instrument. This one is supposed to be darker, fuller sounding than normal. We'll see how she goes... ;)

Thanks for your comments!

[Rich Rice]

Just a quick follow-up, for now... Upon close inspection, there doesn't appear to be any shrinkage at this point.

I'll try to make some more progress on this project today, but a few other projects need my immediate attention. I promise I won't make you wait too long. I hate to wait... :puh

[Old Tele man]

...a "wooden" Michaelangelo? (no, NOT Pinochio!)

[Rich Rice]

LOL.. As long as it's not a Dali or Picasso, we'll be fine... ;)

[Old Tele man]

LOL.. As long as it's not a Dali or Picasso, we'll be fine... ;)...yeah, it'd be hard on the ears!

[Rich Rice]

OK.. I got another step done in my "spare" time.. hehe

I lined up my neck pocket template on the body, and drilled a register hole into the body

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3945.jpg

Then a second hole to keep it in place. I drive 1/8" steel shafts into the holes, and that keeps everything from shifting. I like to use old Dremel shanks for this, and always have some around the shop. They work well.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3946.jpg

I switched their positions, as I want the pin to be flush or a little recessed in the neck pocket area. Otherwise, it interferes with the router base...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3947.jpg

Then I clamp the assembly to the work table, I want it as rigid as possible. I don't want to be distracted by having the body moving around.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3948.jpg

Here's what we're looking at, now everything is locked down and immobile...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3949.jpg

I set the depth for just under my 5/8" target, and cut the pocket with a template bit. I keep the pocket a little too narrow for the neck, and then fit the neck by hand later.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3950.jpg

[Rich Rice]

Once the initial pocket cut was finished, I adjusted the depth to exactly where I want it . This way I have more control of the router, as I'm only removing about 1/16" of wood. Works for me. ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3953.jpg

I stripped the template and pins, and here's what's left.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3954.jpg

Beautiful. ;)

[Rich Rice]

As long as I was out there, I mounted a roundover bit in the laminate trimmer,

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3955.jpg

and ran around the edges, top and bottom.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3957.jpg

Now I went from these square edges

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3956.jpg

to nicely radiused edges.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3958.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3959.jpg

I'll finish up and do a little final blending with 220 grit later. One more step complete!

[Blunder]

One of the best threads ever! That is going to be one beautiful guitar.:drool
Very informative and helpful for aspiring builders like myself.

[Rich Rice]

Very informative and helpful for aspiring builders like myself.

Thanks. That was the whole idea. It's awesome to play something you made, and helpful to see how things are done if you are trying to spec out a guitar. Obviously, my ways are my own, and everybody does things a little differently...
:YinYang

[pickaguitar]

Any updates? Where's my blues guy? Ya know...the one who keeps me entertained while I'm at work? The guy who's doing what I'd like to be doing :)

[Chris Rice]

He's packing up the guitar we donated to the TDPRI Fundraiser. :BEER
http://www.tdpri.com/2007giveaway.htm

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/denimsuede/037noflash2.jpg

[johnmfer]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3954.jpg

Beautiful. ;)

Very nice, clean work. Any plans to contour the heel at all?

[pickaguitar]

A denim guitar with leather? 2 frickin cool!

[Rich Rice]

Very nice, clean work. Any plans to contour the heel at all?
I haven't thought about it yet.. Great idea! I did it on another one, and recessed the neck bolts in flush mounted ferrules- like this

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/Osprey%20ll/DSCN3292.jpg


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/Osprey%20ll/DSCN3293.jpg

I think it would be good on the walnut one, too. Thanks for the suggestion! ;)

[Rich Rice]

Yep, it took a whole bunch of convincing.. With the extra thickness of the heel, a contour will really improve the player's comfort. I like to do this type of work completely by hand, as it affords me better control. Just some rough sandpaper and time will allow me to shape the heel until I like the feel of it.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3960.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3963.jpg

I'm just softening the edges right now, and working the last ugly spot (the recurve on the bass side). I'll keep going until I'm happy with the look and feel.

