The Luthier Community

I am currently building electrics and decided to build a guitar gratis for a fine young musician named Owen Marshall in the Portland, Maine music scene. He is obviously thrilled with the offer, but my ulterior motive is to have a presence in the really happening music scene in Portland. He wants a telecaster body and requests a rooster head inlay. The telecaster part is easy but the rooster head is the challenge of the build. I may enlist my friend Marie Davis to help with the inlay but I will have a go at it first. I am going to use either Sculpy or Corian to render the colored parts of the rooster head with MOP for the white parts:



As an introduction here are some images of the build. I hope to document some aspects of the electric build.



Here I am checking the fit for the Oatley tube preamp and components. Plan to have 2 p-90s and a under bridge piezo. Owen plays a lot of Celtic and Contra Dance music so these pickups should serve him well with their warmth and acoustic-like reproduction. The tube preamp is relatively inexpensive and has great features like a low battery LED function. I have to solder things up but at $35 this seems like a bargain. I have used some thin cyano to reinforce the control holes because of the soft nature of the redwood burl.



Here are some pics at the initial stages




Even though acoustics are more of a fine art, I think electrics give a type of freedom to the builder.

Mike Z

That's awsome Mike!
David

Using a scarf joint on this neck. The picture in the last post is laminated neck blank which has been squared up. I made a new jig recently for cutting the 15 degree angle using the miter slot.



First I mark off where the cut begins (including space for the nut!!)



Then move the blank so the cut enters the wood at this line in the jig. Two clamps are set and care is taken to keep them away from the blade.





With this new jig I can go right to glue up with very little fine tuning, pretty slick!







Mike Z

I just plain out LOVE your work, Mike!

E

Here is a 25" scale length fingerboard right off the LMI jig. I am making 2 fingerboards as most of the work for them is set up.



Rather than an elaborate tapering jig I just draw the taper and use this wonderful antique jointer plane to make the taper, takes just a couple of minutes



To achieve a totally flat board I use double stick tape on my table saw bed to hold the work.



Initial shaping of the radius is done with a low angle block plane.



I then use a radiused sanding block and pencil lines for final curvature.





Then a final check with a straight-edge to make sure I have no dips or hills




Thanks David and Eben

Mike Z

Hey Mike
I'm thinking of tinkering with a bit of inlay myself so look forward to seeing plenty of photos of how you progress.
Love the timber on the guitar body. Excuse my ignorance but what is it?

Martin

Hi Martin, The top of this guitar is redwood burl, the body is mahogany with padauk accents. I scored a large burl a few years ago and resawed it-- gives some pretty spectacular figure. Sort of soft and a bit punky in areas though.

After the scarf joint is complete I cut slots and fill the ends for some carbon rods and a truss rod. Really don't like these truss rods as their thickness makes for some thin areas near the nut.




Peghead overlay is maple veneer and padauk.



My sequence for shaping and thinning the peghead is to cut the general outline prior to thinning but leaving about 1/8th inch excess as the "safety plane" does produce some tearout.




The thickness of the peghead is determined prior to starting and excess is taken off with a band saw prior to planing.


Benedetto gives the suggestion of creating a subtle taper to the thickness of the peghead by gluing shims prior to planing ( Also making two necks)-- does give an elegant touch.





Final outline is done with a router and template bit.




Neck taper is done at the same time as the safety planer is set up. Have a tapered jig that fits into the truss rod slot. Once again per Benedetto.



Mike Z

Hey, Mike, I just saw the old vise on your bench. Glad it's being put to use!

Jim