[Rich Rice]

As I'm sitting here sanding and refining the heel area, I figured I'd shoot a couple of progress pics. I don't think I'll do a deep contour, but simply soften up the lines and corners of the heel. The deep contours can feel a little weird sometimes. (just my opinion)

I cleaned up the edges of the pocket with a woodcarving gouge

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3965.jpg

I keep these tools razor sharp, and boy are they handy.

Then I used a curved gouge to minimize the difference in planes between the two router passes.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3966.jpg

This area could have been done on my spindle sander, but I don't want to change the shape here, simply get it smooth and level.

These are the little buggers I'm using. They aren't cheap, but worth their weight in gold.. I have a set of six different shaped blades, some straight, some curved, some with 90 degree veining edges... Each comes in handy when making fine adjustments.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3967.jpg

Then sanded the inside curve.. I have a little left to go, but it will be a nice, clean curve. This takes forever..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3968.jpg

I'm reshaping the heel as I go, and blending the radii around the body. At this stage, I just keep looking, touching, shaping, and refining the body. I'll get more pics when it shows more.

[theviking]

Wow that guitar with recessed the neck bolts in flush mounted ferrules sure looks mighty fine there mister Rice, could it be padauk glowing so reddishly beautiful lol

[Rich Rice]

Wow that guitar with recessed the neck bolts in flush mounted ferrules sure looks mighty fine there mister Rice, could it be padauk glowing so reddishly beautiful lol

You have the eyes of a hawk, Mr. Viking! Yes, padauk and maple on that beauty, with a pao ferro neck.

Interestingly, the neck on this walnut guitar will be solid pao ferro, with no face dots. It's a really cool wood, and it goes with almost everything! :)

[Rich Rice]

I'm going to have to put this thread on hold for a week or so, as I'm waiting for parts to arrive from various suppliers. I'll pick up again when the bridge and pickups arrive. The finish sanding is about 90% finished, I don't want to take the body any further until the rest of the heavy construction is done. If you have subscribed to this thread, you'll receive notice when it reappears. Thanks again for watching/participating!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3969.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN3970.jpg

Rich

P.S.- if you enjoyed this thread, there are a few more build threads I'm working on, lots of pictures and step-by-step entries. Enjoy!

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/86681-birth-body-another-work-progress.html?highlight=reclaimed

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/87089-reclaimed-pine-build-coming-woohoo.html?highlight=reclaimed

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/acoustic-heaven/76564-dreadnaught-build-progress.html?highlight=dreadnaught

[RadackGuitars]

What about a neck? I hope one just doesn't appear already done. We need to see the making of that as well.

[pickaguitar]

awe...I was enjoying your work.

http://www.hillinstruments.com/
http://www.kinnairdguitars.com/000_5.htm
http://www.lucasguitars.com
http://www.cumpiano.com/

[r9player]

woah ... awww been really enjoying this thread too.

[BettyFjord]

Me too. Watching the build is great fun. I'm sad it had to end.

[Rich Rice]

Well, it isn't over until it's really over. :Devil

I started the thread, and will see it through to completion. I'm still waiting for parts, and don't feel comfortable moving forward without the actual parts in-hand. Plenty more to come. ;)

-Rich

[MViator]

Hey Rich,

Great to see you in action on this thread. If only that were a lefty you were building :cool: Beautiful, meticulous work.

Mv

[Rich Rice]

Hey Rich,

Great to see you in action on this thread. If only that were a lefty you were building :cool: Beautiful, meticulous work.

Mv

Thanks Mark. Means a lot coming from you. :)

[Tinman]

I was hoping you were going to bind the F-holes. :o

[Chris Rice]

The customer doesn't want any binding at all. I'd like it with bound F-holes, but only if the top and back were also bound (maybe the neck too).

[angelo]

Where in (847) is that shop. Man, I just want to come by and waste some of your time.

[Rich Rice]

We're in Arlington Heights. Not really open to the public here, but you can surely give me a call. I love to talk about guitar building.. :BEER

[Rich Rice]

I was hoping you were going to bind the F-holes. :o


F-hole binding would be pretty cool on this, I like binding. I'd do binding on the whole thing if it was for me. It's cool like it is, though. Gotta do what I'm asked to do on this one. This is actually a cross between my own hollowbody T style (pictured below) with purpleheart body and redwood top

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/HollowTele/4096291d.jpg

this fellow's guitar,

http://www.youtube.com/user/genilcastro

and my customer's personal choices of hardware. The design and construction is based on my own experience, both as a builder and as a player. The goal is to produce a nice jazz sound. My feeling is that it will do that, but have more versatility- the woods should be pretty bright, the design should add a mellow aspect, and the fairly strong pickups should add some muscle.

[Rich Rice]

I received an e-mail yesterday, the hardware shipped. I should have it mid week next week. Hopefully, Turkey Day won't slow me down too much. I'm anxious to continue this build.

Another very cool event, my friend from TDPRI (Ed Hawley) made me a new jig for drilling the string through ferrules. He's an amazing guy, and a real whiz with a CNC machine. Anyway, I'm saving the maiden voyage of the jig for this build. If you like build threads, and want to see a '53 Tele replica done on a CNC machine, here's a link to Ed's thread.. http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/83286-53-cnc-build.html

Here's a pic of the jig he built for me.. simple, effective, accurate.. He's an awesome guy.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN4061.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN4062.jpg

[pickaguitar]

How's the neck coming?

[Rich Rice]

How's the neck coming?.

Getting there... takes a while, though :)

[Rich Rice]

The pickups are on the way, too! Awesome! :AOK

[Old Tele man]

The pickups are on the way, too! Awesome! :AOK...speaking of pickups, which model(s) do YOU feel are best suited for "jazz" applications in solid-body and hollow-body Tele's?

[Rich Rice]

...speaking of pickups, which model(s) do YOU feel are best suited for "jazz" applications in solid-body and hollow-body Tele's?

Well, you know that's a loaded question... It depends on so many different things that I can't really make a blanket statement. Body woods, construction techniques, string gauge, player touch, player style, music style.. the list is pretty much endless. I tend to like slightly weaker mini humbuckers in the neck, and slightly underwound bridge pickups. My style is much cleaner than the average, and I want clarity, balance, note definition, and an exceptionally clean attack. I like the Bartolini J-5 quite a bit, also SD Seth Lover in the neck, sometimes full 'bucker, sometimes partially split. I'm also a fan of the Lollar Vintage Tele set, and his 52's, which are a little less hot.

I always sound like me anyway, though.. for better or worse. There are so many that I like, I really can't give a definitive answer.Too many variables. Amps make a big difference too, as well as speaker choices and enclosures, venue size, and the overall vibe of the group and the crowd. I play almost all early 70's Fender amps (SF), with very efficient speakers.

[The Pup]

:munch

[Rich Rice]

I attached the template to the body, to mark the string through holes and rout the bridge pickup.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4070.jpg

I also marked the pickup position for the neck. This one calls for a humbucker, so I'll rout that a little later.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4071.jpg

I drilled the string through holes about 3/4 of the way through.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4072.jpg


Then I marked the output jack location

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4073.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4074.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4075.jpg

and drilled it with a 7/8" forstner bit

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4076.jpg

[Rich Rice]

got a nice jack hole now

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4077.jpg

Out to the shop to do some routing.. I set the depth for the bridge pickup

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4078.jpg

Clamped the assembly to the bench

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4079.jpg

And let 'er rip...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4080.jpg

Nice hole.. it lined up with the one that I cut into the block earlier, so I got it in one pass.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4081.jpg

[Rich Rice]

I use a free-standing template for the 'bucker, and attached it with double stick carpet tape. That stuff is sticky as all get out-

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4082.jpg

Once the template was in position, I routed through the top- This part is all hollow,, so one pass did the trick. ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4085.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4086.jpg

I keep the humbucker routs skinnier than they need to be, so I have side to side adjustment for polepiece/string alignment. I'll string the body up, make adjustments to ensure a perfect alignment, and trim the 'bucker hole to fit at that time. It's a little more work, but this way I can hit everything exactly where I want...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4087.jpg

[Rich Rice]

I drilled the two outside string through holes all the way through the body

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4088.jpg

then fitted my nifty new jig over them, and pinned the ends down. I showed this jig a few posts back, and boy did it work great! If you're reading this, Ed, THANKS AGAIN!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4089.jpg

Then I clamped the ends down tightly, and removed the pins.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4090.jpg

Using the fixture as a spacing guide, I drilled lightly into the body with a 5/16" forstner bit. Not very deep, just enough to start each hole.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4091.jpg

Once I hit all six, I pulled off the clamps, and this is what I had. Perfect.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4092.jpg

Back out to the shop, I stuck the same bit in the drill press, and set the depth to where I wanted it, then drilled the holes to the proper depth. Awesome. Nice and clean, straight, consistent.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4093.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4095.jpg

The center indentations give a great start for my 1/8" bit to finish up the holes. I just drilled through until I hit the ones coming from the front. Perfect.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4096.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4097.jpg

Well, that about wraps this one up for today. Thanks for coming along, and have a great Thanksgiving!

More to come next week!

[Rich Rice]

Looks like most of the parts have arrived. I'll resume the build in the next day or two. I need to try to track down some extra long black neck bolts. Regular length won't make it with the deeper heel. If you know of a source , I would appreciate a PM. Thanks!

[Old Tele man]

...probably not appropriate on this customers' guitar, but couldn't normal length neck screws be used by simply "recessing" each screw into a countersunk hole (maybe with a metal seating washer added) such that they do NOT align with the normal metal cover holes (offset inward?) and then just attach the "normal cover" in the normal postion using "shorter" screws that go into the body only and not all the way through into the neck?

[Rich Rice]

It would work if I was going to use a conventional neck plate, I've seen that on old Epiphone bolt on acoustics. I'm planning on flush mounted ferrules, though. If worst comes to worst, I can always lacquer the screw heads, but I would prefer to find black chrome screws.

Thanks for the suggestion! ;)

[Rich Rice]

Well, Chris found proper neck bolts. I got busy over the weekend, and made nice progress on this build. I'll be wrapping it up shortly, and thought I'd put up a pic or two...

Here's a mock-taken while deciding on knob and switch placement
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4319.jpg

Here's a mock-up after stain and one coat of oil finish
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4356.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4353.jpg

[pedalfreek]

VERY NICE!! She's looking great!!

What kind of oil finish did you use???

[Rich Rice]

Tru Oil, it's a gunstock finish. This was my first go with the stuff, and it's pretty nice to work with. So far, so good.

[GuitarGuy510]

That looks absolutely killer! :BEER I love the look and tone of walnut, great choice man! :cool:

[JPF]

Love your work and that finish.

[Quarter]

Tru Oil, it's a gunstock finish. This was my first go with the stuff, and it's pretty nice to work with. So far, so good.
Thats looking great! :)

I've been using Tru Oil on some recent projects and have been liking it a lot.
Its nice to work with and really brings wood to life.

A couple things that may be of use.
You can grain fill with Tru Oil by building a little body then wet sanding with mineral spirits. It takes a bit, but can be done.

I like using the spray for the final coat(s) It lays down nice an will give a uniform glossy surface.
The pre canned stuff from Birchwood Casey works great or you can cut the bottled stuff with mineral spirits up to 50 / 50 to use in a spray rig.

A couple pics of some Tru Oiled lap steels I did.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/quarterbend/topdown.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/quarterbend/Grand1/grand1-front.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/quarterbend/Tdrop/close1-800.jpg
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/quarterbend/Tdrop/front2.jpg

Looking forward to the finished project, very nice :)

[Rich Rice]

Cool steels, Quarter!

I did a couple of coats today, also countersunk for the neck bolt flanges. I'll drill for the neck bolts tomorrow morning, and post a couple of progress pics.

I'm doing some pore filling as I go, but not looking for a surfboard smooth finish. I want the wood to feel like wood, so the pores will be filled- but not flush. I smoothed it out with some 0000 steel wool this evening, then did a preliminary hand buff. I like the semi gloss look on this piece, with highlights. It's starting to look/feel more like a guitar now. I'm quite pleased with the Tru Oil.

Getting close now!

[Rich Rice]

OK.. I marked and countersunk some holes for the neck bolt ferrules with a forstner bit

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4358.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4359.jpg

Then double checked the depths.. looks good.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4360.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4361.jpg

Then I flipped the body over, and made sure the neck/body fit was nice. Once I drill the bolt holes into the neck, further adjustment becomes difficult. Best to do this now.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4362.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4368.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4369.jpg


Once I was satisfied with the fit, it was time to drill the neck bolt holes through the body

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4364.jpg

Then I drilled the screw holes into the neck.. I kinda got involved in what I was doing, and neglected to take a pic. Sorry..

Once the holes were drilled, I lubricated the screw threads with some bar soap

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4366.jpg

And drove the screws home.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4367.jpg

[Han Solo]

That neck and body is a great match! :AOK

[Old Tele man]

That neck and body is a great match! :AOK...+100!

[Rich Rice]

Thanks! I did a few tests on scrap until I liked it.. one of the nice things about scratch building- always plenty of scraps.. They come in handy when I'm camping, too! Lots of tonewood has gone up in smoke! :cool:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN2764.jpg

[Old Tele man]

...obviously a "summer" picture, as now they'd all be waist-deep in the 'white-stuff' I understand (ha,ha).

[Rich Rice]

Yep. I'm longing for that weather.. I posted a pic of my back yard on another forum last week, way too depressing.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN4349.jpg

My van
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN4350.jpg

The BBQ
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN4351.jpg

A member from Australia made my day by posting "Chuck another snow cone on the barbie, mate!"

I'm still chuckling over that comment.. ;)

I long for the days when the back yard looked like this:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN3218.jpg

[Rich Rice]

I've been refining the finish, coating/rubbing, and it is beginning to get the depth of sheen and color that I desire. Here are a couple of shots from this morning, please forgive the flash glare...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4439.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4441.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4444.jpg

[Old Tele man]

...that NECK and BODY combination looks as though they were grown together on the same tree...nearly perfect "matching" of grain and colors!

[dharmafool]

Rich, just curious, how are you going to attach your wiring harness? Second, why didn't you drill/rout for the controls before starting the finish work?

This walnut build is coming along very well indeed! I went through your entire pine Tele build thread today and it was great too. Now I gotta play the vids.

Thanks for documenting and sharing all this work.

[Rich Rice]

Rich, just curious, how are you going to attach your wiring harness? Second, why didn't you drill/rout for the controls before starting the finish work?

This walnut build is coming along very well indeed! I went through your entire pine Tele build thread today and it was great too. Now I gotta play the vids.

Thanks for documenting and sharing all this work.

We'll prewire, and drop everything in through the F hole. S.O.P.

I seldom do the drilling for controls until the guitar is assembled, unless I have to. I like to move controls around at the end, to fit exactly the spots where I like them while holding the instruments. Sometimes there are last minute changes, sometimes the grain might dictate the most pleasing spot. In this case, we had not decided what we wanted to do. Since it was hollow anyway, it really didn't matter. I knew I could make any combination work.

I love to build, and I'm into photography, so sharing the builds is really a pleasure. I hope it helps somebody to see the different ways things can be done. Thanks for your post! Hope your guitar is serving you well. ;)

[dharmafool]

Hope your guitar is serving you well. ;)

She certainly is! She's my #1. I will write and post a review of her (Rice #73) by New Year's. I'm also sending you and Chris a little holiday something via snail mail. Keep an eye out for it. :RoCkIn

Paul

[Rich Rice]

She certainly is! She's my #1. I will write and post a review of her (Rice #73) by New Year's. I'm also sending you and Chris a little holiday something via snail mail. Keep an eye out for it. :RoCkIn

Paul


Oohhh!! We like surprises (as long as they are "happy" surprises...) :AOK

Merrrry Christmas!!! http://www.gosmiley.com/x-mas/Smiley33.gif

[Rich Rice]

I pulled the neck and body back apart, and spent a few hours rubbing the finish, now that it has had a chance to harden a little more. As long as it's apart, I figured it to be a good time to do some detailing..

I painted the inside flat black, to give a bit of contrast to the F holes

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4477.jpg

Then a first coat of gloss black along the inside edges of the F holes for a finished look.. This coat will be lightly sanded, then a finish coat applied at the end of the build. I hate to do too much here, as all the electronics will need to be fitted through the F holes.. Good to get a start, though..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4467.jpg

I did a quick coat inside the recesses for the neck bolt ferrules, too- it gives a neater look when the guitar is assembled.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4468.jpg

Then I installed the string-through ferrules, first heating with a low wattage soldering iron

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4478.jpg

Then driving them home with a hammer and punch.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4479.jpg

[Rich Rice]

As I'm fortunate enough to have celebrated our holidays last weekend, this has been a nice, lazy day to work on details..

I installed the tuners

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4480.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4481.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4482.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4483.jpg

These are pretty cool tuners, Gotoh locking. They feel smooth.

[Old Tele man]

I long for the days when the back yard looked like this:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/DSCN3218.jpg...Now, *THAT's* a guitar-players' CHRISTMAS TREE with "trimmings" that he/she could really drool over!

"Merry Christmas" from the 'Old Pueblo' located in the high-plateau of the 'Land-o-Sand' in the Arid Zone...the desert between New Mexico and California! :o

[Rich Rice]

Yep, that was just a couple of months ago..
All of those are gone- need to make a new batch now. I'm working on it....

Thanks, and Merry Christmas to you, too! ;)

[Rich Rice]

So I put the jack assembly together

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4486.jpg

marked and drilled the holes

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4487.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4488.jpg

I like to drill one, install a screw (loosely), then drill the rest. That way everything stays straight...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4489.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4490.jpg

[Rich Rice]

Then I drilled the holes for the switch, volume, and tone controls...

Front view (without the black knobs installed)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4499.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4510.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4515.jpg

Chris did a prewire, stuck everything through the F hole, and wired it up...

Rear view

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4501.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4512.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4511.jpg

I don't like the idea of a white bone nut on this build, so have been working on a way to dye the bone.. Here's what I came up with on a test nut...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4502.jpg

Works for me... :AOK

[Quarter]

Thats coming out great !! Love the stained nut, nice detail :)

[leets]

Is this guitar going to be for sale?? :)

[Rich Rice]

Is this guitar going to be for sale?? :)

No, this one was sold before I started it. Thanks for asking!

[drod2045]

i just read through this whole thread. wow! thanks for mkaing my day so much better! also, im now hours behind on work! :D

[Old Tele man]

Is this guitar going to be for sale?? :)...but, I'll bet you can place an order for one just like it!

[Rich Rice]

That could happen...

I've been trying really hard to keep this thread from becoming an infomercial. PM's are appreciated, but let's try to stay on topic. ;) :BEER

[Groovey Records]

Hi Rich Many thanks

I think you've got a book to publish. You've really blocked all your shots and mapped out your build steps methodically with precise descriptions that explain your thought processes.

I've got a question (two) about the nut.

First is the nut permeated by the stain ? Any chance the string tension will cut through to the bone exposing the natural bone?

Also is the nut set? I am seeing a gap in the nut channel in the photo.

Regards and Respect

Joe Tee

[Rich Rice]

Hi Rich Many thanks

I think you've got a book to publish. You've really blocked all your shots and mapped out your build steps methodically with precise descriptions that explain your thought processes.

I've got a question (two) about the nut.

First is the nut permeated by the stain ? Any chance the string tension will cut through to the bone exposing the natural bone?

Also is the nut set? I am seeing a gap in the nut channel in the photo.

Regards and Respect

Joe Tee

Hi Joe
Thanks for the kind words. Each build gets its own twists and turns.. never quite the same.

As far as the nut goes, this was a test nut and not to size. It had been miscut from a previous build. I was just testing the different methods of coloring the bone on this scrap.

The dye is waterborne, and I allowed it to soak into the bone overnight. I'm sure it could be scratched through the color if you tried real hard, but a fingernail didn't touch it. I expect the string grooves to wear, but I don't forsee that to be much of a problem. A touch of brown sharpie could touch that up invisibly. On the actual nut, we used camel bone (harder than cow bone), it was soaked in the dye, then a special indelible ink was stamped on the surface to add depth of color and additional protection against abrasions.

[Rich Rice]

Here's the real one, which has not yet been set. I think we'll have this one strung up by this afternoon. I can't wait. Every guitar is a thrill to play for the first time... ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/walnut%20t/DSCN4518.jpg

[Rich Rice]

Well, we just finished recording a song with this axe. I'll post a link as soon as it gets mixed down and uploaded. It has surpassed my expectations. I'm very pleased with the outcome. You will have an opportunity to hear it in the very near future. Thanks so much for following the thread.

[r9player]

Cool!

[Rich Rice]

Well, here it is.. a song for my daughter's wedding next week.


http://www.wildriceband.com/daddysgirl.mp3

Chris Rice on upright bass
Andy Rice on drums
Rich Rice on the walnut thinline and vocals.

I dubbed in a solo in the middle with the same axe. Sounds better with headphones than my lousy laptop speakers.


Hope you dig it. ;)

[Groovey Records]

Well, we just finished recording a song with this axe. I'll post a link as soon as it gets mixed down and uploaded. It has surpassed my expectations. I'm very pleased with the outcome. You will have an opportunity to hear it in the very near future. Thanks so much for following the thread.

Damn Rich

I thought you would be getting ready to give some thing away by now(prettier then a Guitar) You have a lot to do next weeki

Happy New Year

Joe Tee

[Irreverent]

DUUUDE!

That guitar sounds RIGHTEOUS!!!

[Rich Rice]

Damn Rich

I thought you would be getting ready to give some thing away by now(prettier then a Guitar) You have a lot to do next weeki

Happy New Year

Joe Tee

Yea.. lots to do. I just realized the wedding is THIS COMING SATURDAY :eek:

I had better get a haircut and buy a suit that fits... LOL

[Zhurh]

Nice sounding, a real looker too; you do great work on these geetars. Wife even came over to give it a listen; ticket thru the door so to speak. Have really enjoyed your threads, thanks again.

Have a great trip.

[r9player]

Good stuff there, sweet Tele sounds!

[Rich Rice]

Nice sounding, a real looker too; you do great work on these geetars. Wife even came over to give it a listen; ticket thru the door so to speak. Have really enjoyed your threads, thanks again.

Have a great trip.

Thanks!

BTW, I looked up Eagle, Alaska.. Beautiful country up there. :AOK
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/YukonRiverAtEagle.jpg

WOW!

[Rich Rice]

I had 10 minutes to make a video today, what you see is what you get.. wish I played it a little better.. Anyhow, here's "The Girl from Ipanema" on the walnut hollow T.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=RiceCustomGuitars&p=r

And here's "Misty"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDD0A7myBK0

[Rich Rice]

I forgot I did these.. been a helluva day. Hope you enjoy them...

Here's "Misty" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDD0A7myBK0

and here's an in-hand demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMO_xmPa6-U

[Thor]

"All in all" - you should be very pleased with that build!! Looks and sounds fantastic.

Also - big congratulations on the upcoming wedding! Best wishes to your daughter and new son for a long life of health, happiness and music together!

Cheers,

Edward

[Rich Rice]

Well thanks! I'm ready to get the party started now! Here's Jess- She sings leads, harmonies, plays violin, keys. guitars.. and will be a beautiful bride. I'm the old guy next to her... ;)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/100_9236.jpg

[Thor]

Beautiful and talented - looks like you know how to make more than just great guitars ;)

Again, congratulations and have a great time!

[Rich Rice]

It worked! She´s married! I´ll report on the whole thing in a few days. Thanks for watching!

[jeremym19]

Congrats Rich!! This thread has been a great pleasure!

[Groovey Records]

You new the bride when she used to rock a way baby
Mazel Tov!

[JimH]

Again - this thread is absolutely great. I'm nearly through my first build, a mandolin and have happened across some solid ash. I was planning on something hollow tele inspired - so what a great resource of information there is here! One question - Never built an electric, although as I said I've almost finished a mandolin, from scratch. - should I go basic tele first time out? As I'm thinking of doing my own shape, semi hollow and a maple cap. too much too soon?

[cubado]

Muchas Gracias...

my son and I have been following your build...

and BAM... looks great... sounds even better

you make it look easy...

so easy in fact.. we are going to give it a shot..
and we are going to need a lot of help.. and I am not afraid to ask for some here..

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=336686


Thanks for the inspiration !!

Happy New Year !

[TheGrooveking]

Beautiful guitar, I love Walnut! Thanks for posting this.

TheGrooveking

[Rich Rice]

Muchas Gracias...

my son and I have been following your build...

and BAM... looks great... sounds even better

you make it look easy...

so easy in fact.. we are going to give it a shot..
and we are going to need a lot of help.. and I am not afraid to ask for some here..

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=336686


Thanks for the inspiration !!

Happy New Year !

Any time.. I'm happy to share. :cool:

[Rich Rice]

Well, it's a bit of a sidetrack.. but I did the "Daddy's Little Girl" recording with the walnut T before I sent it out.. Here are a couple of pics of how it went over, from our father/daughter dance. The wedding was in Antigua, Guatemala in a cathedral dating back to the 1700's. A picture is worth 1000 words.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/reception001IMG_0457.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/reception001IMG_0459.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/reception001IMG_0458.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/reception001IMG_0455.jpg

[swa]

Wow, congratulations!

I’ve loved this thread,
you have had me thinking about giving it a shot.

Steve

[Rich Rice]

Wow, congratulations!

I’ve loved this thread,
you have had me thinking about giving it a shot.

Steve

Thanks!

If you decide to go for it, that would be awesome! That's what I love to see. ;) A couple of guys are doing exactly that over on TDPRI.com. Love to help!

Rich

[Roguetitan]

Man this thread Rocks!:dude

[Rich Rice]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[Rich Rice]

I haven't heard any more about this one.. Hope it's working out, David.

[graydane]

Rich, just found this thread cool stuff. Congrats on the wedding too.

I have some walnut that I have had for some time and would like to do a project with it, and I think I will after going thru this. Thanks in advance.

Who or where do you get necks from? The color, grain, etc matched up very nice.

Thanks,
Dane

[Rich Rice]

Thanks for the compliment! There are a number of really good neck sources out there- If you really want it to match, you can always build your own from the same stock. I'm doing one right now from mahogany that actually came from the same board as the body. Here's a link. Good luck!

http://ricecustom.proboards79.com/index.cgi?board=ricebuild&action=display&thread=151

[Eddie1]

I have played this guitar and it's got a really nice sound. Rich has a very creative mind when it comes to his designs, and I have not played one I didn't like.:aok